Sweet and savoury crepes$$downtown
Twisted Crepe on Haywood Street in downtown Asheville runs sweet and savoury French-style crepes, buckwheat galettes and breakfast plates in a small downtown.
Signature: Savoury ham and Gruyère crepe, Strawberry Nutella crepe, Buckwheat galette
Order: A savoury ham and Gruyère galette for breakfast, plus a strawberry-Nutella crepe to share.
Tip: Walk-in. Closed Wednesdays. Weekend brunch waits 15-30 minutes after 10:00.
Indian, regional$$downtown
Mela Indian on North Lexington Avenue in Asheville has been the downtown go-to for regional Indian cooking since 2007. Lunch buffet weekdays, full menu.
Signature: Lamb vindaloo, Chicken tikka masala, Vegetable thali
Order: The lamb vindaloo with garlic naan; the lunch buffet on weekdays is one of Asheville's best deals.
Tip: Book on the operator site for dinner. The lunch buffet runs 11:30-14:30 Mon-Sat.
Fried chicken, Southern$$downtown
Buxton Chicken Palace inside the S and W Market in Asheville is the Elliott Moss and Meherwan Irani spinoff dedicated to the Bon Appetit-anointed Buxton Hall.
Signature: Buxton fried chicken, Hot honey biscuit, Chicken sandwich
Order: The hot honey chicken sandwich with a side of slaw.
Tip: Counter service inside S and W Market. Grab a seat upstairs at the bar or take it to go.
Southern, all-day$$downtown
Tupelo Honey opened on College Street in downtown Asheville in 2000. The original location of the regional Southern chain, the room locals still send.
Signature: Fried chicken biscuit, Shrimp and grits, Sweet potato pancakes
Order: The fried chicken biscuit with sausage gravy, plus the sweet potato pancakes for brunch.
Tip: Book on the operator's reservation page; weekend brunch waits run 60-90 minutes without one.
Southern, farm-to-table$$downtown
Early Girl Eatery on Wall Street in Asheville opened in 2001 as the downtown Southern farm-to-table benchmark. Editor pick on TableJourney with hours.
Signature: Sweet potato hash, Stone-ground grits, Pimento cheese omelet
Order: The sweet potato hash with two eggs, plus a side of stone-ground grits.
Tip: Walk-in only. Arrive at 08:00 or after 14:00 to skip the weekend queue.
Indian street food$$south-slope
Meherwan Irani's Chai Pani won the 2022 James Beard Outstanding Restaurant award. Moved May 2024 to 32 Banks Ave (South Slope). Indian street snacks, thalis.
Signature: Sloppy Jai, Kale pakoras, Bhel puri
Order: The Sloppy Jai (Indian sloppy joe with Punjabi spice) and a plate of kale pakoras.
Tip: Walk-in lunches Mon-Fri are fastest; weekend dinners run 60-90 minutes without a reservation.