10 editor picks in Asheville.
10 soul food places in Asheville we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Asheville | Soul Food across every city.
Southern and soul cooking is the backbone of how Asheville eats, from biscuits and fried chicken to shrimp and grits. Tupelo Honey on College Street and Early Girl Eatery on Wall Street anchor the downtown Southern-kitchen tradition, while Buxton Chicken Palace nearby and Good Hot Fish on the South Slope carry the fried-chicken and fish-fry side.
Tupelo Honey opened on College Street in downtown Asheville in 2000 as an eclectic Southern cafe. The original location of what is now a regional chain.
OrderThe fried chicken biscuit with sausage gravy, plus the sweet potato pancakes for brunch.
TipBook on the operator's reservation page; weekend brunch waits run 60-90 minutes without one.
Early Girl Eatery on Wall Street in Asheville opened in 2001 and has been the downtown Southern breakfast benchmark, built on sweet potato hash and grits.
OrderThe sweet potato hash with two eggs, plus a side of stone-ground grits.
TipWalk-in only. Arrive at 08:00 or after 14:00 to skip the weekend queue.
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.
OrderThe hot honey chicken sandwich with a side of slaw.
TipCounter service inside S and W Market. Grab a seat upstairs at the bar or take it to go.
Tupelo Honey opened on College Street in downtown Asheville in 2000. The original location of the regional Southern chain, the room locals still send.
OrderThe fried chicken biscuit with sausage gravy, plus the sweet potato pancakes for brunch.
TipBook on the operator's reservation page; weekend brunch waits run 60-90 minutes without one.
Early Girl Eatery on Wall Street in Asheville opened in 2001 as the downtown Southern farm-to-table benchmark, with sweet potato hash and stone-ground grits.
OrderThe sweet potato hash with two eggs, plus a side of stone-ground grits.
TipWalk-in only. Arrive at 08:00 or after 14:00 to skip the weekend queue.
Sunny Point Café on Haywood Road in West Asheville opened in 2003 as a family-owned breakfast and lunch room with an on-site production garden.
OrderThe huevos rancheros, or the buttermilk biscuit and sausage gravy plate.
TipDaily 08:30-14:00. Walk-in only; weekends wait 60-90 minutes after 10:00. The patio takes the queue first.
Jason and Carolyn Roy's Biscuit Head opened the West Asheville flagship on Haywood Road in 2013. Cathead biscuits with a jam-bar of house preserves, hot.
OrderThe Mimosa Fried Chicken biscuit (sweet potato butter, sriracha slaw, poached egg).
TipWalk-in counter service. Open Mon-Fri 08:00-14:00; weekend lines spill out the door from 09:30.
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.
OrderThe hot honey chicken sandwich with a side of slaw.
TipCounter service inside S and W Market. Grab a seat upstairs at the bar or take it to go.
Ashleigh Shanti's Good Hot Fish at Burial's South Slope runs a $14 fried catfish basket as standard. Hush puppies, slaw dog and Carolina mustard included.
OrderFried catfish basket
TipOrder at the counter upstairs. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Beer downstairs at Burial.
Tupelo Honey's original College Street location in Asheville keeps breakfast plates and biscuits under $18, with sweet potato pancakes and fried chicken.
OrderSweet potato pancakes, biscuits
TipWeekday breakfast 09:00-11:00 is the calmest. Weekend brunch climbs over $20 with sides.
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