19 Best Restaurants In Asheville From Locals (2024)

From locals, dine at the best restaurants in Asheville, including tourist hot spots, favorite local haunts, cafes, wine bars, and more. Enjoy James Beard-awarding restaurants alongside budget-friendly, casual eats perfect for the family or Fido.

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Best Asheville Restaurants You Won’t Forget

Living in Asheville for 5 years, we eat out multiple times a week, including takeout and delivery. We are foodie pros – think hundreds of Western North Carolina restaurants – and are a half-Celiac household. We’ve eaten at all of these restaurants and update this guide frequently. All photos are our own and what we ordered. Be sure to read our articles for where to eat in Asheville, NC, broken down by cuisine, neighborhood, and more.

RosaBees

RosaBees, an unforgettable dining choice nestled in the River Arts District, is one of the best places to eat in Asheville if you crave poke and Polynesian cuisine. This Hawaiian gem features delicious fish, rice, noodle dishes, and Indonesian and Filipino-inspired specials. Devour octopus and spicy seafood entrees complemented by tropical desserts and cocktails.

I live for the scallops, coconut rice, and coconut-infused Four Roses bourbon. Even better, brunch is back on the menu, and I crave their banana bread French toast. Fall in love with the vibrant interior. Afterward, explore the hipster arts scene, and visit one of the coolest Asheville-area wineries, pleb urban winery. Marquee is right there too.

Plant

Plant is our top choice for special occasions and date nights, renowned as one of the best vegan restaurants in Asheville – and now a James Beard Award semifinalist. Their menu features seasonal and organic options like beets, ramen, ravioli, veggie lasagna, Brussels, curries, and nachos. We love sitting on the outside patio with fresh cocktails and endless small plates. I live for their cheese plate and roasted beets, and Tom will order anything with that melty vegan queso. Discover even more dairy-free spots across Asheville.

ELDR

One of the best Asheville restaurants across from the Grove Park Inn, ELDR promises a fairy-tale dining experience with indoor and outdoor seating and a small bar. Enjoy breakfast, weekend brunch, lunch, and dinner, featuring marinated olives, charcuterie, burgers, pasta, sandwiches, and more. Dinner includes hearty pasta dishes, duck, pork chops, and fish. I love to meet up with friends for coffee, salads, cocktails, and brunch. Tom especially appreciates the Oban whisky for his Old Fashioneds paired with a burger with GF bread.

Thai Pearl

A favorite of Tom’s, Thai Pearl serves up the best Thai food in Asheville. Located between two popular West Asheville restaurants, Nine Mile and Jargon, select from curries, rice dishes, stir-fries, soups, Thai salads, and fresh oysters. We enjoy Chef May’s Thai onion rings, ginger soup, green papaya salad, Pad Thai, and Thai Basil dishes. Chef May, who trained at The Royal Palace in Bangkok and alongside a Michelin Star Chef in Australia, brings a unique touch to the cuisine. Takeout from Thai Pearl is never a bad idea either.

Leo’s House Of Thirst

A fantastic wine bar serving up some of the best food in Asheville, Leo’s House of Thirst is our go-to for casual date nights, especially to satiate our tapas cravings. Peruse an impressive wine selection by the glass, half carafe, or bottle, including unique orange and pink wines. The menu features handhelds, pasta, beets, fish, and charcuterie. Sit outside on the garden patio with your dog or enjoy their charming indoor bar and tables. I need their olives, vegan soup, and anything raw from the sea.

Bone & Broth

North Asheville houses some of the best restaurants like Bone & Broth. This classy tavern is for meat lovers, sourcing from local butchery, The Chop Shop. It’s one of my favorite soup spots for bone broth. Choose from casual handhelds like burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches or go all out with pork belly, steaks, and roasted chicken.

We celebrate anniversaries/milestones here and appreciate the locally supported partners. I usually go for a burger, mussels, and salmon on fresh salad paired with a bottle of wine or house-infused liquor cocktail. Walk off your meal in the gorgeous historic Chestnut Street area filled with Little Free Libraries.

Gypsy Queen Cuisine

One of the best restaurants in Asheville that rarely makes others’ lists, Gypsy Queen Cuisine (GQC) is the city’s best-kept secret for delicious Mediterranean & Lebanese street food. Find mezze options, including grape leaves, hummus, and our favorite, fried Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. For entrees, savor rice bowls, gyros, platters, and wraps. GQC is perfect for lunch and our go-to for takeout.

Edison (Grove Park Inn)

We frequent Edison at The Omni Grove Park Inn for its stunning sunset views over the Blue Ridge Mountains. This is a must-visit Asheville experience. It’s also one of our favorite rooftop restaurants. While we suggest making reservations for sunset (check times!), you could also opt for a delicious lunch with seasonal craft cocktails, local beers, and a menu featuring sandwiches, charcuterie, soups, wings, Thai lettuce wraps, and salads. For a high-end dining experience, try Sunset Terrace for delectable scallops and steak. In the winter, don’t miss the gingerbread house exhibition.

Nine Mile

We adore Nine Mile’s Montford location, a Caribbean-inspired Asheville restaurant, which recently started brewing beer. Find Cajun chicken, salmon over pasta, and coconut curry shrimp. I almost always order the Irie Ites, and Tom leans towards their Back-A-Yard Bowl. Nine Mile is another one of our top date-night restaurants around.

Posana Restaurant

Posana stands out as one of Asheville’s best restaurants for gluten-free diners, promising a dedicated gluten-free kitchen for Celiacs (Tom!) with a menu featuring local and contemporary American cuisine. Enjoy roasted beets, grilled chicken, octopus, gnocchi, pork loin, and steak. Menus change seasonally, and they even have one for your pooch, who is welcome on the outdoor patio overlooking Downtown’s Pack Square. Discover more delicious restaurants in Downtown Asheville.

Haywood Common

Haywood Common is one of the best places to eat in Asheville for families, pet-friendly dining, and casual meals, especially with that shared The Whale patio (beer!). We dine here more than anywhere else. Enjoy a healthy menu featuring bowls, salads, sandwiches, and the best cocktails in town. Don’t miss the fantastic weekend brunch with options like chicken biscuits, avocado toast, and breakfast hash. I always need a handcrafted cocktail and cold brew with tators and poke. Sorry, not sorry…

Gemelli Restaurant

Diners cannot go wrong at any of Chef Cerrato’s delicious restaurants in Asheville, including Gemelli, Strada, and Social Lounge. Gemelli’s menu caters to breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, filled with Italian treats. I love the vegan risotto, calamari, and pasta, almost always ordering a London Fog latte. It’s the perfect place to meet up with friends over coffee and pastries. We shop at Earth Fare afterward.

Baby Bull

Owned by the famous Bull and Beggar and overlooking the Asheville silo (no fun slogan for a while now, boooo), Baby Bull is a low-key, affordable burger joint in the River Arts District. Serving up the best burgers in Asheville, catch “Burger Monday” deals for a burger, fries, and a drink. Specials may include lobster rolls and a pork cutlet or pressed pork sandwich. I love Baby Bull on a gorgeous spring day and hope they have a fried fish sandwich special.

Jettie Rae’s Oyster House

For New England-style fish lovers in a renovated Gulf Gas Station, Jettie Rae’s is a must-visit among the best restaurants in Asheville for seafood. Find a menu filled with oysters, shrimp cocktail, mussels, and clams, complemented by a creative and spicy cocktail list. They boast a raw bar and find non-seafood options like burgers and salads. I go here when I need my fried clam fix.

The Bush Farmhouse (Black Mountain)

Explore Black Mountain’s delicious restaurants, just 25 minutes from Asheville, offering a quieter yet equally exceptional dining experience. The Bush Farmhouse has the most unique setting with farm animals, a fantastic South African wine list, and a diverse menu featuring oxtail soup (my favorite!), fish (Tom’s pick), spare ribs, sausage rolls, curries, and wings.

Chai Pani

We didn’t want to have a list of the best Asheville restaurants without naming a few of the big ones. They are also top Asheville tourist attractions.

It’s no secret that Chai Pani is one of the best Downtown Indian restaurants in Asheville, with Chef Meherwan Irani winning a James Beard Award. Featured in The New York Times, GQ Magazine, and New York Magazine, with a visit from Samantha Brown, Chai Pani offers an array of Indian snacks. Tom and I most enjoy their okra fries, chicken pakoras, rice, daal, bhel puri, and corn bhel. The new South Slope space is on fire (it’s an experience!), along with its handcrafted cocktails and unique, tasty dishes.

12 Bones Smokehouse

North Carolina is famous for its BBQ, and we have multiple favorite BBQ restaurants in Asheville, including Luella’s Bar-B-Que and 12 Bones. 12 Bones River is famous because the Obamas dined here, and their South location houses their brewery with a gorgeous Anthony Bourdain mural painted by Gus Cutty. We always order 12 Bones pulled pork sandwiches, huge BBQ platters, and ribs. Their “just a taste” option is perfect for kids. Discover even more of the best breweries the city has to offer. We take all of our out-of-town guests here, including my parents.

Cúrate

Dine at Cúrate, Asheville’s most famous restaurant where both Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay ate. Chef Katie Button and owner Felix Meana, former José Andrés associates, manage this spot. Enjoy decadent Spanish tapas and sherry. I love charcuterie with a shoulder cut of the jamon iberico, anything octopus, and delicious skewered meats. Ask about a vegan/GF dessert that isn’t always listed on the menu. La Bodega, their wine bar, also offers a more casual and budget-friendly experience, if you can’t get into Cúrate.

Neng Jr.’s

For the best food in Asheville, Neng Jr.’s is making quite the splash. Head to the back alley for Filipinx cuisine with a Southern twist in this limited-seating West Asheville restaurant. Staff will explain the menu to you, and choose from sharables and larger entrees. With a frequently changing menu, we enjoy their salty oysters with quail eggs, duck simmering in a rich gravy, and veggies covered in peanut butter and coconut sauce. Discover more mouthwatering Asian restaurants across Asheville.

Our Top 5 Places To Eat As Locals

If we had to pick our top 5 places to eat in Asheville as locals, we’d start with:

More Famous Places To Eat In Asheville

Of course, you may have also heard these names…

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A few more notable restaurants in Asheville that everyone talks about include:

• Biscuit Head – Multiple locations across AVL – Everything Southern biscuits.
  
• Benne On Eagle – 35 Eagle St, Asheville, NC 28801 – Appalachian fare in Asheville’s historic neighborhood, The Block. Go for Sunday brunch.
  
• Sunny Point Cafe – 626 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806 – One of the top restaurants for breakfast in West Asheville (shrimp and grits) and casual eats through lunchtime.
  
• White Duck Taco – Multiple locations across AVL – Eclectic flavors and wildly popular tacos.
  
• French Broad Chocolates – Lounge Downtown & RAD Chocolate Factory – Delicious handcrafted bonbons, vegan hot chocolate, and chocolate tours at the factory.
  
• Early Girl Eatery – Multiple locations – Casual but busy cafe serving all-day breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
  
• Tupelo Honey Cafe – Multiple locations – One of the most touristy Downtown Asheville restaurants, come for the fried chicken and waffles, famous fried green tomatoes, and locally sourced ingredients.
  
• Corner Kitchen – 3 Boston Way, Asheville, NC 28803 – A popular Biltmore Village restaurant perfect for weekend brunch, lunch, or dinner, featuring farm-to-table American and Southern cuisine.
  
• Jerusalem Garden Cafe – 78 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 – Serene spot with a colorful ambiance and delicious Mediterranean/Middle Eastern cuisine.