Best Restaurants in Asheville

Copper Crown

Copper Crown is a restaurant on Tunnel Road in East Asheville. Its website describes it as an elegant dining experience for the east side of town. The restaurant serves dinner and has patio seating. Reservations are recommended and are made through Resy, though its website notes limited walk-in availability. Takeout orders can be placed online and picked up on the patio. Gift cards are available through the restaurant.

Mamacita's Taqueria

Posana

Posana is a contemporary American restaurant on Biltmore Ave in downtown Asheville. Its website describes a seasonal menu built around locally sourced ingredients, with housemade pastas, fresh seafood and prime meats. The downtown location serves dinner only, and the site recommends reservations, which you can make online. Posana also has a second Asheville location at Biltmore Park in South Asheville, which the site says offers lunch and weekend brunch as well.

Mountain Madre Asheville

Limones Restaurant

Limones is a dinner restaurant in downtown Asheville, on Eagle Street between the Fine Arts Theater and the Wortham Center. Its website describes the food as Mexican- and Californian-inspired, with a menu that changes with the seasons. It says the restaurant has been open for more than 20 years and sits in the historic J.A. Wilson Building. The menu has shareable starters, larger plates such as carne asada, lamb rigatoni, fish asado and enchiladas, plus cocktails, wine and Mexican beer. The site says walk-ins are welcome and reservations are recommended, and reservations are booked through Resy. Online to-go ordering and gift cards are also listed.

Rosetta's Kitchen

Rosetta's Kitchen is a vegetarian and vegan restaurant on North Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville. According to its website, it has been serving the community since 2002. The site says the food is locally sourced and made at affordable prices, with the line "Here, everyone eats." Its site has a menu, online ordering, catering information and gift cards. It also has a "Give here" page. Check the website for current days and hours, which are listed on its home page.

Good Hot Fish

Good Hot Fish is a counter-service fish fry restaurant on Buxton Avenue in downtown Asheville. Its website says the idea comes from the old Southern fish camps, with classic recipes and a chef-driven menu built around seasonality. The menu lists items such as the Good Hot Fish sandwich of fried NC catfish, a trout bologna and cheese sandwich, fish nuggets, a shrimp burger and a daily fish plate where you choose the fish and how it is cooked. Sides include baked macaroni and cheese, and the fish plates come with hushpuppies. The site says the menu changes with the season and availability. You can order online, and the restaurant offers a Host a Fish Fry option for groups. The site also has a note on its allergy policy and ADA accessibility.

Jack of the Wood

Jack of the Wood is a pub in downtown Asheville with an English and Irish feel. According to its website, it opened in 1997 and is still owned by its founders. The pub once had a small brewery, but its site says beer is no longer brewed there. It serves whiskeys and a rotating list of 18 taps with local and international craft beers. The menu covers pub fare such as fish and chips, Philly cheesesteaks, Reubens, burgers and appetizers, with vegetarian options, and there is a Sunday brunch. Live music is a big part of the pub. The site lists an old-time jam on Wednesdays, a bluegrass jam on Thursdays, bands on weekends and traditional Irish sessions on Sundays. Gift cards are sold on its website.

The Original Vinnie's Neighborhood Italian

The Original Vinnie's Neighborhood Italian is a restaurant on Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville. According to its website, it opened in 2010 and serves old-school neighborhood Italian food inspired by the Italian restaurants of Brooklyn, the Bronx and Boston's North End. The restaurant offers indoor dining, patio dining and extended outdoor seating. The site says it does not take reservations. You can order to-go online or by phone, and the restaurant offers party trays. Vinnie's also runs a rewards program called the Goombah Club. A second location, Vinnie's South, is on Hendersonville Road in South Asheville.

Jargon

Jargon is a dinner restaurant on Haywood Road in West Asheville. Its website describes modern American cooking built around seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, with a menu that changes often. It also serves cocktails and has a wine list. Seating includes the dining room, the bar, a chef's counter and a heated outdoor courtyard. Reservations are taken through Resy. The restaurant also runs a private event space called The Argot Room. The website says Jargon is a certified living wage employer.

Sierra Nevada Taproom and Restaurant

Taco Temple

Taco Temple is a taco shop on Charlotte Street in Asheville. Its website calls it an independent taco joint in a quirky former 1930 gas station, with fresh-milled corn tortillas, tortas and tamales on the menu. The Mountain Xpress reported when it opened in 2016 that the tortillas are made from corn ground in-house and pressed and grilled to order. The same article described fish tacos, al pastor pork, lamb barbacoa, chorizo, rotisserie chicken and house salsas, and noted that the space holds just under 50 diners. The current menu is on the restaurant's website, so check there before you go.

Neng Jr.'s

Neng Jr.'s is a small Filipinx restaurant on Haywood Road in Asheville. According to its website, it opened on July 1, 2022, in a former arcade, with an intimate 18-seat dining room and an open kitchen. The menu changes often, sometimes daily, based on what local farmers and producers have available. The kitchen draws on Filipino traditions. The entrance is in the back alley and up a flight of stairs, and the restaurant asks guests to call ahead for accessibility help. Reservations are made through Tock and are encouraged. Upstairs, Harmony Wine is a wine bar for a drink before or after dinner.

Jettie Rae's

Jettie Rae's is an oyster house on Charlotte Street in Asheville. Its website describes fresh oysters daily and seafood-focused dishes, with an emphasis on sourcing from coastal waters and honoring sustainability. The restaurant takes reservations through Resy and says walk-in seating is available. Parties of up to six can book online, and larger groups are asked to call. The site notes that dishes are made with ghee, butter and olive oil, and asks guests to tell their server about any allergies. On-site parking is available, with more across the street. Jettie Rae's also runs a free rewards program called the Shuckers Club, and it hosts a monthly seafood event it calls Sunday Socials.

Chai Pani

Itto Ramen & Japanese Tapas

The Admiral

Pack's Tavern

Pack's Tavern is a restaurant and taproom in downtown Asheville, on South Spruce Street near Pack Square Park. Its website describes a historic downtown tavern with food, drafts and cocktails. The menu includes shareable starters such as wood-fired pretzels, wings and fried green tomatoes, plus salads and soup. The site says it offers gluten free bread and menu modifications, and it takes online orders. Seating is first-come, first-served, with no reservations for regular service, and the patio welcomes leashed dogs. The Century Room is a separate event space listed on the site for weddings and group dinners. The site notes there is no on-site parking, with street meters and nearby garages downtown.