My girlfriends and I came here and had so much fun! Great place to go if you want to dance too. Really cool set up, it's like an outdoor pavilion or courtyard area where you dance. There's picnic tables too in the back. I liked how big it was too. Would definitely come back!! read more

Service was great! We came for a bachelorette party as part of brewery hopping and we had fun! Vibe was chill and cool. Would recommend the empanadas! read more

This place is so weird and I absolutely LOVE IT! It looks like a dive bar complete with neon signs and throwback hits on the stereo. Pros: the outdoor garden has unfinished wood, but also has an amazing indoor-outdoor vibe with string lights and paper lanterns but is also a super creative sake brewery??? What can't this place do? It's well priced with great drinks and top tier vibes with a laid back atmosphere. If I lived here, I would be a regular. The bartender was also very helpful in helping us decide on flavors based on what sake we normally like. Cons: the food wasn't available when we came at 4:30 on a Saturday but I want to come back when it's available Would I come back? Yes! I am an avid fan of sake so this creative variety of sake flavors was right up my alley read more

Ben's Tune Up - Flight of a mix of infused and traditional sake - Breweries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Quirky, cool, eclectic is how I would describe Ben's Tune Up. Tons of seating, a couple of different bars inside and out. Friendly staff any time we have been there. Getting sake is a cool change from other places. My favorite part is the oddities you'll see, like Big Foot or the Chinese lanterns inside. read more

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I love the vibe and I love the sake! There are good bites here too. I enjoyed the nachos! The only downside is this place is in Asheville and I live in Greensboro! This place will be a regular stop when we come visit. read more

Literally my new favorite spot in Asheville! My friends and I went for drag bingo and not only was it SO fun, the space was so cute, the staff was so nice (even went as far as to bring us a Saki flight to try), and you can't beat the Monday deals! ($9 for a beer and a well shot? Yes PLEASE). I really loved it and the queens were so gorgeous and fun. I can't wait to go back! read more

Ben's Tune Up - Breweries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Love the environment of Ben's! Been here many times and unfortunately had a terrible experience this time. The male bartender with glasses kicked my friend out for not tipping 20%. He ordered 6 green tea shots at the bar which is around a $70 tab and gave him a $10 tip. My friend got kicked out for NOT tipping 20%. Tried to have a conversation with the bartender and he made it very clear he can kick ANYONE out of his bar for any reason including a bad tip. Working in service a long time I can empathize with a bad day but this was just ridiculous. read more

SO FUN! The bartender let us sample different sake flavors before committing to a full cup. I really enjoyed the Cranberry Spritz. It was like drinking a tart cranberry juice. They even have food here including dumplings, nachos, fries, and more! The vibes were great and so was the crowd. They had a DJ playing on a Saturday night and everyone was dancing and having a good time. Ambiance and vibe is a key factor in if I would return to a bar, and this definitely fits my criteria! I'd definitely return again. read more

Ben's Tune Up - Cranberry Spritz Sake - Breweries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Me and my boyfriend came and visited Asheville last month and had the best time with a bartender named nick. He told us some really cool places to try in the city for our last night there and we had the best night! He also was really knowledgeable about the different sakes on that were on tap. If you see him give him the fattest tip! read more

Food gave me food poisoning, stay away.!!! Staff are very disrespectful too. Overall very bad experience would not return ever.

Such a cool and unique venue, even for Asheville standards! This bar is tucked away and secluded but has such a fun vibe on the inside. They carry mainly sake, but also have beer and cider as well. There is plenty of room to sit, talk, or play ping pong. They venue also frequently hosts shows and charges a cover fee at the door for certain performances. Overall, it's a great venue with good drink options. I recommend! read more

Ben's Tune Up - Breweries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Ever wanted to go to one of the Japanese back-alley restaurant bars like you see in the movies, but can't afford a trip to Japan? Well if you live in Asheville or are visiting, you're in luck: just go to Ben's Tune Up instead. Divey, but in a good way and a huge outdoor space in addition to a good-sized indoor area. We came here for both the food and the sake. I've only ever had sake in a Japanese restaurant and it is always served warm/room temperature. I didn't dislike it, but never anything to much like about it either. This place brews their own sake and serves it on their terms. No boring room temperature sake here. I got a flight of 2 traditional sakes (the natural nigori and black label premium) and 2 infused sakes (lemon ginger and painkiller nigori, which has pineapple, orange, coconut and nutmeg). All were served chilled. I loved the natural (so this is what sake is supposed to taste like!). The black label was good, but had more of a bite like drinking a straight shot of alcohol. The lemon ginger was very refreshing, like a beer from local brewery Ginger's Revenge. The painkiller was a great way to end the flight and the meal -- almost like a dessert in a drink. Complex flavors that really worked well together. Now to the food. I'm a French fry lover and theirs gave me some lovin' back. A little on the salty side (which I like), but crispy outside and potatoey on the inside. Some of the best fries in AVL. I had the gochujang chicken thigh sandwich. I have never had a thigh as tender and tasty as this one. Excellent. The sauce was nicely spiced -- not really hot spicy, but still a little zing. My husband had the braised pork shoulder sandwich. He said it was good, but was expecting a little more something-something from the blueberry sauce. Service was average. Now here's the thing about that -- and what kept me from giving them a full-on 5 star. I noticed on the bill that they automatically add a service charge. What? Is this Europe? And the default tip amounts set in their payment app started at 20%. Keep in mind you order at the bar and bus your own table. I have nothing but respect for hospitality workers and restaurant owners (my dad ran a restaurant). I tip 15-20% even when I order at the bar and bus my own table. BUT I don't like it when there is a service charge added and when my tip seems like an obligation, not a choice that I make to show the staff I appreciate their service and recognize they should make a livable wage here in AVL. I'll go back (great place to go with a group of friends I think), but I'll tip what I want and mentally include the service charge in the tip amount. read more

Ben's Tune Up - Gochujang chicken thigh sandwich and hand-cut fries. - Breweries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

We had a BLAST here while spending the weekend in Asheville. We tried a sake flight and my boyfriend had a few beers, not sure which ones. The atmosphere was super chill and the music was all 90s hip hop and r&b which is my vibe forsure. Bailey was fantastic! She kept our drinks flowing and gave great recommendations for sake and food when my boyfriend wanted to order something to eat. We will definitely be back whenever we visit again. read more

Really good sake drinks! Came in here on a Friday night and did not expect it to be as loud as it was, but hey I didn't mind! Just keep in mind it kinda goes into a club vibe a bit later in the night on the weekends!! read more

We stopped here on the way to another brewery and was a very unique place and had many game options. I like the outdoor area, but it was a little colder the day we stopped. I've never seen a Scrabble board the size they made one out back. read more

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Came in to try the sake and wasn't disappointed! 3 different varieties and all were great (: Very chill atmosphere too. Nice local spot for sure! read more

Ben's Tune Up - Unfiltered sake, and filtered sake - Breweries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Very nice vibezzz with beer options as well as house-made sake. My first time trying the sake seltzer. DJ started playing at 8? Saturday night. The crowd seemed friendly. I think they start charging cover later in the night so if you want to go earlier, there was no cover to get in. read more

Ben's has a cool vibe with great ambiance. It was a warehouse converted into a bar. It has indoor seating and outdoor patio. There is so much to see. They have a large selection of sake and flights. Their beer selection was decent. We ordered a few appetizers and was pleasantly surprised at how good they were. The potstickers were crispy and light, not overly fried. The sauce was soy based. We also tried the egg rolls. I liked the way they sliced them in half, but the long way. They also were very good, but the sauce was exceptional. Overall, a nice relaxed vibe for drinks and appetizers. read more

Ben's Tune Up - Breweries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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My favorite Asheville brewery and it's not beer! The service is great. The ambiance is casual and fun. This is the best spot to bring people from out of town. read more

Ben's Tune Up - Sake bar. - Breweries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Loved this spot. They have food till 2am, great music and solid drinks. I had wonton pork nachos and my date had bacon and cheese fries. I wanted something low key and it was perfect. I had a great time. When other places close up, they are still poppin. read more

Ben's Tune Up - Cannoli, tirano, macaroon and bread pudding - Breweries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

It's the dopest spot in Asheville, baby! Gulp down all the sake. I also recommend the beer. Amazing vibe. Have fun! read more

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We were walking down Hilliard Ave when lo and behold, we came across Ben's Tune Up. I had heard of the place, but didn't realize it was one of the few places to produce saki. Upon walking into the open-roofed entrance, Ben's has its own character and feel. A great place to hang out with friends outside for drinks, have a bite of Asian food -- which I didn't have but looked good, as well as another room that contained their sake brewery. Unique as hell, but then again, this is Asheville, so this sort of thing isn't so surprising but very welcoming. I tried a couple of their sakes, which were very good before chilling at the outside counter overlooking Hilliard Ave. Very chill place to hang out. They also have beer on tap they brew, but didn't have any at this stop. read more

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1. Craft American Sake - AWESOME! They brew their own sake here and each one was fantastic. Just try it and you'll be pleasantly surprised. 2. The vibe - Chill. It's like a beach bar Asian fusion type thing that was fantastic. Great music, pet friendly (Hashbrown the bar mascot and owners pup was awesome) and super friendly staff. Recommend dumplings and a flight of sake to start things off. Cheers! read more

Fun dive bar!!! Went on a Sunday night and I really enjoyed the music and vibes! It is definitely a local dive bar. It's an very open outdoor space so as it gets colder keep that in mind. The majority of the seating is outside in a uncovered space. You order at the bar, get a number and the staff brings your food to you. The staff is very kind. There was a DJ there the night I went and they had such a good mix of music. We all had a good time! read more

Had such a fun time at Ben's!!! We tried a flight of sakes which was fun! They also had a good selection of beers to choose from. I got their special which was pad thai and was surprised at how good it was- really hit the spot. The vibe is so cool at this bar, it's an old warehouse turned into bar with lots of cool seating and plants. They have a DJ later at night and it was boppin- great people watching. Definitely check this place out if you're visiting Asheville! read more

Ben's Tune Up - Pad thai- sorry it's blurry but it was so good - Breweries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

We ate here because dogs were allowed inside. The sign said to seat yourself and we did but it was apparent no one was coming. I waited in line at the bar to ask for a menu. I got the chicken ramen. I thought that it being a sake bar would have more authentic ramen but but was yuck. Corn, carrots, bland broth, poached egg and not very tender shredded chicken. The noodles were tasted like they were seriously just microwaved in a ramen microwave cup. Throughly you disappointed for this $14 bowl I couldn't finish. They were also out of the beer I asked for. No big deal deal I got the alternative but for 2 dollars more. Being pet friendly was the only positive I have for this place. read more

Love this place! Stopped by here while brewery hopping in Asheville, and was very impressed. It's definitely a different vibe than most of the stops that you'll have while you're in Asheville. It's like an asian fusion bar vibe with some stellar food and drink. We checked out the sake flights and tried a few different types of sake - would definitely recommend! The bar tender that helped us out was super fun and helpful. While there we tried the veggie spring rolls and were very impressed. It's not your typical take on a spring roll be for sure worth trying! Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with a fantastic dipping sauce. We also stopped by the shop and picked up a bottle of the unfiltered sake on the way out. Great experience! read more

Ben's Tune Up - Sake flights @ Ben's Tune Up! - Breweries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

We came to Ben's Tune Up on vacation at the recommendation of a friend and I am SO glad that we did because I'm not certain we would have found it otherwise. The drinks are great of course (they were running a Jell-O shot special which brought immediate collegiate nostalgia) but the real winner here is the food. At what bar can you get amazing Asian cuisine with a honky tonk vibe?! The menu is friendly to vegetarians and omnivores alike. We loved it. read more

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Loving the live drums, singing and the band. One fallback is that they're not clear when they have waiters/ waitresses. We waited 10 minutes for someone to acknowledge us. We ordered they're pupu platter and I like the pairing of sauces for each of the appetizers and that it was placed on a rotating dish. Ben's Tune Up seem to be doing well with fusion food. Curious about some of the choices, like popcorn next to the egg rolls. read more

Ben's Tune Up - Breweries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Love the atmosphere and ambiance. We got a flight of sake and I really enjoyed it! I also ordered the ramen with tofu and it was SO GOOD!!! Staff is very attentive and friendly. Will definitely go back when I am in the area! read more

Ben's Tune Up - Ramen with tofu - Breweries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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If you want something different and electic, then Ben's Tune Up with make you turn it up! I tried their sake and listened to music while my friend got something off their beer menu. They have a huge patio outside, but due to crappy weather, we couldn't enjoy it. We did, however, enjoy the inside under the area that was covered along with the warmth. I find it interesting this place sells sake and you can do a sake tasting. I wish I would have done that, but since we had been barhopping, that would have been a poor decision despite being sober. The sake I had was 12.5% in itself and WOW, it was super good. This place is super chill with an Asian restaurant attached to it. It is a bit different as I said, but that is what makes the place unique. Prices are reasonable. I think we escaped paying $14 bucks for all of our items and we had 2 beers and 1 large sake. WHY DO they allow kids?! I will never understand this. Sorry, but not sorry. I really wish kids were not allowed at these types of establishments. Parents of kids and pets, all are welcome. Worth returning? Yes! At a later point in the night when I am not surrounded by families and we are partaking in festivities. read more

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Sake bar was very cool looking/fun decor, clientele cooler & more hipster than me & my hubby fer sure. Felt very divey & cozy with limited seating but friendly. Sake was interesting but not sure I'd return for it.. That said, from other posts/pix online we may have missed the more visited part of this multipurpose bar--seems like there's a bigger bar & music venue within? read more

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Get the wonton nachos. Just do it. You won't regret it. The beer and sake was good too, but the nachos will haunt me. We also tried the Brussels sprout/cauliflower starter which was good, and the beef bowl which was also good. But really, just order five orders of wonton nachos. read more

Really fun, laidback place! It used to be a tune-up shop (Ben's) and they kept some of it. Eclectic and fun restaurant and menu. Great for vegetarians, carnivores, and sake and alcohol lovers. We ate outside on a picnic table on a gorgeous day. You order at the bar and keep a tab and settle up at the end. They bring the food out to you. I ordered the Asian Sticky Rib Plate for $18. The ribs were delicious! It came with fingerling potato salad with a couple different colors of potatoes and sesame-peanut slaw. I had a couple bites of each. They were pretty good but I wasn't very impressed. read more

Ben's Tune Up was definitely different from the normal Asheville bars we've gone too. It kind of felt like a beach vibe. There are 3 different bars that had different selections at each one. We sat in the outdoor patio area and then looked around like, "okay now where do we go?" I went to 2 of the bars to see what beers they had on tap and didn't want to go to a third so settled on an IPA for my hubby and I at bar #2. He stayed back to save a table with our dog so I made an executive decision for said beer so as not to wait in line again. Beer is average, nothing special. Finger food, just from a glance at the menu was things like French fries and fried tofu. Social distancing is good as far as the tables are concerned but with folks walking all over the place to the different bars it just doesn't work. The place has a fun vibe and I want to go back and give it another try when it's not as busy. I'm giving 4 stars because we didn't go inside, order food or try their sake that is apparently made on site. It's based on the vibe, friendly atmosphere and employees. We will be back, i think it's worth it to give another go! read more

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What a fun night! I went out with friends and this was one of our last stops! I had the cranberry sake and it tasted so refreshing! The bartender was nice enough to let our group have a few samples so we were sure we would get a sake that we enjoyed! The music was good and everyone had such a great time! I would like to try the food/snacks next time I come here as it looked amazing! Thanks for such a great night! read more

Great spot! So many cool seating areas & good ambiance. Live music some nights. While they make sake, they have a full bar menu! Good apparel if you're into that, and the bartenders were solid. Definitely on our list to go back! read more

Ben's Tune Up - Breweries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Stopping here was just by chance. We had big plans to go to the brewery next door, but they closed early. Well, everything worked out! Ben's has the cutest beer garden. They offer beer and sake on draft along with an Asian inspired menu. Yes, I went with the Cajun fries, which I really enjoyed, but the Asian dishes that other customers purchased looked great too. I would love to come back to listen to their DJ and enjoy the ambiance. read more

Ben's Tune Up - Fries and a Hop Fiend IPA - Breweries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Literally the worst service we have ever had. Everyone was so rude. There was a girl in a black beanie who gave us the double fingers.

EDIT*** As a restaurant, Ben's Tune up is a one or two star business. Very inconsistent food, not very tasty and slow service. When it comes to rating Ben's Tune Up as a bar alone, it is five stars... ------------------------- It is unfortunate to give Ben's Tune Up such a low rating but it what they deserve. The atmosphere is super bad ass. Huge, spacious space with great decoration and set up. Inside has a ginormous chandelier, outside has big long wooden tables with benches. Depending on where you sit, you will have a totally different ambience. Ben's gets a 3 stars simply because of this and because they have delicious sake. Unfortunately though the food is inconsistent, often ill-prepared and often is left uneaten or sent back to the kitchen. The service is similar to food quality-slow, forgetful, inconsistent. Huge bummer almost every time. Bummer, bummer. read more

Ben's Tune Up - Breweries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina