OMGOODNESS, the shortribs special! Shelby was our server, and spot on with recommendations!! Definitely a do over!

I visited Carmel's Restaurant and Bar with a friend last Saturday night 3/21, and while there were some standout positives, the overall experience felt a bit mixed, which is why I'm giving it three stars. We started by sharing the daily special, fried tomato caprese, which was really tasty and something I hadn't tried before. I would definitely order that again. My friend ordered the chicken special and really enjoyed it. I had the chicken sandwich, which was fine. For drinks we ordered at the bar, I ordered a lemonade that was fresh and enjoyable, and I'd happily get it again. I also took dessert to go, a lemon chess pie, which was delicious the next day, though the portion was on the smaller side. On the downside, I didn't love the overall service. While I understand it may have been a busy or late evening, both the hostess and our server didn't come across as particularly welcoming, and we felt a bit overlooked at times. We arrived to our reservation early because of the rain and the hostesses was very clear we had to wait. We waited at the bar for an extra ten minutes from our reservation which was disappointing. That said, John at the bar stood out and really made our night better with his service and attitude. The location itself is nice, and I think this may have just been an off day. Despite the service, I would be open to giving Carmel's another try in the future. read more

Carmel's Restaurant and Bar - Menu - Bars Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Popped in here after going to Wake Foot Sanctuary because it was raining and the restaurant was close. What a serendipitous experience! We were seated in Jacqueline's section. She's a fun delight. The table next to us that was on the patio had a woman dining with just about the cutest pug you'd have ever seen! Loved that their patio is pup friendly and was covered from the rain. We were inside since it was a bit of a chill in the air. Ordered the pimento pretzels to start. Mustard has a nice kick to it too. For our entrees we split and macaroni and cheese and the special panko chicken. Loved panko chicken and the mac n cheese. We've never been here nor has our family that lives in the area. This is now going to be a go to spot for us because it has dishes for everyone in our family. Really fabulous menu. There was an issue with one side, we shared with server just in a heads up relaxed way. They serve a local ginger beer not alcoholic that Burial makes. They had the special dessert of a Swiss roll. The Swiss roll was delicious but the strawberry preserves on the plate were the diva of the dish! They were better than perfection all the deliciousness of a strawberry and not overly sweetened. It had the notes of tart, sweet and just like a freshly plucked strawberry. Will be returning and would recommend in a heart beat! read more

AMAZING place to eat!!!! I took my girlfriend here for date night on valentines day and it was perfect! We had a reservation for 5pm, but we decided to try and go there early and they took us back immediately. I was surprised at the lack of customers inside because this place is spectacular. The food was delicious. They had a delectable burger and the fries were perfect. The cornbread skillet was great. It tasted like jalepeno & pepper jack cheese, but not very spicy. The ambiance is very aesthetic and romantic. There are pretty chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. They were playing classic 1940s/50s music inside. Very classy. Staff were all friendly and our waiter was a humorous guy. read more

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We were originally going to go to the restaurant down the street, but they did not have any available tables so we kept walking and found this spot. Service was amazing. We were well taken care of and our servers seemed very knowledgeable about all menu items they were very kind. Also, we were sat right away! I ordered a 10 ounce hanger steak and the steak was a little overcooked for my liking (more medium rather than medium rare), but my husband said his steak was perfectly cooked rare. The smoked corn sauce at the bottom of the plate was the most interesting addition. I've probably tasted so far in a dinner entrée meal. The taste was corn, smoked, and nutty. At first it was very odd for me but I ended up really loving it. The potato salad was phenomenal. I almost liked that better than the steak. Brussels sprouts tasted good with flavor, but I do not like it when restaurants leave the bottom of the brussels sprout on the little knob that sticks out of them. I prefer that to be cut off... so I didn't enjoy the full Brussels very much. My husband loved them though so maybe it's a personal preference on texture for me. Our friends got the mac and cheese pot roast and said it was really good just very thick and rich. Espresso martini was good - but it's not made with real espresso. Overall we really liked this spot! It should probably be more busy but I liked getting seated quickly. Decor and seats in the booth were also very comfy! read more

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Nice location downtown. The people were friendly. The space seemed a little haphazard and not well kept. The food was okay but let's face it .. I did not try slanting adventurous. The wedge salad and the strawberry salad. Both were good. read more

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The lemon ice box pie with blueberry compote was almost as sweet as our server Shelby! We thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant and this service was superb. read more

This was my first time at carmel's but definitely not my last! I started with dessert, you might be too full to enjoy the experience later! A heavenly creme brulee with peaches, what a way to start. I had the shrimp and grits for my entree at the suggestion of my server, Shelby. She was delightful & very helpful throughout my meal. Great place for a date night or a group to enjoy the patio & people watch. read more

Great little spot in downtown Asheville. Great staff that are knowledgeable about the menu, greta drinks, and nice menu. It was a good spot to stop in for a quick bite while we were exploring downtown. read more

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Stopped off in Asheville for a one night stop and our hotel didn't have dining so we looked for a place to grab a bite. This was pretty close by so stopped in for a bite. Cute little place and staff was friendly and prompt. The lump crab cakes were incredible and drinks were really good. The only real rub against our visit was that the area we were seated in was empty except for us. A couple other customers came in and they sat them right beside us. We thought it was to let our waitress run less but it was a different waitress. We were almost rubbing elbows with them. Seriously? Dozens of open tables and have to seat them there? Kind of put a damper on the good time. read more

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If I could give no stars I would. I waiter was so rude and condescending we didn't even stay. He basically threw cups of water on the table we asked if an item on the menu might be gluten free to which he scoffed No it's not gluten and walked away. So we walked out. Worst service ever!!! We are well aware that most restaurants don't accommodate gluten allergies. But the fact that the menu said the crab cakes have no fillers made us pause. And we are usually able to find something we can modify. But we're not staying where we are treated so rudely. read more

The server Shelby, guided us to amazing wine/food pairing, as well as great local beer! Highly recommend the crab cakes, actual 100% crab.

What a cute little corner spot to stop for lunch. We were wandering around looking for a lunch spot when the street menu caught our eye. The staff was quite friendly, although the service was quite slow. I will say the deviled eggs were quite amazing and the crab cake was filled with so much meat. The house salad was surprisingly wonderful. All in all a great experience. read more

Carmel's Restaurant and Bar - Deviled eggs. Honey and bacon were amazing g additions! - Bars Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Excellent food! Server was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Lovely outdoor seating. read more

Stopped in for just a drink, spent $20 and enjoyed the view. Andrew the bartender is good, very busy but attentive to everyone. The food looked amazing, but heading out to home. The host was great also. No worries about here. I will come back for food. read more

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On our way out of Asheville we stumbled across Carmel's Kitchen & Bar and we thoroughly enjoyed it!!! This restaurant has put a twist on southern cuisine and they've done a good job!! My husband is a true meat and potatoes southern boy and he cleaned his plate (which he rarely does outside of eating my cooking). He ordered the fried chicken with collard greens and mashed potatoes. He first said..."this is pretty good"! And midway through he said "actually this is VERY good...how often do I say THAT???"!! Which is a TOTAL compliment coming from him. I ordered the grilled salmon, bacon cheddar grits and collard greens. The dish originally came with green beans but I swapped them out for the greens. My salmon was cooked to perfection!! It had the crispy edges!!! The grits and collard greens complemented the salmon perfectly. The only thing that was missing was some cornbread which we didn't know they had until midway through our meal when we saw that someone else ordered it. I told my husband that we've found our Asheville SPOT!!! Carmel's serves deliciously well priced food so we will definitely be back!! read more

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Although there isn't a Happy Hour in North Carolina, I must say the service was great thanks to Andrew. The ambiance was cool was a nice evening and right before my lash appointment. I opted for the Whiskey Wednesday and Truffle Fries which consisted of Parmesan Cheese, Fresh Herbs, Black Pepper, Toasted Garlic Aioli. I enjoyed the flavor of the fries but I would recommend using a lighter oil as the fries were pretty heavy with grease. Otherwise the flavor was on point. I do think I will try the restaurant again, perhaps for dinner. Until next time...Cheers! read more

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The food is fantastic here. Carmel came to our table personally because we asked the waitress to tell her we loved the cornbread. It was cooked in a cast-iron pan, but it had a creamy pimento flavor like no other. She was so sweet to sit with us and actually give us the recipe. Sorry, folks...I won't give it away, but you will have to visit her. She even gave me the recipe! The crab cakes were terrific, too. If you are in town, make sure you try this restaurant. The vibe and waitresses were so cool. Read less read more

Great food and great service! I love this restaurant down on the ground level of the Grove arcade in downtown Asheville. Very quaint and is good for small groups or business lunches. The food prep was really good and the selections we're very tasty.. The service was really strong and they took very good care of us. This is a new discovered gem for me. read more

We were there October 2025. We came for the $30.00 dollar hanger steak with corn sauce and diced/molded potatoes with asparagus. The plated dinner was an incredible value. The steak was perfect, the corn sauce was inventive and paired perfectly. The potatoes were served cool and I enjoyed them. We had horrible drinks--we sent them back. BUT...that $30.00 dinner was so good we went back the next night! read more

Stopped in for lunch while shopping downtown Asheville. They have both indoor and outdoor seating with a nice bar. Our server was very friendly and on top of things. I enjoyed their wine list as they had both American and no -American wines. I had a glass of the Italian Sangiovese and it was soooo good!! We ordered fried green tomatoes, truffle fries, cheese flatbread, and chicken pesto flatbread. It was all very good. The pesto tasted fresh. The fried green tomatoes had a good crunchy coating. We really liked the crust on the flatbread as well. read more

Carmel's Restaurant and Bar - Fried green tomatoes - Bars Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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My friend and I had a lovely late afternoon snack here today. We ordered the deviled eggs with candied bacon and pimento cheese dip. While both were quite good, the pimento cheese dip with warm pretzels was amazing. I also enjoyed the Booda Kombucha, made by one of the owners-another hit. But the best part of the experience was our server, Gary. He was cordial, friendly and pleasant without being overbearing. I would highly recommend Carmel's and ask for Gary. read more

group of us shared 3 plates for lunch. everything was delicious. the pretzel bites were DELICIOUS. the waitress was super helpful and sweet. come here for a good lunch bite to eat. read more

Carmel's Restaurant and Bar - Bars Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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No wait seat time on a busy Saturday night! The lady who helped us was so personable . We were able to enjoy quick service and good food. read more

Carmel's Restaurant and Bar - Bars Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Chicken and waffles = amazing Deviled eggs = skip, you make better at home. Shouldn't even be on the menu. Desert was brownie / ice cream = amazing. read more

I've passed by the spot many times, but never had a chance to stop in. Lovely location and awesome atmosphere and patio. In a bustling location downtown. We sat outside and it wasn't too busy even though it was lunch time. The server grabbed our menus and drinks, but was pretty absent the rest of the experience. We were waiting so long we had to go get the host to pay. I opted for a salad and to add protein because it would've been quite lackluster without. The salmon that came on it was pretty small and definitely not cooked medium. All of the flavors, however were incredible. From feta to watermelon, this combo was an absolute delight. I will warn you that when you add protein to the salad it comes out to be over $20 total. Wow. read more

Carmel's Restaurant and Bar - Watermelon salad add salmon - Bars Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

A casual and relaxed paced bar in the downtown area. I popped in after browsing the nearby options. Since it was a Tuesday about half the downtown spots were closed, but Carmel was option and had an attractive menu and available seatings. Started with the kale ceasar and was impressed at how quickly it was served. Literally was served less than two minutes after I ordered. Good strong service at work. And I was stoked considering how hungry I was. While enjoyed this modern take on a ceasar, it was overdressed. It really needed to be scaled back a bit. Less dressing, more lemon and it would've been on point. I really loved the crispy chickpeas. So this was mostly a hit. For main I decided on the smoked salmon pizza and was really happy with that decision. Such a tasty array of flavors. Grilled onion, smoked salmon, and drizzle of balsamic over top finished w some fresh arugula. This should seriously be on every pizzeria menu across the country! The creativity is on point. Only minor gripe was that the pizza wasn't cut all the way through. I had to mess around w a knife but otherwise *chef kiss* And because I'm on vacay, I caved and did dessert but omg what a disaster. The server mentioned the special dessert being baklava. It was an insult to baklava everywhere. The driest pastry I've ever eaten. I am surprised the filling didn't fall apart entirely. They served it w some flavorless whipped cream which was already a red flag. With the number of amazing Mediterranean restaurants in Asheville, I am shocked that this was served. A grocery store could do better. I really hope they take this off of the menu. Minus one star. Big waste of $7. Think twice about dessert here. I'd be hesitant in the future but maybe the other offerings are superior but there's better spots in the area for sweets anyhow. read more

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Food was decent; service was lacking. This restaurant was in close proximity to my hotel so quite convenient for a quick bite. I had the watermelon salad which was delicious and the fried green tomatoes were average. It would've been a better experience had the server been more attentive. I was seated right away by the lovely hostess but then didn't see a server for about 15 minutes and they weren't busy. It took another 15 minutes to get my initial water and have my order taken. Once I received my food, I never saw my server again. I had to flag someone down to request my bill. I'd check this place out again to try more dishes, but the service here seems to be on par with all the other places in Asheville - maybe customer service just isn't a thing in Asheville dining. read more

Carmel's Restaurant and Bar - Bars Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Mango jalapeño margarita - weak and bland. Don't waste your money. Deviled eggs - tasty. The candied bacon was a nice touch. Fried green tomatoes- drenched in balsamic. It was slightly overpowering. If they would just dial it down a notch, it wouldn't be a bad dish. Server was very nice. Host had a bit of an attitude read more

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Went there for dessert and it was excellent! Great service and delicious treats! Would like to go back to try dinner.

Food - 8 Ambiance - 9 Service - 9.5 Cleanliness - 10 Food was great. We had truffle fries and buffalo chicken egg rolls for apps -- both delicious. My buddy ordered the shrimp and grits, which looked scrumptious. I ordered the Salmon Pizza... it sounded phenomenal reading it off the menu, but unfortunately did not deliver. That being said, I won't let the unusual menu item I chose to get tank their rating, I would still love to revisit Carmel's. Ambiance was fine, the actual layout was interesting. The service was great! I never waited on a refill and our food drinks all came out swiftly and the check soon after. Lastly, I have absolutely nothing negative to say about the cleanliness of the facility, it seemed very well kept, even despite the surrounding construction on the street. Overall, I had an excellent experience and would love to go back if and when I revisit Asheville. read more

Carmel's Restaurant and Bar was a fantastic lunch stop on a breezy Friday. The four of us were able to quickly grab a seat inside despite the number of people there. It was a nice booth but not necessarily the most comfortable for four friends trying to talk with each other. Our waiter was excellent. He was attentive and checked in with us often. I ordered the special of the day - this shrimp and Carolina rice combo in a red pepper sauce. They talked highly of the rice, and it was cooked perfectly, but I couldn't distinguish it from normal white rice. I love normal white rice and was perfectly pleased. The sauce was very good especially the chunks of sausage that I found throughout. After I was done I gave the rest to my friend who asked for some bread to sop up the sauce. He really enjoyed it. I ordered a Moscow mule. It was a very solid cocktail. Nothing special but at the same time that often is perfect. I'll take consistency over terribleness any time! All in all a good experience! read more

Carmel's Restaurant and Bar - The special of the day! - Bars Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Our server Gary was great! The owner brought out fried green tomatoes special, as the item had been removed from the menu! (Best fried green tomatoes in Asheville). Thank you to Carol. Food is always good at Carmels. read more

We came in for a late lunch and had a super sweet waitress. We started with pimento cheese which was decent but very salty and I think the choice of bread (or rather crisps) could have been softer to eat. We ordered some pizza, the salmon caprese, white chicken chili, the chicken waffle sandwich, and the deviled eggs. The food was good and they definitely had some unique offerings, like the salmon caprese. There was a decent amount of seafood on the menu if you like that. I think the deviled eggs are using a bit too much mustard- they were quite salty as well but perhaps if they had larger pieces of candied bacon it could offset it better. The chicken chili was great and so was the salmon. The pizza was OK but we loved the chicken waffle sandwich. One weird thing is that the women's bathroom smelled really bad but the men's didn't- not sure what was going on there on that particular day but look clean but smelled horrible. read more

Food came out so quick ! Really delicious too. Plus really great service. The Mac and cheese was so cheesy and creamy, absolutely delicious read more

Carmel's Restaurant and Bar - Mac and cheese - Bars Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

We were in search of somewhere to grab a bite. Easy access, good service, good flatbread and beers.

While visiting the Asheville Downtown district we went to Carmel's for lunch. We had a great table outside with a very attentive waiter. The food was very good with a mixed selection that included a very fresh salad, a BLT, pizza and the Chicken & Waffles sandwich. Everything was prepared well and the entire party was very satisfied. I do want to offer my own testimony for the Chicken & Waffles sandwich. The chicken was fried perfectly and the waffles were a terrific balance of sweetness for this awesome sandwich. It was soooo good that I did not even use the side of maple syrup. Great sandwich! read more

Carmel's Restaurant and Bar - Menu July 21, 2021 - Bars Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Would I go back to this restaurant. No! Food was okay and the service was fine but the management needs to be retrained. This is a first when I received my paid receipt there was a section on the bottom stating would I like to give more of a tip. I was totally insulted I tip at least 20%. Ask to see a manager why this was on my bill. The manager if he was a manager was tending bar and asked me what my problem was while he was waiting on another customer I told him I would wait and went to a quiet corner of the bar when I told him my problem that you were asking for additional tip he said so. After a few more words he said well let me take care of it so he took my receipt and tore off the section where it had it asked for the add a tip said that should take care of it if I own that restaurant he would have been fired on the spot. I have been to maybe 10 other restaurants since my visit to Asheville and no one ever asked for additional tip and those managers I asked have never heard of such a thing read more

Outstanding blend of southern favorites in a modern atmosphere. The staff was incredibly warm and treating from the moment we walked in, our waitress was both personable and professional we all were able to share a few laughs . Last but not least was the food I had the grilled cheese with a side of tomato bisque simple meal but the elevation of the sandwich using palmetto cheese, tomatoes, and bacon was a great move. Will be returning next time I'm in tell and will recommend to anyone doing a little walk about in the downtown area. read more

My girlfriends and I went here for my bachelorette party brunch. Our server really didn't seem to care and wasn't interested. Didn't even say congratulations. Other than that, the food was amazing! I devoured the truffle fries and the Mac and cheese. read more