Really great truffle fries! The garlic aioli was perfect with my fries. My other friends enjoyed their food. The ambience was nice and chill. The service was outstanding! Billie was an awesome server. She was friendly and patient. If ever in NC again, I will come by and try other dishes. We had a fun lunch! read more

Carmel's Restaurant and Bar - Truffle fries with ketchup and garlic aioli - Bars Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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

Great lunch in downtown Asheville. Carmel's. I had the Catfish sandwich and slaw. My wife had the Crabcake starter with salad. Craft beer selection. Parking is a feat but we got lucky. Friendly service by all . read more

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I ordered the pan roasted salmon and it was absolutely delicious! Service was great and the food was amazing!

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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How much fun this place is!! If you're lucky, your server will be Greg. It's so nice to have a server with a genuine personality, a good laugh, and not intrusive. read more

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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Vacationing in town and thought this place looked interesting. Our group enjoyed the Apple Orchard salad, grilled pimento cheese and BLT. All were very tasty and included choice of delicious sides. Cocktail menu had a variety of drinks and all we tried were excellent. In addition to all that our server Noel knocked it out of the park! We were too full but the desserts looked amazing. Highly recommended! read more

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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Carmel's was a wonderful lunch. I ate at the bar, people watched and had one of the best burgers I've had in awhile. read more

Carmel's Restaurant and Bar - This is Rocky, my bartender. Great food. Great service - Bars Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Had dinner at Carmel's a number of times over the past few years. It is always good. On our short list of regulars when we visit Asheville. read more

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

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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If you think Applebees is underpriced, this is the place for you. My wife and I went for dinner on a Saturday night and considering the number of open tables, we probably should have walked. But we stuck it out for an overwhelmingly average experience. Service was lifeless, food was unmemorable and ambiance was nonexistent. I had the fried chicken breasts which tasted like they had been microwaved (steaming hot and dry inside and soft breading outside). My wife had a flatbread pizza that was "fine." Entrees and two drinks totaled $75 before tip. With so many good options In Asheville, I would recommend another establishment. 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

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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The food was delicious, but the service was nonexistent. My husband had to leave our table twice to look for our server. Will not go back again. read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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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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

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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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

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