What an unexpected surprise! This adorable cafe was our favorite place to eat during our Asheville vacation...and to think it was in such a small town! The people were incredibly friendly, the food was out of this world good with very creative and flavorful dishes and the whole place just had such a good vibe. This place is at the top of our list for places to come back to when we're in the area again! read more

Oh my goodness!! The BEST shrimp and grits I've ever eaten!!!! Highlight was getting invited into the kitchen to watch Holly cook our meal!! She is so talented. What a great! read more

Have eaten here 4 times over this weekend with my parents, my sister and my nieces. The food is incredible. The pizza is delicious with generous amounts of cheese. My sister said that the Bengal Turkey sandwich was the best sandwich she ever had. My mom raved over the crab cakes. Just REALLY good food, with great service. Highly recommend trying the Sweet Monkey Cafe! Oh, and don't forget to try the Snicker Doodles. read more

A spontaneous stop for lunch turned into a great food surprise. The homemade crab cake was the best I haven't had! The accompanying remoulade sauce rivalsthe best Louisiana has to offer. I had a side salad that was fresh and delicious topped with avocado slices and a homemade lemon cajun mustard vinaigrette. Everything was crazy delicious!! The icing in the cake is the charming town The Sweet Monkey is located in. I really cannot say enough about this five star find!! read more

Great food. Small place. Few dishes each night, but all are excellent. You could call and ask for the night's menu. So welcoming, such carefully crafted dishes! read more

Unbelievably awesome food! Better than most anything in Asheville! The Reuben, incredible, the shrimp and grits orgasmic, chocolate cheesecake left me speechless...inconceivably amazing read more

Unexpected surprise. Food was fresh and amazing. Staff was super helpful and friendly. Can't wait to go back.

Worth the drive from Asheville and surrounding areas! Sweet Monkey is a culinary find in a cool town. The entrees are inventive and locally sourced. The pizzas are some of the best I've ever had. Do yourself a favor and order the home-made bleu cheese dressing! read more

This place rings my bell!!! When I bring visitors, it always knocks their socks right off. Breakfast? Scope Sunday brunch, a holy day in antique Marshall, it's the best shrimp and grits I've had in my life. Then make sure to also catch a very consistently amazing dinner. The menu rotates, and is not unlike some very hip urban gastropub. Not made for vegetarians...but I'm sure you could be accommodated. Donut forget to snag dessert. read more

My goodness, where to start? We were vacationing in nearby Mars Hill, but looking for a breakfast stop and was referred to Sweet Monkey's by a local. We stopped in on Wednesday morning and sat outside in a nice covered patio. The service was prompt and friendly, we learned that a majority of their food comes from local sources and you could taste it! Everything was fresh and flavorful, including the coffee! The grits are a nice option to replace toast if you're gluten sensitive. Our son raved about the sausage! Everything was delicious, I think we all cleaned our plates! Thank you! read more

My family and I stopped in on a time crunch and they made us the most delicious lunch as fast as they could. It was the best meal we had our entire trip to N.C. I loved the BLT on homemade garlic rosemary bread with the fire roasted tomato soup. Wish we had more time to sit and not rush. read more

Maybe our experience was an anomaly, but the food and service was sub par. Our group of 5 out of towners come in on a Sunday at noon and was given a verbal rundown of their menu (no physical menu) that seemed to be incomplete based off of hearing the menus told to other customers. As for the food, we had: Steak and eggs: steak was precooked, and even then was unevenly cooked and overcooked at parts. Hard and tasteless, drenched in a sauce that tried to mask that. Potatoe bits were good though. Eggs frittata (x2) : no real complaints, didn't taste bad. Fresh fruit given alongside was good. Pancakes: 2 large pancakes given, good portion size. Pancakes themselves were tasteless and dry, had to be covered in syrup for any flavor aside from the tart berries inside. Pork sausage patties alongside were highlight of plate. Toast: again good portion size, but was overly sweet. Pork sausage patties given alongside were undercooked, still pink inside. Food quality was inconsistent and service wasn't stellar when informed of so. Food took 40 minutes to come out, but there were signs stating there will be a wait for food. Place didn't seem overly busy but had most tables filled. Prices didn't match quantity/quality of food. Plus side, place had a small town feel to it. Locals were greeted at the door. read more

Amazing lunches and dinners. Was up in Marshall for one of the river rafting tours and this is a must have. Everything was so fresh and tasted amazing! Had lunch there and the pizza was so good we came back after rafting for dinner! The sandwiches and breads are also fantastic. read more

We stopped in for breakfast on our way out of the mountains . Everything was great food, coffee and the service. Not one complaint!

Stopped in to this quaint local stop for breakfast. It feels like sitting on a neighbors back porch for coffee and laughs. This was one of the best breakfasts I've had! The grits should be food group!! Great coffee, and french toast from scratch made cinnamon bread. Great stop with great service and fabulous food! Go see Holli and hang out on her porch. read more

Brunch was incredible. Veggi frittatas and the french toast, local sausage patty and applewood smoked bacon were enjoyed by all

The foods great! The owner/chef is creative and lively! My family like to go there all the time now.

This quaint place is a must if you are in or around Marshall. Very friendly service and the food is amazing. The best French toast I have ever had. Everything was delicious. We came to Marshall to get away from everything. We didn't expect much from this small town, but all of the food we've had in Marshall has been delicious. read more

Cyclists beware- you're not welcome here. The stars are for the location and the fact that they serve beer. The lady running this place charges folks money to fill water bottles. She reprimanded my party several times for what I'm not even sure- we were a small group of professional adults who stopped in mid ride for refreshments. Sad, because it's a small town with lots of great routes in the area. read more

Great experience with Sweet Monkey. We came up to the mountains for a weekend getaway and ended up not being able to get our car back up the mountain due to the rain to retrieve our belongings from the house where we were staying. Stopped into Sweet Monkey for a drink and the kind owner found someone with a 4 wheel drive to get us up the mountain to get our stuff. Saved! Didn't eat there but everything looked wonderful. The mimosa I had was fabulous! Sweet southern hospitality at the Sweet Monkey!! read more

OMG!!! What a rare find for western N.C.! We were so apologetic about arriving 5 minutes before closing, but Andrea, who took care of us (and everyone else there with complete finesse and a smile), assured us we were fine. Chef Hollie - owner and master baker did not disappoint - best pizza we've ever had anywhere!! Wish I could move this place to my neighborhood in Asheville. The decor is also really fun and eclectic if you take time to notice and the prices are so reasonable! We even stopped on our way home and got homemade bread for later! You can't go wrong at Sweet Monkey! read more

French toast was amazing. Great place for a relaxed Sunday brunch

This place has amazing, scratch-made food and delightful, knowledgeable servers! My Noah pizza was wonderful and perfectly prepared and my husband's soup and Reuben were marvelous! If you go on a Thursday, they donate 10% of their sales to charity. This place rocks! read more

Went here for dinner. The food was really good. This is REAL gourmet chef created food. The menu is eclectic and not your run of the mill finds. You can get beer or wine. For people looking for a nice dinner out with a farm to table menu and aren't in a hurry and willing to pay for quality this is the place. Food is cooked after you order it so it doesn't get to the table quickly. The place is on the small side but usually there isn't a long wait. One of the only quality food places in Marshall. I hear brunch is awesome. read more

I regret that I can only give 5 stars to Sweet Monkey Cafe. Just had the best breakfast of my life. Unbelievable grits! And the other day had a Reuben sandwich that was heavenly - better than any I had in my 20+ years living in New York. Hollie the chef is wonderful, and this place is a gem. read more

Love, love, love it here! Pure talent on a plate. The owner/chef/baker Hollie is a star and a real delight to chat with. Her creations are out of this world, whether you pop in for a quick breakfast, feast on her famous Sunday brunch, or grab lunch (her crab sandwich is to die for, and I've never even dreamed of such good potato salad). It's ridiculous. read more

One of the best, if not THE best place in the Asheville area! Hollie is a very talented chef, and her food is SO GOOD!! Dining at the Bakery should be considered an experience, so be prepared to sit back, relax and enjoy a drink or two before your food arrives. Everything is very fresh and cooked to order. This is a place that you should definitely put on your list when in the area! read more

Most amazing breakfast - super fresh and delicious. The place is real eclectic in decor and super welcoming. Delicious super hot coffee. Food is all so good - we couldn't decide what was the best. All we know is that we are definitely going back. read more

Had lunch everything very fresh all breads home made. Crab cake sandwich was awesome! The Burger was good as well and we were able to do both lunch or breakfast at our sitting. read more

I was staying in the mountains nearby and wanted a place for dinner. We came here and WOW. The place is entertaining to look around. The prices were lower than expected for the food to arrive. (we are from Charlotte) We had mussels in a delicious rosemary broth that we all attacked with the toasted caramelized blue cheese bread cubes provided. We also ordered the French onion soup along with other apps. Main entrees were pork burger, ruebens, pizza, salmon and beef. All were so well done and flavorful. The cook/owner Holly came out and talked with us briefly, and she was so sweet. I would definitely come back and eat here again. As others said there is a wait for the food but that is to be expected when it's all made to order and so artfully arranged on gorgeous plates. It's not a fast food joint like McDonalds or Applebees etc. read more

Fabulous all around for brunch. Unbelievable frittata and salad. Delicious strong coffee. French toast sliced thick, crusty on the outside and tender on the inside. Sausage patties wonderful. And service terrific. Lovely to sit on patio. read more

Last Sunday, we brought family from out of town to Sweet Monkey for brunch. Mistake. Be prepared for the short, older, curly-haired heffer who was incredibly rude and abrasive. She was generally annoyed the whole time and took it out on the customers. The food though was very good especially the shrimp and grits. 5 stars for the food. ZERO stars for the angry crab of a waitress. read more

I've got to agree with a earlier review about the chicken sandwich. It's the best I've ever had too. And the owner/chef is very personable and attentive. I'm looking forward to returning for Sunday Brunch. read more

Chicken sandwich was great. Everything fresh. Bread was soft with just enough crispness. Roasted potato salad was a first but it was absolutely delicious. A very eclectic atmosphere. read more

We dropped in and ordered a couple of sandwiches. They were awesome. I overheard a group next to us raving about the pizza. Best food in town! read more

We came back twice during our stay. GReat pancakes and French toast! Totally recommend it!

Absolutely delicious! Everyone in our party of 8 truly enjoyed our meals. The chicken sandwich was perfectly seasoned and still moist and flavorful with fresh kale and fresh made aoili. Holly the owner and chef made each of our meals herself, to order. The bread salad is to die for! Fresh breads and creative combinations of flavors makes this a MUST in Marshall! Please note fresh to order takes some time so order a mason jar mimosa to hold you over :) read more

If you like good food and enjoy watching success in action, do yourself a favor and visit the Sweet Monkey Cafe in Marshall. Everything we have ever had here is absolutely incredible - not just "good" or even "very good", but "best ever" good. The Reuben sandwich is a favorite mistress of mine - I bet I've had hundreds of Reuben's from at least 50 different establishments. But this Reuben is the best I've had and the most incredible. The other stuff is all just as good - roasted potato salad, pizzas, fresh wholesome soups, fish dishes - all of it. If you are in the Asheville area and you enjoy good food, this is one place you can't miss! read more

We have been wanting to try Sweet Monkey for a long time and we finally did. What a pleasant surprise! We were greeted by Holly, the chef/owner, with a cheerful hello. We got there at around 11:30 AM and wanted breakfast. We asked Holly if they were still serving breakfast and she said "I can make you breakfast anytime I want". So, we had breakfast. The food was great. The "loaded grits" were excellent and the rosemary/garlic homestyle potatoes were scrumptious. We will definitely return for dinner one of these days. read more

We stopped at The Sweet Monkey after white water rafting at the French Broad Adventures. It is truly a must eat/must stop place. We were the only ones there and were given lots of attention. The chicken sandwich was truly amazing... all the food was excellent. We highly recommend this place. We wished it was closer to where we were staying as we would have eaten all of our meals there! read more