This is a nice and chill pub. We sat upstairs and downstairs. I like the downstairs area better. It's more relaxing and it feels like you are in a different country when you are down there. My husband liked their beers. They have a good selection of food on their menu. I didn't try any but it all looked good! read more

Thirsty Monk - Pubs Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Been coming to the Monk for years and finally got to visit post-pandemic. What have they done with the place?! We loved visiting because the Monk was casual, fun, and had a great selection of drinks. This visit was different. They've taken everything off the walls, serve only their own beer on the main floor, and the fun casual vibe was totally gone. Sad to lose this place after years of fun visits. read more

Skip the downstairs like the other review stated yankee fan bartender isn't welcoming and recommends going upstairs anyway..

It's like three bars in one! Belgian bar in the basement, the brewery on ground level and the cocktail bar up top. The orange cream gose was delicious, and the bartender was friendly. I'd definitely go back. read more

Thirsty Monk - Orange cream gose - Pubs Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

We have been to Thirsty Monk several times when in Asheville. We were there for a couple hours yesterday and had the pleasure of being served by Mark. Mark was terrific, he made recommendations from the extensive thirsty monk menu based on my husbands beer preferences. He had extensive knowledge of all the beers. He was also able to find my a little gem to fit my picky pallet. Thank you mark and thirsty monk for making our afternoon fun and fabulous. We actually we to the thirsty monk location at Biltmore west on the way home to grab some of the hubs favorite brews to go. (Marks suggestion as the location in downtown Asheville was out). Can't wait to get back to the Thirsty Monk. Thanks Mark. read more

Cool place to grab a beer, open since 2008. They have two different levels with different brews served. Downstairs they serve Belgian and sour style beers and upstairs is their other style of beers. Both floors have a different vibe so it depends on your mood and preference for beer. They also serve chef inspired food based on beer pairings. They have special food flight pairing during happy hour for $6 from 4pm-6pm Monday-Friday, Monday is MonkDay, $1 off Full Pours of all Thirsty Monk Brewery Beers. Tuesday $12 Burger and Beer Combination, Wednesday $1 off all sour beers and wild ales in the Downstairs Belgian & Sour Bar and Thursday $1 off Growlers & Beer Flights. Great specials, right in downtown Asheville in the middle of all the hustle and bustle. There's a little outdoor patio perfect for people watching. Beer was good, service friendly. They have pre selected food flights based on category which was a pretty cool idea. read more

See all

This is my go to spot for Belgian style beers. Nothing fancy and unpretentious! They brew their own Belgian beers that are pretty good. I had an Amber Ale that was clean and refreshing. The downstairs sells only beer. You would have to stay upstairs for liquor. They also have a refrigerator fill of beers from around the world. Bartenders are very knowledgeable and don't mind answering any questions you may have. read more

Thirsty Monk - Past life Amber Ale! - Pubs Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

This brewery was recommend by a close friend and it did not disappoint. With all the different varieties of beer you're sure to find a beer you like. For me I don't like IPA's so I look for more wheat based beers and they have a few I really liked. Plus I liked how You can order by 5oz or 12oz glasses. If you haven't already been, I would definitely recommend you try this place out whether you're in a big group of friends or on a date it's a must! read more

I would give this place a 3.5 if I could because the beer was good but the service was bad. I was visiting Asheville and was looking for some breweries to try and this place looked fun. This place has 3 levels and can be confusing when you first walk in. Sadly i didn't know there were differently levels at first and found the service in the main level to be pretty bad. There were 2 bartenders on their phone and neither bothered to greet customers or ask what they would like or if they need help. There was even a couple who walked out when they weren't waited in after being at the bar for 5 minutes and we were there when is was very slow. After getting a drink on the main level we headed downstairs and found a bartender who was super friendly and helpful. The beer was really good. (I had the stout: Brother Noah). read more

CHEERS FOR THE BREWS UPSTAIRS [Warning: young adults from Central Florida here for just a visit] We chose to visit Thirsty Monk because it was open later than other breweries, and it was close to our residence. I'm glad-- the beer was welcoming. THE FLIGHT WAS MORE THAN WE ASKED FOR I don't know if it was because it was a slow night (I'm pretty sure that's not the reason), but each beer in our flight was more than the standard 5oz pours. I swear each glass contained almost 8oz. Brother Noah (Belgian Stout) was solid but it's sibling Cherry Brother Noah took it in a nice direction with great hints of cherry flavor. The Coconorm was our favorite with its coconut hints. Pretty good. GREAT TO RELAX This brewery is big with two floors of space (there's a basement that felt like a 'hangout' spot. I can imagine acoustic crooners performing down there) but not much else to do except good conversation and people watch from the upstairs/main area. read more

Thirsty Monk - The top floor/main floor area. Plenty of seating that invites conversation - Pubs Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

See all

The cocktails were good. They originally told us the upstairs was full, but we went upstairs and there was maybe 20. The upstairs bartender with the long hair seemed miserable. He was rude. The bar back however was super friendly. read more

In town for the week and it was recommended that we stop here. The bartenders were great and we each had a beverage. The beer selection did not provide much for us to choose from. The music was loud and not to our liking. The place was crowded and seemed suited for the 30ish and younger crowd. read more

We were starving and it was almost 9 PM, hence why we ended up here. Stopped at the main bar and ordered a beer (pint night and got to keep the glass) and food. The pretzel was HUGE! The mustard is their own and THE best I have ever had. I love spicy mustard and this is to die for! The tacos were also very good. we would order both again. The beer choices were many and they had a nice variety. The bartender was great. The place was clean. I say this about the pub part. The belgian part is downstairs. It was quiet when we walked down. Everyone seemed to be hanging out on the main level. Fine by us. We ordered a beer and sat at the couch. Very comfortable. Bartender was also very nice. They share tips here so matter where you tip the each get a piece of it. read more

Thirsty Monk - Pubs Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

GREAT place to relax with friends. It was too cold outside to enjoy the rooftop area when we visited. We did, however, enjoy the other two floors. They have an awesome selection of beer to choose from. Coming for a person who loves to try new beers, this place is ideal. The staff was great at helping me decide on new choices. read more

Thirsty Monk - Pubs Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

The bartender at this restaurant was EXTREMELY rude. The entire bar was extremely unwelcoming including the customers. The bartender acted completely unprofessionally. When walking into the bar, he immediately tells us that we're not welcome here. Then one of the customers that he was talking to took a video of us which was an invasion of my property which makes me very uncomfortable and so we left due to feeling so disrespected. We left and went to another bar which was completely welcoming and kind. It was a huge breath of fresh air. DO NOT GO TO THIS PLACE if you would like to have a fun time. read more

Cool vibe! Lots of beers on tap including multiple delirium tremens. They have three floors. Also cocktails on upper level. Mark was the bomb! Knew his beer, super friendly and knowledgable about beers and the Asheville area! Had a blast! Thanks Mark...see you next year! read more

When you step into the Thirsty Monk, not everything is what it seems. At first glance it looks like a standard, hip bar with a plethora of heady brews on draft, however, this place has got depth. Allow me to extrapolate. Beneath the mezzanine level of the bar lurks a provincial and rustic Belgium style bar. For anyone who likes Belgian beers, this is a must go when in Asheville. We ordered a flight of their house made beers. 4 in total. Sipping their beers in the dark yet cozy underbelly of the bar made me feel as though I was sitting in a Belgian monastery imbibing in the centuries old ales the monks had perfected. It was a very unique experience, and one that as a beer drinker, I'm grateful to have encountered. After we finished our Belgian beers, we wandered upstairs to their rooftop patio and bar. Even though it was a cloudy day, the view of Asheville was beautiful, and the craft cocktails we each enjoyed were delicious. They even gave us each a little key that we could use to unlock a personal snack from a little desk in the bar. Neat idea! The Thirsty Monk is an experience you cannot afford to miss if you like beer!! read more

Thirsty Monk - Belgian Flights! - Pubs Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Bartender had such a crappy attitude. My wife orders a Cosmo and the Bartender replies with "what is this the 90s"? So at first we chuckled and played along. Then I ordered a Manhattan with Bulleit Rye and he says "Well I can think of a lot better Rye than that". So it went from funny, to just being a real you-know-what. There were 4 of us and the last person in our group kind of hesitated to order and needed a suggestion on a drink, so the bartender says hastily "Well I'll come back to you while I make their drinks". I would have given it 1 start but I've been here before and the experience was much better than this. Plus the drinks were actually good! But what a great example of how an experience can be ruined with a crappy way to talk to your patrons. read more

This is a fantastic place for any beer geek. It, without doubt, has the finest quality and selection of pints in Beer City, which is something to say indeed. The only thing that drives me elsewhere is that they do not have a lot of local stuff. I see that as one of two things: 1) they know you can get that blocks away at the breweries 2) they may be a bit on the snotty side and going for only the BEST beer they can find. No slight to my Asheville, but I think its the latter. I would come more if I didn't like Wedge and Pisgah so much, but even I recognize that the stuff they pour is pure and simple...special. Downstairs in a brick walled cavern you will find Belgian beers. Upstairs is craft beer mecca! Really. They have their own micro brewery at Thirsty Monk south also. Oh...watch what they do closely. They open rare casks often...they have a Wed. pint night where you get free beer glass with each pint from a cool brewer...and more. read more

I enjoy Thirsty Monk immensely and often suggest it to family/friends who are visiting the area. Beer: The beer selection is absolutely amazing. There are three levels in the building - the main (street level) bar is for various offerings, the basement level offers a great selection of Belgian-Style beers, and Top of the Monk in the top level offers handcrafted classic cocktails (and a great place to watch the sunset). Bartenders: The bartenders always pleasant, patient, and decent at offering suggestions. Building/Parking: The building is old/historic and super interesting. Parking is non-existent - you will need to park in a nearby garage, off-street, or uber there instead. NOTE: This review is for the DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE location (there is another in the South Asheville area). read more

how can you NOT love this place?? First of all, the prices were SO good and SO justified and SO VISIBLE and the beer list was just so much FUN. We tried so many different kinds of craft beers and just had a total blast. I love the idea of another bar in the basement, the bartenders were such characters, and the decor was not too overwhelming and very cool. I LOVE this place. This place plus the french broad chocolate lounge makes me want to uproot everything in Atlanta and move the hell right in Asheville ... I am STILL seriously considering this move ... lol. Now, having had flight privileges for 7 years now, I have been and seen so many places and so many pubs/bars/watering holes (even went to Paddy's Pub from Its Always Sunny in Philly) and many other places, but this pub was just one experience I will never forget. Now, I do wish that they have better music and a better arrangement for ordering drinks and such, but either way, we came here for the beer and nothing more, and we are happy happy happy. They also offer free wifi but it was slow. Oh well, it's free. lol. Anyways, I had a great time and I suggest for you to check it out and check out all the cool and fun and different kinds of craft beers they offer. JUST FUN!! loved it. read more

This place has a lot of potential and was just alright in reality. I kept walking by it wanting to go in, as I love Belgian beers. However, when we went to the Belgian Beer Basement I found that it was a little disappointing. Most of their Belgian beers were bottled rather than on draft. I was sad that they did not have Leffe in any form. I'm probably an unfair critic, but my experience here was "just ok" and not ideal. Staff was ok but not conversational. They missed an opportunity to serve pomme frites and speculoos waffles. Moral of the story: Don't allow beer snobs who have lived in Belgium inside your subpar Belgian beer themed bar. read more

The Thirsty Monk is a must visit spot for any craft beer enthusiast coming through the Asheville area. The draft beer selection is pretty solid (I was more than psyched to see that they had some New Belgium Lips of Faith on tap when I visited) with a variety of drafts upstairs (including many local brews) and an amazing Belgian beer draft selection downstairs. The space itself is pretty much of the no frills variety with ample seating upstairs and a ton of extra seating downstairs. There's also some seating out front which offers prime people watching vantage points. The bartenders seemingly range from completely uncaring of your existence to eager to drop some knowledge in terms of their customer service tactics. There is also a basic food menu offering appetizers, sandwiches, and pizzas. In a very cool twist, almost every item on the menu is paired with an optimal beer. If you can't find something you like on draft, there is a very extensive bottle menu as well here. Plus you can find a listing and descriptions of all the draft and bottle beers currently being offered at the Thirsty Monk on their website. Very cool. This is the place to frequent for a chill, no frills bar experience with a far beyond average brew selection. read more

The husband and I went first went here years ago back when this place first opened. Back then we were crazy impressed with the beer, service and food, so we're naturally excited to check it out on our most recent trip to town. Unfortunately, our high expectations were not quite meet in the areas of service and food, the beer is still quite good. We enjoyed a flight of some incredible beers, which I don't think you would find on tap anywhere. The service though....I really am not hard to please but the bartender would not speak! Like he went up to us, paused and stared at us so we would order, then he would fetch drinks and return to drop them off. I was quite certain he was mute, but later I heard him speaking to his co-workers so I know that was not the case. When we eventually wrangled down another bartender to get some snacks because I have been craving soft pretzels for about 3 weeks. The pretzels we were presented with were good, but clearly previously frozen. They also did not hold a candle to the ones we had this same night over at the Funkatorium. The beer cheese though was quite tasty. It also seems as though when they opened, they were the coolest thing around, but have not really done anything to maintain or enhance anything over the years. This includes the actual bar which smelled kinda dank and there also seemed to be some flooding issues. Regardless of it all, we'll still come back next time we are in town to sample the fabulous Belgians they have on tap. read more

Thirsty Monk - Out fabulous sampler. - Pubs Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

See all

So glad we found this place because it was amazing. There is craft beer stuff plastered everywhere: coasters, tap handles, signs, all from breweries from across the country. It was neat to look at while I sipped some beer. They have beers on tap from various breweries, a lot that are not local to the area. I wanted to get something that WAS local, since the other beers I could get up north for the most part. The local beers I had were flavorful and well made. We weren't quite hungry enough for lunch since we had a big breakfast, but we did want something to munch on after having a few brews. We ordered the pretzel bites with cheese. It was going to be a while until we got them, so we meandered to the downstairs part of the bar. Guess what? They have an entirely different set of taps! These were all Belgian beers. Well, we definitely had to get some of those! The downstairs area was nice. Comfy seating, less crowded than upstairs, and a little darker. The Belgians were very unique in name and in flavor. Too many to name, but the ones we had were unlike any other Belgians I've ever had. At just the right moment, our pretzel bites arrived. They were better than I could have ever imagined. The pretzel bites were slightly crispy on the outside, in the most perfect way possible, and soft on the inside. The cheese was not your nacho cheese. No sir. This was cheddar cheese with Fat Tire beer mixed in it. It was warm, creamy, and out of this world delicious. I seriously could have drank a cup of that cheese. My fiance went up to the bar to get another beer and did not trust me alone with the cheese and pretzels, for fear I would eat them all. Trust issues you might say? No. He just knows that I would. But I didn't want him to miss out so I sat on my hands and stared at the plate like a sad puppy. God those were delicious. I double dipped the sh*t out of those pretzels and cheese. We left there pretty damn happy, with wonderful food and beer in our tummies. Great afternoon thanks to Thirsty Monk. I wish I could come here all the time. read more

Another Asheville beer staple apparently. As soon as we walked up we noticed a line and it was because this little place can only handle a certain headcount before it's over it's fire capacity. We decided to wait it out to see what all the fuss was about and plus it was IPA tap takeover day. PERFECT. We grabbed a beer on the upper level to begin with and while it was crowded I really preferred the belgian beer bar downstairs. First, I like belgian beers, secondly, it wasn't nearly as crowded and a little more like a lounge vs. a bar. My kind of setup. I think Thirsty Monk would probably be a great mid week, grab a craft beer kind of place when it's not nearly as crowded. read more

A friend recommended this place and we are so glad that he did!! I had the Screaming Monk IPA and it was sooo good. The hints of Belgium styled hops were fantastic! My husband had a local cider and enjoyed that as well! I love this IPA and wish they sold it in cans or bottles! read more

Very relaxed atmosphere early in the night. Tried 5-6 different beers, enjoyed most all of them. Reasonable prices, really like the fact you can get 5 oz or 12 oz because I'm picky about what I like to drink. Started to get busy later on but overall the upstairs was pretty relaxed. Downstairs was a little louder and darker, great for groups. read more

Thirsty Monk - Normtrooper and Blonde - Pubs Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

The beer here is amazing! It's so affordable too it honestly surprised us just how good it was. Loved the staff and the atmosphere, we'll definitely be back. read more

Thirsty Monk - Holy water - Pubs Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

I was in Asheville for a few days on vacation and needed a drinking spot. Sure enough, found out about Thirsty Monk Pub and it sounded like my kind of place - good Belgian beer and good prices. Went there on a Friday night, but the downstairs bar was packed with hardly any standing room so we decided to leave and come back the next day. So glad we did! Saturday we got there around 11:30 and the bar was completely dead with only about 5 people downstairs. I had originally wanted the Weyerbacher Merry Monks ale as they advertised they had on tap on their website, but they were out so I had an old favorite: Unibroue La Terrible. It's only $5.50 for a glass of this great beer - tasted great on tap. The bartenders were really nice and didn't rush us out of the place even though I know they wanted to close up since we were the last customers there. Overall, really chill environment with comfy chairs/booths where you could hang out for a few hours and enjoy great beer. I will definitely be back the next time I'm in Asheville. read more

Thirsty Monk - Unibroue La Terrible at downstairs bar - Pubs Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

I was in Asheville for my birthday with my fiance and of course I had to peruse Yelp to find out the best places to go. I wanted a place where I could drink and get some good food. Thirsty Monk had some good ratings so we decided to trek into downtown and try it out. Wasn't really what I had expected, but it wasn't bad either. When we walked in, we were greeted and told that the upstairs was full but that there was still some room downstairs. At the time, I didn't know there was a difference, so we went down and found some seats at the bar. We got a menu from our neighbor since the bartender hadn't gotten us one. Now, the menu on the website had two pages of food including pizza and "bar snacks around the world." I only saw one page with tacos and sandwiches. We decided then to not order any food and just try the beer since it was a busy weekend night. This was when we learned that even though the menu listed tons of beer choices, there were only certain ones for the downstairs Belgium area and only certain ones we could get upstairs. We went for the "flight" where we could try 4 different flavors of beer. in (approximate) 4 oz glasses They range in price, and you don't know the price until you get your tab. Ours came out to be around $14. I'm not a huge beer person, but the apple one was sweet and I liked it. We also got a pint glass to take home ($5) since my finace loves to collect pint glasses from the different bars we've been to. There was no "wow" factor for me, and I wish they had a liquor license (but I get that it's a beer pub.) But in all, I would return and give them another shot and probably try the food. read more

Thirsty Monk is a cool spot to hang out in. They have different taps on the two floors so be sure to check them both out. They have a pretty extensive beer list so get a few flights to try most of them. We also had the breadsticks with cheese and they were so good. It comes with two giant pretzels and a cheese dip. The chef also gave us a little bit of mustard to dip in. The mustard definitely had a kick to it so be careful. read more

Thirsty Monk - Pubs Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Came here as a stopover before a late night event. Great beer selection and good atmosphere. read more

Thirsty Monk - Pubs Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Great stout bears. Get a flight and enjoy. I had the chocholate stout and enjoyed it so much i got a growler to go. I brought it home and shared with friends. When these are available in bottles, im getting a subscription shipped to me in my state. read more

Thirsty Monk - Pubs Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Always a good time at the Thirsty Monk! Their beer selection is great, with plenty of options for any beer flavor. The best part is their flights, where you can get four six ounce beers for $10. Id recommend their fall and pumpkin styles beers right now. read more

Thirsty Monk - Pubs Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

I was amazed to find a place in Asheville where I could go to a bar with 1-my parents, 2- two of my local friends, 3- my 4 year old son that had an incredible beer list, was quiet, and had some really good food. The Thirsty Monk (or at least the downstairs part of it) was comfortable, quiet, and cozy. We had a great time sampling beers and eating snacks. My only complaint was that our waiter forgot that we placed an order for food. Other than that, he was very knowledgeable about the beer selection and made some good recommendations. read more

Nice relaxed atmosphere before seeing Edward Sharpe and the magnectics zeroes down the road, met a lot of locals who know great ales and had awesome suggestions, the bartender was quick even though the place was packed, loved this joint. read more

I've been here several times and I always leave satisfied. This time was no exception. When we arrived it seemed pretty busy, but were able to find a table easily. I've always been able to continuously order beers that I've never had previously. They typically have a great selection throughout the year. Another place that I visit whenever I'm in town. read more

This was my first brewery in Asheville and I will be back. As you walk you are greeted by America- the first bar is a selection of all American beers and ales. It is a collection of all American beers from the Asheville area alongside across the country. The lower level is a selection of Belgian beers. The upper level after 3:00 pm have beers mixed for cocktail drinks. Each floor has a unique design and taste for beers. My favourite beer is the Alvinne Curvee- soar notes brewed in a wine barrel. The key thing about this place is the beers are unique. Trust me i am having a difficult time finding Alvinne Curvee. read more

Thirsty Monk - Asheville Brewing Viva La Shiva - Pubs Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

See all

Thirsty Monk is a fun and unique brewpub in downtown Asheville. We stopped in while waiting for our table at nearby Blue Dream Curry House. Thirsty monk has three distinct levels and three different bars. The top floor focuses on cocktails. The main level has more of a neighborhood bar vibe. The basement has more of a pub feel that focuses on Belgian beers. We settled in the basement area, it's also cozier feeling with couches and a long bar. The beers are a mix of locally brewed beers, Belgian beers, and other craft breweries. The beer is good and the staff is friendly and inviting. Great spot. read more