Modesto Trattoria

Best meal we had in Asheville. Great service, great food. Can’t beat it!

Delicious!! Amazing food and wonderful service! Our special place

Two different Asheville residents suggested this restaurant. It is categorized as ‘Italian’, however the entrees that we ordered showcased the chef’s Caribbean artistry. Very unique and creative menu. We will be back for sure!

Great experience!

A wonderful evening. Food and Service is outstanding... highly recommend

The seafood dishes and use of local produce are stand outs. Outdoor seating is great for people watching. The only negative with is this restaurant that it is pricey. Many entrées over $60. Didn’t see a cocktail for less than $13.

They claim to be an Italian restaurant. Not the case! Curry on both dishes I ordered. Steer clear!

Service was a bit slow tonight, it seemed like there was a lot of confusion within the staff. I do realize that possibly there is a staff shortage, and we were taken care of, just not as usual. Seemed off tonight. Food still delicious, our waiter was courteous. The woman at greeting position lacked in personality and was pretty much bluntly rude, seemed annoyed people were asking if there was availability. It was a mixed weather night, so maybe that was stressful when people wanted to be seated outside, but if resting face and personality is a real thing, she was it. We will be back, we love this restaurant and know times are hard right now.

Outside on the patio is much nicer. Friendly staff & great food!

This is by far the BEST meal I have had in a long time. The Chef and staff are without compare. Go and enjoy!

Meal was delicious. Our server, Tess, was wonderful.

Had a lovely dinner to celebrate the last night of our family vacation. The pasta dish my daughter ordered was sold out, but the chef and waiter made her a custom dish based on the appetizer selections she had enjoyed. I think her dish ended up being the best of them all. The desserts were very well done and a perfect end to our meal. Service was upbeat and very helpful. Overall, a great experience.

Great menu. Lots to choose from. Not your run of the mill menu . A great balance between great presentation and quality of the dish. Creative chef. Intimate place inside. Great to sit outside if weather cooperates. Service outstanding. Highly recommend.

The food and service were excellent. This was our second time dining here and loved it both times.

Our dinner and dining experience was the best of all the restaurants we visited in Asheville. Highly recommend

Fred, the bartender, took wonderful care of me. He was attentive without being annoying. Food was delicious and the espresso martini to finish was perfect.

Amazing place. Great wine, vibe and service.

The atmosphere, food, and experience was fantastic. Our server was very polite, professional, and knowledgeable on the menu and wine list!

The food is perfectly seasoned, absolutely fresh, definitely the best pizza I've had outside of Italy, and don't miss the crab-encrusted NC red snapper -- divine. Great waiter, who gave me the tip to re-heat the pizza leftovers for breakfast, with an egg on top. :-) We didn't get pics of the meals and appetizers en site because we ravenously ate everything we could as soon as it arrived.

Lovely venue. Dined there twice, outdoors, in 2021. Now that dining room is open, chose to eat indoors. Made the reservation online without issue. I was asked if the reservation was for a special occasion, and it was… my birthday. When we arrived, we were seated at a high top table in the middle of the restaurant. Requested one of the tables at the edge of the restaurant, which was easily accommodated. No one wants to eat in the middle of a restaurant if other options are available, and plenty were. Our server was lovely, professional and made the experience a good one, except for the fact that I felt rushed. As soon as one of the diners was finished, while the other was still eating, she asked to take the plate away. As soon as she took the remaining plate away, we were immediately asked if we wanted a dessert. When we answered in the negative, we were immediately given our bill. It took awhile to receive our second course, which was a special for the evening, so we ended up sitting for a bit longer than an hour, but somehow I felt that they wanted the table for another guest. I did not appreciate that, as it is a lovely venue and not inexpensive, so rushed was not the feeling I wanted to have. Also, as I was asked if this was for a special occasion, it would have been nice if someone offered a ‘happy birthday’ wish. Maybe outside would have been a different experience. I received this request for my thoughts, and I am offering them as asked. I would not have said anything, but for this request.

One of the best restaurants in western North Carolina. The owner, Hector Diaz, and his team are great. We are Asheville locals and have been here many times.

Always a great experience. Food is on point. Specials rotate based on seasonal availability of local foods. One of my favorites

WOW, we had the best time last night! The food was amazing and so was the service. Overall I highly recommend Modesto!

Modesto was so good that we dined there twice during our two week visit to Asheville. Jack was our waiter both times and he was fantastic - excellent service, knowledgeable about the menu and ingredients, gave good advice on food and wines. He had a great sense of humor and made both evenings enjoyable.

We highly recommend the Wood Fire Spanish Octopus, and a special of Stuffed Calamari, Puttanesca, Seared Scallops, Herb Encrusted Halibut and Veal Marsala. Do not miss the risottos. Every dish is distinguished by fresh ingredients, spot on herbs, perfect preparation and eye appealing presentation. Our peach tart and creme brûlée, with well made cappuccino, ended our meals as they started - deliciously!

Service was excellent, hostess and waiter were great. Then we ordered food - never had Italian food taste so bland. Both are meals and appetizers were mostly inedible. Not worth compromising our tastebuds for a meal like this and the price for such a bland meal was not worth it. It’s like the chef had COVID and can’t taste or smell how bland the food is.

Fabulous evening of wonderful food and a relaxing outdoor dining experience. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about ingredients and preparation of menu items. We had a severe allergy to onions to work around and he guided us through our options. Best meal I have had in Asheville!

The food was so-so for the price. With all the fantastic restaurants in Asheville, I’d pass on this one. Service was Luke warm-most of our table’s attention came from the hostess who refilled our drink orders and the runners who brought our entrees out.

Modesto used to be our favorite restaurant prior to the pandemic. Last night was our first time back since the COVID restrictions were lifted.

We were seriously disappointed.

My friend's lamb chops were cooked from medium to nearly raw (we had to send one back so it could be cooked). The potato pie that came with the lamb was burned and not edible. My pork chop was heaped with cheese and other things that and smothered the flavor of the pork. We had to ask the waiter twice for a spoon for my wife's mushroom and pasta dish and we ordered focaccia that never came. And our 2015 Montepulciano that retails for $20 was marked up to $80.

I don't know what happened to this once lovely place but we're steering clear of it for now. Buzz Wilms

I work in a hotel, and always send guests here. And when family is in town, I always bring family here

Great staff and food was delicious!

Pizza was delicious and our waiter was very nice! The drinks were outstanding as well.

Special evening with a special friend celebrating my retirement. Food was amazing and our server Jennifer was delightful. I have never been disappointed here. Excellent every time.

Dry lamb chops

This was an outstanding visit to Modesto. For starters, the service was very good: I mention that both because people sometimes complain about service here, and also because as a lone diner I don't always get great service. No problems here on either score. They gave me a nice table and the waiter was there when needed, and not otherwise.
The weak point of the meal was the first course, "tempura zucchini blossoms". These were not remotely "tempura", but coated with a heavy batter and including long, stringy stems. Not what I expect for "fiore di zucca".
But the veal chop that followed was out of this world. I don't know where they get their veal (practically impossible to find in animal-friendly Asheville...), but this shop was huge, tender, and perfectly cooked. The accompanying risotto and vegetables were also really excellent. Not a cheap dish, but really worth every penny. And the hazelnut and peach torte for dessert was creative (sort of rolled, rather than a flat tart: hard to describe but yummy).
Wine list is long and interesting, though from what I can tell their markup is somewhat higher than what I think of as standard (100-150% over expected retail).
Overall, a very positive experience. (My wife and) I will be back.

Modesto is my favorite Asheville restaurants. Great food & service.

Perfectly cooked dishes

Wedding announcement

Only complaint, waiter forgot about us after dinner arrived. Waited for too long to get check.

very fresh and flavorful food
our waitress was attentive and understanding

Fantastic good, super fresh seafood, wonderful selection!