Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Asheville / Western North Carolina

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Asheville / Western North Carolina? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Appalachia at The Lodge

5.0

5 (471)

$31 to $50

American

Lake Lure

About the restaurant

Appalachia Restaurant brings an upscale-casual experience to an intimate setting. With stunning views and a cuisine that offers an Appalachian flair, you will be immersed with the true spirit of Lake Lure.
Dinner at the restaurant begins at 4:30pm.
We bring the Appalachian heritage from the outdoors in while dining in front of the stunning 525 million year old mountains. Inside, outside, or bar room dining, you will have a gorgeous view of Lake Lure and the Appalachian mountains. Boats Slips are first come, first serve. Due to the small volume of tables, we cannot accept preferred table/view requests.
Dress Code: No swimwear or coverups, must have shoes.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 6 days ago

Excellent menu combined with a great view and cocktails.

Ukiah

4.9

4.9 (1878)

$31 to $50

Asian

Asheville

About the restaurant

Welcome to Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse, where Japanese Soul Food meets American BBQ by James Beard Nominated Chef Michael Lewis. “Japanese Smokehouse” is defined as merging Japanese ingredients and flavors with American BBQ techniques, and everything in between.

Menu highlights include light and refreshing dishes such as Wagyu Tataki with house kimchee, yuzu kosho and savory soy or Tuna Takaki with fire roasted peppers + ponzu, to bolder flavors such as Smoked Pastrami Short Rib with toasted rye, fire roasted kimchi + yuzu pickles. We are currently open 7 days a week.

Please note, our dining room consists of booths, regular tables and high-tops. We will try our best to accommodate you at your prefer location, but sometimes it is not possible due to party size. Our outdoor tables can be requested but not guaranteed when booking on open table.

Top review

David

Dined 3 days ago

Great meal once again and great service from Mat and Jeremy at the bar

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Japanese Sweet Potato

Daingerfields Dining Room at Westglow

4.9

4.9 (40)

$50 and over

American

Blowing Rock

About the restaurant

The elegant dining experience in the Manor at Westglow. Our dining room features original paintings by Elliott Daingerfield and a spectacular view of Grandfather Mountain. Enjoy a drink before your reservation in Elliott’s Bar, a fun piano lounge experience featuring our ever-growing wine collection.

Top review

MaryVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Firstly, Andrew is a fabulous bartender! Everything at Daingerfields is delivered at the highest level of excellence… food, service, ambience. A beautiful place for a most splendid evening.

The BEACON

4.8

4.8 (662)

$31 to $50

Contemporary Italian

Boone

About the restaurant

The Beacon is a labor of love from Tina Houston, owner of Reid’s Café & Catering Co., established here in the High Country since 1999. From our kitchen to our staff, we strive for innovation and discovery in all facets of our company. We love the intentional, the specific, and the well-cared-for. We work closely with our Blue Ridge farmers, producers, and NC fisherman to present deliberate and thoughtful food and beverage menus.

Our Bar highlights inspiring cocktails and an impressive biodynamic wine program. A dedication to offering natural wines adhering to strict traditional methods, free of pesticides, and minimal intervention. Live music every Tuesday and Thursday during dinner service provides a subtle and delightful ambience. Our semi-private section of our dining room hosts "family style" dining of up to 30 guests. Feel free to contact us for availability.

Join us every first friday of the month for Jazz Jam from 9:30 PM - Midnight, including late night food and drinks.

Top review

Laney

Dined 3 days ago

Delicious food, a little pricey but well worth the cost!

Basil's

4.8

4.8 (23)

$30 and under

American

Boone

About the restaurant

Fresh pasta, no bologna! Sandwiches, soups, salads, and scratch made pasta at lunch. More pasta at night with other entree options. 20 taps of craft beer, full bar, constantly changing wine selection thanks to our Wednesday night tastings.

Chef Scott Ottinger brings his years of experience to our changing menu, offering pasta as well as interesting entree and salad options.

Tuesday nights feature trivia as well as half priced glasses of wine. Wednesdays feature free wine tastings from 5:30-7:30. Drop by between 5:30-7:30 to taste! Weekends often feature pairing menus on Fridays/Saturdays, with Sunday brunch weekly from 11-3. We hope to see you!

Top review

Sandra

Dined 3 days ago

Basil's is our "go to" restaurant for lunch whenever we're in town, ever since Our Daily Bread Restaurant closed down. We love the salads and sandwiches. Food is consistently good, service is good and restaurant is clean.

Claywood

4.7

4.7 (339)

$31 to $50

Farm-to-table

Hendersonville

About the restaurant

Claywood is a vibrant, locally-focused restaurant that celebrates the farm-to-table philosophy in every aspect of its culinary and cocktail creations. Nestled in the heart of Hendersonville, Claywood is driven by a commitment to fresh, quality ingredients sourced from local farmers and purveyors. Our menu is a dynamic blend of traditional and modern cooking styles, enriched by cultural influences from around the world, and always inspired by the changing seasons.

At Claywood, we are rooted in a philosophy that celebrates ingredient integrity, regional traditions, and experiential dining. Chef Tory leads our team with a focus on whole animal butchery, sustainable partnerships with local farms and foragers, and menus that shift with the mountain seasons—highlighting ramps, mushrooms, heirloom grains, and native herbs. Our goal is not just to serve food, but to tell a story with every dish. One that reflects our place, our people, and our purpose.

Top review

Grady

Dined 2 days ago

beef ribs were fantastic. very tasty bread. charcuterie tray was very good, but pricey for the quantity.

The Restaurant at the Embers

4.7

4.7 (237)

$31 to $50

American

Blowing Rock

About the restaurant

Executive Chef Matthew Betlach inspired menu. Locally sourced farm to table experience keeping in mind seasonal options when at all possible. Served in the heart of the "Embers Hotel" fireside. Outdoor Terrace dining available seasonally.

Top review

William

Dined 1 day ago

The food and service were very good. The asparagus soup was delicious, but I had to salt it which was no problem. My wife had a flounder “steak” which was excellent! Our only issue was it was fairly loud inside. The ambience was pretty and pleasant. We would recommend it to everyone.

The Stubborn Bull at Mill Creek

4.6

4.6 (494)

$31 to $50

Spanish

Highlands / Sapphire

About the restaurant

Don't see a time you're looking for?
Contact us directly at 828-200-0813
_____________________________________

Inspired by Mediterranean Spanish and South American influences, we are cooking up rustic tapas, or small savory dishes, in a modern environment.

Here at Stubborn Seeds, our menu is created in the spirit of gathering and sharing. We encourage everyone to try a variety of our small plates. Tapas come to the table as they are prepared, so relax and enjoy a social dining experience. Engage with all your senses and enjoy every bite!

Top review

Marcie

Dined on Jun 26, 2025

The tapas we had was really good. We loved the calamari, the crispy potatoes, the watermelon salad and the beet salad. The 3 scallops were ridiculous for the entree price and likewise the Paella. $68 for two and it barely would feed one person who was hungry. And honestly it wasn’t very good. So that is a no go in the future. We will come back for the apps though. Also just FYI, the kitchen is not flexible. They make what they make and do not allow any room to modify for allergies or sensitivities. Our server was Nate. Or misogynistic Nate as my husband started calling him lol He was very warm and helpful to my husband. Short, curt and impatient when it came to me. The difference was astonishing. My husband noticed it right away and asked me if it was evident to me. I said, “Of course, but we women are sadly used to it”. Naturally, I was paying the bill that night and while I did leave 20% I didn’t want to. I did tell the manager to get Nate some training but I am not sure the manager (a male) cared either. That kind of thing flows from the top down. Anyway, go for the tapas (they are good sizes) and ignore the entree.

Wildwood Still

4.6

4.6 (73)

$30 and under

Cocktail Bar

Asheville

About the restaurant

A Rooftop Bar Experience. For serious whiskey enthusiasts, the whiskey-curious, and the whiskey-indifferent.

Introducing Wildwood Still, a rooftop bar experience in the heart of downtown Asheville atop the Moxy Asheville Hotel. We don’t just serve exceptionally good spirits. We’re always in good spirits, too. The down-to-earth humans behind our bar and barrels are genuinely happy to serve you — and they’re always up for going down the whiskey rabbit hole with you.

For parties of 7 or more, please email us at hello@wildwoodstill.com

Top review

Darrell

Dined 3 days ago

Fantastic meal and stellar service. Malachi was exceptional

Wicked Weed Brewpub - Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort

4.3

4.3 (824)

$30 and under

Barbecue

Cherokee

About the restaurant

An Asheville favorite since 2012, Wicked Weed can now be enjoyed at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort - via the Wicked Weed Brewpub.

Located on the second floor of the casino next to the events center, our Brewpub offers 18 beers on tap and 14 bottled beers. Chef Kayla Snipes creates beer-inspired delicacies, or you can pair the West Coast IPA with our Double Smash Burger.

Top review

PatriciaVIP

Dined on Jun 27, 2025

Excellent menu, delicious food, great prices, fast and friendly service.

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