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Laughing Seed Cafe

4.2 (910 reviews)

Laughing Seed Cafe Photos

LAUGHING SEED CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Outdoor seating
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Laughing Seed Cafe

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Best curry dish of my life!
Alison M.

Omg. This is the best vegetarian restaurant I've ever been to. Parking was a bit rough and there is some roadwork blocking roads so it was an adventure to get here - but everyone was so nice to us when we finally arrived - a full 25 minutes later than expected and within about 30 minutes until closing. They said no problem and easily seated us and said no rush. They have a nice indoor area but also a cute patio outside with some firefly lights and bistro tables with umbrellas to provide shade and excellent vantage point for people watching while you eat. Our waitress was phenomenal. Very knowledgeable about the menu and able to answer all our questions and make suggestions on substitutions and easily navigated my friend's soy allergy. Their menu has tons of fantastic things on it which made it hard to choose. Lots of inventive takes on classics like a sweet potato Rueben and buffalo fried cauliflower wrap. In the end - I split a Laughing Seed Salad with my friend - a small size which was huge - and got the coconut curry entree. The salad was delicious and I loaded with veggies, sprouts, etc. I chose the Champagne Derby house-made dressing and did not regret it. Light and delicious with a slight mustard flavor. Very fresh. Now, the coconut curry dish. SO good. I just kept eating and eating and eating. Coconut rice, fresh veggies, the amazing curry sauce. It was a large portion and it was phenomenal. My favorite curry dish I've ever had, vegan or not. I am going to be talking about this forever, and if I'm ever back in town, I'm gonna come get this 2-3x! I like coffee with dinner and warned our waitress as they were close to closing that I like coffee after dinner. She brewed me a fresh pot and offered for me to take some to go and refilled as much as I needed. Although we were probably here until 9:30 - they never rushed us out (another table showed up after us and was still sitting). The food here was some of the best I've had in a while - vegetarian or not. If I lived here I would eat here all the time! Located in a nice part of downtown Asheville on "Wall St" where there is a ton of other shops and restaurants and bars. This is a place to sit out on the patio and people-watch and you can walk around and shop afterwards if you like. Yum! Run. Don't walk.

Misti M.

What a great find on such a cute street in Asheville! Laughing Seed has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and a bar in the center. We arrived mid-day on a Saturday and had our choice of where to sit. What drew us there were the mocktails listed on the website ($7 each) and we were excited to try them out! Between the two of us we had a Strawberry Basil and a Blueberry-pineapple Mule. Both were done very well and it was so nice to see a mocktail menu of more than just one option (I think there were at least 5 on the list). The fully vegetarian menu gave plenty of options, we settled on sharing the loaded fries (beans, vege-chorizo, queso, jalapenos). The $1 extra for the chipotle ranch was worth it - the flavors were great together! Laughing Seed is a winner - surely for vegetarian / vegan options, but as an alcohol-free carnivore, I was very pleased with what they had to offer!

The Laughing Seed Cafe
Catherine N.

This was such a quaint place to frequent just in the nick of time. I sat at the bar and the service was great. I had a glass of wine with a side of avocado and a side of homemade fries. They were amazing!!! The fries were SO light and non greasy! I would definitely recommend these items if you were to visit. Until next time, cheers!

Awesome food at Laughing seed cafe Hummus and pita. Spinach Pesto Manicotti (Raw) Delicious ever time I go, best eat clean restaurant ever!
Ellen P.

Food was good. Staff was nice, service was okay, our waitress forgot we needed water for a long time. But other than that it was all good. The restaurant was clean . They took some favorites off the menu and added other stuff and made our favorite dish smaller. But still delicious and still a great place to eat . I can't wait to try the cashew cheese cake. I recommend to everyone one. It know this is a vegetarian restaurant.

Interior of The Laughing Seed Cafe from the back seating area.
Tony S.

I'd rate this one a 4.5 -- not quite a 5, but really good vegetarian/vegan food. The decor reminds me of restaurants in Europe and the skylights provide nice natural lighting. Service is good. I love sweet potatoes so I had to order the Reuben, where the "pastrami" is made from sweet potatoes. They were sliced like deli meat and while the taste wasn't like pastrami or regular sweet potatoes, they were good just for what they tasted like on their own. The consistency was a bit off, but that's often the case with vegetarian substitutes for meat. After a couple bites, I got used to it. The slaw was good as was the Swiss cheese (you can order it with vegan cheese). The marbled rye bread was excellent. The dressing could have maybe used a little more pop. We also had the "chorizo" taco: good taco seasoning, but again the toppings could have used a little more flare. The real gem of the meal was the French fries. They are medium thick natural-style fries with just the right amount of skin left on, and were well seasoned (not too salty) and cooked crispy brown. They were served hot [nothing worse than lukewarm or soggy cold fries]. But what made them special were the crispy onion pieces mixed in, along with a few jalapenos. If you eat vegetarian/vegan, it's easy to find good menu items in many places in Asheville, but as a completely vegetarian/vegan place, the Laughing Seed Cafe gives you a lot of options. We'd go back. One nit: they add a BoH service charge. Frankly I'd prefer they either pay the BoH employees more and charge a bit more (although prices are a bit high for Asheville already) or tip share between BoH and FoH employees. I typically tip for food quality as well as service, assuming at least some of the tips are shared with BoH or they are paid more than FoH to balance that. I don't like adds-on like this. It's irritating, and I adjust the amount I ultimately tip to reflect this added service charge.

Lacy H.

This is a great place for a birthday meal. The vibe is really cool and comfortable and the servers were very kind. It's a bit on the pricey side in my opinion, but they serve really great food. It's not fully vegan so make sure you're aware of that if you're a lil dummy vegan!! The drinks are really delicious for no reason too.

Fries
Mansi R.

Great vegetarian options. We liked the jalapeño onion fries also with the east & west tacos. The tacos were pretty big and had a unique flavor with their sauces they used. I preferred the east taco, but recommend trying both. They have some daily specials as well. Great menu and service.

Bahn mi, vegan
dan g.

Lots of great vegan choices clearly indicated. Good service, lovely spot for lunch. Really enjoyed the vegan bahn mi. It was made with seitan which was pretty well. I got the jalapeno onion fries and they were extremely delicious.

Violet E.

Laughing Seed Cafe had awesome food and spectacular service! We ordered the Mediterranean salad and Reuben with fries. The food was flavorful and hot. Would come back next time I'm in Asheville!

Lotus Grain Bowl and Rueben
Hannah D.

We went to the Laughing Seed on a busy Saturday for lunch in Asheville. We had the choice between sitting inside and outside. We picked Outside and were seated immediately. The Laughing Seed is in a fantastic location central to downtown. I recommend sitting outside because there is often live music/street performers that are not too far away. It's a really friendly and fun vibe. As for the food, it is a vegetarian's (and non-vegetarian's) dream. As a vegetarian, it's rare I can go to a restaurant and pick from anything on the menu. However, as a completely vegetarian restaurant, that is exactly the case here. Both the grain bowl and the reuben sandwich were absolutely incredible. We tried the two kombucha options ("fire" and "water") and loved both. As an Asheville local, I wholeheartedly recommend eating here!

Cold pressed juice
Jessica C.

We had lunch at Laughing Seed Cafe during a weekend visit to Asheville. We have a plant-based diet so we were excited about all the options Asheville has to offer. Our lunch at Laughing Seed was average and a little pricey. We ordered two of the cold-pressed juices thinking they would be made fresh, but it was actually already processed and bottled, which was disappointing. We ordered the Greek fennel and white bean soup as an appetizer. The soup was okay, basically a tomato-based vegetable soup, but we didn't see a single white bean. We asked the server if it was the right soup since it didn't have any white beans. She said it was, but wasn't sure why there weren't any beans. For our entrees, we got the cauliflower tacos and the harmony bowl with tofu. The cauliflower tacos and sweet potato chips were actually really delicious, but they were definitely heavily fried. The harmony bowl was bland with no seasoning. Our total check was $80. I think next time we'd try a different place with all the plant-based options in Asheville.

Buffalo cauliflower tacos with fries
Natalye R.

After checking out The Big Crafty, our group of four adults and two kids was feeling hungry, so we headed over to Laughing Seed, which was next to where we parked, and which has a menu that seemed to have something for everyone. I can't speak to everyone else's food, but I can say that my buffalo cauliflower tacos were delicious. Buffalo anything is my favorite, and since it's not a "thing" back in Germany, I always order it when I see it on the menu on my visits stateside. This definitely didn't disappoint. I decided on fries as my side and it worked well together. There are also a lot of sandwiches and bowls that looked delicious, and if I lived here I'd be back to try out more. It was a bit of a crisp day but I still prefer sitting outdoors, and we were easily accommodated on the patio (which does have heaters). Our service was attentive and friendly.

Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos with Jalapeño fries
Priyanka R.

Awesome to have a vegan cafe with varieties of options. We came in with a big group (no reservation) and ended up splitting up into multiple smaller groups because everyone was super hungry. Luckily the food came out quick! Staff was also nice, but did take a little while to get our bill, so had to find the lovely person serving us since the rest of our group had finished and they were able to product the bill on the spot to us. I ordered the buffalo cauliflower tacos with fries on the side. The fries were quite dry / over fried so wouldn't recommend getting, but the tacos were great and came with this chipotle sauce that really allowed you to enjoy the different textures. Overall - recommend for a quick bite and for those looking for a variety of flavor profiles in one restaurant (that is also vegan!!).

Southwestern fries

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Laughing Seed Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Laughing Seed Cafe

What oil do they use to fry or saute their fries and other foods? (I'm trying to stay away from the inflammatory oils like canola, corn, safflower, and sunflower.)

They use canola oil

Is this place dog friendly?

I have seen people seated in the outside seating area with dogs.

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Posana

Posana

4.4(840 reviews)
0.2 mi
•$$

I can't say enough good things about Posana! The ambiance, service and food are all exactly what…read moreyou'd hope for during a celebratory dining experience. My fiancé took me here for my birthday, and I felt celebrated every step of the way. Our server Laura brought us a complimentary small bite before the meal and after dessert. She also made dessert super special and was kind and attentive the whole meal! The food was all phenomenal, I couldn't believe it was all gluten free. It felt very fresh due to the farm to table nature of the restaraunt. We started with the cheddar biscuits, which were a hit. My short rib with polenta and roast veggies was delectable and a very generous portion! Finally, we ordered 1 dessert but they brought us a trio. I was wowed by the cheesecake and olive oil cake! Would definitely return for date night or any other special occasion!

I had an amazing experience at Posana while traveling for work. My server helped me navigate the…read moremenu without having to ask and told me his favorites along with dishes on the heavier/lighter side. I opted for the locals menu, a three course meal of select dishes from the main menu for $55 with optional wine pairing. I selected the kale salad with pumpkin seeds, currants, lemon, and olive oil to start. The kale was chopped small and dressed well. My main course was the lumache pasta in lemon cashew cream sauce with spinach, squash, and tomatoes. The squash and tomatoes were firm but not raw, adding nice texture to offset the pasta along with cashew crumbles. Lastly, was the hummingbird cheesecake, a honey cheesecake with toasted banana pineapple cake pieces. The dessert was very good and the presentation beautiful but I think I prefer a crust on my cheesecake. I found that everyone worked together like a well oiled machine. The hostess served my water, others cleared my plates and brought clean silverware every course, the manager served my main course without disruption, but my server was a constant presence checking in and making me feel taken care of. My reservation was at 5 and it did start to get busier so I recommend going before or after the dinner rush. Thank you, Posana!!

Photos
Posana - Posana Restaurant's exterior and patio located on Historic Pack Sq. in downtown Asheville.

Posana Restaurant's exterior and patio located on Historic Pack Sq. in downtown Asheville.

Posana
Posana - Posana Gluten Free Celiac Friendly Kitchen

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Posana Gluten Free Celiac Friendly Kitchen

Chestnut - Brunch - Biltmore Burger

Chestnut

4.4(1.6k reviews)
0.3 mi
•$$

I had an amazing experience at Chestnut in Asheville. I ordered the Shrimp and Grits, and it was…read morehonestly the best I've ever had, cheesy, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. My daughter had the filet, which was cooked beautifully and just as delicious (although a bit small, as noted on the menu). The ambiance is cozy yet lively, and the place was absolutely packed... clearly a local favorite. Service was great, and the whole evening felt special from start to finish. I'll definitely make Chestnut a repeat stop whenever I'm traveling through Asheville. Highly recommend!

Fyi no pics taken since we went here for our anniversary dinner. Will be sure to take some the next…read moretime we come here....they'll be on the list for sure. Our evening started with complimentary champagne....booked in advance and told the staff we were in town celebrating and they took great care of us. We skipped the apps, but were impressed that they offer smaller plates, along with their entrees. My wife ordered the 4 Oz filet, which was so tender that it didn't require a steak knife to cut it. Her butter knife was sufficient enough. Honestly, her fork would've been enough. You can tell they have good beef quality....the filet was very tasty. Was served with a sauce and whipped potatoes, along with fresh green beans. I ordered their scallops and polenta dish. Honestly, I think the garnish was a bit over the top.....however, their scallops were delicious and tender. I normally like a good sear but can appreciate how they prepared theirs. The seasoning was flavorful and their sauce with the garnish went well with it. The only mark I can make had to do with the polenta. It was quite tasty, but the consistency didn't match the description of the dish. Regardless, it paired very well with the scallops. Ended the night with complimentary dessert, which was their blackberry peach crumble with ice cream, which was delicious. One of the best desserts we've had in some time. Our waiter James was fantastic. He was great in describing dishes, and was timely with the service and making sure our drinks were taken care of. The manager on duty, Brooke, was wonderful as well and even extended well wishes on our celebration. All in all, their staff did a great job. You can also tell that the other tables got similar service as well. We had all intentions on coming back and checking out their brunch, which was highly recommended, but ended up doing something else the following day. This is a solid option for date night dining. Very intimate setting downtown. Parking is ridiculous to try and get close by, especially on a Friday night, but theres a parking deck under a mile away from the front door. This is another Asheville spot we'll have in the rotation. Very impressed and can't wait to try other options there in the future.

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Chestnut - Me encanta como se ve este bar

Me encanta como se ve este bar

Chestnut - Chocolate Caramel Tart

Chocolate Caramel Tart

Chestnut - Su-Mack Down

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Su-Mack Down

All Day Darling - Granola

All Day Darling

4.4(258 reviews)
0.5 mi
•$$

All Day Darling is a 2025 Michelin-recognized spot, and what a surprise and cute name!!!…read more While exploring near Grove Arcade, I searched Yelp for a local brunch place and found this gem. Like many cafés in Asheville, it's a self-bussing establishment, so guests return their own dishes after eating. The cafe is charming, with plenty of both indoor and outdoor seating. The staff were warm, welcoming, and food was very good. We ordered drinks which was okay...next time I'll opt for water. Luckily, the Buddha Bowl and the breakfast sandwich served on a perfectly baked biscuit, and both were fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. I even bought their after-meal herbal tonic a try--not sure if it worked, but like to try it to give my stomach more energy and room to eat!!!

A friend recommended their avocado toast, so I ordered it. The menu specified the a multi grain…read morebread, which, as someone who loves her fiber, got me excited. I did expect a nice thick slice of sturdy grain forward artisan bread, capable of holding up a big scoop of avocado. In a good piece of toast, I always want that crunchy on the outside which gives way to a light and velvety inside. Instead, I was served was a smallish flimsy and thin slice of bread topped with smashed avocado that was heavily seasoned with salt and lemon. Feta is inherently quite salty, so note to the chef to adjust for that ;) I was pretty disappointed. the bread may have been hand made, but honestly it reminded me of supermarket bread (I'm sorry). Their baked goods are very good, I am a former baker so I'm a hard judge, so I was really hoping for a decent piece of bread, since with avocado toast has two main players: avocado and toast. You kind of need to get both players right. The side salad was medium, but I did appreciate having it because it was unclear from the menu if anything else would be served with the toast. Unfortunately , I did have to push aside a few slimy pieces of lettuce, but the dressing was very good and well seasoned. I do appreciate the overall vibe and service of All Day Darling, very positive atmosphere and seemingly happy staff. It was a Monday, and Mondays in the restaurant biz are often a bit chancy. So there's that.

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All Day Darling
All Day Darling - Granola with yogurt bowl

Granola with yogurt bowl

All Day Darling

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Vortex Doughnuts - Yum!!

Vortex Doughnuts

3.9(728 reviews)
0.4 mi
•$$

After breakfast we decided to go wander the self guided South Slope Mural trail to enjoy some of…read morethe large scale works on the side of the buildings, when we came across Vortex Doughnuts. Finding it, we decided to pop in and grab a donut to hep fuel the rest of our mural walk. Unfortunately the selection by 11am had been a bit picked over. There wasn't any wait when we arrived, so we weren't pressed to hurry with our order and could see what our options were. They did have a selection of both yeast style donuts and cake style as well as gluten free. They also offered a few different coffee/espresso/mocha drink options along with milk, oj and hot chocolate. We opted to share a cake style chocolate frosted. The donut was OK, but a bit dry for my liking, and the the chocolate also wasn't overly sweet. But it's all subjective an what wasn't right for me could certainly be great to others. I'd consider trying another favorer/style of donut if in the area again.

Really amazing cake donuts! We tried 4 of them and the…read moreEspresso & Old Fashioned were my favorite. They had a few seasonal options too. Reasonably priced but it would be cool if they ran a buy 3 get 1 deal (or something like that) after 1pm so they don't waste so many donuts. The staff was in a bit of a rush to close the shop despite the fact that I went 45 minutes before closing but were friendly enough. Definitely add it to your list if you are craving high quality donuts in Asheville!

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Vortex Doughnuts
Vortex Doughnuts
Vortex Doughnuts - Street view from inside.

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Street view from inside.

Cúrate - Jerez y chocolate

Cúrate

4.5(2.7k reviews)
0.2 mi
•$$$

This restaurant is second to none. Visiting from NY I was delighted at the quality of the food and…read morethe service. In fact, this restaurant is far superior to any Spanish restaurant in NYC or Miami, and I daresay it rivals restaurants in Madrid and Barcelona. Do not miss an opportunity to dine here. My compliments to the chef and staff.

Wonderful food! We had a few surprises going to Cúrate for a late lunch on Saturday. 1. At 2:00pm,…read morethere was a waiting list. Luckily we sat at the bar on the kitchen side. The liquor bar and the kitchen stoves sit back-to-back. We had a birds-eye view of our food being prepared. The menus are in English, but have Greek and Spanish all over it. 2. The food is very filling. 3. We experienced flavors that were new, delicious, and satisfying. We started with the HUEVOS ROTOS - local potato chips,‌ ‌chorizo,‌ ‌and fried eggs. Never knew I would like this. It was so satisfying. We want to make this st home! Our drinks were the LA SUECA RED SANGRIA - garnacha, tempranillo, orange slice, strawberry, cinnamon, nectar. Very satisfying. Also the SPARKLING White SANGRIA - perelada cava, cognac, gin, triple sec, grapes, and blueberries. This was the best. If you only get water, I recommend the Vichy Sparkling water, it has a little salt flavor, add a twist of lemon and it is refreshing. The TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA - Spanish omelette, piquillo peppers, alioli looks deceivingly plane but is chock full of delicious flavors. Next was the JAMÓN sandwich - lady edison nc ham‌, tomato fresco, manchego. The bread was so good, with great taste in every bite. Finally, we finished with the SETAS AL JEREZ - selection of sautéed mushrooms, splash of sherry. Good to the last shroom. Melissa was our server who guided us through the menu and was very enthusiastic. We found out the Cúrate provides benefits and paid time off. Way to go! Tips: The restrooms are labeled "el bàñeo" and unisex. Very clean. Parking is on the street or in private lots, both paid. There are bag hops under the bar for your purse or bag.

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Cúrate - Inside

Inside

Cúrate - Patatas Bravas (fried potatoes) are a toasty treat!

Patatas Bravas (fried potatoes) are a toasty treat!

Cúrate - Inside

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Inside

Laughing Seed Cafe - vegetarian - Updated October 2026

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