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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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Nine Mile - BEST TOFU ON THE PLANET! This is the Nine Mile Hot with Linguine (vegan-friendly)

Nine Mile

4.4(940 reviews)
0.8 mi
•$$

Delicious comfort food! Highly recommend giving it a try. The vibes in the restaurant were fun and…read morechill and the service was friendly. The entrees come with a salad and bread side, and I loved the unique house made salad dressings. Mine had tahini and it was savory and nutty. My husband got the orange balsamic which was flavorful and slightly sweet. The bread is like a Caribbean version of garlic bread. For entrees my husband got the salmon massaman curry and I got the chicken mushroom noodles. The mushroom sauce was earthy and full of depth. I loved the grape tomatoes and the pop of sweetness they brought to the noodles. There's street parking around and two bathrooms that are spacious and clean in the restaurant. We got the house fruit punch for drinks which is a blend of orange, guava and pineapple juice. They also serve kombucha, tea, a variety of beers, and many other drinks. Two entrees ended up being around $72 including tax and tip.

We went there for dinner. Some friends recommended this place as a Caribbean fusion style, and…read moresince none of us had Caribbean food before we went for it! Great spacious place, amazing service, not too loud and the food was absolutely spectacular! You get a salad (with choice of homemade dressings) and a piece of bread with your entree. Portion are very generous so we did not get an appetizer or a dessert! lol Highly recommend if you're in Asheville!

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Nine Mile - Bar area

Bar area

Nine Mile - Garlic bread

Garlic bread

Nine Mile - Reggae Mylitis

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Reggae Mylitis

The Smokin' Onion

The Smokin' Onion

4.7(50 reviews)
2.3 mi

The wife and I discovered this joint while spending my birthday weekend in Asheville. Being vegan,…read moreI definitely had to check it out and I'm glad we did! I ordered the chick'n and waffles situation and the wife got the burger. We also shared the fried green tomatoes and Brussels sprouts. Man... those Brussels sprouts were on another level! Finished everything off with the cheesecake and a blueberry jasmine kombucha. Food, atmosphere and service were all on point. Definitely one of the better vegan spots I've visited and I will be back whenever I'm in Asheville. Now my only complaint... why don't we have one of these joints in the Queen City?! Smokin' Onion, please consider bringing this goodness to Charlotte! You already have at least two customers waiting.

The Smokin' Onion was a great find in Asheville! It's hidden behind a second hand store. The…read morerestaurant is relatively small so avoid the lunch crowd. The Mexican-inspired fusion dishes were incredibly tasty, with generous portions that left us full and happy. The fried "chicken" burrito was so tasty and got a spicy punch topped with generous slices of avocado. The black beans were well season. The gyro was my favorite--it was packed with flavor and surprisingly satisfying. Ashville being Asheville offered draft beers even at a cafe!! :) I also appreciated that the entire restaurant is vegetarian, making it easy to order anything on the menu. Just keep in mind that it's a self-service setup, so you bus your own table and grab your own utensils and to-go boxes. You order at the counter and look a table to enjoy your meal. They also sell HUGE chocolate chip cookies but I was too full for dessert.

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The Smokin' Onion - Interior

Interior

The Smokin' Onion - Buddha Bowl with fried "chicken" so good!!

Buddha Bowl with fried "chicken" so good!!

The Smokin' Onion - Storefront

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Storefront

Chai Pani

Chai Pani

4.4(1.8k reviews)
0.4 mi
•$$

This is amongst the most stunning restaurants I've been too in every way possible. Might be the…read morebest Indian food I've ever had. Definitely the one with the best modern decor and vibe. Walking into the restaurant is already a treat in and of itself - brightly colored, a small souvenir shop but with items that are reflective of the restaurant and just clean, crisp floor plan. Service is also great. That said, when we came in at 2pm on a Monday, there was still a 30 min wait and we had a flight to catch at the airport, which would have really crunched our time, so we ended up getting take out and eating it in our car. So while not the full experience, at least we ate the food at fresh as possible still. I highly recommend the Disco Bhel to start and as the menu describes itself - poori, puffed rice, boondi, corn poha, sev, onion, cilantro, roasted peanuts, tamarind chutney, green chutney, bhel mix, pomegranate - a sweet, spicy, salty, tangy party in your mouth. I honestly don't know what half the ingredients in that list are but what I do know is it is a textural wonderland of flavors that harmonize into something magical. It was a unique dish for sure! As for mains, I got a classic saag paneer and I also really enjoyed this variant of it. The spinach cheese combo was excellent, just creamy enough but well seasoned from the warming spice of the garam masala. Interestingly, I'm used to being served just a larger portion of the paneer with rice, but at Chai Pani they give you an experience instead; ordering the curry comes with a small party of other sides. The rice is a must with any curry, but delightfully, it also comes with a chapati for ripping and dipping. Chana masala is another great chickpea curry that is bolder in flavor and a nice contrast to the saag. Raita and slaw are good palate cleansers. Even comes with a mini "donut", gulab jamun, for dessert which is very sweet, but a good one biter. Apparently for dine in, there's more on the tray too. You'll leave full for sure. If I was able to dine in, would have for sure also gotten the okra fries and/or vada pav (we had tried it at Botiwalla a few days earlier, so didn't feel the need to get again here). But the drink menu looked awesome too and would have loved to sample some of those. Chai Pani really did do everything possible to create a wholistic modern Indian dining experience and this is a must stop at restaurant if you're visiting Asheville.

Corn Bhel (6/10): tasted fine. We actually didn't order this, but got it for free…read more Disco Bhel (7/10): great for a snack, but the Bhels are a bit much for two people to share. Portion sizes are huge! KFC sandwich (8.5/10): fantastic sandwich. Chicken was crispy. Sauce was delicious. Mango Lassi (8.5/10): fantastic mango lassi. Definitely recommend ordering The restaurant interior is so nicely decorated. Very cool place to dine in! Our server confused a bunch of our orders, but he was very friendly and resolved things with no issues.

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Chai Pani - Inside seating

Inside seating

Chai Pani - Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken

Chai Pani - Disco Bhel

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Disco Bhel

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.

Photos
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

Laughing Seed Cafe - vegetarian - Updated October 2026

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