I haven't found an enormous amount of Middle Eastern cuisine in Asheville, but this place brought…read morethe vibe. It's small and unassuming in a strip mall in West Asheville. My takeout was ready on time. While the falafel roll still might have been better fresh, I wanted something that I could plausibly eat several hours later on a mountain without a ton of restaurants nearby, and that choice worked out well. Many falafel rolls come with add-ons that I don't like, but the pickled turnip offering here was both flavorful and colorful. I also got their fries, drizzles with tahini and parsley, which is a good way to eat fries. A case of baked goods and a small market section of canned items were also available. There was certainly space to eat inside or out for someone without my travel schedule. It's also notable that in addition to the usual falafel, they offer ample vegan options as befits the Asheville community, including a house seitan and some other vegetable and fake meat options. I was happy with what I got, but the choice is always appreciated.

While keeping in mind that this is an extremely informal and casual sort of restaurant with counter…read moreservice, I still have to say that the service is excellent. I have had falafel in various places all over the country and in Europe and this is in my top two! The Falafel is excellent, the portions are large and everything I have tried at Gypsy Queen has been delicious. I've brought several friends to the restaurant and they have all loved it. Gypsy Queen is one of my go-to places whenever I'm in Asheville. I live in Barnardsville and sometimes I go down there just to have some falafel. Try it for yourself!

Amazing cortadito; excellent pastry--fresh, flaky, delicate flavor profile beautifully balanced…read more Plenty of comfortable outdoor seating via Hi-Wire--or you can enjoy indoors with a drink. Highly recommend if you're looking for a straightforward, quality (and well priced) Cuban coffee.

The food is very flavorful and tasty!! The service is very friendly!!…read moreTheir Empanadas are phenomenal!! The guava cream cheese pastry is phenomenal!! The Arroz Con Pollo is way too salty!! I'm not able to eat much of it!! Their food would taste so much better if they tamed their salt!!

I am so excited and proud of this little business that could…read more I discovered Habibi Village one cold night in 2023 when they set up at The Double Crown in West Asheville. I was starving and saw their booth and a chalkboard of menu options I've never tried or heard of before. I approached and when asked what I would like, I was honest that I was unfamiliar with their cuisine but I trusted them. They asked how I wanted it and I said "how you would eat it! They made me the most incredible meal that has ever passed my lips. I followed Habibi Village on their Instagram so I could chase that high- and boy did I. I NEEDED more of that unique deliciousness. But I was saddened that I was only able to get their Za'aatar once or twice a week and had to travel to multiple spots around the city to a variety of markets and at such limited hours. It is with all of the joy in my heart to support Habibi Village at their brick-and-mortar location as they have grown to a full time spot. Their owner absolutely POURS his soul and spirit into this business and into every meal he serves the community. Plenty of restaurant owners love what they do and love their patrons but this owner stands above and beyond when it comes to passion. This gentleman cares about his food and his patrons on a deep and genuine level that you feel and taste. I clearly can't praise Habibi Village enough. Thank you for what you do for our community and our bellies!

Ma'an has brought a delicious Lebanese dish, Saj, to Ashville. Saj is a flat bread cooked on a…read morecylindrical drum open-oven. What makes his so special is that the bread is vegan and gluten-free, although also being so scrumptious!! He then has multiple traditional Lebanese toppings such as Za'aatar and cheese along with more vegan options such a Dare cheese and mushrooms. He also has such great energy and brings joy and zest to his offerings. Coming by here is definitely a treat, and even though it's a food truck, it's stationary between two terrific restaurants- Pulp & Sprout and Liberty Street Coffee. So, coming here can feel like a pit stop in bliss.

Food was amazing and flavorful. The pineapple fajitas were out of this world. Will definitely…read morefind them again

Very disappointing. Hair in food. I ordered the veggie tostada while the they were at Highland…read more Veggies consisted of poorly cooked carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. Cheese was an extremely light sprinkling, barely there. After getting halfway through I found a hair stuck in the bean mixture. I have eaten here once before and it wasn't anything special and definitely will not be eating here again.

We stopped here for lunch while driving through Asheville…read more We ordered a brisket plate with baked beans and coleslaw. Amazing BBQ food! As it was a Thursday, our granddaughters pork sandwich meal with Mac n Cheese was FREE! What a terrific restaurant, it was truly some of the best BBQ I've ever had!! I'd give more stars, if possible. If you're anywhere near Asheville, NC - you have to stop here - I know we will for sure.

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue…read more To explain what you are viewing, this is an order of brisket and ribs with a side of mashed sweet potatoes and baked beans. to me, the brisket was dry and needed sauce. After I left the restaurant, I realized they hadn't put my sauce in the bag. The ribs were undercooked, making the meat tough and chewy. The plus side to this meal was the sides. The mashed sweet potatoes were creamy and blended with all the right spices. Pie without the crust. The baked beans had a smoky taste, which I enjoyed. For Asheville BBQ, you've got to do better. The food is already cooked and you just pick from the display what you want.

Smash Box Mobile was at Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp which we are it. Hot day, lot of hungry (and…read moredrunk) people looking for some sustenance. Perused all the food trucks and landed on Smash. Glad I did. They were serving 'The Box'. I ordered mine with pulled pork, my wife ordered one with chicken. Your choice of grilled protein is placed atop a bed of gallo pinto (Nicaraguan rice and beans), then drizzled with our housemade jalapeno crema + chimichurri sauces, and finished with cotija cheese. Served with a side of our cilantro-lime slaw and sweet fried plantains. This really was a big plate of good, and really hit the spot. Huge amount of pulled pork. Loved the flavors. Hope to see Smash at a brewery near me soon.

I highly recommend Smash Events.I hired Smash Events for the Rehearsal Dinner & centerpieces for…read morethe dinner! I live in Florida so everything was done over the phone and by email... I went w/ a Latin theme and had ropa vieja, moros, maduros, chicken, yucca balls & mini empanadas... and for dessert we had flan & tres leches. The food was amazing, their presentation was gorgeous and the centerpieces were beautiful! I put my trust in Ashley and her team and have zero complaints!

If you are looking for some really amazing Cajun delights that are kicked up a couple notches, you…read morereally need to try Gyush's food truck. I really wanted to try the gumbo but today they had the smoked oyster cassoulet - this is like a think stew and layered with flavor. The fried shrimp po boy is made with fresh shrimp using New Orleans bread and the deviled eggs on a fresh salad was perfect. Really can't wait to hit their next stop and try some of their other items.

Tried their pork loin-rice and shrimp sandwich (i forgot what they are called) - soooper good! Love…read moreit! Very satisfied after eating these meals!

This is a food truck which is set up outside a brewery with picnic table seating. As of this…read morewriting, it has just reopened after being closed during a time of hurricane-related chaos. It was highly regarded before that, and offers to make many of its menu items vegan. I was a tad disappointed that the bar promised some non-alcoholic hop water options but didn't seem to have any in stock, which may relate to the storm as well. This food truck, however, delivered the goods. It is not a speedy process, and when I tried visiting before they sold out of food before the end of the day so I came early this time. They give you a buzzer so you can wander around and order drinks. When my tofu arrived, it was mouthwatering. The amount of rice was quite large, but this was some aromatic rice, and the tofu itself tasted like high quality stuff and was bathed in an herbal, spicy flavor that I imagine is about as close to Thailand as you could get in Asheville. It was a lot of money for a modestly sized disposable bowl of food, but the quality merited a visit. I doubt I could have found myself eating anything more delicious. And yet, their other menu options remained on my mind.

I was never all that impressed with food trucks until moving here to Asheville. Given the…read morecomplementary relationship with the many craft breweries that don't do food themselves, plus all the local outdoor events for 9 months of the year, there are some truly great food trucks based here. Cassia is definitely one of the top ones. This is some of the best and most original Thai food I've ever had. They are a regular at Cellarest Beer Project in West Asheville. The food is prepared fresh, but the wait is not too long. And if you sit in the right spot, you may be able to enjoy the fragrant scent of Thai food as it is being prepared in their mobile kitchen. We started with the Firecracker sweet potatoes. These amazing little jewels are mashed sweet potatoes wrapped in the same coating as you'd normally have with a spring roll or won ton. They had a wonderful crispy outside with a flavorful sweet potato mash inside. The spicy mayo dipping sauce was excellent, but we also loved dipping these into the golden curry sauce that came with our curry duck. Where do you ever see curry duck BTW? The duck was cooked perfectly and not at all grisly or chewy. The curry sauce was absolutely incredible. Great flavor along with a nice kick. Between eating the duck and jasmine rice with the curry sauce and dipping some of the Firecrackers in it, there was literally not a speck of curry sauce left behind. We also had chicken Laab Gai. The mint leaves in this were really tasty and not overwhelmingly minty. The sticky rice was good. These came with cabbage leaves that you can roll the meat and rice up in to create a sort of Thai taco. This was good, but not at the same level as the duck curry. Maybe a bit more sauce would help. Prices are restaurant level but well worth it given this is restaurant-quality food or better. We paired the food with two fine beers from Cellarest. The Czech-style Moonglade Tmave pivo had great character. The Weald Oktoberfest Marzen lager was also excellent. Both went very well with the Thai food. Apart from maybe the dead of winter, this will be a place we go back to for more great Thai food.