Check out these 2024 Asheville Restaurant Week meals and deals, Jan. 16-22
ASHEVILLE - This January is the time to visit a new restaurant, return to a favorite, and save a few bucks while dining out.
The 2024 Asheville Restaurant Week, Jan. 16-22, will feature 53 participating restaurants offering special meal combinations, dishes and menus at a discounted rate. Some freebies may be offered, too.
In 2013, local restaurants approached the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce with the idea to implement Asheville Restaurant Week, a program designed to give restaurants revenue boosts during January when there’s a decrease in customer traffic and to allow diners to discover new places and experience something new from a familiar restaurant, according to Vice President of Communications Erin Leonard.
“As the Chamber, we appreciate opportunities to support our local restaurants that make Asheville a unique place,” Leonard said.
Asheville Restaurant Week is ideal for locals looking to avoid long lines, wait times and other obstacles that come in high tourism seasons.
“It’s usually a pretty fun week for us because right after Christmas it dies down super hard and then this middle January bump where we get to do fun things with locals and offer this special deal for them,” Bowe said. “We get to see a lot more of our regulars and our locals. That’s always fun for us.”
Leonard said in last year’s surveys, restaurants reported that they enjoy participating, that the series brings in new and existing customers, that they had an “amazing turnout,” “a nice boost of business during an otherwise slow period,” and that a lot of locals turned out to take advantage of the deals.
“It’s important to try places you haven’t tried before maybe because you were scared of the price or just the crowd,” said Savannah Bowe, general manager of Farm Burger-Downtown. “This is a great time to enjoy that food that maybe you haven’t had a chance to try because it’s been too much of a hassle or maybe hasn’t been in your budget.”
Asheville Restaurant Week lineup
Many restaurants will be returning to the dining series, such as Chestnut, Corner Kitchen and Cúrate.
“We’re always excited for Asheville Restaurant Week, because it’s a week for us to see our friends and neighbors from Asheville out on the town, enjoying the best of our mountain city,” Founder and Executive Chef William Dissen said in a news release. “As we celebrate 45 years in business, this year is especially meaningful. We’ve been involved in Asheville Restaurant Week since its inception and are excited to share this unique milestone with our guests.”
Newcomers include Botiwalla, Daddy Mac’s Dive Home Bar, Dilbar and Voodoo Brewing.
The restaurants range in cuisine styles and prices.
“There are a lot of restaurants and a lot of offerings so there’s a lot to choose from but there is something for everyone ― we’ve got subs and sandwiches, Mexican and everything from casual to fine dining,” Leonard said.
Each business customizes its menus and deals.
“This year, we’ve got a mix of different restaurants and what they have as their special,” Leonard said. “There are a couple doing a free appetizer when you get an entrée. … A good number of them this year are doing three-course meals so either an appetizer, entrée and dessert or some combination of a salad or soup and an entrée.”
The list of participating restaurants and specials is posted at AshevilleRestaurantWeek.com and will continue to be updated leading up to the event.
Asheville Restaurant Week deal highlights
Bargello
A three-course menu with choices including red wine rigatoni, bouillabaisse and pumpkin cakes for $50 per person.
Bear's Smokehouse
Dinner for two that includes brisket, baby potatoes, carrots and onion topped with gravy, plus two fountain sodas for $25.
The Blackbird
A three-course winter dinner with options including winter squash, local Sunburst trout and Southern custard coconut cake for $40 per person. The deal will run from Asheville Restaurant Week through March, Sunday-Thursday.
Botiwalla
Pick two items for $22 with options including a Boti rice bowl, one chaat dish and/or a hot or iced chai.
Cantina Louie
A $10 lunch special that includes two tacos, rice, beans and a drink. Dinner specials include a two-course meal for $19 and a three-course meal for $24 with options including shrimp ceviche, carne asada, chimichanga and churros.
Capella on 9
Three cocktail and three tapas specials including Blue Pear Cosmo, Port & Storm Old Fashioned, tuka tataki and cerdo pan plano.
Chai Pani
An individual meal for $27 with a choice of a chaat, thai and a cup of chai. A meal for two diners for $49 with a choice of a chaat, two thalis and two cups of chai.
Copper Crown
A four-course meal for $45 per person with options including truffled cauliflower soup, mixed local mushrooms, slow-roasted Hickory Nut Gap Farm pork shoulder and chocolate-coconut panna cotta.
Cúrate
Tapas to share for $45 per person during dine-in dinner only for parties of two or more, and all guests must participate.
Daddy Mac's
A free appetizer with a purchase of an entree. Appetizer options include smoked catfish dip, Mac Daddy nachos and roasted red pepper white queso.
Farm Burger
Farm Burger is offering two deals for dine-in guests only at its restaurants downtown and in South Asheville.
Guests may order any two Blackboard burgers – a list of signature burgers – and a basket of fries for $20. Or order any two Blackboard burgers and a basket of fries and two drinks for $25. Burger options include the original Farmburger and the housemade vegan, pastured pork and chicken burgers made with ingredients sourced from area farms, including Hickory Nut Gap Meats and Colfax Creek Farm.
Farm Dogs
Farm Dogs, a sister restaurant to Farm Burger, will run a combo deal at its vendor booth at the S&W Market food hall downtown. The offer is for two build-your-own hot dogs and a bag of chips and a drink for $12.
Gemelli
A three-course meal for $40 per person with options including burrata, lasagna and cannoli.
Golden Hour at The Radical
A prix fixe menu for $45 per person with options including wood-fired chicken and pork chops, brave potatoes with creamy cashews, winter greens and chocolate chess pie with clotted cream. Reservations are strongly encouraged at goldenhouravl.com.
The Greystone
A two-course lunch for $25 per person with options including Greystone Caesar salad and shrimp cavatappi pasta. A three-course dinner for $50 per person with options including potato leek soup, pan-seared day boat scallops and mountain berry cobbler.
Huli Sue's BBQ & Grill
Specials on dishes like the curry tonkatsu bowl, homemade spam bowl and coconut-chocolate macaroons.
Jack of the Wood
A three-course prix fixe menu for $40 per person that includes housemade butternut squash ravioli, pan-seared snapper with sides, and Baileys Irish Creme crème br?lée.
La Bodega by Cúrate
A $25 lunch special with options including ensalada and bocadillo tortilla francesa. A $45 dinner special with options including gilda, carrilleras de cerdo and tarta de queso.
Laila
Three courses for $35 with options including hara bhara kabab, Laila's fish rechad and gulab jamun.
Laughing Seed Cafe
Lunch for $25 and dinner for $35 per person from a prix fixe menu that includes Kung Pao oyster mushroom stir fry with grilled tempeh on a bed of traditional fried rice.
Lobster Trap
Three courses for $50 per person with options including cold water oysters, steam bowl mussels and a Maine lobster roll.
The Market Place
The Market Place, at 20 Wall St., will offer a three-course tasting menu for $45 per person with options including leek and potato bisque, wild mushroom tagliatelle and sticky toffee pudding. Make reservations at marketplace-restaurant.com.
Mehfil
A dinner special for $31.99 per person with options including vegetable samosa, chicken makhani, muttar paneer and naan.
Melting Pot Social
A three-course meal for $35 per person that includes a choice of tomato basil bisque, fondue burger and chef's curated chocolate fondue.
Mountain Madre
A three-course meal for $35 per person with options including house salsa, chile relleno and cinnamon sugar plantains with ice cream.
Outback Steakhouse
A free appetizers with a mention of Asheville Restaurant Week.
Pie.zaa
Buy one pie and get a cheese pie for 50% off, available for in-person and online ordering.
Posana
A three-course prix fixe menu for $50 per person with optional wine pairings for an additional $25 per person. Dinner options include red wine poached pear, crispy fried brussel sprouts, mushroom pho, Joyce Farms chicken, shrimp and grits, Earl Gret tres leches and pumpkin brownie.
Red Stag Grill
A two-course lunch for $30 per person that may include an appetizer or salad and an item from the specialties or sandwiches section.
Rhubarb
Three courses for $45 per person and the option for $25 wine pairings. Options include pimento cheese hushpuppies, smoked Vandele Farms pork meatballs, and N.C. shrimp and clam bouillabaisse.
Rosabees
Source courses for $44 per person with options including kabocha bisque, lumpia, grilled Mahi Mahi and Hawaiian guava cake.
Salt Face Mule
A choice of a starter, entree and dessert with prices varying from $45-65 for two persons depending on the main course.
Strada Italiano
A three-course meal for $40 per person with options include arancini, shrimp pappardelle and vegan chocolate gelato.
Tupelo Honey
A snack, entree and dessert for $35 per person, available after 4 p.m. at the downtown Asheville location only.
Twisted Laurel
A three-course meal for $35 per person that includes a starter, pasta and entree.
Ukiah
A special menu of family-style dishes for guests to share at their table for $38 per person, which includes dessert.
Vue 1913
Receive a complimentary appetizer with the purchase of any entree. Vue 1913 is at The Omni Grove Park Inn.
Zambra
Buy three tapas and get a free dessert of choice.
Zella's Deli
A sandwich, side and drink combo or a choice of entree and a drink for $15.
Asheville Restaurant Week
Where: Various locations.
When: Jan. 16-22.
Info: For more, visit AshevilleRestaurantWeek.com.
Stories you may have missed:
Asheville's new specialty grocery store, Asiana Market, opens
The Smokin' Onion cooks up plans for new West Asheville restaurant
Answer Woman: A new restaurant in former Copper River Grill?
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville Restaurant Week special menus, deals offered Jan. 16-22