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24 great brunch restaurants to try in Asheville

From breakfast sandwiches to shaksuka, hit up these spots to start your day off right.

AVL brunch

Abeja House Cafe’s cinnamon bun french toast.

Photo by @abejashousecafe

In this town, brunchin’ ain’t easy but it’s necessary. Whether you’re on the hunt for fluffy eggs, chicken and waffles, or mind-blowing bloody marys, the options can get as overwhelming as the lines at times. 🍳

Luckily, you have us to scout things out. We listed a whole bunch of brunch options (26 total), along with menu recs, pro tips, and an interactive map to track ‘em. Plan your weekend and pour those mimosas.

Note: All times listed are brunch-only.

Sandhill kitchen'e breakfast sandwich on focaccia

Sandhill Kitchen’s breakfast BLT with a fried egg + pepper jack pimento cheese on focaccia.

Photo by @eatasheville

Weekday wonders

Bomba | Thurs.-Mon., 8 a.m.-3 p.m. | Find Latin-inspired dishes like empanadas, breakfast tacos, and madame croquette sandwiches at this all-day breakfast cafe (owned by the same folks as Salsa’s). Personally, we can never resist the Bomba roll (a tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, cheese, black beans, potato gratin, avocado, and sweet plantains).

Early Girl | Mon.-Sun., 8 a.m.-8 p.m. | The “yam scram” with scrambled eggs, pork sausage, shiitake mushrooms, sweet potatoes, chopped bacon, and green onions is even more fun to eat than it is to say.

Corner Kitchen | Mon.-Sun., 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. | Pro tip: If you’re in the mood for something sweet, don’t miss the enormous — aka, adult human head-sized — cinnamon roll.

The Med | Tue.-Fri., 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Sat., 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Sun., 9 a.m.-2 p.m. | What we’re ordering: the hefty breakfast burrito or the catfish and grits with collard greens, crispy onions, and red eye gravy. Probably both.

Sand Hill Kitchen | Tue.-Sat., Tue., 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Wed-Fri., 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Sat., 8 a.m.-2 p.m. | This unassuming spot, located in a BP gas station, boasts award-winning fare. We especially love the breakfast burrito and the biscuits and sausage gravy.

Sunny Point Cafe | Tue.-Sat., 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. + Mon., 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. | We love this West Asheville staple’s elegant + elevated Southern fare, especially the decadent chicken and waffle sandwich.

Ukiah's breakfast ramen

Ukiah’s glorious breakfast ramen with bacon.

Photo by @avltoday

Weekend musts

Asheville Beauty Academy | Sun., 12-2:30 p.m. | Want legs and eggs? Get them both here, where you can take in a killer drag performance while noshing on a breakfast buffet of eggs, bacon, biscuits, and other southern delights. Wash it down with your choice of a bloody mary or mimosa.

Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse | Sat. and Sun., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Take our advice: get the breakfast ramen, biscuits with Japanese sausage gravy, or golden potato and scallion pancake topped with exquisite grilled kimchi sauce.

Benne on Eagle | Sat. and Sun., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | What we’re ordering: the Benne Benedict on a biscuit with country ham and pepper Hollandaise.

Vivian | Sun., 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | This minimalist River Arts District space offers maximalist European-inspired fare, like smoked lamb Benedict and Nordic deviled eggs that taste best with a Kentucky cappuccino with bourbon.

The Rhu's breakfast plate

The Rhu’s take on lox and bagel.

Photo by @wncfoodie

For the fam

Biscuit Head | Mon.-Sun., 8 a.m.–2 p.m. | Whether they’re smothered with gravy, loaded with butter and homemade jams, or used as a sandwich — massive cat head biscuits are the star of this show. We especially love the Filthy Animal sandwich with fried chicken, pimento cheese, bacon, and scrambled eggs topped with gravy.

The Rhu | Wed.-Mon., 9 a.m.–4 p.m. | Here, you’ll find gorgeous pastries + cookies, salads, and yummy breakfast sandwiches. We can’t get enough of the smoked trout bagel featuring local smoked trout from Sunburst Trout Farms, cream cheese, greens, red onion, and capers.

Abeja’s House Cafe | Tues.-Sun.., 7 a.m.-3 p.m. | Two words are enough for us: breakfast quesadillas. But there’s also pillowy pancakes, omelets galore, huevos rancheros, and breakfast sandwiches for vegans,vegetarians, and meat eaters.

The Local Joint | Wed.-Mon.., 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Sat., 8 a.m.-9 p.m.. Sun., 8 a.m.-3 p.m. | What we’re ordering: the turkey breakfast sandwich with bacon and blueberry goat cheese on a toasted croissant topped with an over-easy egg.

Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar | Sun.-Thurs., 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 9 a.m.-10 p.m. | We recommend the mountain blueberry buttermilk waffle.

Hemingway Cuba's Bistec a Cabello

Look at Hemingway Cuba Asheville’s glorious Bistec a Cabello.

Photo by @hemingwaycubasasheville

For a special occasion

Isa’s Bistro | Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m., Sat.-Sun., 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.| This French-inspired fine dining restaurant offers seasonally driven eats for vegans and meat-eaters alike. We love the bistro hash skillet with crispy potatoes, bacon, sausage, sliced cherry peppers, scrambled eggs, and sausage gravy.

Hemingway’s Cuba Asheville | Mon.-Thurs., 7 a.m.-11 a.m.; Fri. and Sat 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Sun., 7 a.m.-2 p.m. | What we’re ordering: the Cuban breakfast sandwich with black forest ham, pulled pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, scrambled eggs, and a side of breakfast potatoes. Pro tip: don’t skip the Cuban coffee.

Mayfel’s | Thurs.-Mon., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Find a slew of Southern and New Orleans-infused fare. The beignets, fried green tomatoes, and NC crab cake fritters make for an indulgent start to the day.

Blue Ridge Restaurant | Mon.-Sat., 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m.; Sun., 12-2:30 p.m. | Two little words are enough to get us salivating: breakfast buffet. While the offerings at this restaurant located inside the Omni Grove Park Inn differ a bit, the weekday and Sunday offerings include stations for made-to-order dishes like eggs and omelets, plus baked goods, meats galore, and much more.

Marketplace Asheville | Sat. and Sun., 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. | It doesn’t get better than the shrimp and grits, made with local Farm & Sparrow jalapeno cheddar grits, Appalachian tomato gravy, and Benton’s country ham.

The avocado toast with fried egg from Liberty House.

Look at that yolk on Liberty House’s avocado toast.

Photo by @wncfoodie

Great outdoors

Liberty House Coffee & Cafe | Mon.-Sun., 9 a.m.–3 p.m. | With lush grounds and covered decks, this is the spot to enjoy a breezy, farm-to-table breakfast. Locals love the farmhouse skillet, made with ancient grains, roasted vegetables, parmesan, green goddess dressing, and eggsgs with either avocado or bacon. All the dogs you’ll encounter along the way only elevate the experience.

Haywood Common | Sat. and Sun., 9 a.m.–3 p.m. | Choose from breakfast-inspired salads,sandwiches, or classic dishes like chicken and waffles and avocado toast.

Ivory Road Café & Kitchen | Tues-Sun., 8 a.m.–3 p.m. | What we’re ordering: the Nutella and banana stuffed French toast. Pro tip: add bacon.

Taco Billy | Tues-Sun., 8 a.m.–3 p.m. | We can’t stay away from the Mama’s Favorite, made with sausage, eggs, spinach, sweet potato, and goat cheese on a plantain tortilla. Pro tip: add avocado.

All Day Darling | What we’re ordering: the shaksuka with two poached eggs, kale, feta, and flatbread in a luscious spicy tomato sauce.

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