Table for… none? We know rejection can be all too common when trying to find a reservation (or walk in) at a popular Asheville restaurant. But don’t take it too personally. Whether you’re hoping for a bite at Chai Pani or Neng Jr.'s, a few tricks of the trade can boost your chances. Master these, and you’ll never go hungry again.
👀 Keep eyes on Insta
Make sure to hunt down restaurant accounts on Instagram, where many reservation announcements are made. You’ll also want to bookmark Tock and OpenTable pages and refresh them like you’re buying Taylor Swift tickets once table availability goes live.
Where this might help: Vivian, a fine dining spot in the RAD, regularly posts about reservation openings on its Instagram page. Filipino eatery Neng Jr.'s also shares on its Instagram stories when new, often last-second openings emerge.
⏰ Be flexible on meal times
Most tables get snapped up quickly during prime meal times, but if you don’t mind eating at slower times, you can still find great seats.
Where this might help: Cúrate Tapas Bar offers a lunch service Friday-Sunday which usually has openings. Chai Pani also recently shared that the best time for locals to stop by is lunchtime from Monday-Wednesday.
And while a typical brunch wait for Sunny Point Cafe can be upwards of an hour, the dinner service — which includes breakfast specialties like the huevos rancheros and fried chicken biscuits — often involve no wait at all.
🍸 Sidle up to the bar
Hop up onto that stool — restaurant bars are the best for those flying solo or if you want to grab a last-minute meal.
Where this might help: If you want Table-quality food without a reservation, check out the attached bar for craft cocktails and a late-night menu of small bites like oysters, wings, and a killer cheeseburger.
