Isa’s Bistro

I’ve eaten brunch and lunch at this location and have been extremely satisfied with the price and quality of the food. The outdoor patio is also nice to people watch. Wait staff is always courteous. The best thing I’ve eaten at this restaurant was the bison hot dog. So delicious!

We went to Isa’s after 9pm on a Friday night… seems like they were closing down for the night. We ordered three small plates to share: the bibb salad, Louisiana «lobster» roll, and the fingerling «fries». The salad was ok, were expecting a salad with buttermilk dressing would be more flavor. The candied nuts were exceptional and saved the salad from being completely terrible. The «lobster» roll was just okay as well. The meat is really crawfish, hence the quotation marks. The menu stated it came with warm, fresh yeast bread. The bread was not warm which factored into the overall taste. I’m sure if the rolls been warm and doughy as yeast breads are the sandwich would have been better. The fries were the best. The fingerling potatotes were really crispy, seasoned appropriately and the remoulade sauce was great. I’m sure the overall food quality was due to the fact it was late® than normal for dinner but if the kitchen is open the time you show up shouldn’t matter, IMO. I ordered 1 mixed drink, some sort of lemonade (can’t remember the specific name). It was heavy on the mixer light on the liquor. The beer I ordered was good. Our server/​the service was good.

Wow. This place was fantastic. Went with a group of 13 girls and had a fun spot by the bar. Love the décor and ambiance of the restaurant, and there is outdoor seating as well. The food was fantastic. Not one person in our group didn’t like what we got (the fingerling potatoes and the garlic aeoli sauce is amazing). For such a large group, there were no mistakes with food or checks and I thought that was pretty impressive. Would go hear again.

Love this place! Stopped here the last time we visited Asheville. My boyfriend and I ordered the watermelon and grilled peach salad to start and it was great. I then ordered the Ricotta Gnudi and loved it! My boyfriend had the Rueben and said it was by far the best he has ever had. The smashed fingerling potatoes are also delicious (we loved the remoulade served with them). Loved this place so much we came back the next day with his grandparents. I got the Shrimp and Pork Belly and absolutely loved it. Definitely worth trying!

I can’t say enough about this place! We planned to go to Mayfel’s for a Bloody Mary, as is tradition, but because of the southern conference in town they were beyond packed. We have walked past Isa’s a dozen times but never stopped. It looked fancy but they had outdoor seating and with spring just around the corner it was nice enough to sit outside. I ordered the Cumbersome cocktail; gin, tonic, jalapeños, and lime. It was phenomenal. My favorite drink in MONTHS! Fresh, delicious and not TOO expensive. My husband and I decided to share the smoked grilled cheese and carrot shallot soup with smashed fingerling potatoes. Wow! Who knew such a simple few items could be SO good. I could have eaten 3 of those grilled cheeses on my own and now I know how much I love carrot shallot soup. The smashed potatoes came with marinara sauce which is a neat change from the usual ketchup. Needless to say we ate every bite and almost came back for dinner if not for the fact that I always have to try new places. We will be back in town in about a month having dinner with friends and I already plan to suggest we all go to Isa’s. So delicious :):)! 5 stars

Pretty place, but everything else about it wasn’t great. Service was slow, my cheese plate underwhelmed me, and the server forgot to bring crackers. I wish I ate somewhere else for lunch.

Delightful surprise. For some reason they weren’t packed on a Saturday night. Lucky for us!
I love roasted cauliflower and these guys nailed it. I don’t see grilled octopus often in this country, so I was hesitant. It was perfect.
And their risotto is a real treat.
Our server was great. Couldn’t have been more helpful. Seating was comfortable. First rate experience.

Our first day in Asheville and needed a quick bite before starting our touristy adventures in town; so, we stopped here with no knowledge as to what experience awaited.
We enjoyed a smoked provolone grilled cheese sandwich (with mortadella, a nice touch), a tender roast beef sandwich with horseradish cream sauce and a double hamburger.
All the food was well prepared and nicely proportioned — perfect for an energy boost before heading out on foot to explore the town.

Great little place for lunch.
I picked the grilled chicken BLT with a side salad.
The BLT was seasoned well and the side salad had cucumbers and shaved Parmesan.
My sister had the double cheese burger with potato salad. She enjoyed it but said it was nothing out of the ordinary.
Our waiter was nice, and came around a few times to check on us.

Isa’s is a good option for lunch in downtown Asheville. We came here on the Monday after Christmas. We randomly happened upon it after we realized there was a 2 hour wait at Tupelo Honey Café. It was a random choice but we were pleasantly surprised. This place isn’t cheap, but it is reasonably priced for the quality.
I ordered the Herb Roasted Chicken BLT. The sandwich was very good. The chicken had a lot of flavor and the lemon aioli went well with it. The stand out on the sandwich was the bacon. It was very crunchy and peppery. It was called Benton’s bacon, which I later found out is bacon from East Tennessee. If you ever see this on a menu in Western NC or TN, you need to buy it all up.
The service here was very good. Even though they were busy, our server always stayed on top of water and coffee refills. She was friendly and even chatted to us a bit about downtown Asheville.
The atmosphere is more upscale, but we didn’t feel underdressed at all. There is also a downstairs area that looks like it may be used for private parties and wine tastings. Very nice atmosphere with leather couches and chairs.
If you ever find yourself in this area of downtown Asheville, I would recommend checking this place out for lunch.

Absolutely delicious, perfectly cooked chicken BLT with locally sourced ingredients. The smashed fingerling potatoes are delightful. Prices are on point and service is friendly and relaxed.

Good small plates. Not good wine list. Specialty drinks are interesting but not spectacular. We had just small plates — yummy! Cauliflower curry needs more cauliflower to be called cauliflower. But it was delicious. We would come back

Great lunch spot, even with kids! The food is absolutely delicious by adding just the right unique flavor or accompaniment to common dishes! I appreciate their tasty and unique sides (opposed to a pile of french fries or bland steamed veggies)… I could have made a meal out of their chickpea/​artichoke salad and red bliss potato salad sides! Prices are reasonable for lunch (sandwiches avg. $ 11 & lunch entrees avg. $ 15). They offer a kids menu, which is also fairly priced at around $ 6 – 7. My 4.5 year old enjoyed his hamburger and fries, saying it was the best burger he’s ever had (granted, he doesn’t have the highest expectations lol) and my 2.5 year old devoured her big bowl of creamy mac & cheese (and NOT the Kraft kind, thank you)! Very pretty and modern décor and atmosphere. The entire staff was very friendly and extremely accommodating! Highly recommend and will return often!

Hands down a hidden not so hidden gem in Asheville! Just had an expertly prepared meal in a fantastic setting with amazing service!!!
I also had the semi-​freddo for dessert that was not only world class… it was hands down the best in the world and I’ve had it about 500 times in 100 + different locations around the world!
For your meal, don’t miss the Lamb Ravioli, the Bang Bang shrimp, or duck and risotto!
I will be back, time and time again!

The food is delicious, and the service was great even though we had a large party and it seemed fairly busy on a Saturday night. Everyone loved what they got. All entrees are in the $ 25-​$ 40 range.

We found this place walking around Asheville for lunch one day. It is conveniently located right in the middle of downtown and has good outdoor seating. The inside is also very chic and comfortable. I ordered the double burger with small potatoes that were fried like french fries. The burger was good, but the fries were AWESOME! My friend had the caesar salad and he enjoyed it. The service and food were both good and it is a great place to sit and people watch. The price was fair, as well. This is a good place for couples of small groups. Additionally, I went downstairs to the bathroom and found a larger lounge area with party tables.

One word. Wonderful. I started with a stout from Michigan, and had the Italian for lunch.

Really friendly and nice service. Good mussels and duck but the chef could not manage to cook a steak: we asked for a medium rare NY strip and the first time came out well done, the second time was medium. After that we were asked to step inside and take a look at the steak under a flourlight (it was day light outside!!!)
We really got upset after that but since the waitress was really nice we tried the pork porterhouse which came out undercooked!!!
Shame because the place is nice but… for a restaurant you need a good chef and clearly they don’t have one in the kitchen!
PS: they only cook the burger well done, but apparently that is a NC state law!

Another good find in Asheville. Seasonal menu that changes daily. Pastry Chef for desserts. Six Asheville beers on tap. Large wine cellar.
I started with a flight of three beers ($ 5) to accompany the cold water oysters with apple & pink peppercorn mignonette ($ 14). The half dozen oysters were on the small side and a bit gritty. Nice mignonette.
To go with my next flight, I opted for the Roasted Duck Breast on Truffled Foie Gras Risotto with Braised Greens and Plum Jam ($ 28). Perfect duck, the risotto was fantastic even though not quite as advertised. I didn’t sense any truffle or foie gras but it did have duck confit and an amazing au jus. The greens were added fresh to the risotto along with a few dices of turnip.
The service was top-​notch and the ambiance Modern American like the menu. With downtown parking a premium, the complimentary valet parking from the hotel next door is a big plus. The only negative is the two flights of stairs to the restrooms.
I’m not a wine guy, but they have a wine cellar you can reserve that seats 4 to 110.
My Asheville favorite is still Seven Sows, but Isa’s now has the number two spot.

We were looking for food on a rainy cold last afternoon day and finally stumbled into Isa’s Bistro in the heart of downtown Asheville (near Wall St.). It wasn’t quite dinner time and we didn’t come for big meal. We ended up ordering a strange sampling of foods including Soup, Olives, Hamburger and smashed fingerling potatoes between the two of us (and a fancy cocktail & beer).
First, I love any place that has Castlevetrano olives on their menu as a «snack». «Yes, I’ll have the bowl of olives and a cup of soup, please!» I tried my date’s burger and have to say that the burger was outstanding and I couldn’t quit eating his «fries» even though Isa’s isn’t burger place. Wow!
3 * for ambience — nice enough but nothing special
4 * for service
5 * for food