The Southern Kitchen & Bar

On a fall night (I know, this review is super late, but hey I got busy!) my group of friends stopped by here, because well it was one of my friend’s favorite spot. I’ll make this review quick and simple.
What did I order? I ordered an old fashioned as a drink and I was curious about their special that they had… Meatloaf special. It was made with Lamb, beef, and topped off with bacon. Broccoli was my vegetable that came with it.
Thoughts? The old fashioned was tasty and strong. Definitely recommend. The food however I felt portion wise was a little small, but hey I’m not complaining. It was still good. The ambiance of this place is definitely laid back. The setting is dark, I would think it’s a great spot for a date. I thought it was pretty quiet the night that we went but definitely enjoyed my visit. I’ll be back next time to get another old fashioned and eat some more food!

Another great bar find in the heart of downtown Asheville! Our great bartender Erica took quite good care of us by serving up some awesome locally brewed beers. Every one of here suggestions were spot on including the charcuterie plate that included house made salami and pastrami and stone ground mustard. All in all is m glad we stopped in for a break from enjoying Asheville…

Going to The Southern is a lot like going to your sister’s baby shower. You get dressed up and you go and you think it’s going to be a lot of fun. But when you get there, you find yourself being bombarded with questions about your personal life from people you don’t know and would really rather not be talking to. The atmosphere itself is pleasing enough. The wrought iron fence and candles on the tables add a very relaxing ambiance, but the cocktails are mediocre and overpriced, in my opinion. However, I will say, if The Southern is your sister’s baby shower, then the made-​to-​order cookie is the baby that makes the whole ordeal worth it.

Let’s just talk about food. Everything we ordered was delicious. I had the pulled pork with cornbread, apples and collards. Everything was cooked perfectly southern. I’m not sure why this place is rated so low when the food is great. Almost didn’t come because of the ratings but glad we decided not to listen.

This place was suggested for desert would not suggest it for that. But the beer and nick the bartender was good.

We came here around 8 on a Tuesday night and it was super dead. 8 beers on tap and the place smells like really good food. Would definitely return here for dinner! Unfortunately we were too full to have anything else to eat.

I love this place! I like the outdoor patio mostly, and the food is definitely underated. The Mac n cheese is where its at, you can add lobster! Absolutely yum! Also the BLTP is to die for!

My wife and I ate lunch here in August 2015. The food was very good, and the outdoor seating area is lovely. Nice place for people-​watching and munching on a delicious dish of shrimp and grits. Recommended.

«This is the least disappointed I’ve ever been after ordering a salad!»
Anyway that’s the reaction their Cobb salad provoked from me. Sounds like faint praise, but seriously, it was excellent! I usually get sandwich envy when I choose a salad over an awesome selection of sandwiches. For the Cobb, they use pimento instead of blue cheese and the toppings like avocado, crispy onions, and bacon are generous.
On the other hand my friend’s pulled pork sandwich was pretty meh.
The ambience was nice enough, sort of upscale compared to what the name suggests so I was a bit confused about the branding. The interior is black wood n fleur de lis wallpaper, high ceilings. Looks like there’s a good space in the back when it’s operating as a bar, although we were there for lunch so only the front of the restaurant was occupied.

Best people– watching in town from the patio. That alone is worth a visit. Go at cocktail hour and you may find yourself being sketched by one of the artists from the local fine arts group that tends to hang out here. People complain about the service, but I think it’s just because they are slammed most of the time. I’ve never had any complaints myself. It’s a fun little spot.

This place gets a solid 3 stars. Food was good, not great. Portions are minimal. Pricing is fair and inexpensive, as far as Asheville goes. Service was slow, but friendly. The outdoor patio is beautiful, great music and relaxing environment.

The food here was epic. And there was an awesome swing band with a stand up bass and trombone. With the heavy wrought iron patio, the fireflies, and the band I felt like I was sent back in time to the present-​prohibition 20s. And they are puppy friendly on the patio. Based on these facts alone, I would have given 5 stars.
But the service was so slow. We had to wait 15 minutes for our drinks, we never saw our server again after we got our food. We were finished for THIRTY minutes before we got our bill. And that was only after the table next to us to their server that we needed assistance. When our server brought our bill she did not apologize at all. We had to go to the bar to pay, after waiting for 10 more minutes for her to come back to the table. When my boyfriend complained, there response was that they were short staffed, there was nothing the could do. Said if we came back, we could get a free drink. But other than that they offered no apologies. Even when are short staffed in the Emergency Room and I haven’t been in the room for an hour or so because I’m busy helping out in a code blue situation, I apologize go my patients.
But back to the good stuff. Do yourself a favour. Get the catfish po’boy. The French bread it comes on reminds me of the baguettes you can usually only find in Paris. Flaky and crunchy on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside. The catfish was crusted in corn meal and delicious. The Mac n cheese was the best I’ve ever had. The pretzels with cheese sauce were the perfect answer to the beer munchies as well.
So in conclusion, if you aren’t in a hurry, you are looking more for atmosphere and good food, and don’t really care about service this place is your place.

Best shrimp and grits ever! And kale salad with pickled shallots — amazing! Ask for Erin — great service — don’t miss this great find

Nice shaded patio in the middle of downtown. Food and service was good as well. I will have to go back and try more of the menu.

This is the absolute perfect place for people watching in Asheville. The patio can’t be beat on a sunny day, especially Sunday for brunch.
They have delicious savory and sweet offerings for food. As far as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve tried. Also part of the Sunday brunch is a build your own bloody mary bar, and wine specials by the bottle (which includes sparkling). So you have drink specials, good food, great people watching AND yacht rock on top of all of that! DJ Kipper completes the package to make it the best brunch experience in Asheville.
Other than the spectacular patio, the Southern can be a great quiet spot for a quick drink inside since on a regular night it’s pretty low key. Great for conversation with friends.

Loved it!!! Amazing patio space. We had several apps & they were all terrific. Service was perfect too. This place embodies southern hospitality & soul food.

The staff kills it no matter how busy they’ll get you never seem to have to wait. Great cocktails and the best patio in town make the southern. And if your looking for a late night snack the meat and cheese board is tit’s.

We really wanted to go to the hidden downstairs bar — but settled for a few drinks at the normal upstairs. Good atmosphere. Ordered the pretzels — which came out with three dipping choices: Apple butter, queso & delicious hot mustard (like the kind you get from a Chinese place. Also — they played non-​stop thievery corporation — so I enjoyed that.

I really like this place.
The interior is a bit sedate. I’m not sure whether all the potted ferns are an ironic comment on traditional Southern aesthetics, or maybe someone actually thought they added to the atmosphere. But don’t worry bout that too much; when you go to the Southern, the point is to sit on the patio and see the entirety of Asheville pass through. This is especially true on Sundays during their big brunch event.
The people watching is so good, it almost seems irrelevant to mention the food and drinks, but since this is a business that serves those things, I can make some recommendations.
Food
1) The building that houses the Southern kitchen is unique among Asheville restaurants in that it doesn’t have a «hood.» That’s the thing that ventilates stoves in most kitchens, and is required by law for making anything on a cooking range. Like I said, the Southern doesn’t have one of these, so their menu reflects that. House-​smoked and cured meats are prepared right there on the patio next to the DJ and are worth trying. There’s probably some kind of bread, meat, and cheese plate. Order that, it’s fantastic. Also the hot dogs, house made and served with local spicy mustard, are the best in Asheville.
2) Also not requiring a ventilation system, pickles made in house. Look through the menu and order anything featuring pickles. You won’t regret it.
3) I’m not sure about the specifics of how they prepare their mac&cheese, but I imagine it involves a slow cooker or an oven? (again, no hood!). At any rate, it’s unique, comforting, and the people who order it once, order it again and again and again.
4) I once had a trout special there that was ON FLEEK. I don’t know what it said on the menu, but I nicknamed it «Trout with nightshades three ways.» Very delicate dish with poached fish, fingerling potatoes, capsicums, and tomatoes. If you see anything like it, go ahead and order it right away because it’s great.
5) They have a small kale salad there that is the total bomb. If memory serves, it’s shaved kale, served raw with champagne vinegar dressing, pecans, bacon (candied?), and maybe some cheese. I don’t remember the specifics, but if you see it, order it. It’s outstanding. It makes kale taste not very healthy at all.
Drink:
1) They have a make-​your-​own bloody mary bar, which is fun. But the bartender will also make you a bloody mary, which is actually even better. Because the bartender knows what the hell he’s doing, unlike you, dear friends.
2) Best hot toddy in AVL. There’s no comparison.
3) AVOID anything with Fernet Branca. That stuff is disgusting. The scourge of hipster mixologists city-​wide.
4) Barbie’s Pool Party sounds kind of gross, but it’s actually pretty good.
5) I often order a champagne cocktail, which is essentially just a glass of cava with a twist of lemon and a sugar cube and a dash of bitters. Some may argue that’s not all that special, or different from a regular glass of bubbly that costs half as much, but I think it’s pretty awesome. Especially with a hot dog.

Two dames were out shopping and needing liquid inspiration before taking on the next store. We were promptly approached by the server and asked what we would like. I remembered a couple of years ago, I had ordered a French martini here. Not only was it screen saver beautiful, but had the right mix of ingredients to boot. So, that is what we ordered. The server seemed perplexed and asked how a French martini should be made. I gave the specifications, and he asked the bartender if she could make that libation. Well, lo and behold, she did. The taste was on point, but the portions were skimpy. The server came by a bit later and remarked how the drinks had «evaporated.» That wasn’t a hard trick to pull off as there wasn’t much in the glass to start.
Beautiful old building. Will hope for a better pour next time.