The Blackbird

Yummy! We had a party of 13 on the patio & enjoyed it thoroughly. 2 steaks were over done but everything else was perfect and reasonably priced for the quality, presentation, and service. Would have liked some music on the patio to relax the mood a bit more. I had the mussels appetizer — HUGE bowl of yummy mussels in white wine, lemon, & garlic sauce that was a meal in itself + the perfectly sized shrimp & grits small plate to make for one amazing meal. Also, they gave us two desserts on the house for the steak error! I want to go back just for those! 4.5 stars really! Thanks Blackbird!

Such a nice lunch at Blackbird. A party of five enjoyed the shrimp and fried green tomato po’boy, the club, the fried green tomato and goat cheese sandwich and the arugula salad with poached pear. We visited on a Saturday when they were very short-​handed, but the sole waiter for the entire restaurant made it work with charm and (given the circumstances) great service.
The only draw-​back was the lack of vegan fare for one of our party. Admittedly a (very) limited diet, but the only vegan option was a salad, leave off the cheese.
I understand the restaurant is moving to Asheville soon, and I will put it on my list for a nice dining option. However, especially with the move, a vegan entrée might be to everyone’s benefit.
The desserts looked outstanding, and I will drag someone with me for cake and coffee – frech press– after the relocation.

After hearing so many rumors about the owners not being liked by the locals and more like «City Slickers» we wanted to find to find out more about this place. We where blown away with the qualtiy and presentation of all the dishes we ordered. This restaurant was Los Angeles/​San francisco/​NYC quality. If your looking for a high end restaurant in the Black Mountain area this is your place. Staff was great! I guess we fit in well because we are also «City Slickers» Btw we had no interaction with the owners.

Outstanding food and service. You must go there!

Dining at the Blackbird is the gift I give myself when I travel to Black Mountain to visit relatives. The dining area is attractive and interesting, and the view is simply lovely. The service is unobtrusive and right on target. The servers are always available to make suggestions or to explain the menu. The food is fresh, well-​prepared, and creatively presented. The small plates pared with a nice appetizer are more than enough for an enjoyable meal. But, wait, the deserts are unbelievable. That coconut cake is really special and you’ll need to share it or get a box to take part of it home. This is truly an experience that you do not want to miss!

Found this wonderful restaurant on Unilocal last week. Had a superb quiche with bogo mimosas & the best grits I have ever tasted. We are on our way back for dinner tonight!

We arrived and were promptly seated. However, our server was not knowledgeable about the food or preparation. The cheese plate came with excellent cheeses, but only six crackers for four adults. We had to ask for bread that should have been served with our meal. The food preparation and presentations were average.

I would probably give this 4 stars but because of being overcharged $ 30 on my credit card unfortunately I’m only giving it 3. The food is great, fresh, and local. I thought it was a bit on the pricey side though. The location is a little odd… it’s in Cheshire Village which appears to be abandoned at this point. Hopefully if they can get some more businesses in there people will notice the restaurant.

We arrived at The Blackbird at our reservation time only to find that our reservation through Open Table had not been received. Luckily, there were still tables available, so we were seated fairly quickly. My only issue with our seats outside was that we were underneath a tree and it had just rained, so we got the pleasure of being dripped on throughout the dinner. :-/
We were brought our menus fairly quickly but from there the service was VERY slow. Within 34 minutes of sitting down, we had only received our drinks. No bread, like the other tables and no attempt to take our order. Drink refills were painfully slow. Several other couples that sat down after us seemed to be getting better attention, so I think we were just in a bad section or maybe the waitress was having an off night? We FINALLY received bread, which was warm and delicious (thank GOD b/​c we were starving by the time we got it! :))
For an app, we ordered the sauteed shrimp and grits, which was very tasty. The grits were super creamy… my favorite. For our entrees, my husband got White Marble Farms Pork Chop with corn pudding, fried green tomato, farm vegetable and apple-​jack demi-​glaze. We both thought his dish was pretty tasty, the corn pudding in particular. I ordered the Wild NC grouper over dirty rice with snap peas, bacon, tomato, avocado and green onion relish. The grouper was so-​so, the dirty rice I did not care for at all, but the rest of the side items were ok.
Mostly do to the slow service, I wouldn’t plan on rushing back to The Blackbird.

Four of us dined at the Blackbird, three of us were totally pleased with delightful meals. Complaint, no salt and pepper on table, no spoon served with soup, no chiles available upon request.
Good things: dining outdoors, fabulous sea bass with scallops, delightful grouper with bacon, and the best arugula and pear salad! YUM Beer choices were good as were the wine choices, local brew $ 4.00 a glass.

Wow. All local, fresh ingredients and simple but imaginative cooking. Worth a trip just for the duck confit, if they have it — as good as if you were in Paris. Great food. A perfect spot, whether sitting inside or out (I’ve done both). Plenty of parking outside.

OMG. I’m still salivating thinking about my dinner tonight. Service was quick and we received our food within 10 minutes of placing our order (perhaps because we got there at 6pm and there weren’t a lot of people there yet). Every dish was beyond excellent with fresh and locally-​produced ingredients. Even a simple house salad tasted extra yummy because it didn’t have to travel too far to get here. My mom said their local Black Mountain pale ale was the best glass of beer she’s ever had (but I wouldn’t know because I don’t drink).
My favorite dish was the striped bass with scallops, green beans, and lemony/​citrusy risotto with beurre blanc. I savored every bite of the dish and wish it wasn’t located in the middle of nowhere so I can frequent this restaurant whenever I want!
As previously mentioned, the location is a little out of the way and almost in the middle of nowhere — «nowhere» meaning a cute idyllic town in the NC mountains called Black Mountain. It’s about 20 minutes east of Asheville, but this restaurant’s food is worth the drive out there!

Had a wonderful lunch at the Blackbird — our first visit. The food was fresh and delicious, the presentation was wonderful, and prices were excellent. My favorite foods were the organic greens salad with goat cheese and the Southern custard coconut cake which was enough for three people!
I was slightly disappointed with the service not because it wasn’t great as was apparent by observing the other tables around us but that we didn’t get exceptional service. Just small stuff like not asking if we wanted dessert or coffee. This certainly will not keep me from going back as I really enjoyed the food and atmosphere.

Our family loves Blackbird. A terrific addition to Black Mountain and Asheville restaurant selections.
We recently dined for New Years Eve and were all extremely pleased with the prefix menu and felt the prices were amazing. My entrée of lobster tail, filet and vegetables was outstanding, as was the salad and appetizer. The dessert was a flight of chocolate delights and my only complaint is that I wish I could have had another to bring home and enjoy on New Years Day.
All around a great stop for lunch or dinner.

Yes, truly, The Blackbird could very well be as good as it gets.
Siiighhh, what can I say? So much to adore, so much to love! Where do I begin?
Do I start with the staff whom I adore, who make me feel like family ever time I come in?
With recollections of summer evenings spent with family and friends in their lovely outdoor patio with my every wish granted, my every epicurean desire fulfilled? My heart swelled with love and serenity, breathing in the magical summer night in the mountains, lightning bugs emanating their enchanting glow from the nearby forest.
Do I start with crisp fall nights spent around the fire pit, feeling the warmth of the flames and my belly full with love-​infused goodness?
What about memories of a romantic night with some of the most pleasant live music I’ve experienced in a long time?
And where do I begin with the food?
There is just too much to go on about. But why don’t we start with what may very well matter the most: the ingredients. I’ve always thought that with good ingredients you are more than half way there in terms of taste. And with the way our food supply has been altered for the worse in the last 50 years: going from family owned farms to mega agriculture farm factories, The Blackbird stands out as a leader to me of truly embracing the farm to table concept, of re-​invigorating our food economy from the ground up. It is so important that we as consumers are aware of where our food comes from, and that we vote with our feet: buying our produce and meats from sustainable, local, environmentally conscious purveyors and suppliers.
Having become good friends with the owner of The Blackbird, I can tell you that they truly truly embrace this concept. Just go in yourself and ask sometime where their food comes from.
Some of it is literally from a local farm down the road. And what is so refreshing about their approach is that they aren’t hippies! I love the owner’s frank attitude, and her understanding that organic, sustainable food simply tastes better! How can you be gourmet if you don’t understand that? She’s a hard nosed chef and this isn’t her first time at the rodeo. You could imagine on her own reality show or Iron Chef, answering to no one but the god’s of deliciousness. And I simply love it.
The Blackbird’s concept in terms of genre of food is «New American Tavern.» I didn’t really know what that meant the first time I visited, but now it all makes sense. The word tavern to me implies something delightful, like Hobbits coming in to the warmth of a dimly lit tavern, candles flickering and a fire crackling in the hearth, the little worn-​out guys sitting down to warm their insides with a nice thick stew, fresh bread from the oven, and a hardy pint. Imagine that feeling, and that’s just the feeling I get from the food, that same feeling of something real and country, something that fills your belly and taste buds with the warmth of down-​to-​earth goondess, albeit with just enough of a savvy flair of modernity that it makes you realize this is coming from a chef who is more than capable of tying something time-​honored and real, with something new and fresh.
Yes, I’m an unrelenting sycophant, but The Blackbird deserves every ounce of my unswerving adulation. If I could eat ever meal at The Blackbird I would, and without a doubt, if I have something special to celebrate: parent’s in town, an anniversary, a graduation, there is only one place I even consider in the whole Asheville area, and its always The Blackbird.
How lucky we are to have The Blackbird in the Asheville area. Here’s to farm to table done right!
Oh and PS. Do NOT miss the triple mouse tort. Just saying, you will not regret indulging yourself.

Food was good but they messed up my companion’s order a bit, and were kind of slow to fix it. In fact, the service was slow in general, and our waitress seemed tired and uninterested. Too bad.
We had lunch. The dinner options looked really good. Love that they use locally sourced items on the menu.

Lunch was ok, and the ingredients seem mostly locally sourced which is something I look for — but the atmosphere felt kind of sterile and cookie-​cutterish.
The crowd was strange. It was like a realtor bus collided with an AARP IED and the fallout landed here. Next time I’m wearing a flak jacket.

Still so good!
Was there at busy busy lunch on Saturday, servers stretched thin but remained very gracious– had fried oysters over organic greens for $ 10. Don’t mind if I do! Again & again!

If you are visiting Asheville, like we were, make the short drive to this place… It’s soooo worth it! We came for dinner and sat outside, surrounded by mountains. Dinner menu offers up-​scale dishes. I had the red drum fish with lemon beurre blanc sauce… Delicious! My hubby had the ribeye with Vidalia mashed potatoes… The potatoes were heavenly!!! And dessert is a must since the head cook is apparently a pastry chef. We had blue berry cobbler… Yum! Overall, this place is spectacular. They open at 5:30 for dinner. The evening we came, we were there when the
doors opened. The place was empty, but from what we’ve been told, it does get packed later at night. They have live music on Wed nights. Just a really great place with high quality food, off the beaten path, but totally worth any sort of drive!

Upon walking into the newly opened Blackbird restaurant it’s immediately apparent that this establishment will make a major splash in the Asheville area based on the simplest and most important element of running a great restaurant, attention to detail.
From the wonderful open dining area superbly lit by large open windows and well placed lighting, to the wood and metal accents, the restaurant itself is inviting and beautiful. The serving staff are friendly, amazingly attentive, and quite charming. Tables adorned simply yet beautifuly, with fresh flowers and handmade vases.
The lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch menus all offer delicious southern treats with a contemporary flare, all prepared with local ingredients. From the hands down best Shrimp and Grits in the area, to a pasta carbonara prepared with country ham rather than the traditional guanciale or pancetta, The Blackbird’s creations are familiar and exciting.
In the beverage department, a fantastic selection of local and national craft micro brews give the Blackbird’s extensive wine list a run for its money.
However, crowning the delicious entrees and wonderful beverage offerings are the desserts. Words can hardly do the majesty of these sweet selections justice. The mocha torte is a tower of chocolaty coffee goodness, presented in a beautiful slice that one card hardly not ooh and awe over. Another delicious creation is the chocolate pudding cake, which upon first viewing seems small in comparison to the towering mocha torte, but one of my fellow diners referred to it as a black hole of chocolate amazingness, and I can hardly put it better. Complimented by a goat milk caramel, and a subtle orange essence, it’s not only impressive, it’s downright drool worthy.
In a town where impressive restaurants using local ingredients to prepare delicious meals are par for the course, The Blackbird stands head and shoulders above the rest. A hidden gem outside of the downtown Asheville area, an immediate visit is strongly advised before it becomes a site of pilgrimage for local epicureans.