Just because a restaurant has a lunch menu doesn’t make it a lunchtime destination: The best lunch spots manage to simplify the eating-out process—four of these five restaurants are self-service—so the focus stays on providing superlative food and getting you back to work on time.
12 Bones Smokehouse
Even though Buncombe County is a few hundred miles west of Carolina barbecue country, the dearth of decent ‘cue joints was still a source of shame—and irritation—for local aficionados. Then along came 12 Bones, a squat restaurant in the River District that was decidedly not for tourists, but was the long-awaited answer to their persistent question: Where’s the pork? Not burdened by a local barbecue tradition, 12 Bones has marinated its delectable ribs in sauces including coconut curry and chipotle. Which raises another question: Could this be the best restaurant in town?
5 Riverside Dr., Asheville/253-4499
Cats and Dawgs
Americans seem to agree that hot dogs are an unbeatable snack, but can’t come to consensus on how to top the salty links. Thank heavens for Cats and Dawgs, a lively lunch spot in Grove Arcade, where hot dogs can be prepared according to any regional recipe. The lengthy menu features sport-pepper wearing Chicago dogs, Carolina dogs dressed with slaw and chili, German dogs sunk beneath spicy mustard and sauerkraut, and—on the feline side—catfish by the basket.
1 Page Ave., Asheville/281-8100
Noodle Shop
So often the relationship between waiting time and results is horribly out-of-whack: 40 minutes to mail a package hardly seems like a fair deal. But the Noodle Shop flips that equation on its head, hardly giving you enough time to anticipate the smoky broth and thick noodles before a piping hot bowl of roast pork soup is perched on your table. While the restaurant does a lovely job with dinner—the Asian hot pot is a perennial favorite—its well-priced midday fare is an ennobling way to spend the noon hour.
3 Pack Square, Asheville/250-9898
Clingman Ave. Coffee and Catering Company Café
Anyone can serve a memorable lemongrass-infused spring-chicken foam, but it takes a great café to turn out a terrific tuna-fish sandwich. Since its opening two years ago in the River District, Clingman Café has done some marvelous things with bread, meat and cheese—and offered its caffeinated customers free Wi-Fi to boot.
242 Clingman Ave., Asheville/253-2185
Kismet Café and Coffeehouse
Things can lean hoity-toity on the Biltmore Estate end of town, but Jen and Bob Rhea have created—and recreated, after the devastating floods of 2005—a cozy little lofted spot on Boston Way with wooden floors, friendly service and top-notch sandwiches. Locals too often dismiss this homegrown coffee shop as a tourists-only spot; after one visit, you may have to admit the Floridians know something you don’t.
1 Boston Way, Asheville/277-0098
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