Griff's Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Asheville

Smaller menu selection but pretty well done. My husband had the clam pasta which he thoroughly enjoyed. I had the udon with shrimp. It was a little too saucy for me, but the noodles and the shrimp were perfectly prepared. Loved the atmosphere and the staff were super friendly and helpful. Worth going back!

The last time we had takeout though, the fries that came with the burger were burnt. The classic burger I think was better than Griff's burger. The description of the Griff burger was good but the flavors were a little lacking.

For the bulgogi fries: It would have been nice to have little more bulgogi and kimchi served with it. From what I could taste, it didn't taste like the authentic bulgogi I grew up eating and making; however, the flavors weren't bad. So overall, I still enjoyed it.

EtA: I was sad to see the bulgogi fries were no longer on the menu! Tried the bulgogi sandwich today. I was really excited because it sounded really good with the kimchi and bulgogi topped with a gooey fried egg. The concept was great! But it was a too salty and heavy handed on the soy. It unfortunately masked the other flavors that should be seen with bulgogi: the garlic, the sesame oil, the onion with a little sweetness from the sugar and pear or apple.. This combination is what makes a good bulgogi. With a little tweaking and a little more kimchi, this sandwich would be phenomenal!

EtA 2: My kids both had there typical cheeseburger and fries which they love. They nailed the temperature of the burgers every time. However once my son tasted my shrimp n grits he decided the food I ordered was better. He therefore gave the classic burger 4/5 and the shrimp n grits 5/5. I loved the shrimp n grits as well though the bacon bits were more of a jerky consistency. I loved how the green onions added a freshness to the dish as well. My husband enjoyed the fish n chips as well. This place is definitely one we like to visit on the few times we go out to eat.

EtA 3: we went back for an anniversary lunch where my husband ordered the broccoli tempura and shrimp buns. The shrimps as always were delicious and the tempura on the broccoli was light, crisp and not greasy. The tempura sauce drizzled over was spot on. The size of the broccoli honestly was so big that at first we thought it was a platter of drumsticks ! So be sure to bring your appetite when ordering!

I decided to try something new: korean fried chicken sandwich topped with kimchi, green onions and garlic aioli. The flavor of the sandwich itself wasn't bad, but it was not what it was purported to be. Korean fried chicken should be crispy, often double fried for extra crispness then covered in a sweet spicy gochujang sauce. The sandwich I was eating, had a soggy coating while it's taste was more reminiscent of a buffalo chicken. The rich umami taste for which gochujang is known was severely lacking (...though I you might catch a hint of it if you suck on the breading long enough.) The sandwich got so soggy that it was literally falling apart in my hands. The kimchi topped on the chicken is not what i would call kimchi. It had such a strong vinegar taste that it seemed more like a quick pickled cabbage with gochugaru that you will often find when eating chulpan gui. This is also something I enjoy. Therefore while i would disagree with the name and the description of the dish itself due technical errors in executing the dish, the flavors were quite nice, and the portion was more than adequate. I ended up taking home some of the chicken and sweet potato fries where my kids tasted it and thought the chicken tasted like chicken wings. 3/5 stars...

We ended up at Griff’s in Chandler, NC four nights in a row—and honestly, that says it all.

The first night, we were exhausted and just wanted something simple. We ordered a cheeseburger and fries, and it turned out to be one of the best I’ve had in a long time. Perfectly cooked, flavorful, and just what we needed.

Night two, we stopped by again—this time just to try the pork rind appetizer and, as my grandson put it, “to get Yaya a cocktail.” Both delivered. The rinds were crispy and seasoned just right, and the cocktail hit the spot.

By night three, we were hooked. We went back specifically to have the Korean fried chicken sandwich again (yes, we went again for this!) and the falafel outa - tim! And finally got to try the lemon bowl ice cream dessert—which was absolutely worth the wait. The Korean chicken sandwich is phenomenal—crispy, tangy, a little spicy, and completely addictive. And that dessert? Easily one of the best we’ve ever had, and you will be looking up recipes to make lemon balm ice cream before you lewve!!

We ended up at Griff’s in Chandler, NC three nights in a row—and honestly, that says it all.

The first night, we were exhausted and just wanted something simple. We ordered a cheeseburger and fries, and it turned out to be one of the best I’ve had in a long time. Perfectly cooked, flavorful, and just what we needed.

Night two, we stopped by again—this time just to try the pork rind appetizer and, as my grandson put it, “to get Yaya a cocktail.” Both delivered. The rinds were crispy and seasoned just right, and the cocktail hit the spot.

By night three, we were hooked. We went back specifically to have the Korean fried chicken sandwich again (yes, two days in a row!) and finally try the lemon bowl ice cream dessert—which was absolutely worth the wait. The chicken sandwich is phenomenal—crispy, tangy, a little spicy, and completely addictive. And that dessert? Easily one of the best we’ve ever had, in fact, you'll be looking up how to make lemon balm ice cream before you leave!

If you’re in the area, go to Griff’s. And then go again. You’ll see what I mean. If you’re in the area, go to Griff’s. And then go again. You’ll see...

Well overdue for a well deserved review.

My girlfriend and I were traveling to Georgia when we decided to stop for lunch in Asheville. The intent was to stop somewhere in close proximity to the highway for efficiency sake.

Not only did we achieve that, we also feel like we found one of the BEST restaurants in Asheville, NC at the same time. Don't think the location is close enough to the highway where you worry about background noise because this isn't the case. It's nestled very nicely in a building complex. It's just an added bonus it is close to the highway.

I order the Gnocchi and the chef/owner spent 4 minutes plating this masterpiece. You could tell the amount of care he put into plating it was just as much as he spent making it from scratch.

While normally food of this quality tends to err to the side of presentation over portion, this was both. The presentation was beautiful and the portion was substantial.

The cocktails were unique and well balanced which paired well with my meal. The bartender was very kind and a conversationalist in the best way. She really helped with creating a positive atmosphere while we waited for our food.

While it was a slow day for them (which was surprising) the owner came to talk with us and ask how the food was. You could tell he wanted an honest opinion and was always looking to improve despite there being not much to say other than DELICIOUS.

Regardless of what you order, you will not be disappointed eating here. I'm reminding myself to post this review months later because it was THAT good and well...