Izzy's Coffee Den — Restaurant in Asheville

Izzy’s coffee den

Izzy’s Coffee Den is a coffee cafe off Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville. Not to be confused with their other location - Izzy’s Coffee House, which (presumably) is in a house (I haven’t been yet - but they’re on my list).

There were lots of street spots available to park in off Lexington - now that it’s winter, and the seasonal tourism has kinda slowed down. I used my credit card at the meter and paid around a dollar to park, which is super affordable.

There’s also a pay by spot lot directly across the street to utilize when the street spots are in higher demand; I always recommend having a few random singles tucked away in your bra just in case you decide to park in one of those lots. Also - keeping some extra cash hiding close to your lady parts is always a good way to simultaneously offend and disgust the cashier at Sams club. Nothing says “Holiday Cheer” like digging around in your sports bra for some soggy cash to pay for that oversized container of Rugelach pastry you’re getting to bring to the office Christmas party.

Anyway, Lexington Avenue is an delightful street, lined with cute shops that sell a wide variety of things like crystals, artwork, kitchen supplies, hiking gear, etc. - so definitely leave some time to peruse the boutiques after you have your coffee & snack over at Izzy’s.

The inside of Izzy’s Coffee Den is warm and welcoming, with soft lighting - yet artsy and eclectic at the same time. And, speaking of shopping - don’t miss the super fabulous things they have for sale at the coffee shop itself; from (very affordable), (non-human) skull & wide eyed kitty magnets, to super fun aprons, reusable metal straws, and even bath bombs!

While you’re waiting for your drink to be made - make sure to check out the extra fabulous framed artwork, (also for sale) from a variety of very talented local artists - including Jen Toledo (link) herself.

I ordered a Mexican Mocha Coffee, and a piece of Homemade-Vegan-Gluten Free- Carrot-Apple-Banana-Bread that I enjoyed at a high top table against the wall, which afforded me a primo view of the artwork on display.

The Latte was just the right amount of spicy, rich - but not too rich, and had an super fancy fleur de lis foam. It came in an “Izzy’s” mug - which made me feel even more at home. I think my favorite part of the coffee drink itself was that it was slightly sweet, but in a more natural way - there definitely wasn’t any faux sugar overload. In addition to coffee drinks they also have a pretty broad selection of beer, wine, and mimosas.

The barista was nice enough to heat up the piece of bread that I ordered for an (intended) snack. It turned out the slice was so huge it was good enough for a full meal!

The bread itself was delicious, it tasted fresh and healthy, and was very moist - a difficult combination to perfect for gluten free/vegan baked goods... Nothing like the GF/vegan things I attempt to bake at home, that always end up tasting like a strange combination of sandpaper, communion wafers, nuts, and sadness.

Not only does Izzy’s have baked goods such as bread, cookies, scones, etc. - they also have bagels & cream cheese, as well as fruit.

Izzy’s is definitely a cozy, warm, laid back - yet welcoming environment, with soft lighting, and pleasant music. It’s a great place to get some work done, read a book, or take yourself on a solo coffee date and finish up that last minute...

had to edit my review. used to love this place but there is a very rude old man barista who is just a disgusting soul. i come here EVERY SINGLE MORNING. i am homeless and still tip every single day. i came here this morning to get a bagel and chai. i just walked in about 3 hours later and asked if i could use the bathroom literally just to wash my hands and the old man wouldnt let me because i couldnt buy anything at that second. no humanity, no compassion, only wants your money. i used to love this business but that is disgusting and you will never get any more money from me. i am literally 20 years old and homeless. its not hard to be nice. i just wanted to wash my hands :( i do want to give credit to the other baristas because they were very sweet and amazing every day but this one old guy has always been rude and cold. you can never casually talk to him or anything, he makes you feel like you are a burden as you are paying for ur food... doesnt match the rest of the staff at all and unfortunately he just ruined all of it for me. he was the one working (9/26/22) at 3:30pm. i am not a malicious person and genuinely dont want to hurt your business with 1 star reviews over one bad situation so if you can apologize ill delete it. but if u cant then...

Lets start with the only thing good : the local art on the wall is nice. Now, the service SUCKED. The lady who served me had an attitude the entire time. I ordered 2- triple espresso shots. I watched her make the espresso's, and only counted two shots. The coffee itself was a light brown, watered down color. I asked for some caramel flavoring, and it cost an extra 50 cents. And of course, she acted overly-dramatic about having to do the extra work of squirting caramel into my cup. The cup was a small paper cup. Like a Dixie cup. It barely held the two shots of espresso. I asked for a larger cup so I could add cream and sugar, and she said it would be an extra dollar. The board says for a triple shot espresso, it cost 2.25. Add the extra 50 cents for caramel, and it should cost 2.75 a piece. Somehow I was charged $7.00 for my two poorly made espresso's. The coffee itself tasted bitter and extremely watered down. I LOVE going to local coffee shops, but this place was a HUGE disappointment. And a HUGE ripoff. They charge Starbucks price, for quality way worse. I will NEVER go back, and I do NOT recommend it. If you are downtown, go to Old Europe Cafe, or the Double Decker. Save some money, and get...