Little Jumbo — Restaurant in Asheville

A favorite craft-cocktail bar with a vintage local-vibe (detailed review plus tips on ordering)

This is my “regular” spot when I wish to have a gorgeous cocktail with friends in an intimate setting. I have been coming here since they opened, and we even hosted a friend’s anniversary party here.

I bump into fellow writers and artists and community activists and teachers and other engaged community folks with great frequency. Most times I come, I am fortunate enough to bump into a friend or colleague. Yet it never feels like the same crowd.

Let’s start with tips on ordering:

A favorite experience there is to have the daiquiri for two (the “Momentary Vacation” service). The presentation is exquisite and you receive a little carafe of daiquiris, just enough to have approximately two daiquiris each. You also receive some mixed assorted snacks that include nuts and a few other crunchy items.

Your “go local” card provides either free pistachios or a hunters mix. Don’t have a “go local” card? Purchase one; they benefit Asheville City Schools.

The Malbec is only nine dollars and stands up to any of the other red wines on the list.

The Smoked trout dip is from Sunburst Farms and it’s excellent. It’s the same one you can find at the actual farm or at a few of our grocery stores. If you are peckish and vacillating between between the hummus and the smoked trout dip… it’s the smoked trout dip all the way.

Not drink related: they often have live music on Monday nights.

In a town full of microbreweries, wine bars, and craft-cocktail establishments, Little Jumbo occupies a special place.

Why?

Vibe: The place never feels touristy, or full of the loud “woo girl” bridal-party types. Yes, it feels vibrant, but it is not so loud that you can’t have a discussion.

The decor is speakeasy, vintage yet modern stylings. I took a local friend recently, and she said that this was the type of bar that she would own if she had a bar. Quite the compliment!

The mixologists… amazing. I can be a pain in the butt when it comes to wine and even to other drinks. I know this about myself, and I’m fairly unapologetic about it. I know what I like. I’ve have enough lived experience to be picky without being a jerk about it. I’m very sweet and an excellent tipper, but I just know my palate. I enjoy bartenders who can craft me something off- menu. And sometimes when I tire of some of my favorites, I will just tell the bartender what my normal palate is. Smoky, usually a Mezcal element, bitters, or Aperol, perhaps Campari, some sort of fresh squeezed citrus and bonus points for some sort of spice element, depending on my mood. My “regular” drink at most cocktail bars is “naked and famous”. Certainly the Jumbo bartenders know how to make that for me, even if it is not on the menu. Here, they also have a very similar drink, the “Spicy Dead Lady” (not crazy about the name). Or they just craft something else based on my palate profile. They take their time with me, figuring out what I enjoy and their interpretation of my palate is always...

I'm still taking notes but L-J is a solid. I'm a drop-dead High Five patron so L-J is just a skip down the block. Feel & atmosphere matter to me a lot, and L-J easily has that. The mixed drink list is pretty well off the hook and slightly more affordable than many other bars. I'm more a beer fiend however, and so far only Thirsty Monk (downstairs) has Houblon Chouffe (a Belgian trippel) - but not at $6 like L-J did. Drafts were pretty typical (I'm hard to please) but between bottles & draft, you can easily find what you want. Food is all in the bites realm and everything I've had so far is not only beautiful presented, but well made, tasty & brought out quickly. Having sat at the bar mostly, I was not aware that clients had to walk up to the bar to order when I sat at a table, so that's the only thing that drops me from 5 to 4 stars...but that's probably not too outta range for any bar...and its surely minor for what seems to be a pretty killer job of everything else here. So far, I've had only warm-fuzzies from the staff - kinda like what AVL used to be like before the recent boom, so at least for me- that's as critical as having all the drinks, food & atmosphere in the world. I'm a fan so far...and still...

Little Jumbo is a great spot to drop in and have some great drinks in a comfy spot. Whether you’re there for conversation, quiet reflection, people watching, a first date, or the late night music (which can make that conversation part hard at times - maybe a blessing on a bad first date…), you should be able to enjoy yourself.

The drinks are creative (always check the special board) and delicious. The service is great. There is a limited amount of snacky stuff on the menu, but there’s a food truck out back - get your grub there if you need it.

It can be crowded and loud at night, especially on the weekends. They have music and DJs and such to help get people shaking booties, which is fun if you’re in that mood. If you’re looking for a quiet place to sit and write your novel, go earlier on a weekday.

If you like whisk(e)y, get the...