Pack's Tavern — Restaurant in Asheville

It's a shame you can't do 5+ stars. Everything is so well done. A quick run down of not only our first visit, but while we were on a trip to Ashville, we ate there twice because the first time was so good.

Service We were seated almost immediately The staff, both nights, super, super nice and very efficient - Sophi and Amanda (Andrea?) both did an excellent job Our first night a manager stopped by our table to make sure everything was good From the front door staff to the waitstaff you can tell all are excellently trained and are the best in their profession

Food First night we had Fish and Chips and Brisket with Mac and Cheese. Both were so good we almost ordered them again the second night but knew we had to try something different Fish and chips breading was fluffy and light, no grease at all, the fries were seasoned just right - some of the best I have had outside of New England The Brisket mac and cheese - just wow. The sauce is fruity, almost sweet which perfectly offsets the brisket and mac and cheese 'saltiness'. Next time I go, I am getting that for myself. The second night we had Thai salad and the wood fired Margherita pizza. The salad was delicious with an excellent dressing applied in just the right amount. The Margherita pizza crust was thin, and crispy. The toppings were fresh and the sauce was just the right amount of sweetness. I don't even like pizza crust much but I saved it for last while eating

Building/Atmosphere We got to try the both the restaurant side and the pub side - both excellent Great 70's and 80's music choices - which as we all know are the best decades for music! The building's exposed brick, wooden beams, lighting fixtures make for a place where you just keep looking at the different spots and keep finding new things to point out Normally a place like this is loud, and maybe it was, but didn't seem it. We could carry on a conversation in a normal tone of voice without struggling to hear each other. Little things like glass between the booths gives you privacy, keeps the outside sounds to a minimum, yet still feels open. I could see the bar from where I was sitting and it was nicely designed, great lighting. Beer choices are excellent from local to national craft beers and even some of the 'big beer' boring stuff Mixed drink specials looked great

Price Honestly, I was surprised by how low the prices were. A full meal, a flight of beer (no dessert or appetizers) was less than $25 a person. For the quality of food, the location, the staff - it is a bargain

Issues Only one, I wish they had a Pack's Tavern where I live so I could go more often. However, maybe it is worth the 5.5 hour...

Overall: fantastic food and service, very affordable for the quality of food, although we wish they would bring live music back or play more on the speakers.

We got mozzarella sticks for an app, there were five of them, big enough to share and enough cheese for half a meal. Loved these and the included marinara was very good as well. The brisket mac and cheese was absolutely amazing. The brisket was tender and the perfect amount of sweet from the blackberries, and the mac and cheese added just the right amount of savory. The aftertaste of the brisket was wonderful, I was able to take in every bite fully without needing another right away. It looks like a small portion but I was ravenous and still only got 3/4 of the way through the pan as it is very rich and filling. For dessert we got a cheesecake which was rich and a good portion, and their seven layer chocolate cake which is definitely sharing size especially if you add a scoop of ice cream on top. Delicious all around!

The drinks are great, with a wide variety of cocktails, ale, and locally sourced beer on tap. Lavender lemonade was as expected, the jungle juice was quite good if a little overpriced, and the waitress let us sample beers before we chose a full glass.

The service was quick and our waitress was very nice, helpful when trying to choose drinks and obviously well versed in the food, it's contents, and each item's popularity, having a few favorites of her own. We never ran out of water, either, which was much appreciated.

The atmosphere was good, although the staff told us that they stopped doing live music after covid. My table agreed that live music, or at least some local music playing over the speakers, would've really completed a local Asheville classic. Beautiful place even without it, the lighting wasn't too dim and the decorations helped create a tavern feel.

Will definitely be coming here again when we're in the area. 100% worth it for the affordable price, excellent service, and...

Great place to eat in Downtown Asheville. I was in the area for the RAD race last weekend and a friend came across this place while searching for food on Google. We had an apartment in the area and went for short run near pack Square park. Walked right into the Tavern afterwards so I unfortunately can't speak much to the parking situation. The food situation, however, is right up my alley ☝🏾🤓

We got, Fried Pickles Elote Dip Bison Meatloaf Mt. Mitchell Burger

I love me some fried Pickles and unfortunately I have been let down by a lot of restaurants. However, Packs Tavern came to bring some hope into my life. Though the Pickles were breaded a bit heavier than I'd like, they were nice and hot, well seasoned, not too salty and had a nice crunch. The elote dip was also good. Basically a corn salsa so if you like corn and dips that's a green light for you. Everyone else at the table got the Bison Meatloaf and they seemed to love it. I had a piece of my girlfriends and it was definitely a good slab of meat (pause). The sauce on there was really good, the meat was far from dry and the mashed taters had great flavor and texture.

All that said...the ABSOLUTE, UNDEFEATED, REIGNING CHAMP OF ENTREES 🥁🥁🥁🥁

DAT MF 'MT. MITCHELL' BURGER

Good Gawd, that thang had me in silence save for sound of my lips smacking. Literally didn't put the burger down until it was finished like a MK character. Cooked to perfection and with all the toppings a man could ask for. Bacon ✅️ Egg ✅️ Fried Green Tomato (not sure anyone really asks for this one but it works here so shush) ✅️ Cheddar & Pepper Jack ✅️ plus some fresh sliced jalapeños ✅️

Definitely recommend and will be back for that burger specifically. There are other great options on the menu but after that experience I'm not sure I see the point in ordering anything else. Great spot, with a laid back atmosphere, bar vibes, bit loud but...