Let’s be honest, while Asheville is known as Beer City and we have a ton of great places to eat, it can be a hard place to find good, authentic Latinx food. So I’m making it easier for you. Check out my top picks for the 7 Best Latinx Restaurants in Asheville, NC.
Little Chango | 134 Coxe Avenue | South Slope
This little yellow brick building definitely caught your eye while driving around Asheville’s South Slope. It’s home to a mix of Latin American dishes, like their delicious and savory arepas mounted with various toppings like Pernil (adobo seasoned pork shoulder), Ropa Vieja (shredded flank steak), Chorizo, and so much more! Along with a great selection of arepas, you have an array of add-ons to try, like my favorite, and a Puerto Rican staple, arroz mamposteao (rice and beans) and tostones (fried plantains). Top it all off with a homemade flan or tres leches to get a perfect balance of sweet and savory.
Taqueria Muñoz | 1438 Patton Avenue or 870 Riverside Drive | Asheville
You ask anyone in town and they will say Taqueria Muñoz is the best place to get affordable & authentic tacos. You can find them on Patton or at their taco truck parked at Zillicoah. They have many choices for tacos like pollo (chicken), carnitas (pork), Asada (steak), and more! Along with the classic tacos, you can enjoy their tamales, quesadillas, burritos, tortas, and sopes.
LIMAQ | Mars Hill
LIMAQ (formerly known as Ayni5) served their last pop-up series this January before switching over to their brick and mortar up in Mars Hill. It is scheduled to open once their $35,000 crowdfunding goal is met. This food brings you Peruvian flavors and dishes with a twist — it’s all vegan. This brings new and exciting flavors to dishes. Here we see vegan ceviche using mushrooms and sweet potato instead of seafood still bringing a similar texture and tangy taste.
Pupuseria Patty | 1563 Patton Avenue | West Asheville
If you haven’t tried pupusas before, you need to get with it! You need this thick griddle cake or flatbread with your choice of filling in your life. Patty’s has a great selection of pupusas like Chicharron con queso (pork skin with cheese), Jalapeño con queso, pollo con queso (chicken with cheese), and Queso con Calabaza (cheese with pumpkin) amongst other great choices. Make sure to dip your pupusas in the red salsa to get the full experience. This Salvadoran, Honduran, and Mexican food joint is full of great dishes sure to leave everyone more than satisfied.
Cousins Cuban | 108 Broadway Avenue | Black Mountain
Once you step into Cousin’s Cuban you immediately get the familial feel of the restaurant. It could be the family pictures on the wall; the empanadas, croquettes, pastelillos de queso displayed on the heating stand; the beautiful flamboyant paintings on the wall; or the cafeteras on each table. Whichever one, it brings an authentic feeling into the space, and you haven’t even gotten to the best part: the delicious food and café. Here we have the Ropa Vieja Cuban Bowl with white rice and black beans, plátanos maduros (sweet plantains), and to top it all off, a slice of cuban bread crostini. This meal will satisfy all your taste buds and is easily makes our list as one of the 7 best Latinx restaurants in Asheville, NC.
Guajiros | 122 Riverside Drive | River Arts District
This bright red food truck parked in the River Arts District is another eye-catching spot. It has everything from cuban sandwiches and Bistec de Palomilla (top Sirloin steak served with sauteed onions), to the strong colada (cuban espresso) that’s guaranteed to wake anyone up. If this spot didn’t already entice you with their great menu, they often have specials and seasonal items to reel you in. For example, this special menu item caught my attention immediately: Chicharrones de pollo topped off with red onions, red peppers, cilantro, and limes.
Abejas House Cafe | 1550 Hendersonville Road | South Asheville
Don’t worry South side of Asheville, I haven’t forgotten about you. Abejas has a mission to bring healthy food to their communities by using mostly organic ingredients and blending recipes from different cultures. This is the best spot to get a fun brunch on the weekends. Aside from their classic huevos rancheros, breakfast sandwich, and Abejas Platter, they specialize in housemade baked goods and desserts. You definitely have to check out their Tres Leches.
7 Best Latinx Restaurants in Asheville, NC Recap
Pin or share this post so that the next time you’re craving some tacos, empanadas, tamales, etc., you know where to go. There’s so many restaurants in Foodtopia to choose from but these are authentic spots that are guaranteed to hit the spot. Thanks for reading our guest contributor’s article on the 7 Best Latinx Restaurants in Asheville, NC! To read more of Camille’s work, check out her recent post on 7 Best Queer-Owned Businesses in Asheville.
Camille Nevarez-Hernandez (she/her/ella)
I’m a Puerto Rican visual storyteller who values community, creativity, and breaking down barriers. I love to capture raw moments and culture through my pictures. Due to moving around a lot while growing up, I don’t have a set place I fully call home – I find home in the people I meet, the food I eat, and the moments I experience. I’m passionate about documenting anything and everything that encompasses. I am open to doing jobs around photography, writing and video production.
Love this! Some of these are favorites, others I’m stoked to check out 🙂
Another fave is La Rumba Restaurant Latino – 105 River Hills Rd Suite C, Asheville, NC 28805 – (where the Bonefish Grill used to be, right after you turn in towards Target/Michael’s/etc.)
They recently changed the menu & made it a bit more generic, sadly, but there’s still a lot of offerings you won’t find in a standard Tex Mex spot, including a delicious mole, braised short ribs, and Caribbean-style dishes inspired by the owner’s family ties to Veracruz, like Cochinita Pibil and some great seafood.
They also have, IMHO, the best horchata in Asheville; made from scratch, and not too sweet.