The Best Steak in Asheville—A Local’s Perspective
On days like today, windy and cold, I can’t help but recall what it is like to open the old back porch grille and be struck its blast of dry heat. Thinking of that grille, of course, brings me to grilled foods, namely grilled meats, namely the king of grilled meats: the steak. Coming in all manner of cuts, steak at once answers to the primal necessity for protein and aspires to true culinary elegance.
So then, my train of thought finally drops me off at an investigation of the five best places for steak in Asheville, for your touristic edification.
When people come to the mountains, I say they’d better see the mountains, either on a spectacular Asheville hike, or from far away enough to admire their scope. The Omni Grove Park’s Sunset Terrace delivers such a view and then some. Open to the elements, you can practically smell the rhododendron.
The menu is as one expects from one of Asheville’s premier hotels: tuna tartare, steak tips in sorghum glaze, etc. Their seafood and steaks stand as testaments to the quality of Blueridge cuisine. But be warned, reservations are nigh-necessary here, and an average meat-based dinner runs about sixty dollars.
All the same, for a good steak in Asheville with killer views, you could do worse than the Sunset Terrace.
Connoisseur, Connoisseur, Choose me a Side: Local heirloom carrots with honey gastrique.
If ever there was a name to activate my appetite merely by its uttering, that name must be the Red Stag Grill. Decorated in “hunting-lodge chic,” this Biltmore Village eatery, just outside the gates of the Biltmore Estate, promises a dining experience not quite like any other. Its menu does not disappoint.
I suggest starting with the Bohemian hunt charcuterie board, before moving on to your main event, be it duck breast, lamb ossobuco, or of course, steak. Personally, I think I’d opt for the chef’s four-course recommendation, currently consisting of harvest salad, trout, New Zealand elk loin, and chocolate lava cake. It may not be steak, but I’m always interested to see what a chef considers to be their top-rate dishes.
And besides, there’s more to steak in Asheville than just the steak. There’s all sorts of meats out there, just waiting to be grilled, and I think the Red Stag would agree with me.
Connoisseur, Connoisseur, Choose me a Side: Grilled summer squash.
Hopping on over to downtown’s Grove Arcade, this woodfire grille serves cuts ranging from coulotte to bavette to New York strip, and just about everything in between. What’s more, most of these items rest under forty dollars, making it both one of the most economical and wide-ranging places for steak in Asheville.
If for whatever reason you’re not in the mood for steak, Asheville Proper also composes such imaginative plates as triggerfish with polenta and pumpkin bisque. Or if like me you like a bit of sweetness with your umami: maple brined pork loin.
And what’s more, Asheville Proper’s central location offers plentiful opportunities for downtown shopping, site-seeing, and desert at say The Chocolate Fetish or Twisted Crepe. Plenty to do, here, plenty to eat.
Connoisseur, Connoisseur, Choose me a Side: Sweet potato mash with pecan and brown butter crumble.
This South Asheville restaurant has been a longtime favorite of mine for both fancy events, and the occasional upscale lunch. Their outdoor seating provides an excellent post to observe the bustle of Biltmore Park, and via the wonders of gas-powered heating, it can even be tolerated in winter. Likewise, their menu warms the heart and soul.
Start with the cast-iron cornbread; cut to ribeye, marinated in pineapple soy sauce and end with the very best banana cream pie I have ever had the delight to imbibe. Their steak-prices are noticeably lower than the competition, I think in part due to Main’s separation from the amusements of downtown Asheville. They make up for it though, with the nearby Regal Cinema, shopping, ice-cream, and plentiful parking.
In short, for good steak in Asheville at a reasonable price and with a relaxing atmosphere, I suggest 131 Main.
Connoisseur, Connoisseur, Choose me a Side: Fresh fries. Simple, yet delicious.
Lying just northeast of downtown—close enough for a visit, far away enough for some peace and quiet—Bone and Broth serves elevated Southern cuisine. Their dishes are produced in cooperation with local farmers, bakers, and craft brewers. As a local I believe steak in Asheville should be served under no other means.
Here, your steak comes with a choice of mouth-watering sauces, resulting in endless combinations of meat and dressing. Standouts, in my opinion, would be the brandy cream sauce and peppercorn horseradish. In the realms of not-steak, my eye lingers on the grilled onion dip, deviled eggs, and wagyu-patty burger. It sounds simply delightful.
Connoisseur, Connoisseur, Choose me a Side: Bone and Broth has beaten me to it; all steaks are served with garlic herbed mashed potatoes and charred broccoli. You could up the ante, however, by requesting not one sauce, but all of them. Such a request indicates a daring palette. And people respect that.
Businesses Mentioned
Sunset Terrace
(800)-438-5800
290 Macon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804
Red Stag Grill
(828)-398-5600
11 Boston Way, Asheville, NC 28803
Asheville Proper
(828)-505-0909
1 Page Ave #151, Asheville, NC 28801
131 Main
(828)-651-0131
308 Thetford St, Asheville, NC 28803
Bone and Broth
(828)-505-2849
94 Charlotte St, Asheville, NC 28801
