Chestnut Hills is best known for its gracious old homes, leafy sidewalks, and easy connection to downtown, but its food scene deserves equal billing. The neighborhood itself is largely residential, so the best dining strategy is to explore the commercial edges—especially the Merrimon Avenue corridor, Charlotte Street, and the nearby Five Points intersection—where polished neighborhood restaurants, casual cafés, bakeries, and market-day food vendors create one of Asheville’s most satisfying everyday food circuits.
Whether you want a special-occasion dinner, a quick breakfast, or something delicious to carry home, Chestnut Hills makes it easy to eat well without committing to downtown crowds.
Start with a Neighborhood Dinner
For the most distinctly Chestnut Hills dining experience, book a table at Bone & Broth, at 94 Charlotte Street. The restaurant describes itself as a neighborhood gathering place in historic Chestnut Hill, and that is exactly the mood: comfortable, warmly lit, and relaxed enough for a weeknight but polished enough for date night. The menu leans Southern American, with dry-aged regional steaks, burgers, fries, creative small plates, and rotating specials. Expect roughly $25–$50 per person before drinks, depending on whether you choose a burger or a steak.
Bone & Broth is particularly good when you want Asheville’s local-food sensibility without a formal fine-dining atmosphere. Look for regional meats, local produce, fresh baked goods, craft cocktails, bourbon, and North Carolina beer. It is the sort of place where a casual drink at the mahogany bar can turn into dinner.
On the Merrimon side of the neighborhood, Avenue M offers a more contemporary evening out. Located at 791 Merrimon Avenue, it combines a frequently changing menu with one of the area’s strongest wine programs. The cooking is creative and seasonal rather than tied to one strict cuisine, making it a good choice for diners who enjoy sharing several plates or trying something new. Plan on approximately $35–$65 per person, with wine easily pushing the total higher. The restaurant’s welcoming, dog-friendly neighborhood character is part of its appeal.
Merrimon Avenue Is the Breakfast-and-Lunch Spine
If you only have time to explore one food corridor, follow Merrimon Avenue between Chestnut Street and the northern neighborhoods. The concentration of restaurants, cafés, and specialty food stops makes it ideal for a low-stress eating tour.
At Green Sage Café Merrimon, 633 Merrimon Avenue, breakfast and lunch are served all day. This is a dependable stop for organic coffee, espresso drinks, cold-pressed juices, smoothies, plant-based bowls, sandwiches, burgers, and plenty of vegan and gluten-sensitive choices. Its on-site bakery is especially useful for anyone seeking a pastry that accommodates dietary restrictions. Most meals and drinks fall in the $8–$18 range. Green Sage also sources coffee from Asheville-born PennyCup and emphasizes organic and environmentally responsible practices.
Just nearby, Rise ’n Shine Café in Merrimon Square is a classic breakfast-and-lunch favorite at 640 Merrimon Avenue. The menu centers on omelets, flapjacks, sandwiches, fresh juices, and smoothies, with most plates landing around $9–$17. It is a good choice for a hearty, unfussy breakfast before walking the neighborhood or heading toward the Saturday market.
For a more indulgent morning, seek out Paris Bakery and Tea Room at 301 Merrimon Avenue. This long-running French bakery is a hidden gem for croissants, baguettes, country loaves, éclairs, Napoleons, beignets, quiche, sandwiches, and coffee. Prices are generally $4–$15, depending on whether you are grabbing one pastry or settling in for lunch. It is a particularly good stop when you want something that feels old-fashioned and handmade rather than trend-driven.
Pizza, Pasta, and Easy Family Meals
Chestnut Hills also has several excellent options for relaxed group dining. Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company, at 675 Merrimon Avenue, is a local standby for pizza, wings, beer, and a casual atmosphere. It is especially convenient for families and groups with different appetites. A typical meal runs $12–$25 per person, and the combination of pizza and local beer fits Asheville’s laid-back food culture perfectly.
At 641 Merrimon Avenue, Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian brings red-sauce comfort food, pizza, pasta, and Italian-American staples to the corridor. Expect approximately $15–$30 per person. It is the kind of place locals choose when they want a dependable dinner rather than a culinary experiment: generous portions, familiar flavors, and food that travels well for takeout.
For plant-based dining, Plant at 165 Merrimon Avenue is one of the area’s most distinctive destinations. Its vegan menu is scratch-made and globally influenced, using vegetables, spices, and techniques drawn from multiple cuisines. This is a more elevated meal, with prices commonly in the $25–$45 per person range. Even committed meat-eaters will find it worthwhile when they want a creative, produce-forward dinner.
Bakeries, Coffee, and Sweet Stops
Charlotte Street and the streets just south of Chestnut Hills are especially rewarding for pastry fans. OWL Bakery, associated with the Charlotte Street area, is known for carefully made breads, pastries, cakes, and special-order baked goods. It is a strong choice for laminated pastries, naturally flavored sweets, and bread to take home. Budget $4–$15 for individual items, with custom orders priced separately.
For a more practical neighborhood bakery stop, City Bakery near Charlotte Street is a good place to pick up bread, breakfast pastries, or a sandwich. These are the kinds of shops that help define Asheville’s local food tradition: small-scale baking, seasonal ingredients, and food meant to be enjoyed at home as much as at a table.
Coffee options are equally approachable. Merrimon’s cafés tend to emphasize organic coffee, smoothies, and wellness-minded breakfasts, while Charlotte Street’s bakeries pair better with a leisurely pastry and a walk. That contrast—quick nourishment on Merrimon, slower indulgence near Charlotte Street—is part of what makes the area fun to explore.
Food Trucks and Market-Day Traditions
Chestnut Hills does not have a permanent food-truck pod on every corner, but mobile food is woven into the broader North Asheville routine. Cecilia’s Kitchen, known for gluten-free crêpes, empanadas, tamales, soups, salads, and daily specials, operates a restaurant at 870 Merrimon Avenue and also takes its food trucks to breweries, private events, farmers markets, and the North Asheville Tailgate Market. Prices are generally $10–$18 for a filling meal. Its empanadas and savory crêpes are particularly good market-day choices.
The North Asheville Tailgate Market, held seasonally near UNC Asheville, is one of the best ways to experience the area’s local food traditions. Expect regional produce, baked goods, prepared foods, and rotating vendors. The tradition here is less about one signature dish and more about the Appalachian habit of eating seasonally: tomatoes and peaches in summer, apples and squash in fall, greens and root vegetables in cooler months, and locally made bread and preserves year-round.
The Best Way to Explore
For a satisfying Chestnut Hills food crawl, start with coffee or breakfast near the Chestnut Street–Merrimon Avenue intersection, continue north along Merrimon for lunch or a pastry, then return toward Charlotte Street for dinner at Bone & Broth. Add Asheville Pizza, Plant, or Vinnie’s when you want something casual, vegetarian, or family-friendly.
The neighborhood’s food scene is not built around one dense restaurant district. Instead, it rewards wandering between historic streets and commercial edges, discovering the dependable local institutions alongside newer, chef-driven destinations. That mix—Southern comfort food, globally inspired cooking, French pastry, vegan creativity, market produce, and mobile kitchens—is what makes Chestnut Hills one of Asheville’s most enjoyable places to eat.