Highest-rated cheap eats in Asheville by diners

Americans spend a lot of money on eating out—in 2024, that totaled $1.54 trillion, or nearly 59% of all food spending. So, it's only natural to want the best bang for your restaurant dollar.

Value has become a key component of what diners look for when they eat out, with more than 7 in 10 consumers eyeing menus for value meals. At the same time, many diners also look for something new and exciting, hoping to sample new flavors or food with ingredients that are too expensive to make at home.

Many ethnic cuisines also provide a lot of value because they aren't as expensive to produce. Many Mexican dishes fall into this category because tortillas are cheaper to produce than bread. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Filipino, and Cambodian food, also rely on low-cost ingredients and simple food preparation techniques.

Food trucks and street food vendors also offer cheaper food, thanks to lower overhead costs. Their limited menus typically focus on one type of food, allowing them to simplify purchasing and pass the savings on in the form of lower prices.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated cheap eats restaurants within 10 kilometers of the Asheville area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 8, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews were considered, and a cost of "$" (out of 4) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

The Freeze of Asheville

1 / 29

#29. The Freeze of Asheville

- Rating: 4.3/5 (50 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1091 Patton Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp

Mamacita's Taco Temple

2 / 29

#28. Mamacita's Taco Temple

- Rating: 4.3/5 (283 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 132 Charlotte St. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican, Latin American
- Read more on Yelp

Dobra Tea

3 / 29

#27. Dobra Tea

- Rating: 4.3/5 (337 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 78 North Lexington Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Tea Rooms, Vegetarian, Bubble Tea
- Read more on Yelp

Mosaic Cafe

4 / 29

#26. Mosaic Cafe

- Rating: 4.3/5 (81 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: One Town Sq Blvd. Ste 150 Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp

Wynn's Diner

5 / 29

#25. Wynn's Diner

- Rating: 4.3/5 (97 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 604 New Leicester Hwy Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Diners, American
- Read more on Yelp

Melt Your Heart

6 / 29

#24. Melt Your Heart

- Rating: 4.3/5 (52 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Sandwiches, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

Mary's Burritos & Beer

7 / 29

#23. Mary's Burritos & Beer

- Rating: 4.3/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1939 Brevard Road Arden, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Corner Grill

8 / 29

#22. Corner Grill

- Rating: 4.3/5 (32 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1899 Brevard Road Arden, North Carolina
- Categories: American
- Read more on Yelp

Ultra Coffeebar

9 / 29

#21. Ultra Coffeebar

- Rating: 4.3/5 (298 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 242 Clingman Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Old School Subs

10 / 29

#20. Old School Subs

- Rating: 4.3/5 (104 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 55 Sweeten Creek Road Ste 131 Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Sandwiches, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

Black Bear BBQ

11 / 29

#19. Black Bear BBQ

- Rating: 4.4/5 (139 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 800 Fairview Road Ste C8 Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp

White Duck Taco Shop

12 / 29

#18. White Duck Taco Shop

- Rating: 4.4/5 (233 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 16 Miami Cir Arden, North Carolina
- Categories: Tacos, New American
- Read more on Yelp

Breakfast Shoppe

13 / 29

#17. Breakfast Shoppe

- Rating: 4.4/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2077-D US-70 Swannanoa, North Carolina
- Categories: Comfort Food
- Read more on Yelp

Tacos Jalisco Mexican Restaurant

14 / 29

#16. Tacos Jalisco Mexican Restaurant

- Rating: 4.4/5 (150 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1328 Patton Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Stay Glazed Donuts & Cafe

15 / 29

#15. Stay Glazed Donuts & Cafe

- Rating: 4.4/5 (152 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 22 South Pack Square Ll100 Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Donuts, Gluten-Free
- Read more on Yelp

Bun Intended Food Truck

16 / 29

#14. Bun Intended Food Truck

- Rating: 4.4/5 (41 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Thai, Food Trucks, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp

Taqueria Munoz

17 / 29

#13. Taqueria Munoz

- Rating: 4.4/5 (172 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1438 Patton Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

OWL Bakery

18 / 29

#12. OWL Bakery

- Rating: 4.4/5 (209 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 295 Haywood Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Bakeries, Coffee & Tea, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Bebettes: A New Orleans Coffeehouse

19 / 29

#11. Bebettes: A New Orleans Coffeehouse

- Rating: 4.5/5 (255 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1 Page Ave. Unit 111 Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Haywood Lounge

20 / 29

#10. Haywood Lounge

- Rating: 4.5/5 (55 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 590 Haywood Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Pubs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

5 Points Restaurant

21 / 29

#9. 5 Points Restaurant

- Rating: 4.5/5 (243 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 258 Broadway St. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Greek, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Daymoon Coffeebar

22 / 29

#8. Daymoon Coffeebar

- Rating: 4.5/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 381 Old Charlotte Hwy Fairview, North Carolina
- Categories: Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Root Down Food Truck

23 / 29

#7. Root Down Food Truck

- Rating: 4.5/5 (39 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Food Trucks, Cajun/Creole, Soul Food
- Read more on Yelp

The Med

24 / 29

#6. The Med

- Rating: 4.5/5 (238 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 57 College St. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Mediterranean, Breakfast & Brunch, American
- Read more on Yelp

Black Bear Pizza

25 / 29

#5. Black Bear Pizza

- Rating: 4.6/5 (132 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3094 Sweeten Creek Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

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The Odd

26 / 29

#4. The Odd

- Rating: 4.6/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1045 Haywood Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Dive Bars, Music Venues, Comfort Food
- Read more on Yelp

Tin Can Pizzeria

27 / 29

#3. Tin Can Pizzeria

- Rating: 4.7/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

A Taste of El Salvador

28 / 29

#2. A Taste of El Salvador

- Rating: 4.7/5 (124 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1565 Patton Ave. Ste D Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Salvadoran
- Read more on Yelp

Sand Hill Kitchen

29 / 29

#1. Sand Hill Kitchen

- Rating: 4.8/5 (132 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 491 Sardis Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 388 metros.