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Early Girl Eatery
Categories: Restaurants Vegetarian Restaurants Vegan Restaurants Southern Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Vegetarian, Vegan, Southern, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
8 Wall StAsheville, NC 28801
(828) 259-9292
- Hours:
Mon 7:30 am - 3 pm
Tue-Fri 7:30 am - 9 pm
Sat-Sun 9 am - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
144 reviews for Early Girl Eatery
Review Highlights
"...delectable "Local Sausage and Sweet Potato Scramble."
(in 8 reviews)
"...to choose between here and Tupelo Honey, pick Tupelo Honey."
(in 9 reviews)
"My Pimento Cheese sandwich was fantastic, for the most part."
(in 5 reviews)
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144 reviews in English
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Review from Nicole R.
Redwood City, CA
2/2/2012
Next stop, Asheville!
As my next stop across America, The Early Girl Eatery served up a fine meal without any of the Paula Deanesque qualities of typical of modern Southern comfort food. Maybe this isn't how Mom used to make it, but this is how she should have made it with fresh locally farmed ingredients. These guys actually list their suppliers on the website so you know where your meal is coming from.
I tried the shrimp and grits, because I wanted to embrace my southern route. They were delicious. The shrimp were huge, the veggie and sausage stir fry savory and the grits were buttery. I only wish I could have tried more things on the menu. A must stop in Asheville.
Early Girl Eatery, please publish a collection of favorite recipes, so that those of us who live far away can indulge in your delicious inventions. -
Review from Ciara B.
Kennesaw, GA
11/20/2011 1 photo
I'm obsessed with local, hippie, breakfast places and Early Girl hit the spot! The vegetarian biscuit and gravy was DELICIOUS and filling (I'm pretty sure they put meat in mine, it was that good) and the pumpkin bread was super moist and mouth-watering. My boyfriend got a scrambled egg/sausage concoction and was equally satisfied with his non-veggie selection.
It was surprisingly cheap considering the portion sizes and even though there was a bit of a wait (Veterans Day at noon = 20 min with people out the door) it was definitely worth it. The eatery is located in a great area for window shopping and although parking was a beast, I can't knock Early Girl for it.. great food and decor, big thumbs up! -
Review from Julie R.
Miami, FL
11/7/2011 5 photos
First, this is not an all vegetarian restaurant; but, they offer plenty of veg options (more than most). I had the tempeh reuben sandwich that came with a side. The side I picked was tomato florentine soup. The soup was beyond delicious. It was creamy and sooo good! I was happy I got it. The reuben, likewise, was delicious. It had swiss cheese and sauerkraut on it, as well a good dressing and was on grilled bread - very tasty. Of the 3 vegetarian reubens I have had in the past couple days in Asheville, this was among the best; it definitly had the most tempeh on it (sometimes restaurants skimp on it).
Besides the good food, the place is charming. The room overlooks the park and has these tall beautiful windows and plants. There's cool artwork on the wall and it's very sunny and bright - just a lot of charm.
Early Girl is always crowded, and usually a wait. So, I decided to go at an off hour (2:30 on a weekday), and there weren't a lot of people there. The service was very good and the server very friendly and pleasant.
I loved this place. With all my vegetarian options here in Asheville, it's getting harder and harder to pick a place to eat. I love it.
Oh, the price was very reasonable. I have seen reubens anywhere from $6.50 to $10. I think this one was $9, and it came with the soup - not bad! -
Review from Alan D.
Lahaina, HI
2/6/2012
Great menu. Nice southern cooking. Dishes are tasty and interesting. I was with some friends and every one of us changed our minds while ordering -- too many good choices. Staff was friendly and very helpful. Highly recommend.
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Review from K C.
Asheville, NC
1/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Always delicious! They have a set menu and also a chalkboard menu that changes daily. You wont be disappointed. Try the sweet potato egg scramble!
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Review from Anna L.
Knoxville, TN
9/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
We ate lunch around 1:30 and had no wait time at all, there were 2 of us and several tables were open. Our waitress was kind and helpful with a menu suggestion.
I had the black bean and sweet potato cakes (YUM!) with Mac-n-Cheese and Yams. The macaroni was mellow and quite tasty with some added pepper. I didn't care for the yams, but they were cooked nicely.
My 6 year old was thrilled with all-day breakfast and gave the strawberry-banana pancakes two thumbs up! Picky eater tip: The bacon was maple bacon and my little person was not a fan. I ate it later on my super tasty biscuit, and I am a fan! :) -
Review from Caitlin S.
Sacramento, CA
7/18/2011
I liked the food. I liked the decor. I even liked the place's name. However, major, major deductions since every person in that place made me feel as though I was imposing. No waiter was friendly. While they were not mean, the 'tude was pure frost.
So, final ruling is that while the place has so many bits in line to make me like them, I won't return because there are plenty of other eateries with good food AND good employees. -
Review from Solomon W.
Austin, TX
7/30/2011
EGE was no doubt on my radar while in the Asheville area, as it has been all over magazines and the internet as a go-to diner. I really liked the low-key office building location, and the service was quick and attentive.
My Pimento Cheese sandwich was fantastic, for the most part. I liked the spinach and tomato inside; they broke up the richnesss of the cheese. I would have preferred my cheese a bit chunkier and less spread-like and tangier, but no worries. The thick-cut wheat bread was a nice base.
The curried summer squash soup was very disappointing. It was bland, and the soggy texture was like something out of a can, though I can assure you that all of the main ingredients in the soup were "eco-friendly"--in all definitions of the phrase.
The $7 price tag for sandwich and soup is a great price for a light dinner, so I would recommend EGE to anyone looking to eat somewhere cool on a budget. It is tucked back onto a smaller street, so it provides you with a cooler atmosphere to eat in. -
Review from Good for the Palate R.
Arnold, MD
I had seen good reviews about Early Girl Eatery all over the internet. When our hostel-keeper also suggested it, I knew I had to go.
Early Girl Eatery made me the best breakfast I have ever eaten. Every item on the plate was put there with love. They use local ingredients when possible and the care taken to make these foodstuffs is evident.
I did bend my usual rule and ignored the Specials (even though their garlic and potato cakes sounded yummazing). I decided upon the local sausage and sweet potato hash with bacon, mushrooms and green onions. The sweet potatoes were super sweet and perfectly cooked and toothsome. Each bite had a piece of everything mixed in, and the eggs were fluffy and moist.
The biscuit that came with the hash was the most perfect biscuit ever. I think they must use wheat flour. When I inquired I was told it was white flour, but I dont believe them (restaurants that keep secrets cook good food). These biscuits had beautiful little brown flecks of wheaty goodness in them. And they were accompanied by the most delicious berry preserves ever. I was too busy stuffing my face to ask what kind of berry it was, but it was soooo good. It had the same texture as confiture does in France and instantaneously took me back to my morning market trips on the Canal St. Martin.
My companion got the Shrimp and Grits, his favorite dish ever. No instant grits here. Shrimp were perfectly cooked. "Best shrimp and grits ever", that's all he had to say.
Early Girl also offered a local hot sauce called Fire from the Mountain. It was spicy and super flavorful and you could see all the little bits of peppers and I think mustard seeds in it. I was really disappointed they didn't have the hot sauce on my second trip, just tabasco.
Their Porky Breakfast Bowl is tremendous, and exactly what you would expect.
Prices are a bonus, very affordable. -
Review from Angie P.
8/27/2011
A cute little diner & breakfast served all day?! YES, PLEASE!
Upon my trip to Asheville last fall (to see my crush, Mayer Hawthorne) & googling for a good place to eat, I stumbled upon 'Early Girl Eatery'. I'm so glad I did!
This diner is something out of your grandma's farmhouse! So here's the deets:
Decor: country diner, farmhouse, grandma's house - so cute!
Food: ah-maz-ing! I had the southern breakfast (2 eggs with grits & toast), I added bacon (perfectly crisp!), a pancake & fresh fruit. (Hey, I LOVE breakfast!) Everything had a good taste & was cooked perfectly. The fruit was fresh & full of flavor.
Our waitress was terrific. She was quick & efficient with getting our food & drink orders & even with my picky boyfriend's instructions, she got everything right!
This is a definite must stop on my (or your) trip to Asheville! -
Review from Tasha W.
Asheville, NC
9/17/2011
The Good: good service, nice atmosphere, yummy macaroni & cheese
The Bad: not much selection for dinner (typical meatloaf/BBQ/fried chicken type fare), kinda noisy
Overall not as great as I was expecting but still good. Probably better for breakfast. -
Review from Rebecca B.
Asheville, NC
11/14/2011
I would like to give them 3.5 stars. We went for dinner on a Saturday night. I like the whole concept of the place..the local ingredients...and the comfort food/diner atmosphere. I ordered the trout and while it was good, the portion was pretty small for the price. My partner ordered the fried chicken, and he was disappointment because it wasn't on the bone and there wasn't really any breading on it. We kept seeing everyone else's dishes coming out with huge portions, so we were hoping ours would be the same. Anyway, we are hoping to try it again for breakfast. We really wanted to like the place more...perhaps we ordered the wrong thing.
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Review from Elliott W.
Franklin, TN
7/31/2011
As so many have commented, Early Girl was a pleasure. We made reservations for our party of 8 about an hour ahead of time on the first night of Belle Chere and were seated on arrival. Our servers were attentive and helpful. Our table shared an order of guac, hummus and pimento cheese spread to start. I had the special ribeye, mac and cheese and candied yams. The ribeye was a locally sourced pastured cow, and was cooked deliciously although a hair more well done than medium as ordered. If not for the medium well of the steak, I would have given the Early Girl five stars.
To finish, I had a slice of chocolate Mayo cake, which was moist and delicious. Who knew. -
Review from J Det D.
Atlanta, GA
9/4/2011
This is one of those places where the wait impacts my review.
We had to wait over an hour to get a table. When we have to wait this long I expect that the food is going to be amazing because so many other people are there too, right? Not really. The food is ok, not amazing, not mind blowing, just ok food.
I would probably give this place 3.5 stars for the food and 4 stars for the staff. The staff was really nice and sweet, but again, an hour wait for food that's ok? I'd wait that long for amazing food, not ok food. -
Review from Glenn B.
Lakeland, FL
11/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Breakfast all day long...can it get any better? I had the poached egg with tomato gravy over grit cakes; our family had fried chicken salad, black bean omelet, chicken salad plate, vegetarian chili, and the cobb salad. There were compliments all around. The prices are reasonable, the service very friendly, with everyone meeting and greeting us on the way in and on the way out. The wait service was very attentive, but not in your way if you want to sit and talk. The atmosphere is bright and cheery.
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Review from Jojo F.
6/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
It was our last night in Asheville before heading back to the Mountain Light Sanctuary for a good night's sleep. We were wandering around town and came across Early Girl Eatery. We decided to check-in. Twenty minute wait.
Is it worth it? Definitely so and yes. I opted for the Tempeh Reuben and my husband had the scrambled tofu with home fries. We also shared a basket of sweet potato hush puppies, which took us over the line, sweet Jesus.
With all the really cool art on the walls, my senses were as full as my belly. I couldn't help but buy a little bird on a block painting, which was symbolic of our traveling days ahead. Early Girl Eatery, we shall meet again soon. -
Review from Sarah Ann B.
Grand Junction, CO
6/29/2011
When I think back to Asheville, I slowly re-submerge myself into the smooth coaxing aroma of fresh, locally, and beautifully crafted food.
I am perhaps slightly biased toward this place due to the fact my family's old farm, 'Narnia Farms', used to supply them with their breakfast sausage. Regardless, what they did with that meet could not be recreated at home. With excellent offerings of both meat and vegetarian dishes, this place catered to my every, constantly changing, teenage whim. While being a disgracefully picky eater as an angsty tween, Early Girl was somehow able to break down several food barriers I had, presumably, permanently raised in my food repertoire. Lo, and behold the delight of my parents, and my taste buds!
I owe a lot to you Early Girl. Thanks :-) -
Review from Isana G.
6/17/2011
I want to take Early Girl and transplant it to my neighborhood.
I really liked the spacious yet cozy feel of the dining area. The service was awesome. Our waitress sat down with us and gave us info about Asheville neighborhoods (we were thinking of relocating). She also had awesome tattoos and I kind of had a girl crush on her and her awesome tattoos. But that's a moot point.
The food was very good. Hubby and I split the broccoli cheddar hush puppies. I had a Cobb salad and he had eggs and something something. The hush puppies with garlic dipping sauce were the best I ever had. My salad was fresh and crunchy. Hub's breakfast was tasty. We ate, had a round of breakfast beers (VACATION!), and thoroughly enjoyed the laid-back vibe of the place. -
Review from Kit C.
Asheville, NC
1/3/2012
Early Girl is a great place to take guests. The food is local, down home and delicious! The Early Girl Benny is my favorite. They have awesome specials as well. It's not expensive and everybody can find something they like.
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Review from Rebecca C.
Troutman, NC
4/8/2011
Didn't know this was a vegetarian eatery. I am a meat kinda girl. But with that said, the food was pretty decent. Flowers on the table were a nice added touch of "home grown" atmosphere they are trying to sell to their patrons.
What I really loved about this restaurant was their careful attention and planning for children and babies. They brought out a bucket of wooden toys for Emma to play with. Made my visit that much more enjoyable, as Emma was totally occupied the entire dine-in. Thanks Early Girl for keeping my kid entertained and that Pimento Cheese Spread. Oh, and fresh jam. That was good too. -
Review from Daniel H.
Asheville, NC
7/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went to the Early Girl for the first time last October. To be honest, I can't remember what we had at all. I just remember it being really good, and I loved the place's sense of style.
Since moving to the area recently, we have returned once and had breakfast.
When you enter, you walk right by/through the kitchen, which is pretty nifty. Nice to see a place that isn't afraid of you seeing behind the scenes.
The place is pretty casual, with plants and local art hanging about, and bright cheerful colors and a laid back feel. Staff are very friendly, and are pretty good about giving you enough attention without smothering or becoming annoying.
The food is the usual Asheville "locavore" take on a lot of great dishes, and there are meat and veg options aplenty.
On the recent trip, I had the local sausage and sweet potato scramble, and it was delicious! Everything was super fresh and very flavorful. My girlfriend ordered a stack of the multigrain pancakes, which were good and very filling. Overall, we would have been satisfied splitting the scramble and just ordering a single pancake on the side as a treat.
One slightly bad aspect, for the breakfast crowd at least, is that the coffee just wasn't very good. It's just a regular drip coffee, which is fine as long as it's tasty, but this stuff was thick and, well, just not good. We're a little snooty about coffee, but as long as you can stand to drink a couple of cups it's fine by us (unless our goal was great coffee, of course). This stuff we couldn't handle after the first cup and sip of the second. It may have just been an off day for it.
At any rate, great food, great service, and a nice vibe from Early Girl. We'll definitely be back. -
Review from Kenny R.
6/1/2011
Oh yes! One of my fav's when in Asheville, especially for breakfast. This time I was giving a small tour to some out of towners. As usual, parking was a little bit of a chore, but that gave us more time to walk around and figure out where to eat.
As soon as I saw the sign "Banana and strawberry pancakes" I knew where the girls would want to go. So we put our name on the list and were called in less than 5 minutes. First thing, "a round of frsh squeezed mimosa's while we wait, please"
Then we looked over the menu, so much to choose from but I almost always go with the daily special. I got the fried trout with eggs and biscuit. I've had better trout filets there, but still great in my book. As always the biscuit and eggs were cooked to perfection.
One of my counterparts got the pancakes, absolutely awesome. A little strong on the banana taste right off the bat, but very smooth and fluffy.
My other counterpart went with Apple Walnut salad(mind you we were in town for a 2 day pig cookout, so needed to eat light). The fresh local goat feta was so creamy, but not quite as pungent of a flavor as I like. The rest of the salad very fresh and crisp.
After all that and sharing some of each we felt full but yet not bogged down, ready to conquer the day, and for the long walk back to the car. -
Review from Scott W.
Suwanee, GA
5/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
I had lunch here on a Saturday while visiting Asheville. After a 30 min wait I was seated at a table with a window view which overlooked the park across the street (I liked that).
The service and food were both pretty good. I had a pimento grill cheese sandwich with potato soup. Although everything was OK I did not feel my experience was worth the 30 min wait. -
Review from Lynn T.
Griffin, GA
11/6/2011
Very cute restaurant with friendly staff. Was expecting greatness, based on other reviews but was somewhat dissapointed. I did not think the food was all that great. Just so-so.
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Review from Yohini S.
Greensboro, NC
7/10/2011
Food was pretty good, plenty of vegetarian choices. I took the day's special potato and garlic cakes with toast and eggs. I liked it! Coffee was good. They had 20 minute wait time to get in, but that's normal for a sunday brunch in popular places.
Probably not the best brunch- i've ever had but it was very good! :) -
Review from Silvia D.
Hope Mills, NC
10/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
We really enjoyed this restaurant! The breakfasts were delicious, wholesome, and filling. The staff were lovely. Great atmosphere.
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Review from Paul K.
Meal was good, not great. Seemed fairly flavor-reserved. I liked it but not for the price it was at.
I was a bit weirded out at the sugar dispenser having the sugar open to air, sneezing, etc as I do not believe they change them between guests, and the pot of jam they brought me I think might have had remnants of someone else's bread in it. Eh, minor things but whatever.
I'd eat there again if I were in the area to try some other things out. -
Review from Jules S.
3/27/2011
Early Girl eatery gets a lot of press because any place that features locally grown, organic food is the darling of food writers. Is it worth the hype? I think so.
The most recent trip I took there was 7:15 am on a Friday morning. Apparently Asheville is not a morning town (maybe I should move there!) so it actually didn't open until 7:30. The nice thing was it was empty, unlike any time you try eating there on Sunday brunch! (Expect a long wait).
Hubs had the local sausage and sweet potato scramble, I ordered the Early Girl grit cake Benny and we split an order of the quick bread (one piece of banana bread and one of pumpkin ginger pecan). The quick bread was definitely worth getting! The scramble was very good and, in fact, earned kudos and clapping as my husband left the restaurant! It's not often you can give direct feedback to the kitchen staff, but this setup allowed it and they seemed to appreciate it!
My Benny came on top of a GIANT grit cake that was interesting. There was an option for a spinach potato cake special that I kind of wish I had ordered. the grit cake was topped with tomatoes, spinach, two eggs and a tomato gravy. I was not a fan of the tomato gravy, but it was well-executed and just wasn't my taste. I have also had the multi-grain pancakes that were Awesome. Our meals came with biscuits or toast and we had already forged ourselves so didn't devour the dry,dense biscuits. They had nice flavor but left a floury feel in the mouth that even the raspberry preserves couldn't prevent.
It is in a down homey kind of place with grubby curtains and handmade pots for preserve and bong-looking sugar shakers. They offer Demerara sugar for coffee which I think makes coffee so much better and theirs is good to start with.
I definitely look forward to returning to try more. -
Review from Ingrid H.
Bowling Green, KY
8/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great breakfast! My friend had shrimp and grits which she said was wonderful and I had the early girl benny which was also great. My Benny was toast with spinach, tomatoes, avocado, poached egg and tomato gravy. Very yummy! I so recommend you give this place a try. We were there when they opened and there was a line at the door, but not a long wait.
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Review from Trish D.
DeLand, FL
8/7/2011
My very first visit here last weekend during Bele Chere and it was great! My Early Girl Platter was pimiento cheese, black-eyed pea hummus and avocado salad along with fresh melon and strawberries. I admit I had a slight bit of menu envy when I saw my niece's fried green tomato napoleon and then tasted it - delicious and so different! Some in our party had breakfast and sandwiches but everything looked so good and was fresh-tasting.
There is a very small waiting area at the front and also outside which was quite warm at the end of July but once we were seated in the light and airy dining room. All was fine.
A note: the restaurant is located in an office building and the restrooms are in the office building area. Fun detail - the restroom keys are attached to large kitchen utensils and hang on the wall beside the door.
I would look forward to visiting here again and trying 4 or 5 new menu items! -
Review from H P.
Asheville, NC
2/18/2011
I really love Early Girl. It's fresh local ingredients, cooked well with some creativity and a lot of flavor. Southern in spirit but not too tied to tradition.
I highly recommend the Local Sausage and Sweet Potato Scramble, especially combined with very careful, small dabs of the smoky Fire on the Mountain hot sauce they have. Get a biscuit with it and put some of their delicious jam on the biscuit. So good.
For lunch I like to get a meat and two, such as fried catfish, or a daily special.
It's good, real food.
When you walk in, due to the weird layout of the space you basically have to walk through the kitchen, which can be a little loud and kitchen-smelling. But once you're through there, the dining area is sunny and pleasant.
It's a child-friendly place, they give the kids a little bucket of toys. Probably not super sanitary, but if your kid goes to preschool, no doubt they've seen worse...
Two somewhat comparable restaurants nearby are Rise N Shine and Tingles. I like Rise N Shine too for breakfast, but have had some pretty bad experiences with their service. Tingles is a little more diner and a little less Southern, and it's maybe more accessible (not as heavy with the seasoning, not as quirky with the recipes).
There's also Tupelo Honey of course, which is quite good, but often has a long wait. Early Girl feels more "home style" and less restaurant-like than Tupelo Honey. I wouldn't hesitate to switch to Early Girl around the corner if there's a big line of tourists at Tupelo Honey. -
Review from Jennifer B.
Durham, NC
12/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
It is too bad that I compare every restaurant in Asheville to Tupelo. I went for breakfast and it was tasty. I had a veggie omelet along with some green tea. The omelet was good but nothing to be blown away by. It was good and fresh though.
The service was just OK. I found myself waiting a long time for my waitress to stop by even though it wasn't super busy. But it wasn't too bad. The parking here is a bit tricky and it could be hard to find a spot but within walking distance of most places downtown.
A good spot for sure and I might try to make it back for lunch or some of those hush puppies people are yelping about! -
Review from Kerry K.
Seattle, WA
9/28/2011
We had a nice breakfast here, food was good but did not match the hype.
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Review from Andy H.
Baltimore, MD
9/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Mehhh. I ate here with a big party, and was underwhelmed by both the service and the food. Our waitress was unreceptive to requests to modify menu items, and service was slow. Having to hold on to a giant spoon key while peeing also doesn't seem like the most hygienic thing in the world...
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Review from Brea G.
Gainesville, FL
3/28/2011
Breakfast all day - hooray!
We had read about this place being crowded but went on a weekday afternoon and it wasn't.
I had the black bean and cheddar omelette and it was tasty.
The seating is actually upstairs from Tupelo Honey so it you get a window seat it's a really pleasant place to have a leisurely breakfast (even at 2pm!)
Not sure if the jam was homemade (I think it may have been) but it was really good.
good food / good prices / good service
If I lived in Asheville I think this place would be a regular stop for breakfast. -
Review from Nicole M.
Asheville, NC
11/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
My guy and I spent Halloween weekend in Asheville for MoogFest and tried several Asheville restaurants during our stay. Early Girl was my fave, hands down. We ordered the Early Girl Benny and the Local Sausage and Sweet Potato scramble with biscuits and a side of vegetarian herb gravy. Every bite was super delicious. I'm not generally into eggs Benedict, but Early Girl's version with grit cakes instead of English muffins and an amazing tomato gravy rocked my world. It may have been the best breakfast entree I've ever had.
There was a short wait (about twenty minutes for two), but the quick, friendly service, clean, bright atmosphere, and stellar food were so worth it. It'll be my first stop on my next Asheville adventure.Listed in: Asheville
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Review from daniel p.
Asheville, NC
Updated - 8/27/2011
Pretty tasty brunch! Can usually get a table under ten minutes at the busiest brunching hours. I've only had breakfast there, but the service and food are quite decent. Nothing spectacular, but good. Would recommend to friends.
1 Previous Review:
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12/28/2009
Super friendly, great atmosphere, wonderful food. Awesome breakfast spot! I love this place.
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Review from Dave S.
8/2/2011
This place is pretty good. I must admit to being slightly let down, but that was only because it had been built up so much for us by people we know. I do suggest going for dinner, because we managed to get right in. When we tried going for breakfast once we had over an hour wait that we abandoned. I got a quiche that ended up being great. My side salad was really good as well. We also ordered a biscuit because we heard they were great. It ended up being only average. Especially when compared to tupelo honey's biscuit. My wife got the vegetable plate, which I sampled. There was mac and cheese on the side, and it was only average as well. The broccoli casserole was incredible though. I definitely recommend going, but if you have to choose between here and Tupelo Honey, pick Tupelo Honey.
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Review from Syrah M.
Somerville, MA
12/15/2010
My husband and I stopped here for dinner on a road trip in August 2008. I'm still dreaming of my next visit.....
We stopped because it was reccomended for its "made from scratch food using quality fresh produce and ingredients." It was more than we could have dreamed of! This place is the ultimate in terms of both health and social conscientiousness - ingredients come from as many surrounding sustainable and organic sources as possible, the menu is diverse, inclusive for all palates and every bite nourishing to both the body and soul.
WE ATE: Grilled asparagus salad on a bed of greens topped with local goat feta cheese, cucumber salsa & tahini dressing; grilled marinated portobello mushroom and local heirloom tomato napoleon made with lots of local basil and chevre, and drizzled with homemade balsamic dressing; pan roasted free-range chicken with herb gravy, mashed local potatoes, yellow squash casserole and sauteed chard & beet greens.
WE DRANK: Tim loved the French Broad Brewing Co. Scotch Ale from Asheville. The restaurant itself is on hip Wall Street in downtown Asheville, the ambiance both funky and comfortable at the same time (I loved the paintings on vintage textile canvas and cute homemade-seeming curtains), the prices are VERY REASONABLE and the staff is knowledgeable and fun. Places like this give hope to the sustainable agriculture & local food movement! This restaurant is really the gold standard that others around the country would be smart to model after. -
Review from Michael L.
Decatur, GA
9/17/2010
After spending a bit of time poring over which restaurant we should go to, we finally chose this spot. Gotta make the most of your meals on vacation!
Here's what we ordered
Roasted Lamb Shank, Collard Greens, Broccoli cheddar hushpuppies ($13.95). The lamb shank was downright good. Must've been cooked for a while because it was fork tender. I'm glad that the spices used didn't overpower the meaty flavor of the lamb. (4) Broccoli cheddar hushpuppies- OMG. Ridiculously good. Not your typical semi-hard, bready hushuppy. The cheese and broccoli gave a very different texture (softer, almost crumbly in a good way). My only complaint is that the outside was a bit overfried/burnt. (4.5) Collards were ok (3).
Pan-fried Mountain Trout - with a blackberry green tomato sauce, squash casserole, vegan potato salad ($12.95). A very small piece of trout with skin on. Taste was okay, but the blackberry green tomato sauce just didn't sit well with our palates. (3). The squash casserole was ok, but had a hint of sourness? Ack. (2.5) The vegan potato salad used a good amount of dill, and was a nice refreshing side. (3.5)
Previous reviews mentioning the kind of off-putting service were kind of right. The hostess hustled us to our corner seat, pointed to the blackboard with the specials, and left before I could say "What?". Our waitress was okay, however. Overall: (3.75)
Come here for the hushpuppies. Do it.Listed in: A trip to Asheville, NC
