rhubarb

if this restaurant were a little hole in the wall with reasonable prices, i would be less inclined to say the dinner was underwhelming. our orders were hit or miss. some dishes were innovative and beautiful, but then some were inaccurately described on the menu and underdeveloped. i would go here again in a pinch, but it wouldn't be a first choice.

wasn't sure what to expect based on other reviews but we were pleasantly surprised. we only got a few appetizers to share: rabbit leek rillette, buckwheat farro flatbread, mussels, oysters on half shell and candied scallops. we really enjoyed the rillette. there was plenty to go around and the mustard and fig jam was a nice addition. mussels were good as well and the scallops were amazing! the oysters fell flat. only 3 and there was too much cornmeal you couldn't really taste the mussels. the flatbread tasted fine but just wasn't in the same lane as the rabbit and the scallop dishes.

made a reservation based on article i read about their oysters but apparently they only serve for dinner. however, the server got us a plate of them and the sweet jesus were the best!

rhubarb - what a great find! menu was unique but not weird, meal was excellent and drink list was extensive. service was friendly, professional and not pretentious. ambiance was welcoming and pleasant. we sat outside on a beautiful asheville night and enjoyed the strumming or a banjo from a street performer, it was so asheville and just great. i was there for a business dinner but there were also couples and families - all seemed to be enjoying the experience. go, eat and enjoy!

amazing. lobster corn dogs. it's lobster. and a corn dog. snapper. awesome. duck. awesome. service. awesome. very reasonably priced wine list. chrissy (hopefully i'm spelling her name correctly) was one of the best servers we've ever had. period. hands down. i'm kind of sad writing this right now because that means i'm not eating at rhubarb. go and eat there. now.

my mother lives in asheville and each time i visit she makes an effort to plan a dinner at an exceptional restaurant for me. i should start by saying that asheville is a foodie-mecca. the sheer number of restaurants is not what is staggering, but the focus that each of those restaurants has on celebrating its ingredients and its own take on the farm-to-table
movement. rhubarb is the epitome of gourmet farm-to-table and is plainly, quite amazing. for an inexperienced diner the menu may be intimidating; even for myself as a moderately-experienced diner it was close. however, the servers are very knowledgeable and happy to explain. truly, the more obscure menu ingredients are mostly locally grown or foraged speciality items. to start, we ordered the lobster corn dogs and yes, these are as life-changing as they sound. i ordered the rhubarb-glazed duck confit as my entree, and it was mind-blowingly good. it was rich, delicate, salty, and complex all at once. the meat was falling off the bone tender, and served with wilted greens and a sweet potato cake that were perfect complements. it was truly, one of the best meals i have had in my life. this is not a restaurant to be missed in asheville.

this is absolutely delicious

kale chips. delicious and different crispy hors d'oeuvre

over hyped and underwhelming. this place is a joke. underwhelming. i feel like i went to a different restaurant than the one the other reviewers experienced.

every dish we ordered was lacking. the lamb ribs consisted of 4 miniscule " ribs" that were both tough, yet super fatty and slimy. the kale "kimchee" was kale cooked to a mushy consistency with so much salt in it, that a salt lick is what comes to mind. the octopus was rubbery... imagine rubber bands. oh did i mention there were maybe 4 small rubber band pieces on the plate. my miniscule grilled watermelon and heirloom tomatoes salad was decent, but for $10:00, i would expect it to be excellent. the drinks were good, but, let's be real, they couldn't screw up wine. the mussels were adequate.

all in all, miniscule portions, over inflated prices, and over-hyped. the biggest problem however is the mediocre food. it's been a long time since we had such a sad dining experience. the build out/decor was nice

a few weeks ago i attended the asheville wine and food festival, which was one of the best food events i have ever experienced, as far as a “taste” of a city, but i’ll tell you all about that in another post. today, i want to tell you about some of the food we experienced on our own. we didn’t necessarily have full dinners at all of the places, but they were noteworthy enough to share with you. not only is the food wildly creative, eclectic, slow, and locally sourced, if you are eating downtown, you can eat outside, which makes all food taste better. there are probably more outdoor cafes per capital in asheville than anywhere in the united states, because the population is only 80,000 people. on friday nights, the downtown buzz begins with a drum circle , which is amazing in itself, but on nearly every corner, there is someone playing some great music. in other words, there is a special ambiance to the downtown scene . it’s quaint, yet grown up, not small town, not big city, yet it’s h

y’know what i liked about this place right off the bat? while the interior decor/design certainly has that ‘reclaimed vintage’ aesthetic that everyone and their brother opening a new restaurant in town is using, this felt a little different. it was more like peeling back the decades and celebrating the buildings history, with an intelligent mix of modern sophistication that gives it a certain charm which is lacking in the ‘cut and paste’ versions of this you see elsewhere. at least thats the way i saw it.

sure, the place is gorgeous, but i cannot be content to pay asheville dinner prices for entirely underwhelming food. on the whole, the food is a copycat of several other local places, underseasoned, and the portions transcended "artful" into "stingy". the waitstaff was polite, but clearly did not know more than the basics about the menu, and were less than diligent with my drink order. also, the bar was incredibly disappointing. have you ever had a pink old fashioned? yeah, me either...

creatively tasty. we stopped here for cocktails and dessert. the simple elegance is apparent from the start. it isn't arrogant and tastes are top notch. 10/10

there are times that words just are not enough, simply marvelous to say the least
wait staff is exceptional, and the food "phenomenal"
looking forward to coming back and experiencing the remainder of the menu

friendly waitstaff. the food was good but not the best we had during our stay in asheville. we went from brunch when several other places were too packed. i had the montecristo & my husband had the trout and grits which was pretty bland. however, the waitstaff was the most friendly and professional of anywhere we ate in town.