As others have noted, this place has two levels: Upstairs at street level and down in the basement, where we sat and where the bar features only Belgian and Belgian-style beers.
When we were there, on a Saturday evening, everything, including food, was ordered at the bar. A numbered placard was given for each order so they could bring it to the right table. This worked pretty well, with my only reservation being that it meant every time we wanted something we had to go through the process of elbowing into the bar and getting a bartender's attention. Still, everything found our table and was delicious. I had the tempeh tacos and pretzel bites with a couple of Belgian brews. Everyone else in my group of four enjoyed their food as well.
This place took me beyond happy...They have this cheese and beer dip that's served with chunks of soft pretzels that's one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth. Â
I was surprised by the number of beers that they offered on tap; local and otherwise, but I was shocked when our bartender told us that there would be completely different beers the following evening. Â The night that we were there it was NC vs SC microbrews in the basement. Â
They offer 1/2 servings so you could conceivably sample 12+ beers and still walk out on your own accord (and hopefully to the LaZoom haunted comedy tour bus!).  This was great, because I was more willing to try something like the Ass Clown chocolate bacon jalapeño stout and not have to worry whether I'd be able to drink it or not (it didn't matter because it was awesome).
watering hole galore, this old-time bar beckons beer lovers and doesn't disappoint. A super friendly staff, great decor and selection to die for make this stop one of the nation's best beer bars (don't believe me, check the lists).
We toasted a few at the bar in the basement, which is all about the Belgians. The staff was friendly and informative, walking each customer through the selections and answering questions (which are lofted in groups since many are not all that familiar with many Belgian beer styles).
Great beers and a great vibe make this a definite must stop when in Asheville (and I highly recommend hitting the basement, less busy and a great selection of Bengians).
Spent a day in Asheville last weekend with my boyfriend and his sister. This was our second stop, and we stayed for a quite a while. We found ourselves in the basement, and made ourselves comfortable at the bar. This place was great. Our bartender was SUPER friendly and knowledgable. Considering this place is known for its Belgian offerings, it had plenty of other options for those of us who don't enjoy that particular profile.
Other reviews mention how busy this place is, but we went around 2:00 on a Friday, and it was pretty empty. So if you're on vacation, like we were, definitely check it out in the off hours.
Another Asheville beer staple apparently. Â As soon as we walked up we noticed a line and it was because this little place can only handle a certain headcount before it's over it's fire capacity. Â We decided to wait it out to see what all the fuss was about and plus it was IPA tap takeover day. Â PERFECT.
We grabbed a beer on the upper level to begin with and while it was crowded I really preferred the belgian beer bar downstairs. Â First, I like belgian beers, secondly, it wasn't nearly as crowded and a little more like a lounge vs. a bar. Â My kind of setup.
I think Thirsty Monk would probably be a great mid week, grab a craft beer kind of place when it's not nearly as crowded.
Of all the bars and breweries we visited in Asheville, this was by far our favorite (okay, it probably helped that it was only a block away from our hotel, but still). This was our first stop after dropping off our luggage at the hotel, and we liked it so much we came back two days later for lunch. They have a ton of beers on tap, and they rotate them regularly to keep the selection interesting. The BBQ tempeh tacos were great too. I even bought a shirt from this place. If you can, grab a spot on the patio so you can people watch while you enjoy your beer.
Review Source:8 of us were looking for a place to extend the party, grab some beers and maybe some food. Behold, the Thirsty Monk. We go to enter but we're stopped by the bouncer. He tells us the bar is full and he can't admit us until someone leaves. We look to our left at the half-empty patio and behind the bouncer to the empty table that is the perfect size to accommodate all 8 of us. We ask him, are you sure? He tells us to wait while he does a quick headcount and after disappearing for a couple of minutes he deigns to let us pass into the hallowed bar.
We grab the empty table and 2 of us go to the bar to grab some pitchers. We figure we'll grab a pitcher of dark and a pitcher of light beer. We place the order only to be told they don't serve pitchers, only by the glass. Oh. Okay. Well then, we'll take 4 glasses of light and 4 of dark. Turns out not only do they not serve pitchers, they don't serve pints either, as our beers came in half-pint glasses. Two swallows later, we were out of beer, and out of love with this establishment. On to the next.
A must visit if you are in Asheville for the first time. my favorite thing to do there is to order a flight (I'm sure the bartenders hate me), and sample the many options.
You are not committing to any beer for too long, and I get to try 4 beers...most of which I would have never ordered a full pint.
If I can get my wife to try a beer in this establishment then it must be out of bounds mostly because of the main fact that she does NOT drink beer at all. Went in and sat down on a saturday night, found a beer I wanted then found out I had to go downstairs to get it. Didn't bother me since going downstairs basically meant going to an entirely different bar. The prices were fair and the beer was fantastic! Bartender was a bit smug, but still responded to my questions and was generally nice. Seen a beer on the chalkboard behind the bar priced at $30 for a single beer!
Review Source:Oh Belgian beer, I love you so much yet why do you do such terrible things to me?
The Thirsty Monk feels like two bars in one. The upstairs has more of a punk-bar feel, while downstairs makes you feel like you're in an abbey. I like the juxtaposition.
Be prepared to spend some time at the Thirsty Monk because the pours are generous and the beers will sneak up on you.
This is one of the only bars I've been too that has surprised me with its stock. I should have written down everything we tried because they had some extremely tasty options.
Anytime you're looking for a good time in Asheville, you have to pay homage to the monk.
I love this bar. I love the two floors; crafty US on top, delicious and obscure European brews in the basement. I liked the basement ambience a bit better - a little darker, warmer, and cozier. But both floors are comfortable. The service was great and the crowd delightfully eclectic. We snacked on the pretzel bites with cheese dipping sauce. I would like to dip all food in the cheese at every meal from now until I gain a thousand pounds. Even other cheeses. Happy customer.
Review Source:If you love beer, this is a must visit place. Thirsty Monk offers an impressive beer list. Between tap and bottled selections, you can find something for just about every palate. Its laid-back atmosphere makes it easy to swing by in the evening and enjoy a cold beer and some good bar-food. The top level of the downtown bar is focused on American craft beers while the downstairs level centers around Belgian beers. Both levels provide excellent service.
Review Source:Great pub! Just great!
I love the bar; it's long and wide and it leaves the chance of meeting all kinds of cool people from all over. Everyone's laid back, the music is good, and the beer is fantastic. Definitely go with a flight  if you're there to try different kinds and see what you like. I liked every single one of mine, which is saying a lot for me, because I normally don't care for IPAs etc. It's not a frilly place, but it's not dark and weird, either.
We tried the pretzel bites and sliders, and those were really good, too. Much better than average bar fare.
The Thirsty Monk is a must visit spot for any craft beer enthusiast coming through the Asheville area. The draft beer selection is pretty solid (I was more than psyched to see that they had some New Belgium Lips of Faith on tap when I visited) with a variety of drafts upstairs (including many local brews) and an amazing Belgian beer draft selection downstairs.
The space itself is pretty much of the no frills variety with ample seating upstairs and a ton of extra seating downstairs. There's also some seating out front which offers prime people watching vantage points. The bartenders seemingly range from completely uncaring of your existence to eager to drop some knowledge in terms of their customer service tactics. There is also a basic food menu offering appetizers, sandwiches, and pizzas. In a very cool twist, almost every item on the menu is paired with an optimal beer.
If you can't find something you like on draft, there is a very extensive bottle menu as well here. Plus you can find a listing and descriptions of all the draft and bottle beers currently being offered at the Thirsty Monk on their website. Very cool.
This is the place to frequent for a chill, no frills bar experience with a far beyond average brew selection.
I loved this place! The food was really good and the beer selection was awesome. I came here planning on only having one beer. Well one turned into two and two turned into four very quickly! Great people watching venue as well. The patrons varied from beer snob hipsters to businessmen having a brew after work. A must stop if you are in the Asheville area.
Review Source:Good place with a wicked selection of beer. Â Throw in the tiny patio outside to people watch all folks walking by, this is a great place to have a beer during the day/early evening.
Bar folks are good with selections and helpful with refills. Â If upstairs is packed there is a downstairs and there is a good Belgian beer selection.
People kept telling me about the Thirsty Monk. I've been to a lot of beer bars (don't tell my mom), so for a while I wasn't moved. After a while, though, I had heard so much that I knew I had to act. To be honest, I planned an entire trip to Asheville just to go to this bar. Seriously.
And it was worth it. I live in Cincinnati, OH - so we're not talking any Sunday drive. In fact, I only wish that I had started my night at Thirsty Monk so that I could have stayed longer, sampling beers from their mind-blowingly diverse tap list. I would have loved to have gone downstairs to drink at their Belgian Beer Bar, but alas, I could only make it down there to use the restrooms. (At least I didn't fall down the stairs.)
So is the Thirsty Monk all that and a bag of chips? I think so. I'm already trying to think up an excuse to go back.
Absolutely no customer service. We came in and sat at a table, waiting for a waitress, while the bartenders stared at us for about 15 min. Finally I approached the bar and the tender gave us some cards to pick our beer sampler. When the bartender got the samplers ready, he informed us that some beers are downstairs and we would have to carry our own trays downstairs and get our beers poured. I know that doesn't sound like a big deal, but when you've been waiting for 15 min to order and then the bar tender tells you to get your own beers, you're not so happy. I also asked the bar tender for some waters and she stared at me for 5 sec before directing me to a water basin in the back of the bar where I could get my own waters. Beers were good, food was good, but I gave myself a bigger tip because I did most of the work while the bar tenders stood around and talked amongst themselves.
Ps. Because I was running back and forth from the bar to our table, shuttling our beer samples, the table next to us try to flag me down a couple of times because they thought I was the waitress.
A pretty good beer bar. I liked:
-The option of half-pours
-Selection of WNC beers, including some one-offs and seasonals
-Decent Belgian tap selection downstairs
-Place to smoke a pipe with a beer out front on the sidewalk
If you're there on a weekend night, it's easier to find a seat downstairs.
Asheville has too many sticky shitty and dirty places filled with a bunch of hobbitown hippies and lots of bros and douchebags and scuzzbods. At least it seemed like it the night we went there. I mean the college town shitsthetic is pretty irritating. Thankfully, the Thirsty Monk has fewer of these types of humans around.
Loved the draft beer selection, not mind blowing but really good. The Belgian Beer bar in the basement is cool, too. Great Belgian beers on tap, plus a nice bottle selection.
Am tired of beer bars having the same shitty beer sign decor. There are other ways to make people know you are in a craft beer bar besides using tap handles and shitty signs as your decor. Â
Other than weaving through hobbits and the usual craft beer sign overload, if you need the good craft beer in Asheville you will have to visit..
This was a great first stop in Asheville. Â Excellent and well-priced selection of beers. Â I loved the fact that they do half pours, which allows you to try more beers and stay (mostly) sober.
Service was very friendly. Â While we didn't get to try the food, we watched it being prepared and it looked really good.
This is a fantastic place for any beer geek. It, without doubt, has the finest quality and selection of pints in Beer City, which is something to say indeed. Â
The only thing that drives me elsewhere is that they do not have a lot of local stuff. Â I see that as one of two things: Â 1) they know you can get that blocks away at the breweries 2) they may be a bit on the snotty side and going for only the BEST beer they can find. Â No slight to my Asheville, but I think its the latter. I would come more if I didn't like Wedge and Pisgah so much, but even I recognize that the stuff they pour is pure and simple...special. Â
Downstairs in a brick walled cavern you will find Belgian beers. Â Upstairs is craft beer mecca! Â Really. Â They have their own micro brewery at Thirsty Monk south also.
Oh...watch what they do closely. Â They open rare casks often...they have a Wed. pint night where you get free beer glad with each pint from a cool brewer...and more.
We visited here on Monday night of beer week and had a lovely time. They were out of several things on tap, much to my chagrin. However, I did manage to cobble together a lovely flight, anyway (they let you pick four of anything they have on tap). I liked that they gave your list back for you to make tasting notes on.
The place is split as a bi-level and they're working on opening the upstairs soon, from what I understand. Downstairs focuses on Belgian style beers, upstairs are Americans and microbrews. Upstairs was open-air, if a little nitty-gritty, but enjoyable. Downstairs was more dungeon-like, but cool and, I'd think refreshing on a hot day, especially if you love Belgian brews. :) Very low-key, very enjoyable place to grab a pint or three!
My favorite pub in Asheville and that is saying something! Â So many to choose from. Â The focus is on beer but the pub grub looked good too. Â The suggestions were right on and the location is great.
Added bonus...if you accidentally leave your iPhone on the bar they will hold it for you. Â Thanks guys!
If you love beer and you have not been to Thirsty Monk, then shame on you! Â This is a MUST visit bar. Â Upstairs (street level), you will find all microbrews, a bar, several tables and a small porch for warm days. Â We like to start here for a beer (or two) and then head down into what feels (and rather looks like) the Dungeon. Â Downstairs you are greeted with a plethora of Belgian beers, everything from light and sweet to "make your face pucker" sours. Â My all-time favorite, Delerium Tremens is always on tap, and I always start off there. Â My husband is more adventurous (and much more beer knowledgeable), so rather than stick with whats on draught, he eyes up the packed cooler for a bottle of something unique. Â
The bartenders know more about this beer than you could ever ask, and their friendly, but not in your face. Â Monk also has a full menu, so you can enjoy some lunch or dinner as well. Â We have never eaten a meal here, but can never leave without snagging a bowl of their Monk Nuts, which are the perfect bar snack.
We didn't notice that there was a difference between the bar on the top and the bar on the bottom. Â The top bar is craft brew american beers (and 90's music) and the bottom bar is belgium and belgium-style beers (with siriusXM spectrum music).
The top bar: Was much more bar like in its atmosphere and the craft brew beers are american brewiers with some excellent choices. Â My wife was very please to find that Pumpking was still on draught in december. Â This is her favorite of the october pumpkin beers and to find it at all, let alone on draught, it amazing. Â I had the Smoked and Oaked, which at 10%, was as strong on flavor as on alcohol content. Â
The bottom bar: After being drawn by the music, we wandered down stairs to find our true love. Â Clad in rustic wood and leather accented furniture and couches you can sit, relax and enjoy a vast selection of some of the best belgium and belgium-style popular and RARE beers. Â The tap list was filled with shiny stars, but the bottle list was were you could spend a fortune on flavor. Â We resisted the urge to drink for hours and pass out, but a trip back is a must. (probably tomorrow!)
A caveat: Â I'm a horrible beer snob. Â If you think Lowenbrau is the last word in swanky, then pretend I'm writing this in German and ignore it. Â Or if you speak German, Swahili.
Caveat the second: Â I only go to the downstairs bar. Â Belgian beer snob. Â We're the worst. Â You should avoid us.
With that out of the way: Â This is my favorite bar in NC. Â There's something about a dimly lit basement with a wood bar and low-slung couches. Â No jukebox. Â No extraneous noise or clutter, which is good because you came here for the beer list.
And the beer list.......wow. Â Between the kegged and bottled selections, you can find something for just about every palate. Â And with the availability of reasonably priced flights, you can try a bunch provided your liver can handle it.
Asheville deserves a special trip if you are within a six hour drive, and this should be where you finish up at least one evening. Â You won't regret it.
I have been here before and it was fine. There was good selection, but the ambiance was nothing special. Then I came back to Asheville to visit. It was during the Bele Chere festival and I had a Canon backpack and was walking around. My wife and I wanted to go in and get a drink. I was stopped at the door by an incredibly sketchy bouncer who said, "I'm going to have to take your bag."
My backpack was full of lenses and my SLR and I said "no you aren't" and started to walk away.
Then he yelled at me "Yeah! That's why"
I then said something snarky I can't remember and he started yelling like a total douche.
He clearly felt so good that he had stopped all the "contraband" contained in my canon bag from getting into his bar. I just wasn't going to let some sketchy a-hole hold on to my expensive lenses while I sat in a bar that was too crowded anyway. It was honestly the rudest I have ever had anybody in the service industry be. Needless to say, I won't ever be going back. This bar should consider getting staff that don't openly seek out a fight with their customers. All he had to do was let me walk away, but he was too big of a douche. Don't go here, especially if you are expecting to not be harassed by people who look like burned out hells angels. Avoid.
Are you a beer dork? Â Then go here.
Are you interested in learning more about beer? Â Then go here.
Are you annoyed by people sniffing their beer and looking down on folks who drink PBR? Â Then don't go here.
The Thirsty Monk is a beer dork's dream. Â The downstairs is the best Belgian beer bar I've ever been to. Â The wait-staff is knowledgeable and the atmosphere is very cool and unlike anything else in Asheville.
The upstairs is a very good American microbrewery bar. Â Not the best I've ever been to, but very, very good and a fun hang. Â it's a much livelier atmosphere than downstairs and is worth a visit for sure.
If you're among mixed company (some who want belgian beer, some who want American micro-berweries) then you're still covered as they allow you to bring beers between the two floors.
This is a cornerstone of the Asheville beer scene. Â If you're the type of person who debates hop varieties and obsesses over which glass goes with which beer, then the Thirsty Monk is a must visit.
Eh, here's what happened - first floor bar only.
First time there, got in the line, immediately a couple of people formed a new 1-person deep line and were served. Â They go, my line gets shorter, same thing someone comes up a person over and gets served... er, ok... not going to hate on them but it was odd.
Get to the front and order a local sampler and a French Broad. Â I'm given 2 decent pours and 2 foam nightmares in the sampler and one warm French Broad. Â Bartender asks if I want to start a tab, I say yes, she forgets what I had and rings out someone else. Â I remind her, go sit down and start sampling.
I have beers 1,2,3,4... I think I know what order she poured them in, but not entirely sure... go over to take a picture of the taps so I would know, get a weird look from bartender. Â Go back to sample the beer.
The foam nightmares were bad. Â Probably the reason they were so foamy. Â My guess is last of the keg,however there's a line and I wasn't really interested in waiting... I notice the place is not horribly crowded, there's just always a line and it seems to be caused by 2 bartenders and 1 cash machine.
Eh, place is not for me I decide.. will finish up and go. Â I go to pay my tab, bartender asks my name, she starts punching in my bill or code or something on the computer and has to stop for the other bartender who needs something done that moment on the computer. Â He gets done, she starts punching me up again and someone comes over and bam, I'm now second again as she takes care of this person who has cash. Â The other bartender comes back, they talk about the person who just paid cash for about 15 seconds, I get keyed in finally and get my bill.
Basically I got cut in by 3 people, 3 instances of another bartender, eh... don't know what was going on but I was not getting service, bottom of keg beer is bad, and I think French Broad beer would have probably tasted better cold, but if it's supposed to be served warm they did it right.
Husband and I were looking for a watering hole to tide us over between dinner and a show at the Orange Peel, and the Thirsty Monk didn't disappoint. Â The upstairs atmosphere is nifty, casually nostalgic Americana, with a great garage door they can open when the weather is nice (which it was the night we were there). Â It's a bit bright for a bar, but the beer list makes up for it. Â Divine selection? Â Check. Â Flights of local beer for $6? Â Check. Â Dale's Pale Ale on special? Â Check. Â Half pours of everything? Â Check. Â Love it.
Neither I nor the husband is a big fan of the Belgian-style, so we didn't hang out downstairs, but I dig the downstairs vibe even more than upstairs. Â I think were I to hang out at Thirsty Monk on a regular basis, I would order my beer upstairs, and then retreat to the cave-like womb of the downstairs cellar. Â
I love a beer-bar. Â Thirsty Monk was totally awesome.
My fiance and I drove from Austin to Asheville, thats 1200 miles between you and me. Upon arriving into Asheville one could quite imagine a need for a refreshing beverage. Â We came upon the Thirsty Monk, what a great find. A great range of import beers on tap, the variety would be hard to beat Im guessing any where else in town.
If you are a beer lover, make sure to stop by the Thirsty Monk and sample a little of everything. I wish we had something like this in Austin.
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