Where to get barbecue in Asheville: South Slope, Grove Arcade, Merrimon

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Refreshed every three months.

Asheville has fewer dedicated barbecue restaurants inside the city limits than its reputation suggests. Two are downtown, Bear’s Smokehouse on Coxe Avenue in the South Slope and Huli Sue’s in the Grove Arcade, and Luella’s Bar-B-Que has one restaurant on Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville and one in Biltmore Park.

How we made this list. The places come from OpenStreetMap records inside Asheville’s city limits, the same data behind our local directory, checked against each place’s own website on Oct. 12, 2026. We added Luella’s Biltmore Park restaurant from Luella’s own location page. We left out 12 Bones, whose own site gives an Arden address; Buxton Hall, whose site says it is permanently closed; Moe’s Original BBQ, whose location list puts it in Woodfin; and Little Pigs BBQ, which we could not confirm on a site of its own. The list is alphabetical. It is not a ranking or a recommendation, and nobody paid to be on it. Run one of these places? Write to us to correct your entry.

The list

The places

Bear’s Smokehouse is on Coxe Avenue in the South Slope, in what its site calls its Asheville Back Alley Bar, with barbecue and sports on the screens. The company has another Asheville counter at Sweeten Creek Brewing and restaurants in Connecticut, and it offers pickup, delivery and catering.

Huli Sue’s BBQ and Grill is inside the Grove Arcade downtown. Its site says it serves Hawaiian dishes alongside barbecue, opens Thursday to Monday, and caters.

Luella’s Bar-B-Que has two Asheville restaurants, on Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville and on Town Square Boulevard in Biltmore Park. Both list the same hours every day of the week, and the menu is on its site.

Just outside the city limits

Two barbecue restaurants with Asheville in their story sit just over the city line, so they are not in the table. 12 Bones Smokehouse and Brewing gives its address as 2350 Hendersonville Road in Arden, about 15 minutes south of Biltmore Village by its own estimate, and lists hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week (828-687-1395). Moe’s Original BBQ lists its “North Asheville” restaurant as being in Woodfin on its locations page.

Barbecue on other menus

Several places on our other lists serve barbecue dishes without being barbecue restaurants. Pack’s Tavern downtown lists a blackberry porter barbecue sauce for its wings, and Hickory Tavern in Biltmore Park lists baby back ribs; both are on our wings list.

More food lists

• Where to get wings, burgers and pizza
• Patios and outdoor dining
• All our where-to-eat lists
• Restaurant inspection scores
• Local business directory

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get barbecue in Asheville?

This list has four barbecue restaurants inside the city limits: Bear’s Smokehouse on Coxe Avenue in the South Slope, Huli Sue’s in the Grove Arcade downtown, and Luella’s Bar-B-Que on Merrimon Avenue and in Biltmore Park.

Which Asheville barbecue places are open on Sunday?

All four list Sunday hours: Bear’s from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Luella’s two restaurants from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Huli Sue’s from noon to 8 p.m.

Is 12 Bones in Asheville?

12 Bones Smokehouse and Brewing gives its address on its own site as 2350 Hendersonville Road, Arden.

Is Buxton Hall Barbecue still open?

No. Buxton Hall’s own site says it is permanently closed and that its last day of service was Nov. 22, 2023.