Black Bear BBQ

This has to be my favorite BBQ restaurant I've ever been to. Chef AJ knows what he's doing. Every side and piece of meat is amazing! They saved our thanksgiving with this insane smoked turkey! Get there on Friday to try there burnt end sandwich special that changes every week.

Wife and I stopped in for lunch. I had the brisket sandwich with slaw on it and some sweet potatoes crunch for desert. I can honestly say this is the best most tender brisket I have ever had.. my wife had the brisket plain with sweet potatoes crunch.. she absolutely loved her food. I strongly recommend this place to anyone looking for a nice place to enjoy a meal. Plenty of room for large groups.. oldies rock and roll playing in the background along with nature scene painted walls make this a great place to eat.. thumbs up all the way around...

The woman at the front register was super helpful and patient with us ordering. My brother does BBQ and rated his food highly. I got the dinner sampler with Mac and cheese and potato salad with corn bread. Everything was super delicious. The White Alabama sauce is very good. They have ample space inside the restaurant and some sitting outside.

We had our rehearsal dinner for my son’s wedding catered by Black Bear BBQ and it was excellent! The food was amazing! We had the brisket, pulled pork and sausage- best ever! The famous broccoli casserole was like no other, delicious! Everyone enjoyed the Mac and cheese and kale salad and root vegetables. Aj delivered the food himself and helped me set up. They were more than generous with the assortment of sauces - all of them delicious! Thank you so much!

Good food and good staff! The pork ribs are amazing 🤩🤩. I'm giving it 4/5 stars because the cornbread is a little bland, and and the vinegar slaw is good BUT it was served in a pool of the vinegar sauce and it was too strong/concentrated, but the flavor was really good. If the slaw was just tossed in the sauce and drained before playing it would have been perfect. The collard greens are perfect, great flavor and texture! The baked beans had great flavor and texture. Really enjoy this place!

Black Bear catered our wedding welcome party and we couldn’t be happier with the experience! The food was absolutely incredible—our guests are still talking about it. As big foodies, we had high hopes, and they totally delivered. The team arrived early, had everything perfectly organized, and were super professional throughout. They even set aside plates for us so we didn’t miss out while mingling with guests! Highly recommend Black Bear for any event—top-notch service and truly outstanding food.

I love these guys. They were super helpful in a pinch putting together a big order for a youth group in a short window, including gluten-free and vegetarian options, not to mention the bbq was great. As they predicted, the teenagers couldn’t get enough of the mac & cheese - don’t skip it! Don’t let the shopping center setting deter you, they have done a good job with the limited space.

Black Bear catered our wedding and they were phenomenal! Everyone loved the food and the catering set up, etc was extremely professional. It was so nice to have good vegetarian options and literally everything on the menu was delicious. They were even able to accommodate some last minute scheduling changes day of and helped things run smoothly.

Phenomenal. Absolutely Phenomenal. Exceptionally good. These beautiful people catered our wedding and holy cow... they went above and beyond. The brisket was incredible, smokey and tender. The pork was delicious and flavourful. The salad was fresh and herbaceous, the beats were savory, sweet and with the blue cheese, zingy and well rounded. The fruit had fresh mint, the cheeses were amazing, the brisket cream cheese that I wish I could eat every single day, insanely good. And if you didn't tell me the soy curls were soy, I would never even know, such a good BBQ flavor in that dish it's wild. Asparagus, cornbread, fricken pickled onions, green beans and Okra. So well balanced, so perfectly thought out and executed. My nephew stuck his finger in our cake and AJ used his skills to smooth it back out. Honestly the passion in this crew shows. AJ and his crew did things that we didn't even ask... I could not say enough good things about the food and the people who so passionately put it together. Some people went back for fourth helpings and everyone raved about how good it was. We are making a trip back up to Asheville just to eat here and experience it at the restaurant. Unbelievably good, it's one thing to have great food, but to also deal with such amazing people really made our Night. I cannot wait to go in and try some things we didn't get. It's all so good. God bless these people.

The tender-est pulled pork I've had in Asheville -- we've been here 20 years and always went to the "most-advertised" spots, but this is the best pulled-pork we've had, and the by-the-pound price is great too. Only wish their vinegar-based sauce packed some more punch.

Barbecue is very tasty. Good variety and lots of choices. Also good sides and brews available.

I LOVE IT HERE!!!! Cruising through WNC as a little dumb vegan, you aren't expecting to find a ton of vegan food. And you're definitely not expecting to find a bbq restaurant with vegan bbq soy curls and jackfruit and collard greens and CORN BREAD, and green beans and slaw... right? 10/10 I love this place. Delicious food, friendly staff, no frills, tons of seating inside and it's honestly extremely inexpensive. I chose a vegecue sandwich from Black Bear for my birthday :) !!!!!!

Excellent little restaurant in a hidden gem of a spot. Tucked into the back corner of Riverridge shopping center next to Hamricks. On our way home from a round of golf, BBQ was decided as what we all four agreed upon. I hadnt been so off we went. Two of us deciding we wanted to try different things and share we ordered a brisket plate with slaw & Swett potato casserole. I ordered the BBQ plate with collards & cucumber salad. Cornbread for our bread. The other two ordered BBQ sandwiches & side. The BBQ was really good & plentiful portion as was the Brisket. The sandwiches were large & good sized portion as well. The sides were all excellent with exception of the collards not being up to par with everything else. I removed a star due to feeling as though the recipe they are using is off to me. Almost like the collards had beef broth added??? It just wasn't your traditional flavored collards. Great portion but just didn't like the flavor. The brisket was thick cut & great sized portion & very good! Definitely will be back & glad to have found it. As one of the older gents in our group who recommended this spot "I like it because of the sides!" He was right! Get the sweet potato casserole- you won't be disappointed!

Don't get to this side of town often, and each time I've tried to go before, there was always a sign about being closed early or they were out of bbq. I was happy to see them open and full menu today! Had the burnt end sandwich which was delicious. Took a star off only because just got the plain sandwich, little bag of store-bought chips, and a sweet tea...the cost was just under $20 (including a 20% tip). Could have had a nice sit down meal with real sides for the cost. So it left me hungry. I rarely eat out anymore and almost never can afford meat, so was hoping for a generous portion of bbq, which was not the case. But 4 stars for taste of what I did get.

Black Bear catered our wedding welcome party and it was AMAZING! We would classify ourselves as "superfoodies" and they HIT THE MARK. Everyone was raving about how wonderful the food was! They set up early, had everything very organized, and were incredibly professional. They even saved us plates for the end of the night because we didn't have time to eat during the event! I would HIGHLY recommend using them for any kind of event!!!

Best BBQ joint in Asheville for vegetarians and vegans, hands-down! Plus I came with a meat eater who got the pulled pork and everyone left very full and happy. I'm excited to get the family pack to share with family members.

Literally the best ribs I have ever had were had today at Black Bear BBQ. Get the dry rub, just trust me! My family and daughters came today and tried the family sampler platter with green beans, broccoli casserole, Mac and cheese, and sweet potato casserole. The pulled pork was my mom's favorite, the smoked sausage was incredible, the smoked chicken hit the spot for my girls and the ribs obviously rocked my world. The sides were all amazing, but I have a soft spot for broccoli casserole. Just takes me back to pot lucks at southern churches growing up as a kid. The food was all amazing but the staff, restaurant, cleanliness all shined. The owner came out and offered us some banana puddings for my kiddos and we all enjoyed it! I am so glad we came here today and if you're roaming through Asheville and love bbq, don't let this one pass you by!

We loved our dinner at Bears BBQ while visiting Ashville. I ordered the combo with brisket and pulled pork, hubs ordered the Bear Attack (corn bread topped with mac n cheese and choice of meat-he chose brisket) My brisket was super moist and flavorful, definitely among the best I've had. I do like a tiny bit more smoky flavor, but it was truly delicious. The pulled pork was also super tasty. Highly recommend.

We stopped here for lunch before heading to the WNC Nature Center on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. They offer your typical BBQ menu, so I went with my normal order to determine the baseline quality of a BBQ place - brisket sandwich with a side of potato salad. The brisket was phenomenal. Tender, moist, and well-seasoned, served on a bun with some of their SC mustard sauce, it was a very satisfying bite. The potato salad was good as well. My wife tried their broccoli casserole potato, which was enormous, beautifully prepared, and delicious. The potato was expertly baked with a nice and crispy skin, and came with a choice of pulled pork or chicken (she got the chicken). If you're ever in the mood for a loaded baked potato, you will be completely satisfied with this one. Their mac and cheese is soft, creamy, and delicious. Their cornbread is a bit on the sweet side and desserty, but an excellent way to end the meal. Cheap, too! Only $1.50 for two large pieces. Service was prompt and friendly, the interior was clean and well-organized. Any time I'm back in the area, I think Black Bear BBQ is in my future.

Chopped Brisket Plate was solid. I would have liked the brisket to be a little fattier. The collard greens were REALLY good!!

Food is good. We got the jackfruit bbq dinner plate with vegan cornbread. The sides we chose were baked beans, collards, green beans and vinegar slaw. Green beans were soft and tender. Cornbread was very moist and tasty. Jackfruit really mimicked the bbq and had a nice flavor. Service was fast and they were following Covid Protocols. Only open seating was outside.

Delicious brisket, collards and coleslaw! Awesome variety of delicious bbq sauces and wonderful outdoor seating area!! Definitely recommend! Professional and kind service!

Black Bear BBQ is our catering of choice when we conduct training in Asheville. Black Bear offers a good menu, including pulled pork and chicken. Their sweet potatoe casserole is amazing. Nothing but positive reviews from our class participants.

The food was great! Had the pulled pork sandwich with mac'n'cheese. The staff is helpful, fast and kind. The feel of the dining room has a hole in the wall setting, which is perfect because the food fits the setting. Definitely worth your time and money. It's been a long time since I felt like I got what I paid for.

Maybe the best barbecue in Asheville. Friendly staff. Great sides especially the Mac n cheese

I was not impressed with this bbq. The burnt brisket hashbrown special was not good. The hashbrown was mushy. The brisket in that tasted like it was in a crock pot and thy used the "chef boyardee" can. I was so disappointed. We also ordered 1/3 of sausage, brisket and pork. Of the 3 the pork was the best. It had a mojo flavor to it. Overall, I would not return here for BBQ .

If you are looking for excellent southern BBQ, this is not your place. Not the way my grandmother or anyone I know would ever make Mac n cheese or baked beans. Pork and burnt ends were really good, as well as the sauce, land it was clean, though.

The brisket and kielbasa were good however the sides we had were not good; the coleslaw was waaaay too "vinegary", did not like the Mac and Cheese or the cornbread, both didn't have much taste

These people are the NICEST people!!! We love friendly customer service, especially being from California, it's nice to feel genuine courtesy. So thank you Black Bear bbq. Food-amazing!!! I got brisket sandwich with sweet potato pie side

BBq and hippie should never combine. I understand healthier option on a menu but was a little too typical Asheville for my taste in a BBQ restaurant. The pork was absolutely horrible it's was just a paste it was so over chopped. I think they were going for the eastern Nc texture but way over did it. The smoke flavor was very false and chemically almost like someone who was too heavy handed with liquid smoke. The chopped brisket was bad I'd get it again and same with the sausage. Now to eat as bbq the pork had a not so favorable texture but I did enjoy it and it worked in the Brunswick stew. I would for sure order that again as a side but not the collards they were tough and tasted more blanched than traditional collards with BBq. They need to add a little meat fat in or more for flavoring. I would order again but I'd be very select in what I ordered.

We got a pickup order during our stay in Asheville, the staff was very welcoming and super helpful over the phone and in person. This BBQ was incredible!! Our favorite meal we've had in town yet. Thank you Black Bear BBQ!

So Grateful to have discovered Black Bear BBQ. My coworkers and I where in the area after a moving job and decided to stop by. The food was delicious and service excellent! 5 star service! I had the brisket sandwich with sweet/sour sauce and loaded baked potato with a refreshing root beer to go with it...Sooo delicious! I'll definitely be back when I'm in the area! Will recommend to Friends and Family. Thank you to the sweet ladies that took our orders and prepared our food!

Tremendous food and excellent recommendations. Upon socially-distanced entry, I was warmly greeted by a knowledgeable and friendly cashier who make excellent recommendations for pairing the Alabama sauce with the pork eggrolls. The same occurred when pairing the sauce with my meal and taking dietary concerns into account when adding a beverage. I especially liked the no-contact distribution of payment and utensils. Wait time for food was more than acceptable and the brief respite was worth it. The experience would have been perfect had the in-restaurant restroom been available, but the owner explained the situation and the Hammrick's next door was quite accommodating. I will definitely be back soon to this beyond rewarding restaurant tucked into the corner of an isolated strip mall. You should too!

First time in North Carolina, so eating out is a must. I wasn't sure what I wanted but after seeing vegetarian options on the menu. I was sold! I got the veggie "soy" BBQ curls and my husband ordered the sampler plate ( he chose turkey, pork and chicken. We got sides of baked beans, Mac and cheese, collard greens and the broccoli casserole ( all vegetarian). We shared all the sides. I originally wanted the jack fruit but they were sold out, the potato salad was sold out too. Even though some of the stuff I wanted was sold out the food was delicious, the eta for pickup was on point and the food was delicious! If I am ever back in the area, I would like to try their loaded potatoes ( was not on the online menu when I looked it up. I added a picture of the menu tapped to the door when I went). Due to covid, there is still no in restaurant dining and they do well to enforce physical distancing at their location. Also this location did post a sign that they were charging an extra 15% to help off set their funds for the impact the virus has had on their restaurant ( no hate about it - just an fyi that the food may be a tad bit more expensive). Overall I would like to try again if I'm ever in the area.

Review #100! I should get a free sandwich for this, and I would definitely take it.... On our way back to Knoxville from NC, we were looking for good bbq. We stumbled upon the reviews for Black Bear BBQ in Asheville, and decided to try it out. We found that it's in a shopping center - not gonna lie, it made me a lil nervous....good bbq in a shopping center???? I was conflicted. Read on, interested parties: We walked in (it smelled amazing in there) and looked at the menu, and saw that they had the typical big three (pulled pork, chicken, and brisket), but they also seemed to be really proud of their burnt ends. For the uninitiated, burnt ends are from the point (fatty part) of the brisket that has been smoked, cubed into more or less bite-sized pieces, and braised. We each got the sliders, since it came with one pulled pork, one pulled chicken, and one burnt end slider each. I chose the sweet and spicy bbq sauce and my sweet bride chose the Carolina mustard bbq sauce. Best. Sliders. Ever. Funny note: As we were walking in, there was an older fella (wait, I'm an older fella), ok there was a true senior citizen and his wife standing there. The gentleman was asking for a sample, and the lady behind the counter very politely explained to him that they don't give out free samples....he got a little huffy and told her that he's very picky about his barbecue and wouldn't order unless he got a free sample, then he turned around very indignantly and left. Serious note for the guys: Black Bear BBQ is next to Hamrick's, which is a place that your wife will be drawn into like a compass pointing North, and she'll disappear in there along with your money.

There are great barbecue joints that serve great barbecue in NC. This is neither. Mediocre on both the bbq and joint. Sorry.

Some quick thoughts..... Pros: Mac n cheese Cornbread Customer service Mustard sauce Sweet and spicy sauce Family value meal- seriously great value Cons: Pulled pork has little flavor at ALL. At alllll. Vinegar sauce not good- not enough tang Meh Collard green- ok but not amazing Overall- I want to try this spot again, again but get a different protein. 4/5 stars

We arrived for dinner around 6pm and saw that they were out of pork and chicken. We decided to stay and then they were out of Mac n cheese. After we placed our order, they came out and informed us they were out of 1/2 the brisket we ordered, and was it ok to sub chopped brisket. We saw them do this with two other tables orders as well as ours. When our order came, the sides were delicious Brunswick stew, sweet potatoes were perfect. However, the meat was dry. It seemed as though we got the end of a long days meat. The staff was wonderful, hard working and their COVID protocol was A+. I don't know if they were having an off day as their reviews were very good. We left and were disappointed for them.

After seeing the sign for a long time, we finally tried Black Bear Barbecue. So glad we did! Turkey and pork were delicious, as were collards and sweet potatoes. This will be our new go to for barbecue!!

Step a few paces to the right of Sun Soo Martial arts and here is some good BBQ. We got the family meal. Pulled chicken, sweet potato, mac and cheese and cornbread. Came to about $23 which is fantastic! Everything was really good and my boys enjoyed their meal. I did find the mac and cheese a bit plain - but really I don't think I've ever found a mac and cheese that wasn't plain. I just have to make my own with garlic and paprika. There's a kids shelf to keep them occupied while waiting for food or waiting for parents to finish. Great place, especially after a class of TaeKwonDo when mom doesn't feel like cooking.

We haven't been able to visit for a while and I was so disappointed today in the whole meal. The ribs were way overdone the baked beans were very different and not very good, the rolls were dry ugggg. I had been looking forward to a great meal and felt as though everything was so significantly different it was like eating at another restaurant.

Smoky wings are Excellent! They even have an event space available at no charge! When AJ stops by to check how you like the the lunch .. that is a good sign!! Yum! taco Tuesday's, Wing Wednesdays , Turkey leg Thursday and burnt end Fridays! Yummmy!

Good BBQ, good sauce and side selection. I like that they have both indoor and outdoor seating.

Fried ribs r fantastic! Burnt ends with Mac and cheese was awesome as well! Don't miss this spot on your culinary travels.

Every thing so tasty! The barbecue is perfect North Carolina and the sweet potter crunch is out of this world! Well done!!

Excellent pork BBQ. Sides were wonderful as well. Great lunch. I had broccoli casserole and slaw.

Loaded baked potato!!! All the way.. that's all you gotta say modern food with BBQ bear charm. A must for pork lovers with all the sides!

Black Bear BBQ setup a food truck at our apartment complex and dare I say the convenience made my partner and I's introverted, food loving, hearts somewhat.. thankful?? for quarantine??? BUT SERIOUSLY! what a rad idea during this time and love that it made supporting local so easy for us + they let you just text in your order HOW GENIUS! this was our first eating from here but we loved it. I've been missing Bonfire BBQs vegan BBQ so my heart was happy when I saw Black Bear had just that, and it was DELICIOUS! The workers were super considerate of the pandemic and following proper safety measures while also still being super personable and ensuring we had the best services in our small amount of time we had together. Definitely recommend checking out soon if you're craving some BBQ during this crazy time!

Very delicious food. We got the family meal -- the whole chicken -- and all the sauces. It was very satisfying and really modestly priced. Perfect for feeding the whole family. They also have this loaded broccoli potato thing -- it's amazing and original. Nothing was boring -- full flavor all around.

Today was my first visit after hearing so many good reviews and I wasn't disappointed. I ordered the family feast with chopped brisket, Mac and cheese, broccoli casserole and added a side of sweet potato crunch and cucumber salad. The meal was fantastic. The brisket was lean, tender and had a great smoked flavor. The Mac and cheese was the bomb. Closely followed by the sweet potato and broccoli casserole. The sweet potato comes with crushed crackers that appear to be cheez-its for the crunch part. I passed on adding it because the sweet potato was great without it. Also had an order of cornbread that was great. Overall this meal for the price and quality was solid.

We stopped in here on a whim and loved it. He got the ribs, broccoli casserole, and sweet potato crunch. I got the pulled pork. The meats seemed like really good quality and the sauces were tasty. The soda fountain had crunchy, cane sugar soda which was a nice surprise. Big stack of kids games and books in one corner; no kids menu but you could buy small meat portions or sides of Mac and cheese. I especially love that they don't use styrofoam or throwaway anything.0 Only drawback was no french fries! It's tucked away in a strange shopping strip but worth the stop.

Another little hole in the wall... I enjoy these the most Huge selection for a little place. The staff was quite helpful, as it was my first time. Had the pulled pork sandwich plate, with vinegar slaw & the AWESOME broccoli casserole. And... a Grey Beard IPA. Excellent food & beverage

Love this local stop! The bbq was fresh and the amount you get for the price was reasonable. The brunswick stew is available for a side- it was delicious!! I was really impressed with the cleanliness of the establishment and the friendliness of the staff, they checked on us multiple times. I do wish they offered kids meal though for the younger crowd- this was lacking from the menu.

Quick and easy, super friendly staff. Lots of vegan options, especially for a bbq joint! The soy curls hit the spot!

This is our second time here...first was a couple of years ago and left a good enough impression to return. It was so disappointing. When will we learn that if you don't smell smoke when you enter a BBQ restaurant just turn around and go somewhere else? We ordered the feast so we'd have some good leftovers for a busy week. Ugh...$40 for not good food. Blandest mac & cheese and cornbread. Rolls were a waste of good butter. Potato salad was okay. The ribs were just awful. Got the dry rub as someone else here suggested and they were just awful. There was not any evidence in taste that these were smoked and they were dry, dry, dry. They tasted like old oven baked ribs that had been re-heated and the 'sweet & spicy' sauce was neither, no flavor. I started worrying that we had covid because nothing tasted. No, we don't have covid. I gave it two stars just because it didn't make us sick. Never again.

Where do I begin? I'm talking dry brisket. I'm talking wet and soggy pork. We're talking pork with a Hispanic flavor instead of a nice American smoke and barbecue flavor. We're talking burnt ends that were a special and they tasted like they're made in the crockpot. You ever had burnt ends that were crunchy and crispy? All these burnt ends tasted like they've been sautéed. do you like sautéed burnt ends? They want to put these burnt ends on some hashbrowns. Keep the hashbrowns. We're also talking sausage that taste like it just came out the plastic wrap from a local grocery store. I'm not talking good. I won't come back here. I wouldn't refer my mother-in-law to this place.

My previous review was for Webo's; this update covers its replacement, Black Bear Barbecue. I like what they are trying to do here, but unfortunately, the food fell flat. At a recent lunch I got a chopped brisket plate with mac and cheese and collard greens. The cashier assured me that, in contrast to the predecessor, everything is homemade now. And a number of upgrades were apparent - real dishes and cutlery versus disposable, a large Asheville-themed wall mural, natural sugar-sweetened sodas in the drinks fountain, and a kiddie play area overflowing with toys. But the food...left me a bit cold still. IMNSHO, the main draw and litmus test for any barbecue joint is the quality and freshness of the meat. Brisket should be fork tender, buttery with beef fat, and smoky without obscuring the beef flavor. This chopped brisket disappointed - it was stringy, overcooked, pulled versus "chopped", and swimming in greasy broth. Really not very good, I'm sorry to say. The mac and cheese was a definite improvement over Webo's food service product, but was a little lacking in flavor. Cornbread was a bit dry. The greens were a poor representation - very sulfurous from being overcooked, with lots of stems and absolutely no hint of smoke, pork, spice, or vinegar. I could only eat them drowning in Carolina vinegar sauce. After eating amazingly flavorful greens at Smoky Park Supper Club, I was struck by the contrast and could understand those who decide they "don't like collard greens" based on this rendition. My friend had the pulled pork plate, which had the mushy texture of canned fish. She also got a smoked chicken breast on the side, which had pretty rubbery skin and tasted mostly of seasoned salt. She was not enthused. I sampled her broccoli casserole and it tasted mostly of Cheez-Its - and not in a good way. I really wanted to like Black Bear, and the folks working there seem genuinely nice, but the food needs work - especially the meats.