Hell or High Water Restaurant & Bar

We had such a wonderful dining experience here. Our waitress Madison was knowledgeable and personable, her energy lit up the room! The manager, David, was attentive and engaging. He went above and beyond to accommodate us. It’s quite evident the employees at this establishment are treated well and love their job. From what we heard, the owners have cultivated this remarkable atmosphere. We had such a fabulous anniversary dinner and loved spending it with the Hell or High Water family. Thank you for hosting us :)

We’d been looking forward to visiting Hell or High Water since we’d heard they were opening, and when we finally got a chance to visit tonight it more than lived up to our expectations. The service was prompt, friendly, and helpful. The atmosphere was inviting, from the midcentury standards music to the decor where we sat in the Highwater Room upstairs to the sweeping mountain views beyond the rooftop deck. And the food and drinks were delicious from start to finish. We rarely order steak at restaurants because we’re often happier with steaks we grill at home, but the Foothills Butcher Shop 28 day dry-aged bone-in ribeye was spectacular. Other standouts were the agnolotti and the deviled eggs, although we enjoyed everything we tried. We can’t wait to return to sample more of the menu.

This is exactly the kind of restaurant we hope to discover when visiting a new town. The menu felt intentional, with every dish thoughtfully prepared, perfectly cooked, and beautifully presented. The atmosphere struck the perfect balance between cozy and refined, and the staff went above and beyond to make the experience feel personal and welcoming. Exceptional food paired with genuine hospitality made this a meal we won’t forget.

As someone who grew up in Asheville and went to school in Swannanoa I am so proud of this quality of restaurant in blk mtn! Absolutely love our evening. The wait staff were tentative, knowledge, curiosity and helpful, we had Justine. The food and drinks were incredible we had the beef tartare ( our only “complaint” is we wish it had the crust just on the edge so you could taste the meat better), trout dip with beef tallow saltines, a steak with the fries and for dessert we had the spumoni joconde. As someone who works in the accessibility industry, I was glad to see it being fully wheelchair accessible including an elevator! Can’t wait to go back!

Simply one of the best restaurants my wife and I have ever been to. From the service (Jimmy is awesome) to the views, the amazing food and drinks…you can’t go wrong. The pictures tell the story. Don’t sleep on the grilled cheese, hands down the best I’ve ever had.

First visit to Hell or High Water and it won't be our last!! EVERYTHING was spectacular - we sat on the patio on a crisp Halloween evening. (Oh! The view!) We were immediately greeted by Christina and welcomed. We ordered the smoked trout appetizer, I had the seasonal pumpkin Old Fashioned, (which was delicious) and then hubs ordered the boneless ribeye (perfectly cooked to medium rare) with a glass of red wine and I had the Maritake Mushrooms. What a perfect combo! We shared a bit of my mushrooms with his steak and WOW! What a flavor surprise. I also enjoyed dipping the very thin, crispy fries in the garlic cream sauce in my dish..Trust me, you will be happy. They also treated our 80 lb GoldenDoodle with love, kindness, and water (we got him his own burger patty..Rugby gives this place 2 paws up 🐾). Christian and Side kick- y'all were great! Hope to return soon.

Delicious and creative! We had scotch olives 🫒 kimchi deviled eggs, bread service, a beautiful grain salad and a ragu pasta. Both had drinks and it was very reasonable. Will be back! I want to try the whole menu now

This was the first time we've tried Hell or High Water, but we'll be back. It's basically a tapas place and wine bar. We were there mid day, and for some reason were the only people there. It has a somewhat eclectic selection of small plates, all of which we tried were quite good. It's an excellent location with an excellent atmosphere. We had the tater tot waffle, the Calabacitas, and the Scotch Olives, all of which were very good.

Excellent!! Definitely on the top 3 restaurants in Black Mountain. A more modern upfit for an old downtown building, the space is warm and inviting. A little confusing getting inside - the upper deck bar area and lower dining area have separate entrances, around the corner from the hostess station. Staff is warm and inviting. Bar service offers solid pours; the menu is outstanding and our party of 6 all tried different dishes. Steaks were great. None of us were disappointed. Can wait to book a reservation again!!

Cristopher and team are great! I came from out of town to get engaged and have a celebratory dinner afterwards. I loved the ambiance of the rooftop bar, and they even put out a flower vase with our favorite flowers. One of my family members was wheelchair bound and they were able to call the fire department and carry her up because there was a broken elevator. Jimmy was our sever and he was so kind, personable, and knowledgeable. My partner and I ordered the steak with pomme frittes, the tater tot waffle, bread, and had a special desert of the piña colada panna cotta. That sourdough rye bread with onion jam was SO good! As well as the sauce for the steak. If you're in the area, I highly recommend this place! Thanks to everyone for making the night so wonderful.

We stopped in for a bite before a show not realizing that this is a nice spot. We sat on the patio in the shade and ordered tapas style sharing bites. The mixed drinks were excellent as was the food. Don't miss the deviled eggs and the Hawaiian bread with roasted tomato butter.

Great rooftop bar with fire pit tables. Service was excellent. The drinks were just ok. I ordered the cucumber cilantro margarita but all I could taste was lime. Husband said his old fashioned was just ok. We really liked the tator tot waffle. Did not like the deviled eggs or olives.

Great food. Great experience. Highly recommended. Good music. Good vibe. Good vibes. Good drinks.

My daughter lives in Swannanoa and we came to this restaurant and we will absolutely be back. We shared six plates they come as small and large and all of them were excellent. my husband's favorite was the smoked trout dip. My favorite was mytaki mushroom. My daughters was the pork belly. All were great. The service was excellent. It has a nice view upstairs.

We had a delightful dinner on the upstairs deck on one of the last glorious fall evenings. We both had steak - perfectly cooked. The dessert was also delicious. Our waitress was delightful and we appreciated how the team worked together to get the food to the table quickly.

We had a special event at Hell or High Water over the weekend. Christopher and the staff at Hell or High Water went above and beyond at every turn. The food was EXCELLENT! Seriously 5-Star. The service (with a smile) was over-the-top extraordinary. What at talented group of people at this establishment. The space (Indoor and Outdoor) is so inviting. Don't miss this place. A++++!

If you are in the Asheville/Black Mountain area, this should be a must stop. We dined on the rooftop and the experience was fabulous from friendly service to exquisitely prepared James Beard quality dishes. Don't second guess it - just go!

Relatively new place in BM. Our group started at the roof top bar. Very cool outside area with fire pits. We had Old Fashions and a gin drink called Gramble something (sp?). Both were phenomenal. Service A+ in bar and restaurant. For dinner we ate in main dining room. Ambiance downstairs good, not many private tables but that was fine. We started with smoked trout dip, tater tot waffle, scotch olives, little gem and shaved carrot salad. Absolutely outstanding. Tater tot waffle comes with fish roe which sounds strange but was amazing!; trust me, try it. Main course included the 32 oz ribeye, scallops w pee puree and a pasta dish. They source the beef from local ranch and their own butcher shop, grass fed, pasture raised. Ribeye was delightful and we turned it into 3 meals; 2 steak and egg breakfasts. We loved everything. Only complaint might be that the scallops could have been fresher. Will always return to Hill or High Water. Outstanding addition to BM.

Hell or High Water is an amazing place to eat! The chef really understands how to put flavors and textures together while presenting a beautifully crafted and perfectly executed plate. They have an upstairs causal dining area and a more formal downstairs dining area. The staff are always knowledgeable, attentive and friendly. I had my favorite smoked trout dip with pickled mustard seeds served with tallow fried saltines, and my mom and I had scallops with spring peas, rhubarb and strawberry. The dip is not too smoky...just right. The crackers are the perfect accompaniment. The scallops were perfectly seared and tender. We topped off our meal with Spumoni Joconde with amarena cherries and pistachio praline and decaf coffee (served via a French press carafe!). This restaurant is a gem, so be sure to check them out.

The meat tray app was disappointing. It was pretty small and some very strange meat on the tray. Kids butter noodles were ok per my son. Service was good and we had a fun time!

The restored historic ice house has been reimagined as a full service restaurant and lavish cocktail bar on the second floor. A large rooftop deck off the cocktail lounge provides a Mountain View setting. Operated by local restaurateur Foothills, the menu offers superb organic proteins. The rotating menu also has vegan options.

Staff was attentive and knowledgeable. Although the menu is limited, the food was fantastic, fresh, and wonderfully authentic. We'll definitely be coming back!