The Malvern

The Malvern is back! The Lemon Pepper wings with celery and blue cheese and waffle fries on Superbowl night were excellent! Update: the smash burger is a joy to behold, and the fries take me to a comfortable lodge high up on the mountain in the middle of winter with a roaring fire in the fireplace. Needless to say, not a crumb remained in the basket. The chef takes your enjoyment seriously and keeps it dialed in. Heart and soul. Another update: animal style fries are kick ass Don't underestimate the fortitude of the Corn Dog Tower. This is a serious stack of six deep fried corn dogs and a veritable mountain of parmesan fries (or upgrade to Goblin Fries.) Fortune cookies found on the top level are a great addition. Another update: no surprise here, but the Caesar Salad with Chicken really slaps. Add a corndog and some fries, and you have a veritable feast ahead. If you want advanced kitchen wizardry without all of the fanfare, you have the spot.

I will need to go back to get more pictures. Great bar food, a pool table, and a photo booth. Good dive bar vibes.

Ali is one of the best bartenders I’ve encountered in 16 years of going to bars. The malvern is lucky to have her. Great service, great attention to detail, all around great bar keep. Will definitely be back

Wish I got some pictures of the inside, as I really enjoyed the funky, wide-ranging decor. Seems like a pretty cool spot to hang out, play some pool, and share good food with great friends. Everything we ordered was great (disco fries & chicken cheesesteak), though I’ll have to visit again for some pierogis!

Such a nice hidden gem outside of downtown. This is definitely worth the drive to get some great food. We did a sample of several different dishes and were blown away. By far the best Philly I have ever eaten. The meat, veggies, and the CHEESE were all perfection. Now I won't be able to eat a Philly that doesn't have cheese whiz incorporated. The pierogis were such a nice surprise. A great pasta dish that is plenty large enough for one person. Definitely give these a try. The dishes are large. We were absolutely stuffed after leaving this place. The vibes inside were really chill and the staff was super friendly and nice. I can see myself frequently eating at this spot.

This place has some of the best sandwiches around. The meatball sandwich was superb. My husband had the smash burger and he said it was excellent. The vibe was really nice with eclectic decor and a pool table. We went early for a late lunch and the place was empty. They do have their own parking but the lot is small, so get there early before it gets busy!

Was referred here for the Corndog Tower and it was worth going out of the way for, especially after a long day on the trails. We went for the goblin fries on top, and that alone would be a hearty meal. Absolutely delicious, and the guys that greeted and treated us were warm and welcoming, quick to bring us our food, and seemed to be enjoying themselves. Great vibe all around, and I'm definitely coming back for more. It's worth noting that I'm not much for bars and I don't drink, but I felt comfortable and enjoyed myself.

Blown away by the quality and flavor in the food here! My husband and I stopped in on our way to Cullowhee and after our first meal being so amazing decided to stop in on our way out too. First time tried the catfish hoagie, chicken sandwich and smashed cukes. Catfish was so crispy, creamy and flavorful and sesame cukes were so unique! Just left our 2nd visit after having smash burger and whole roasted hog & broccoli rabe hoagie and again so impressed by flavors on each. Will definitely be back and spread the word to our friends visiting Asheville in the future!

Our first time visit Little Louies. Parking was a little tough, but we parked at the bowling alley across the street. Other than that, smash burger......yesssssss. It was awesome. Double cheese burger. Fries......yessssss. Beer battered, crispy, and flavorful. Ceasars salad, it was OK. If I lived here, I would definitely make this a go-to bar for me.

Atmosphere at Little Louie's Hoagies & Pierogies? Very dive bar cool. Service? Friendly and helpful. Prices? Fairly reasonable for these times. Food. Meh. I was eager to try this newish spot from the former co-owner of highly rated Buxton Barbecue, but it didn't turn out so well. Maybe I just didn't know what to order. I guess I'll try it again. Don't know how much time Louie's owner Elliott Moss, who hails from Florence, South Carolina, has spent in Pittsburgh or Cleveland or Poland or Ukraine, where pierogi (yes, that's the plural of pieróg in Polish) are famous. Here, ours with potato and cheese ($11) was totally unlike the classic style, which traditionally features dumplings filled with mashed potatoes and cheese, boiled, then lightly fried and served with onions and butter. What we had was a clump of pale white dough, not fried, with a small layer of potatoes and some kind of cheese on top, and no onions. Our beef brisket and cheese hoagie ($16.49) was messy to eat and looked like the filling was whipped up in a blender. Nothing like the famous hoagies in Phillie or elsewhere in Pennsylvania. Louie's fries ($7.95 for a large serving) were well cooked but oddly topped with pesto and served with a small cup of marinara sauce. I guess that's what a chef calls "creative," but frankly I'd rather have just good fries. There are just four drafts on the drink menu ($5 or $6), plus a selection of cans and bottles. I had the Green Man porter. The booze is well priced, with gin, vodka and bourbon mostly under $10. Again, I love the dive bar atmosphere, much of it left over from the former bar here, The Malvern. There's a silver-painted high tin ceiling, dark blue walls, funky booths and even taxidermy on the walls. Drink prices are very reasonable. But as for the food, I'd rather have a classic burger and fries, rather than a phony pierogi or a hokey hoagie. Maybe next time I should try the smoked wings or the egg plant hoagie. I think this could be a great neighborhood spot in west West Asheville, if the owner would rethink the menu and add some items he know how to cook.

Little Louie's started out as a pop up/ghost kitchen during the height of the pandemic and it's no surprise that they would sell out of whatever dishes they were creating. We got to stop by their new location (they took over The Malvern) and everything about the visit was pure perfection. The food is hearty and comforting - they specialize in hoagies + perogies and their menu boasts some additional fun daily specials. If I could give you any recommendation this week it would be to swing by and grab a brisket + cheese - I promise it'll be one of the best things you've eaten this year. Ramp Perogies : Brisket + Cheese

Eat here now! We ordered the brisket cheese hoagie, fries, and sour cream and chive pierogis were all outstanding. That smoked brisket cheese hoagie was something I will be thinking about for a while. The best food we had in Asheville all weekend. The servers were also attentive and helpful when deciding what to order.

Stumbled upon this place after bowling across the street. It's a pretty unassuming little joint- minimal parking, mostly on the adjacent street as the parking lot behind the restaurant is tiny. A little side door brings you in and it screams dive bar- but man is it more than that! Super friendly and attentive staff along with delicious offerings, we were so pleased with our visit. The star of the show was The Louie's Fries- fresh French fries covered with Parmesan and pesto served with marinara- I could have easily eaten the whole plate by myself. The smoked wings were good but definitely sauce heavy.

Yum! So we saw this place a couple of weeks ago and I followed their instagram to keep them in mind. We tried to go last week but it was packed and we didn't have the time to wait. So my husband insisted last night, that we go today. We picked what we would order, last night. We called in and ordered the Brisket & Cheese, Pork & Rabe, and Louie's fries. Short wait time considering how busy they were inside. But it was raining so their outdoor tables weren't filled up, of course. Very cute and energetic inside. When I arrived, the staff was busy but still exuded friendliness and communicated excellently. The food was just as good as we had hoped. The perfect amount of smoke on the meats. Super balanced flavor. The bread is just perfect for the sandwiches. I loved that everything was moist and super flavorful but and not soggy at all. The fries maintained crispiness despite the toppings. We will definitely eat the food here again.

As a chef, the quality of the food is one of the most important considerations for me. They get 3 stars because the bartender/service was good. I was recommended to try "their most popular item," the Philly Cheesesteak. Had picked out a palmful of gristle by the end of it. I like chewy & gnawing meat off bones - but not meat that's improperly trimmed/prepared and inedible. The bread was very good: But the filling has to hold up its own.

Food is great! I got a perogi with cheese and carmelized onions and a small fry. It was delicious! The perogi took a long time (my friends got a smash burger and an eggplant parm hoagie, which got out a lot faster than mine) but the food was really great. My bf got an Old Fashioned which he didn't like but we think that was a personal thing honestly. Service is great and staff is very friendly. Place has a great atmosphere, but parking is super tight. Drive a little car or else, LOL. Outdoor seating is optional! Great alcohol variety but not so much for food (but the food is great, so no hate)

Ordered the chicken parm sandwich, was delicious and exactly what I was looking for when it came to a hearty hoagie. Can't wait to come back to try their pierogies

Arrived at Little Louie's just after 6:00 pm on a Thursday night for dinner. Little Louie's is located where The Melvern used to be on Patton Ave, across the street from Rocky's Chicken. The owners also own Buxton Hall off Banks Ave, downtown. There is a small parking lot, accessable from the sidestreet. The lot is tight and fills up quickly, so additional parking is located on the side street. The ambiance is quaint (small), casual, and very loud; very much has a bar look and feel. The booth we sat in was very used and uncomfortable and is past due for updated/replaced furniture. Speaking of bar, there is a full one available, and a pool table. The menu is very limited, but they also have specials on the wall in front of the door. Plate price is between $10-$17. Price wise, it's comparable to other establishments around Asheville. We ordered the smoked wings, Parmesan Pierogies, a Brisket and Cheese hoagie, a Smoked Pork and Rabe hoagie, and the Thin Mint Canoli (except they made us the strawberry Canoli instead, so we just went with it). The strawberry Canoli was on the specials menu and they didn't ask us to specify which Canoli we wanted when we ordered. So assumptions lead to us getting the wrong Canoli. No big deal, but they should probably ask. My husband thought everything was tasty and didn't have any complaints. The pierogies tasted more like ravioli than pierogies. The wings were perfectly smoked; crispy outside with a tender inside. The honey chipotle barbecue glaze was perfectly balanced and delicious; complimented the smokiness of the wings. The ranch dipping sauce was very thin and runny, but the celery and carrots were perfectly fresh. The hoagies were tender and reminded us of the Italian pork and rabe sandwiches in Chicago; except the meat was smoked instead of roasted. The side of dipping sauce was essentially the pork juices, but complimented it similar to a french dip. The Canoli was a traditional Canoli; nothing exceptional about it. But it was good. The service was phenomenal. While we did have to wait in a very long line at the bar to order, the food arrived at the table hot and in a timely fashion. The floor staff was efficient in keeping our waters filled. Overall, we recommend the establishment.

Quirky atmosphere, which is so cool, reminds me of a New Orleans. Upscale bar snacks/sandwiches that are unreal good. Everything was amazing and I'd get again. Pork rinds are the best I've had and a must order.

Overall: Waste of time. Food: Their Instagram was full of delicious looking dishes. My dining partner and I ordered the sour cream and onion pierogi as a control variable; we eat these often and have had a variety. They came out burnt, flavorless, and lacking in presentation. If you're seeking out pierogis, don't waste your time here. Grab a bag of Mrs. T's in the frozen section, boil until they rise to the surface, and sauté in butter. Top with flaky salt, pepper, sour cream, and green onions. A simple frozen pierogi blows this place out of the water. Ambiance: The restaurant was a bit dim but had a cool vibe, very bar and alcohol forward. The bathroom was honestly the highlight. Go grab a beer and checkout the bathroom, super cool.

Visited this place for the first time tonight, and while the food was pretty good, I left feeling taken advantage of. First, I ordered the chicken Philly, and when I ordered it, the bartender asked if I wanted peppers and mushrooms on it (it's a Philly sandwich. Of course I do?). I said yes, and my order was placed. Additionally, I ordered two Miller High Life's, which according to the menu, were $4. When I received my bill, however, I saw that I was charged an extra dollar for the peppers, an extra dollar for the mushrooms, and the drinks were actually $5 a piece. Ultimately, I paid $4 more than I should have, so not a huge loss by any means, but it's the fact that this was not conveyed to me, and it feels very sneaky that they made these changes without letting me know. I feel that a lot of the businesses in Asheville really don't do well this time of year when the tourists aren't visiting, so they adopt these predatory practices to try to make up the difference. Honestly, because of this, I probably won't be back. The food wasn't really THAT good.

I stubbled upon this place...and it was a hidden gem. You can tell the chef knows what he is doing. Fun bold flavors that deliver. Super divey bar/restaurant. They have a small lot in the back. I had the chicken sandwich with chili oil. It was delish and I want to come back here again!

First time going here and I had to get the cheesesteak with banana peppers, although the price is north of $16 it's a great sandwich. I would put it up there as the best I've tried in Asheville. I called ahead and the order was ready on time when I pick ed up, staff was nice. I look forward to going back for more.

Great little place. Louie's fries are delicious and the marinara dipping sauce was the best. I would highly recommend this little place. Only bad thing would be the parking situation not a real dedicated parking area. The staff is super friendly and does everything to accommodate you.

Okay it's super dark in here but if you go in at like 4 when they first open the metal isn't going to be too bad. The fried chicken sandwich is killer. Crunch for miles. Yummy pickles. Brioche bun and a really fresh and tasty side salad (see photo). Whoa.

This place definitely looks sketchy from the outside and even sketchier on the inside BUT don't let it scare you away. And don't let it deter you away from ordering a snack. When my honey brought me here I instantly thought to myself, what is my BF doing at places like this? But then remembered we're both from Florida so sketchy dive bars are our thing. So we pull into the dirt lot, walk past the eclectic patrons out side, head inside and again I'm like - oh man dont judge a book by the cover but wow. The music is blarring, not really my style of jams but whatever. We ordered drinks, checked out the menu. It's a great blend of dive bar food with a pretty damn good culinary twist. Like, seriously. We got the animal fries - SO GOOD! OMG! Cheese and meats and truffley things... inhaled them. Straight up. Also shared an order of the buffalo chicken nuggets. HOLY SMOKES YA'LL!!!!! BEST CHICKEN NUGGETS OF MY LIFE! Like for real, for real. I feel so bad for being a little heaved out about this place. I should know some of the best diamonds are hidden and I love the non boogie people that attend them. We'll be back soon but I aint sharin my nuggies this time.

'ROGIES and brisket! Yelp wants me to say more but that's all you really need to know. Everything was good, reasonably priced, and open late enough to get there. God bless Little Louie's.

Came here for a quick bite before going to a concert downtown. Someone greeted me and gave me a menu when I walked in which was nice bc it's def a dive bar feel. I found a spot at the bar. I try and eat a mostly a vegetarian/Pescatarian diet, so I chose the eggplant parm hoagie and a ginger beer. Unfortunately the eggplant was way too salty, but I was too nice to tell them so. I'm sure the other items on their menu are good. Just didn't enjoy the eggplant one much. Bartenders were nice though in suggesting I check out the brewery nearby where the ginger beer was sold. Anywho, would like to come back with friends, try the pierogis next time and play some pool.

Ordered a Cheese Steak just before her kitchen closed. Turned out to be a mistake. Super dry, meat tasted like a dirty grill. Wasn't cheap either. With fries and a can is soda it was $32 .

Love this local place! Good beer, vibe and food and close to home. Friendly service too!

Now known as Little Louie's this BBQ Philly/Southern style mashup is to die for. Casual atmosphere with real top quality smoked meats and vegetables. Their Pork Rab sandwich was AMAAAZING and the Brisket Cheese steak unbelievably excellent!!!!! The staff was warm and welcoming as well as attentive. The wings were the best I've ever had and even a plain old Caesar salad had nothing plain or old about it. Exceptional! ABSOLUTELY!

So good! My go to spot after going to the bins. Appreciate the hospitality and great food

The Malvern is a cool new spot located on Patton ave right across from the bowling alley. The space is large and open with high ceilings and purple walls. The bar is large and has plenty of seating and the seats are actually comfortable, oh my! There are also plenty of booths and a few tables for seating. The wall is filled with local artwork (hooray!) and there is a really fun game called Skittles in the corner. My first impressions of this place were great. My husband had been here 5+ times and finally took me with him. We enjoyed some basic drinks (bourbon and ginger and a beer) and ordered the Poutine for a late night snack. The Poutine was quite yummy, it definitely hit the spot for an after-dinner munchie. Everything on their menu sounded great (Trout dip, cheese platter, etc) and I learned that they serve brunch on the weekends too. The bartender was really friendly and after we originally ordered at the bar, she came and checked on us at our booth and brought us our check there and such. I really liked the vibe of this place and will definitely be back soon.

Shhh. Love the food here. Chef is a king a creative cool master. Thank you for being down home and interesting at the same time. Drink specials at awesome prices. Blue plate specials win me every time but the rest of the menu is wholly worth the calories too. N

I desperately want to love this little "gastropub" (as they call themselves), but try-as-they-might, they just haven't gotten it together. Are they a dive bar? A neighborhood hang out? A sports bar? A gastropub? It's as though The Malvern is trying to be all of the above, and not doing any of it particularly well. With a cocktail menu that sounded crafty and intriguing, I was tempted. And in four visits to this local bar, I sampled hibiscus punch, a cranberry vinegar cocktail, and a drink made with oat milk and amaretto. And then I realized it was best to stick with beer, or simple well drinks, as the bartenders are not adept at crafting cocktails. The cranberry vinegar cocktail was so heavy in vinegar, it was not dissimilar to taking a shot of straight, concentrated salad dressing. The hibiscus punch had zero floral notes, or undertones, it was bland and watery. And the best of the three, the oat milk and amaretto cocktail was so sweet, it could not be finished. When I asked the bartender to craft something using vodka and St. Germain, he simply presented me with a small glass containing a shot of each. From the food menu, I've eaten the smoked trout dip, the cheese board, the burger and the cowgirl salad. Of the four, the trout dip was the best, but it was not remarkable enough to order twice. The cheese board, burger, and salad were all just mediocre menu items. Nothing special, nothing noteworthy or even interesting. The addition of a brunch menu led me to believe there would be new food items. As it turned out, the brunch menu was comprised mainly of evening items that had simply been renamed. Poutine, brunch burger, the same crispy french toast served in the evenings... And then, as quickly as they introduced brunch, they changed their venue hours and ditched brunch altogether. Back to the drawing board. In 12 months, despite menu overhauls, changes in hours, cocktails, and taps, the Malvern has not managed to clearly carve out their niche. They would probably benefit from having true bar hours (open until 2 AM), and inexpensive small plates, beer specials, and well drinks. Forget trying to compete with the Asheville food and craft cocktail scene - they are in the perfect spot to be a popular bar. Highlight the local beers, run late night specials, and cater to the bar crowd. They have very little late-night competition in their neighborhood.

Been wanting to try this place for a while and tonight we decided to do the dang thing and we are so happy that we did! Brought the pup along so we sat on the patio and ordered at the bar started with the wonton nachos which were different but delicious also came out so quick which was awesome because we were starved. I got the black and mild chicken sandwich and she got the house burger, the food came out in under 15 minutes (closer to 10) and I think my chicken sandwich might be the best chicken sandwich I've had in Asheville and I've been here for 5 years and have tried many the sauce on my chicken sandwich was busssssin! She loved her burger they put an everything seasoning on top of the buns here and I think that is the best idea ever. Service was top notch easy and everything was affordable will definitely be making this a frequent stop when we eat out.

I tried to take away food from the Malvern for the first time yesterday. We loved every bit of it. The gluten-free chicken sandwich and the mushroom poutine... Beautiful salads and the falafel wrap. Portions were large and flavorful. I appreciate with celiac's having a restaurant that does things gluten-free and does it so well. And during the quarantine took such for cautions and allowed us to pick up curbside and stay safe. I can't recommend this restaurant enough.

Food does slap, I also got bent over. I asked for it though, that's the difference. Def 5 out 5. Would return any day.

We tried this place tonight for the first time - through takeout. I can't believe how good it was. I'm so impressed. That was the best meal I've had in years. Jerk tempeh plate. Incredible! Boyfriend had the burger and fries which were also really good. The bun looked good. Will definitely be ordering from here again. Thanks for an amazing meal!!

Nice environment, some fun games to play! Went around 10pm and was no other people, but it was a Sunday. Nice staff! Ordered one drink and there was little to no alcohol in it. Didn't order another. Would have been a good cocktail if there had been vodka in it like the menu stated.

Absolute hidden gem. There's a lot of great restaurants in Asheville but none as consistent and delicious as this spot. I have enjoyed every single item on this menu and I've tried just about all of them. Amazing service and food. Chx sammy, the lemon pepper wings, Chinese takeout, chx parm, you name it they knock it outta the park

Don't eat at the Malvern. My partner and I ordered sandwiches (1 chicken, 1 steak) with salads. It took almost 45 minutes for our food to arrive. Hello, bring the salads first please, especially if the sandwiches are going to be a while. 45 minutes, and we were one of only 3 tables of people there at the time. The "home made" blue cheese tasted stale and had zero blue cheese chunks in it. The chicken on my sandwich looked and tasted like those pre-cooked, microwaveable chicken strips sold in the grocery store freezer section. Also, the chicken to bun ratio was pitiful - needed twice the amount of chicken. The dipping sauce for my husband's steak sandwich was extremely salty. To top it all off, even the beer tasted stale. Ugh.

The food was delicious, much better than most pub food. Fresh, delicious ingredients and plenty of healthy options in addition to more classic pub fare. A nice atmosphere with classic pinball machines and other games. Kid friendly, but for those without kids it still had a classic pub feel. This place is definitely worth a visit and then a second and a third and so forth! It's getting hard to find a neighborhood pub with good food and atmosphere, but this place fits the bill nicely!