Hadn't been in to Zia since they changed their menu up a bit, and that was a mistake. Feels like a nicer sit-down restaurant. Food is fantastic. Service and staff among the best. Originally from Texas before I moved to WNC - trust me, give Zia a shot. You won't be disappointed.
ZenHealer7
As always, there are eating establishments and grocery stores in Asheville that choose not to follow the dog laws in the City and allow them in their businesses. Such was the case here on Sunday evening while we were waiting for a table in the covered patio. The hostess feigned ignorance about the law and said, " I am sure the health department would check upon it"!!! This is not the first time and will not be the first time that I call out an establishment that refuses to follow the dog laws. No matter how good the food was (and it was good), I will not patronize a place that allow unhygienic, barking beasts inside.
Andy A.
Food seemed to start out well until the chips and salsa arrived. Heavy heavy garlic. I love garlic, and lots of it, however this was so out of profile for a salsa that we just couldn't shake that after taste. When the food arrived my kids ordered the enchilada plates and they had to dig them out from being soaked in boracha beans that it was a slurry. I ordered the 3 taco plate( adovada pork, barbacoa beef and the green chicken. I got 3 adovada's. I waited and looked for the waitress and by the time she came to check on us I just said forget it and ate what I had because I had breakfast and traveled all day. The wife got the adovada as well and she struggled with the spice as it was just plain off. The spices seemed overdone, too much of a whole lot ideas crammed into a simple dish, busy. Speaking of busy, the rice was way busy and under flavored. As I pointed the taco mistake out to the waitress that I didn't get the choices ordered she almost seemed to know leaving me the impression she was aware of the mistake but brought it out anyway and then tried to bring out a chicken taco after I ate what I was served. In the end I asked her and the manager both separately Id they would take it off the bill and neither of them did. The manager thought that bringing a piece of chocolate tres leches cake out would fix my wrong order and off service. Chocolate tres leches? Paid no tip big miss, sorry folks. Orale
Ali H
How lucky to stumble upon the Zia food truck after a few wayward turns walking through the River Arts District. Guac, salsa, chips, black bean taco, chicken taco were all phenomenal. Super friendly service on top!
Holy Money Ent
Zia is west Asheville staple but honestly I don’t see how. Probably the worse Americanize Mexican food I’ve ever had. Salsa was bland and tacos were just? tried 4 different ones and only one of them was some what decent.
Edward Guyer
The food was excellent and our server was very attentive. The Pisole is too die for. My bowl was an almost perfect portion size. The carne avocado was very tasty. My wife got smoked fish for her tacos and it was perfect. Highly recommend but go early. Even on a Monday they are busy.
Mr. E. Mann
I've been coming to Asheville for years and surprised I never previously found this place. The staff was super friendly and competent, and all of the flavors were well balanced. The hot salsa was smoky and flavorful, the nopales taco was inspired! The grilled fish taco too. The chefs worked hard to put this menu together. Seriously, if you love tacos or Latin American flavors in general, this is not to be missed.
Mish_the_Fish
While all the menu isn't real down home New Mexico, there is enough here to remind us where we left our hearts. It's a special place for us although, because of the distance, we only visit occasionally. But be assured, their cuisine meets our criteria for being like home whether it be green, red or Christmas enchiladas or the wonderful sopapillas (sans the cinnamon and sugar - just with honey). Get the real green chile (not the tomatillo) and fill your sopapillas with honey before biting into them and you too will think you are really in the Mesilla Valley (the home of Hatch) in southern NMex. Ahhhh!
Andrea W.
I came here on a weekday night and ordered 3 tacos: grilled shrimp, grilled fish, and carne asada. Sat outside and was given chips and salsa, and my tacos were wrapped in aluminum foil put on a paper plate, not sure why food wasn't served on proper plates and reusable kitchenware. My tacos were all double tortilla, and they were alright. The carne asada was overcooked and dry, not very flavorful, and the shrimp was fresh but flavor was also lacking. My favorite was the grilled fish because it actually had flavor and there was a ton of fish. These came out to be around $17 post-tax, pretty expensive for what it was.
tracyann4281
The service was pretty decent but that was about the only thing good about it. The place was only about half full if that and the food took a very long time. We ordered 2 tacos each and shared a side of rice and borracho beans. Everything was bland and had little to no flavor. The verde sauce which was supposed to have a kick barely even had any flavor. The carne asada which looked like chicken was so diced up and dry, also supposed to be a bit spicy but had just the slightest hint of pepper. We were excited about the beans but had to put hot sauce in them to give them any flavor. Overall the whole meal was just plain bland. We were really excited to try this place as we heard rave reviews. We will not be back. Very disappointed.
Really Really friendly staff! The bartender can make a killer mezcal Margarita perfectly! and the tacos are alright. 10 out of 10 would recommend! Possibly considering ubering there during busy hours, parking might get full, but hey that means more mezcal Margaritas for everyone!
Teresa Strong
Zia Taqueria catered our wedding this October and I cannot recommend them enough! Robert Tipsword and his whole team were incredibly professional, energetic, responsive, and, best of all, made delicious food! Rob was amazing to work with and really went above and beyond to help us curate the best food spread for our guests and provided quality, reasonably priced food for our guests. If anyone is looking for a professional, reliable team to cater your event, I highly recommend Zia! Also, just in general, their restaurant in Asheville has an amazing set-up and great staff/service!
Amanda Miles-Graeter
Love zia. Always have. They really have a great outdoor space and did great with making things work during covid.
Janet T
Several vegan options. Not the greatest food or atmosphere, but it's fine for a group gathering outside.
Alan W.
My final night visiting Asheville & we chose another winner. Zia offers fantastic, tasty, fresh Mexican cuisine. The waiter was fun & personable. We were brought a large bowl of warm chips & a tasty, mild salsa. Thankfully on the table were several bottles of hot sauces to spice & zip up the salsa. Once we got it perfect, we devoured bowl after bowl of chips, & bowl after bowl of salsa. Then the entrees arrived. I ordered chicken enchiladas with both red & green sauce. (In New Mexico, simply say "I'll have it Christmas Tree" & you get it this way.). The depth of flavors was amazing. The chicken was marinated well. The corn tortilla tasted fresh. The red & green sauces were vibrant with bold chili flavors. And a cooling drizzle of crema brought it all together. The two sides of beans were just average. But I was too full to eat any beans anyway.
Hadn't been in to Zia since they changed their menu up a bit, and that was a mistake. Feels like a nicer sit-down restaurant. Food is fantastic. Service and staff among the best. Originally from Texas before I moved to WNC - trust me, give Zia a shot. You won't be disappointed.
As always, there are eating establishments and grocery stores in Asheville that choose not to follow the dog laws in the City and allow them in their businesses. Such was the case here on Sunday evening while we were waiting for a table in the covered patio. The hostess feigned ignorance about the law and said, " I am sure the health department would check upon it"!!! This is not the first time and will not be the first time that I call out an establishment that refuses to follow the dog laws. No matter how good the food was (and it was good), I will not patronize a place that allow unhygienic, barking beasts inside.
Food seemed to start out well until the chips and salsa arrived. Heavy heavy garlic. I love garlic, and lots of it, however this was so out of profile for a salsa that we just couldn't shake that after taste. When the food arrived my kids ordered the enchilada plates and they had to dig them out from being soaked in boracha beans that it was a slurry. I ordered the 3 taco plate( adovada pork, barbacoa beef and the green chicken. I got 3 adovada's. I waited and looked for the waitress and by the time she came to check on us I just said forget it and ate what I had because I had breakfast and traveled all day. The wife got the adovada as well and she struggled with the spice as it was just plain off. The spices seemed overdone, too much of a whole lot ideas crammed into a simple dish, busy. Speaking of busy, the rice was way busy and under flavored. As I pointed the taco mistake out to the waitress that I didn't get the choices ordered she almost seemed to know leaving me the impression she was aware of the mistake but brought it out anyway and then tried to bring out a chicken taco after I ate what I was served. In the end I asked her and the manager both separately Id they would take it off the bill and neither of them did. The manager thought that bringing a piece of chocolate tres leches cake out would fix my wrong order and off service. Chocolate tres leches? Paid no tip big miss, sorry folks. Orale
How lucky to stumble upon the Zia food truck after a few wayward turns walking through the River Arts District. Guac, salsa, chips, black bean taco, chicken taco were all phenomenal. Super friendly service on top!
Zia is west Asheville staple but honestly I don’t see how. Probably the worse Americanize Mexican food I’ve ever had. Salsa was bland and tacos were just? tried 4 different ones and only one of them was some what decent.
The food was excellent and our server was very attentive. The Pisole is too die for. My bowl was an almost perfect portion size. The carne avocado was very tasty. My wife got smoked fish for her tacos and it was perfect. Highly recommend but go early. Even on a Monday they are busy.
I've been coming to Asheville for years and surprised I never previously found this place. The staff was super friendly and competent, and all of the flavors were well balanced. The hot salsa was smoky and flavorful, the nopales taco was inspired! The grilled fish taco too. The chefs worked hard to put this menu together. Seriously, if you love tacos or Latin American flavors in general, this is not to be missed.
While all the menu isn't real down home New Mexico, there is enough here to remind us where we left our hearts. It's a special place for us although, because of the distance, we only visit occasionally. But be assured, their cuisine meets our criteria for being like home whether it be green, red or Christmas enchiladas or the wonderful sopapillas (sans the cinnamon and sugar - just with honey). Get the real green chile (not the tomatillo) and fill your sopapillas with honey before biting into them and you too will think you are really in the Mesilla Valley (the home of Hatch) in southern NMex. Ahhhh!
I came here on a weekday night and ordered 3 tacos: grilled shrimp, grilled fish, and carne asada. Sat outside and was given chips and salsa, and my tacos were wrapped in aluminum foil put on a paper plate, not sure why food wasn't served on proper plates and reusable kitchenware. My tacos were all double tortilla, and they were alright. The carne asada was overcooked and dry, not very flavorful, and the shrimp was fresh but flavor was also lacking. My favorite was the grilled fish because it actually had flavor and there was a ton of fish. These came out to be around $17 post-tax, pretty expensive for what it was.
The service was pretty decent but that was about the only thing good about it. The place was only about half full if that and the food took a very long time. We ordered 2 tacos each and shared a side of rice and borracho beans. Everything was bland and had little to no flavor. The verde sauce which was supposed to have a kick barely even had any flavor. The carne asada which looked like chicken was so diced up and dry, also supposed to be a bit spicy but had just the slightest hint of pepper. We were excited about the beans but had to put hot sauce in them to give them any flavor. Overall the whole meal was just plain bland. We were really excited to try this place as we heard rave reviews. We will not be back. Very disappointed.
Restaurantji Recommends
Really Really friendly staff! The bartender can make a killer mezcal Margarita perfectly! and the tacos are alright. 10 out of 10 would recommend! Possibly considering ubering there during busy hours, parking might get full, but hey that means more mezcal Margaritas for everyone!
Zia Taqueria catered our wedding this October and I cannot recommend them enough! Robert Tipsword and his whole team were incredibly professional, energetic, responsive, and, best of all, made delicious food! Rob was amazing to work with and really went above and beyond to help us curate the best food spread for our guests and provided quality, reasonably priced food for our guests. If anyone is looking for a professional, reliable team to cater your event, I highly recommend Zia! Also, just in general, their restaurant in Asheville has an amazing set-up and great staff/service!
Love zia. Always have. They really have a great outdoor space and did great with making things work during covid.
Several vegan options. Not the greatest food or atmosphere, but it's fine for a group gathering outside.
My final night visiting Asheville & we chose another winner. Zia offers fantastic, tasty, fresh Mexican cuisine. The waiter was fun & personable. We were brought a large bowl of warm chips & a tasty, mild salsa. Thankfully on the table were several bottles of hot sauces to spice & zip up the salsa. Once we got it perfect, we devoured bowl after bowl of chips, & bowl after bowl of salsa. Then the entrees arrived. I ordered chicken enchiladas with both red & green sauce. (In New Mexico, simply say "I'll have it Christmas Tree" & you get it this way.). The depth of flavors was amazing. The chicken was marinated well. The corn tortilla tasted fresh. The red & green sauces were vibrant with bold chili flavors. And a cooling drizzle of crema brought it all together. The two sides of beans were just average. But I was too full to eat any beans anyway.