Isis Music Hall

743 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806, USA

Address:	743 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806, USA
Phone:	+1 828-575-2737
Site:	isisasheville.com
Rating:	4.3

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 4

Steven Doherty

Finally decided to give them a go for brunch this afternoon, as the menu had a few items that looked intriguing. I admit, I was put off by a few things early on. Though it was not really that busy and there seemed to be an overabundance of staff, it took a while for someone to come over and greet us after we were seated, and when she finally did the pitcher of water she brought us was lukewarm, no ice. Aaaaah, how refreshing..... perhaps that is their way of pushing you toward their beverage menu (which was never given to us). But Im sure most of the offerings on it include ice. Anyhow, looking over the menu I noticed that the eggs benedict are served with a "protein" of the day. The word PRETENTIOUS popped up like a jack in the box in my mind, and I realized that I was indeed, probably out of my element. Still, we werent going anywhere so I figured I might as well ride the thing out. I had my eye on the open-faced fried chicken sandwich. It comes on a fresh biscuit with blueberry demi, jicama slaw, and crispy parsnip. So that was that. Lady McStyles toyed with the idea of the aforementioned eggs benedict, but in the end saved herself the extra calories and got the simple breakfast, which consists of 2 farm eggs, which she asked for scrambled, smoked bacon, grits, and a house made biscuit. As we sat there chatting and eyeing the place I must say that theyve done a very nice job with the remodel. I was particularly impressed with all the period light fixtures and the vintage mirrors in the restroom. They didnt go overboard but they respect the heritage of the building, which is nice. Anyhow, the food arrived. I immediately wondered what the purpose the parsnip served, other that garnish. As texture wise it didnt wed or make sense with any of the other things on the plate. The jicama slaw was another mystery, I though perhaps it would work some secret magic with the chicken, but it too, seemed the odd man out. As for the fried chicken, it was fine, nothing special. The bluberry demi was nice as was the biscuit, but overall this plate was somewhat of a headscratcher. On the other side of the table the wife was having some highs and lows; her scrambled eggs were bland and undercooked and the feeble piece of bacon that accompanied them was pedestrian. She though the grits were exceptional though and like myself, enjoyed her biscuit. Overall, we werent very impressed with Isis. I would say that the brunch at both WALK and Early Girl trump what theyre doing over here, in both quality as well as quantity, for the same amount of money. I dont think well be back. Grade: C (noticed on the street sign after she had already ordered her mimosa that its offered with grapefruit OR orange juice. a good server wouldve mentioned both options)

Logan Sand

I saw a band at their facility, and absolutely loved the atmosphere. Its true what the reviews say: acoustics are great, the venue is lovely, and the drinks are even better. We (my wife and I) decided that it was such a great time, we would go back the next day and try their restaurant. We walked in around 6:30pm, and there were many, many tables open. When I asked for a table of two, they said "all tables were reserved", due to a sold out show starting at 8pm... While that was frustrating, things began to escalate. We opted to stay and sit at the bar, and as soon as we got our menus, the main bartender (without greeting) simply asked "what are we eating?". Understand this is our FIRST time at their restaurant, we hadnt ever looked at the menu. We were about to leave, when there was a debacle on the corner of the bar between a bar back and a bartender / manager. Thats when an entire glass of Merlot fell into my lap. Now, dont get me wrong, this was an unfortunate accident... but it gets worse. The bar back looks over at me and asks "oh, did I get you?", "It wasnt intentional"... thats not the point. All I was asking for was a SORRY. As I show him that wine is all over me, he continues his sass, letting me know that he has a t-shirt in the back if I want to borrow it... Obviously pushing buttons in an unfortunate situation did not work well. I could not hold composure as I felt that the bar back was fighting against me when I was simply a customer in the crossfire. If you can believe it, it gets WORSE. I get a call the next day (mothers day) from the owner, who tells me that "I need an attitude adjustment", and that "its hard to deal with people who are that mad." Well, guess what? Its not about the wine. Its not about the ruined clothes. Its about a simple apology and owning up to your faults. Dont tell me how to adjust my attitude when nothing was done to assist. The pointless phone call, bad management skill, and overall attitude of the staff I encountered reaffirms that I will never come back to this restaurant. It was completely unprofessional and disrespectful to treat a customer in this manner. I am actually still in shock that nothing was done to make this situation right, and am even more shocked that I received "advice" from the owner on how I should manage my anger... Let me put it this way, anyone in or travelling through the Asheville area should avoid ISIS Restaurant & Music Hall.

Hawker AVL

Why do I keep giving this place another chance? Music is great, everything else is absolutely horrible. Been here several times and have never had a good experience. I thought it may be a bad employee or off night but it is apparent that the culture of the place grows an awful dining experience. The staff is rude, ignores you and pretentious. I have waited and been ignored at the bar many times. I have had rude and pretentious servers and wait staff. The food tries too hard to look be artsy but lacks any substance. It isn’t a meal it is “plating” of stuff that sounds interesting but doesn’t go together. The portions are small, the flavor lacking and the price almost double what it should be. For these prices I can eat at Asheville’s top restaurants and get good food and service. If you like to think rude snobbery make a restaurant great come down. If you know what service and food should be go elsewhere.

Andrew Petriuusi

Get over the name and try this place. It is superb. We came here for a concert for my wifes birthday on a holiday trip, and the direct stage seating was unfortunately full so we sat out front. Despite this, we could hear the music just fine. Our waitress was extremely polite and attentive, quickly ushering us to our table and bringing us an adorable milk glass full of ice water. We ordered, myself the NC Trout with Shrimp and my wife the Grouper Sandwich. The good arrived well arranged and in a generous portion. The first bites were near orgasmic. Perfectly seasoned and flavorful, the fish was a joy to taste on each bite. The shrimp, though relatively few, were also divine. My wife ordered their signature drink, which she enjoyed as well. Would come again - highly recommend this place to anyone who happens to pass through and has the time (and the money - it is definitely on the high end).