For the best sushi in Asheville, NC, Tom and I love Zen Sushi, Green Tea, and Murasaki. Outside of AVL, Umi is wonderful. Keep reading for more details about where to get build-your-own poke, endless Asian tapas, unique specialty rolls, budget-friendly lunch specials, and soups, with a few hidden gems across Western North Carolina.
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Asheville has the best restaurants for foodies. If you follow Uncorked Asheville on Facebook, you know that Tom and I dine out and order takeout sushi more than any other cuisine. Trust me when I say we are salmon pros. 📸 Because of this, all photos are our own of what we order and recommend as residents since 2019.
Along with our favorite sushi spots, be sure to peruse our comprehensive AVL food and beverage guides and our top Asian restaurants. 💙 Christine of Uncorked Asheville
Where We Go For The Best Sushi In Asheville
Where do Tom and I satiate our sushi cravings? You cannot go wrong with any of these places.
Zen Sushi (North Asheville) – Casual Local Favorite
As North AVL residents, Zen Sushi is our casual neighborhood spot for dine-in and takeout. Zen offers budget-friendly lunch specials with sushi rolls paired with salad or miso soup. Of course, we appreciate a low-key dinner here. You’ll see plenty of UNCA students, along with locals and families. Note that they are closed on Tuesdays.
🥢 What We Like To Order At Zen Sushi
I prefer Zen’s sashimi selections, featuring tuna, yellowtail, salmon, and whitefish, served with a steaming bowl of rice. I also cannot resist their Perfect Match Roll with mango, shrimp, and lobster. The New Horizons Roll has yellowtail and asparagus. When extra hungry, I crave Zen’s vegetable or shrimp tempura Bento boxes. Tom is a big fan of Zen Sushi’s fried rice.
Do you see Beau in our takeout photo? 🐱
🍣 Local Insider Tip: Zen marks its menu with vegetarian and gluten-free items, which is great for our part-Celiac household. Afterward, grab ice cream at The Hop or bubble tea at Pop, with vegan and non-dairy options.🧋
In this same Merrimon Ave. plaza, Mother Ocean offers a stellar lunch (fish tacos and fish & chips). Pho Real promises delicious Pho and noodles. Most North Asheville restaurants have larger parking lots and are filled with locals. 🥢
Murasaki Asheville (South AVL/Arden) – Our Readers’ #1 Pick & Slightly “Elevated” Sushi Dining
Murasaki is by far our Uncorked followers’ favorite sushi restaurant in Asheville, and one of ours, too. It’s not hard to see why. The Sunset Roll is divine. I love mango. If you want to splurge, order a bottle of fancier sake. The Dassai 23 Junmai Daiginjo hits the spot.
🥢 What Makes Murasaki Stand Out
Situated in a pleasant shopping plaza off Long Shoals in Arden—there’s a wine bar and shop that we love here, Vaso De Vino—Murasaki is a sleek restaurant with trendy shiplap walls and table, bar, and booth seating.
They promise a unique selection of Asian tapas, sushi lunch specials, specialty and traditional rolls, ramen, noodle dishes, and Bento boxes. It’s hard to choose. Tom and I literally drive across town for them.
✨ They Also Own Maguro & Miyagi
Situated downtown, Maguro promises a large space and menu (see our YouTube Short). They make the best black garlic ramen I’ve had in Asheville. Their sushi is fresh, simple, and delicious. Head here if you love Asian tapas, stir-fries, sashimi, rice bowls, and more.
Brand new to North Asheville (late September 2026), Miyagi has a slightly different menu but still guarantees some of the best sushi, ramen, hibachi, and lunch specials in Asheville. The interior has plentiful seating in a beautifully renovated space, including a new mural. There is on-site parking.
Miyako House (Downtown Asheville) – Chill Spot After Boutique Shopping Downtown
Even though Miyako House is located downtown, it’s one of the more hidden restaurants on this list and another local favorite. Many people who work downtown grab lunch here.
🥢 Why I Recommend Miyako House
For an unassuming, chill restaurant, I appreciate Miyako House’s fun presentation and deliciousness. Select from sashimi, classic sushi rolls, teriyaki, hibachi, and Bento boxes.
Personally, I think they stay a little quieter than the busy Wasabi Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar, if you want to avoid crowds, with better flavors and quality.
Plan Your Magical Adventure: Our Free Asheville Guide + Bucket List
Green Tea Sushi Japanese Restaurant (West Asheville) – Great For Families & Work Lunches
From the owners of Mr. Tea Asian Bistro at the Asheville Mall—I love those red booths and soup dumplings—West Asheville houses amazing restaurants like Green Tea.
Families flock here after school sports. This is a great location for work lunch breaks and meetings. Even on a Tuesday afternoon, they will be [gently] busy. Just keep in mind they close for a break between lunch and dinner.
🥢 Let’s Talk About That Menu
Green Tea boasts a large appetizer menu full of dumplings, popcorn shrimp, tofu, crab cakes, and garlic shrimp. Then, choose from popular specialty rolls, noodles, Teriyaki, Bento boxes, Asian fusion, and fried rice.
We order takeout/delivery here, too, but prefer their on-site dining. Tom recently devoured the most delicious chicken hibachi, which they can make gluten-free. Hands down, they have the best ginger salad dressing in Asheville.
Yum Poke Spot (South Asheville) – Build-Your-Own Poke Bowls
While there are plenty of places to find poke in Asheville, our go-to is Yum Poke Spot. Build a bowl to eat onsite or to-go, filled with proteins like tuna, shrimp, scallops, steak, crab, tofu, and salmon. They have loads of veggies and salad, along with white and brown rice options.
🥢 My Perfect Poke Bowl Order At Yum
My favorite mix-ins include carrots, mango, roe, cucumber, avocado, seaweed salad, fried garlic, and scallion with raw tuna and salmon on white rice. Tom and I tend to go overboard and add globs of ginger sauce. Don’t forget the sushi burritos and spring rolls.
Their downtown location recently closed, so we mostly do takeout, which is perfect for movie night.
Mr. Sushi (North & South Asheville) – A Surprisingly Delicious Spot
It’s a cheesy, fun name, but Mr. Sushi promises anything from edamame and sushi rolls to stir-fry and hibachi grill items. Should you get sushi here? Yes.
🥢 What Tom and I Enjoy At Mr. Sushi
We usually drop in for pick-up as Mr. Sushi is not the most atmospheric. However, we have eaten in at their North AVL location plenty of times and order spring rolls, house salads, and a variety of traditional and specialty rolls. Mr. Sushi also offers combination sushi specials if you cannot decide.
The Madness Asheville (North & West AVL/Candler) – Sushi With Terrific Options For Non-Sushi Lovers In Your Party
The Madness is a great spot for sushi in Asheville if you have non-sushi and burger lovers with you. They are popular with families and welcoming to small gatherings, including special celebrations.
🥢 Why Pick The Madness
Talk about a huge menu done right. Select from unique specialty rolls, classic sushi rolls, and beautiful appetizers served like pieces of affordable fancy art, just like their cocktails. Lately, their sushi has been some of the best in the city for freshness and taste. They keep getting better and better. I’m here for it.
When I can’t decide, I order a Bento box with a slider, edamame, and a California roll. But the burgers are excellent, and I crave all of their salmon rolls. Get the lemon salmon roll.
🥢 A Bonus Madness Asheville Tip
Personally, their Smokey Park location tends to have slightly better service/staffing (it’s tough out there, y’all), but North Asheville can be quieter and has gotten so much better over the years. Plus, you can walk Beaver Lake afterwards.
Gem Sushi Restaurants Near Asheville We Love
I had to drop our two favorite sushi restaurants near Asheville, one of which Tom and I ate at before becoming North Carolina residents (Umi in Hendersonville!).
Soba Sushi & Noodles (Weaverville) – Great Lunch Specials In Asheville’s Neighboring Town
Weaverville is AVL’s northern mountain town filled with breweries, shopping, and parks. The Weaverville restaurants promise delicious food, budget-friendly prices, local vibes, and slightly less city congestion. Tom and I love going here for an afternoon.
🥢 Why Soba Is Worth The Very Short Drive
Soba Sushi is a great stop if you crave soup, ramen, noodles, and of course, sushi. They feature a little bit of everything.
I highly recommend ordering their hot tea—green tea or ginger. The ginger honey tea is super sweet and chock-full of fresh shredded ginger. Your tummy will thank you.
This is a popular spot for lunch specials at a steal. Budget-friendly sushi without skimping on quality is always a huge bonus, especially when Asheville is a little pricey.
Umi Sushi (Hendersonville) – Best Sushi in Western North Carolina
Even before moving to Asheville, Tom and I ate at Umi Sushi, which our Bed & Breakfast host recommended to us while house hunting (shoutout to Mike at the 1898 Waverly Inn). Along with Murasaki and Zen, this is my favorite sushi restaurant.
🥢 Did You Really Pick A Favorite, Christine?
I did. I love Umi’s selection of specialty rolls, the freshness, and the overall quality. While Umi has fried rice, sea bass, steak, salmon, and noodles, I’ve always gotten their sushi rolls because they are the best around. Like Asheville, Hendersonville is full of delicious restaurants, and you have to go for the fall apple orchards.
🥟 Take a tour of our favorite sushi spots to avoid this rice disaster 🍱
True story: All the rice literally fell off my sushi. Don’t let that happen to you. 🤣
Eat at these great restaurants.
🎥 Featured in this video: Murasaki, Zen, Green Tea, Mr. Tea, The Madness, Maguro, and Umi.
Comprehensive List Of Sushi Restaurants in Asheville
For sushi, sashimi, poke, and more across the city, head to:
- Zen Sushi
- Green Tea Japanese Restaurant
- Miyako House
- Maguro
- Yum Poke Spot
- Heiwa Shokudo
- Wasabi Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar
- Asheville Sushi & Hibachi
- Mr. Sushi
- Pacific Pagoda
- Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse (sashimi!)
- Mizu
- Murasaki
- The Madness Asheville
- Mr. Tea Asian Bistro
- Red Ginger Dim Sum & Tapas
- Aloha Cafe (Downtown AVL)
- Huli Sue’s BBQ & Grill (usually a delicious poke bowl on the menu)
- Miyagi
Before You Go, You Might Also Like:
Tom and I love Asian cuisine. If you enjoyed these sushi restaurants, you might also be interested in Asheville’s terrific Thai food restaurants.
As always, let us know your favorite sushi spots in the comments, including what you order. I am always updating our lists and looking for more. 💙 Christine of Uncorked Asheville