Brother Joe's Coffee Pub (Former: Open Brewing)

No Longer In Business

If you are in Asheville you have to go to The Thirsty Monk. One of the best beer bars I have ever visited.

Looks like folks are getting the two locations mixed up in the reviews. Sigh. This is the smaller, single story one that’s a 20x30 space in south Asheville. I visited in July and found it to be a good spot to visit in the area. They had 20-25 taps with some excellent local and national craft, not to mention a couple of their own. The food is brought over from a restaurant next door. The food arrived hot and in a similar amount of time to if they had their own kitchen. I agree with DiarmaidBHK about the windows, annoying when your trying to watch the Telly and enjoy your pint.

The name is a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because people know what they’re getting in terms of a a passion for beer. It’s a curse in that the automatic comparison is to the original downtown. Instead comparing the Thirsty Monk south to the typical bar it compares nicely. They have 20+ taps of local and regional craft and they brew 4-5 of their own including a fantastic Hefeweizen. They have room for a couch as well as a couple of dartboards and an outdoor patio space. My only complaint is that they have a window that doesn’t have blinds and hits you right in the eye around dusk. The food comes from a local restaurant nearby. The wait was comparable to what you’d expect had the food been made in their own kitchen. Easily the best beer bar in South Asheville.

Small little bar in South Asheville. Good selection of brews, but prices tend to be high. Great if you’re in the area, but wouldn’t go out of way with all the other places downtown, including the original. They do have food delivered, haven’t tried but it always looks good.

I liked this place. I have to give them a lot of credit for the ambience, because this is clearly a new shopping center, but they have taken pains to give it an old feel inside, and they have succeeded. Not your typical restaurant full of tables with a bar to the side. The bar is the focal point here and there are tables along the sides. Food is good, but it was a little weird in the sense that you’re actually ordering from a neighboring restaurant and they bring it over. Good stuff, though. They don’t have terribly many of their own beers on tap, but of course they make up for that with having a ton of other taps, including a good American and local selection. Their house beers are pretty solid. Prices are pretty good. The bartender was very friendly. Overall this is a very nice stop.

More of a suburb just off work stop. Great service, beer and food. Three of their own beers on tap.

October 2011. Compared to the downtown TM, this is a copycat. Guess it’s a decent-enough beer bar, but doesn’t have the ambiance you’d want for a good Belgian beer bar. And they’re trying to brew -- got a chance to try their first -- not good. And the bartender was a dick. (#560)

The ambiance and selection are not quite as strong as the Thirsty Monk downtown,but the bar has been set so high be the original location. There is still a cozy, laid-back bar atmosphere despite being in a big shopping center. Beer list is pretty expansive and the service is knowledgeable and friendly. The food menu is even different from the other location though I didn’t eat this time. It’s not worth it to make a special trip away from downtown, but if you’re anywhere in the area anyway I highly recommend a stop here.