July 6, 2009
best of the bars we visited on a brief asheville trip. had a monday special tap sampler deal - smutty nose star island, avery 15 and left hand st vrain. good selection of american craft brew on the top floor and a decent selection of belgians on the bottom - what you would expect: rochefort, westmalle, cantillon, etc. talked to the bartender a bit and seemed iffy knowledge-wise. service was helpful and good overall though. food turned out to be surprisingly good: tapas, beet salad and mac and cheese were top notch. cool place.

July 1, 2009
Incredible selection, different menu everyday. Impressive lineup of local and regional brews and plenty of unexpected beers from around the country. Really cool bartender, and helpful with suggestions. Had a Lagunitas Gnarlywine and a Highland IPA, both on draft.

June 28, 2009
One of the few Belgium beer bars in the USA downstairs and an American Micro bar upstairs. Constantly rotating tap list.

June 23, 2009
Last stop on Asheville beer tour. Best selection of Belgians in Asheville. American micros at the bar upstairs, Belgians on draft downstairs. Preferred the downstairs vibe better. Some beers were crazily overpriced. Bartenders (owners?) seemed like they were all pissed off.

June 15, 2009
I can’t remember what this building was before the Thirsty Monk, but I’m sure it is being put to better use now. As everyone has mentioned, almost 2 seperate tap rooms here. The downstairs cave for the Belgians and the upstairs for the Crafts, which if an American brewer has made a Belgian style, you will find it up there. A lot of interesting stuff on draft and some good bottles. Especially upstairs, which I prefer that style of beer, had some surprisingly hard to find beers on bottle, Dark Island is what sticks out in my mind. Had a Terrapin Scotch ale on draft, which was good. Best thing is the availability of half pints for their drafts. Service was very good, but the bartender was only so-so knowledgeable about the beer. The downstairs bartender seemed to be a little more knowledgeable. The front of the upstairs has windows that open completely, which is kind of nice, that is also where they allow smoking, so outside but near inside. After Barley’s, I would say this is the second place to stop other than the brewers in Asheville.

June 8, 2009
been to the monk several times, but this weekend was the first time i had a chance to hang out in the upper floor. this is where they serve american microbrews; the lower level is the nice little belgian bar. tried the brooklyn cuvee cardoz, which was very nice. also tried their monk n’ cheese with smoked salmon. that was really tasty. they have a great brew selection on both floors, but the upper floor could definitely use more ambiance. but when you’ve got great beer & great food, that pretty much trumps cosmetics.

May 29, 2009
Thirsty Monk cares about their beer. Spread over two floors of beer-centric bars, you can find anything from the newest American release (SN Southern Harvest), to a uncommon American tap (Oak-aged Samaels), to a great Belgian (Bernardus abt 12 on tap comes to mind). Match that with a great indie vibe, cool decor, and a very knowledgeable bartender, and you have a new beer mecca for the area. Oh, and while you are in Asheville check out the numerous other craft-beer offering establishments.

May 19, 2009
I love this place. One of my favorite bars in Asheville. You can always try the latest and greatest beers. Just a great place to hang out and drink.

March 17, 2009
This is pretty high on my list of favorite bars. It’s in a two-level building. Upstairs/street level, it’s a sort of yuppie-magnet bar well-stocked with American micros. Downstairs, friend, is a different world entirely. It’s a cave-like half basement specializing in Belgians. All beers are served in appropriate glassware, usually down to specific brand. Selection is outstanding. And the bartenders are impressively knowledgeable about the beers they have, many of which are somewhat obscure. Great place, and a must for beer in Asheville. I haven’t eaten there yet, but will at some point.

March 14, 2009
Very nice place. One of my favorites from Asheville. Service was a bit slow, but pleasant. What follows is my review from cvillebeergeek.blogspot.com. The Thirsty Monk also has two levels. The downstairs level is devoted to Belgian beers. It is here that I sampled Ommegang’s Inauguration Ale (Obamagang). Upstairs is dedicated to non-Belgian selections. Here I tried the Wedge Doppelbock and Terrapin Oak Aged Big Hoppy Monster. Very nice ambience on both levels. The salmon sliders were magnificent.