Brü Avl’s tagline,”Taps, Coffee, Grub”, is definitely an understatement. That’s obvious when you read through their menu and see what’s coming out of the kitchen pass-through. We watched new-ish to the area Chef Carlos bringing dishes to Co-owner with her husband Justin, Layla Neuroth at the bar.

If you’re not familiar, Brü Avl has been in business right off Pack Square at 5 Biltmore Ave for about six months.

Welcome to Brü – Downtown Asheville’s [all day] Gastro Café where every bite is a journey to the source. We proudly serve elevated cocktails, curated wine, craft beer, and delicious food, all created with fresh, seasonal ingredients, and a commitment to sustainability and community building. – Executive Chef, Layla Neuroth

Duh, it’s Brew not Brah. I wasn’t paying attention to the umlaut on the “u” and thought Brü was pronounced with a short “u”, as in “It’s Asheville, Brah”.😅 Got that squared away pretty quickly.

The Food

Barrie and I went to Brü for lunch this past Wednesday, but because they serve their entire menu during all operating hours, one of us had a Waffle ( Breakfast/Brunch) and one of us had a solid Lunch offering, the Ultimate Bacon Sandwich. Makes sense when you see owners refer to Brü as an “all day gastro café”. See Brü’s current Menu.

Owners Layla and Justin Neuroth come to Asheville via Austin, TX and Southern California with deep industry experience, including as restaurant owners. They brought all that with them and jumped in with what so many locals appreciate and love:

farm-to-table sourcing from as many local farms as possible, such as Hickory Nut Gap [and Terramonga Farm] in Fairview. However, despite the organic ingredients and in-house cooking, the, couple want their fare to be as accessible to the Asheville community as possible – 828newsNOW

Färmesē

The Neuroth’s have been in Asheville for over a year, though, opening their “underground” bar, Färməsē (pronounced Pharmacy) Cocktail Lounge next door to Brü in late January, 2025.

Färmesē is more than just farm to glass cocktails…it’s an experience.  We provide curated craft tastings, trendsetting new techniques and ingredients, live house music from tenured DJs, all served up in a very vibey underground Asheville setting.

Quick aside, Layla’s a true mixologist. I need to take an investigative deep dive into that at Färməsē. 😊 All simple syrups, shrubs, clarifications, and infusions are made in-house by hand by Layla. She’s very into the craft of mixology. Working in the field since her teen years, she told us, “I change out the drinks menu every three months because there’re always new fruits and herbs to use”.

Food from Brü can be ordered and will be brought down to Färməsē. During the busy season, artisan charcuterie boards with things like chorizo Fundido, Spinach Artichoke Dip, and more are available.

More on Färməsē in a future article.

What’s with the Octopi?

Once inside Brü, be sure to take in the entire wall covered with an octopus mural. If you keep an eye out, you’ll spot a couple more octopi in other spots. Layla has a thing for them. She explained why she finds them so fascinating. They’re full of spirit, smart, adaptable, and they wander and weave their way through things. She recommended checking out the movie, “My Octopus Teacher”.

NEW – April 1^st is the expected launch date for Chef Carlos’ Peruvian Dinner concept/menu. It’ll run from 5:30pm to close.

Also anticipated to begin on April 1^st is a conversion from ordering at the bar to full service. This is from an employee, not owners, so could change.

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Brü Avl
5 Biltmore Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
828-412-3364