We Finally Made It to Xico
Some restaurants get your attention through advertising. Others seem to work their way into the conversation.
For the past few months, we kept hearing about Xico.
Friends mentioned it. Asheville food lovers talked about it. We heard enough good things that Xico had steadily moved higher on our list of restaurants we needed to experience for ourselves.
This past weekend, we finally did.
And from the moment we arrived until the moment we left, Xico delivered one of the more distinctive dining experiences we’ve had in Asheville in quite some time.
Xico — pronounced “shee-ko” — describes itself as a Cocina de Fuego and Marisquería, bringing Mexican culinary traditions together with live-fire cooking and a strong emphasis on seafood. The restaurant takes its name from Xico, a village in Veracruz, Mexico.
But that description only tells you what Xico is.
It doesn’t really tell you what being there feels like.
And that’s where our evening gets interesting.
Our evening at Xico started at the colorful Xico Chico side window before we headed inside for dinner.
First Stop: The Side Door
Before going into the main restaurant, we wanted to find Jessica at Xico Chico, Xico’s colorful little side-door taqueria.
We weren’t planning to eat from that menu that evening. We simply wanted to see it and say hello.
Xico Chico is the more casual side of the Xico experience, serving tacos, guacamole, quesadillas and burritos from a tucked-away window with outdoor seating. It officially opened in July 2026 and draws inspiration from Mexican street-food culture.
And the entrance itself tells you something about Xico.
It’s colorful. It’s playful. It’s unexpected.
Then you walk inside the main restaurant.
And everything changes.
Step Inside Xico and You’re in Another World
The contrast struck us immediately.
Outside, Xico Chico feels bright, colorful and casual. Inside, Xico is darker, warmer and sophisticated without feeling formal.
The lighting is low. The music works. The artwork and decor are interesting without demanding your attention. Tables glow under small lamps, plants soften the room, and the whole place has a wonderfully relaxed energy.
It has a very cool vibe.
And I don’t mean “cool” in the manufactured sense of a restaurant obviously trying to be cool.
It just is.
We hadn’t made reservations, so the staff guided us to a couple of seats at the bar—which turned out to be a great way to experience the restaurant. Xico accepts walk-ins when space is available, and its bar seating is first-come, first-served, with the full dining experience available there.
That’s where we met Yasmin, who took excellent care of us throughout the evening.
First Things First: A Margarita and a Paloma
We started with the basics: a margarita and a Paloma.
And “basic” doesn’t do either of them justice.
One of my complaints about cocktails — margaritas in particular — is how easily they can become too sweet. These weren’t.
Both were beautifully balanced, fresh and bright. Xico’s classic margarita combines tequila blanco, Cointreau, agave and fresh lime, while its Paloma uses tequila blanco, grapefruit bitters and lime.
They tasted like cocktails made to accompany food rather than compete with it. It is also worth noting that Yasmin also offered us water, tap provided a nice bottle of tap water (we had the choice of bottled still or carbonated) The tap water
Which was good, because the food was about to become the star of the evening.
NC Spanish Mackerel Agua de Pico
Our first dish was one of the specials that evening: NC Spanish Mackerel Agua de Pico.
This was one of those dishes where the first bite makes you stop talking for a moment.
The fish was incredibly fresh, but what struck us was the combination of flavors surrounding it. Bright, delicate and unexpected, with nothing overwhelming the mackerel itself.
We’d simply never had anything quite like it.
And that’s probably the highest compliment I can give it.
I’d order it again in a heartbeat.
Then Came the Oysters
Next up were the Ostiones Rostizados — oven-roasted daily market oysters baked on the half shell with jalapeño, cilantro-lime butter, pickled shallots and serrano chiles.
Once again, Xico took us somewhere we weren’t expecting.
We’ve eaten plenty of oysters over the years.
We’ve never eaten oysters quite like these.
With jalapeño, serrano, lime, butter, cilantro and pickled shallot all occupying the same oyster shell, there’s plenty of opportunity for the ingredients to start fighting with one another.
They didn’t.
The combination and balance struck exactly the right tone.
There was heat. There was acidity. There was richness.
And underneath everything, you could still taste the oyster.
That’s harder to accomplish than it sounds.
A Quesadilla — But Not Quite as You Know It
For our final dish, we moved toward something considerably more familiar: a chicken quesadilla.
Except this was Xico’s Pollo Carbón Quesadilla.
The chicken thighs are marinated in red chiles, garlic and citrus and served with queso mixto, pico de gallo, chipotle salsa and crema.
And then everything is wrapped like a warm hug in a blue corn tortilla.
The chicken thigh was cooked perfectly — tender, juicy and full of flavor.
It was fantastic.
There’s also something important happening here. Xico isn’t making food unusual simply for the sake of making it unusual.
A quesadilla is still recognizable as a quesadilla.
It’s just a very, very good one.
Meeting the People Behind the Food
One of the pleasures of the evening was also getting to meet chefs Scott and Benjamin.
Executive Chef and Partner Scott Linquist brings more than 30 years of experience specializing in Mexican cuisine to Xico. His background includes co-founding COYO Taco in Miami and spending a decade as Corporate Executive Chef of Dos Caminos. He’s also the author of Mod Mex: Cooking Vibrant Fiesta Flavors at Home.
That background helps explain some of what we experienced.
There’s clearly serious technique behind this food.
But Xico doesn’t feel like a restaurant that’s trying to prove how serious it is.
That’s an important distinction.
So, What Makes Xico Different?
Asheville and Western North Carolina certainly aren’t lacking for good Mexican restaurants.
And we aren’t interested in declaring that one restaurant is “the best.” Food is far too personal for that.
What we can say after our evening at Xico is that it’s doing something distinctly its own.
There’s a respect for Mexican culinary traditions, but there’s also creativity. There’s seafood. There’s fire. There’s smoke and citrus and heat. There’s an excellent cocktail program.
And then there’s the atmosphere.
Xico describes its concept around the sensory experience of live-fire cooking — flames, grilling, the sounds of the kitchen, art and color — and after spending an evening there, that description makes sense.
The food, room, music, lighting and hospitality don’t feel like separate pieces.
They feel like parts of the same experience.
Two Ways to Experience Xico Asheville
One thing we especially like is that Xico essentially gives visitors two different ways to experience what they’re doing.
For a full evening out, there’s Xico Cocina de Fuego, with dinner, cocktails and weekend brunch. You’re also within easy walking distance to some of the best craft beer on the South Slope in Asheville!
For something quicker and more casual, there’s Xico Chico, the side-window taqueria serving tacos, quesadillas, burritos and guacamole with outdoor seating. Xico currently lists Xico Chico as open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; dinner hours for the main restaurant are 4:30–9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 4:30–10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with weekend brunch from 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Xico is located at 175 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville’s South Slope district. The restaurant recommends reservations, particularly for weekends and holidays, although walk-ins are welcome.
A New Yonder Recommendation
Part of what we love about living and working in Western North Carolina is discovering places we can genuinely recommend to our guests.
Not because they’re on somebody else’s “Best of Asheville” list.
Because we’ve actually been there.
We’ve walked through the door. We’ve met the people. We’ve tasted the food. And we’ve experienced the hospitality for ourselves.
Xico passed that test easily.
There are plenty of excellent Mexican restaurants to choose from here in the mountains. Xico has elevated those options — and the experience — by several degrees.
It is now a definite recommendation for our Yonder guests and our own team members. Especially for our guests who stay in one of our properties in the Asheville Downtown Collection. It’s an easy walk!!
And as for us?
We’ll be back.
SOON.
Stay Local. Experience Asheville Like a Local.
When you stay with Yonder Luxury Vacation Rentals, the home is only part of the experience.
Our local team lives, works, eats and explores here, and we’re always happy to help our guests discover the restaurants, breweries, trails, shops and experiences that make Western North Carolina such an extraordinary place to visit.
Find your Yonder vacation home and then come hungry.
