Editor’s Note: Fork & Dagger is 828newsNOW’s anonymous restaurant review series, written by our independent Grub Scout—no freebies, no press perks, no agenda. Grub Scout pays full price, visits unannounced, and takes notes on food, service, atmosphere, and value. Each review reflects a recent, honest experience rated on our 1‑to‑5 fork scale. We aim to help you discover standout dining spots—from casual diners to white‑tablecloth affairs—one bite at a time.
Jargon / jar·gon /ˈjärɡən/ noun / Special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand.
Does this sound like a restaurant to you? Me neither, and I had avoided it for many years because of the pretentious-sounding name. However, because of my quest to visit each restaurant in Western North Carolina, I eventually had to check it out.
Jargon sits in the middle of the strip on Haywood Road in West Asheville. Upon entering, I was delighted to see a turntable, and they were actually using it to play records as their house music. The classic cool jazz was perfect on a cold evening. The atmosphere is warm, cozy and a bit European.
The maître d’ was as eccentric as one might see in an 80s movie about a fancy restaurant in Manhattan. He was ridiculously hospitable. He walked us through the back door to the patio, which was an enormous surprise. It was massive and gorgeous. There were several large heaters near every table, along with beautiful lighting and lush greenery. Even sitting out there is an experience unto itself.
We began with cocktails. There were so many interesting creations that it was difficult to choose.
I decided on the Black Old Fashioned: Rittenhouse rye whiskey, Eda Rhyne rustic nocino, averno, aromatic bitters and maple syrup. You should definitely try one of these. It was simply fantastic.
She went with the Jargon Slush: Jameson Irish whiskey, peach black tea, honey, citrus ice and sparkling wine. It was another winner.
Now to the food, and my only real complaint about this place. The menu is tapas style, but they ask that you order all food at once. She didn’t mind this, but it made me feel awkward and forced me to rush my decisions. Not very pleasant, but I digress. I’ll just list what we had.
The steak tataki: slightly seared steak, tamari miso sauce, potato crunchy, chili flakes and scallion was lovely.
The golden beets and pickled apples with cashew labneh, citrus vinaigrette, oranges, pistachio, za’atar, raisins and frisee is not to be missed.
The smashed potato fingerlings with chorizo vinaigrette, aioli and cilantro were perfect.
The charred fall squash with stracciatella cheese, pickled cherries, hazelnuts and brown butter vinaigrette may have been our favorite dish of the evening.
And for our entree, we chose the Sunburst Farms Whole trout with saffron beurre blanc, toasted pine nuts, golden raisins and seared cauliflower. This fish was cooked perfectly, the skin was nice and crispy and they even debone it at the table. It was a real treat.
Our server was quite professional, and just about everything was nearly perfect. It was a really nice romantic evening.
