Jamie Wilhelm
Jun 19, 2026"Enjoyable Friday night meal here. The chipotle Salsa, queso & steak tacos were all excellent. The shrimp tacos were very yummy as well. Service was good. Chips could use some salt."
North Carolina, United States
Discover Ay Caramba Mexican Grill & Bar in Asheville, NC. Casual Mexican restaurant offering lunch and dinner with great cocktails, fast service, and accessible seating.
4.3 / 5
Guest rating
220
Reviews
Restaurant
Cuisine
North Carolina
City
$10–20
Price level
Closes at 8:00 PM
Ay Caramba Mexican Grill & Bar is located on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville, NC, serving a variety of Mexican dishes in a casual and cozy atmosphere. Guests can expect flavorful entrees like fajitas, quesabirria, and chimichangas alongside popular drinks including house margaritas and a selection of beers and cocktails.
This restaurant offers dine-in, takeout, and catering services, with seating options suitable for solo diners, families, and groups. The dining experience is enhanced by friendly staff, a well-stocked salsa bar, and fast service.
Accessibility features include wheelchair accessible parking, entrances, restrooms, and seating, making the venue welcoming to all visitors. Outdoor parking is free, and reservations are accepted to help plan visits smoothly.
Visitors typically spend between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours at this location, enjoying both lunch and dinner menus that highlight comfort food and traditional Mexican flavors.
Grouped by category — each group lists what's available and what isn't at Ay Caramba Mexican Grill & Bar.
When Ay Caramba Mexican Grill & Bar is open during the week.
Closes at 8:00 PM
Central North Carolina, with cafes, shops, and other restaurants within easy walking distance.
What recent guests say after dining at Ay Caramba Mexican Grill & Bar.
Based on 220 guest reviews
Jamie Wilhelm
Jun 19, 2026"Enjoyable Friday night meal here. The chipotle Salsa, queso & steak tacos were all excellent. The shrimp tacos were very yummy as well. Service was good. Chips could use some salt."
Tracey Ogle
Jun 11, 2026"We love Ay Caramba on Merrimon Ave. Highly recommend the Texas Dip, Mexican Corn, tacos al pastor, and the quesabirria. The tortas are delicious and enormous! The salsa bar is always well-stocked, clean, and kept very cold. The staff have always been nice when we have dined in, and the food has always been fresh when we ordered through Takeout Central."
Ansleigh Banks
May 26, 2026"This has always been my go to spot! I normally get the “Quesabirria” but this time I chose the “Birria Burrito” It was so big you could’ve shared it with another person. I couldn’t even get half way through it without getting full. It’s stuffed with so much cheese. I was in heaven! 13.99 Thank you guys for the awesome drinks, service and food! It is always a pleasure. 10000/10"
Lockie Hunter
May 16, 2026"Wildly inconsistent but excellent food much of the time. I am giving this restaurant a rating of 4, because sometimes it’s excellent and is a 5+, and sometimes it hovers between a 2 and 3. We have been ordering takeout dishes here since they opened, and we really like the staff, and, for the most part, we really enjoy the food. We live quite close, so we order with some frequency when we don’t feel like cooking. But the food is inconsistent! I always order the same two things. And I have likely ordered these two dishes 20 times each, and I receive very different dishes each time. The two things I order are the 1. Camarones a la Diabla and 2. Ceviche Mixto I’ll start with the Camarones a la Diabla. Sometimes it’s wonderful and has a creamy sauce, sometimes it’s just the shrimp and very little sauce at all. Sometimes the shrimp are plump, and sometimes they are really overcooked and dry. And sometimes the sauce doesn’t taste creamy and just seems like it’s more spicy. We even say “can we have sauce on it, but not too much.” Because sometimes there is way too much sauce and it’s really swimming in cream and feels like it’s too heavy. When they get it right, it’s a perfect blend of spice and some sauce and juicy shrimp. When they get it wrong, it’s either just shrimp with no real seasoning or shrimp, swimming in cream. Always the offering of shrimp is generous. There are quite a few and the size of them is good. Let’s move on to the ceviche. You can see the different photos of the ceviches. It’s not just the way they have decorated it with the avocado; it’s the amount of fish to onion/tomatoes ratio. Sometimes it’s really great with the fish being very forward and the onion and tomatoes just being a bit of a back up, like most ceviche. But, over the past several months, it is so full of onion, that I can barely eat it. We have even tried to say “no onions”, but they don’t do that. Or they don’t think it would be a ceviche without any onions. The onions just completely overwhelm the rest of the dish. It would be interesting for us to track it to see which nights we order to see if it’s a particular chef, because when they do the ceviche well, it’s really very very good, and it’s a large portion. Also, when they cook the shrimp diabla dish nicely, it’s really great shrimp, juicy, with fresh toppings, and the perfect amount of sauce. When it’s not cooked well, it is shrimp that are overcooked, and hardly any sauce at all. We just don’t know which dishes we are going to get! All that said, the people are really nice, and friendly, and when we stay and grab a margarita, the drinks are good. We will often grab a margarita and sit at the bar while we wait for food, if we are driving by and just decided that night that this is what we want. And the bartenders are so so sweet. Really really nice people. Again, and the servers are great too. I just wish the food was more consistent."
Common questions about Ay Caramba Mexican Grill & Bar answered below.
The restaurant generally serves lunch and dinner, though specific hours may vary. It is advisable to call ahead or check locally before visiting.
Yes, there are vegetarian dishes available, including options like vegetarian fajitas and other small plates.
Accessible entrances, parking, restrooms, and seating are provided to accommodate guests with mobility needs.
Reservations are accepted, which can be helpful for larger groups or busy times.
Families with children are welcome, with kid-friendly menu options and high chairs available.
Takeout is available, while information about delivery is not provided and may vary.
Payments accepted include credit cards, debit cards, and NFC mobile payment options.
A free parking lot is available for customers visiting the restaurant.
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