Bonfire Barbecue Set to Open in West Asheville

Jeffrey Barcelona is an Asheville native that will be bringing barbecue to the citizens of west Asheville on May 1st. “We’ve been thinking of doing this for a few years,” Barcelona explains, motioning to himself and his wife while sitting in a booth at the quickly progressing Bonfire Barbecue location on Patton Avenue. “We moved to Portland Oregon for a few years, and started up a food truck.” Their food truck, which served fried chicken became wildly popular, voted one of the top 10 food trucks in Portland, and appeared on Food Network. Shortly after that, the couple sold the truck and moved back home to Asheville, explaining that it was much easier to start up a business when surrounded by friends and family.

Bonfire Barbecue will be a full service experience, featuring smoked barbecue of all types. The food will be simple and filling, yet different than the typical barbecue fare offered in Asheville. Barcelona, who claims he is more of a chef than a cook, plans to incorporate smoked meats into the dishes in every way possible. The menu itself will focus on specialty sandwiches, with unique sides.

Located on Patton Avenue in strip mall that is slowly being revitalized, Bonfire Barbecue promises ample seating, a spacious interior, and a full parking lot. The restaurant will be open until 11 or midnight depending on the day, so you can satisfy your smoked meat craving at just about any hour. The business is putting a different spin on their atmosphere, aiming to be set up like a full sports bar but without the loud noise that typically comes along with that type of atmosphere. 5 televisions grace the wall, with a 120 inch projector waiting to broadcast the main interest of the night. Starting out there will be 8 local brews on tap and a full liquor bar with a specialty cocktail menu.

Bonfire is hoping to be officially open on May 1st, providing that everything continues to run along smoothly with the permitting process. The location that the restaurant moved into required all new wiring of the unit and an extensive remodel, so for a few months it seemed like Jeff and his wife were working forward one day to move back another. They’ve been working hard to do as much of the renovation themselves as possible, to save money and pour it back into the business in other ways.

Check out Bonfire Barbecue yourself starting in May. The restaurant will be open from 11-11 Sunday through Thursday, and 11-13 Friday and Saturday and is located at 1056 Patton Avenue. If you are looking for a job, Bonfire is officially hiring for all positions.