What are the opening hours?

Monday 11:30am - 3pm 5pm - 9:30pm Tuesday 11:30am - 3pm 5pm - 9:30pm Wednesday 11:30am - 3pm 5pm - 9:30pm Thursday 11:30am - 3pm 5pm - 9:30pm Friday 11:30am - 3pm 5pm - 10pm Saturday 11:30am - 3pm 5:30pm - 10pm Sunday 11:30am - 3pm 5pm - 10pm

Chai Pani

Name: Chai Pani
Address: 32 Banks Avenue, Asheville, NC, 28801, US
Telephone: +18282544003
Price range: $$
Rating: 4.7

Indian street food in Asheville. Winner of the Outstanding Restaurant James Beard Award in 2022. From five-time James Beard nominated chef Meherwan Irani.
(2011)

Recommended by The New York Times, Bon Appétit, and Rajesh on the corner. Chai Pani literally means “tea and water.” It's slang in India for going out for a cup of tea, a tasty bite, a snack, or “a little something.” In Downtown Asheville and Downtown Decatur (Atlanta), it means groundbreaking, fun, affordable, and “mindblasting” Indian street food that’s changing the perception of Indian cuisine

in America. it means innovative, fun, affordable and delicious Indian cuisine. We'd go so far as to say it's “mindblasting.”

Some of the best food of any country is its street food, and Chai Pani features chaat – crunchy, spicy, sweet, tangy, brightly flavored Indian street snacks. And because there's nothing more comforting and delicious in any culture than a home cooked meal, Chai Pani also brings you thalis – traditional family meals highlighting India's amazing culinary diversity. In 2009, Chef Meherwan Irani (who grew up in Ahmednagar, in the midwestern state of Maharashtra in India) opened Chai Pani with his wife and business partner, Molly. It was the bottom of the great recession, but they had a crystal clear vision of what Chai Pani could be: They’d serve street food and home-cooked meals — the most underrepresented Indian foods in Western culture — by way of the unparalleled hospitality modeled to Meherwan as a child in his parents’ bed & breakfast. Chai Pani has since been recognized as sparking a revolution in Indian cuisine in America. From Bombay to Asheville and Atlanta, Chai Pani has extended our love of food, hospitality, and storytelling to the South’s most essential culinary cities. In 2021, The New York Times included Chai Pani in their prestigious list of America’s Favorite Restaurants. And in 2022, 13 years after we opened our doors and ran out of food midday, Chai Pani Asheville was named Outstanding Restaurant by James Beard Foundation.

08/24/2026

Lunch has never looked better, friends 😮‍💨 You could eat at home today….or…..you could start your week with an SPDP…….🫣 CHOOSE WISELY!

OK LOVE YOU SEE YOU SOON ❤️

08/19/2026

Friends, if you’ve been waiting for a sign to pre-order your very own copy of The #1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World…..this may be it.

You could pre-order your copy now, follow the steps below, & get an exclusive tote bag that, quite literally, Auntie Approved™ 👜 The perfect for carrying your cookbook. Or snacks. Or unsolicited opinions. The options are endless!

Simply follow the steps below to claim yours…

🥇 Pre-order your copy of The #1 Best Indian Cookbook in The World!

🔗 Click the link at our bio above!

📖 Follow the instructions!

❤️‍🔥 GET THE TOTE!

Make Auntie proud. Everybody wins.
(And who doesn’t love a tote)

08/12/2026

Some places leave a lasting imprint on your heart. For us, Dharavi Diary is one of those places ❤️ Recently, devastating monsoon rains caused severe damage to their facilities, forcing them to pause their programs while they rebuild.

We’re hoping to help and we’d love for you to join us. From August 11th - 17th, you can…
🥭 Order a Mango Lassi! We’ll donate $1 for every one sold
⬆️ Select the ‘Round Up’ option after dining with us, and we’ll donate the difference!
🎗️Make a personal donation via the link in our Instagram bio

Thanks to the incredible generosity of an anonymous donor, every donation will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $5,000, doubling the impact!!

We’ve had the privilege of supporting this incredible organization in the heart of Mumbai since 2017. Dharavi Diary provides children with access to education, books, computers, mentors, and a safe place to learn and grow in one of the largest slums in the world. Their work has changed so many lives by creating opportunities where they otherwise wouldn’t exist.

Community has always been at the heart of what we do. This is an opportunity for us to come together and help restore a place that is creating brighter futures for so many.

Stop in for a Mango Lassi, donate if you’re able, or simply help us spread the word.

💛 Love you, friends.

07/29/2026

Summer won’t be around for long, friends…and neither will these summertime specials!! Chef nicholasrbarr, Big Ivy Little Farm, & Evan Chender are spoiling us with the best of the best this season 🍅🌽🌶️🥒

Corn Bhel- chargrilled sweet corn, corn poha, cucumber, tomato, red onion, mint & cilantro. All tossed together in our cumin-lime vinaigrette

Summer Garden Salad- Local lettuces, cucumber & squash tossed with our curry leaf ranch. Topped with cherry tomatoes, sliced pepper mix, crunchy sev & toasted sesame seeds

Squash & Zucchini Uttapam- grilled squash & zucchini, field greens, mixed sweet peppers, red chili oil, onion, ginger, & green chilies

SEE YOU SOON FRIENDS. COME HUNGRY ❤️

07/15/2026

Speaking of dinner 👀👀👀 We’ve got you covered, friends ❤️ Chaats! Cocktails! Curries! A little something for all of you & yours tonight ✨

See you soon. OK Love You 😙
📸: tim robison

06/09/2026

🔥 The team is rolling DEEP into Southern Smoke 2026!!! You can find our incredible executive chefs of Chai Pani Asheville & Decatur bringing the heat to this year’s festival on Saturday, October 3rd 🙏

is such a key organization supporting folks in the service industry, and we’re beyond grateful to participate in this year’s event ❤️
SEE Y’ALL IN HOUSTON!

Tickets are on sale now at southernsmoke.org 🎟️

05/19/2026

Spring is springing over here, Asheville 🌸 Back for a very nice time…

🥭 Green Mango Chaat! Fresh green mangos tossed with peanuts, golden raisins, corn poha, onion & cilantro. Topped with our green & tamarind chutneys, and fried curry leaves.

🫜 Spring Harvest Salad! Chef ’s Spring garden mix, radish & sweet turnips tossed in a curry leaf vinaigrette. Topped with crispy sev, masala cashews, toasted sesame seeds, & cilantro.

And all waiting for you. The very best. See you soon yes ❤️❤️❤️

05/01/2026

ICYMI 💥 Chef is bringing you The No. 1 Indian Cookbook in the WOOOORRRLLLLLLLD! & some incredible folks are already loving it 🙏

Jam packed with recipes and stories of the wild wonderful world of Chai Pani, Botiwalla, and our forever love of Indian Street Food ❤️

Pre-order your copy now via the , friends! It’s going to be mindblasting to say the least 🐅

04/21/2026

Friends, chaiwallas, countrymen, lend me your ears. Today is the day I reveal to you an adventure 10 million chai cups in the making…

💥 The No.1 Best Indian Cookbook In The World! 💥
Formed over two years from a big pot of daal is all the love and knowledge my team and I gathered over the many years of our Chai Pani journey. 🐅

~now available for pre-order at your favorite bookstore ~

What’s inside the book? The most craveworthy recipes from the streets, homes, canteens and truck stops of India, with all the best tips, auntie hacks, spice wizardry, and easy workarounds that make Indian cooking a whole lot less mysterious and totally doable at home. It’s your backstage pass to bring Chai Pani magic into your own kitchen. 🇮🇳

Certified Uncle, Auntie, and Rickshaw Romeo-approved.
Enjoy the show, friends 🙏

-

PRE-ORDER YOURS NOW AT THE LINK IN BIO YES! ❤️

Officially on sale September 22, 2026.

04/17/2026

ICYMI! took the team to New Zaika Kathi Roll in Delhi for their beloved butter chicken kathi rolls (!!!!) ❤️‍🔥 And we’re still drooling & dreaming over this kathi roll narnia 🤤

Feast your eyes on the full video via the 🤩

🎥:

Address

32 Banks Avenue
Asheville, NC
28801

Opening Hours

Monday	11:30am - 3pm
	5pm - 9:30pm
Tuesday	11:30am - 3pm
	5pm - 9:30pm
Wednesday	11:30am - 3pm
	5pm - 9:30pm
Thursday	11:30am - 3pm
	5pm - 9:30pm
Friday	11:30am - 3pm
	5pm - 10pm
Saturday	11:30am - 3pm
	5:30pm - 10pm
Sunday	11:30am - 3pm
	5pm - 10pm

Telephone

+18282544003

Website

https://www.chaipani.com/

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