Foothills Deli and Local Meats

This is absolutely my favorite place in town, hands down. I eat lunch there at 2 – 5 times per week and have never had anything less than absolutely awesome. Easily some of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life. Their specials game is on point, I almost never get anything on the menu and go straight for the sandwich of the day. It’s a shame they don’t get more business.
Also it’s in the Penny Mart which is a groovy place and something that Asheville has needed for a long time. I come from Charlotte originally and this place is a smaller, cooler and tastier Asheville spin on the Common Market. Who doesn’t love a funky convenient shop/​deli/​bar/​homemade sake brewery??? It’s super local too in both its food sourcing, demographic, and vibe.
Penny Mart is life. Go there to eat, go to drink, go buy cigarettes a glass pipe and some Cajun potato chips, whatevs.

Ordered the Bahn Mi and was pleased with my sandwich. We were able to enjoy it at Ben’s Tune up next door and the guy behind the counter even delivered it to us. I love an interesting mix of ingredients and this sandwich did not disappoint. Boudin, Ham, Bacon, Cucumber, Red Onion, Cilantro, Sriracha, Sprouts (they were out of them), Pickled Carrots, and Jalapeño served on a toasted roll was divine. The Boudin really took it to the next level; a flavor explosion in my mouth. They did serve a small amount of cole slaw with the sandwich that was very average. I would have to concur with Scott S. and say $ 11 for a sandwich alone is a bit steep but that wouldn’t stop me from coming here again. If you don’t mind spending a little extra for a good sandwich then you should check this place out.

First, I’ve been to Ben’s Penny Mart many times and I was glad to see the addition of the deli. The Penny Mart has a fascinating array of munchie snacks, beer, sake and a few beers on tap, as well as fun Asian snack foods to look at. Poky Sticks, Milkshake candy or Mayo Kupie-​doll snack, anyone?
Local, house-​made cured meats… Yes please!
We went about 3pm on the Friday of July 4^th weekend and they were already out of about half of the menu items. That doesn’t bode well with a full weekend ahead. Regardless, we chose a Cuban sandwich & my friend chose the beef and cheddar melt.
Here’s the rub: when we ordered the sandwiches the girl behind the counter asked if we’d like to add the kale salad. We weren’t too excited until she said it came with a warm bacon dressing & that it was really tasty. Sold! We paid & went next door to Hi Wire Brewing. When the sandwiches came they were both very fresh and tasty, fully pressed with nice quality of meat & just the right balance of each ingredient. So where is the issue? We each tasted the kale salad, which consisted of chopped kale with bits of shredded carrot and purple cabbage. The salad was not dressed at all. Thinking this was just an oversight, my spouse went back to Foothills to get some sides of bacon dressing. The girl who sold us on the salad said there was no dressing ready and that it would take her ‘awhile to cook us some’.
She made it clear she really had no intention
of ‘cooking’ any for us and instead she offered to give us some Thousand Island dressing. WTF?! Are you kidding? It’s a shame. The sandwich was really good but it will be ‘buyer beware’ for me going forward.
I’ll continue to shop at Ben’s Penny Mart but I ‘ll think twice before buying from Foothills again.

Amazing find! The menu is simple but wow! We had the Cuban and was hands down the best more amazingly moist Cubans I’ve ever had! I understand the meat is fresh and cured and amazing but the prices are a little stiff. But damn!!! Next time I may have to try the Bologna hat trick.
So, as far as the setting, it’s small, tight, and going to be sweltering come warmer weather. There are literally 12 stools for sitting so I am assuming this is more of a get it and go type of place.

I have high hopes for this one. The paper alerted me to its presence just the other day, after they opened last week inside Ben’s Penny Mart (sandwiched between Ben’s Tune-​Up and Hi-​Wire Brewing). This is the same Foothills you may have heard about that makes the news in Black Mountain for doing their Butcher’s Table dinners, where only 12 people get to come one evening and get stuffed full of more meat than any human should ever consume. I will be attending one of these this summer.
We walked in to get some sandwiches for lunch. My wife wanted a barbecue pork sandwich, and I wanted a Cubano. We found out they were out of pulled pork, so we couldn’t get either one of those. I ended up going with a fried bologna sandwich and she got a deli beef sandwich.
Both were pretty delicious, no question. Meat sliced right off the slab, topped with some good sauce and veggies, and we got them grilled panini-​style.
Only drawback is probably the price. Don’t get me wrong, you’re paying for top-​quality stuff here, but $ 10 for a sandwich that doesn’t come with chips or a drink will make you do a double take. After a tip, our modest lunch came out to a cool $ 32.
The service was very friendly, but a little on the slow side. Again, you’re getting good quality here, but if that line gets long, you’re going to be waiting a while for your sandwich, and these are close quarters in the little shop.
Give it a shot; I don’t think you’ll be disappointed at all :)