Latin American cuisine leads Grey Eagle Taqueria’s playlist.

TheGrey Eagle, a squat blue building adorned with a colorful mural and its name spelled out in vintage lights over the front door, sits perched above the River Arts District. It is Asheville’s longest-running all-ages venue, known for its eclectic and inclusive booking of local and regional musicians, as well as national acts who make it a regular stop on their tours.

Founded in Black Mountain in 1994, in 1999 it moved to Asheville, presenting its first show – from musician and storyteller David LaMotte — on June 11.

In its history, The Grey Eagle has hosted well over 10,000 bands and artists. Since its launch inside the venue in about 2012, Grey Eagle Taqueria has served tens of thousands of house-made tortilla chips, says Sarah Keith, who with husband Russ Keith purchased both businesses from Jeff Whitworth in 2015.

Made fresh all day, every day – corn tortillas are cut into triangles, fried, drained and salted — Sarah a

ttributes their popularity to the fact that they’re thicker than bagged chips, which makes them better vessels for the salsa, guacamole and queso, also made in house. That sturdy consistency eliminates the messiness that results when a flimsy tortilla chip, loaded with queso, breaks midway between bowl and mouth, spilling down onto your shirt or into your lap.

The chips lead the menu, which has expanded over time, but remains grounded in Latin American cuisine, executed freshly, flavorfully, simply and affordably.

“Jeff had several concepts prior to this,” Sarah recalls. “It was Twin Cousins, which served delicious Cajun and New Orleans food. Then Roots Hummus did a Roots Café thing, then Jeff tried a pub food menu. When Russ started working there – before we bought it – they rolled out a simple taqueria menu and it did really well. Everyone loves tacos!”

Tacos laid the foundation, but it stretches beyond that to include plantains maduros with GET’s famous Cheerwine habanero aioli, arepas and empanadas. Traditional tacos – seven options to choose from – are served in soft corn tortillas with onion, cilantro and lime. Crispy American tacos are fried corn tortillas filled with either roast chicken, seasoned beef or sweet potato, topped with shredded lettuce, diced tomato and grated white cheddar.

Turntable tacos are a bit more ambitious and substantial with specialized fillings — French Broad brisket is their most popular – and accoutrements like pickled onions, cotija cheese, chimichurri and red cabbage slaw. Mains include burritos, rice bowls, and an album-sized platter of nachos.

The GET kitchen is open every day, starting service at noon with a succinct menu of lunch specials; the full menu is available prior to and up to 30 minutes into the headliner’s set.

A satellite branch of GET opened in Big Pillow Brewing in Hot Springs on Christmas Day, 2020 and while the menu is similar to Asheville’s, it adds a couple of exclusive, beer-friendly items like a jumbo soft pretzel with queso and mustard, and shoestring fries tossed with cilantro and lime that Sarah dreamily says she craves on a regular basis.

More about Grey Eagle Taqueria.

— Written by Kay West

— AIRfare is sponsored by McGuire Wood & Bissette.

Photos courtesy of  Grey Eagle Taqueria.