French Broad Chocolates

This place was amazing! Came here with friends and tried out the coconut macaroon and salted caramel ice cream. Both were spectacular. They even have non dairy vegan options which is extra bonus, as my friend is a vegan and she was able to get something here too. Absolutely a must see and try our place. We came on a Friday with surprisingly no lines, which made it nice to try out the various ice cream flavors and make a decision easier on what to try.

Try the chocolate mousse with caramel cream — PERFECTION! Beautiful little spot with delicious chocolate, you can’t go wrong with a stop here!

This is the type of chocolate you didn’t know you needed in your life into you tried it. Bakeries are a dime a dozen but these people do it right in a way that I have never experienced! Granted the truffles are just Truffles and I wasn’t that impressed, but the pot de crème, was beyond amazing. The sipping chocolate that I had was The Salted Caramel Maple, Beyond any shadow of a doubt it was not only the richest thing I have ever had but the best thing I’ve ever had and I didn’t want it to end I really wish it was in the larger cup it was so good. I even bought their mint chocolate chunk brownie and it’s better than anything I have ever made, and I am a fantastic Baker. Ask your friends
Go here and try something, and I guarantee sipping chocolate, and pot de crème are by far the best things I have ever had chocolate wise in my life!

DELICIOUS! We just had a brownie and vanilla ice cream… went traditional. amd it was fabulous!

I came here with my sister and a friend after a long day adventure touring the Biltmore Estate. It was a cute place, which I could see hanging out in if I lived in the area. There wasn’t really a line when we got there, at around 9 on a Monday night. I got a lavender crème brûlée and my sister got a chocolate mousse. Both were excellent. There was a water station to keep you hydrated. There tables, a bar, couches, and chairs for whatever mood you are in. The bathrooms are also marked for unisex use, so welcome to all genders.
Wish we could have lounged around longer but we just finished our desserts and left on our long journey back home.

I’d rather get some Graeter’s ice cream from Cincinnati. The line only prolongs disappointment. I guess the ambiance is cool but nothing much more but a beautiful display with no happy endings.
Edit: they brought me a mocha with almond milk and it tasted like dirty water with almond milk. Yikes. I gave this 3 stars and now regret that. It’s now a 1 after I returned the mocha and they gave me a latte which was just as bad. I’m eats to please which makes this even more sad.

Endless options of chocolate to choose from! From hot chocolate to liquid truffles to various flavors of chocolates, cakes and brownies! Love the space as well, plenty of seating area. We came around 4PM on a Friday, so there was no line. However, not long after, the line almost went out the door.
The sales caramel liquid truffles was really delicious! It’s thick and rich, so no wonder this is only available in a small cup size. We also had the goat cheese and pistachio cheesecake. It was good but I didn’t really like the goaty taste of the cheese, hehehe… My hubby ordered hot mocha and it was also really delicious.
This place is right in downtown Asheville. Has outdoor seating area. Perfect place to hangout.

Classy joint with some of the richest chocolate ice cream I have ever had. SERIOUSLY chocolate-​y. This was stop two on my three stop ice cream tour in Asheville. If you love chocolate ice cream, you must go here. Also, on a hot day, guzzle down some water located to the left of where you pay!

Love the new location! The desserts are super yummy! I particularly like the nibby brownie-​really rich, moist, and the nibs give it a slightly crunchy texture. The chocolates (especially the caramels are to die for). My husband got the peanut butter cheesecake and I couldn’t help but steal a few bites. The peanut crust was awesome! The atmosphere is really nice too-​super cute décor and friendly staff. The line was out the door when we stopped by but moved really quickly. It’s definitely worth stopping in for dessert or one of their drinking chocolates if you’re in Asheville! We’ll surely be back!

SO SO GOOD. A must-​visit and must-​eat if you’re in Asheville. Their chocolate desserts are rich and chocolate-​y and ohmygod I don’t even know where to start… It’s so good. Their hot chocolate is just molten deliciousness (or diabetes, whichever you prefer) in a tiny cup that you’ll sip on slowly over an hour as you get high on sugar and chocolate and feel like you’ve just made the best decision in the world to wait in that really really long line for a taste of what heaven must feel like.
In any case, I’d rather gain my 1000 calories from chocolate than alcohol.

I’ve tried a fair amount of the offerings here (cookies, cake, brownies, artisan chocolate), and while they are all good sweets in a pinch, the prices are too high to justify most of them.
The only item that stands out to me as worthy of the calories and the cost is the CHOCOLATE POT DE CREME. The chocolate is rich, thick, creamy and dark. If they have the caramel option, get that! The caramel adds a perfect small layer of sweetness into all of that thick dark chocolate. And the homemade fresh whipped cream is absolutely essential on top.

The chocolate drink (chocolate and water) was not that memorable. Skip it.
The interior is nice and great for large groups. It is a terrific place if you wanted to gorge on all sorts of other chocolate treats. It was a cold weekend evening, and the line wrapped around the restaurant out. However, they offered free samples of peppermint tea and chocolate pieces for those waiting which was a nice surprise.

Great selection of chocolates and desserts. The reason for four instead of five, was the salted caramel drink my wife got was too salty for even her. When I took a sip it was as if it was a salt lick for animals. Very bitter and there wasn’t really any other tastes that came fourth. I get that it is downtown Asheville but very over priced!

If you’re a chocolate lover, stop here! First recommendation — get there early. The line gets ridiculously long. Long enough for me to stop and think the chocolate isn’t worth the wait. However, this chocolate is definitely worth the wait! I felt a bit hurried once I got to the cases to make my selection. The staff was nice, but the line was never-​ending, and I didn’t want to hold it up. Luckily, I had been staring at the menu while in line for about 15 minutes so I knew what I wanted. The new location is central and easier to find than their old spot. It also has more seating which is good. I’ve been here a few times and have yet to be disappointed. The Salted Caramel Liquid Truffle is so good. Not a lot of depth to the flavor though; the menu describes it perfectly — it is definitely like drinking melted icing. Nothing wrong with that, though! I think the hit was surprisingly the Layered Chocolate Mousse. It was so good that my bf stopped by to get one for the road before we left Asheville. I can’t imagine anything being bad here. Get all the things!

Talk about a freezing day and having to wait outside before entering. The wait was about 8 min outside before we got in. But once we got in the smell of fresh coffee and the smell of chocolate made you forget that you were even cold. They had pretty much everything a chocolate lover would like. From cakes to truffles to ice creams and to chocolate drinks. I got the lemon cheesecake tho but what made this thing amazing is that the bottom crust of the lemon cheese cake actually had chocolate built into it. Man it was awesome! Now the pistachio hot chocolate just went great with it to! Def will be back next time I am in Asheville!!!

I am glad that I stopped by this place even though I saw the line to get into the place. The line kept moving. It was not bad. I had liquid truffle chocolate drink. It was very smooth. I really enjoyed it. It was much better than the one that I had in France. The beer tiramisu was so soft and melted in my mouth. Recommend for everyone

Oh, my Goodness! French Broad Chocolaltes has to be borderline illegal! The chocolates here are sooooo good, you’ll want to buy some extra so you can melt them down and rub them all over your body.
The truffles come in a wide variety of flavors and every one we tried was excellent. My personal favorite treat here is the liquid dark chocolate truffle drink with cayenne pepper. Each sip makes me yell out «WOW!!!». It is both unique and delicious.
The new location is a huge upgrade from their original spot. There are lots of other treats, such as cakes and cookies, to enjoy as well. This is a must-​stop for chocolate lovers.
Like the Terminator, I’ll be back.

For me, any excursion to Asheville is not complete without stopping at this place of chocolaty goodness. Three of their selections I’ve had are tiramisu, a strawberry truffle, and a slice of Highland mocha stout cake. The tiramisu is lovely (as it always is). The strawberry truffle is ok. And the mocha stout cake? Hot diggity freakin’ dawg, it’s awesome!
You must visit the Chocolate + Milk boutique next door. It’s a great spot, and currently one of my favorite places of all time. I’ve been here a few times and I’ve always had great service and good conversation with the staff, and that means so much to me. I never cease to be amazed by the chocolate bar library in that shop.

For me, any excursion to Asheville is not complete without stopping at this place of chocolaty goodness. Three of their selections I’ve had are tiramisu, a strawberry truffle, and a slice of Highland mocha stout cake. The tiramisu is lovely (as it always is). The strawberry truffle is ok. And the mocha stout cake… hot diggity freakin’ dawg, it’s awesome!
You must visit the Chocolate + Milk boutique next door. It’s a great spot, and currently one of my favorite places of all time. I’ve been here a few times and I’ve always had great service and good conversation with the staff, and that means so much to me. I never cease to be amazed by the chocolate bar library in that shop.

I love the new location of French Broad Chocolates. I’m not that much of a chocoholic, but I just like to stop in and take in the flavors and smells. Moving to the new location on Pack Square was probably the best move French Broad ever made. It’s often packed, sometimes with a line out the main door, except in the dead of winter and sometimes even then.

Honestly I cannot comment on the food/​drinks here as we never got any. We came here one evening before a comedy bus tour and wanted some coffee. We ordered 4 simple drinks (I believe 1 espresso and 3 coffees). We paid for the drinks (fairly pricey IMO)), and stood to the side. A couple people had ordered before us, but there were 2 people working behind the counter making drinks, so we figured it would only be a couple minutes (especially for our easy drinks). We waited nearly 10 minutes, at which point we were nervous that we would miss the time to get on the bus and asked how much longer it would take. They said they had yet to start making our order. By this time, we could not wait any longer and had to leave… sans drinks.
We went back later that evening to try to get our money back and while they ended up giving us a refund on our credit card, they did so begrudgingly. They made it seem like we were being such a huge inconvenience to them… They do get the 2 stars for actually giving us the money back, and because their items did look really tasty… but again, I never got to try any of them.

This is a wonderland for dessert lovers! There were so many desserts to choose from, such astruffles, cookies, cakes, chocolate drink, many more. Everything looked so good and great self-​control was necessary to ensure that I didn’t order everything on the menu. There was a line out the door but it moved pretty quickly. There was even a miniature Zen garden made with chocolate powder. It kept us entertained while waiting for our order, which did not take long.
We tried their signature liquid truffles. Although each serving is only 4 oz, I highly recommend sharing the liquid truffles. They were so rich and decadent that it did feel like I was actually drinking a melted chocolate bar. You can’t really go wrong with any of the flavors. We had the salted caramel, rosemary-​cardamom-​pistachio, lavender-​honey, and pure dark. They were all amazing!

So, we head in because it was freezing during my trip and I really wanted a hot chocolate, little did I know that this place was sorta known for it but in a unique way.
I was quickly educated that they have an 8ounce and a 4 ounce, they both have the same amount of ganache as their base, but the 8ounce cup has a bit of half and half added to make it «more drinkable»
I had a honey lavender liquid truffle (4oz) when I left with a bit of the peanut butter cake, the cake was a bit dry but still good and the PB buttercream was great. That liquid truffle was as decadent as could be, so rich and velvety, and so thick n full bodied they give you a spoon.
While in the shop however, we tried the 8oz hot chocolate flavored with smoked maple and sea salt (phenomenal)
We had to try the macaron of course (espresso). Glorious. Just the way a macaron should be. Delicate. Complicated. Simple. Magical.

I loved their salted caramel ganache hot chocolate… was not a fan of the Buddha hot chocolate however. They carry a lot of very experimental flavors here! It’s right downtown, close to the center so the location is nice. I appreciate their selection of chocolates from all over the world.

Boy oh boy. I ate so much food here it wasn’t funny. My friend and I split the butter cake (I think that was the name of it), cheesecake with the pecan crust, and the toasted coconut ice cream. Everything was delicious. The cake was moist and cheesecake had a slightly savory note which was extraordinary when eaten with the sweetened crust.
They have a great selection of baked goods to choice from and of course if you’re in the mood for chocolate, you should probably check them out. We didn’t have any of their chocolate creations, but I can only imagine that they’re spectacular.

The hot chocolate was absolutely amazing… maybe even life changing… The instant stuff just won’t cut it anymore.
French Broad had a very cute interior with a nice display case and friendly staff. Initially my boyfriend and I were a little intimidated by the menu since it was so vast, but eventually decided on hot chocolate, cookies and cream cheesecake, and a coconut macaroon brownie. The hot chocolate was by far the best item we purchased. The cheesecake was okay. I definitely didn’t get any «cookies or cream» flavor, which was slightly disappointing.

Lately I have been kind of addicted to chocolate, but that is okay because it is the holidays. When I was in Asheville and found out about this place, I knew I needed to make a pit stop. When does one not need a cup of warm, truffle chocolate cut with some cream? I got the dark chocolate truffle chocolate sip and it was so sublime. I felt very guilty whilst eating it, but I didn’t really care. It had just the right amount of bitterness, and the cream definitely balanced it all out. My sister got a gluten-​free find: a cookies and cream milkshake and yes it was awesome. You don’t even need to let me know that it’s gluten-​free because I didn’t really care merely because it was that amazing. Also as an FYI, you will need a spoon for either of these drinks. The next time I am in Asheville I will be coming back here to try another chocolatey indulgence. Did I also mention that this place is very reasonably priced? Okay that is even more tempting… Until next time!

I really liked the liquid truffle that I ordered. I ordered the salted caramel. I don’t know what magic the possess in that place but it was utterly delicious. The atmosphere is nice because you can inside or outside. The staff are nice.

Other reviewers are right: the line moves quickly, and chocolate + milk next door has virtually no line at all, if you’re after ice cream or truffles/​chocolate bars only. Wait in the line if you need a slice of cake or a liquid truffle. We enjoyed the highland stout cake, which managed to be light for a chocolate cake. I also tried a few truffles: hazelnut crunch, bourbon pecan, and the mole negro were my faves.

Well I made a second pit stop for some sweets here and I must say it was so worth it again. The staff was very friendly and quick to take your order or answer any questions we had. This time around I placed an order the affogato which was very good… Just in my mind only one draw back… When it was served and brought to our table the coffee was already poured over the vanilla ice cream. This dessert is always best served at table side with each item separate allowing the person eating to pour the desired amount of coffee over the ice cream that he or she wants. Secondly if the expresso is poured too early then much of the ice cream is already melted and you pretty much end up with soup… Any ways this in no way made the quality or taste of there product bad. I still enjoyed it and the entire experience very much for my second time… I look forward to my third visit…

Intended for a quick stop for coffee… ended up eating a «stout float» instead. Pisgah a la mode, which is local nitro stout beer + a scoop of vanilla or chocolate ice cream. There are so many things to try here it makes me want to move to Asheville. In many ways it is like Charlotte’s Amelies, but it goes a couple steps further with the focus on Ice Cream and chocolate sipping. Not sure if the service is slow, the customers are slow, or both. Definitely recommend knowing what you want before you get to the counter.

I am not a huge dessert person… but when in rome. I went with some friends on a Sunday afternoon before heading home from Asheville. I had previously visited their other location, which was much more intimate and cozy. The new location was extremely nice and clean, but it has lost the lounge feel. At least there is plenty of seating! A good mix of large and small tables, couches, and high tops. The line can get pretty long, I still think they could have done a better setup on that.
I got a kid scoop of the pumpkin pie ice cream. It was the perfect size to just get a taste! Everything looked really good, but I was too full for something heavy. I also shared a brownie with my boyfriend. It was very dense and delicious. He ordered a float made with a nitro stout and ice cream. Probably wouldn’t get it again, but it was different! I tried a couple of my friends hot chocolates, like the lavender and honey and salted caramel. Both were delicious!
It’s a cool experience in Asheville, even if you think you are going to skip dessert, you won’t end up doing it once you walk in.

French Broad Chocolate Lounge, I did not see what all of the hype was about.
Boyfriend and I decided to check this place out after reading all of the rave reviews. We walked up and waited in line, it was not too bad and moved somewhat quickly. We decided to split the Milk Chocolate Liquid Truffle and a piece of Quintessential Chocolate Cake with whipped cream added.
Yes, the liquid truffle was smooth and creamy but I was not a fan of the half & half. As far as the cake went, it tasted a bit dry but the whipped cream helped moisten it.
Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing, I would try this place out again but I would definitely order something different.

I’m a gal who loves any and everything that involves dessert so I wasn’t surprised by how much I enjoyed this spot. The first time we visited we got the mocha stout cake. The cake was was fresh and dense and the icing was creamy and incredibly flavorful! The second time we got the quintessential chocolate cake and again, it was all I had hope it would be, and more! The first time was on a Wednesday night and we were able to walk right in. The second was on a Friday night and the line was out the door and down the street. But to me, the wait was worth it. I paired my delicious slice of cake with a cup of coffee and my husband and myself enjoyed both of them outdoors at their patio seating, while watching the street performers. The service was friendly and helpful and the prices were cheaper than what I had thought they would be!

It was so much fun walking around downtown Asheville, and one big impression has to be the HUGE line in front of this beautiful lounge when you passing-​by. Luckily, I got in a chilly Sunday evening with only 5 – 6 clients in front of us, but as soon as we were in the line, there’re more than dozen ppl showed up.
We ordered 2 cakes after a nice dinner at The Admiral.
The Quintessential Chocolate cake and the pumpkin cheese cake, it turned out a great combination — both the colors (dark brown v.s. gold yellow) and the tastes (heavy steady v.s. light fresh)! The choco cake is really steady flavor for sure, different layers of bitterness and richness blossom on your taste buds, not a too sweet type which I love it. While the pumpkin cheese one is really fresh and fluffy, totally different with other stiff heavy cheese cake, this one you can feel the light and moisture texture of a fine cake.
I also tried 2 scoops of the Coffee+nibs and Choco flavor ice cream at its tail end boutique, nice counterpart of Jeni’s, great quality too! I would def come back next time visiting Asheville and try the liquid chocolate/​truffle.

Secret Societies are Secret for a reason and if you read carefully you can find what is hidden in plain sight — Under the same Roof, sharing the same Kitchen… this is the latest, GREATEST addition to the French Broad Chocolate Society… Behind French Broad Chocolate Lounge is the small sign and side entrance to «Chocolate + Milk Boutique» Under the Large yet inconspicuous ICE CREAM Sign that most would think is just part of the Bigger Sign (s) for the Main Entrance
Small, FAST, To-​Go Boutique, down the sidewalk from French Broad Chocolate Lounge! Said to be an «Insider Tip»! It does OPEN Earlier than the Chocolate Lounge (Four Hours Earlier Monday-​Friday)!
Ice Cream, Coffee and French Broad Chocolates AND featuring a Chocolate Bar Library of other Chocolate makers from around the World chosen for Excellence… At Some later Date (s) I will be checking more closely into these Selected Chocolate Bars and Exotic HOT Chocolate (s) as Autumn approaches… My First in a series of Visits (for my Birthday Weekend) we are Checking out: Ice Cream and the available Truffle Collections
Ice Cream: :
1). Buddha
my Favorite (FOUR Scoops in about six hours) Chocolate with Coconut Cream (Vegan)
2). Lemongrass Ginger Lime (maybe not the exakt order, though you can imagine)
Delicious!
3). Coffee with Nibs
very Good
4.) Salted Caramel
Good
Truffles + Collections of Truffles = Seasonal Collection, Asheville Grown Collection, Salted Caramel Collection, World Collection, Signature Collection and Buddha Collection (made for Vegans though this makes it EASY to consider)!
1). Ice Cream Truck
Delicious, I thought it was named after the Song by the IndieGarageBand but very different theme and I think the Song was about a Different kind of truck
2). Raspberry with Chocolate Ganache!
Sensational!!!
Candy
1). Coffee+Nibs Toffee
Fantastik! We got a Bag! I opened it and told my eBay Bride we could go back!
2). Nibs (Cacao Nibs) Matagalpa Nicaragua Origin! These grew on me! In Pancakes, Waffle Cones and in Savory Dishes like Beef and Curry! I did not realize for a Month my Bride Bought three Bags of these Nibs and I even eat them PLAIN by the small palm-​full
Charm
Small does NOT always mean Charm, though I think it helps! The Lounge is LARGE the Boutique is small
Lines
Waiting OUTSIDE! Every time we came by (which was a LOT) long lines of people were waiting to get in at «The Chocolate Lounge» Every Time we by-​passed the lines and went right in the «Chocolate + Milk Boutique»…People really have not discovered this yet!
Looking forward to our next Visits!

2 words… liquid truffle… oh yes!!! This is the place to get a coffee, something sweet, a little treat. They’re chocolates were divine… aaahhh! And the liquid truffle is just that. Rich and thick and not too sweet. I had the milk chocolate, it was fantastic. Also got a salted honey and lavender honey caramel to take home, seriously they were the BEST caramels I’ve ever had. Certainly coming back next time I’m in town. Oh and the vibe is really cool, loved it!

We hit this place after a hard day of drinking. And after I drink abit, I love me some ice cream/​chocolates. It was packed, with a line out the door. My wife wanted to try here badly, so we waited. She got a melting chocolate drink and several bakery items, I opted for a milkshake.
The milkshake was delicious and rich. Wife loved her choices too. Will definitely return when back in Asheville.

Another long overdue review of a FAVE Asheville eatery. Please believe me when I say… if you visit Asheville, and you have any level of sweet tooth (from minimal to overblown «Chocoholic»), then you really have to visit French Broad Chocolate Lounge!!!
Now, please do not be intimidated by the line out the door because it moves at a fairly decent pace. If you’re wondering if this sweets shop is actually «worth the wait»…I’d tell you it’s certainly worth «Trying» to decide for yourself. This is another place that my husband and I have been visiting over the past 6 years whenever we’re in Asheville. And, I will tell you that I’m one of those people who loves Looking at prettily made desserts a little bit more than Eating them. But, I do indulge at times and always find a reason to indulge at French Broad Chocolate Lounge… just can’t leave the city until I do LOL.
The special Must Try items IMHO are the truffles and cakes. The truffles are kind of the stars of the show and they’re a lot of them, whew! We like the Salted Caramel variety. Most importantly, though, they’re tiny little packages of goodness, so don’t feel guilty for eating them. The cakes… well, the Quintessential Chocolate of course! And, I always get a slice of the seasonal Vanilla Cake as well. All of this goes down with a Hot Chocolate (this time I opted for the Salted Caramel, but love the Lavender and Honey just as much).
Side note: French Broad Chocolate Lounge moved to a new location in Pack Square around November 2014. The 1^st word that came to mind for me upon entering the door was «Sterile». I know, odd word choice, but hey… it’s bright, clean, cheerful and more spacious than the prior location. All good things, I suppose. But, nothing about it screams «Lounge»! However, the prior location was dim, cramped, cluttered and «Loungey»…and we LOVED it. They also played live music, which is not an option at this new location due to Fire Codes, we were told. Anyway, all things Must AND Do Change. Hey, still worth a visit. Happy Eating!!!