Rankin Vault Cocktail Lounge

Ask Hannah for a Moscow Mule, best in Asheville! Also, she makes a mean Bootleg Coffee if you need a caffeine buzz.

Voted best burgers in Asheville many years running. I don’t know if I agree on the best, but they are great. I love this spot. I’d give it that 5^th star if they fixed the jukebox in the vault, somehow put some more indoor seating for those cold winter nights, and validate my parking.
The front patio is awesome. I’ve had some great conversations with people out there. You can order beer, taco’s, burgers, whatever through the window which is a great little touch. Unless the weather is great though, I’m always up in the vault. I mean, if you can drink in an old bank vault, you should right? I’ve actually been to a similar place in Morgantown, WV called The Bank. They have a pool table in their vault though.
I’d say this is one of my few automatic go to spots in Asheville. A great alternative to The Bywater or The Wedge in the winter months.

Why 5 stars? Because I can’t argue with their claim.
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They say they have the best burger in Asheville, and I think that they are very correct. I obeyed Kipper’s instructions:
1) File in line at the bar.
2) Do not cut.
3) Order the Vault Burger.
4) Do not consider ordering any other menu item.
5) Eat.
6) Rejoice.
Pretty spot on. The only thing I would have changed was swapping out the fingerling potatoes for the tots that I ordered. The tots were solid, but the fingerling potatoes were top notch.
I’m not sure why some burgers are just so, infinitely better than others. I’m assuming that it’s the quality of the ground beer, which was obviously a cut above the rest, here. Not only does better quality beef taste better, but you also don’t feel comatose afterward. I really need to start buying the highest quality ground beef for my cookouts.
The best part is that the price point isn’t really any different for this burger than it is at neighboring restaurants. Better taste, better post-​game feeling in your belly, and the same price? Best burger in Asheville, y’all.

Unbelievable burger, fabulous arugula salad. Ingredients were fresh, local and put together with perfection. Make sure you go to the bar to order, no table service and the guys won’t bother to tell you so unless you ask.

Absolutely delicious food. The chips & queso were excellent and the fried chicken sandwich is a must try. The sandwiches and burgers are huge and the atmosphere is fun. Would go back!

Stop #3 on the bar crawl
After stop #2, we chilled and danced along with the Friday drum circle in the public square. Really nice. Seeing ppl of all ages enjoying themselves is always cool to me. We made our way to the Rankin. A very nice space (oh that sounds sooo douchey n pretentious) with low lighting and dark wood throughout, a few tables with bar stools, couches along the walls, a side room and the piece de resistance-​the old original vault with a table for 6 – 8 to enjoy ur drinks n food.
I had the pecan Old Fashioned and the lovely Lady had her fave– Gin/​Ginger Martini. damn that is a tasty ass drink. The Old Fashioned was a lil sweet for my taste, but still very good. Next up I had the blood orange martini but it still didn’t match up with her drink. We enjoyed them in the old bank vault. sits abt 6 – 8, but it was just us. Cozy. Old timey jukebox/​radio against the wall. Great way to sip, enjoy and soak up the atmosphere with great and Lovely company. The menu looked pretty good but we passed as we decided to find another place to eat.
Then u walk out and deal with the a-​holes and douches on the patio. or just loud ppl, maybe I’m getting old. damn kids… obviously it’s a nat’l thing and not just a west coast thing. Or maybe cuz it was late on a Friday nite and the drunks were out in full effect. Anyway. good experience overall w/​the Lovely Lady… off to the next spot

Slowest possible service you will ever encounter. My order was wrong, and the service never noticed till it was time for the check. The people next to me were never asked for another drink past their first avoid this dive bar.

In our ongoing search for the best burger in Asheville, recently we went to The Vault. While it’s more of a bar than a restaurant, The Vault nearly always gets good reviews for its burgers, and it did well in a local «battle of the burgers» cook off.
Two of us had the Vault Burger, with bacon, white cheddar and special mayo, while the third in our party had the regular burger without cheese or bacon. You can order them cooked anyway you want them, and ours came out pretty much the way we ordered them — rare, medium and medium well — juicy on the inside with a nice crusty outside.
Bottom line on the burger: Good effort, but I think we’re still searching for Asheville’s best. The Vault’s burgers are made with one large patty of grass-​fed beef. It’s been noted that the top places in Atlanta that have won local and national awards for their burgers — Holeman and Fitch or Bocado, for example — all go with double patties rather than one large patty, and the beef is a mixture of several different cuts, custom ground at the restaurant. I ate recently at Bocado and loved the double cheese stack. The Vault’s burger tends to overpower the smallish bun.
The Vault also loses major points for not having french fries. Instead, two of us had to settle for sliced fingerling potatoes and one for tater tots. I mean, can you really have a world-​class burger without great, fresh-​cut fries?
Otherwise, we enjoyed the atmosphere and the drinks at The Vault. The leather couch seats in the corner of the main room are comfortable and if not too crowded make for a pleasant place to sip drinks and have bar food. You place your food and drink orders at the bar, which are then brought to your table. There is limited outdoor seating on the sidewalk on Rankin, but the view is just of the Rankin garage, and we liked being inside better.
The G&Ts were good, and on this night well drinks were just $ 3. My vodka martini, however, was not nearly dry enough, but it was cold and large and came with three big olives.
The bill for three burgers with potato sides, and a total of six or seven drinks, came to around $ 65 before tip. Good price.

The Vault is always one of my favorite places to go for drinks. I’ve only ever been on a busy weekend but was pleasantly surprised with the atmosphere during the week.

A couple of things you should note before diving into the rest of my review:
The Vault is a bar. The Vault is a bar. The Vault is a bar.
The Vault is a bar that just happens to serve one of the best burgers in Asheville, and it serves it late. The Vault is still a bar. You order at the bar. There are no servers. It’s a bar.
If you’re visiting Asheville and you’ve heard about the burger, it’s true. It’s epic. Be polite. Order at the bar. Be kind. Be patient. If it’s your first time at the vault, please stand in line with everyone else. Cutting in line will get you nasty looks from locals. It’s poor form. Know what you want before you get to the bar… there will most likely be people waiting behind you. If you don’t know what you want, ask one of the wonderful people in front of you if they can «please» pass you a food menu.
Now, on to the update.
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Wow. Nearly a year before I moved to Asheville, I had the pleasure of being the first person to write a review of The Rankin Vault Cocktail Lounge on Unilocal.Now, six years later I’m happy to report that this wonderful bar and lounge has only improved with age.
It was 5 stars then, and it’s 5 stars now.
The Vault has become a local staple for all of those that live and work in the downtown area. You can craft your Vault experience to suit your needs. Looking for a wild night with friends? Enjoy strong drinks and boisterous conversation on their lovely patio. On a date? Get a little privacy at one of the more intimate tables by the vault itself. Looking to meet interesting people? Saddle up the bar and let the most wonderful cross section of Asheville visitors and natives come chat with you.
What the Vault has come to be known for amongst the people of Asheville is their astounding burger. It’s not some foo foo ciabatta bread/​duck fat/​truffle butter monstrosity, it’s a burger… and a burger done incredibly right. It’s incredible. The most wonderful part about it is its availability. The Vault serves food LATE. Which means, if you’re getting out of work, or a show, or a night on the town, this burger is waiting for you… With its white cheddar, slabs of bacon, and massive hickory nut gap patty… it patiently beckons for you to treat yourself to something special. Go on… you deserve it.
The Vault’s location is still just absolutely killer. Off the main strip of Lexington, and nestled on the one way street of Rankin, it’s proximal to everything while being quiet enough to enjoy the company of others if you’re outside.
Prices are downright awesome. Beers come in 20oz pours, and the cocktail menu has some real delights on it. Oh! The margarita! The margarita at The Vault is downright splendid. I mean like WOW is it good. Better than most restaurant margaritas in fact. I have no idea why this is so, but it’s simply perfect in my opinion.

Amazing location. Amazing prices on house wine ($ 4) with great sized pours. Love sitting outside and people watching. I kind of wish it wasn’t so dark inside, though. Nice servers. Never super crowded, but busy enough that it’s cozy. Haven’t had the food.

I only tried a tequila/​watermelon cocktail and a burger.
They make a 5 star burger!
Everything you want a burger to be:
toasted buttery bun,
spicy (but not too spicy) mayo
thick, juicy, cooked medium rare, Hickory Nut Gap burger.
arugula
crispy bacon
and pickles
(I skipped the onion)
You order at the counter and grab a table. They bring the food to you.
They have some tables on the sidewalk. But I think it’s their smoking area so
we ended up staying inside.
Very friendly service.
Cocktail was really good too.

The ginger gin cocktail I had here was solid and tasty. I’m giving this place a three stars despite the four star drinks because the ambiance isn’t all that great. It’s a bit dingy inside with two undecorated back rooms with very old couches in them and bright lights, like being in your college buddy’s parents’ neglected basement. There’s also no service anywhere aside from the bar, and there’s a line for ordering.
Much prefer Sovereign Remedies, MG Road, or Lex 18 for a more cozy atmosphere and slightly better cocktails at pretty much the same price.

So… I felt kind of naughty slinking into Rankin for a pre-​dinner cocktail. Did I mention it was a beer pairing dinner? Ooops! No judgement zone here! Just friendly bartenders taking care of you and giving you the inside scoop on where to go and where not to go.
The Cucumber Martini sounded good, but the Dark and Stormy called my name! Light and dark rums plus a fresh ginger purée and ginger beer. Really smooth! Wait a second; did that have alcohol in it? You’ll find out when you go to stand up…
Word on the street has it that the Vault Burger is pretty damn fabulous. Next time guys! Bonus points for having the cohones to play hip hop; it really suited the lounge mood!

Best f*c king burgers in town!!! Who cares about service it’s a bar, the food is amazing and drinks are great. If you get laughed at by staff, stop being an uptight yuppie and chill out. Enjoy your food and your drink.

Why are they called the vault? Because they literally have a vault. I walked into this place as a suggestion from my friend who used to live in Asheville. She told me that this place was low-​key and a nice drinking spot. I had some time to kill before my reservations at Admiral, so I decided to read a little and take a break from beer and go onto some mixed drinks.
This place was pretty small, plenty of seating though. Just around the corner, up a few stairs, well what do you know? It’s a freaking vault. Inside the vault were sectional couch lining around the place with a nice fan on top of the ceiling. I swore I saw a karaōke machine, but I didn’t go and investigate. Outside the vault were a couple of couches which I plopped down on and chilled in the corner away from the other customers who were hanging outside.
It was very peaceful, and after I got some drinks it was nice. I had two drinks: the Perfect Storm and the Absinthe martini. I think the Perfect storm was the better of the two. The Absinthe martini had that nice wood flavor, as you would imagine and it came out to me as a little strong. It wasn’t bad, but I think the Perfect Storm was more of my drink.
Overall, this place is great for groups wanting to have a drink and try out different types of concoctions. Plenty of seat and place to chill to wind down from a night out or the end of the day. I’ll most likely suggest coming here if I have a group with me next time I’m out and about in Asheville.

It’s been over a month since I last sunk my teeth into that meaty, greasy, cheesy pile of heaven known as the Vault burger, but I swear, even the thought of it still makes my mouth water. I came to this unsuspecting corner alley bar on the recommendation of a true Ashevillian food connoisseur, and The Vault doesn’t disappoint. The food’s so damn good that even the musk of grease that will inevitably coat your clothing and hair is somehow charming.
I particularly liked how laid back and non-​touristy this place was. I visited twice, once on a weekend night bar time, and again during the day. The secret’s definitely out, because the bar was packed at night, but we still got great service and found a nice little nook to people watch. If you’re a smoker, or just don’t mind the smoke of others, they’ve got a decently large patio to expand into the outdoors. The crowd was a nice mix of every type of person, and while every bartender I saw was sporting full sleeves, there was no judgement for my tattoo-​less arms. Overall, just the right mix of welcoming and reserved.
I can’t speak to their mixed drinks beyond a healthy pour of cucumber vodka, but they’ve got extremely affordable beer, available in small or large glasses. While not the chatty type, the bartenders did a great job of ensuring we never went thirsty and were prompt with even water refills.
The beers are cheap, the music is good, and holy hell, that burger! This is a dangerous place to discover… You’ll be ruined for any other measly beef patty forever more. Definitely recommend!

I came here for a solid burger. Solid service, yes. A solid burger was NOT what I got. Vault’ s burger has always been talked about, and recommended to me. So I finally tried it.
The quality of beef was very lacking which I was confused on because their Philly Cheese Steak uses Apple Brandy beef (that or it was just severely overcooked, which I requested medium and received med well — well done). That side of fingerling potatoes was tasty, but portion was so small! I only got 3 – 4 halfs. I will come back probably to try it again, just because I feel I got a cook on an off day.

This is one of our favorite places to go for a drink with friends, especially when the weather is nice. The atmosphere is great and the service is always speedy and friendly. I’ve never eaten at the Vault, but my husband loves the burgers, and so does everyone else I know who’s had one. The only reason it doesn’t get 5 stars is that it’s a little on the small side, so it can be tough to get a seat.

Our tour of Asheville continued Sunday night when we came to Rankin Vault Cocktail Lounge. It had received great Unilocal reviews and was noted as «The Best Burger in Asheville». Althought I didn’t get the burger I did really like the drink I got which was called the Perfect Storm. A play on a Dark and Stormy it included ginger beer, ginger purée, Goslings Dark Rum, and Light Rum. It was very good and around $ 8.
This bar is dimly lit and plays non-​pop music. The bartender was great. She was engaged and making jokes with the other customers sitting at the bar. They also had booths and high and low tables to sit at, although it’s not a big place.