Loott House

We were excited to visit Loott House in Swannanoa. If I summed up our visit in two words they would be "disappointed" and "optimistic." Here's why ... Loott House is in the spot that previously housed Native Kitchen, which was our Friday night go-to for several years. On a Friday night, Native Kitchen was always packed and it seemed that every fourth or fifth table was someone from our neighborhood. Their food was great ... I still have a hankering for their gumbo ... and the staff was friendly. Going to Native Kitchen was reminiscent of dropping in at Cheers ... you felt at home. Unfortunately, Native Kitchen became a COVID casualty and shut down for good in 2020. So, we were excited when we heard that Loott House had recently opened in the former Native Kitchen facility. We made a last minute decision to go out to dinner on a Saturday night and we needed to find a place that allowed dogs. I called Loott House and they said dogs were welcome on their covered and heated patio, so Loott House it was. So far, so good. When we got there. the place was less than half full on the inside. There are probably ten tables out on the patio and when we sat down only one other table was in use. When it was Native Kitchen, a host escorted you to your table and then a server took your order, delivered your food, and checked in periodically to see if you needed anything. At Loott House, the only interaction with the staff is when you go up to the bar to place your order. The person who took our order said they'd page us when our food was ready and he pointed to the end of the bar and said that's where I'd come to retrieve it. Our food was ready in about ten minutes. We had the crispy brussel sprouts as a starter, my wife had the arugula salad with salmon as her main and I had a rice bowl with salmon. All of the food was ready at the same time, so we had the starter in conjunction with our main dishes. The brussel sprouts were good. They were coated in a nice vinaigrette dressing and a spicy aioli and had goat cheese, bacon, and pickled onions. The only gripe about our starter was that it was like our main dishes ... lukewarm. The highlight of our main dishes was the salmon. I like crispy salmon, and this salmon was cooked just right ... if only it had been hot. My wife enjoyed her salad. My rice bowl was okay, but it was barely warm. In other reviews, I've raved about the rice bowls at Gan Shan West, and that's become my benchmark for judging rice bowls. The rice bowl at Loott House didn't have near the flavor of the rice bowls at Gan Shan. Had it not been for the salmon I added, the entire dish would have been exceptionally bland. I suspect that from my comments you can see why one of the two words I chose to describe Loott House was "disappointed." So, here's why the other word I chose was "optimistic." Loott House has the potential to become Native Kitchen like. The facility hasn't changed, so it has the bones to build on. The food was underwhelming, but it showed potential. Had it been served hot and had the rice bowl had a little more punch to it, it would have been much better. The menu is very limited: 4 types of salads, 2 types of rice bowls, and several variations of burgers. I wish there was a little more variety ... might I suggest gumbo? Also, while I suppose the serve-yourself format cuts down on operating costs, it's very impersonal. In the hour we were at Loott House the only interaction with had with another human being was when we placed our order. Loott House has only been open for three months. I'm optimistic that some additional time and experience will elevate their execution. The Swannanoa area needs a good non-chain restaurant. We'll see if Loott House can step up and fill that need.

Live local and had yet to try this place. Easy enough go in order and go have a seat. Staff was friendly and the restaurant clean. Plenty of different things to order and a good amount of drink options. Definitely enjoyed our food the burgers were great. Only critique I would say is not being able to choose how you want your burger cooked ie medium rare etc if that’s your thing. Past that plenty of seating inside for folks and a small outdoor patio with some parking in front. Cheers!!

I had been following Loott House on social for a while and hadn't managed to find a time to try it. When we had friends in town who were staying in the Black Mountain/Swanannoa area at Christmas, I suggested we go! So glad I did. They had big tables for us to sit at, the food was excellent, beer and wine selections were both great (I was surprised at the variety and quality of the wines especially, as I'm not a big beer drinker and they share space with a brewery). I was enjoying my cheese steak sandwich so much I forgot to take any pictures of food!!! Everyone was very happy with their choices and we enjoyed a great meal. Excited to return and try more menu items.

First visit to Loot House and their new space this weekend. We loved it! Small menu but we didn’t have trouble finding food we were excited about. My rice bowl was excellent, my son enjoyed the wings and a burger. Beer menu is limited too, but had an excellent fruited wheat, hazy and stout. We will definitely be back! One request: have a cider option. With the beer and wine choices, you don’t need a tap. Just cans would be awesome.

This place is very unassuming, but don’t let that fool you. Decided to try it for the first time since the reviews are so good and wow I can see why! Literally had the best chicken sandwich I’ve ever had in my life. The catfish was also very good and so was the lemonade. I didn’t know pineapple slaw on a chicken sandwich was something I needed in my life until today. Also love that you can order online and adjust anything with your meal to meet any dietary needs. Will definitely be eating here a lot

This is a order, take a number, pick your seat kind of spot. Good atmosphere. Decent seating for a local spot. Parking is rough, but what can you do... But no matter because the food is worth it! I went on Sunday when they have brunch. It was a burger, with hash browns, an egg, pimento cheese, and collard greens. It's outta this world. Burger is cooked pretty much perfectly. The flavors all meld into souther brunch comfort in a burger. Seasoned waffle fries were the perfect crunch. I will be back. This place deserves a 5 all day!