We found our niche: fresh seafood in the mountains.

That’s not gonna change.

For three years in a row, Mother Ocean Seafood Market has won Mountain Xpress’ “Best of WNC” Awards for Asheville’s Best Fresh Fish Seller and Best Seafood lunch option. You may have stumbled across rave reviews from popular food influencers including The Carolina Foodie and Eat Asheville.

HISTORY

Prior to 2019, Mother Ocean Seafood Market had only ever occupied vendor tents at farmer markets and held “pop-up shops” along rural highways in Western North Carolina.

But demand was high for our succulent, fresh cuts, and our team needed a space for handling, cutting, and storing fish. We chirred over the possibility of expanding our fish market into an eatery. It was five months before Covid and a seemingly fantastic business move at the time. Little did we know that we were in for Covid and Hurricane Helene.

We opened our brick-and-mortar store on Merrimon Avenue in March 2020, and have been remarkably defying the odds ever since. In five short years, MOM has become a hidden gem of the Asheville foodie scene. Our customers love our traditional seafood dishes “done right.”

Whether you are looking for a fantastic lunch option or a unique cut of fish for dinner, Mother Ocean needs to be on your radar.

We love our community!

The Western North Carolina communities are filled with people who we serve, support, uplift and have fun with! We wouldn’t be here without y’all and are forever grateful for the patrons, locals and visitors throughout this area.

We partner with several local organizations and small businesses to sell their amazing offerings at our shop:

• Sunburst Trout

• Goddess Ghee

• Devil's Foot Brew

• Wester Ross Salmon

• Mother AVL Bakery

• Takeout Central Asheville

• Kickback AVL

• ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project)

• Ipswich Shellfish

• Rio Bertolini's Pasta

• Gusto Seafood

• Wehrloom Sodas

• Poppy Popcorn

• Fish Wife

• Tiny Fish Co

• Sardinha

• Roots & Branches

• Inland Foods

• Lusty Monk Mustard

OUR LOCAL PROMISE

We are committed to strengthening our local economy by partnering with local businesses that value the people in our community and the power of collaboration.

OUR DONATION PROMISE

Pandemic of Love is a grassroots, volunteer-led and formalized mutual aid community, started by one person in March of 2020, which has now become a global movement.

"Mutual aid" is a voluntary reciprocal exchange of resources and services based on the principle that members of a community should take responsibility for caring for one another — and we do our part by donating seafood at the end of each week so that nothing goes to waste!

Learn more about the Pandemic of Love (and how you can help OR receive help) here.

Hours + Location