Side B Bar spins vinyl and vibes in stylish lounge setting

Black Mountain venue elevates ambience with exotic flavors, local flare

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 26, 2026

Chris Melton, co-owner of Side B Bar in Black Mountain, serves a beer at the bar. The Japanese vinyl bar-inspired venue is establishing itself as a late-night gathering place. Photo by Fred McCormick

Just outside the bustling center of downtown Black Mountain, tucked away in the basement below a historic landmark, music plays long after most of the nearby businesses have closed for the evening. The atmosphere within Side B Bar, which has established itself as a late-night gathering spot for locals and visitors since its winter debut, is as unique as the setting itself.

The stylish vinyl lounge along New Bern Avenue, beneath the Monte Vista Hotel, is nurturing a fresh vibe with a blend of international flavor, eclectic ambience and hometown hospitality.

“The way we we describe it a lot of times is that we wanted to create Black Mountain’s living room,” said Chris Melton, who founded the bar, inspired by the Japanese kissa lounge concept, with co-owners Chris Campos and Ruen Ellis. “Between the three of us, we have a wide range of perspectives, so the idea was to design something that is both local and cultured.”

The founders met at another local business, where they soon began developing the vision of an afterhours concept, refined to suit their community. Melton, a native of Black Mountain whose Navy service took him around the world, and Ellis were both familiar with the popularity of Japanese vinyl bars, where customers come to enjoy coffee or tea while listening to music in high-fidelity sound.

That business structure, the group agreed, would fit well in the right location, which they discovered while visiting a large open space that was utilized as a storage room by the hotel that will remain closed for renovations until 2027.

“I was talking to a friend in town and told me there used to a bar under the Monte Vista called Rosie’s Cantina, but it closed years ago,” Melton said. “We got in touch with the owners and we when we came to check it out, i was a mess. But, looking through all the piles of stuff, we could see it had a great open floor plan in this really cool location. We instantly knew this was the space.”

Low lighting and comfortable couches line the walls in Side B Bar, a unique lounge setting in Black Mountain. Photo by Fred McCormick

Work began last summer, while Ellis designed a comfortable and casual interior floor plan, which includes couches along the wall, a newly constructed bar, oversized chairs, a vinyl listening area with head phones, dart board and pool room. Ambient light glows from recessed fixtures, lending the setting a “speakeasy-like” feel, according to Melton.

“We wanted to make people feel at ease in here, with different spaces where people can congregate that feel somewhat private,” he said. “We use Japanese screens to create a little bit of separation, with comfortable couches and seating.”

The environment provides options for guests to entertain themselves, but the bar offers many more selections when it comes to beverages. The cocktail menu includes a variety of “A-Side Classics,” including Calles de Cali, an espresso martini, and “B-Side Deep Cuts,” like the Club Toki-San, featuring Suntory Toki whiskey, club soda, grapefruit juice, St. Germain with s blood orange trim. The Arashiyama, along with non-alcoholic ginger beers and seltzers, are included among the offerings.

Side B also offers sake, wine and spritz, along with more than a dozen beers, on tap or in bottles and cans.

The taps contain local brews from Lookout and Pisgah, while the coolers hold domestic beers. International brews, ranging from Ethiopian pilsner Habesha Cold Gold to Thailand lager Singha, are available in bottles.

“We want people to be able to come in and easily find something they might want, or something that’s familiar to them. But, there is also plenty of opportunity to try something they haven’t had before,” Melton said. “We know a lot of locals like local beers, or domestics, but some people might just want to try to a black lager from Brazil.”

Side B Bar offers a free pool table in a “speakeasy-like” environment, beneath the historic Monte Vista Hotel. Photo by Fred McCormick

While a wide range of flavors are poured at the bar, the vast collection of music appeals to a diverse array of customers, according to Campos.

“You could hear Dolly Parton one minute and then A Tribe Called Quest the next,” said the co-owner. “We get a lot of people of all different ages, or from different places, who connect here. It’s not just like a local dive bar or upscale fancy bar, it kind of meets everyone where they are.”

The atmosphere is suited to entertain date nights or a gathering of friends, he continued.

“People can wear sweatpants and and have a relaxing evening, or get dressed up and have a night on the town,” Campos said. “It’s really versatile in that way.”

The open setting allows Side B to shift from subdued social setting to a dance party on DJ, reggae 80s or country night, he added.

Events, like the weekly Mountain Camp DJ residency and Tuesday night Studio BMT pure vinyl night, provide an late-night alternative to live music.

“All of the bars and taprooms around Black Mountain and Asheville have their own unique vibes, but you can probably expect live music,” Campos said. “That’s great, don’t get me wrong, but what makes this place a little different is that it’s through the lens of three different people with different tastes and creative interests, so it can feel different at any time.”

The fluid nature of the venue is part of the appeal of Side B, according to Melton.

“One of the main things we’ve heard is that this place is a ‘vibe,’ which can have a lot of different interpretations,” he said. “But, you can tell people are excited to have something new, and a little different, in Black Mountain, which is exactly what we were hoping for when we launched.”