About Us

Here at Chupacabra we are all about the food and all about family.

So, why Latin food? Short answer? Because you have to pick something. We love to cook it, we love to eat it, and it’s affordable.

Come in and let the food speak for itself…

Dave Snyder, Chef, entrepreneur, musician, and artist does everything from the house made sausage to the paintings on our walls.  Dave and Patrick dreamed up Chupacabra together-a chef driven menu without pretension and a peaceful, positive environment.  Dave’s passion for food is a direct inheritance from his mother and father, who are both chefs.  Next up for Dave is his Hominy Valley Distillery and we can’t wait to get his ‘shine on in Chupacabra!

Patrick Abernathy, from Morganton, NC, is a graduate of the Colorado Institute of Art Culinary program and has worked in all kinds of restaurants with all kinds of cuisine, from Wolfgang Puck, Piatti, and Sushi Den in Denver to Savoy, 28806, Noi’s Thai Kitchen, and Red Stag Grill here in Asheville. With Chef Adam Hayes and the Red Stag team, Patrick competed and won the 2014 NC Competition Dining Series and cooked at the James Beard House in New York the same year.

Emily Abernathy, native of Ridgecrest, North Carolina, and UNC-Asheville and WCU Alumna, has been working in Asheville’s independent restaurant community since 2000. Formerly with Corner Kitchen Catering and Savoy, Emily is your front of the house maven-but don’t be surprised if you see her pull on a pair of gloves and jump in the kitchen.  Patrick and Emily have two kids and hope you’ll bring yours over to meet them.