I spent a long weekend in Asheville a few weeks back and had so much fun eating, drinking and exploring through the city. See my complete guide to Asheville full of my favorite places to see and things to do!
Hey friends! I’ve been a little MIA this week, but I’m finally back in Chicago and I’m so excited to share my guide to Asheville, North Carolina! It was such a fun trip – and we had so much fun exploring the area (we walked all over the city at least a few times!), eating so much delicious food, trying new cocktail bars, and hiking around the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. It was so nice to spend some quality time with my parents and explore a new corner of the country we hadn’t been to yet. And when I say it was beautiful, I can’t even begin to describe how incredible the area really was – the photos don’t do it justice!
If you’re planning to spend a long weekend in Asheville (or even longer than that), I’ve pulled together a complete guide to Asheville with a few of my favorite places to visit when you go. And if you have any more questions about where to stay or what to bring, feel free to shoot me an email or DM on Instagram, I’d love to help you plan your trip!
Guide to Asheville:
Where to Eat in Asheville
12 Bones BBQ: No guide to Asheville is complete without 12 Bones BBQ, which has been a staple in Asheville for years. It’s become even more famous in the coming years since Barack and Michelle Obama would make an appearance every time they were in the area to pick up their famous brown sugar ribs. It’s pretty darn delicious, and my dad and I both got a half slab of ribs (which my dad definitely had to finish for me…oooof!). They also have some tasty sides – and while all of them were good, I loved their corn bread pudding and cheesy grits the best. This place get to be pretty busy as soon as they open up (especially during the weekends), so the best bet is to show up a few minutes before they open around 11AM to avoid the massive lines. 
Biscuit Head: Is there anything more southern than biscuits? Biscuit Head is known for their famous biscuit creations, and they’re one of the best options for cheap (but delicious!) eats in town. We went for breakfast pretty early around 8AM and there wasn’t a line, but the weekend does get a little hectic for brunch – definitely go early if you can! I had the best biscuit fried egg breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had (hands down!) and all the sides were super delicious too. The breakfast potatoes are so so good, and my dad got an epic side of pulled pork that was tasty too!
Buxton Hall: Another delicious BBQ joint that I wanted to include in my guide to Asheville was Buxton Hall, which serves up classic BBQ but a whole lot of other tasty dishes in case BBQ isn’t your thing! I had their famous whole hog pulled pork with their tasty BBQ sauces, and we also had their grilled catfish sandwich and Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich (which was named best fried chicken sandwich of the year in 2016 by Bon Appetit!). Their sides are some of the best in town – and I especially loved their collard greens and Cole slaw…mmm! Again, it’s another place that gets a little crazy so try to get there early if possible, you won’t regret it! 
White Duck Taco Shop: If you’re looking for a break from BBQ on your trip, try some of the delicious tacos at White Duck Taco Shop! They have a few different locations around Asheville, and they take a classic and fusion approach to tacos. They have everything from carnitas to mole tacos, but then more adventurous options like a Bah Mi, Crispy Chicken BLT, or Spicy Buffalo Chicken tacos too. It’s a great place for cheap eats, and the margaritas are pretty darn good too. 
Vortex Donuts: If you’re looking for a sweet treat after lunch, Vortex Donuts is right down the street from Buxton Hall and is chock full of so many different, delicious kinds of handmade donuts. They have a wide variety of gluten free and vegan donuts too – so you don’t have to feel guilty eating them, right? 😉
Where to Drink in Asheville
Breweries: Asheville is known for their breweries, so I couldn’t have an guide to Asheville without sharing a few of my favorites! While we wanted to spend an entire day exploring some of their best spots, we were so darn full from all the eating that we could barely squeeze in a few beers! That being said, we did go to a few places and heard through the grapevine about quite a few more worth noting.
New Belgium Brewing: While they’re not totally exclusive to Asheville (they also have their original brewery in Ft. Collins, CO), they’re one of the biggest operations in the area. If you’re a fan of Flat Tire beer (or any of there other varieties!) this brewery is a must-visit, and definitely reserve a tour too! While we didn’t eat there, I’ve also heard that the food is pretty darn good too if you want to make an afternoon of it.
Wedge Brewing: An authentically local Asheville brewery, we stopped by their River Arts Wedge Studios location for a drink after touring the artist studios. They have a nice selection of local brews, and my dad loved the Belgium style IPA. They also have food trucks in the afternoon (you can check the schedule online!) so there’s always tacos or something yummy close by.
Noble Cider: A newer spot in Asheville, this cider company makes traditional and New American ciders/meads – and as a cider-fan, I really loved all the ciders I tried while in the city. I didn’t get a chance to go to the taproom, but I’d definitely go back and spend the afternoon trying a cider flight and learning more about their new operation.
Wicked Weed Brewing: On our last day in town (after feeling like we hadn’t quite been to enough breweries during our trip!) we stopped at Wicked Weed’s pub to try a wide selection of their ales, Belgium beers, sours, lagers, ciders and more. The pub was pretty busy on a Saturday, but there are a lot of patios to sit outside and enjoy a few beers. You can also go to the Funkitorium down the street to try more of their sour and funky beers in their dedicated taproom.
Cocktail Bars: Asheville is full of little cocktail bar gems, and we loved exploring new places for a cocktail before or after dinner most nights. One thing to know and be prepared for is that most cocktail bars have to be classified as a “private club” in the state of North Carolina if less than 30% of their sales are from food. So for places that want to be solely/mostly cocktail bars, they have to create a private club membership that either everyone in your party (or 1 person in your party- depending on the bar) needs to sign up for. Essentially you just need to give them your basic information and pay a “membership fee” (usually $1 for the group or per person) in order to enter the cocktail bar and order drinks. It’s really not that much of a hassle (and once you’re a member, you’re a member for life!), but wanted to call it out if you’re typically cashless on your night out. You may need to get a few $1s before you go out after dinner 🙂
Anyways, here are some of my favorite cocktail bars we went to while in the city!
Little Jumbo: We stayed at the cutest Air BnB in the Montford neighborhood and discovered Little Jumbo, one of my favorite places we went to on the trip! Like most bars, you have to become a member – but the cocktails are so tasty and the ambiance/space is beautiful. They also have a few food elevated food dishes (sandwiches, salads, charcuterie, etc.) and chocolate and carrot cake that look reaaaaaaal good 🙂 Definitely swing by if you’re in the neighborhood, or looking for an amazing cocktail bar away from the downtown scene.
Top of the Monk: One of the most famous cocktail bars in the area, Top of the Monk is positioned on the third floor of The Thirsty Monk bar and serves up a great selection of cocktails. They also give you keys to a series of lock boxes where you can select a snack with every drink you order (I had a lot of olives and charcuterie before dinner, haha). It’s a great atmosphere and the bartenders are great resources to whip up an off menu cocktail or to share some of their cocktail making tips!
Crow and Quill: Best described to us as “a goth cocktail bar”, Crow and Quill is a cool, moody, cocktail bar serving up some of the best drinks in the city. When you walk in, it’s dark, most of the furniture look velvet/victorian, and they have an epic wooden bar with most of the decorations being upside down bouquets of dried flowers. It’s hard to explain, but once you go there, you’ll definitely understand the goth reference. It’s a little unmarked on the street (just a small etching of the name above the door), which gives it a little bit of a speakeasy vibe. We loved our bartenders and they whipped up this Naked And Famous cocktail (off-menu), which was one of our favorites of the trip!
The Times at S&W: A newer bar to the Asheville cocktail scene, The Times bar is a beautiful, 1920’s style bar with a tasty list of classic cocktails and bartender creations. The ambiance is perfect for a fancy date night out, and this bar you don’t need to become a member of because the space is shared with the restaurant next-door.
Where to Explore in Asheville
River Arts District: (Also often written as “RAD”) is the area where many of the Asheville artists have their studios and sell their work – from paintings to pottery, to sculptures and everything in between. It’s a great area to spend the afternoon walking from loft to loft, and I especially loved Odyssey Clay Works for pottery and Pink Dog Creative for paintings, jewelry, handcrafted decorations and more. Even if you’re only in Asheville for a few days, definitely make sure to make a stop at the historic arts district – it’s the perfect place to pick up a meaningful souvenir that benefits local artists.
Hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains: One thing you can’t not include in any guide to Asheville is a hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains! One of my favorite morning adventures was hiking to see Catawba Falls just outside of Asheville. It’s the perfect hike (only takes about an hour or an hour and a half!) and wasn’t too tough of a hike and reveals the prettiest views of some of the falls. I went with my parents in my 60s, and they were both able to do the hike with ease (you go Sally and Bob!), so it’s not too tough even though there are a few areas with rocks that you’ll need to navigate across. The view at the end is totally worth the hike up the mountain though!
I hope my guide to Asheville inspired your next trip! I could go on and on about how much I adored Asheville, but you’ll definitely need to check it out for yourself for a long weekend – or even a full week! There’s so much to do (not to mention drink and eat) that you’ll want to spend a good amount of time exploring the area and finding some workouts in between.
In other news, I was going to attempt to fit everything Asheville into one post, but I couldn’t quite fit everything to do at the Biltmore in here (there’s a lot to know before you go!). I though that it deserved its own dedicated post, so you can see all my tips and favorite things to do right here in my Biltmore Travel Guide! Enjoy! xx
