Where to Eat and Drink in Asheville

Often called the “Paris of the South,” Asheville is a melting pot of art and culture with a mouthwatering beer and a food scene. In fact, Asheville is only behind Portland, Maine, in terms of most breweries per capita. We recently visited for the first time in the fall and had a quick 48 hours to eat and drink as much as our stomachs could handle. The only downfall of our trip is it seems like everyone else has also discovered how amazing Asheville is. That paired with COVID-19 capacity limits made it extremely hard to get into breweries without long wait times. When planning your trip I recommend ordering online when possible, making reservations well in advance, or putting your name on the list early and then walking around to kill some time while you wait. With all that said, I'm sharing my top picks for places to chow down. 

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Hole Donuts

I had to start with the most important meal of the day! Hole Donuts is a must visit for breakfast especially if you're looking for a quick stop before hitting the Blue Ride Parkway like we were. This donut shop is located in West Asheville - just look for the adorable blue truck. Due to COVID-19 they were only doing online orders while we were there and I highly suggest ordering the night before so you can get them nice and hot first thing. When we went to pick ours up at 8:15 a.m. the wait was already out over an hour. 

They keep things simple with only four flavors of crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside doughnuts to choose from - vanilla glaze, cinnamon sugar, toasted almond sesame cinnamon, and a rotating seasonal flavor. The toasted almond was a must try for me and had a super unique flavor but I think my favorite was the classic cinnamon sugar.  

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Biscuit Head

Put some south in your mouth is the slogan for this breakfast and lunch cafe famous for their fluffy biscuits. Another spot that was only offering takeout or delivery during our visit, you could place an online order or stand in a line to order at their walk up tent.

They serve several different varieties of fresh hot biscuit dishes and are known for their speciality jams. I ordered the biscuit sandwich with bacon and my husband ordered their biscuits and fried chicken gravy - yum! Also recommend the Carmoolita latte if you're looking to warm up with a cup of coffee while you wait. 

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Early Girl Eatery 

A farm to table southern comfort food experience - need I say more? Early Girl Eatery was the third breakfast stop of our trip and did have dine in available. This was another West Asheville stop and located not far from our Air Bnb. I suggest arriving early here as well - shortly after we were seated a line started to form at the door. Lots of unique options on the menu here with a focus on local, organic, and seasonal ingredients. I also recommend trying their homemade jam and biscuits (if you can't tell I love a good biscuit). If you're feeling really adventurous they also have a biscuit French toast. 

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Curate

On almost any Asheville food guide, you'll likely see Curate included, and for good reason. This tapas bar is centered around celebrating authentic Spanish cuisine. In addition to their small plates menu you'll also find an extensive wine list. In fact, they have been voted one of America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. They are reservation only and book up super far in advance so be sure to plan ahead.

I'll be honest, my husband and I had never dined in this type of restaurant before and our waiter did an AMAZING job at guiding us through the menu and providing suggestions. Our plates for the night (all of which were amazing) included: 

• tabla de quesos - selection of three spanish cheeses and accompaniments
• berenjenas con miel - fried eggplant drizzled in honey from honey + the hive and garnished with rosemary (Nate's favorite)
• gambas al ajillo - sautéed shrimp with sliced garlic, sherry, and a chili 
• pimientos de piquillo rellenos - piquillo peppers stuffed with Spanish goat cheese (my favorite)
• tarta de queso - burnt basque cheesecake with a roasted strawberry tempranillo compote and sheep’s cheese whipped cream

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White Duck Taco Shop

This mix and match taco shop is served a la carte so you can try a little bit of everything - from Bangkok shrimp, to fish, or the crispy chicken BLT. I will warn you, the tacos are huge and my eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach. The only thing on the menu I wasn't super impressed with was the street corn - perhaps because it was served cold which threw me off a bit. There is a second location in downtown Asheville but the Riverside shop had a large outdoor patio and views along the river and is also dog friendly.

You'll order walk up style and be given a number to take to your table. Don't let the long lines scare you away as both the ordering process and getting your actual food moved very quickly.  

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Wicked Weed Brewery 

After landing in Asheville we were on the hunt to find a brewery ASAP and landed on Wicked Weed. They offer over 25 unique craft beers and also have a second location dedicated completely to sours - the Funkatorium. We were seated on their outdoor patio which had a couple fire pits and heaters for those chilly October evenings. The fish and chips was one of my favorite meals from the entire trip paired with the Raspberry Starfruit Burst sour. We also loved the chips and beer cheese small plate which is actually more like a nacho dish. You can't add your name to the list until you arrive so expect a bit of a wait. But good news - they are located right downtown and just around the corner from lots of great shopping if you need to kill some time. 

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Rabbit Rabbit

After trying to stop at multiple different breweries with no luck, we stumbled upon Rabbit Rabbit which was initially designed as on outdoor music venue and offered a large and colorful outdoor seating area. They serve Asheville Brewing Company beer (which is located next door) from a walk up window so you can still check out the local beer scene or dine from food trucks on site. During our visit they had the Bears vs. Panthers game on the big screen projector so the hubby was happy and also host a lot of special events so be sure to check their current schedule online. 

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Biltmore Winery 

We all know Asheville is known for their beer scene but don't miss out on the chance to visit the gorgeous Biltmore Winery. Located in Antler Village, a complimentary tasting is included with your admission ticket to the Biltmore Estate. You will need to make a reservation when you arrive onsite, but there are plenty of other shops and activities to check out while you wait. You'll walk through a stone tunnel to enter the winery which was beautifully decorated with twinkle lights making it even more magical. My favorite wine I sampled was the Biltmore Christmas White which was perfect for the upcoming holiday season. If you're not interested in doing a tasting you can still visit the winery to shop by the bottle or purchase a glass. 

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Double D's Coffee and Desserts 

If you're looking for a sweet treat or a warm drink, this iconic double decker bus in downtown Asheville is the perfect insta-worthy stop. They offer locally roasted coffee drinks in addition to delicious baked goods. Unfortunately they don't open until 10 a.m. so if you're looking for an early morning coffee run this isn't the best choice. There is also a cute little outdoor patio with seating if you want to enjoy your purchases on site. 

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Sunshine Sammie's

Another sweet treat that can't be missed! Sunshine Sammies offers delicious house made ice cream paired with fresh baked cookies for  endless variety of ice cream sammies. You can also order pints of their original flavors from a walk up window. This is another great stop while in downtown Asheville and we stopped while waiting for our table at Wicked Weed.