Guidebook for Asheville

Jim
Guidebook for Asheville

Food Scene

Funky, eclectic, and delicious, we've been enjoying the Stoney Knob for years. It gets busy, so you'll need reservations on weekends. It's a great place for an early lunch. And it's five minutes away.
194 personas locales recomiendan
Stoney Knob Cafe
337 Merrimon Ave
194 personas locales recomiendan
Funky, eclectic, and delicious, we've been enjoying the Stoney Knob for years. It gets busy, so you'll need reservations on weekends. It's a great place for an early lunch. And it's five minutes away.
Fine Indian food, about fifteen minutes away. They've never disappointed. The lunch buffet is excellent, and the a la carte dinner menu is even better. Veggie friendly, but carnivores will be delighted too. Warning, the vindaloo is hot, hot, hot (and delicious!).
191 personas locales recomiendan
Mela Indian Restaurant
70 N Lexington Ave
191 personas locales recomiendan
Fine Indian food, about fifteen minutes away. They've never disappointed. The lunch buffet is excellent, and the a la carte dinner menu is even better. Veggie friendly, but carnivores will be delighted too. Warning, the vindaloo is hot, hot, hot (and delicious!).
Ambiance, not so much, but delicious, oh yeah! The menu is limited. We usually get takeout, a red or green curry, and a pad thai. Possibly my favorite local restaurant.
59 personas locales recomiendan
Little Bee Thai
45 S French Broad Ave
59 personas locales recomiendan
Ambiance, not so much, but delicious, oh yeah! The menu is limited. We usually get takeout, a red or green curry, and a pad thai. Possibly my favorite local restaurant.
My favorite local pizza (except maybe Asheville Brewing), about 10 minutes away.
36 personas locales recomiendan
828 Family Pizzeria
946 Merrimon Ave
36 personas locales recomiendan
My favorite local pizza (except maybe Asheville Brewing), about 10 minutes away.
Indian street food with funky southern twists, yum!
311 personas locales recomiendan
Chai Pani Asheville
22 Battery Park Ave
311 personas locales recomiendan
Indian street food with funky southern twists, yum!
Cheap and tasty, it can get busy on weekends.
74 personas locales recomiendan
Soba Sushi and Noodles
76 N Main St
74 personas locales recomiendan
Cheap and tasty, it can get busy on weekends.
Because awesome pastries
195 personas locales recomiendan
Well-Bred Bakery & Cafe
232 Reems Creek Rd
195 personas locales recomiendan
Because awesome pastries
I drop by on my daily walks just to admire their gorgeous selection of the baker's arts.
102 personas locales recomiendan
Old Europe Pastries
18 Broadway St
102 personas locales recomiendan
I drop by on my daily walks just to admire their gorgeous selection of the baker's arts.
Convenient, good food
112 personas locales recomiendan
City Bakery
88 Charlotte St
112 personas locales recomiendan
Convenient, good food
Caribbean, with a twist. Everything is tasty, but the Fire Roasted Chicken Paquete is my favorite. Hector has a farm just outside of town, so much of the food is farm-to-table.
170 personas locales recomiendan
Salsa's
6 Patton Ave
170 personas locales recomiendan
Caribbean, with a twist. Everything is tasty, but the Fire Roasted Chicken Paquete is my favorite. Hector has a farm just outside of town, so much of the food is farm-to-table.
You like hot? They got hot! It's nothing fancy, but it's a local favorite.
137 personas locales recomiendan
Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack
1455 Patton Avenue
137 personas locales recomiendan
You like hot? They got hot! It's nothing fancy, but it's a local favorite.
Of the four chocolate shops downtown, this is my hands down favorite.
47 personas locales recomiendan
The Chocolate Fetish
36 Haywood St
47 personas locales recomiendan
Of the four chocolate shops downtown, this is my hands down favorite.
An eclectic selection of curries from around the world, right downtown. Great people, great food.
65 personas locales recomiendan
Blue Dream Curry House
81 Patton Ave
65 personas locales recomiendan
An eclectic selection of curries from around the world, right downtown. Great people, great food.
Sushi. Downtown. Good.
80 personas locales recomiendan
Wasabi Japanese Restaurant
19 Broadway St
80 personas locales recomiendan
Sushi. Downtown. Good.
Fast, friendly, tasty.
88 personas locales recomiendan
Mamacita's Taqueria
77-A Biltmore Ave
88 personas locales recomiendan
Fast, friendly, tasty.
OMG, so good! Katie Button stodged at El Bulli, arguably the finest restaurant in the world at the time, before coming home to Asheville to open Curate. This restaurant has LONG lead times, so make your reservations early. I recommend the veggie paella with a shrimp side, honeyed fried eggplant, and the tomato toasts. In the shoulder seasons, try booking first thing after they open.
518 personas locales recomiendan
Cúrate
13 Biltmore Ave
518 personas locales recomiendan
OMG, so good! Katie Button stodged at El Bulli, arguably the finest restaurant in the world at the time, before coming home to Asheville to open Curate. This restaurant has LONG lead times, so make your reservations early. I recommend the veggie paella with a shrimp side, honeyed fried eggplant, and the tomato toasts. In the shoulder seasons, try booking first thing after they open.
Favorite Italian food in town, always great service.
77 personas locales recomiendan
Strada Italiano
27 Broadway St
77 personas locales recomiendan
Favorite Italian food in town, always great service.
Pizza, eclectic and tasty. This is a go-to for eat-in lunches at work.
81 personas locales recomiendan
Mellow Mushroom
50 Broadway St
81 personas locales recomiendan
Pizza, eclectic and tasty. This is a go-to for eat-in lunches at work.
Casual, Carribbean, veggie friendly, fun and funky, this place is much loved by locals. Easy walking distance from downtown, but it gets busy later in the evening.
589 personas locales recomiendan
Nine Mile
233 Montford Ave
589 personas locales recomiendan
Casual, Carribbean, veggie friendly, fun and funky, this place is much loved by locals. Easy walking distance from downtown, but it gets busy later in the evening.
Mediterranean fast food, grab a pita to go.
20 personas locales recomiendan
Baba Nahm
1 Page Ave
20 personas locales recomiendan
Mediterranean fast food, grab a pita to go.
The best Mexican-Californian food in town, and right down town.
279 personas locales recomiendan
Limones Restaurant
15 Eagle St
279 personas locales recomiendan
The best Mexican-Californian food in town, and right down town.
Should you find yourself stranded in the wastelands south of town, Cinnamon Kitchen has great Indian food to ease your travails.
15 personas locales recomiendan
Cinnamon Kitchen Indian Cuisine
1838 Hendersonville Rd
15 personas locales recomiendan
Should you find yourself stranded in the wastelands south of town, Cinnamon Kitchen has great Indian food to ease your travails.
Delicious farm-to-table fare, conveniently located between us and downtown. Fresh, local, well prepared and imaginative, what's not to like?
173 personas locales recomiendan
HomeGrown
371 Merrimon Ave
173 personas locales recomiendan
Delicious farm-to-table fare, conveniently located between us and downtown. Fresh, local, well prepared and imaginative, what's not to like?
Great pizza in a main street saloon. Expect it to be busy during dinner hours, but it's a fun place for a group, with live music every night. Their Greek pizza is my favorite. Downtown Weaverville is surprisingly alive at night.
213 personas locales recomiendan
Blue Mountain Pizza
55 N Main St
213 personas locales recomiendan
Great pizza in a main street saloon. Expect it to be busy during dinner hours, but it's a fun place for a group, with live music every night. Their Greek pizza is my favorite. Downtown Weaverville is surprisingly alive at night.
Tasty Indian food in a nice atmosphere near the big box stores on the east side of town.
11 personas locales recomiendan
India Garden Restaurant
80 S Tunnel Rd
11 personas locales recomiendan
Tasty Indian food in a nice atmosphere near the big box stores on the east side of town.

Parks & Nature

This one is more of a kayaker thing. If there's water, this is an excellent play spot. But it's also a plenty nice place to hang out by the river for a bit. There are grills for barbecuing, and some folks use it as a swimming hole when there's plenty of water.
17 personas locales recomiendan
Ledges Whitewater River Park
1080 Old Marshall Hwy
17 personas locales recomiendan
This one is more of a kayaker thing. If there's water, this is an excellent play spot. But it's also a plenty nice place to hang out by the river for a bit. There are grills for barbecuing, and some folks use it as a swimming hole when there's plenty of water.
The arboretum has a great bonsai collection, some wonderful gardens, a selection of rotating exhibits, and nice hiking trails. This is a fun and easy way to get a taste of the WNC outdoors.
582 personas locales recomiendan
The North Carolina Arboretum
100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way
582 personas locales recomiendan
The arboretum has a great bonsai collection, some wonderful gardens, a selection of rotating exhibits, and nice hiking trails. This is a fun and easy way to get a taste of the WNC outdoors.
Bent Creek is a mountain bike mecca! There's lots of fun trails, but it can be a bit bewildering without a map. Grind up to 5 Points and you'll feel like you've done something, and get a heck of a ride down in reward. It's also a great place for hikers and dog walkers. Enjoy your national forests, after all, they ARE yours.
66 personas locales recomiendan
Bent Creek Experimental Forest
66 personas locales recomiendan
Bent Creek is a mountain bike mecca! There's lots of fun trails, but it can be a bit bewildering without a map. Grind up to 5 Points and you'll feel like you've done something, and get a heck of a ride down in reward. It's also a great place for hikers and dog walkers. Enjoy your national forests, after all, they ARE yours.
Oh why not? It's the highest point east of the Rockies! It's about an hour and a half away, but the ride is pretty spectacular most of the way. If you have the time, it's worth it. Take the Secret Back Way via Reems Creek to Ox Creek to the Blue Ridge Parkway to get there a bit quicker.
414 personas locales recomiendan
Parque Estatal Mount Mitchell
2388 NC-128
414 personas locales recomiendan
Oh why not? It's the highest point east of the Rockies! It's about an hour and a half away, but the ride is pretty spectacular most of the way. If you have the time, it's worth it. Take the Secret Back Way via Reems Creek to Ox Creek to the Blue Ridge Parkway to get there a bit quicker.

Drinks & Nightlife

The Green Mansion! It's a fun part of the South Slope scene.
182 personas locales recomiendan
Green Man Brewery
27 Buxton Ave
182 personas locales recomiendan
The Green Mansion! It's a fun part of the South Slope scene.
Catawba built such a nice tasting room that it gets busy at peak hours. But it's a fun place, often with live music. The tasting menu has gotten huge. Their barrel aged brews lately have impressed.
259 personas locales recomiendan
Hi-Wire Brewing - South Slope
197 Hilliard Avenue
259 personas locales recomiendan
Catawba built such a nice tasting room that it gets busy at peak hours. But it's a fun place, often with live music. The tasting menu has gotten huge. Their barrel aged brews lately have impressed.
Small and friendly, with some excellent brews.
68 personas locales recomiendan
Twin Leaf Brewery
144 Coxe Ave
68 personas locales recomiendan
Small and friendly, with some excellent brews.
Burial is a gritty little place with consistently great brews.
331 personas locales recomiendan
Burial Beer Co
40 Collier Ave
331 personas locales recomiendan
Burial is a gritty little place with consistently great brews.
The Bed of Nails Brown is a favorite, but they always have some fun surprises.
259 personas locales recomiendan
Hi-Wire Brewing - South Slope
197 Hilliard Avenue
259 personas locales recomiendan
The Bed of Nails Brown is a favorite, but they always have some fun surprises.
Pizza and beer, what could possibly go wrong? The Greek Pizza is a favorite (spinach and feta), try it with a Ninja Porter.
243 personas locales recomiendan
Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co
675 Merrimon Ave
243 personas locales recomiendan
Pizza and beer, what could possibly go wrong? The Greek Pizza is a favorite (spinach and feta), try it with a Ninja Porter.
A great place to hang out and people watch, it's in the Grove Arcade, which is a classic piece of architecture in its own right.
16 personas locales recomiendan
Santé Wine Bar and Tap Room
1 Page Ave
16 personas locales recomiendan
A great place to hang out and people watch, it's in the Grove Arcade, which is a classic piece of architecture in its own right.

Sightseeing

The parkway on a good day is simply fabulous. The Secret Back Way from our house is to take Reems Creek Road to Ox Creek Road to the parkway, which takes just over 20 minutes. You can park there to hike the Mountains to the Sea Trail to Rattlesnake Lodge (2.8 miles round trip, 550 ft elevation gain) or drive on up to Craggy Gardens for some top of the world views. Another 30 minutes and you're on top of Mount Mitchell, the highest spot east of the Mississippi, and one of the southernmost outposts of the Canadian spruce-fir ecosystem.
68 personas locales recomiendan
Blue Ridge Parkway
Blue Ridge Parkway
68 personas locales recomiendan
The parkway on a good day is simply fabulous. The Secret Back Way from our house is to take Reems Creek Road to Ox Creek Road to the parkway, which takes just over 20 minutes. You can park there to hike the Mountains to the Sea Trail to Rattlesnake Lodge (2.8 miles round trip, 550 ft elevation gain) or drive on up to Craggy Gardens for some top of the world views. Another 30 minutes and you're on top of Mount Mitchell, the highest spot east of the Mississippi, and one of the southernmost outposts of the Canadian spruce-fir ecosystem.
The Elephant In The Room! It's not everyone's cup of tea, but the Biltmore has made fans of us. The Azalea Garden is a thing of wonder a few weeks of the year. The walled garden is a fine place to wind down a day, and enjoying the river on a summer morning is a joy. During winter, the conservatory is a breath of summer. There's a winery, and concerts on weekend nights. Oh yes, and there's a big house, too.
1485 personas locales recomiendan
Biltmore
1 Lodge St
1485 personas locales recomiendan
The Elephant In The Room! It's not everyone's cup of tea, but the Biltmore has made fans of us. The Azalea Garden is a thing of wonder a few weeks of the year. The walled garden is a fine place to wind down a day, and enjoying the river on a summer morning is a joy. During winter, the conservatory is a breath of summer. There's a winery, and concerts on weekend nights. Oh yes, and there's a big house, too.
Excellent place to enjoy and learn a bit about the Blue Ridge Parkway.
226 personas locales recomiendan
Blue ridge Parkway Visitor Center
195 Hemphill Knob Rd
226 personas locales recomiendan
Excellent place to enjoy and learn a bit about the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Shopping

Upscale grocery store, don't miss their Sunburst Farms Trout Dip!
102 personas locales recomiendan
The Fresh Market
944 Merrimon Ave
102 personas locales recomiendan
Upscale grocery store, don't miss their Sunburst Farms Trout Dip!
Arguably the first indoor shopping mall in the US, the Grove is tiny compared to your average sprawling mall. But it's a beautiful piece of architecture, and there are a lot of fun and interesting shops.
203 personas locales recomiendan
Grove Arcade
1 Page Ave
203 personas locales recomiendan
Arguably the first indoor shopping mall in the US, the Grove is tiny compared to your average sprawling mall. But it's a beautiful piece of architecture, and there are a lot of fun and interesting shops.
An independent bookstore downtown? Yes! Nice folks, great selection.
133 personas locales recomiendan
Malaprop's Bookstore / Cafe
55 Haywood St
133 personas locales recomiendan
An independent bookstore downtown? Yes! Nice folks, great selection.
A funky bar that thinks it's a bookstore? A bookstore that wants to be a bar? Find a comfy chair, grab a beverage, and meet some great books.
191 personas locales recomiendan
Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar
1 Page Ave
191 personas locales recomiendan
A funky bar that thinks it's a bookstore? A bookstore that wants to be a bar? Find a comfy chair, grab a beverage, and meet some great books.
I thought I knew a lot about herbs til I went in here. It's fascinating just to poke your head in and see what they have to offer. They've always been knowledgable and helpful.
11 personas locales recomiendan
Herbiary
29 N Market St
11 personas locales recomiendan
I thought I knew a lot about herbs til I went in here. It's fascinating just to poke your head in and see what they have to offer. They've always been knowledgable and helpful.

Arts & Culture

Reputed to be the largest, freestanding, elliptical dome in North America, it is certainly a place of peace and beauty.
53 personas locales recomiendan
Basilica of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr
97 Haywood St
53 personas locales recomiendan
Reputed to be the largest, freestanding, elliptical dome in North America, it is certainly a place of peace and beauty.
Asheville has a ton of galleries, Blue Spiral is one of my favorites.
63 personas locales recomiendan
Blue Spiral 1
38 Biltmore Ave
63 personas locales recomiendan
Asheville has a ton of galleries, Blue Spiral is one of my favorites.
Showcasing lots of local artists, with a very retro soda fountain that makes great sandwiches.
103 personas locales recomiendan
Woolworth Walk
25 Haywood St
103 personas locales recomiendan
Showcasing lots of local artists, with a very retro soda fountain that makes great sandwiches.
Another favorite gallery
The Haen Gallery
52 Biltmore Ave
Another favorite gallery
Jim's favorite local artist! Located in the heart of the River Arts District, so even though her studio is small, there's lots of other stuff to see there.
Olga Dorenko Studio
170 Lyman St
Jim's favorite local artist! Located in the heart of the River Arts District, so even though her studio is small, there's lots of other stuff to see there.
Not your typical Asheville art gallery, the Folk Art Center showcases local and regional artists, both traditional and contemporary.
255 personas locales recomiendan
The Folk Art Center (Southern Highland Craft Guild)
382 Blue Ridge Pkwy
255 personas locales recomiendan
Not your typical Asheville art gallery, the Folk Art Center showcases local and regional artists, both traditional and contemporary.
Cause, like, free Shakespeare? Under the stars? Well executed? Yes, count me in! The MPP never disappoint, they just keep getting better and better. Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night when the weather is warm.
36 personas locales recomiendan
The Montford Park Players
92 Gay St
36 personas locales recomiendan
Cause, like, free Shakespeare? Under the stars? Well executed? Yes, count me in! The MPP never disappoint, they just keep getting better and better. Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night when the weather is warm.

Entertainment & Activities

A nice art-house theater very much downtown, heck yeah!
113 personas locales recomiendan
Fine Arts Theater
36 Biltmore Ave
113 personas locales recomiendan
A nice art-house theater very much downtown, heck yeah!
Care for a float on the Mighty French Broad (or as we locals call it, The Mother of All Waters)? If you didn't bring your boat, and it's warm and there's water, Zen Tubing will set you up.
164 personas locales recomiendan
Zen Tubing
608 Riverside Dr
164 personas locales recomiendan
Care for a float on the Mighty French Broad (or as we locals call it, The Mother of All Waters)? If you didn't bring your boat, and it's warm and there's water, Zen Tubing will set you up.
It's a killer 18 hole disc golf course, about 12 minutes away. Mind the trees! There's also some decent mountain biking and hiking trails.
9 personas locales recomiendan
Richmond Hill Disc Golf Course
300 Richmond Hill Dr
9 personas locales recomiendan
It's a killer 18 hole disc golf course, about 12 minutes away. Mind the trees! There's also some decent mountain biking and hiking trails.