FOOD. Culture. FOOD. Mountains. FOOD. Beer. FOOD.

If I could accurately and concisely describe to you my long weekend in Asheville, North Carolina, it would be with this bold, yet delicious, statement. And I hope it stirs some (travel) hunger inside you.

I visited Asheville last fall with a few friends from college. We now live in different cities and have busy lives, but we try to get together for a long weekend adventure about once a year. We find these trips help to keep the friendships alive and help us escape reality for a bit. (We’ve also found we are excellent travel buddies) This year, we stumbled upon recommendations to visit this gem of a city. Without the guide of a few friends, and a little Internet research, I would have never thought to put Asheville on my must-see list. However, I’m so glad we took this trip and discovered this cute city nestled in the mountains of western North Carolina.

It’s been quite a few years since my friends and I were in school, and in those years our idea of a good time has changed drastically. What used to be weekends of late nights followed by fuzzy memories has turned into relaxing long weekends searching for the best local eats and making time for an early morning workout. I’m proud to say this trip was an adventure in southern cuisine, award winning diners, and the BEST desserts and beer east of the Mississippi.

Whether you are looking for a romantic getaway or a chill girls trip, Asheville may be the perfect getaway you never considered. All you need are a few days to burn, a hungry belly, and an open mind. Here are my top # spots to visit as you eat your way through Asheville, NC.

1) Sierra Nevada Brewery Co​

After my friends and I reunited at the local Asheville airport we learned we were minutes away from the home of the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. If you are a beer lover, or even just a food lover, this stop is a must. The brewery provides tours and tastings and the Taproom serves a yummy tapas-style menu. The restaurant supports local farmers and food artesian. The menu is unique in that instead of the traditional entrées and appetizers, everything is served as small plate tapas meant for sharing. After a day of travelling, we were starved and shared four or five plates. We sampled a bit of everything from a pizza to a salad. However, the biggest win of this meal was the Duck Fat Fries. This dish may sound a big odd to some, but it is a house-featured item and I highly recommend! Here is the menu description: “Thrice-cooked fries, duck confit, aged cheddar, Torpedo hot sauce aioli, raspberry mustard, hop salt”. Unfortunately, this dish was destroyed before photo evidence could be captured.

The ambiance of Sierra Nevada was also something special. The indoor dining area is centered around the large bar with modern finishes; however our favorite area was the outdoor patio in back. The patio was surrounded by a lush wooded area and views of the Appalachian Mountains in the distance. At the time of our visit, in mid-October, the landscape was just beginning to turn to fall colors. We were a little sad we hadn’t planned the trip a few weeks later when the fall colors would be in full effect.

And, of course, I can’t NOT mention the beer selection. After a day of travel, and the slight dehydration that follows the effort to NOT use the airplane bathroom, the beer selection at Sierra Nevada was beyond fantastic. Needless to say, they’ve got all your favorites. Being from Wisconsin, a land of great German heritage and beer-guzzling prowess, we were impressed with the brewery overall. And, the prices for beer and food were less expensive than expected. WIN!

2) Buxton Hall BBQ

After settling in to our Air B&B (which had a chicken coop! how cute!) we set out for an adventure in local BBQ. Being a Midwestern girl, I’m ashamed to admit I did not know that BBQ restaurants were such a big deal in North Carolina. After a little Internet searching, we quickly discovered we needed to hit up a BBQ joint and experience some local culture. We found Buxton Hall BBQ which apparently was rated the #9 Best New Restaurant in America of 2016 by Bon Appetit. We sampled the BBQ and Original Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich per the recommendation of our server. Both were phenomenal, however the unexpected stand out was the Mashed Root Vegetable side served with the meals. I’m not even sure how to best explain this, other than by the name itself. Basically it’s mashed potatoes but with more root veggies. Anyway, as I write this several weeks later, I’m salivating at the memory.

The ambiance of Buxton Hall BBQ should also be mentioned here. Long before Buxton Hall served its amazing BBQ, the building was a local gymnasium. The walls of the dining areas and bathroom showcase original artwork from the venue’s days of sweat-inspired activities. Drawings (think 1930s-esqe) of people swimming, lifting weights, and performing gymnastics adorned the walls giving the restaurant a vintage character.

3) Hole

I take great pride in the next statement: I consider myself a donut connoisseur. I love, LOVE, love a good dough-y, sugary breakfast snack. And Hole delivered a donut experience like no other. The restaurant itself is a cute little hide-a-way where the doughnuts are made right in front of you. As you wait for your food, you can literally watch them role the dough into classic doughnut shapes and dunk them in the deep fryer. The open kitchen experience creates a fun and modern ambiance.

The menu showcases four types of doughnuts: Vanilla Glazed, Toasted Almond Sesame Cinnamon, Cocoa Rub, and a seasonal flavor that changes weekly. I believe we tried a pumpkin flavor. All were delicious, however my personal favorite was the Toasted Almond Sesame Cinnamon. Being a group of four, we grabbed 8 doughnuts to share and were able to try a little of eat flavor. Travelling with a group of close friends has great perks, especially when visiting doughnut shops. 😉

When we visited on a sunny morning in mid-October, seating was limited and the line stretched out the door. Beyond the doughnuts themselves, I was struck by the happy mood of the whole place. The lady at the register recommended we try all four flavors was extremely helpful and friendly. She seemed to know almost everyone who walked in, which makes me want to believe a large population of Ashevill-ians eat Hole doughnuts everyday. (And I am jealous.)

We were lucky enough to have a warm and sunny morning to sit outside to enjoy the 8 doughnuts we shared.

4) Sunny Point Café

We ventured out for an early brunch at Sunny Point Café on the last day of our trip. Nestled in a charming Asheville neighborhood, Sunny Point Café prides itself on local, garden-grown food. The café actually has its own garden next to the restaurant itself. We arrived early for brunch, but not early enough, and ended up waiting outside for about 30-45 minutes. It was a cold morning in October and our bellies were empty and sad, however the café provided coffee in the outdoor, garden-themed seating area, which made waiting not so bad.

The food was well worth the wait for a table. We sipped on Bloody Marys and Mimosas while we reviewed the menu. Our server informed us the Huevos Rancheros were excellent and once featured on Good Morning America. The café’s website shows other awards and accolades. This was our last morning in Asheville and most of the day would be spent flying home. With travel on my mind I wimped out and went for the safe choice of Avocado Toast. (Traveller Tip: spicy food and airplane bathrooms are a dangerous combination, people!) The Avocado Toast was delicious however I was super jealous of the Huevos Rancheros my friends got and I definitely stole a few bits.

I highly recommend a visit here while in Asheville. The menu totes a large dinner selection as well, but in my opinion, the Huevos Racheros are where its at.

5) French Broad Chocolate Lounge

The last food-adventure of our Asheville weekend was a stop at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. We had tried to get a table here the previous Saturday night, however apparently their popularity is no secret and the wait for a table was ridiculous. Luckily for us, we had a few hours to kill before heading to the airport and we decided to indulge in one last Asheville dining experience. This place is a chocolate-lover’s dream! The menu has everything your sweet tooth could possibly want. We sampled the creamiest crème brulee, sweetest flavored hot chocolates, and the lightest macaroons I’ve ever had. YUM!! The treats were out-of-this-world delicious.

The restaurant itself is in a cute downtown location with large windows and plenty of seating. If I lived in Asheville, this would be a dangerous favorite restaurant and a PRIME date-night location.

This was also the perfect place to end our tasty tour of Asheville. We recounted the weekend and praised our research skills in finding some really amazing food.

6) Red Ginger Dimsum & Tapas

On the Saturday night of our stay, we journeyed toward Downtown Asheville for dinner at Red Ginger Dimsum & Tapas. Being a busy Saturday night, we were lucky to be seated immediately at the bar area in the back of the restaurant.

We treated ourselves to some fancy adult beverages as we waited for our food. Sitting at the bar, we made friends with the bartender who talked me into sake. (Because somehow I managed to make it this far in life without trying sake?!) We also had the perk of receiving some free “drinks” from the leftovers of his drink shaker. It pays to be nice to your bartenders, my friends 😉 Also, sidebar question, does this ever happen to you? My friends tell me they only get free stuff from servers/bartenders when I’m along. I used to be a server, so I try to connect with them just enough to show I “get it”. I also really like asking for recommendations from servers who seem trusting. If you get a decent server, they will usually point you in the direction of the best dishes.

OK, now please bear with me as I try to accurately describe to you my intense LOVE for the food we had at Red Ginger. This was hands-down my favorite meal of the trip.

Like many restaurants in Asheville, the menu is served tapas-style. Small plates of food intended to be shared with others at your table. This style of eating was perfect for us, as we wanted to try several different dishes. I wish I would have taken the time to photograph the food here, but our stomachs growled a bit too loudly to wait. We shared six or seven plates, everything from lo mein, to dumplings, to gua bao (which might be a new favorite of mine), and a few other items that my miniscule knowledge of Asian cuisine won’t allow me to explain to you.

What made it even better were the prices, this place was super affordable. WIN!

After consuming so much deliciousness, I dare you to take in the non-food related attractions of Asheville. The Blue Ridge Mountains offer beautiful hiking trails and historic Asheville offers a stunning tour of the Biltmore Estate. Check out my :::other blog post:::: for a day at the Biltmore.

Have you been to any of these restaurants? Are you planning a trip to Asheville?

Comment below!