Joy’s Guidebook
Food scene
These are my personal recommendations based off where I like to eat and drink in Asheville.
My favorite thing on the menu at Sunny Point is the Huevos Rancheros. Tip: to avoid the long line, go here in the evening! Same great food, no wait!
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Sunny Point Café
626 Haywood RdMy favorite thing on the menu at Sunny Point is the Huevos Rancheros. Tip: to avoid the long line, go here in the evening! Same great food, no wait!
I love Capella on 9 because it has the best view in Asheville (in my opinion) of any of the rooftop bars.
There is always plenty of seating (a rare feature in Asheville!) and there are two outdoor decks to choose from with views overlooking the city.
Get there an hour before sunset for the best seats!
I would add this to the Romantic Asheville list, too, because there's nothing like watching the sunset with your sweetheart.
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Capella on 9
10 Broadway StI love Capella on 9 because it has the best view in Asheville (in my opinion) of any of the rooftop bars.
There is always plenty of seating (a rare feature in Asheville!) and there are two outdoor decks to choose from with views overlooking the city.
Get there an hour before sunset for the best seats!
I would add this to the Romantic Asheville list, too, because there's nothing like watching the sunset with your sweetheart.
My favorite doughnuts in town!
The best thing about Hole is all their doughnuts are FRESH and made to order. I almost always order the Vanilla Glazed....it's just so perfect.
They also have coffee roasted by a local company exclusively for Hole that's soooo delicious.
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Hole Doughnuts
168 Haywood RdMy favorite doughnuts in town!
The best thing about Hole is all their doughnuts are FRESH and made to order. I almost always order the Vanilla Glazed....it's just so perfect.
They also have coffee roasted by a local company exclusively for Hole that's soooo delicious.
My favorite thing on the menu here is the Soul Rebel. The flavor is like nothing I've had before and this dish is unlike anything else on the menu!
I've heard good things about other menu items but I'll never know because I can't bring myself to order anything else. I was hooked the first time I tasted it!
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Nine Mile
233 Montford AveMy favorite thing on the menu here is the Soul Rebel. The flavor is like nothing I've had before and this dish is unlike anything else on the menu!
I've heard good things about other menu items but I'll never know because I can't bring myself to order anything else. I was hooked the first time I tasted it!
Best Ramen in town! They have a downtown location but you could walk to the West Asheville location from the guest suite in only 10 minutes.
My favorite thing on the menu is the Itto Deluxe Ramen with the black garlic oil. The seasoned egg they put in their ramen is better than any I've ever had, so I usually add one to my order.
I usually take half home with me because the ramen is so filling!
The classic ramen is my next favorite and I prefer that in summer. It’s still very rich in flavor but not as heavy as the deluxe!
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Itto Ramen Bar & Tapas
630 Haywood RdBest Ramen in town! They have a downtown location but you could walk to the West Asheville location from the guest suite in only 10 minutes.
My favorite thing on the menu is the Itto Deluxe Ramen with the black garlic oil. The seasoned egg they put in their ramen is better than any I've ever had, so I usually add one to my order.
I usually take half home with me because the ramen is so filling!
The classic ramen is my next favorite and I prefer that in summer. It’s still very rich in flavor but not as heavy as the deluxe!
I walked to this bar after seeing stand-up comedy at The Orange Peel downtown and they had a really good hamburger!!! I was not expecting it because it was just bar food, they didn’t even ask how we wanted it cooked. But I can’t stop thinking about that burger, I’m definitely going back.
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Storm Rhum Bar & Bistro
125 S Lexington AveI walked to this bar after seeing stand-up comedy at The Orange Peel downtown and they had a really good hamburger!!! I was not expecting it because it was just bar food, they didn’t even ask how we wanted it cooked. But I can’t stop thinking about that burger, I’m definitely going back.
New York style deli downtown, under 10 min from where you’ll be staying. Walkable to everything downtown. We got sandwiches to go and walked to the splash pad afterward. A perfect summer day!
Zella's Deli & Restaurant
New York style deli downtown, under 10 min from where you’ll be staying. Walkable to everything downtown. We got sandwiches to go and walked to the splash pad afterward. A perfect summer day!
This is definitely another “foodie” type breakfast place. I always take my family to Sunny Point and Early Girl when they come to town. It’s just so well done, everything is delicious. Also only a 12 min walk from my guest suite!
Early Girl Eatery
This is definitely another “foodie” type breakfast place. I always take my family to Sunny Point and Early Girl when they come to town. It’s just so well done, everything is delicious. Also only a 12 min walk from my guest suite!
We first tried this cafe because it was the only thing open early in the morning. They are open daily from 7am-8pm.
Now it’s one of our favorite cafes. The coffee, pastries, smoothies and quiche are all delicious. But our absolute favorite are the blueberry scones. They’re made by a local baker and you have to get there early before they sell out to try one. We went at 10am once and they were already sold out!
If you work remotely, it’s also an Internet cafe and a nice atmosphere to work in.
The Retrocade shares an entrance with Odds Cafe and they will let you bring in food/drinks purchased from the cafe, since the Retrocade only has a bar/chips for sale (and bottled root beer!).
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Odd's Cafe
800 Haywood RdWe first tried this cafe because it was the only thing open early in the morning. They are open daily from 7am-8pm.
Now it’s one of our favorite cafes. The coffee, pastries, smoothies and quiche are all delicious. But our absolute favorite are the blueberry scones. They’re made by a local baker and you have to get there early before they sell out to try one. We went at 10am once and they were already sold out!
If you work remotely, it’s also an Internet cafe and a nice atmosphere to work in.
The Retrocade shares an entrance with Odds Cafe and they will let you bring in food/drinks purchased from the cafe, since the Retrocade only has a bar/chips for sale (and bottled root beer!).
My Favorite Art and Photo Opportunities
One of my favorite things to do is take portraits of my family or friends with street art in the background. These are some great places to snap a photo with some local color (literally).
I love to take our family photos here! I just love all the local art covering the buildings. There is also amazing art and woodwork in the studios, delicious BBQ at 12 Bones, and local brews at the Wedge. They have special outdoor vendors and food trucks most weekends. It's just a unique place, and it's SO close to your stay!
Make sure you explore the whole area! If you keep walking back you’ll the “The Marquee” which is full of art and has a bar and usually some food vendors. I could spend the whole day here!
Foundy Street
3-36 Foundy StreetI love to take our family photos here! I just love all the local art covering the buildings. There is also amazing art and woodwork in the studios, delicious BBQ at 12 Bones, and local brews at the Wedge. They have special outdoor vendors and food trucks most weekends. It's just a unique place, and it's SO close to your stay!
Make sure you explore the whole area! If you keep walking back you’ll the “The Marquee” which is full of art and has a bar and usually some food vendors. I could spend the whole day here!
Great place to take photos! I’ve done portraits of my son here a few times, too. The art is usually different every time.
It’s not really at 1 Roberts Street, that’s the Hatchery Art Studios, but it should be obvious once you’re at that address. It’s right by the train tracks!
Very cool location and I think most locals would recognize a photo of the giant silo and know exactly where that is. The words on it changes from time to time. In my last photo it says “Good Vibes”.
1 Roberts St
1 Roberts StreetGreat place to take photos! I’ve done portraits of my son here a few times, too. The art is usually different every time.
It’s not really at 1 Roberts Street, that’s the Hatchery Art Studios, but it should be obvious once you’re at that address. It’s right by the train tracks!
Very cool location and I think most locals would recognize a photo of the giant silo and know exactly where that is. The words on it changes from time to time. In my last photo it says “Good Vibes”.
This wall to the left of the entrance is amazing for taking photos! Bonus is that you can walk to Embellish Asheville (my favorite accessories shop that carries handmade local artists jewelry/purses)
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Center for Craft
67 Broadway StThis wall to the left of the entrance is amazing for taking photos! Bonus is that you can walk to Embellish Asheville (my favorite accessories shop that carries handmade local artists jewelry/purses)
Sightseeing
The Flying Bike has the best e-bike tours in Asheville! They’re kid-friendly, too. Kids under 16 ride free.
1 River Arts Pl, Asheville, NC 28801, l-Istati Uniti
The Flying Bike has the best e-bike tours in Asheville! They’re kid-friendly, too. Kids under 16 ride free.
Romantic Asheville
Zambra has a great atmosphere.
Some weekend nights they'll have live background music with string instruments. The lighting is romantic and the decor has a feeling of being elsewhere.
My favorite thing on the menu is the crispy brussel sprouts. But everything is delicious, you really can't go wrong!
It's in downtown Asheville and you could definitely walk around after dining and enjoy art, music and local shops!
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Zambra
85 W Walnut StZambra has a great atmosphere.
Some weekend nights they'll have live background music with string instruments. The lighting is romantic and the decor has a feeling of being elsewhere.
My favorite thing on the menu is the crispy brussel sprouts. But everything is delicious, you really can't go wrong!
It's in downtown Asheville and you could definitely walk around after dining and enjoy art, music and local shops!
This is where my best friend and her husband love to go for date night. Their food is award-winning. The atmosphere is definitely more buzzing with energy and people. Make sure you make a reservation in advance!
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Cúrate
13 Biltmore AveThis is where my best friend and her husband love to go for date night. Their food is award-winning. The atmosphere is definitely more buzzing with energy and people. Make sure you make a reservation in advance!
This was hard to categorize! You could have a romantic picnic hear or bring the kids and have a family-friendly walk in the woods.
The flowers are gorgeous in the spring but it’s also really enjoyable in summer. There’s even a little place to dip your feet in the cold river.
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Ġonna tan-Natura f'Asheville
151 W T. Weaver BoulevardThis was hard to categorize! You could have a romantic picnic hear or bring the kids and have a family-friendly walk in the woods.
The flowers are gorgeous in the spring but it’s also really enjoyable in summer. There’s even a little place to dip your feet in the cold river.
Game Lovers
These suggestions are for people who like games!
I LOVE this place. They have beer, cider and wine. They have over 600 board games. They have amazing snack food (my favorite is a BLT with some kind of spicy jalapeño sauce). And they’re right downtown and walkable to so many other places.
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Well Played Board Game Café
162 Coxe AveI LOVE this place. They have beer, cider and wine. They have over 600 board games. They have amazing snack food (my favorite is a BLT with some kind of spicy jalapeño sauce). And they’re right downtown and walkable to so many other places.
Fun with kids or on a date. $10/person. Open 12pm-2am.
Everyone under 18 gets kicked out at 9pm so the adults can have kid-free fun.
There’s a bar with beer/wine/cider and they have drink holders so you can play (look for the stands with 2 cup holders!). My kid loves the glass bottle root beer they have.
The food is terrible (think microwave pizza) BUT they let you DoorDash/UberEats or bring in food from outside.
This place is right next door to Odds Cafe.
Asheville Retrocade
800 Haywood RdFun with kids or on a date. $10/person. Open 12pm-2am.
Everyone under 18 gets kicked out at 9pm so the adults can have kid-free fun.
There’s a bar with beer/wine/cider and they have drink holders so you can play (look for the stands with 2 cup holders!). My kid loves the glass bottle root beer they have.
The food is terrible (think microwave pizza) BUT they let you DoorDash/UberEats or bring in food from outside.
This place is right next door to Odds Cafe.
Kid Friendly Asheville
Fun things to do with the kids in Asheville!
WNC Ċentru tal-Bniedem
75 Gashes Creek RdThis place is great for letting the kids burn off some steam when the weather isn’t ideal.
There are tables for grown-ups to sit and watch the kids play.
There’s a separate area for 3 and under so they don’t have to play with the big kids. But they are allowed to if they are adventurous.
Things to know:
Kids MUST wear socks! They sell them but they are limited and pricey.
They also sell some snacks but nothing really satisfying like a real meal. So bring food for your littles or eat before you come.
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Mountain Play Lodge
3389 Sweeten Creek RdThis place is great for letting the kids burn off some steam when the weather isn’t ideal.
There are tables for grown-ups to sit and watch the kids play.
There’s a separate area for 3 and under so they don’t have to play with the big kids. But they are allowed to if they are adventurous.
Things to know:
Kids MUST wear socks! They sell them but they are limited and pricey.
They also sell some snacks but nothing really satisfying like a real meal. So bring food for your littles or eat before you come.
If you’re walking around downtown, you could kill 30 minutes to an hour here. Maybe more.
It’s not a huge space, but there’s a gemstone “scavenger hunt” and the kids can win a prize for finding them all.
There’s also a climbing area for burning off energy and some hands-on displays of fossils and and how different land masses affects water flow.
Occasionally they have workshops about astronomy or recycling (things like that) but you have to catch them at the right time!
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Asheville Museum of Science
43 Patton AveIf you’re walking around downtown, you could kill 30 minutes to an hour here. Maybe more.
It’s not a huge space, but there’s a gemstone “scavenger hunt” and the kids can win a prize for finding them all.
There’s also a climbing area for burning off energy and some hands-on displays of fossils and and how different land masses affects water flow.
Occasionally they have workshops about astronomy or recycling (things like that) but you have to catch them at the right time!
This one was hard to categorize!
I put it under family-friendly because it’s so hard to find an easy place to go out with kids.
If you have younger kids, the room in the back and to the right has a bar and plays movies that are more background-noise and less formal. The staff are used to kids being in that room and it’s kind of a loud atmosphere which makes it feel less apologetic when you have rambunctious kids.
The theater, however, is a great experience, too! Probably not for the little ones but older kids would love it. It’s also just great to order food and watch a movie with friends or on a date! They have current movies (selectively) but mostly show old movies. Sometimes they’ll have a theme for the month like Studio Ghibli or Marvel.
The pizza is really great and I’m not vegan but I’ve been told by friends (and their lactose-intolerant kids) that the vegan pizza there is top notch.
I personally love the wings with blow torch sauce and the sweet pea “burger” (more like a pita) with extra BBQ sauce on the side for dipping.
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Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co
675 Merrimon AveThis one was hard to categorize!
I put it under family-friendly because it’s so hard to find an easy place to go out with kids.
If you have younger kids, the room in the back and to the right has a bar and plays movies that are more background-noise and less formal. The staff are used to kids being in that room and it’s kind of a loud atmosphere which makes it feel less apologetic when you have rambunctious kids.
The theater, however, is a great experience, too! Probably not for the little ones but older kids would love it. It’s also just great to order food and watch a movie with friends or on a date! They have current movies (selectively) but mostly show old movies. Sometimes they’ll have a theme for the month like Studio Ghibli or Marvel.
The pizza is really great and I’m not vegan but I’ve been told by friends (and their lactose-intolerant kids) that the vegan pizza there is top notch.
I personally love the wings with blow torch sauce and the sweet pea “burger” (more like a pita) with extra BBQ sauce on the side for dipping.
This is our local climbing gym. It’s right down the street across from the French Broad River.
They have a daily pass you can buy ($20 for adults/$15 kids) and rental gear, and the pass is good for both locations (riverside and the one downtown). I’ve never been to the downtown location but if you buy a day pass it’s worth checking out.
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Climbmax Climbing at the River
173 Amboy RdThis is our local climbing gym. It’s right down the street across from the French Broad River.
They have a daily pass you can buy ($20 for adults/$15 kids) and rental gear, and the pass is good for both locations (riverside and the one downtown). I’ve never been to the downtown location but if you buy a day pass it’s worth checking out.
Seasonal and Outdoor Adventures
Our favorite things to do seasonally.
We go to the Eliada Corn Maze every year! Definitely our favorite Fall activity, with the Hickory Nut Gap Farm a close second.
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Eliada Corn Maze
2 Compton DrWe go to the Eliada Corn Maze every year! Definitely our favorite Fall activity, with the Hickory Nut Gap Farm a close second.
This place is super fun! They have a zip lining and a bike park. Around Halloween they have a Haunted Trail with blacklight treetop adventures and pizza/beer. They have a similar event at Christmas, too.
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Asheville Treetops Adventure Park
85 Expo DrThis place is super fun! They have a zip lining and a bike park. Around Halloween they have a Haunted Trail with blacklight treetop adventures and pizza/beer. They have a similar event at Christmas, too.