Local Asheville Spots

Bier Garden probably has enough options for a 2 hour stretch.

Brunch spot? #1 would be sunny point. #2 would be early girl. #3 would be waffle house.

 

Packs Tavern and Bier Garden are probably two of the worst places in town. Just not my scene. I avoid both at all costs

I second sunny point for brunch. Be prepared to wait or get there before opening and get on the list. King Daddy is just down the street and the wait is usually minimal. It’s owned by the Early Girl people so has a somewhat similar menu.

 

Burial - Had awesome pancakes and shrimp and grits there last time I was in town.

 

I was down this past week and Biscuit Head is probably the best breakfast I've had in forever.

Also White Labs Kitchen and Tap has some solid pizza and beers.

 

I know I’m in the minority but I just think biscuit head is way overrated. I don’t get it. But to each their own.

 

Fair enough. I really like a simple bacon egg and cheese biscuit from them. The past 2 times I’ve visited Asheville we tried stopping in and the line was outrageous. While I don’t think they are overrated, it isn’t worth standing in line for an hour (or even less).

 

Minority of tourist, but not locals.

 

I am local. I don’t know anyone that enjoys that place.

 

Visited Asheville over the weekend for the first time, and the info in this and other threads was pretty spot on. Hit up Burial, Green Man, Hi-Wire, Funkatorium (sorry), New Belgium, and Sierra Nevada and they were all just as expected in their various ways.
Have to mention the two outliers though, as Catawba probably had by far the worst beers we've had in quite some time. Maybe something changed there recently or I just caught them at a bad time? On the positive side, we really enjoyed several beers from Bhramari brewing, I didn't see them specifically discussed often, but they impressed us more than some others.

It was my first visit, so what do I know. Curate and Rhubarb were good too.

 

Catawba - I don't think anyone here suggested them, which is telling considering how centrally located they are. If they have the back bar open (the 'Wood Bar' I think it is), around the corner from the front bar, there's some interesting and decent stuff over there. But their standards are not awesome.

Bhramari - They're a bit all over the place. The food is generally very good so I go occasionally. Sometimes its great beer, sometimes its meh, usually its a bit of a combination of both. They tend to try weird styles. With that sometimes comes duds and sometimes comes something really interesting.

Funkatorium - I don't go there much anymore, but I don't begrudge people new to Asheville visiting (really I don't begrudge anyone, if you want to go then go). I had a couple friends in town a month or two ago and specifically took them there as its still an integral piece in 'what formed Asheville'. It may or may not be quite as important anymore (their volume seems way down when I walk by, but maybe that's just random coincidence), but still a piece of the puzzle.

 

Catawba's south slope back bar is called the Rickhouse, where the offer barrel aged and specialty brews.

Catawba makes some solid beers. I particularly like their LD'S Belgian Tripple, CLT IPA, plus the fact they are releasing a new beer every week, on Thursdays.