In each of our podcast interviews, we asked our guests the same question: “Where do you take friends when they visit you in Asheville?” In this episode, we share the…
August 13, 2019
In each of our podcast interviews, we asked our guests the same question: “Where do you take friends when they visit you in Asheville?”
In this episode, we share the most recommended places, plus why we (and our podcast interviewees) love them and our tips for visiting.
Access our custom Google Map! We’ve marked all of the places that have been recommended guests on our podcast (and more!).
On each marked place, we include the run down and an insider tip for visiting. We’ll be updating this map as we record more interviews and get more recommendations from our podcast guests.
The cool thing about this map is that you can share it with friends visiting town and not have to worry about putting together a list of recommendations.
During this episode, we talked about the most recommended eats, breweries & bars, hikes, and activities in Asheville. Below is a list of all the places we mentioned, plus why we love ’em and tips for visiting.
This is THE NUMBER ONE (!) most recommended place from our podcast guests in all of the history of the Making It in Asheville podcast.
Why We Love It: For its small, yet highly curated menu, rustic and cool vibes, and off-the-beaten-path location
Tips for Visiting:
1. Try their burger night on Mondays! Their burger is our favorite in town so far both for its quality of meat and kick-ass condiments and their fries are truly addictive. Mondays are the only night you can get ’em.
2. Two of our podcast guests recommended getting a group of friends together and ordering their seafood tower.
3. No matter when you go, make a reservation. This place is always packed.
Why We Love It: For its authentic Italian dishes and its ever-changing menu that focuses on a different region of Italy every month
Tips for Visiting: Get the prix-fixe menu which is by far the best value, and sit at the bar which overlooks the kitchen.
Why We Love It: Their tacos are authentic, simply delicious, and so reasonably priced. We love going to their Food Truck at Zillicoah
Tip for Visiting: Be adventurous and try their beef tongue and beef cheek tacos. They’re our favorite! Also, they have a vegetarian mushroom taco option that’s not on the menu.
Honorable Mentions: Hole Doughnuts, Smoky Park Supper Club, Over Easy Cafe (for breakfast)
Why We Love It: For its quality brews, picnic table backyard, central location, and funky wall murals.
Tip for Visiting: Order anything that comes with their housemade Wisconsin beer cheese sauce.
Why We Love It: It has an awesome outdoor space with picnic tables, a huge field of grass, and a view overlooking the French Broad.
Tip for Visiting:
1. Bring your own blankets and chairs as sometimes the lawn seating fills up. Also, bring a ball or a frisbee as there is a TON of space for activities.
2. Order the tacos from Taqueria Muñoz food truck.
3. Check out their farmer’s market schedule (select Fridays).
Why We Love It: It has that small, classic, and charming old-timey bar atmosphere and their cocktails are truly top-notch.
Tip for Visiting: Order off the late-night menu if you can. Their burger and patatas bravas are exceptional! Also, they’ve recently opened up for breakfast giving us all a perfect excuse to spend our entire day there.
Honorable Mentions: Zebulon (brewery in Weaverville), Sierra Nevada, Copper Crown, and Ol’ Shakey’s GETAWAY (dive bar)
Why We Love It: It’s a short, relatively easy hike but you get a 360-degree view of the mountains!
Tip for Visiting:
1. Wear pants to protect your legs as there is a lot of overgrowth and brush on some of the paths.
2. Bring a jacket as it can get quite chilly at the top.
3. Wear sunscreen as there is zero coverage!
Why We Love It: The views are incredible and it’s only about a 20-minute drive from downtown.
Tip for Visiting: Check the weather forecast for clouds and rain and bring extra layers and/or a blanket as the temperature drops once you get to the top.
Why We Love It: There are so many great hikes and waterfalls to explore in this forest.
Tip for Visiting: No matter what hike you choose, visit The Hub on you’re way out to refuel. It’s an outdoor gear store with a beer bar. There’s also a coffee truck and a food truck parked outside at all times.
Honorable Mentions: Graveyard Fields
Why We Love It: It’s the largest home in American with 16 chimneys, 65 fireplaces, 45 bathrooms, 33 guest rooms, over 250 total rooms – all on 8,000 acres of land. The place is bonkers.
Tip for Visiting: Always ask questions, like “What’s the coolest thing about this room?” to the Biltmore guides within the home. They are extremely knowledgable and you can get a ton of interesting factoids out of them without paying for a full-blown tour.
Why We Love It: Not only will you laugh your pants off on their bus tours, but you’ll also learn a ton about Asheville’s history.
Tip for Visiting: If you’re going on a bus tour, buy a few beers to bring on the bus. They have a bar at the pick-up point where you can pick up a few brewskies. If you’re going to a stand-up comedy show, we suggest picking up some burritos at Mamacita’s across the street and then pair it with a drink from LaZoom. It’s probably our favorite “dinner and a show” activity in Asheville!
Why We Love It: It’s another classic Asheville institution and the views from their terrace are some of the best in town.
Tip for Visiting: Go for a cocktail at sunset.
MUSIC by Commonwealth Choir
Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.
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