My hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, is a mecca for craft beer lovers. The mountain town has been dubbed “Beer City, USA,” and it lives up to the name. Asheville is one of the cities with the most breweries per capita in the United States, and as a local, I can attest that there’s no shortage of great spots to enjoy a few pints. However, if there’s anything better than a cold local brew, it’s that same beer paired with a top-notch meal.
Unfortunately, breweries can be a bit hit or miss when it comes to food — some only offer light bar snacks, while others rely on rotating food trucks (which are often incredible, but can be a bit unreliable). Luckily, if you know what to look for, Asheville’s brewery scene has plenty of great eats to offer — in fact, some of my favorite local dishes are found in breweries. From life-changing veggie burgers to exemplary Neapolitan-style pies, here are a local’s top five Asheville breweries where you’re sure to enjoy a great meal and a pint any day.
Burial Beer Co.
Burial Beer is renowned for its excellent hoppy IPAs, classic lagers, and bold stouts, as well as artistic packaging and one-of-a-kind beer names — you can sample an IPA called The Savages of Ruminating Minds or the Odyssey in Continuity Nonetheless Imperial Stout. The brewery operates four locations in the Asheville area, but in my experience, the Forestry Camp and South Slope locations offer the best food options.
Burial Forestry Camp, located in a former Civilian Conservation Corps property in the woods near Biltmore Village, offers a rotating seasonal dinner menu of elegant dishes with an Asheville twist, such as salad with local veggies and hop vinaigrette and steak frites with wild ramp chimichurri. Burial South Slope, nestled in the heart of Downtown Asheville’s trendy South Slope neighborhood, slings a more casual menu of top-notch bar bites for lunch and dinner daily — think pretzel knots with local Lusty Monk mustard, a killer smashburger, and hearty vegan and meaty po’boys served on Leidenheimer rolls from the oldest bakery still making New Orleans’ iconic bread.
Asheville Brewing Company
“Keep Asheville Weird” has long been the city’s unofficial slogan, and Asheville Brewing Company, one of its oldest and funkiest breweries, embodies that ethos. Also known as Asheville Pizza & Brewing, the company’s iconic North Asheville location is a combination movie theater, pizza joint, and brewery and has been slinging beer and pies since 1998. While the beer is fabulous (especially the aptly named Perfect Day IPA), the food is a huge part of the attraction…