Best & Cool Bars in Mount Mitchell

"Tupelo is one of the busiest and most popular restaurants, especially their downtown cafe. Known for locally-sourced ingredients, Tupelo has southern cuisine and offers brunch all day. If you didn’t make a reservation in time and cannot eat Tupelo Honey’s Southern Shakshuka in person, definitely add them to your Asheville takeout and delivery list."

"One of the best restaurants in Asheville is Tupelo Honey Cafe, a fan favorite for in-store and patio dining. The restaurant has revived the delicious Southern foods and traditions that are rooted in North Carolina’s history. All of the recipes are made with responsibly-sourced ingredients, providing guests with healthy and delicious meals."

"Housed in an endearingly austere space, Burial Beer Co.’s main taproom looks like a repair shop that’s been retrofitted with barrels and twinkling lights. But it’s also one of the most exciting and inventive breweries in South Slope, offering a vast and varied selection of styles. IPAs typically occupy a lot of space on the draft lines, in multiple variations and flavor profiles, like fruit-forward triple IPAs and oat-based imperials."

"Burial is one of our favorite breweries in town because not only do they have a ton of great brew on tap but they also have some great seating options. Besides a bunch of picnic tables, some of which have umbrellas, there’s even an old vintage truck out back that’s been made into some fun, unique seating. Beer to try: Surf Wax IPA"

"Hi-Wire’s Big Top location, which features a beer garden, taproom, event space, and where all of Hi-Wire’s beers are made, embodies the spirit of Asheville – a place where community, fun, art, and creativity are fostered. I love the atmosphere at Hi-Wire Brewing Big Top the most. It’s housed in an industrial warehouse, with indoor/outdoor seating with walls painted in bright, whimsical colors and motifs inspired by a real-life “big top” circus tent!"

"You know things are on a high note when a brewery opens a second location just two miles down the street, and that’s exactly what Hi-Wire Brewing did in 2015. Now, the original place serves as their sour and wild beerhouse and is a must-stop as you explore Asheville’s South Slope. They focus on approachable, balanced beers and are best known for their flagships like Bed of Nails Brown Ale and Hi-Wire Lager."

"This labor of love from pitmaster Elliott Moss and Chai Pani founder Meherwan Irani deftly conjures the Eastern Carolina ‘cue of Moss’s childhood in Florence, South Carolina. In the high-ceilinged historic South Slope space (an artfully renovated 1930’s-era roller-skating rink), Moss wood-smokes locally sourced whole hogs for hours, seasoning with vinegar mop, so the pulled pork plates and sandwiches are an obvious draw. But the smoky fried catfish and buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches have deservedly developed their own cult followings, as have the sides, many of which are cooked in the coals under the pig where they soak up intense smoke flavor and decadent drippings."

"In the land of barbecue, Buxton Hall is a step above competitors. Housed inside a historic South Slope space that was once a roller rink before clocking time as the requisite auto shop, the restaurant is the purview of chefs Elliott Moss and Meherwan Irani. They preside over the whole-hog open kitchen, churning out such fragrant fare as pulled pork sandwiches sloshed in vinegary pepper sauce, buttermilk fried chicken topped with creamy white barbecue sauce, smoked sausage platters, and barbecue pork hash with hush puppies, gravy, and rice."

"There’s a reason Bon Appetit magazine named Buxton Hall Barbecue one of the best new restaurants in the nation. In a landscape dotted with Carolina barbecue joints, Buxton Hall stands head and shoulders above the crowd. Don’t take that to mean it’s an overly fancy place."

"18 Broadway St, Asheville, NC 28801-2904+1 828-253-2155[email protected]http://smokeysasheville.wix.com/tavern. This is Asheville's favorite tavern. Established in the 1950s, it's the oldest continuously operating bar of any persuasion in Asheville and contains a collection of barroom kitsch that would gladden the heart of any antiques dealer."

"Benne on Eagle at the Foundry Hotel serves modern soul food in the spirit of New Orleans’ Dooky Chase Restaurant and Harlem’s Red Rooster– but with it’s own unique, elevated, location-specific flair. We love their upscale Sunday Brunch, which captures the flavors and vibrancy of Asheville. The restaurant, moreover, uses fresh, seasonal ingredients to pay homage to the rich African-American culinary traditions that once thrived in The Block."

"From the Asheville restauranteur that gave us, Rhubarb, Chef John Fleer’s Benne on Eagle is focused on revitalization. Located in a neighborhood known as The Block on Eagle Street, the businesses surrounding Benne on Eagle used to be the areas more vibrant area in the 1960s and 1970s. The neighborhood started to decline in the 1980s and now, thanks to many businesses like Benne on Eagle, the area is starting to breathe life again."

"Chef de cuisine Ashleigh Shanti takes everyday recipes, like gumbo, fried catfish, and spoonbread, and elevates them into extraordinary dishes, presenting familiar flavors in exciting new ways. Try a hand-crafted cocktail with your dinner, too. Vegetarian options available."

"Located in nearby Brevard, NC, Oskar Blues is a brewery based in Colorado that chose to grow some roots in North Carolina. With free brewery tours, food trucks, and tasty beers, you will love a visit to this fun and entertaining spot!"

"This place is really amazing yes you might have to wait for a little while for the food but it's the best."

"Hemingway’s Cuba brings a large slice of Havana to downtown Asheville. A large and stylish indoor lounge, leading out to an equally spacious rooftop terrace with terrific views over Asheville and the Blue Ridge Mountains as a mighty backdrop. The Cuban influences are eminent in cocktails and food, but there is also local beers and wines."

"This downtown Asheville hotel restaurant serves a Cuban-style breakfast along with a stellar view of the mountains from its open-air patio. Note, it's located on the 4th floor of the Cambria hotel. Find Cuban-style steak and eggs and little treats like guava pastries."

"Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account. Need a place to safely gather with friends or family this holiday season?"

"Hillman’s small space packs quite a punch thanks to a large front porch and garage doors that connect the two spaces on pleasant days. They also share the space with Rise Above Deli, which makes everything from scratch on-site, including killer Reubens, pastramis, and falafels. Even if you’re not hungry, split a pig missile—a pretzel stuffed with brat and sauerkraut—while you work your way through their 15 in-house beers."

"Biltmore Village, Old FortThis no-nonsense outfit down the road from Biltmore Village has it going on. Family-owned since it opened in 2017, Hillman is less industrial-chic than some of its fellow AVL taprooms. Instead, it skews cozy, with low iron-wrought rafters and bistro lights above long communal tables inside, and large deck and patio spaces both out front and back."