West Asheville Travel Guide (like locals do)
You guys may remember Luke and I heading to Asheville a few weeks ago for a little getaway. We absolutely love Asheville and with it being so close we go often. It wasn’t until this past Spring that we broke out of our comfort zone of downtown and Biltmore area and went over to explore West Asheville. To say the least, we fell in love.
West Asheville feels like home. If you enjoy Asheville for it’s eclectic vibe, good food, and musical roots I think you will feel the same. They don’t call it the River Arts District for nothing, this is an eclectic souls home away from home.
Things to do:
- Grab Coffee: Our favorite on this end of town is Forage by far. The atmosphere is so dreamy and it adjoins Flora, a beautiful floral shop full of gorgeous plants and home decor. Basically my happy place. Other recommendations for coffee would be Battlecat (amazing chai, but beware of the scary bathroom decor!), Fractals (cool vibe and great outdoor seating), Summitt Coffee Co. (a little off the main drive, but worth the visit and very cute inside! Get the Lavender Blue, you’re welcome in advance!), Bim Beri Bon (Feel Good Food, AKA healthy and delicious! Such a cute atmosphere too!).
- Head to Harvest Records: Harvest is for sure a staple when visiting this side of town. Luke and I are kind of hippies and like to be as old school as we can so vinyl hunting has become a fun hobby of ours.
- Walk down Haywood: Once you go west you realize all roads lead to Haywood. All your shopping, food, and more will be either right on or directly off Haywood. Some of our favorites for shopping were: Reciprocity (this is a high end thrift store! Great jeans and shoes!), Sparky’s Toys and Gifts (such a cute shop with really unique items), Flora (plants, home goods, etc. and so cute!).
- Grab a Beer: Asheville is home to one of the largest markets for craft beer in the country. I highly recommend you do a tasting and brewery hop around the area. Tastings and flights are much better when you are going to be going from one to the other because you don’t want to be throwing them back and feeling awful later on. Our favorites are: New Belgium (not quite west, but worth the 10 min drive! + they do free tours and the brewery is spectacular!), Archetype (They have some really unique brews that rotate frequently), One World Brewing (such a cute place and the beer is fantastic!).
- Get Outside: Paddle Board, go kayaking, float the river… you can do it all with French Broad Outfitters! This is on our list for our next trip so stay tuned.
Where to Eat:
- Breakfast: Sunny Point Cafe was the best brunch I’ve had in a long time. I will say close second to Sovereign Remedies (see that recap here), but still amazing and we loved the atmosphere. What was also so neat was that they have a garden out back that most of their produce comes from. This place is also VERY kid friendly. There is also a West location for Early Girl and of course Biscuit Head. BimBeriBon is also a great option!
- Lunch: Simple Juice is such a treat for a light lunch. Their toast is amazing and I got an amazing juice off their menu. Highly recommend. When you go hard with breakfast and dinner a light lunch is just the ticket.
- Dinner: We tried WALK our first night and absolutely loved it. They really have a mix of everything. I had an asian inspired burrito and Luke had a hot chicken sandwich. They also always have a rotating menu so there’s always something new to try. On other trips we have tried Ghan Shan (Best Ramen we have EVER had and their fries are out of this world!), If you’re feeling boujee try The Admiral (schedule a reservation!), and so many more that we still need to try.
- Dessert: A slight drive up Haywood will take you to the best ice cream shop in the area, Sunshine Sammies. We discovered SS maybe a year ago and go every chance we can. PSA: they also have their sandwiches in the freezer section of Ingle’s so if you’re local try that too! Dobra Tea is a spot I’ve been dying to visit for ages, so that will be next on my list.
Where to stay:
I cannot recommend the AirBnB we used more. I discovered The Graham House on instagram about a year ago and fell in love. I mean look at the photos… can you blame me? Gabby does such an amazing job of keeping the space updated, changing around furniture, and keeping things spicy.
The house is also in such a great spot. You’re so close to Haywood that anything West is within 5 minutes, but you can also be downtown in 15 minutes easily. Did I mention it’s so quiet, plenty enough room for four people, and the prettiest mid century modern decor I’ve ever seen. Can I just move in Gabby?
Gabby also has a property manager on site who if available can sit for you so if you’re a parent… this is going to be a God send to you!
To Book your next stay with Gabby at The Graham House Asheville click here. Her rates are incredibly reasonable.
Thank you to Gabby from The Graham House for hosting us and giving us so many recommendations for exploring West Asheville.
For More Travel Content head here. I keep this updated with regular trips almost monthly to inspire your next weekend adventure.
