The south is not always known as being the but we are always on the hunt for the unexpected. Our destination this time: The Tar Heel State. And to our surprise there are so many things to do in Asheville NC!
Asheville is unlike any place we’ve been but it’s known for four main things – mountains, beers, waterfalls, and queers. SIGN ME UP! You get the Southern hospitality with the bold and bright bustling of the LGBTQ+ community. This town is an inclusive haven, packed with both LGBTQ+ and Black owned businesses.
Support LGBTQ+ Owned Businesses
The minute we set foot in town, we knew we were in for a good time because there are so many things to do in Asheville NC. The first thing we had to check out a queer owned business for a little relaxation.
Destination Relaxation
First up for us was Urban Exhale Massage Spa. We escaped to the ultimate retreat, the gay secret tropical garden tucked away, where highly trained therapists created a signature, integrative massage experience.
Urban Exhale is exquisitely designed by owner and masseur, Micah. Even just walking through the door, your shoulders instantly relax. Lush green plants enrobe the studio decked out in salt lamps, crystals, and orchids.
A perfect way to relax after a long flight, hopping on a massage table wide enough to accommodate a larger body with plenty of bolster support, it was all too easy to slip into the zen state of mind.
Our massages integrated essential oils we chose, hot jade stones, hot towels, the works. It was one of the top massages I’ve ever had! I really felt catered too and it was icing on the cake that it was LGBTQ+ owned so I felt right at home!
Southern Bites
After a decadent massage, our appetites were rampant. A short walk away, brought us to Sovereign Remedies. This hip eatery discovered its name while owner Charlie Hodge was reading about the history of the Appalachian Mountains. This area didn’t allow for easy access to medicine, so many families found and created their own. Each family had their own Sovereign Remedy they created and passed down through the generations.
The way Sovereign Remedies creates their own oasis for guests is their own remedy for the soul. They take classic dishes and blend them with apothecary like ingredients like muddy pond sorghum drizzled over the most decadent cornbread you’ll ever taste in your life. Their commitment to the Appalachian community and creating a welcoming atmosphere is their own signature remedy.
Time for a Kiki
Going out is definitely one of the things to do in Asheville NC. The nightlife scene in Asheville is energetic with a little southern twang. Stopping by Asheville Beauty Academy for Kiki Thursdays is an absolute must.
This cozy bar serves creative cocktails, hosts brunches, and live entertainment. And let me tell you, the entertainment is what you want to go for! The queens and kings of Asheville Beauty Academy are next level!
The Bee’s Knees
One of the sweetest LGBTQ+ owned businesses in Asheville is the Asheville Bee Charmer. This lesbian owned urban gift shop brings small-batch honey in inventive flavors to a tasting bar for you sample as you browse the bee theme gifts.
We got to sit down with one of the owners, Jillian, to hear her story and what it’s like owning an LGBTQ+ business in Asheville. She said “I think that the community here, whether we’re straight, gay, or trans. Whatever your pronoun is, it’s who you are as a person that matters and what’s in your heart as a person. And that’s what I feel Asheville is.”
Jillian really summed it up in terms of what Asheville is really all about, and you can feel that as you walk down the street and explore what the city has to offer.
Asheville LGBTQ+ Businesses
If you’re hungry for more, here are some other LGBTQ+ businesses to check out:
- Neng Jr. – Asheville’s first Filipinx restaurant! A trans owned restaurant where old traditions and new ideas to shake hands. | 701 Haywood Road
- Malaprops Independent outfit for fiction & nonfiction works, plus book clubs, author events & organic coffee. | 55 Haywood Street
- Scandals Nightclub – Long-standing, gay-friendly dance club with drag shows is part of an entertainment complex. | 11 Grove Street
- EMOTE – Trans-owned queer art and second hand shop. A MUST visit! | 508 Haywood Road
- 1889 White Gate Inn & Cottage – Historic B&B with luxe accommodations. Includes acclaimed garden with waterfalls, greenhouses, antique-filled lounge, solarium, and a gym with a dry sauna. | 173 E Chestnut Street
- The Reynolds Mansion – In a landmark 1847 redbrick mansion with Colonial Revival styling, this refined B&B was once home to the Hope Diamond. |100 Reynolds Heights
- Blue Spiral 1 – Large 3-floor gallery for varied contemporary works by around 100 Southeastern artists. | 38 Biltmore Avenue
- Firestorm Books and Coffee – This co-op bookstore operates with an eye on creating a sustainable, radical community event space. | 610 Haywood Road #B
- New Morning Gallery – Large gallery offering pottery, glass, furniture, holiday decor & jewelry, plus a yearly craft fair. | 7 Boston Way
- Getaway River Bar – Asheville’s ‘outta the way in a good way’ river side bar. | 790 Riverside Drive
If the LGBTQ+ owned businesses weren’t enough to excite you, Asheville is also home to many Black owned businesses.
Support Black Owned
We visited Grind AVL , Asheville’s first Black-owned coffee bar. Grind AVL is ranked third best coffee shop in North Carolina and it’s not hard to see why. This hybrid coffee shop, co-working and event space combines the best of coffee, business, and comfort with social justice baked into every aspect of the business. Owners Gene Ettison and J. Hackett focus on nurturing entrepreneurship, specifically for the Black community.
They view coffee as the unifier as they help revitalize Black Wall Street. They also host monthly pop up shops to help other Black owned businesses to start, grow, and expand their operations. You can feel the grind when you enter this space. It’s clear they honor Black business as far back into history through art on the walls, names of their beverages, and their business model. It’s a very unique and special place and their coffee is amazing.
Some other amazing Black owned businesses to check out:
- Hood Hugger’s International – Take a Hood Huggers tour to get an intimate and interactive experience that helps you see Asheville with new eyes. Hood Hugger’s mission is to build greater communication, connection, and wealth in systemically marginalized neighborhoods in the Affrilachian region through the arts, environmental education and social enterprise. | 47 Bryant Street
- DIFFERENT WRLD – A community hub for producing and showcasing art, music, and community engagement. | 701 Haywood Road
- Black Mountain Cider + Mead – A crafter of dry ciders and seasonal meads, made from local apples and honey. | 104 Eastside Drive, unit 307, Black Mountain
- Noir Collective AVL – Located in the historic Black business district, referred to as The Block, Noir Collective is a boutique shop and art gallery by and for Black entrepreneurs. | 30 Market Street, suite C
- SoundSpace – A historic Black-owned tourist court and dining room from the segregation-era South has a new life as a musician rehearsal space (just opened) and soul food kitchen (coming soon). Claude Coleman Jr. from the band Ween is one of the owners. | 109 McDowell Street
Get Well in Asheville
If the booming businesses weren’t enough to convince you to take a trip to Asheville yet, maybe the wellness community will be. Being in the mountains, Asheville has a bit of a hippie vibe.
From massages like the ones at Urban Exhale to mini escapes like a foot soak at Wake Foot Sanctuary, you can find plenty of experiences formulated to help you unwind. There’s crystal shops a plenty, holistic shops as far as the eye can see, but the real draw is nature.
Only a short drive outside of Asheville will have you up in the mountains. Sprawling forests full of hiking trails dotted with waterfalls are a literal breath of fresh air. Lest we forget the hot springs.
This part of the country is home to many natural hot springs, many within a short hour’s drive from Asheville. These world famous waters are full of minerals and legendary healing powers.
We visited Hot Springs Resort and Spas where these waters are jetted into outdoor hot tubs that are drained and sanitized after each use so you are getting the most potent soaks. We left feeling so refreshed and rejuvenated after soaking outdoors, listening to the rain on the tin roof.
Back in Asheville, take a visit to Down Dog. This space is part yoga studio and part dog bar. We took in a relaxing yoga class before enjoying a bar in the dog bar. As one cute dog after the next ran circles around us, we decided Down Dog is what heaven must look like.
Get Me to the Biltmore
You can’t come to Asheville without visiting one of its most iconic destinations – The Biltmore. In the US, we don’t have any castles like you may find in Europe. The closest we come is the Biltmore Estate – George Vanderbilt’s 250-room mansion.
At nearly 180,000 square feet, the Biltmore Estate is the largest privately owned house in the United States. True to the Gilded Age time period when it was built, the Biltmore’s interiors spare no expense.
My favorite room is the library. With floor to ceiling books, I felt like I was transported to the set of Beauty and the Beast. I didn’t know where to look next! But the ceiling mural definitely caught my eye as well.
One of my favorite things about the Biltmore is that they offered an accessible option for folks with mobility issues. Rather than climbing the house’s old and narrow steps, there was a detailed video guided tour that allowed you to see the rooms.
Outside the house is gorgeous in its own way. Situated right in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the mountain view from the back of the estate is one that cannot be beat.
The grounds itself feature gardens, ponds and picturesque exteriors as far as the eye can see. One of the things to do in Asheville NC is definitely a visit to The Biltmore Estate!
Where to Eat in Asheville
Should you need any further prompting to book your trip to Asheville, let me tempt you one more time: Asheville is a foodie’s paradise. Not only is it the brewery capital of the country, but Asheville is home to a thriving and colorful restaurant scene!
Doesn’t matter if your vegetarian, vegan, carnivore, you’ll find plates to delight your palette. Here’s a few of the restaurants we tried while in Asheville:
La Bodega
La Bodega is an all-day cafe and Spanish specialty foods shop offering classic Spanish pastries and coffee, casual lunch, and takeout meals and paella. At the helm of this restaurant is Katie Button, a four-time James Beard nominee. She is also the host of the television show “World’s Best Chefs” which airs on the National Geographic Channel.
You really can’t go wrong with anything on this menu but take my word for it and order the xuixo (pronounce chu cho). You’ll thank me later! I am still dreaming about this perfectly flaky pastry.
Chai Pani
It’s easy to see why Chai Pani is the Winner of the 2022 James Beard Award for Best Restaurant. They are serving up Indian chaat (street snacks) plus homestyle platters (thalis) in a funky, laid-back space.
This was easily some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had. With tons of vegan and vegetarian options, there’s something for every palette. I still dream about the matchstick okra fries!
Devil’s Foot Tasting Room
We had the honor of getting a preview of the now-opened known as “The Mule”. This massive 14,000 square space will serve as a canning facility for Devil’s Foot Beverages.
Although the brand started out creating a spicy non-alcoholic ginger beer, they now can 12 different flavors. From cherry limeade to blueberry lemonade, these beverages not only taste amazing, they all contain less than 18 grams of sugar.
Want to spice up your life? Give the Devil’s Foot Ginger Beer Fuego or Ghost a try.
Laughing Seed
Laughing Seed Cafe was started in 1991 and was one of the first businesses to spearhead the downtown renaissance. Quality and creativity have always been the driving forces behind the Laughing Seed’s eclectic international approach to vegetarian dining, and this has led to their popularity with vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. Also in the building is Green Man Brewing Company, so don’t forget to grab yourself a pint.
Double D’s Coffee & Desserts
Want to take a trip to London town? Well step right up! Situated right across from the Asheville, sits a coffee bar and bakery located inside of a red double decker bus known as Double D’s Coffee and Desserts.
As a queer woman, I am biased but you should definitely give the Lavender Honey Latte a taste! Other signature drinks include red hot chili mocha and a creme brue latte.
Gan Shan West
Gan Shan West: Asia meets Appalachia in this relaxed outdoor haunt. The innovative fusion of Asian classics with local Applachian ingredients creates a cool experience for the senses.
There are so many innovative and fun places to grab a bite! If you’re looking for a foodie town, look no further.
Final Thoughts
No matter who you are or what you’re into, Asheville offers you adventure, good eats, and open arms. This inclusive, walkable city is perfect for a weekend getaway with your honey or a week long food tour with your besties. Just let me know when you’re planning to go so I can tag along!