Eating Local in Asheville

Sometimes when we have been driving or flying for a long time, and we are tired, we fall to the familiar and find a fast-food restaurant.  I confess that now.  I think that most travelers would agree, though, that half the fun of travel is trying new restaurants.  Where do the locals go?  Find me several casual places and one upscale place (just in case the mood strikes) and I’ll fashion a food itinerary that’s a feature of the vacation, not just an afterthought.

“You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food.”

Paul Prudhomme

I’ve lived in the South for decades, and I still enjoy getting a culinary education on proper Southern food.  Recently, on a trip to Asheville, North Carolina, I was schooled in the art of BBQ and Biscuits. (In the South, Biscuits like these really should be capitalized).

Luella’s Bar-B-Que has two locations in Asheville and on a recent Friday night, we ordered takeout from the North Asheville branch.  Would I have preferred to try the pit master’s wonders fresh at the restaurant?  Of course!  However, we opted for safety and took it back to our hotel room instead.  We did not suffer.  There are thousands of reviews on my favorite travel planning website for this place and we understand why. For the record, Luella’s is the kind of place where the staff calls you, “honey” when you place your takeout order over the phone.

Since we were Luella’s rookies, we wanted to try multiple items. I had the two-meat combination tray with pulled pork and brisket. My husband had the three-meat tray with pork, brisket and ribs.  Each tray came with two sides and hush puppies.  I won’t eat hush puppies unless they are sweet, and these were perfect! The platter was enough for two meals. I didn’t split it into two meals. . . but I could have if I had any self-control.

My favorite thing at any BBQ place is usually the brisket, but here it was the pulled pork. The only two areas for improvement were the ribs and the sauces. I asked for the sweet sauce.  Theirs is tomato-based and it really wasn’t that good. I would skip it next time. Fortunately, the pulled pork was so good, it didn’t need sauce. As any BBQ aficionado knows, one should remove ribs from the heat just as the meat begins to recede and the rib bone starts to show.  According to Mr. HomeFree, these ribs were actually a tad overdone.

Next time you vacation in Asheville or drive by on your way to another mountain retreat, Luella’s is worth a stop. 

First, let me say, THANK YOU, to the Southern Belles I met at Brookgreen Gardens on the outskirts of Myrtle Beach for recommending this next restaurant.  If you missed my story on Brookgreen Gardens, get caught up here.

Biscuit Head has become so popular, it now has three Asheville locations.

While it’s important to remember not to throw your health out the window entirely when traveling, there are definitely times when it is appropriate to throw caution to the wind.  The other local favorite we tried during our Asheville sojourn is the kind of place that you go AFTER a lengthy hike.  The hike will help assuage some of the guilt you might have about the menu.

Founded in 2013, Biscuit Head specializes in Southern Biscuits and breakfasts that are nothing short of decadent.  The ladies we met at Brookgreen Gardens suggested we order the gravy flight with our biscuits.  Yes, just like a wine flight at an upscale bistro, Biscuit Head patrons can try three gravies at once as an accompaniment to their biscuits.  Gravy choices include: Espresso Red Eye Gravy, Fried Chicken Gravy, Pork Sausage Gravy and several more.

My husband opted to go more traditional and ordered the Full Breakfast.  This included scrambled eggs, cheddar breakfast potatoes, bacon, locally-sourced country ham and one of their famous biscuits.  For this sumptuous feast, we were charged a whopping $9.00. (Picture us doing the happy dance here).

I thought the gravy flight was menu item for me until I learned about The Filthy Animal.  Remember, that we hiked all morning before eating.  No judgment, please.  The Filthy Animal consists of fried chicken, pimento cheese, bacon and scrambled eggs covered in gravy and piled onto a biscuit. 

We arrived at Biscuit Head around noon because we didn’t want to miss out on this experience and they close at 2:00pm.  There was a steady stream of takeout customers.  Their dining room is currently closed but we ate on a side patio and the management has kindly added additional picnic tables to the exterior.

My Filthy Animal was $12.00.  Neither of us finished our food, which meant we got two meals for the price of $21.00.  As frugal travelers, the only thing better than an amazing meal is getting a deal.  Thank you again, to the Southern Belles who suggested we eat here.  It was one of the best breakfast meals I have ever had.  Ever. I hope to visit again because I still want to try their Biscuit Doughnuts, their Gouda Fries and so much more!

Even the familiar can be new when you are away from home.  When we meet new people, we ask them for suggestions on where to eat and we always remind them that we want non-chain places.  Eating local carries the bonus of supporting the little guy.  For each small café we patronize, there are servers, dishwashers and bussers who appreciate our check and our tip.

Where have you been eating local this year? What little places should I be trying? Share the “eat local love” in the comments.