11 Best Bars in Asheville, North Carolina

The combination of a movie theater, pizza joint, and a brewery makes this a popular spot to catch new releases while lounging on a sofa, drinking a microbrew, and scarfing a slice. Kids and dogs are welcome, but movies are often sold out, so buy tickets before the show.

In a city of breweries, this is the place to bring your friend who only drinks wine—although there's also one of the city's best European beer selections and a few charcuterie plates. Sit inside the brick warehouse interior or snag a picnic table outside by the river.

This speakeasy is one of Asheville's best-kept secrets; there's no sign on the door, and inside it's so dimly lit you could go incognito. The bar offers more than 600 whiskeys, and a ragtime band makes surprise appearances.

There's no sign outside this speakeasy serving both classic and off-the-wall cocktails. It's equally dark and shady inside, but the bartenders are top-notch. Order a signature cocktail or tell the bartender what you like and trust them—they won't fail you.

This is one of Asheville's most exciting breweries, with a downtown taproom open nightly (and all-day weekends). Branding is wacky and irreverent, and beers manage to be both inventive and traditional (there are also ciders and meads). The taproom has a small patio as well.

Burial Beer Co. transformed their Biltmore-area production facility—once the building that housed laborers constructing the Blue Ridge Parkway—into this casual hangout spot known for wild and sour beers and a kitchen dishing out entrées like cassoulet and pan-roasted sea trout. 

This venerable Asheville institution features popular regional and national bands on its intimate stage, with contra dancing and patio concerts on certain nights. During the day the space doubles as a taqueria.

One World's wide-open space hosts live music nearly every night of the week. Order a pint and boogie onto the dance floor for Grateful Dead covers and Latin Night dance parties or kick back for the Sunday Jazz Jam.

Bob Dylan, Modest Mouse, and the Beastie Boys have played at this now-legendary venue. There's a great dance floor with springy wood slats, two bars serving wine and beer, and a speakeasy-style bourbon bar, PULP, on the bottom floor.

Offering creative craft cocktails and a classed-up cool atmosphere (though it's still Asheville casual), this is one of the city's best spots for locally sourced farm-to-glass delights. The light-filled space boasts high ceilings, large mirrors, locally built furnishings, and a huge array of spirits. Servers and bartenders are friendly and knowledgeable.