Your Guide To Asheville’s South Slope

Hi-Wire Brewing's building in South Slope with a colorful mural out front

South Slope is the brewery district of Asheville, with over ten breweries, a cidery and a distillery.

The area is also home to some great restaurants like Cultura and Little Chango, a fun cheese shop and some of the best donuts in Asheville.

About South Slope

What It’s Like

Hoppy · Walkable · Fun

Known For

Breweries · Restaurants·

Location

Just south of downtown

There are currently 8 breweries in South Slope with Terra Nova expected to open in the former Bhramari space in spring 2024.

Below is a quick highlight of our most recommended breweries in the area, but be sure to check out our full guide for additional details on food, brews, seating and more for each.

  1. Burial Beer: Our favorite Asheville brewery is Burial Beer’s South Slope location. It’s a very approachable space with great outdoor seating, delicious food and unique brews. They have a second Asheville location (Forestry Camp) near Biltmore Village.
  2. The Funkatorium: Another must-visit is Wicked Weed’s Funkatorium. Their beer menu is heavy on the sours but they also have their classic brews available. We really love their flight menu– they have 8 set flights to choose from, including a wine flight, a roulette flight with a mix of new and vintage sours, and even a 50/50 flight with 2 sours and 2 classics.
  3. Hi-Wire: We can’t mention the South Slope brewery scene without calling out the original location of Hi-Wire. Not only is it the most beautiful building in town, but it’s where the brand really took off. They don’t have a kitchen or food truck at this location, but you can bring your own food.

While the craft brews undoubtedly take center stage, South Slope’s dining scene is also impressive. You’ll find everything from mega pizza slices (Pie.Zaa) to a fish camp-inspired restaurant (Good Hot Fish.)

  1. Burial Beer: Mentioned as our favorite brewery above and now one of our places to eat. This is the brewery district, after all! It’s one of the best breweries with food in Asheville.
  2. Good Hot Fish: A casual, order-at-the-counter eatery with a great menu full of Southern fish camp favorites. Try their namesake Good Hot Fish Sandwich. It’s one of Asheville’s newest restaurants.
  3. Cultura: If it’s Sunday night, check out Cultura’s Cease & Desist dinner. For these dinners, the team recreates the menu of chain restaurants but in an over-the-top, gourmet way. They have done Chick-fil-A, Outback, CookOut, McDonald’s and even Panda Express.
  4. Bear’s Smokehouse: Perfect if BBQ and mac + cheese are at the top of your favorite food list. Their outdoor seating is awesome and their menu is full of delicious finds. Including several vegan options!
  5. Mother Cafe + Bakery: A charming spot for brunch in South Slope.

South Slope Coffee Shops

Farewell Coffee: Coffee shop in South Slope that also offers wine by the glass. They have a food few options, including pastries.

Vortex Doughnuts:One of Asheville’s must-visit donut shops. They have two types of dough (yeast and cake), awesome coffee and espresso drinks. Try an apple fritter if they have any available!

Cideries & Distilleries

  1. Urban Orchard Cider Co: Great cider selection as well as beer and wine. Tons of booths, a few tables and couches, and a long bar to cozy up to. They also have a snack menu with pimento cheese, hummus and chips.
  2. Chemist Spirits: A rare gin distillery located amongst all of the South Slope breweries. It’s worth checking out if you like gin. You can do a tasting there as well as pick up a few bottles (perfect gift idea!)
  3. Antidote at Chemist Spirits: You’ll feel like you were transported back to the 1900’s in this prohibition-themed cocktail bar. It’s owned by the gin distillery Chemist Spirits next door. Antidote has great drinks and a fun outdoor setting.

Other Things to do in South Slope

Asheville Sports Club: Asheville Sports Club is a pretty cool spot in South Slope serving coffee, beer, cocktails and more with pickleball courts and basketball courts. It’s unexpected and yet feels right at home in the brewery district.

Well Played Board Game Cafe: We mentioned Well Played above in the food section but wanted to call it out here too! This board game cafe is a great option if looking for something fun to do in Asheville.

Sauna House: Sauna House is a sauna and lounge with contrast therapy in South Slope. It’s just next to Mother Cafe (and the two make for an excellent morning out!)

Rabbit Rabbit: A partnership made in heaven between Orange Peel Events and Asheville Brewing Company. Here you’ll find a ton of events all month long like silent discos, live music and even the occasional Kid Hop Hooray kid dance event. Check out their calendar of events here.

South Slope Cheese Co: a cute shop featuring cheese, meats, nuts, jam, cheese crisps and all the fun things for the best charcuterie board on the block. They also sell ready-to-go charcuterie boards if you’re in a hurry or not feeling up to the task. Oh, and lots of wine!

Getting to and Around South Slope

Location details: South Slope is located just south of downtown Asheville and you can easily walk between the two areas. Downtown kind of just flows into the South Slope area, so much so that we almost grouped it all together in one guide. There’s just too much going on in South Slope to do that, though!

Walkability: South Slope is very walkable, with everything pretty close by and pedestrian-friendly streets. There is constant construction, though, so be prepared for that.

Parking in South Slope: During the day you can usually find street parking, but it can get pretty busy at night. There are a few parking lots around the area and a large parking garage just off Coxe Ave. The entrance is across from Well Played Board Game Cafe.


Disclaimer: Hours, pricing, menus, etc. may have changed since we last updated this post, so make sure to confirm all of this directly prior to visiting any business or attraction listed on our site.

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