9 Kid-Friendly Breweries in Asheville Local Parents Recommend

Now, I do want to point out that Sierra Nevada is a bit out of town. The brewery is right next to the Asheville airport in Mills River, which is south of Asheville. It’s about a 30 minute drive from downtown Asheville.

However, if you are looking for the best brewery in Asheville for kids, Sierra Nevada is it. It is definitely worth the drive!

Sierra Nevada has a sandbox play area right next to a lush garden that our kids love to explore. You’ll find dump trucks, sand tables and even a chalkboard here.

Now let’s talk about food at Sierra Nevada!

The most kid-friendly thing to plan on is to dine at their outdoor Back Porch Bar. It’s open daily (weather permitting) and has sandwiches, snacks and 20 beers on tap from 1-7pm. It’s a walk-up restaurant/bar. There’s a small kids menu (with an $8 hot dog and $3 fruit as of winter 2023) but you should be able to find something on the menu for all.

There’s also a taproom restaurant (and it’s delicious!), but it involves waiters so plan accordingly.

The taproom has both indoor and outdoor seating and the food is exceptional. We got it to go several times when they were closed in 2020 because we absolutely love their pizza and chicken wings. You’ll find a more extensive kids menu here than the Back Porch one (ex. pizza, hamburgers, mac and cheese.)

Great brewery with a large grassy field for kids to roam.

Asheville’s original craft brewery! Highland Brewing is a great place to bring the entire family. Specifically, The Meadow at Highland Brewing is a spacious outdoor area with a large field, outdoor bar and live music on their outdoor stage on weekends.

We love letting the kids roam and explore while enjoying one of Highland’s fresh brews. And our kids love sipping on their sparkling lemonade!

If you are looking for some additional activities, there is a hiking trail, disc golf course and cornhole on their campus.

And as far as food goes, you’ll find rotating food trucks at Highland. Two of our favorite regulars are Bun Intended and Kinfolk.

Kids love to see the brewery equipment inside and the great news is that kids of all ages are welcome to go on the FREE New Belgium Brewery Tour. You can read about more Asheville brewery tours here.

And of course everyone wants to know: what kind of food does the New Belgium brewery have? This another one with rotating food trucks. And just like at Highland, you can occasionally find our favorite Bun Intended food truck here! Another food truck they feature that we love is Tin Can Pizzeria. Check New Belgium’s site for the most up-to-date food truck schedule.

Our kids’ favorite thing about Wedge at Foundation, though, is that it is located right next to the train yard. They love to watch the engines shuttle cards around — it’s great entertainment.

You have two options for food at Wedge:

• The first is their on-site Chop Shop food truck with burgers, hot dogs, salads and specials. We especially love their Carolina hot dog with slaw and chili, but you can also get a plain version for kids. Read more about a visit to Wedge and the food truck.
• The second option for food is takeout from 12 Bones BBQ next door. Our kids love their brown sugar rubbed ribs and their corn pudding.

One thing to note is that when visiting with kids, we recommend Wedge at Foundation when the weather is nice and you can sit outside. Otherwise you lose out on what makes the brewery kid-friendly (the trainyard, the corn hole, the spaced out picnic tables, etc.)

Our kids love to explore the old vehicles that have been gutted and turned into seating. We typically sit near one and let them roam while we wait for food.

I do want to point out that Burial is not the most kid-friendly place (as in, kids shouldn’t treat it like a playground), but we enjoy taking our two and they are always happy there. Especially when they get a Devil’s Foot Sparkling Lemonade on a hot day.

Burial has an in-house kitchen with elevated bites. They don’t have a dedicated kids menu, so we typically get a few entrees and share with all. This is my favorite type of dinner because I love trying multiple items! You can view their current menu here.

Their covered outdoor picnic tables make for casual seating and a great spot for kids to enjoy a fresh slice of pizza.

They also have a courtyard that is open seasonally with a taco truck (AVL Taco), as well as a rooftop patio and a 40 foot LED digital screen. It’s as cool as it sounds.

And now the FOOD. Let’s talk about the food. They have seriously awesome pizza including some divine gluten free pizza and vegan pizza. They use Daiya vegan cheese and have an option for gluten free pizza crust.

Not only do they show new movies, but they also have throwback movies that are only $3 each. And some are kid-centric (think: Where The Wild Things Are, Cat In The Hat, etc.)

The menu includes their delicious pizza, sandwiches, salads and more. They have a ton of great beers on tap as well as cans available. You can view the current lineup on their site.

And overall it’s just such a lovely, locally-loved spot. There’s nothing else like it!

If your kids aren’t impressed by the machinery, Hi-Wire RAD has games including bocce ball and pinball machines that are perfect for keeping older kids entertained.

Though Hi-Wire RAD doesn’t have a kitchen, they have an awesome on-site food truck. The permanent Foothills Local Meats food truck sells burgers, hot dogs and even barbecue. It’s actually unique in that it’s the only smokehouse location of their various food trucks around town.