Asheville Music Venues Where You Can Eat, Drink and Dance
By Jonathan Ammons
Dinner and dancing are not mutually exclusive in Asheville. Many of our music halls double as a restaurant, or offer ways to nosh before catching a show. If you’re looking for the best all-in-one spots for your night on the town, then check out one of these top-notch venues.
Grey EagleOne of the old vanguards of the Asheville venues, the Grey Eagle was a major player in the development of the music scene in Asheville. It’s a guaranteed place to find the next up and coming acts before they hit the mainstream, and it’s one place where you can dine alongside your favorite musical acts. The Grey Eagle Taqueria, which adjoins the venue’s bar, serves up scratch made arepas, tacos, and burritos, as well as a variety of vegetarian and vegan options. The Taqueria is open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., with extended service for ticket holders during shows.
Asheville’s original local brewery, Highland’s brewery features two stages, indoor and outdoor, which regularly host the best local and nationally touring bands each weekend. The tasting room offers dozens of the brewery’s newest flavors and local favorites. If you’re hungry, then there’s always a local food truck available on weekends. Check Highland’s website to see the full list of food trucks along with their music calendar.
This sprawling music venue on the French Broad River hosts 3,000-person crowds at its outdoor stage (the largest in Asheville), and smaller indoor shows. Creatively painted shipping container bars dot the property, which also bears relics of the venue's former life as a salvage yard. Grab a bite from Root Down Kitchen—which servers Southern and vegetarian food that sometimes leans into the chef's New Orlean's roots—before grooving down to your favorite band. The venue hosts rising and big-name nationally touring acts.
Asheville's newest live music venue is the brainchild of Burial Beer and is located adjacent to the South Slope brewery. Most nights of the week you can catch a local or nationally touring band spanning a range of genres. They also host DJ dance parties regularly. Most shows start at 7 or 8 p.m. Plan ahead so you can grab dinner next door at Good Hot Fish, a popular counter service fish fry concept from Chef Ashleigh Shanti, a 2020 James Beard semi-finalist who specializes in African American foodways and Black Appalachian cuisine.
Opened in 1994, Barley's is an Asheville institution and among the first draft houses in the city. A little known fact is that Barley’s was the birthplace of Highland Brewing, which began as a small operation in the basement. With 56 taps, pizzas, and pub grub galore, it's an easy place to pull up a stool, try a few local pints, and enjoy a show. Music covers a wide gamut of genres including jazz, folk, and Americana.
Just outside the city sits one of Asheville's largest and most picturesque outdoor stages. Pisgah Brewing, known for its incredible organic beers, plays host to major acts like Shovels & Rope, Punch Brothers, and Lake Street Dive. Shows take place most Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, spring through fall. Their web page lists the rotations of food trucks serving up everything from pizza to tacos, and the wide span of beer styles crafted by Pisgah is sure to provide the perfect pairing to go with the outdoor tunes.
One of Asheville's most beautiful and quirky spaces, Ben’s is an old auto garage-turned-artsy indoor/outdoor open-air beer garden. Their music lineup includes performances from local favorites like Woody Wood and reggae act Dub Cartel. Their menu leans heavily toward Asian-inspired bar food with a range of Ramen bowls and dumplings, while also offering more standard fare like burgers and wings. And did we mention that they brew their own sake? The sprawling venue has two bars and a tiki-inspired courtyard.
This iconic dance club and bar in downtown Asheville bears the name of the building's former 1950s tenant. The Asheville Beauty Academy is a fun place for a party where you
can dance and be yourself. They have regular dance parties on Saturday nights, plus comedy shows, karaoke nights and popups.
This Celtic-themed Irish pub is the original home of Green Man Brewing, and doubles as an intimate spot to catch great live music. Each week they host bluegrass and old-time jams, Irish music sessions, and a roster of local and regional bluegrass, old-time, Americana, honkey tonk, and rockabilly talents. Try one of their old English-style beers and enjoy a shepherds pie or fish & chips — all within close proximity to the stage.
One of the best spots in downtown is Jerusalem Garden. Visit this restaurant and discover tasty, authentic Middle Eastern cuisine and try out Turkish coffee, Lebanese beer or white wines imported from Turkey, Corisca and more. Jerusalem Garden hosts live music and belly dancing Friday and Saturday nights (except during the winter off-season), so eat and dance to your heart's content.
