Dog-Friendly Places to Eat, Drink and Shop in Asheville

Located in the South Slope of Asheville, the Funkatorium is the East Coast’s first sour beer dedicated taproom. Featuring over a dozen varieties of these styles on draught, visitors can expect a full immersion into the old world way of experiencing and appreciating beer along with a creative food menu.

Sweeten Creek Brewing sits on a big creekside property off Sweeten Creek Road in South Asheville, and it's built for hanging out. The beer leans crisp and true to style, with a pilsner, a pale ale, a brown ale and a couple of hazy IPAs on the year-round list, plus seasonals like a Märzen and a black IPA. Bears Smokehouse BBQ has been cooking on site since 2021, so dinner is covered. Outside there's a wide lawn with picnic tables and cornhole, and an 8,000 square foot fenced dog park. Dogs can come inside the taproom in winter too. Weeknights have a regular lineup, with an all-arts open mic on Tuesdays and trivia on Wednesdays. They also host Bele Shred, a two-day music festival on three stages that raises money for Hood Huggers.

RAD Brew Co. is a craft brewery and live music venue in Asheville's River Arts District, across from The Grey Eagle on Clingman Avenue. Hosts indie, folk, and bluegrass shows in a restored stonecutter's workshop.

Zillicoah Beer Company sits on the banks of the French Broad River, just north of downtown Asheville in Woodfin. Renowned for open-fermented farmhouse ales and lagers, Zillicoah specializes in small-batch beers crafted with a blend of tradition and creativity. Reopened after major flood repairs in 2025, the brewery is back with new energy, offering up to a dozen taps (plus cider and wine), a rotating lineup of food trucks, and some of the best riverside seating in the Asheville area. Their approach favors longer, slower fermentation, with a cellar dedicated to clean lagers and wild ales fermented in foeders, barrels, and open tanks. Family-friendly on Sundays, 21+ the rest of the week, and always welcoming dogs outdoors.

Turgua Brewing is a Fairview farmhouse brewery on Cane Creek Road just southeast of Asheville. Hosts bluegrass, old-time, and folk shows on the outdoor lawn during warmer months.

Pisgah Brewing is a Black Mountain craft brewery and outdoor live music venue, hosting bluegrass, jam, reggae, rock, and Americana concerts on the outdoor stage spring through fall.

Highland Brewing Company is Asheville's first craft brewery and a major East Asheville live music venue, with an outdoor amphitheater, indoor music hall, and weekly bluegrass, indie rock, and americana concerts.

Westville Pub has been West Asheville's neighborhood pub on Haywood Road since 2002. The kitchen does home-cut fries, burgers, local trout quesadillas and jerk chicken, the taps lean on local craft beer, and it's open seven days a week from 10:30 AM to 2 AM.

Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack has been frying Nashville-style hot chicken in Asheville since 2009, and this is the South Asheville shop at 3749 Sweeten Creek Road in Arden. Every piece is fried to order and starts out plain, then they spice it from mild up to extra hot, and plenty of regulars just get it plain. The birds are naturally raised and the sides are made from scratch daily, from mac and cheese to collards. Beyond fried, there's rotisserie and grilled chicken, pot pies, chicken and waffles, salads and sandwiches, and they pour beer, wine and boozy slushies. It's open 11 AM to 9 PM Sunday through Thursday and until 10 on Friday and Saturday, with a different special every day of the week.

All Pets Animal Hospital and Rehabilitation Center is a full-service vet clinic at 1312 Patton Avenue in West Asheville, and it just moved into a brand new building there. Dr. Eddie Heath opened the practice back in 1993, and today their vets handle everything from checkups and vaccines to dental care, surgery, ultrasound, laser therapy and allergy immunotherapy. The rehab side is what sets it apart. Pets coming back from surgery, an injury or a long illness can do rehabilitation therapy right here, and pain management is a big focus across the board. They see dogs and cats plus birds, reptiles and other exotics, and the in-house lab, digital x-ray and pharmacy mean a lot gets sorted in one visit. Open Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, and they're taking new clients.

Sovereign Kava Bar is a downtown Asheville kava bar with weekly live music, open mic nights, and monthly jazz jams. Serves traditional South Pacific kava plus acoustic sets, tea, kombucha, and vegan snacks.

Montford Park Players (MPP) is North Carolina’s longest-running Shakespeare company, devoted to providing free, high-quality outdoor theatre since 1973. Located in Asheville’s historic Montford neighborhood in the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, MPP produces an extensive 20-week summer season featuring Shakespeare’s plays alongside other classic and contemporary works. The City of Asheville built the amphitheatre in 1983 due to MPP’s success and growing audience. Beyond summer outdoor performances, MPP presents indoor productions in fall and winter as part of their expanded season. Their mission centers around making theatre accessible and affordable, serving both locals and visitors with a culturally enriching experience.

Lookout Brewing Company is a small-batch brewery at 103 South Ridgeway Avenue in Black Mountain that started as a homebrew experiment. The taproom pours its own ales and lagers, like the Looking Glass Amber, plus a cider and canned seltzer. There's live music every Friday, rain or shine.

The Crow and Quill is a downtown Asheville speakeasy for craft cocktails and rare spirits. Tucked behind a nondescript entry on North Lexington, this Victorian-inspired speakeasy is famous for its mind-blowing selection: over 800 whiskeys and 1,100 spirits from all over the planet. Whether you’re craving a perfectly smoked Old-Fashioned or something totally new, the friendly bartenders here shape drinks using fresh, seasonal ingredients, even garnishes picked straight from the owner’s garden. Bar snacks and tasty bites round out the menu, perfect for late-night hangs or a pre-show sip. Known for expertly crafted cocktails with seasonal ingredients sourced locally, their drinks are as much a show as a drink: think flaming cinnamon sticks and infused smoke. The bar often hosts live jazz, folk, and Americana music, plus themed events like blanket forts and storytelling during winter, making it a staple of Asheville’s nighttime culture.

The Omni Grove Park Inn, perched on the hillside overlooking downtown Asheville, is an iconic mountain resort renowned for its historic architecture and sweeping Blue Ridge views. The Inn offers an impressive array of bars and restaurants, from the elegant Vue 1913 brasserie and steakhouse Sunset Terrace, with locally sourced steaks and seafood, to EDISON’s contemporary kitchen and craft ales bar. Guests and locals alike gather in the Great Hall Bar, with its 36-foot stone fireplaces, signature cocktails, live piano music, and an inviting ambiance for conversation or relaxation.

Oak and Grist Distilling Company is a small-batch, grain-to-glass artisan distillery in Black Mountain, just east of Asheville. Using locally grown and malted barley, they craft whiskey and gin that capture the flavors of Western North Carolina, and their covered patio overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains is one of the best spots for sipping award-winning craft spirits near Asheville.

Biscuit Head serves breakfast and lunch built around big cat head biscuits, with creative toppings, gravies and a jam bar of house-made jams and rotating flavored butters. The West Asheville location sits on Haywood Road, with sister restaurants on Biltmore Avenue near Mission Hospital, on Hendersonville Road in South Asheville and in Greenville, South Carolina. Gravies run from fried chicken and pork sausage to espresso red eye and veggie sausage, and there are gluten-free and vegan biscuits too.

Twisted Laurel is a locally owned Mediterranean comfort food restaurant with two locations: 130 College Street on Pack Square in downtown Asheville, and 10A South Main Street in Weaverville. Think stone hearth pizzas like the Figgy Piggy and Roni + Ricotta, fettuccine and rigatoni, gyros, Southern fried chicken parm and the award-winning Smashburger, with cocktails, wine and local beer. Both have dog-friendly patios, and downtown even has a dog menu. Downtown is open Tuesday through Saturday, and Weaverville is open every day with Sunday brunch until 3. Daphne's Catering Co. handles catering.

Posana is a contemporary American restaurant with locations in Downtown Asheville and South Asheville's Biltmore Park. Seasonal menus built around local farms run from housemade pastas to fresh seafood and prime meats, alongside handcrafted cocktails and an award-winning wine list. Both locations have patios, and the kitchen is fully gluten-free.

plant is a fully plant-based restaurant on Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville, serving creative vegan fine dining that wins over skeptics and longtime vegans alike. The seasonal menu uses whole ingredients and global techniques, and it's one of the most praised vegan restaurants in Asheville NC.

12 Bones Smokehouse and Brewing in Arden pairs classic Southern BBQ with house-brewed beer from sixteen revolving taps. The brewery was added in 2019, and there's plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, including a pet-friendly patio near the train tracks. Meats are smoked low and slow over oak and cherry, and everything is made from scratch. Expect ribs, pulled pork and daily specials alongside ales, lagers, seasonals and collaborations.

Asheville Brewing Company, founded in 1998, is one of Western North Carolina’s original craft breweries with two unique locations in North Asheville and Downtown Asheville. Beyond award-winning craft beers like their Ninja Porter and Perfect Day IPA, they offer a full menu of pub favorites, from hand-tossed pizzas to burgers and vegan options. Their North Asheville spot stands out with an in-house movie theater showing new releases at some of the best prices in town, plus a lively and game room for hours of fun.

Shiloh & Gaines is Asheville’s beloved neighborhood dive bar spotlighting live music and good vibes. Sitting on Hendersonville Road, this bar offers an wide-ranging, laid-back atmosphere with quirky décor and games like pool and darts to keep the fun going. With rotating food trucks parked outside, it’s the perfect casual hangout for locals craving great drinks and community.

If you're heading just north of Asheville to Woodfin, Riverside Rhapsody is the kind of brewery that feels like a second home. Two homebrew buddies started it, and the draft list runs from crisp lagers and hazy IPAs to bright pale ales and deeper malt-forward pours. The taproom has an indoor bar plus plenty of picnic tables outside, where you can kick back with friends or bring your dog. If you're hungry, Iron & Oak Brisket is right next door serving BBQ that pairs perfectly with a cold pint.

Wicked Weed Brewing's Brew Pub at 91 Biltmore Avenue in downtown Asheville is the brewery's original home. Upstairs there's a full restaurant and a bottle shop, and downstairs a taproom and beer garden sit next to the original 15-barrel brewhouse. There are two pet-friendly patios, the pub is family friendly, and the restaurant serves pub food alongside a long list of house beers. It's open daily at noon, until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Ginger's Revenge is Asheville's original craft ginger beer brewery and tasting room, located on Riverside Drive in the River Arts District. They brew gluten-free alcoholic ginger beers with 95% organic ingredients and rotate creative flavors like Cranberry Herb, Hibiscus Lavender, and Lime Agave. Eight ginger beers on tap, draft cocktails, snacks, and live music on weekends.

Just 20 minutes from downtown Asheville, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Mills River offers a full sensory craft beer experience. The spacious taproom features more than 20 rotating beers on tap, including famous classics like their Pale Ale and exclusive taproom-only brews. The vibe is a blend of modern industrial with cozy wood tones, and the outdoor patio offers stunning views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. The onsite restaurant dishes up farm-to-table favorites like duck fat fries, brisket grilled cheese, and shrimp and grits, making it perfect for a meal paired with world-class beer.

New Belgium Brewing's Asheville Liquid Center sits on the French Broad River in the River Arts District. The taproom pours the full lineup of New Belgium core beers plus the wood-aged sours that made them famous, with rotating food trucks every day, river-view decks and free events like anniversary parties, festivals and live music on Fridays.

Wedge Brewing Co. has been pouring beer in Asheville's River Arts District since 2008, and it now runs two taprooms a few blocks apart. Wedge Studios sits at 37 Paynes Way under the Wedge Studios artist building, and Wedge Foundation is on Foundy Street next to the railroad tracks. The draft list leans classic, with the Iron Rail IPA, Julian Price Pilsner, Community Porter and Tubin' Hazy IPA. Food comes from resident trucks: Trucking Delicious at Studios and Burger Billy, from the Taco Billy crew, at Foundation.

District 42 pairs small shareable plates, warm hospitality and creative cocktails in an all-day lounge and bar right on historic Pack Square in downtown Asheville. It's open seven days a week, with tables, soft seating and an outdoor patio, and the drinks use house-made juices and regionally sourced bitters.