8 Great Breakfast Destinations in Asheville
Disclaimer: We are not paid to promote any restaurant, hotel, activity, product, or attraction. All opinions are subjective and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
6. Abeja’s House Cafe
- Highlight: Latin inspired menu
- Vegan/GF options: Huevos Rancheros (GF, V), Vegan burrito, GF biscuits and toast, GF pancakes, GF tacos
- Location: South Asheville (1550 Hendersonville Rd)
Abeja’s is a local Latin American cafe tucked away in a quiet strip mall. It’s the perfect choice for anyone seeking a quiet dining experience away from the downtown tourism. They also open quite early if you need to get on the road. Although the menu is a bit overpriced, they serve the best variety of Mexican breakfast entrees including Huevos Rancheros, breakfast tacos, burritos, and chilaquiles. Plenty of GF and vegan choices on the menu including gluten-free toast, tortillas, pancakes, and biscuits. Most entrees can be made vegan by substituting tofu. As a bonus, they use a lot of organic ingredients.
The inside décor is visually bland, although they do offer a nice little covered patio. The setting is a bit more relaxed and low key than most of the more popular breakfast establishments. The Huevos is their signature dish, and fortunately can be made vegetarian. Overall, Abeja’s is one of the better “healthy-ish” early riser breakfast destinations in an area where everything seems to open quite late.
What to do nearby: Tour the historic Biltmore Estate.
7. Moose Cafe
- Highlight: Farm-to-table breakfast fare
- Vegan/GF options: Limited
- Location: 570 Brevard Rd
This farm-to-table Southern style cafe is popular with tourists seeking a hearty Southern style breakfast. Featuring an all-you-can-eat buffet which includes scrambled eggs, hash brown casserole, grits, bacon, and homemade biscuits and jam for just 11 bucks, this hearty special will definitely fill you up for your day’s adventure. If you are planning on crushing along the Blue Ridge Parkway or hiking in the beautiful Pisgah National Forest, this is a great place to fuel up. It opens early and you get plenty of food for your money.
On-site is a nice little gift shop where you can pick up a Southern souvenir. As the line is usually quite long, you will want to get out here early to avoid the crowds.
What to do nearby: Pick up some fresh local fruit and produce at the WNC Farmer’s Market, open year-round.
8. Green Sage Cafe
- Highlight: Healthy fare, lots of vegetarian options
- Vegan/GF options: Plant based bowls, Apple sunflower oatmeal, smoothies & juice drinks, Mediterranean omelet
- Locations: 633 Merrimon Ave, 5 Broadway St (downtown), 1800 Hendersonville Rd (South Asheville)
Green Sage is the place to go if you are seeking a healthy and/or allergy friendly breakfast option. They offer many vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free selections. Also, over 95% of the food is organic, the salmon is wild caught, beef is grass fed, and they do not use any GMO’s as ingredients. They serve coffee from award winning company, Larry’s, which is certified organic and fair trade.
There are a number of fruit filled smoothie on the menu and all use almond milk as a base, and thus, they are suitable for anyone with dairy allergies. Menu highlights include a Mediterranean Omelet, Chia seed pudding topped with wild blueberries, granola, and bananas, and scrambled eggs (sub tofu) sautéed with kale and onions, served with a side of local ciabatta toast and root hash. The best (and most filling) entree is the Pure Vida Bowl. This savory dish includes 2 eggs (or sprouted tofu) sautéed kale and onions, root hash, black beans, brown rice, and avocado salsa. It’s by far the most delicious healthy breakfast dish in Asheville.
With 3 locations, Green Sage is super convenient, no matter where your day’s adventures may take you. The Merrimon location is spacious, super clean, and not as heavily trafficked as the other two.
What to do nearby: Take a stroll around the Botanical Gardens of Asheville featuring 10 acres of pristine gardens highlight plants native to southern Appalachia.
A few decent coffeehouses serving great breakfast
High Five: The best local coffeehouse in the city. 3 convenient locations including a quaint shop featuring a brick patio in the Five Points historic neighborhood. Top notch bagels and the best veggie cream cheese anywhere!
Sweeten Creek: Local coffeehouse serving coffee from Roast Magazine Roaster of the Year. Also serves local pastries, muffins, and NY style bagels. Great quiet setting away from the tourist crowds!
City Bakery: Great local coffeeshop serving locally roasted Dynamite coffee and the most delicious pastries in town. 2 convenient Asheville locations to choose amongst including a downtown storefront with a cozy setting.
Well Bred Bakery: Voted best bakery in WNC since 2014. Serves award winning pastries, plus quiche and breakfast burritos. Fantastic location inside Biltmore Village, a historic shopping and dining neighborhood.
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