Gluten-Free Restaurants in Asheville
Asheville was our first stop on a vacation that also took us to Charleston, South Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia. Asheville has a vibe similar to Portland, Oregon, what I’ve often seen called “crunchy granola.” A lot of restaurants have a natural, sustainable, local agenda. That often makes for a gluten-free friendly place and Asheville is.
I’d wanted to see the Biltmore Estate for years, had even written an article about the house at Christmas and interviewed one of their staff decorators. Seeing that palatial home was the main goal here in Asheville. The house didn’t disappoint and neither did the food. Shirley at GFE wrote about the Biltmore a couple of years ago, saying there were becoming gluten-free friendly and they were. We ate at the Stable Cafe which had a gluten-free menu. This was the actual stable; our table was in one of the old stalls. Their gluten-free menu isn’t available online.
The Autumn Vegetable Salad with roasted butternut squash, cauliflower and red peppers with an apple cider vinaigrette immediately caught my eye. It came with cheese I had to delete (dairy-free) but they added chicken for me. Oh my! The salad and the dressing were wonderful! (I dove right in before I’d taken the photo and messed up their nice presentation.)
My husband loves barbeque so he ordered their ribs which came with white beans with chorizo in them. I also took a photo of his – after we’d started eating – and the bone in the middle of the plate assures you of their good taste (again, sorry, hungry by this time). He said that they had good flavor but weren’t as tender as some barbeque is. They also came with greens and pickles.
That night, we went to The Green Sage in South Asheville (they also have one downtown). You stand in line here, place your order and it’s brought to you. We’d researched this cafe online and they appeared to understand gluten-free. Yep. They had locally made gluten-free bread and safe fries so my husband had a turkey sandwich with fries.
Since they also make breakfast all day and I enjoy breakfast foods, I had a tomato and sausage omelette. If you have any allergies or sensitivities beyond gluten, please let a restaurant know. The Green Sage’s omelette’s are usually made with half and half. That would have made for an ugly night for me if I hadn’t said something as I ordered. They made mine special and while it wasn’t gourmet, it was good.
We’d planned brunch at Posana for a while. I’d read reviews about Posana from both Shirley and Heather at Gluten-Free Cat. A restaurant with 100% gluten-free food, this is a true haven for those who eat gluten-free.
My husband had Eggs Benedict which is served here on a biscuit:
And I had a frittata with zucchini, onions, and eggplant, along with sweet potato fries and bacon, all gluten-free and all quite good. I also told them I was dairy-free so she noted it for the kitchen.
We could have chosen one of the baked goodies they had displayed on the bar but I bake so that isn’t as much of a treat for us. We had to make our way through crowds of locals lining up for a Christmas parade but it was well worth it. 
If we go through Asheville again, I’ll be very happy to stop and eat. You’ll know I enjoy eating when I say that the meals at the Biltmore Estate and Posana were highlights of the weeklong trip.
Thank you for visiting. I've spent many, many hours reading blogs and books about the gluten-free life. I love research. Really love it. I'm a writer so this is part of what makes me tick. But I know not everyone likes it. My goal is to bring this wealth of useful information to you here through interviews with prominent people from the gluten-free community. I hope that each time you visit, you’ll walk away with a little something new, something that helps you enjoy your gluten-free life even more.
[...] Gluten-Free Travel: Asheville, North Carolina [...]
Oh, Shannon, what a terrific travel review post! Thanks for the link love, too. I’m so glad that you had such a terrific trip and both you and your husband stayed safe while enoying good meals! We definitely need more “crunchy granola” towns like Asheville, don’t we?
Shirley
We certainly do need more towns like Asheville. I’m definitely learning that each place has its own character and either benefits or challenges.
WOW! I’m hungry just listening to your description and looking at the pictures, even of the half-eaten food! YUM-O! Thanks for providing this WONDERFUL website and amazing service for all gluten-free people! Someday soon I shall join your ranks, once the balance of being rid of my chronic pain is out-weighed by the “pain” of going without my beloved wheat products. Or maybe it’s once I give more weight to the health and well-being of my body and less to my appetite and taste buds and “laziness!?!” Heck, once THAT happens, I’ll likely loose all these extra pounds I’m hauling around, too! But, again, THANK YOU, my dear friend Shannon for your dedication (and expertise!) to the GFDF cause on behalf of those who have already taken the plunge into the pristine healthy pain-free waters! You are an inspiration to me and you perform a great service! Your writing ability only makes it all EVEN BETTER!!!