No matter what part of Asheville you live in, a venture out of your neighborhood to experience the grand reopening of Tupelo Honey’s South Asheville location will leave you mesmerized and filled with southern goodness. No one exhibits southern charm and comfort quite like Tupelo and I am here to tell you it’s a must do on your foodie bucket list. Gather your best girls, message your sweetie or pick up your children and head out to this novel eatery in South Asheville.
Tupelo Honey Cafe first opened its doors to Asheville in 2000, one of the pioneering food stops in the downtown arena. They continue to raise the bar for the rising food scene here in Asheville and across the US. A hip yet family-friendly spot, we found ourselves completely relaxed and loving the new atmosphere as we sipped fresh cocktails and patiently waited for the most praised southern food to hit the table.
ATMOSPHERE
The charisma at the Tupelo Honey in South Asheville is enchanting and on point! The staff is impressive and friendly the moment you step foot in the door, making you feel instantly welcome. You gather a sense of ease as you locate your table whether inside or out, I recommend the new outdoor seating, if it’s available, although the inside will not disappoint.
The revamping of the outdoor space was a good move for Tupelo. From the patches of green grass to the modern rustic light fixtures, this vibrant setting is nothing but lovely. You get a sense of home patio life where all your cares and worries melt away and there is no other place you’d rather be. It’s magical, relaxing and fresh all balled up into one evening.
COCKTAILS
We quickly set our sights on the specialty cocktail menu. Right away it was obvious to us that Tupelo Honey had put a lot of thought into creating a unique, colorful, and tasty beverage list. My first choice was the Sweet & Tart Mimosa and it is not your momma’s traditional mimosa. It’s better. Grapefruit juice and blueberry puree harmonizing together in a glass topped off with a fresh basil leaf and juicy blueberries. Just the right amount of tart and sweet, well-balanced and refreshing. Certainly one of my favorites!
The Smokey Mountain, Sparkling Sangria is brandy, wine, passion fruit, mint, cherry, and bitters served on the rocks. Just a touch of smoke and massive amounts of passion make this sipper an award winner! Next up was The Eternal Spring, sour and floral, lavender and honeysuckle-lemon drop assembled with Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka, triple sec, lemon, lime, and lavender. Pucker up buttercup, this one will have you whistling dixie.
We also tasted the Boozy Rooster, properly mixed with Chicken Cock Whiskey, muddled cherries, and oranges, sugar, bitters, soda. A perfect recreation of everyone’s favorite, the Old Fashioned.
PLATES
The menu at Tupelo has something for everyone, whether you are vegetarian, carnivore or gluten-free, the food is to die for! The Mac & Cheese Bites got this dinner party started with a bang and, needless to say, they were scrumptious. A creole sofrito, buttery and crispy-fried mac and cheese with milk gravy. I mean, come on!
We all agreed that the trophy-winning item was the Blistered & Spiced Vegetable dish appropriately served in a rustic, ceramic bowl. Creole spiced okra, green beans and tri-color baby carrots with harissa yogurt dipping sauce so well done even my photos were perfect. Hella good!
Deviled eggs, fried chicken, buttery biscuits with house-made jam, and glorious kale salad all landed on our table and it was heavenly.
Be sure to save room for the cutest little dessert jars that are just an order away and are literally the icing on the cake. We tried the new hummingbird cake jar with cream cheese frosting and spiced pecans that had us spreading our wings.
Go try the newly revived Tupelo Honey Cafe in South Asheville, it is bright, refreshing and never disappointing!
Tupelo Honey Cafe
1829 Hendersonville Road
Asheville, NC 28803
(828) 505-7676
Hours:
Monday – Friday 11 – 9pm
Saturday & Sunday 9 – 9pm
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