We know what you’re thinking, and no, you don’t have to invite your friends on this double date. Instead, we’re breaking you out of the traditional dinner date to bring you some meal and activity pairings for your very own “double date.” Incorporating a play element into a date night is such a great way to put a spin on the same ole routine. You may even discover more fun than you realize. When the conversation’s going great and you want to shake up the date, try these great restaurants and fun outings.
Axeville + Sawhorse
Throw an ax on boring date nights by heading out to West Asheville for a doubly unique evening that ranks high on our date night scorecard! The new Sawhorse Restaurant could not have opened in a more perfect location making this date night rustic yet sweet. Load up your inner lumberjack with meat-heavy, maple syrup infused dishes at Sawhorse then, before the food coma sets in, walk a few feet next door to Axeville. Pro tip: be sure to make reservations to skip any extensive waiting.
Everything on the menu at Sawhorse is a clean break from the common Southern food menu. Don’t get me wrong, I love southern food with a vengeance but there’s something brave about a chef bringing New England style flavor to our area. The fact that I am crazy for any kind of fried potato smothered in gravy and cheese is just the tip of the iceberg. We recommend everything on the menu but will admit we devoured the poutine in seconds flat. The Vermont cheddar and the maple carmelized onions on the Sawhorse burger is a match made in heaven and quickly made it one of our favorite burgers in Asheville.
Walking into Axeville for the first time is an unconventional experience yet there’s also something familiar about it. The staff is super welcoming and very helpful at getting you checked in, assigned to a lane, and making sure that your ax-throwing improves with the quickness. We appreciated ALL of the throwing pointers which by our huge surprise, fine-tuned our throwing skills and we were off to the races.
Be sure to follow both Sawhorse and Axeville social media channels for future fun events including maple syrup tastings, beer & wine dinners, and seasonal special events highlighting the exceptional food being created at Sawhorse.
Axeville Throwing Club
99 New Leicester Hwy Suite #20
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 589-2937
Sawhorse Restaurant
101 New Leicester Hwy
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 575-2316
Rocky’s Hot Chicken + Sky Lanes Bowling
For couples wanting and needing that serious Southern-fried comfort food, head back to the South and look no further than Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack. With two locations to sink your teeth into, Rocky’s makes double dating in Asheville easy whether you’re on the Westside or Southside of town.
Grease up the fingers at the West Asheville Rocky’s location before heading next door to the hip, classic bowling center Sky Lanes. We love any business keeping it local and Sky Lanes does just that by offering a great selection of local craft brews and great food. (As if Rocky’s chicken wasn’t enough.) Do take note that on Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s, during the Summer, these bowling lanes are mostly occupied by bowling leagues so maybe pick one of the other five days of the week to plan a double date night at Sky Lanes and Rocky’s Hot Chicken.
Our favorite nights of the week to go bowling at Sky Lanes is Friday’s and Saturday’s because it’s Cosmic Night! Beginning at 10 pm, they drop the lights and turn up the glow! Lace-up those stylish bowling alley shoes and put a dark spin on your next bowling night. Please note: Cosmic prices are per lane, not per person but does it matter? You can’t put a price on a dark adventure.
Sky Lanes Bowling Center
1477 Patton Avenue
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 252-7566
Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack
1455 Patton Avenue
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 575-2260
South Asheville Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack + Fox and Otter Adventure Escape Room
Escape rooms can be the perfect ice-breaker for a first date or a one-hundredth date revival simply by motivating playfulness and flirting. Rocky’s Hot Chicken in South Asheville is steps away from Fox N Otter, one of Asheville’s most unique escape rooms. Which are you? A clever fox or a sneaky otter? Find out with a new adventurous double date beginning at Fox N Otter where post-breakout, you can trot on over to Rocky’s Hot Chicken to replenish all your brain cells with delicious southern fried provisions.
Fox N Otter Adventure Escapes
3749 Sweeten Creek Road, Unit 2
Arden, NC 28704
(828) 585-4302
Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack
3749 Sweeten Creek Road
Arden, NC 28704
(828) 676-3222
Well-Played Board Game Café + Chai Pani
Since the day they opened in 2009, the Indian street grub and vibrant atmosphere at Chai Pani instantaneously became a favorite for Asheville locals. A decade later, it’s everyone’s cherished curry spot with flavor explosive snacks and funky vibes. Throughout the South, James Beard-nominated Chef Meherwan Irani has built an empire of Bombay style eateries blended with spirited, craft cocktails topped off with southern charm. We adore this cheerful space for pre-gaming and energizing your double date night before heading down the stairs and around the corner to Well-Played Boardgame Café.
Calling all gamers! Ready to feel like a kid again? Brainy activities are waiting for you at Well-Played Boardgame Café and are at the top of our list for an entertaining double date night in Asheville. Stationed on Wall Street, the cutest side street in downtown, Well-Played Boardgame Cafe has good eats, local craft beer + wine, sweet treats, and an endless selection of games, games, and more games. Whether you’re in the mood to break out the familiar, nostalgic games or if you’re feeling inquisitive enough to attempt something new, Well-Played has you covered!
Well-Played Boardgame Café
58 Wall Street
Asheville. NC 28801
(828) 232-7375
Chai Pani
22 Battery Park Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 254-4003
Lake Julian Disc Golf Course + 12 Bones Barbecue and Brewing
Disc Golf is a fast-growing, laid back, enjoyable outdoor activity that just about anyone can enjoy. Not only does it provide you with the perfect backdrop for an amusing double date night, but it also gets you back to nature which is great for escaping everyday stress. Asheville has more than one, well-designed parks adorned with disc courses and Lake Julian Park in Arden is one of our favorites. This challenging yet beautiful eighteen-hole course is a mix of difficult and easy throwing holes that will have you battling it out lakeside. A great way to work up an appetite for barbecue and brews.
Find more Kathy Wolfe Photography here.
Asheville is blessed with having some of the best barbecues! Pioneering the BBQ scene here in the River Arts District of Asheville is 12 Bones Barbecue. Fast forward to 2019, and they are now expanding their talents into craft brewing which of course, is keeping them at the top of their game. In no way is it surprising that this BBQ empire is growing their brand and exploring new ways to evolve their standing in the Asheville F&B scene.
The new 12 Bones location in Arden is just a disc’s throw away from Lake Julian which makes this Arden double date night a no brainer. In the spirit of competition, whoever falls short of winning at disc golf buys the first round at 12 Bones Brewing.
Lake Julian Disc Golf Park
Lake Julian Road
Arden, NC 28704
(828) 684-0376
12 Bones Brewing
2350 Hendersonville Road
Arden, NC 28704
(828) 687-1395
Asheville Treetop Adventure Park + Gypsy Queen Cuisine
You won’t even leave the city of Asheville for this play date! Whether you begin this double date with food or fun depends entirely on how you sign up for tree climbing. If it’s a Saturday, start by filling up with Gypsy Queen Cuisine first before heading over to Asheville Treetop Adventures night climb. If you’re planning on a day climb, head to Gypsy Queen post swing to replenish after an afternoon of intense monkey play.
Asheville Treetops Adventure Park is one of Asheville most fun attractions for couples who like to swing into action. Think jungle book meets climbing course. With sixty unique climbing, flying, walking, jumping, swinging, and rappelling challenges anchored to over thirty towering trees and poles, the fun is never-ending.
We recommend planning a Saturday night for the Twilight Climb! Once the sun disappears, neon lights take over illuminating the entire tree course making this adventure extra memorable. Over 15,000 colored lights, colorful lasers glowing on limbs and leaves, highlighting your magical tree climbing double date night experience.
Gypsy Queen Cuisine
807 Patton Avenue
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 575-2758
Asheville Treetops Adventure Park
85 Expo Drive
Asheville, NC 28806
(877) 247-5539
Now that you have five exciting ways to create a new Asheville double date in your head, what’s holding you back from planning your next adventure? Sure, you can revert back to the ole reliable dinner and a movie but why not spice things up and surprise your sweetheart with a new adventure. Who knows where that will lead to next!
Leave a Reply