Good morning, Asheville. Brook here, and two of my favorite things in life are my sweatpants and not having to cook supper at the end of the workday. So when I can keep my beloved, ratty sweats on + still be able to pick up food without getting out of my car, I call that winning. This brings us to deliciously convenient drive-thru restaurants — of which Asheville has more than few fabulous options. Be sure to bookmark this page for the next time you need to eat, but can’t bear to cook or change into something more respectable.
10th Muse Comfort Food (1475 Patton Ave.)
Whether you want coffee drinks or sweet treats, you’ll find them both here, including milkshakes, bubble waffles, deep-fried Oreos, doughnuts from DoughP Doughnuts, and cookies from Morsel Cookie Co. Protip: to save some time in the drive through, check out the novella-sized drink menu here.
AVL Tacos & Taps (705 Merrimon Ave.)
Tacos + beer? Yes, please. Get both here, where one drive-thru doles out made-to-order burritos, tacos, nachos + more while the other serves up six packs of Asheville Brewing‘s canned beers and 64- and 32-ounce growlers with your choice of 12 rotating taps. You can also bring your own clean growler to fill.
Earthling Coffee + Espresso (867 Smokey Park Hwy., Candler)
Pull into one of their drive through windows (yes, there are two) for a variety of coffee drinks that include fab flavors (like pistachio) and the option to include a dash of full-spectrum CBD. They also offer sweet treats like muffin tops + brownies. Smaller customers like my daughter love the hot chocolate and magic, color-changing lemonade.
Ivory Road Cafe & Kitchen (1854 Brevard Rd., Arden)
This dine-in spot also offers a convenient drive-thru, which you can use to nab killer breakfasts (like the Southern skillet + French toast) and lunch or supper (like the toadstool panini sandwich and the rosemary chicken salad). Protip: Ivory Road also caters + makes fantastic custom sweets, like these adorable cupcakes.
Sand Hill Kitchen (491 Sardis Rd.)
On the outside, this spot — located inside a gas station — doesn’t look like much, but the location belies the magnificence therein. From fried chicken sandwiches and award-winning burgers to breakfast biscuits + burritos, everything here is made from scratch. If you’re in a rush, call ahead and order before you hit up the drive-thru.
Taco Temple (132 Charlotte St.)
Nosh on tortas + handmade tortillas stuffed with any number of delectable offerings, including rotisserie chicken slow-cooked in beer-chile sauce, house made chorizo verde, and ancho chile + brown sugar-rubbed steak. It’s also worth a visit just for some temple tots (tater tots kissed with chile-lime salt). Check the menu, call ahead to order, and then drive-thru to pay + pickup.
Whisk (801 Smokey Park Hwy., Candler)
When you want some heavenly baked goods, hit up this teensy little spot in Candler, which cranks out freshly baked loaves of bread (like French, brioche + honey wheat), pastries, quiches, muffins, scones + more in a variety of rotating flavors. They also make custom cakes for weddings and more with 48 hours notice. Check their menu here.
Did we accidentally leave off your favorite drive-thru spot? Let us know in the comments below.
