Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co.

Next to myself and music, my husband Andy’s favorite things in the world are yummy pizza and tasty brews. So when the kind staff at the Grove Park Inn referred us to Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. during a recent visit to the area, I’m pretty sure Andy thought he was in heaven.

The place is located on a rather unassuming street away from the more touristy section of the city. It is set back from the street and if not for the UFO crashing through the roof it doesn’t really stand out. But then we walked through the front door and it was like awesomeness overload.

Funky, Fun & Fabulous

There are vibrant painted murals and movie poster tiles decorating the walls. Sirius Radio was spinning commercial free rock and funk. What a fun environment to walk into! Do you remember how Wendy’s used to have those tables with pictures of old-timey newspaper ads? Well, Asheville Pizza kicked it up a notch by plastering hysterical tabloid headlines and articles all over their tables which kept us devilishly entertained while waiting for our beers.

Tasty Brew

Speaking of the beer, after perusing their menu and getting some input from our server we decided upon the Rocket Girl Lager for me and the Shiva I.P.A. for Andy. The Lager was a Pale Ale that had a crisp bite that was subtle enough for my domestic palate. The I.P.A.’s bite was more bitter and really tasty too.

The movie themed menu drew me into ordering the Royale with Cheese simply because I couldn’t pass up the offer to say the words aloud in a restaurant in honor of Pulp Fiction. Andy decided that when in Rome, order the pizza. Although you can build your own, by the slice or by the pie, he went for the Mardi Gras gourmet option.

Mmmmmm

As you can see, this pizza loaded with cajun chicken, chorizo sausage and a rainbow of peppers did not disappoint. It was hot in temperature and not too spicy. The thin crust reached crispy/doughy balance perfection. The medium 12” size was plenty for Andy to have several slices, share some with me and still bring some home. It is typically sufficient for two to share and I should have stuck with that option. The Royale with Cheese wasn’t anything special, other than in name. The sweet potato fries were yummy though.

While finishing up my beer I explored beyond our table to find that in the back of the restaurant there is a full sized movie theater with 150 person capacity. While we were there they were showing Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince. Admission is $3 a person and there are showings throughout the afternoon and into the evening. They mix up the rotation throughout the week and sell out quickly for the evening showings. Advance purchases the day before are encouraged.

Dinner & A Movie

Near the center of the restaurant there is a board game center and children’s toys to keep the little ones and the young at heart happy. Up near the taps there is an ice cream sundae bar near a pizza topping station which I guess is for the build your own pizza option. We didn’t get all the details since we’d already finished so be sure to ask your server what the deal is with those.

Our lunch bill totaled about $35 for a cheeseburger with fries, three pints of beer and a 12” pizza that provided leftovers. That left plenty of room in the budget to reward our friendly and timely server with a good tip. There was even enough left over for a movie if we had the time.

Great pizza, deliciously brewed beer, terrific tunes and his wife for company. Now that’s what my husband should consider a grand slam.

Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co.
675 Merrimon Avenue
Asheville, NC 28804
(828) 254-1281
www.ashevillepizza.com

*Serving Lunch & Dinner here and at their Coxe Avenue location
*Movies show at 1PM, 4PM, 7PM and 10PM (no late flick on the weekend)
*All major credit cards accepted
*In addition to sponsoring a Children’s Film Festival and a Superhero 5K Run, they partner with native son and Allman Brothers Band/Govt. Mule guitarist Warren Haynes to brew a Christmas Jam White Ale (November – January) in conjunction with his music festival. All proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity.

By Molly G. @ The Bumbles Blog

All photos credited to Molly G. @The Bumbles Blog