We stopped in Hendersonville on our way from Chimney Rock to our cabin outside of Brevard. We had hoped to see the Aquarium & Shark Lab By Team ECCO, but they had closed at 4. Instead, we ended up at Brooks Tavern for an early dinner. We grabbed the table in the window and the bartender was quickly over to take our order.

Candied Bacon

To start my daughter and I insisted that we try the pint of candied bacon ($6.95). It is literally a pint glass full of thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon. And it was delicious!

Fried Chicken Sandwich

I went with the southern fried chicken sandwich for my meal ($9.95 with a choice of side). This chicken breast is marinated in pickle juice for 24 hours, breaded, and fried golden. This was a really good chicken sandwich. It was served with pickles and I needed some mayo to complete the sandwich.

Turkey, Apple & Brie

My wife enjoyed the turkey, apple, and brie sandwich ($10.95) served on grilled sourdough with cranberry relish and a caramel dipping sauce. Wow, this was good too! It’s a really great combination of flavors. Overall the food was great and our service was excellent!

After a few days in Asheville, we traveled down to Brevard for the rest of our stay. We took the scenic route and toured Chimney Rock State Park. But before climbing to the top of Chimney Rock we stopped for a light lunch at Hickory Nut Gorge Brewery. Right outside the entrance to the park, sits a number of small shops and restaurants. The brewery is right there off of the main road through town. Orders are placed at a window (though that might just be a COVID protocol). From there you grab a seat at any of a number of tables that overlook the Broad River. Food was quickly delivered to our table.

Pulled Pork Nachos

My wife and I split the pulled pork nachos topped with slow-smoked pork, bacon, beer cheese, sour cream, spring onions, and your choice of BBQ sauce ($12). These were delicious! The pork was well-flavored and combined well with the beer cheese and sauce. Our kids enjoyed the cheddar and mozzarella cheese quesadilla ($8) and the Bavarian pretzels with beer cheese ($7).

Beer With View

The beer was pretty good, the only IPA’s available during our visit were the English IPA and the Hazy IPA. I went with the English, and while not my preferred style, it was a good beer, malty and a bit of hops. But the view that I had while I enjoyed this beer was top-notch! The kids also enjoyed getting their feet wet in the river before and after their meals. So much that my wife and I were able to enjoy a second round of beers!