Did you know Darë is an Asheville-based business? Every wedge and tub of our cheese is made by hand, in small batches, right here in the mountains we call home. Asheville is a town known for not only its beautiful scenery and hikes, but also it’s decorated food scene. So, when a local restaurant puts our cheese on the menu, we take it as a pretty huge compliment.

And there's no better time to visit Asheville than fall. From late September into early November, the color works its way down from the highest peaks into the valleys. With around 120 tree species in the Southern Appalachians, it’s a stunning sea of red and gold.

In the spirit of visiting this beautiful place we call home, we put together a vegan food tour: 5 places to eat in Asheville that serve Darë, from your first coffee to your last nibble of the night, plus a few of our favorite things to do in Asheville in between. Whether you're vegan, dairy-free or just cheese-curious, bring stretchy pants!

Vegan breakfast in West Asheville: Cooperative Coffee Roasters

Start your day on Haywood Road at Cooperative Coffee Roasters, where the café sits right on top of the roastery (you can practically smell your next bag being made). It's bright and colorful inside, with a dog-friendly "secret garden" patio out back. They’re not only a great roastery and cafe, they also support our community members well- they share profits with everyone who works there. That's our kind of people!

Order a coffee and a breakfast sandwich with Darë Vegan Cheese melted in the middle. They always have creative specials too! 

In between:

Head west along Haywood Road, West Asheville's main street, and take your time with the independent shops and cafés on the way to your next stop.

*Cooperative Coffee Roasters, 210 Haywood Rd. Open daily, 8am to 2pm.

Here on a Saturday? 

Start the day at the North Asheville Tailgate Market at the UNC Asheville campus located at 5275 Edgewood Drive, UNCA P28, open 8am to noon through November 21. It's all local farmers and makers, including us - come say hi! Plus, it’s the perfect place to stock up on snacks for the drive home later.

Want to have a picnic with some of that cheese? 

There’s heaps of beautiful hikes in the Asheville area, load up your pack with some Darë from the Saturday market and choose a route from Explore Asheville!

Vegan dessert in West Asheville: The Smokin' Onion

Dessert before lunch? Let’s call it elevensies, like the Hobbits do. The Smokin' Onion started as a vegan food truck in 2021, serving up plant-based comfort food, and now has a home on Haywood Road too. Catch them at the restaurant on the weekend, or track down the truck on a Tuesday (check their socials for where it's parked).

Grab something sweet made with Darë Vegan Cheese. The name might say onion, but the desserts also have layers.

*The Smokin' Onion, 697 Haywood Rd. Restaurant opens weekends, food truck on Tuesdays. Check their socials for times and the truck's location.

A light vegan lunch at Dobra Tea West

Practically next door (a few steps down Haywood Road), Dobra Tea West is where you can slow right down. Dobrá means "good" in Czech, and the first Dobrá tearoom opened in Prague in 1993, started by a group of tea lovers who had shared rare, smuggled-in teas in the last years of communism. The West Asheville tearoom carries on that tradition: calm, cozy and made for lingering over a pot of something special.

It's also the only Dobra in town serving Darë. Keep lunch light (there's plenty more cheese to come, after all) with one of these:

• Vegan Cheese Plate: a rotating trio of our cashew cheeses with grilled pita, seasonal fruit, candied nuts and house pickled vegetables.

• Black Bean Queso Dip: a warm bowl of our Spicy Queso with house-seasoned black beans, avocado, cilantro and lime, served with gluten-free pita wedges.

In between: 

On your way back toward downtown, stretch your legs on the French Broad River Greenway, then wander into the River Arts District. Artists there have been rebuilding since Hurricane Helene, and more than half are back at work in their studios. It's a lovely spot to pick up something handmade and support local makers while you're at it.

*Dobra Tea West, 707 Haywood Rd. Open daily, 10am to 7pm.

Vegan fine dining in downtown Asheville: Chestnut

Once you're downtown, the Asheville Art Museum on Pack Square and the South Slope Mural Trail are both close by if you've got time to fill before dinner. 

Then settle in at Chestnut on Biltmore Avenue. It lives in a 1920s building with a warm, retro feel and a special-occasion glow come dinnertime (it's a local favorite for date night). Chestnut has been sourcing from local growers and cheesemakers since 2012, and we're very happy to be on that list.

Darë back story: did you know we started in the basement of this restaurant? You may not be able to tour our old digs, but you can feel pretty special about sitting above where Darë found it’s start.

Staying the weekend?

Come back for brunch and order the Vegan Chilaquiles: crispy tortilla strips, salsa rojo and black bean sausage, smothered in our Spicy Queso and finished with cilantro lime crema and avocado pico. It's gluten-free too! 

*Chestnut, 48 Biltmore Ave. Dinner from 5pm, brunch 10am to 2:30pm. Check their website for brunch days.

Wine and a vegan cheese board at Battery Park Book Exchange

End your night with a short walk across downtown to the historic Grove Arcade and Battery Park Book Exchange. It's a café, champagne bar and bookstore all in one, with more than 10,000 books over 2 floors, and you're welcome to sip while you browse. Honestly, what a novel idea.

Plot twist: the cheese board is vegan. Gone with the Cheese brings our Balsamic Fig Wedge and Lusty Mustard Wedge together with fruit, pickled vegetables, local preserves, Lusty Monk whole grain mustard and toasted walnuts. Pick toasted baguette or gluten-free multi-seed crackers. Find a comfy chair, pour another glass and settle in for the next chapter.

*Battery Park Book Exchange, 1 Page Ave (Grove Arcade). Open noon to 8pm Wednesday to Saturday, noon to 6pm Sunday and Monday, closed Tuesday.

Visiting on a Friday? 

Pritchard Park is just around the corner, and the free drum circle runs there every Friday from around sunset until about 9:45pm, April through November.

Got a spare morning? 

The Blue Ridge Parkway is right on the edge of town and is the classic leaf-peeping drive this time of year.

Can't make it to Asheville? Dairy-free fall comfort food at home

If Asheville isn't on the cards this fall, you can still bring a taste of it home. Loved the sound of those chilaquiles? Our Vegan Copycat Crunchwrap Supreme brings the same melty Spicy Queso heat to your kitchen, and our Queso Blanco makes a milder version everyone at the table can handle.

And for dessert, our limited-edition Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake is back for the holidays. We made it with our Asheville friends at Spicewalla, and it's a 10-inch cake that cuts into 10 to 12 slices, so there's plenty to share (or not, your call).

Whether you're walking Haywood Road or curled up on the couch, thanks for supporting the local spots that make Asheville taste so good. See you this fall!