Bavarian Lodge Restaurant

Hailing from Germany, owner and chef Dieter Homburg rewards Asheville residents with a true taste of his homeland. According to the Mountain Xpress, his methods are scrupulous, and he brings “all the attention to detail, craft and freshness to sausage that his former countrymen in Germany might expect.” In the kitchen of The Bavarian Restaurant & Biergarten, Homburg—affectionately referred to as ‘Doc’—crafts nearly 150 pounds of sausages per week, each link cranked out with a medley of secret spices, Himalayan salt, fresh garlic, real cheddar cheese, and beer. A variety of schnitzels also pile onto plates. Sautéed wiener schnitzel comes with paprika lemon slices or crowned with münster cheese, mushrooms, and fried onions.

Pausing for sips of imported beers and wines, diners feast on hearty German plates inside a rustic dining room decorated by old beer mugs and tapestries. Guests can also get cozy outside in the 80-seat beer garden where two different species of docile bees pollinate malt and hops flowers.