At the Western Edge of downtown Asheville slightly off the beaten path is the Burial Beer Company’s Forestry Camp Taproom and Kitchen. In a building that had to serve as a ranger station of some sort from years gone by is an outstanding brewery with great food. We stopped in for an early dinner/snacks on our last trip and were not disappointed.
I tackled a couple of IPA’s (Never Try to Look Away from the Light & Surf Wax IPA) and Cara had the very unique Abstract Opulence: Illusion 1 (Cream Ale). The IPAs were really good and while the Cream Ale was good it also weighed in at 14% ABV making it a little bit more difficult to drink than the lower positioned IPAs. All three beers were good but sunset in the Forestry Camp stole the show. The sunlight setting in the old building created good light throughout the wooden beams.
Yes – Burial is well known for great beers. Do not sleep on their menu at the taproom. We opted for a few snacks and they all held their own against the beer menu. We had the Candied Nuts, Grilled Marinated Olives, and Jay’s Fried Mushrooms w/ Fennel Salsa Verde. I was very impressed by the Fried Mushrooms they were not at all what I expected and so much better than I could have guessed they would be. This would be my “don’t miss” item on the list. Pick the style of beer you like and across the board, it should pair well with the flavors in this dish. The olives were also tasty served warm and with a slightly smokey taste and the nuts were good but if you have to choose? Go for the mushrooms.
I look forward to a return trip to the Foresty Camp in the future it really hits on a lot of points with great beer, food, and ambiance. I would suggest going earlier in the evening and taking advantage of 4oz or 8oz pours if you want to try more beers. (This thought occurred to me after I ordered my second 16oz and saw more items I wanted to try.) Based on the food we tried and what we saw leave the kitchen I am going to say you can’t miss on the food front. Add this place to you list when visiting Asheville.
Also – don’t miss any of the funky weirdness that makes this place great. Cher the Clueless and Vigo the Carpathian mural? As if indeed.
