ASHEVILLE – A one-stop shop for cocktails, burgers, coffee, snacks and good times has opened near the French Broad River and the Carrier Park section of the Greenway.
On August 22, DayTrip and Boy Howdy officially opened at 219 Amboy Road, the former locations of Cascade Lounge and Home Ground Coffee Bar and Deli in West Asheville.
The complex’s connecting buildings allow the two dining areas to exist side by side, improving the overall customer experience.
DayTrip, co-owned by Brandon Davis and Davie Roberts, brings disco vibes to the 1970s-inspired dive bar.
“I want people to have a place where they can come and think, ‘I don’t have to think about work at all and I can immerse myself in this other world – this fever dream of the ’70s,'” Davis said.
Boy Howdy, owned by Christian Myers, serves signature smash burgers with Sour Patch Kids candies.
“Our two brands are an instant fit,” Myers said.
Guests can eat and drink in the restaurant or bar, or head outside to the spacious backyard with ample seating by the creek, which hosts outdoor public events such as ’70s horror movie watching parties, comedy and improv shows, night markets, trivia games, and DJ sets.
“We want this place to be a place where people ask, ‘Where can we do whatever we want to do?’ And their answer is DayTrip,” Davis said.
The outdoor space – where Davis and Roberts held their wedding reception in 2020 when it was still the Cascade Lounge – can be rented for private events.
The partners will open DayTrip’s coffee bar and bodega in September.
Community members have expressed a desire to bring coffee back to this location after years of visiting Home Ground. DayTrip, in partnership with Penny Cup Coffee, will launch a daytime coffee program, with tentative hours of 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, operating on the Boy Howdy’s side of the property.
Additionally, a bodega will be set up with items ranging from grab-and-go snacks and cases of beer to essentials like sunscreen for those heading to the greenway and river.
“That’s the beauty of this place. What I like about it is that there are so many different areas,” Roberts said. “There’s the bar, which has that kind of vibe, and the dining area across the hall, which is more outdoor and plant-focused, and then we have our backyard.”
On the menu: DayTrip
Davis and Roberts, who together have extensive professional experience in the local food and beverage industry, including at Nine Mile, Rosetta’s Kitchen and Universal Joint, said their goal with DayTrip is to create a place to get great, accessible drinks.
Davis said DayTrip is meant to be a safe space for the community, especially with regard to the queer community and the “weirdos of Asheville.”
“We understand you. We see you,” he said.
DayTrip offers off-menu classics and other drinks, but the owners decided to have some fun with their list of cocktails and mocktails, giving them kitschy names like “28 Moons of Uranus,” “Hissy Fit,” and “Nebula Nectar.”
DayTrip was still in the early idea stages for Davis and Roberts when their friend told them about a dream in which she took a day trip through a forest that opened up to reveal her “magic bar,” inspiring the name “DayTrip.”
“It stuck and fit with our ’70s theme. A play on words about coming to Asheville and taking your time – and it’s a little trippy in here,” Davis said.
DayTrip uses a nostalgic 1970s aesthetic and a playlist of disco songs to create the cozy atmosphere the partners were looking for.
The bar’s renovation included mid-century modern touches such as wood-paneled walls and custom shelving, while stylized decor such as geometric tiles in the bar and tabletops, pendant lights and petal appliques echo the era and theme.
The interior mural is by local artist Gus Cutty, who was commissioned to create additional murals outside.
The bar at DayTrip is open daily from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
On the menu: Boy Howdy
Myers has worked in restaurants and has more than a decade of experience in the craft beer business, including as sales manager for Dssolvr Brewery, where he hosted his first Smash Burger pop-up nearly two years ago.
Over the last year, the pop-up has grown in popularity as it has been featured at various venues across the city.
Myers said the brick-and-mortar store will provide guests with stability and regular service.
He said the inspiration for the company name was his late grandmother, who used the old expression “Boy Howdy!” when she was excited.
The fast-casual eatery offers counter service and a menu of smash burgers, including the best-selling flagship “Smash Burger in Paradise” – double-stuffed Chop Shop Butchery patties topped with “Freedom” cheese, onions, bread and butter pickles and Boy Howdy sauce.
Two specialty burgers were introduced to offer interpretations of popular classics with local flair, such as the Burger King Whopper-inspired “Have It Your Way.”
Inspired by McDonald’s Big Mac, the Big Howdy features two Chop Shop Butchery patties on a sesame seed bun, including a center bun, with grilled diced onions, chopped lettuce, Freedom cheese and a secret sauce.
There is a vegan “Don’t Have a Cow” burger.
Meals will include chips and Sour Patch Kids—a vegan treat that has been popular at the pop-ups—and more sides are in the pipeline. A current seasonal side dish is watermelon sprinkled with tajin and chamoy.
On DayTrip’s bar menu, guests will find Dssolvr Boy Howdy, a Kölsch brewed by the brewery to support its burgeoning burger business.
Boy Howdy’s kitchen is open daily from 4pm to 10pm.
DayTrip and Boy Howdy
Where: 219 Amboy Road, Asheville.
DayTrip opening hours: Daily from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Boy Howdy opening hours: Daily from 4pm to 10pm.
Info: For more, follow @daytrip.avl and @boyhowdyburgers on Instagram.
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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a Citizen Times subscription.
