Is Asheville still a food destination in 2024? Tripadvisor ranks U.S. cities

Tiana Kennell, Asheville Citizen Times
·2 min read
The Market Place is one of the 53 participating restaurants in the 2024 Asheville Restaurant Week.
The Market Place is one of the 53 participating restaurants in the 2024 Asheville Restaurant Week.

ASHEVILLE - Asheville is moving up the ladder as a food lovers’ paradise in the latest award series from Tripadvisor.

This month, Tripadvisor announced its 2024 Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best winners, and Asheville claimed a spot on one of the national lists.

Asheville ranked No. 9 on the list of the Best Food Destinations in the U.S.

The Blue Ridge Mountain city is one rung higher than last year, when it came in at No. 10.

A beet dish from Vivian.
A beet dish from Vivian.

New Orleans claimed the No. 1 spot once again. The Louisianan city was No. 8 on the Best Foodies Destinations in the World list ― the only U.S. city that made the cut.

For the U.S., Charleston, South Carolina, and Maui, Hawaii, came in second and third. The list continues with New York City; Savannah, Georgia; Nashville, Tennessee; Miami Beach; and Boston, respectively.

Asheville ranked higher than San Diego, which rounded out the top 10.

Tripadvisor’s reviewed data over 12 months to curate the rankings list based on above-and-beyond reviews and opinions on hotels, restaurants and things to do from the site’s users.

Dishes are plated at Laila, a new Indian restaurant in Asheville, November 8, 2023.
Dishes are plated at Laila, a new Indian restaurant in Asheville, November 8, 2023.

“Fewer than 1% of Tripadvisor’s 8 million listings are awarded Best of the Best, signifying the highest level of excellence in travel,” according to Tripadvisor.

Asheville was praised for its local food scene that supports sustainable agriculture and its abundance of farmers markets for a city with a population of less than 100,000 residents (as of the 2020 census).

Tripadvisor states that “the local restaurant scene is all about taking advantage of the seasonal produce sold there.”

Year-round farmers markets in the city include the Asheville City Market, North Asheville Tailgate Market, River Arts District Farmers Market and the WNC Farmers Market.

Greens at a local farmers market
Greens at a local farmers market

Diners can easily find dishes and beverages made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients from farms and purveyors on menus throughout the city and region.

A shoutout is given to the local microbreweries. Asheville continues to grow with a diverse community of craft beer, cider, wine, spirits, soda and other nonalcoholic beverage producers.

Asheville is noted as being an ideal place for shopaholics, ghost tours, make-and-see art, and hiking tours, too.

View the full list at tripadvisor.com.

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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 tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Tripadvisor ranking upholds Asheville's reputation as food destination