Sometimes a meal sneaks up on you and reminds you why Western North Carolina continues to quietly flex its food scene. That’s exactly what happened during our recent visit to Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Mills River, Henderson County—an Italian-inspired feast that hit every note and then some.
We rolled in with the amazing crew from Jeanne’s Hair & Makeup of Asheville, grabbed a couple craft brews (because… Sierra Nevada), and settled into the restaurant feeling excited but wildly unprepared for what was about to happen next.
Enter TONY—our server, and quite possibly the perfect hybrid of Tony Danza’s charm and Tony Soprano’s presence. Warm, confident, hilarious, and absolutely on his game. From the jump, we knew we were in good hands.
Before a single entrée landed, dessert arrived at the table, another server dropped it off. And no—we did not order it. We flagged Tony down to send it back, but you know the universal rule: if it touches the table, it’s yours. And honestly? We’re dessert-first people anyway. No foodie rules here.
That “accidental” dessert turned out to be the Bigfoot Pretzel Bread Pudding—and yes, you should come here just for this. Bigfoot raspberry jam, peanut butter caramel sauce, raspberry swirl chocolate chunk ice cream, and a malted chocolate pretzel crunch situation that felt borderline unfair. Insanely delicious.
Then the real Italian feast began.
We dove into the PILS & Saffron Mussels with PEI mussels swimming in a saffron broth alongside fennel, Calabrian chilis, parsley, and rustic Italian bread. The Raviolo Carbonara followed—stuffed with carbonara filling, bacon fat and sage pesto, whipped lemon ricotta (you know that got our attention), and brown butter walnuts. Absolute comfort perfection.
Add in the Hazy Little Thing Meatballs with spicy arrabbiata, stracciatella, herbed crumbs, and rustic bread, plus the Calabrian Salami & Winter Squash Pizza topped with pale ale squash purée, serrano pepper honey, baby kale, provolone, and mozzarella—and suddenly our table looked like a full-on Italian celebration.
Every bite disappeared. Every plate was cleared. (Okay, Taty and Liz may have snagged a couple pizza slices for late-night munchies—but that’s just smart planning.)
Sierra Nevada has been part of the Asheville-area fabric for years. We’ve had the beers. We’ve danced to the music. Somehow… we’d never eaten here. Shame on us. And maybe a tiny bit on them for not inviting us sooner.
And just when you think Sierra Nevada couldn’t get any better, the location seals the deal. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is conveniently located right near the AVL Airport at 100 Sierra Nevada Way, Mills River, NC, making it the perfect meeting point between Asheville and Hendersonville. Easy to get to, hard to leave, and absolutely worth the trip—whether you’re flying in, road-tripping, or just looking for your next unforgettable meal.
If you’ve never sat down for a meal at Sierra Nevada in Mills River, fix that immediately. Come hungry. Stay awhile. Order boldly. This is one of those meals that reminds you why food experiences matter—and why WNC continues to surprise us in the best ways.
