Coffee Shop Saturdays: High Five Coffee, Asheville, NC
Vibrant downtown Asheville.
Asheville, NC.
It's Portland East.
Another one of those places where Millennials go to retire.
Many beards, tattoos, spacers, and flannel. A lot of craft beer.
And specialty coffee. That's what I was looking for last Sunday morning. I'd been at a conference center all weekend. I've had worse conference center coffee (to my surprise, meals were tasty), but this aficionado was ready for a good cup of coffee.
I found said cup at High Five, in downtown Asheville.
There are a total of three High Five shops in Asheville. The Flagship store, north of downtown, a very cool looking "to go" store outside of town by the French Broad River, and the downtown location - which is where I found myself.
Parking in Asheville
I've been to worse parking towns. Weekends are busy here. I found a spot in a lot and paid $3. I could have trolled for a place on the street, but I'm not sure it would have been worth the time. There's a parking garage across the street from High Five. As I found out later, the first hour is free, which would have been plenty for me.
Coffee at High Five
High Five partners with Counter Culture coffee. I'm finding more and more US based specialty shops are using Counter Culture, and I've no real complaint. Best I can tell, Counter Culture partners well with the coffee supply chain in a fair and ethical manner. Their beans are fresh and have a recent roast date. I had a Rwandan single-origin pour-over during my visit - and enjoyed it. Central African coffees tend to be a bit floral for my tastes - but this had only mild floral and citrus notes, with a stronger toffee undertone. It's a nice combo.
And Food
I ate a scone. I can't remember the scone's name - but I do know it involved black walnuts, cherries, and rosemary. Flavorful, indeed. I'm going to say the folks at High Five not only do their own stunts, but they also make their own food. My scone definitely didn't come from a commercial food service. Their other edibles looked amazing, as well.
Oh. And there are waffles. Enough said.
Asheville, NC (or Portland, East)
Service and Seating
My order was "to go" (my destination was home, and I was ready to get there). Thus, I didn't spend much time sitting down. While small, the downtown shop is pleasant, friendly, and quiet enough. There is some soft seating - but, because of its size, seating is generally limited. I didn't see much outdoor space at this location, either. My guess is more seating's available at their other location north of downtown Asheville.
Check out High Five next time you're in the Mountains of North Carolina. They serve good coffee and are nice to people - something we need more of these days.
Check them out:
Or best yet - take a trip to Asheville and check them out in person. High Five definitely comes with my recommended.
Downtown:
13 Rankin Ave.
Asheville, NC
Flagship Location:
190 Broadway St.
Asheville, NC
To-Go by the River:
2000 Riverside Dr. #54
Asheville, NC
