The Asheville Pizza and Brewing Dad's say it beats Chuck e Cheese by far!

The Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company known as "The Brew and View" to locals saved my life in 2003. Well at the very least it saved my sanity! That is the year I moved to Asheville North Carolina from Portland Oregon with my then six month old son and my boyfriend. We lived in a tiny run down apartment on the North side just 6 blocks from the brew and view. As new comers to the area we were starting to second guess our relocation to the south in search of jobs and closeness to family. Especially our idea to leave Portland Oregon, full of Breweries, festivals, quirky neighborhoods and amazing mountains. Alas here we were. I had no friends and being home with a baby our social life was limited. On a Saturday afternoon stroll up Merrimon ave with our jogger stroller we past by the deli's, Thai restaurants, gas stations, banks and every other mainstream business fronts you would expect. Just as we crested the hill there it was in all of its aluminum glory. "What the hell is that?" I asked quizzically? A space ship crashing into the building aliens attacking and a bear with a laser beam??? We hesitated wondering if the place was even open then we saw a thirty something couple wander out with pint glasses in their hands and sit down on two old whiskey barrels converted into benches. Score! We ran to the building like Dorothy and her friends running to OZ.

The location opened in 1998 as the Blue Moon Brew and View and was changed a year later to Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company. It has two old time movie houses which serve beer, wine and a full menu of pizza, spinach burgers, nachos and the like. Fun house mirrors, a full vintage arcade and tons of space for the kids to run around. We found that out on our first visit as we sat on the "game room" side. Made up of rehabbed McDonald's booths and giant colorful picnic tables, the walls were covered in murals depicting Michael Jackson, Jim Morrison and Chewbaca toasting us from the past. Kids ran around in a control chaos as parents smiled and tossed back their in house brewed Shiva's or Hoodini (my personal favorite). The second movie house showed second run movies for $2 and had long tables in front of each row to serve beer and food from their concession counter. The food was good the beer was great and in time this became our favorite hang out to meet up with families we saw there week after week. We came prepared with quarters for the kiddies and always appreciated the friendly staff.

Today the Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company continues to grow and expand. They opened another location in downtown Asheville which includes a huge outdoor patio, live music and of course a full beer and liquor menu.. If you are visiting Asheville for the first time this is the place to go. Support a local institution and give your kids that "chuck e cheese" effect without wanting to kill yourself in the process. Cheers!