You know what an oasis is, right? That’s Goldsboro. A community that is bubbling up from the Coastal Plains of North Carolina, flourishing with art, culinary treasures, parks, planes, pickles, and locally crafted pints.
The city of Goldsboro makes a great choice if you are looking for a destination that does not include a few hundred thousand people or snow. And if you happened to miss out on the European renaissance of the 17th century, you owe it to yourself not to miss out the revival that is erupting in Goldsboro.
With springtime just around the corner, Goldsboro can be your perfect decompression destination. You’ve got all the basics covered with quite a few wonderful perks. The basics are it is easy to get to, only about an hour from the Triangle, and two hours from the Triad, and just about 3 hours from anywhere else in the Piedmont. When you arrive, you find a wide choice of lodging options, from big to boutique. But keep in mind, you’ll have so much to do while you are in town, you won’t be spending much time in your room.
Once you get settled in you have to decide where to have your first meal. Are you thinking steak & whiskey, seafood & Chardonnay, sushi & saki, burgers & beer or soda & subs? (please don’t choose the last one)
If you are caught between steak and seafood, you are in luck.
Barrique is your place. Aged Angus, fine wine, craft cocktails, and barrel-aged whiskeys lead off the menu followed up by fresh seafood from about an hour down the road. And as an extra treat for a date night head upstairs to the 18th Amendment Lounge where the ambiance is relaxed and the drinks are smoking, some of them anyway. Make sure to check out the barrel-aged cocktails that have been aged at least 21 days.
If you are in a pickle and can’t decide between sushi or burgers, again its a two for one kind of solution. Jays Burger and Sushi is just down the road from Barrique. Korean owners and being close to Seymore Johnson Air Force Base expect the Korean to be rock solid. The burgers, I don’t have a logical explanation, all I can think of is there must be a very creative chef who will not serve anything that someone has already done.
I mean really, a bison burger with smoked Gouda sun-dried tomato truffle mushroom with some bacon, or if you choose to substitute Kobe Beef instead of Bison.
After dinner, you can take a walk to one of three taprooms in the downtown area. Goldsboro Brew Works a block or so to your right, Well Travelled Beer a few blocks to your left, and Tobacco and Hops is right behind Well Travelled Beer.
Well Travelled Beer is Goldsboro’s Bar and Bottleshop. You’ll walk into a warm, welcoming community hub with boutique taps and a large selection of bottles and cans from around the world. Tobacco and Hops is on the same block. It’s pretty much as the name implies. A large softly lit open space to enjoy the art of craft beer and cigars.
Goldsboro Brew Works has the slightly deceiving name out of the bunch. It’s a game room, tap room and a bottle shop in the same space. 30 taps, skeet ball and beverages to go. Now that’s a date nightcap!
So far, everything I’ve mentioned is a pleasant stroll downtown. In addition to the food and beverage choices I have mentioned, there are another dozen or so choices to explore on your own.
Downtown is much more than food, boutiques, thrift shops, coffee shops, galleries, theatres and event venues. All laid out in the center of this walkable oasis.
If you decide to venture out a few miles the possibilities are endless! Wineries, breweries, distilleries, parks, historic battlefields, museums are on the short list.
Somehow you must work in the new Brews & ‘Cue Trail. 15 Stops for tasty Eastern BBQ and crafted pints to compliment the pork. My favorite compliment is “hello pork, you look smokin’.”
So clear your schedule for a few days and plan to play in the land of planes, pints, pigs & pickles.
Nestled in the heart of eastern NC between Raleigh and the coast, we are a destination with rich culture and heritage. Our heritage has deep military and agricultural roots. And, let’s not forget our legendary BBQ! We sum up ourselves with 4 Ps: pigs, pickles, planes, and poultry!
www.visitgoldsboronc.com
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