This NC restaurant is one of the country’s ‘most outrageous’, Yelp says
An Asheville coffee shop housed inside a vintage double-decker bus is getting national attention.
Double D’s Coffee & Desserts has been named one of Yelp’s Most Outrageous Restaurants of 2026, highlighting its unique setting and fan-favorite menu.
Located in downtown Asheville, the café operates out of a bright-red, 1963 Bristol Lodekka bus that once carried passengers through London during the era of bands like The Beatles and The Who, according to Yelp. The bus made its way to the U.S. decades ago and has served as a café since 1999.
Current owners Karen and Jeff Lazzaro, who have run the business since 2009, lean into what Yelp describes as the spot’s “quirky, fun” atmosphere. Guests can sip coffee either inside the bus or outside on a small garden patio with umbrella tables and benches.
But it’s not just the setting drawing attention.
The shop offers locally baked pastries and espresso drinks made with beans from Asheville-based Notorious Coffee Roasting Company, Yelp says. Yelp reviewers frequently note items like fruit smoothies, “tasty, moist” muffins and specialty drinks.
Among the standouts: the Dirty Chai, a chai latte with espresso, the “fantastic” Red Hot Chili Mocha, which blends espresso with chocolate, vanilla, cayenne pepper and cinnamon and the Double Decker White Mocha, made with espresso, white chocolate, hazelnut and coconut.
“Coffee bars can’t get any cuter than this,” one Yelp reviewer wrote.
More Asheville accolades
This recognition is the latest in a series of accolades for Asheville.
TripAdvisor recently named Asheville among the top foodie destinations in the U.S., and last year, Asheville landed at No. 6 on a list of most underrated travel destinations in the U.S. from Wander, a luxury vacation home rental company, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Additionally, the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile scenic route that weaves through the mountains of much of western North Carolina, including Asheville, was rated among the best road trips in the country by Travel + Leisure.
Other top NC travel destinations
Southern Living recently recognized Sunset Beach for its white sand and crystal clear waters, along with Boone as the one place in North Carolina everyone should visit, highlighting it for its outdoor adventures, rich history, walkable downtown, nearby High Country attractions, upgraded lodging and diverse dining scene.’
The magazine also highlighted Calabash this month, a town in the Outer Banks known as the “seafood capital of the world.”
Last year, Oak Island, Hatteras Island, Topsail Beach, Ocracoke, Duck, Beaufort, Emerald Isle, Nags Head and Wrightsville Beach were on Southern Living’s list of 50 best beach towns in the South, The Charlotte Observer reported.
North Carolina swept up several Southern Living’s 2025 South’s Best Awards, including:
- Best Classic Hotels: Old Edwards Inn and Spa in Highlands
- Best Resorts: The Inn on Biltmore Estate and The Omni Grove Park Inn and Spa in Asheville
- Best New Hotels: The Cozy Mountain Retreat in Highlands
- Best Cities: Asheville and Wilmington
You can find the full list of the best beach towns in the South online at southernliving.com.
Portions of this story were previously published in The Charlotte Observer.
This story was originally published March 18, 2026 at 8:27 AM.
