You are walking through Asheville and then suddenly there it is. A bright red London double decker bus parked on a patch of grass like it drove off course and decided to stay.
Only this bus does not carry passengers. It serves coffee. Someone had the brilliant idea to convert an iconic piece of British transit into a tiny caffeine station.
The upper deck has small tables where you can sip your latte and look out the window like a tourist in a strange city. The lower deck houses the espresso machine and a pastry case. I ordered a vanilla latte and sat near the back, pretending I was commuting somewhere important.
North Carolina has plenty of quirky coffee shops. This might be the quirkiest.
The Bus That Traveled Across the World to Serve You Coffee
Before this bus ever brewed a single espresso, it spent its early years rolling through the streets of Bristol, England. Built in 1963, the Bristol Lodekka was a workhorse of British public transit, ferrying passengers through English towns during the 1960s and 70s.
One account even connects it to the iconic Trafalgar Square route in London.
By the early 1970s, the bus had made a surprising leap across the Atlantic and landed in Atlanta, Georgia. For a while, it lived a very different kind of life there as a party bus and karaoke spot, which is quite a career change from British commuter transport.
Then in 1999, Greg Bounds brought the bus north to Asheville, North Carolina, gave it a new purpose, and Double D’s Coffee and Desserts was born. The bus found its permanent home at 41 Biltmore Avenue, parked right at the corner of Biltmore and Aston Street.
It has been fueling Asheville mornings ever since. The story alone is worth the visit.
A 1963 Lodekka: The Star of the Show
Not all vintage vehicles age gracefully, but this one absolutely does. The Bristol Lodekka was a specific model built by the Bristol Commercial Vehicles company, designed with a lower floor height than most double-deckers of its era.
That design made it easier for passengers to board, and it became a staple across the English countryside and city routes alike.
What makes this particular bus so visually striking is how much of its original character has been preserved. The deep red paint, the boxy silhouette, the rounded front end with its wide windshield.
It looks exactly like what it is: a piece of British transportation history sitting in the American South.
Up close, the details become even more fun. You start noticing the original body lines, the way the upper deck curves slightly at the roof, and the general sense that this thing has genuinely lived a full life.
It is not a replica or a themed decoration. This is the real deal, and that authenticity is a big part of what makes Double D’s feel so special.
The bus earns its own admiration before you even step inside.
Two Floors, Two Completely Different Vibes
One of the best parts of visiting Double D’s is deciding where to sit, because your two options feel almost like two different places. The lower level tends to feel a bit more intimate, tucked in, and close to the action of ordering and watching the espresso machine do its thing.
Head up the narrow staircase to the top deck, though, and the whole mood shifts. Up there, the original bus seats have been reupholstered and arranged around small tables, giving it this cozy, slightly nostalgic atmosphere.
The windows wrap around you on both sides, and the elevated view of Biltmore Avenue adds a little extra charm to your coffee break.
It genuinely feels like you are sitting in a piece of history, which you technically are. The upper deck in particular has this quality of being both quirky and comfortable at the same time.
Kids love it up there. Adults do too, honestly.
There is something about sipping a well-made latte while perched above a downtown street in a 60-year-old British bus that just makes the whole experience feel like a small adventure. Pick your floor based on your mood.
The Courtyard Out Back: A Hidden Little Gem
Not everyone knows about the courtyard, and that somehow makes it even better. Tucked behind the bus, there is a small outdoor seating area with tables where you can enjoy your drink in the open air.
On a warm Asheville afternoon, it is genuinely one of the nicest spots in the whole downtown area.
The courtyard has a relaxed, unhurried energy to it. It is the kind of place where you sit down with a coffee and a slice of something sweet, and then somehow an hour passes.
The space occasionally hosts live performances, which adds a whole other layer of atmosphere depending on when you visit.
Even without live music, the courtyard has a personality of its own. The presence of the bus looming nearby gives the outdoor space a theatrical backdrop that most coffee shops could never replicate.
Surrounding greenery softens the urban setting just enough to make it feel like a little escape from the bustle of Biltmore Avenue. If the weather is cooperating, try to grab a table outside.
It rounds out the whole Double D’s experience in a way that sitting inside alone simply cannot match.
Gourmet Coffee and Locally Roasted Beans Worth Seeking Out
The bus gets most of the attention, and fairly so, but the coffee itself absolutely holds its own. Double D’s serves espresso drinks, teas, and gourmet coffee made from locally roasted beans.
That detail matters more than it might seem at first glance.
Asheville has a genuinely strong coffee culture, and sourcing locally roasted beans means the quality in your cup reflects the care of the broader community. You are not getting generic chain-style coffee here.
The flavors are more thoughtful, the roast profiles more considered, and the whole experience of drinking it feels more connected to the place you are in.
A well-pulled espresso in a cozy double-decker bus is already a memorable thing. When the beans behind it are sourced with intention and roasted nearby, it elevates the whole visit from quirky novelty to genuinely satisfying coffee stop.
Whether you are a black coffee purist or someone who loves a frothy, flavored latte, the menu has room for you. The drinks are made with care, and you can taste the difference.
Good coffee in a great setting is a combination that is hard to beat anywhere in the world.
Desserts and Baked Goods That Deserve Their Own Spotlight
Plenty of coffee shops offer a sad, plastic-wrapped muffin and call it a food menu. Double D’s takes a noticeably different approach.
The baked goods and desserts here are locally made, and that comes through in both the freshness and the variety on offer any given day.
The selection tends to rotate, which keeps things interesting if you are a regular. One visit might bring a slice of something rich and chocolatey.
Another might feature a fruit-forward tart or a buttery pastry that pairs perfectly with whatever espresso drink you ordered. The desserts are not an afterthought here.
They are genuinely part of the experience.
There is something satisfying about treating yourself to a beautifully made dessert in a setting this unusual. The combination of a well-crafted sweet treat and a quality drink, enjoyed inside a 1963 British bus, creates a moment that feels indulgent in the best possible way.
It is the kind of stop that turns a regular afternoon errand run into something you actually look forward to. Do yourself a favor and do not skip the desserts.
Order something you would not normally pick. You will probably not regret it.
Karen and Jeff Lazzaro: The Keepers of the Bus
Since 2009, Karen and Jeff Lazzaro have been the ones keeping Double D’s running, and their ownership shows in the details. This is not a franchise operation or a corporate coffee concept.
It is a small, independently owned business with real people behind it who clearly care about what they have built.
That kind of ownership leaves a mark on a place. The atmosphere at Double D’s feels personal in a way that chain coffee shops rarely do.
Little touches throughout the space reflect years of thoughtful stewardship rather than a brand guideline document.
Running a business inside a 60-year-old double-decker bus comes with its own set of challenges, and the fact that Double D’s has thrived for so many years speaks to the dedication of the people running it. Locals return regularly, and visitors from all over make a point of stopping by when they are in Asheville.
That kind of loyalty does not happen by accident. It is earned through consistency, quality, and genuine hospitality.
When you visit, you are supporting something real. That feels good in a way that goes beyond just a great cup of coffee.
Why Double D’s Belongs on Every Asheville Itinerary
Asheville is packed with interesting places to eat, drink, and explore, but Double D’s occupies a category entirely its own. Yelp named it one of the Most Outrageous Restaurants of 2026, which makes sense when you consider that the entire dining and drinking experience takes place inside a vehicle that once crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
Beyond the novelty, though, what makes it worth visiting is the combination of quality, character, and community. The coffee is good.
The desserts are made locally. The setting is unlike anything else in the country.
And the whole operation has been running long enough to prove it is not just a gimmick.
Whether you are spending a weekend in Asheville for the first time or you have been coming here for years, Double D’s is the kind of stop that sticks with you. It is a great story to tell.
More importantly, it is a genuinely enjoyable place to spend an hour. You get good coffee, a sweet treat, and the experience of sitting inside a piece of living history parked on a downtown street.
Not many coffee shops can say that. Address: 41 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, North Carolina.
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