Great Breweries and Beer Options for Aficionados

Find some of the best beer and breweries in the NC Triangle with these reviews. From IPAs to pilsners, stouts, sours and more, North Carolina is brewing some great beer now!

December 26, 2021 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Fullsteam RTP Thinks Outside the Box for Beer and Food in Durham

Fullsteam RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com
When it comes to the OG of the NC Triangle beer scene, Fullsteam Brewery was one of the first along with Big Boss and Lone Rider Beer. When Fullsteam opened up its original location on Rigsbee Street in Durham, they transformed the entire neighborhood. Beer lovers and families would swarm Fullsteam Brewery on the weekends and warm nights, encouraging other businesses to set up shop in the neighborhood. Businesses like Geer Street Garden, Cocoa Cinnamon, and more. With the additions of Liberty Warehouse Apartments, Hutchins Garage and the Durham Food Hall, the growth just continues in that neighborhood corridor. So I was curious to see what Fullsteam with its new space out in Boxyard RTP. As the anchor tenant for Boxyard, I had high hopes, here’s what to expect when you visit!

Bar at Fullsteam RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com

Located on the right-hand side of the Boxyard complex, Fullsteam RTP covers two floors with the main bar and kitchen on floor one and a smaller events space (TopBox) above on floor two. Inside, you’ll find a neat, tidy, and modern space, albeit basic. The overall dimensions of the shipping containers it was built from, visible through metal panels in the floor and of course, the corrugated metal sidewalls. The bar in the back has a neat, wood inlay front face and a tight cluster of beer taps. Overall a very different feel than the old-school Fullsteam on Rigsbee!

Front of Fullsteam RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com

Interior of Fullsteam RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com

Seating consists of some four-tops to the side and longer tables upfront, with access to the Boxyard courtyard through swinging glass doors. In warmer weather, I imagine this interior space will be quite open and similar to a covered patio. Mod, textured, white chairs match those outside placed neatly around the interior. And like the original, Boxyard RTP is offering up some food, in this case, fresh flatbread pizzas, and snacks (fries, breadsticks, peanuts, burrata).

Food menu at Fullsteam RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com

Beer and pizza at Fullsteam RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com

Margherita pizza at Fullsteam RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com

The pizza I tried felt clean and tasty, the classic with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil. They pre-bake the crusts and then top them and heat them up for service. It’s a light and airy bite with plenty of tangy tomato and fresh green, basil pop. I’m sure the menu will continue to evolve in the months ahead as the kitchen gets settled in. Overall, I’m pretty happy with what they’ve done here, just expect a Fullsteam experience that’s WAY different than what you would get downtown. And it makes total sense given how new and novel the Boxyard RTP development is. But great to see a Durham classic go beyond where it started and expand to new locations. Good luck Fullsteam RTP, you’re off to a great start!

Courtyard view at Fullsteam RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com

Fullsteam RTP at Boxyard

900 Park Offices Drive

Durham, NC 27703

919.295.2337

Location on Google maps

August 25, 2018 by Ron Wen

Hutchins Garage is Fixing Up Top-Notch Pizzas for Durham!

Front of Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Front of Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Over the past several months, business has been booming out on Geer Street in Durham! This neighborhood hot spot which already counts Fullsteam Brewery, Motorco, and the Accordion Club amongst its local businesses, has had several major announcements for a future arcade bar and ax-throwing entertainment place. So I was excited (and surprised) to hear about one new business that had snuck under my radar screen, Hutchins Garage. I had spotted a couple of quiet announcements on social media but had no clue what it would be about besides a bar. Luckily a visit to Durham left me with some free time on my hands so I spun out to Geer Street to see what was going down at the new Hutchins Garage!

Garage interior of Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Garage interior of Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com

With only a handful of parking spaces up front, be aware that this end of Geer Street is getting pretty tough for finding a parking spot! From the front, Hutchins Garage exudes a minimalistic face with a creamy utilitarian brick storefront along with several, white pane garage doors. A small doorway (an old service door?) to the far right is the main entryway in this small and jam-packed parking lot. There is parking on some side streets so you may need a bit of time to find a spot and do a short walk when you visit.

Dining area at Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Dining area at Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Exquisite bar at Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Exquisite bar at Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Stepping inside, I was amazed at how nicely redesigned the interior is at Hutchins Garage. Small dining area in front of me and a bar to the left in the first room. The building is all concrete and painted brick walls staying true to its industrial and automotive origins. The space is sprayed in industrial green in the first room along with fascinating blown-glass lamps overhead. There’s also a handful of quirky neon signs displaying “HOT and “Pizza Made Me Do It” showing off some tongue-in-cheek humor. Some industrial signage and details (phone) remain in the space in homage to its past life as an automotive garage.

Menu at Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Menu at Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com

The second room is where diners can order their pizzas for dine-in or take-out eats. Overall it’s a very comfortable space for hanging out and meeting up with friends! While Hutchins Garage is primarily categorized as a bar, its short menu of salads, pizzas, sandwiches and more make it a destination for a quick dinner or late-night bite (open until 2am). I’m curious to see how the menu may morph over time!

Arancini at Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Arancini at Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Over the course of several visits, I’ve had a chance to dabble across their menu, a bit. Enjoyed some arancini and of course, their pizzas! While you can certainly start with the margherita pizza base and build on it, I tend to order up their custom house pies since they usually sound interesting. On a recent visit I did a beautiful pie with ham, sausage and Calabrian chiles which was wonderfully spicy. But even the base margherita pizza here at Hutchins Garage is excellent with great cheese coverage and snips of basil. At $11 for a margherita ($4 for 2 toppings, $5 for 3 toppings) it’s all pretty reasonable for a substantial individual pie. I’d say they were 14″ to 15″, thin-crust but not Neapolitan. The pizzas here are more of a traditional Italian with a crispy crust, really delicious and well done.

Pizza with ham, sausage, calabrian chiles at Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Pizza with ham, sausage, calabrian chiles at Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Crisp pizza crust at Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Crisp pizza crust at Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com

All in all I have been pretty impressed by Hutchins Garage over the course of several visits. Great space, great food, well-trained staff and this neighborhood in Durham was in need of good za! The decor is fantastic and remains true to its automotive origins. And the pizzas are top-notch! So welcome to Bull City, Hutchins Garage. You’re doing both the bar part and pizza part of your business really well, so glad to have you in the hood!

Hutchins Garage

402 W Geer Street

Durham, NC 27701

984.219.6578

Location on Google maps

February 20, 2018 by Ron Wen

Retake: The Flying Saucer in Raleigh, a Classic Destination for Great Beer!

Flying Saucer in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Flying Saucer in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

When it comes to beer in the Triangle, we’ve been in a renaissance for the past 5 years! Breweries, bottle shops and brew pubs have been opening up, left and right, in Raleigh, Durham and points beyond. I mean, who doesn’t love a tasty, locally brewed beer on a warm summer’s day?! But way back when, before this whole beer revolution started, there were only a handful of spots you could go to get a great craft beer, enter the Flying Saucer on Morgan Street! This beer and brews stalwart has been pouring out great beer for years and even though it wasn’t my personal favorite spot, I decide to go back for some visits to see how things have held up at the Saucer. And I’m glad to say that it’s still doing an excellent job serving great beer for Oak City residents…

Covered patio at Flying Saucer in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Covered patio at Flying Saucer in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Located on the corner of Morgan and Harrington Street, you can’t miss the Flying Saucer! You’ll usually find the covered patio, filled with Raleighites enjoying a good beer and snacks when the weather is nice. Stepping through the doorway you’ll immediately be hit by the enormity of the Flying Saucer space and its beer hall interior. Checked floor in black and green, long bar with taps to the right and four-tops to the left. And yes, beer plates! Gold rimmed plates line every bare spot on the walls and ceilings, with a customer message on each. Part of the UFO club that the Flying Saucer runs, taste and/or drink 200 different beers and you’ll get your own special plate to adorn the Flying Saucer space! The beer hall is a bit worn and aged which adds to the charm here. There have been a LOT of brews and beers quaffed down at the Flying Saucer over the years.

Rich and weathered interior at Flying Saucer in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Rich and weathered interior at Flying Saucer in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Sitting down at the bar and choosing one of the Flying Saucer’s 200+ beers can be a bit intimidating but thankfully the staff here is super knowledgeable when it comes to suds. And honestly, after the Raleigh Beer Garden offered up 360+ beers, the Saucer seems less difficult. At least most of the Saucer customers know their beers pretty well, making the selection process, quicker. The Flying Saucer is also known for for its waitstaff with many of the female servers sporting plaid skirts and knee-high socks, but you know what? Don’t let their looks fool you. They know their beer here really well, too.

The Bratzel at Flying Saucer in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — The Bratzel at Flying Saucer in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Dry rub wings at the Flying Saucer in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Dry rub wings at the Flying Saucer in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Great beer, cool decor but what about the food at the Saucer? Well they’ve offer a small selection of appetizers, sandwiches, salads (hahaha), plates and pizzas. You do need something to eat along with all that great beer! The food falls comfortably into the category of simple bar food and is not super memorable. But I do think they are upping their game when it comes to the eats. From snacks to sandwiches and pizzas, it’s all hearty rib-sticking fare are the Flying Saucer

Tex-Mex hash brown skillet at Flying Saucer in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Tex-Mex hash brown skillet at Flying Saucer in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Bacon, egg and cheese pizza at Flying Saucer in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Bacon, egg and cheese pizza at Flying Saucer in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

A recent visit for brunch turned up a Tex-Mex hash brown skillet and breakfast pizza! Tasty hash-browns topped with cheddar-jack cheese, fried egg and jalapenos, yum! And the breakfast pizza topped with scrambled egg, bacon and cheddar was pretty solid too! The Flying Saucer does brunch from 11am to 3pm. I think it’ll be a fun option out on that patio once it gets warmer. The Flying Saucer also runs beer specials on Sundays ($3 pints, NC Beer) and Mondays ($3 pints, all taps).

UFO Plates on the ceiling at Flying Saucer in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — UFO Plates on the ceiling at Flying Saucer in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

So a slow round of applause for the venerable Flying Saucer on Morgan Street! While the Raleigh food scene has improved by leaps and bounds over the years, the Saucer has also upped its game to keep up. The Flying Saucer may not be top of mind for a drink or food, I think it’s a totally decent spot to get a feel for what Raleigh is about and sample some great beer. And while I may not ever have a UFO plate up on the wall with my name on it, I will definitely be back to sample more off of their food menu!

Flying Saucer Raleigh

328 W Morgan Street

Raleigh, NC 27601

919.821-7401

Location on Google maps

September 17, 2013 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

First Take: Yard House for a Hip Suburban Meal and Beer

Patio at Yard House, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

One of the newest eateries in the N. Raleigh area, the Yard House hails from S. California and dishes out great beer and upscale pub food. Located at the base of Capstrat Bank next to the new Cowfish Sushi and Burger restaurant, the Yard House has carved out its own niche as hip, upscale experience. With rock music raining down from above, an industrial feel replete with blacked out overhead piping, metal counter tops and staff decked out in black gives the Yard House a much more urban feel than most other options in the area. The bar has a long string of taps and the beer list is L-O-N-G! Similar to what you might find at the Flying Saucer and definitely some serious competition for the World of Beer next door. But yes it’s still a chain so we’ll see what Yard House dishes out for food…

Coconut shrimp app at Yard House, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Thankfully there’s no wait here on a Saturday night, the three of us get seated in a long wooden booth that could probably handle eight people. The voluminous beer menu is placed in front of each of us and in addition to the long beer list, Yard House has a very long food menu. Lots of American classics with a mix of more than American: Mexican, Asian and more. Nothing too odd or crazy, I go with a standard BBQ-bacon and cheddar burger with a coconut shrimp starter. The place is bustling with plenty of staff and a large open kitchen. The appetizer shows up: three large, butterflied shrimp with a nice brown coconut coating sitting against a pile of shredded carrots and possibly squash (?). I really like how this appetizer is plated with a bright orange-green sauce around it, makes for a great visual feast. The coconut shrimp are decent but a little pricey for over $12.

BBQ-bacon cheddar burger at Yard House, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Dining area at Yard House, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

About 10 minutes later our mains arrive. We’ve got a plate of fish tacos, a good-looking ahi salad and my great looking burger. It comes with a paper cone of match-stick fries, a side of aioli along with some bourbon BBQ sauce. Love the glazed bun for my burger and how the sauce is served on the side. My burger is nicely charred and contrasts well against the cheese and zippy bourbon sauce. Unfortunately that good-looking bun was a bit dry, boo! And the fries?! Totally miss match-stick fries since Bogart’s shut down, these Yard House fries are a bit greasy but great for dipping into the aioli and ketchup. Yard House serves up a decent burger cooked to order, no complaints there. We pass on dessert but a smores pie that goes by smells temptingly good and caloric, maybe next time.

With a large patio, huge selection of beers and interesting list of meals, I’m pretty sure the Yard House will succeed in its upscale, suburban location. Perfect for families and couples looking for something a bit different in the hood. The food is solid and varied enough to keep most palates happy and I’ll need to try some more of that vast menu. But in the end, the Yard House is still a chain that follows the usual North Hills M.O.: decent eats priced a bit higher than normal. With pints at $6.50 and up and burgers at about $12, I’d say that most of the offerings here are a $1 or $2 more than they should be. And that’s fine if you’re in the area and want to eat here. But for me, that’s a reason why I typically avoid North Hills and chains. I prefer one-off spots that provide more unique ambiance and more value. That’s not to say the Yard House is bad, it’s decent. Just understand what you’re getting into and you’ll be fine…

Yard House

4208 Six Forks Road

Raleigh, NC 27609

919.881.2590

Yard House menu

Location on Google maps

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August 30, 2017 by Ron Wen

First Take: BottleDog Bites & Brews Delivers Great Beer, Pizza and Poutine

Front of Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary - NC Triangle Dining — Front of Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

Along with beer and brewery boom here in North Carolina, one other type of storefront has proliferated: the bottle shop! A place where you can sample some craft brews or grab a specialty 4-pack to enjoy at home. And usually they have one thing in common, no food! But they usually give you the option of BYOF or ordering food from a nearby restaurant or delivery service. Recently I ran across BottleDog Bites and Brews in Cary online and the reviews mentioned the food quite often. Could it be true? Might there be a bottle shop in the area that’s now offering great food on top of their beers? Well it was time to find out!

Patio at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary - NC Triangle Dining — Patio at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

We head on over to the address looking hard for BottleDog Bites & Brews and the GPS is only somewhat helpful getting us to Chapel Hill Road. We find ourselves in a small plaza with Woody’s Sports Tavern and not much else, we start scratching our heads. But we’re not ready to give up and head to the right-hand side of the plaza and find BottleDog’s storefront. Located in the old Maximillians Pizza Kitchen, there’s a nice covered patio up front that looks dog-friendly!

Dining area at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary - NC Triangle Dining — Dining area at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

Heading on inside to BottleDog, we find a large beer bar on the right hand side and a retail beer section and dining area to the left. BottleDog is airy and open, there’s plenty of space to stretch out in here, it definitely feels different than most other bottle shops I’ve been to in the Triangle! It neatly fills the space between bottle shop and restaurant, similar to State of Beer in Raleigh. But there are some more pleasant surprises to come!

At the bar, BottleDog has 10 or 12 beers on tap, I go with the Bond Bros American IPA, Obfuscate! It has a super floral palate but also a nice clean afterbite with just a touch of hops, dee-licious! My beer loving buddy gives BottleDog’s beer selection a big thumbs up on its quality. Peering through the food menu, we find some really cool options for lunch. Poutine?! A beaver tail? Or how about some smoked meats? So in addition to the usual hot dogs and flatbreads, BottleDog seems to be going a bit Canadian with the menu which is fine by me, I love Canada! We put our food orders in and just sit back and enjoy our beers. It’s pretty quiet given a holiday weekend but slowly people start trickling in with kids and dogs in tow.

Nashville hot chicken at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary - NC Triangle Dining — Nashville hot chicken at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

Poutine with smoked meat at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary - NC Triangle Dining — Poutine with smoked meat at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

Poutine at Bottledog Bites and Brews in Cary - nctriangledining.com — Poutine at Bottledog Bites and Brews in Cary – nctriangledining.com

Soon enough, our food starts coming out starting with my friend’s Nashville hot chicken tenders. Served up on some white bread and thick pickles, it looks fantastic and spicy! I hold back on a taste since I need to save room for my meal. My Quebecois poutine comes out next and it starts with their basic poutine (fries, brown gravy and cheese curds) but adds in some smoked meat and pickles, yum-may! I haven’t eaten much poutine in my life but this dish is G-O-O-D! The warm potato is soaked in the gravy and the cheese is just decadence on top. Add in the peppery smoked meats and you’ve got yourself a mouthful! I’m already looking forward to trying some of the other poutines, stat.

Sweet Caroline flatbread at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary - NC Triangle Dining — Sweet Caroline flatbread at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

The Sweet Caroline flatbread also hits the spot with a perfectly done thin-crust topped with mozzarella, onions and grilled chicken. House-made barbeques sauce is drizzled on top making for a delicious barbeque chicken pizza (I know, they call it flatbread here, but…) While the crust at BottleDog isn’t a perfect Neapolitan style, it’s similar but with a crisper bottom to hold all the toppings. An excellent pie and plenty to eat for one person, you can certainly share for two lighter appetites.

Service at BottleDog was solid and pretty casual which is fine for a place like this and prices this low. All you really need to know is that the food at BottleDog is really good! I’m not often surprised by restaurants but BottleDog did it for me in a very pleasant way. I get the strange idea that there may be some leftover culinary talent from the old Maximillian’s Grill here at BottleDog which would explain the great, bar eats here. So rock on BottleDog Bites & Brews. Your name is a mouthful but then again, so is your delicious food. I’ll be back again, soon…