Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill Beer and Travel Guide

Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill make up the Research Triangle in Eastern North Carolina, but don't fret, it's more than nerds doing computer science! There is a fantastic beer scene here as well

​Triangle Tips: 

• This area is pretty large, so be sure to plan ahead for your adventures.

• Chapel Hill is all centered around UNC’s campus, so keep in mind the college vibe and throngs of students as you plan.

• If you only have time to visit one of the cities definitely go for Raleigh, but each area has it’s own vibe so I’d recommend visiting all 3 if you have the time!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations—Raleigh:

• Burial Brewing: Burial is based in Asheville, NC and opened their second taproom in downtown Raleigh at Transfer Co. Food Hall. Burial has incredibly phenomenal beers, not visiting their taproom and bottle shop would be a mistake!

• Funguys Brewing: Some of the best Sours in the state! They’ve got a small little industrial taproom but their Fruited Sours and Juicy IPAs are worth the trip!

• Trophy Brewing and Pizza: Delicious pizza and a sweet brewery, what more do you need? 

• A Place at the Table: A great spot for breakfast sandwiches and you can support others through their pay-what-you-can model. Extremely delicious + doing good!

• The Morning Times: A super cute newspaper themed coffee shop that is the perfect way to start your morning. However, the bagels here are not great FYI.

  • If you’re looking for bagels in particular I would definitely recommend Benchwarmer’s Bagels located at Transfer Co. Food Hall. Be aware that it can be packed on weekends though!

• State of Beer: Owned by Trophy Brewing, this is a nice beer bar with a solid tap list and a large outside patio.

• Crank Arm Brewing Company: A bike themed brewery with lots of board games, a small patio up front, and quite a large beer list to choose from. I’d recommend a flight to try as many beers as you can!

• North Carolina Museum of History: I had low expectations for this museum but was pleasantly surprised. Extremely good exhibits on the Civil Rights Movement in particular. Free to enter!

• Boulted Bread: Delicious breads and pastries in a cute little bakery!

• Heyday Brewing: A new brewery in Northeast Raleigh with Louisiana vibes. They’ve got impressive beers, a great outdoor space, and yummy food.

• Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing: A great spot for brews, food, and a view! Their patio overlooks downtown and their food is absolutely delicious.

• Altered State Brewing: A new brewery in central Raleigh. Don’t be scared off by their tiny taproom they have outdoor seating as well and the beers are worth it!

• Stay at The Origin! This boutique hotel is conveniently located right downtown and is super cute. The staff goes above and beyond to ensure you are happy, they are super dog friendly, and they have a great onsite bar and restaurant Good Day Good Night that I would highly recommend!

• North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences: Dinosaurs and hands on activities galore. Perfect for kids. Free if you just want to pop in and wander for a bit!

Fullsteam Brewing

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations—Durham:

• Fullsteam Brewing: Fullsteam has incredibly delicious food and a large variety of beers to choose from. They’ve got a large taproom and some outdoor space as well. I’d definitely recommend one of their North Carolina-shaped flight boards to try a few of their brews.

• Ponysaurus Brewing: Ponysaurus has a massive outdoor beer garden definitely worth checking out!

• Barrel Culture: Barrel Culture’s original taproom is in Southeast Durham. They specialize in Sours and Wild Ales and have a small patio as well.

• Hi-Wire Brewing: Hi-Wire is based in Asheville, NC and has a wide variety of beers to choose from. Their Stouts are my personal favorite style that they make!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations—Chapel Hill:

• Steel String Brewery: Yummy beers, a cute outdoor patio, and super friendly beer-tenders

• Stay at: The Carolina Inn—it was amazing. It was like traveling back in time to the 1920's. Highly recommend!

• Carolina Brewery: The traditional UNC brewery and restaurant, pop in for a UNC themed beer like the Sky Blue Golden Ale

• Top of the Hill Restaurant and Brewery: Plan ahead if you are thinking of checking out Top of the Hill, it is definitely the most popular spot in town so be sure to go during off-peak hours or make a reservation if you'll be visiting while school is in session

Breakfast Sandwich from A Place at the Table

Other ideas—Raleigh:

• Raleigh Brewing Company: Your standard brewery with average beers. That have a lot of special events here though so be sure to check out their calendar!

• Clouds Brewing: They have several locations in the Triangle area, but I wasn’t super impressed with their beer or their food unfortunately.

• Lonerider Brewing: Average beer in a cowboy-themed space. The Shotgun Betty is solid.

• Gizmo Brew Works: Located right near the Northwest border of Raleigh and Durham, Gizmo did not live up to the hype. I found their beers to be mediocre at best, but their patio is nice, though it is in the parking lot.

• Humble Pie: A popular restaurant with a large patio in downtown Raleigh, but I found their food to be below average and the service to be mediocre at best.

Other ideas—Durham:

• Durty Bull Brewing: They’ve got a large patio space and are in walking distance from Fullsteam!

2 Days in Raleigh, NC

Raleigh is such a fun beer city to visit nestled in The Research Triangle of North Carolina. It is absolutely booming and one of the fastest growing areas of the country, so there are plenty of things to do and a plethora of breweries to explore! Below is a two day guide to hit the highlights of Raleigh. If you’ve got more time to explore check out my full guide to Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill here!

Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing

Day 1

Today you will conquer downtown Raleigh!

Start your day at A Place at the Table. This is a delicious spot for breakfast sandwiches plus you can support others through their pay-what-you-can model. Do good for the community you are visiting!

Next head over to the North Carolina Museum of History to get your nerd on, an 11 minute walk from breakfast. It is free to enter and they have some fantastic exhibits!

Okay we’ve eaten, we’ve learned, now let’s get to the important things—beer! From the museum walk 15 minutes to Burial Brewing: The Exhibit. Burial’s Raleigh location is a must visit and some of the best beer in the city.

For lunch or a snack, Burial is nestled in Transfer Co. Food Hall that has a plethora of food options to choose from that are each fantastic!

Next take a longer stroll (22 minutes) or a quick Lyft (5 minutes) to State of Beer, a beer bar with a solid tap list and a large outside patio to enjoy your brews on.

From State of Beer head over to Raleigh Beer Garden, a 12 minute walk to the world’s largest selection of beers on tap. Seriously, check out their Guinness World Record.

For dinner we’re heading to Trophy Brewing and Pizza, a 19 minute walk or 4 minute drive from the beer garden. They have delicious pizzas and a wide variety of beers to choose from!

End your night at Crank Arm Brewing Company, a 15 minute walk from Trophy to work off some of your pizza. This bike themed brewery is super fun and has a large selection of beers to indulge in.

Altered State Brewing Company

Day 2

For day 2 where you will explore some really fantastic breweries on the northwest side of Raleigh!

To start the day, there are two routes you can go:

• Option 1: Grab breakfast pastries from the incredibly delicious Boulted Bread and then go for a hike! There are a plethora of options in the Falls Lake Recreation Area ranging from 2 miles to 26 miles and from easy to hard, so pick your own adventure and enjoy your time in nature!

• Option 2: Brunch at Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing! This is a great spot downtown with views of the skyline and great food and drink.

From your breakfast/hike or brunch head over to Barrel Culture Brewing & Blending, a 10 minute drive from the hiking area or about 25 minutes from brunch downtown. Barrel Culture has particularly fantastic Sours and Wild Ales.

After Barrel Culture check out one of the newer breweries in Raleigh, Heyday Brewing, a 15 minute drive away, on your way back down towards the city. They’ve got Louisiana flair, great beers, a nice outdoor space, and tasty food if you’re ready for some lunch after your hike! Brunch folks you can eat again too, no judgment here!

Your next stop is Funguys Brewing, a fantastic brewery 15 minutes from Heyday. They specialize in Fruited Sours and juicy IPAs in their little industrial taproom and are well worth checking out!

From Funguys make the 5 minute drive or 14 minute walk to Altered State Brewing, another newer brewery in Raleigh. They have a tiny taproom but plenty of outdoor seating and great beers! Black Fire Brewing is right next door as well!

For dinner walk 5 minutes over to Wilson’s Eatery which shares a space with Lynwood Brewing Concern. If you are still looking for more brews afterwards Big Boss, Bowstring, Nickelpoint, and Neuse River are all in the area as well.

Need a place to stay? We absolutely loved our time at The Origin in downtown Raleigh! It is within walking distance of most things downtown, super new and cute, and dog friendly!

If you’ve got more time in Raleigh, here are the rest of my recommendations!

The Origin Hotel

Have you been to Raleigh? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers -Alexis

The Best Craft Beer Bars

Obviously I love exploring breweries, but craft beer bars are always fun to hang out at as well. I love getting to try hard to find or obscure beers from breweries across the world!

My favorite craft beer bars each offer a little something different, but they all have delicious and unique beers! Check out my top picks globally below:

The Avenue Pub in New Orleans

The Avenue Pub

Located in New Orleans, Louisiana this craft beer haven is open 24/7 365 days of the year! The Avenue has a fantastic tap list at both their main bar downstairs and their balcony bar upstairs.

The balcony is one of the best parts of The Avenue, it is a fantastic place to kick back and watch the streetcars roll by and soak up some Louisiana sunshine. Their location right on Saint Charles Avenue makes it a prime spot to watch parades during Mardi Gras season, but beware of beads flying into your beer!

The Avenue also has a full food menu that is typical bar food. The cheese fries are fantastic, especially after a beer or two. If you’re local to New Orleans their Mug Club is a fun feature to earn discounts on beers and get invited to special events.

Polly and her team do a fantastic job at The Avenue so be sure to show them some love the next time you’re in The Big Easy! Take note that The Avenue is 21 and up only.

Check out all of my New Orleans recommendations here!

Salud Beer Shop in Charlotte

Salud Beer Shop

This Charlotte, North Carolina beer bar and bottle shop opened its doors in 2012 and has been crushing the game ever since. Located in the NoDa neighborhood, they’ve got 16 taps and a plethora of cans and bottles for consumption both on and offsite.

Salud’s owners Jason and Dairelyn Glunt host frequent events such as tap takeovers, porch parties, and special releases in the bottle shop. They’ve also got natural wines, meads, and a food menu featuring Neapolitan-style pizzas.

Salud also won the top spot for Best Beer Bar from USA Today in 2019 and 2020 so don’t just take my word for how great they are! Be sure to check out their brewery upstairs too, Salud Cerveceria.

Liquiderie Bottle Shop in Paris

Liquiderie Bottle Shop

Liquiderie is located in Paris, France. It is a tiny little spot with a just a few bar stools, but it is full of some incredible beers. They’ve got three beers on taps and a slue of cans and bottles for sale to drink in-house or take to-go.

They’ve also got a small food menu for snacks. Liquiderie’s staff is super nice and friendly so don’t be afraid to ask questions or just hang out!

This cute little spot is located right in the heart of the Folic-Mericourt neighborhood.

The rest of my Paris recommendations are located here!

Torst in New York City

Torst Bar

Torst is located on Manhattan Avenue in Brooklyn, NYC. With so many beer bars and breweries in The Big Apple, Torst sets itself apart with its killer tap list and unique environment.

Torst is classier than your average beer bar, with a sleek set-up and intimate atmosphere. They have 21 taps, a large list of can and bottle beer options, natural wines, and cocktails as well.

Torst also has a small food menu with snacks and a few sandwiches. They offer Happy Hour from 4-7pm every weekday.

Beer Street is another one of my favorite NYC craft beer bars with more of a dive bar atmosphere, cheaper prices, and still a fantastic tap list. Check out all of my NYC recommendations here!

The Whale in Greenville

The Whale Craft Beer Collective

The Whale has locations in Asheville, North Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina. Each location has 20 taps and a large can and bottle list to enjoy.

On tap at each spot you will also find Whale Exclusives, which are beers they collaboratively brewed with local breweries for release only at their taprooms.

The Whale is dog-friendly and also offers, wine, mead, sake, and non-alcoholic craft beverages. Be sure to stop by next time you’re in AVL or GVL!

Check out my Asheville recommendations here and my Greenville recommendations here!

The Porter Beer Bar in Atlanta

The Porter Beer Bar

Located in the heart of the Little 5 Points neighborhood of Atlanta, The Porter Beer Bar is a mecca for ATL’s craft beer nerds.

The Porter has been open since 2008, before the craft beer scene in the US really took off.

They have over fifty taps, a large selection of cans and bottles, wine, and cocktails. Be sure to bring your reading glasses with you to this beer bar—the tap list is a novel but it is worth the effort!

The Porter also has a full food menu to keep your appetite at bay while you peruse and enjoy your many drink options.

The rest of my Atlanta recommendations are located here!

The International Beer Bar in Zurich

The International Beer Bar

Located in Zurich, Switzerland, The International is a cozy little spot with indoor and outdoor seating options. They have craft Swiss, European, and global beers available.

Their staff is super friendly and they have truly delicious beers to try. They do tap-takeovers and also have cans and bottles available.

Check out my Zurich guide here!

State of Beer in Raleigh

State of Beer

State of Beer is in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. It is from the team at Trophy Brewing which has three taprooms as a part of their brewery as well.

State of Beer is a bottle and sandwich shop with 12 taps, a plethora of bottles and cans, small plates, salads, and sandwiches. You can also buy beer to-go here.

They have a nice outdoor patio to enjoy your beer and food on as well, it gets busy when the weather is nice. Check it out next time you’re in the area!

Pop The Top in Charlotte

Pop The Top Craft Beer Shop

Another gem in Charlotte, North Carolina, Pop the Top is located in the South End neighborhood. Ketan and his fantastic team have 24 taps, cans, and bottles for sale to consume on or off premises.

Pop The Top does not have a kitchen so they are dog-friendly and you can bring your own food. They host frequent tap takeovers and you’ll frequently find a bottle share happening as well.

They’ve also got an outdoor patio for those sunny days, board games, and TVs.

Local Option in Chicago

Local Option

Located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Local Option is—as you might guess—where the locals go!

They have 24 taps, a few of which are usually their own beer they brew as well. The food at Local Option is delicious, so be sure to come hungry and eat up!

Their taproom has some punk-esque vibes but is still welcoming and friendly to everyone.

They partner with AJ Maka Distributors to get some amazing craft beers and meads on tap and in the bar, so be sure to stop by next time you’re in the Chicagoland area!

Check out my Chicago recommendations here!

Monk’s Cafe in Philadelphia

Monk’s Cafe

Monk’s Cafe is in downtown Philly and advertises itself as “The soul of Belgium in the heart of Philadelphia”.

They have 25 beers on tap and a bottle list, both with an emphasis on Belgian beers. The vibes are more pub-like with a full food menu and servers, but I would recommend just sitting at the bar to get the full beer nerd experience.

Monk’s Cafe also has a lot of special events, such as a special tapping of Pliny the Younger from Russian River that happens each year. Check it out next time you’re in Philly!

My guide to Philadelphia is located here!

What’s your favorite craft beer bar? Let me know in the comments!