The Pit

Good food and a decent list of taps, but this isn't really a beer destination. Service pretty slow.

Packed downtown BBQ joint. OK beer selection, but this is a restaurant not a beer destination. Hostess and related staff were awful, forgot about us entirely. Got a free appetizer sampler as a result. Brisket is sub-par.

Great food and a good selection of mostly NC craft beers means this is a good place to have lunch or dinner. The service when we visited on a busy Friday was excellent. It is split into at least two distinct areas, one a walk-in bar area with the other being a more formal dining area which had a reservation wait list. The bar area has the same menu so we took it and it was fine. All up a good dining option if you like good beer. Also a good selection of local spirits to finish the evening.

High rating is for the BBQ, this history, and the service. As a beer spot, probably in the 70s though they get points for featuring local breweries. A must go place if you’re here.

Durham location was recommended by a local. I was troubled by the valet parking and fancy tablecloths, as my barbecue history for 50 plus years indicates such places are not worthy of a tasty BBQ label. However this one is pretty good, if slightly pretentious compared to the real "pits". Not an awesome beer selection but I did find one Oktoberfest local I hadn’t seen before. The "outside brown" BBQ is outstanding, but they sometimes run out of it due to the physics of smoked pig. The ribs, pulled pork and various sides are all good. Service was fantastic at 6 PM on a Wednesday and we even got a tour of the kitchen and the smoker area out back. They have other smoked stuff, but I didn’t try them cause pork is the only real BBQ.

After waiting nearly 2 hours in the tedium that is Raleigh, finally got in only to be told beer wouldn’t be served for another hour. Very helpful when your train is in 45 minutes!! No mention of this on the website...

Great food and service at the bar. Selection was certainly towards the craft side. Plenty of samples. It’s the Barbecue and the beer.

This isn’t a "Beer Place" per se, but a great restaurant that has a pretty good beer selection. The tap list is quite nice and eschews all the cheap crap. They have a nice mix of local and more national craft beer. I found a nice local brew that I had never seen before, so that was a great find. The bottle list is split in two. The small bottle section (i.e., 12 oz.) has quite a few decent choices, but nothing special to speak of. They also have a selection of bombers, but they are priced at ridiculously inflated prices (at least double what you could get at a bottle shop, and Tasty Beverage is across the street). Come for the food, grab a beer.

The main draw of this restaurant is the stellar food. I had the hog jowl bruschetta as an appetizer and pulled pork with greens as slaw as the entree. It was truly delicious. There is a better than average beer selection in this swanky joint too. All of the taps rotate constantly according to the bartender. Everything available was a solid American microbrew. Beers are available by 10 or 20 oz. I’m a big fan of the 10 oz. pour. I found some different stuff on that I wouldn’t expect to find like Boulevard, Mystery and a one off from Anchor. I’d be back just for the barbeque. The good beer is an added bonus.

A decent beer place with 12 crafts on tap and what looked like 20-30 bottles. Mostly regional and national stuff, nothing too adventurous. It’s located near Tasty in an old warehouse district so ambiance and coolness is through the roof. I wish that translates into the food. I’ve never seen so much fat and gristle in a plate of barbecue before. I knew I was in trouble when the attendee started talking a out all the awards their food has won. Can’t say there was a lot of flavor on the meat or that the sauces added much. I think if I go back I’ll get a hamburger or something.