Lots of open support beams painted red and brewing equipment front and center behind the bar. There is an upper loft area that opens up to the lower level creating an open feel to the place. Lots of big screens with the game on. It was a quiet Saturday night when school was out when I visited, so it wasn’t too loud at the bar. Beer prices range in price from smalls in the $3.50 to $4.75 range to pints in the $4.50 to $7.00 range. higher prices are for their small batch stuff. Beers are average, from the few I tried. I didn’t try the food.

Located on Franklin Street which is the main drag in Chapel hill. As the door plainly states, there’s free parking in the back which is a hell of a nice perk in a town that never seems to have enough. It’s a two story building but they’ve cut a hole in the middle of the second floor which gives it a rustic, airy feel that blends nicely wooden beams, exposed Brick walls, and the copper kettle brew house behind the bar. They have 12 on tap which are listed on planks behind the bar. I didn’t have any food since Chipotle’s a block down the road. The beers are hit or miss but the wait staff was warm and polite and was eager to help. It’s not a destination place but, if you live nearby, you could have a worse local.

Cramped, white washed interior with copper beer kettles and FVs exposed. Beers are mediocre, mid to low 3 range. Tasting flights available. Prices lower than Top of the Hill, though the food and beer seem to be slightly less impressive. And Top of the Hill’s food is actually not as expensive as one might think. So, might be fun to drop by here for a tasting flight, but the food is underwhelming. Sweet potato fries are good, but all of the food is large plate with a lot of store bought ingredients. Pizza, burgers, large salads..sort of like an upgraded Chili’s. They do growler fills, which wasn’t always the case. For beer I would keep walking to Tylers for lunch or backtrack to Top O for dinner.

Cool brew pub in downtown. Great service and decent beer.

Nice spacious establishment that’s tucked away from the more populated parts of Franklin Street. Brewing operations are visible, which I know is essential to some. Food and beer menu are varied and change regularly. While a lot of their flagship beers leave a lot to be desired, the last several times I’ve been in (roughly over the last couple of years) I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find new and fairly creative stuff on tap, like an imperial pilsner and a coffee stout. Sure that’s pretty standard fare for RB, but by the standards of what is otherwise a pretty basic lineup it’s a nice change.

My first review. Stopped by while in town for business. Nice clean place and friendly, efficient staff. Seven beers on tap. Had the Firecracker Pale, which was a very drinkable pale and the Flagship IPA which was good,but not overwhelming. Had their Nachos which were a little shy on cheese, but otherwise really good. Older crowd, at least early in the afternoon.

Stopped in for a beer here on a tour of the eastern seaboard. Pretty underwhelming- I honestly don’t even remember which beer I drank there. Looked like a decent place I guess and it was early, but I wasn’t impressed. Hear the food is good though, so for a place with limited beer places probably worth a look.

This is a rather prominent spot on the main strip of Chapel Hill, a ways down from the main bar area towards Carrboro. It’s got a pretty nice feel inside, with a spacious bar/restaurant area and visible (and audible even) fermenters behind the bar. It was a very relaxing spot to spend the afternoon of Presidents’ Day, and there are a couple tables outside. It seems like a good place to watch a game, with multiple TVs, but as a Duke fan, I’d like to be somewhere other than Chapel Hill if we’re talking college sports. The quality of the beer here is only average. Don’t expect anything that will blow you away, and don’t come here if you are looking to sample the best brews of the area. I found some of their beers to have somewhat of a cardboard note to them, and while some of them were above average, none of them were great. The food here is pretty good, not that I had a lot of it. Prices are very reasonable. Overall, a nice place. Maybe not a beer geek’s paradise, but hey, everyone likes to get a few ticks in, right?

I go to Carolina Brewery just about every time I’m in Chapel Hill. Food is decent, a few beers are good (and more than a few are average or worse), and service is adequate. I like the feel of the place probably a little more than what they serve, but will continue my support.

Located on the main college commercial drag. The patio was full (the weather is incredible right now) but inside was fairly empty. Nice ambience. Laid back. There is a sports bar component, but it doesn’t dominate the vibe, and before the football game came on they played Nine Inch Nails and Tool, so that makes it a winner in my book. The staff is friendly and if I may say so, the girl tending bar tonight was GORGEOUS! If I didn’t live four hours away I probably would have made a fool of myself. I was tempted to anyway. OK, moving on. Prices are good. The beers are mostly solid, though I got some off notes in a couple. Parking is decent for a downtown area. There’s a city parking lot across the street that is free after 8PM and all day on Sundays. I didn’t eat, but the guy next to me ordered some gazpacho that looked good. Nice place.