Summertime and outdoor dining and drinking go hand in hand. Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough, NC are home to dozens of breweries, bars and pubs to enjoy a cold one outside under a Carolina Blue Sky or an evening sky full of stars.
Here’s a roundup of a dozen places to enjoy a brew. Visit each site below and check out their menus for those offering food.
1) Since 1995, the locally-owned Carolina Brewery – located downtown Chapel Hill at 460 W. Franklin Street – has provided award-winning and hand-crafted beer and food. Signature sips include Sky Blue Kölsch, Costero Mexican Lager, American IPA and Copperline Amber Ale.
2) Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery offers beer brewed at the most iconic intersection in Chapel Hill – where Franklin Street meets Columbia Street in the heart of downtown at 100 E. Franklin Street. Try TOPO’s famous Bell Tower Blueberry Wheat, Old Well White, Kenan Lager, Blackwood Mountain Stout and more as you sip on the outdoor deck while taking in the panoramic view. (header photo)
3) Located at 300 E. Main Street in Carrboro next to Cat’s Cradle, Vecino Brewing Co. offers a variety of craft beers brewed on-site from light, to hoppy, malty, sour and Belgian as well as guest beers. Try their hard cider, ginger beer and wine as you enjoy burgers, small plates and more. Through the "Brewing Neighbors" program, Vecino highlights one beer each month, and 10% of sales benefits a local charitable organization. Just a heads up, Haw River Farmhouse Ales will be taking over Vecino next year.
4) Head over to Steel String Brewery at 106A S. Greensboro Street in Carrboro which draws inspiration from the town’s free-spirited vibes and the agricultural bounty of the region. Sip beers like Big Mon IPA, Rubber Room Rye Pale Ale, the Dad Fuel Lager and Beachmania Sour. Sit on the extensive patio. If you have not been to Steel String’s production facility, check out their awesome beer garden at Pluck Farm on Hwy 54 West near the Alamance County line on the weekends.
5) In Carrboro’s South Green development, enjoy the patio at Craftboro Brewing Depot. Try Vitruvius India Pale Ale, Awl Point Pilsner, Mukimono Belgian Wit, Maiden of Milk Imperial Raspberry Chocolate Stout among others. There are Pub runs, live music, game night and monthly brewery tours. Want a bite to eat? Try some Coronato Pizza next door all at 101 Two Hills Drive.
6) Dingo Dog Brewing Company is a nano brewery operating on PlowGirl Farm, outside of Carrboro. Founded as a non-profit brewing concern, Dingo Dog produces beverages using produce grown onsite in a "zero waste" production facility, using profits to fund grants to no-kill animal rescue organizations in North Carolina. Their taproom is located at 410 N. Greensboro Street, Suite 150 in Carrboro. There are a few outdoor tables out front.
Here are a few more locations to enjoy your brew or drink outside.
Chapel Hill
7) Beer Study
8) Franklin Motors Beer Garden
9) He’s Not Here
10) The Casual Pint
Hillsborough
11) Wooden Nickel Pub
12) Yonder Southern Cocktails & Brew
Photos - All photos credited to SP Murray, except Steel String Brewery which is courtesy of Town of Carrboro.
