Food and Drink

Top 10 places to have a beer outside in Charlotte

By Sarah Crosland
Abbi O'Leary aoleary@charlotteobserver.com

It’s officially T-shirt weather. This means that you should be doing two things: First, well, wearing a T-shirt, and second, finding a seat in the sun with a pint of North Carolina craft beer.

Lucky for you, Charlotte is packed with patios perfect for pairing your favorite brew with fresh air. So, stock up on the sunscreen because we’ve found the city’s top 10 decks, terraces and beer gardens for a boozy afternoon outside.

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

It doesn’t take a beer pro to know that this German beer hall-inspired microbrewery is one of the hottest spots in town for indulging in a cold one. Its beers are on tap in seemingly every Charlotte restaurant (we’re looking at you Copper Amber Ale) and it recently took home the prize for the country’s best brewery tour. Hit the tour, but make sure to save time to soak in the sun in its family-friendly biergarten, packed with picnic tables and grassy areas for games.

Best Spring Beer Bet: Fruh Bock is a golden bock lager with notes of fruit and citrus. 4150 Yancey Road. 704-525-5644; oldemeckbrew.com.

Pump House Biergarten Ready to raise a glass to Mother Nature? (And the folks who created the Whitewater Center?) In addition to its River’s Edge Bar and Grille and various bars, the Whitewater Center now offers a biergarten on an island in the middle of the whitewater. And with up to 60 beers on tap, there’s no shortage of choices for what to sip as you watch rafters and kayakers paddle past. Best

Spring Beer Bet: Triple C Brewing Co.’s Golden Boy is a refreshing blonde ale perfect for post-rafting toasts. 5000 Whitewater Center Pkwy. 704-391-3900; usnwc.org.

Mac’s Speed Shop

Come for the barbecue, stay for the beer. And the picnic tables. And the live music. At the original South Boulevard location of this biker bar-meets-family friendly barbecue joint you’ll find literally hundreds of beer options. Snag a seat at one of the roadside picnic tables and pair your brew with a plate of that aforementioned ’cue for the ultimate Carolina warm weather meal.

Best Spring Beer Bet: Catawba Brewing Company crafted Mac’s Pale Ale, a classic pale ale featuring citrusy hops, just for the group’s restaurants. 2511 South Blvd. 704-522-6227; macspeedshop.com.

JJ’s Red Hots

Mouthwatering hotdogs piled high with tasty toppings? Check. Rotating taps of craft beers? Check. A rooftop deck ideal for sitting in the sun while you enjoy both? Check. Yes, we’ve actually discovered heaven on earth and it’s in a small hot dog joint on East Boulevard. Keep an eye on the restaurant’s social media page for its famed “dog of the week,“ often paired with a local beer.

Best Spring Beer Bet: Deep River Brewing Co.’s Double D’s Watermelon Lager is a crisp golden lager infused with watermelon flavor. 1514 East Blvd. 980-225-8880; jjsredhots.com.

Sycamore Brewing

It’s one of the city’s newer breweries, but this South End spot’s 28 rotating taps and large beer garden have made it a fast favorite. One of the best times to enjoy the outdoor area is on warm evenings when you can chow down on food truck fare and listen to live music under the deck’s white string lights.

Best Spring Beer Bet: The brewery’s Southern Girl Blonde Ale is a full-bodied ale brewed with an heirloom Scottish barley. 2161 Hawkins St. 704-910-3821; sycamorebrew.com.

VBGB Beer Hall and Garden

Inside this NC Music Factory spot you can keep your brew cool on the frost rail of the U-shaped bar. But then you’re missing all the fun of the huge beer garden, which includes cornhole, ping-pong, and various other games. The 30 taps change every week and beer sizes can range from a 12-ounce pour to a pitcher perfect for sharing with a group at one of the garden’s long tables.

Best Spring Beer Bet: All of Ass Clown Brewing Company’s beers have a creative flair (bacon oyster stout, anyone?), but the Orange IPA made with orange peel and honey is easy sipping on a warm day. 920 Hamilton St. 704-333-4111; vbgbuptown.com.



It’s ‪#‎MondayFunday‬ & VBGB Beer Hall & Garden is now OPEN again on ‪#‎Mondays‬! Volleyball leagues start tonight! Come out and enjoy the pretty NC weather along with yummy eats & drinks! From the Kitchen: $9- “Aww Snap Burger”: 1/2 lb Angus beef burger topped w/ beer cheese, smokey bacon, fried jalapenos, lettuce, tomato, and fire sauce- served up on our traditional soft roll!! $3- Cajun Fries $2- Spicy Black Bean Burger Slider $1- Add Fire Sauce and Bacon to ANYTHING From the Bar: $4- 12 oz. Avery White Rascal Wit $5- Orange Tic-Tac shot $6- Snow Cone cocktail ‪#‎staytunedqc‬ ‪#‎beer‬ ‪#‎craftbeer‬ ‪#‎clt‬ ‪#‎nc‬ #nightlife

A photo posted by Jenna Gribble(@helloimjennag) on Mar 2, 2015 at 12:49pm PST

BB&T Ballpark

It already served beer in mason jars and offered one of the city’s best skyline views. Just when you thought this Uptown baseball stadium couldn’t get any cooler this season (which begins Friday) you’ll find six additional Charlotte breweries on tap at the new beer garden. How’s that for hitting it out of the park?

Best Spring Beer Bet: NoDa Brewing Company’s Jam Session is a pale ale with pine and citrus flavors. 324 S. Mint St. 704-274-8300; charlotteknights.com.

Common Market South End

If you didn’t already know about it, you might miss this eclectic store’s sun-dappled patio. Tucked amid older South End buildings, the outdoor space is as funky and fun as the market’s interior. Choose from one of the always-impressive offerings on tap or grab a bottle from the fridge to pour outdoors.

Best Spring Beer Bet: Wicked Weed’s Saison XL is a farmhouse ale with enough of an edge to fit in at this hip spot. 1515 S. Tryon St. 704-332-7782; commonmarketisgood.com.



Good to be with this gang in #CLT! Eat local & drink local! @unknownbrewing

A photo posted by Jarod DeAnda (@jaroddeanda) on Mar 24, 2015 at 9:17am PDT

The Pizza Peel & Tap Room, Plaza Midwood

Maybe it’s the location smack in the middle of Plaza Midwood’s pedestrian hub. Or perhaps it’s the corner yard consistently filled with games like corn hole and disc golf. Or it could be dog-friendly picnic table area. Whatever the case, it’d be hard to find a patio more welcoming than the one at this popular pizza joint. And with 30 craft beers on tap, fun in the sun just got even easier.

Best Spring Beer Bet: Asheville Brewing’s Backstage Betty Blonde is a light ale with a hint of citrus sweetness. 1600 Central Ave. 704-790-7335; tapandpeel.com.

Duckworth’s Grill and Taphouse, Ballantyne

Want the cushy version of the outdoor experience? On the covered patio of this beer destination’s South Charlotte outpost, you’ll find soft seats and flat screens for watching the game in the shade. Order from one of the city’s best beer lists and settle in for a day in the shade.

Best Spring Beer Bet: Birdsong Brewing Co.’s Doin’ Thyme Witbier is a Belgian seasonal that’s infused with lemon thyme and coriander. 14015 Conlan Cir. 704-752-7284; duckworthsgrillandbar.com.

This story was originally published April 2, 2015 at 7:15 PM.

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