Parkway Brewing Co.

Parkway Brewing Co.Parkway Brewing Co.
Parkway Brewing Co.Parkway Brewing Co.
Brewery, Bar, Beer-to-go

739 Kessler Mill Rd
Salem, Virginia, 24153-3035
United States

(540) 314-8234 | map
parkwaybrewing.com

We love our home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, and we love the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469 mile scenic journey of mountainous wonder that showcases the natural beauty and unique heritage of our region. Beautiful vistas, distinctive music, oddball characters and fantastical folklore are just a few of the things that make our home a special place. Here in the Roanoke Valley, we have all of this in our backyard— and it’s enough to make a man mighty thirsty. At Parkway Brewing Company, we will take you on a journey you can savor, one delicious beer at a time.

BREWERY HOURS:
Monday:2-8pm
Tuesday: 2-8pm
Wednesday: 12-8:30pm
Thursday: 12-8:30pm
Friday: 12-8:30pm
Saturday:1 2-8:30pm
Sunday: 2-8pm
BEER STATS
Average:
3.82
Beers:
51
Ratings:
1,186
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.03
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
34
pDev:
11.91%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

3.82/5  rDev -5.2%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75
stopped in to just pick up some beer to take hone since it was close to closing time. but there was a acoustic duo playing some tunes, seemed like a cool place to hang out if I'm back in town some time. no bar, just a serving counter, with a cooler of to-go beer an some merchandise. pretty good variety of beer styles available. No in-house food, but there was a little food cart parked outside in the parking lot.
Mar 29, 2023
Photo of cjgiant
Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia

3.93/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75
Tucked off a few turns from the main road off interstate 81, parkway is a production facility with a cozy indoor taproom separated from the brewing equipment. There is an outdoor area for gathering, as well, allowing for a good number of customers to enjoy their beers (if they can find parking).

The brewery has a food truck most days, as well as live music and other events during the week. On tap, there are 15-20 beers, split fairly evenly across their lighter flagships, variations of Get Bent Mountain, and darker beers / sours. The menu board lists pint prices, but they offered half pours and flight sizes as well.

There was steady business the day we were there, and all tables were full when the band started. At that point, it got a bit harder to have a conversation, but not impossible. Overall, Parkway offers a fine, fairly typical brewery taproom experience.
Feb 05, 2023
Photo of Ajtucker350
Reviewed by Ajtucker350 from Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Great selection, great service, and a solid vibe. Parkway has been a fixture in Roanoke for a long time. They put out a very average product in my opinion but a good brewery experience!
Feb 05, 2021
Photo of Sludgeman
Reviewed by Sludgeman from District of Columbia

3.88/5  rDev -3.7%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75
Visited on a Saturday just as they opened. Almost empty upon arrival but started filling up as we were leaving. Easy access off Rt 81. Parking might be an issue if they are crowded.

V - The is (what has become) the typical open building with garage door access for warmer (or COVID) times. Clean, open, good amount of seating, they have some comfy chairs in the back room. The fire place is a nice touch. More of a college, let's drink a lot vibe, but definitely welcoming and warm. 4.25

Q - I've had their beers from a bottle at different locales around Virginia. I had the Toasted Soldier during this first visit to the brewery (see my review). Decent beers that would keep me coming back if I lived local. 3.75

Ser - Friendly and informative about their beers and other related info. All you can ask. 4.0

Sel - An average variety when during our visit. The brown ale with currants is unique and risky, which is what I like to see. (tired of IPAs and sours and nothing else). 3.75
Jan 26, 2021
Photo of WillieThreebiers
Reviewed by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

3.72/5  rDev -7.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75
Large spacious tasting room open on 2 sides with huge central fireplace. Service nar stands 10 easily. 10 beers on tap... the 3 I tried were ok. Food truck does not keep regular hours (insert and imoge). Friendly service
Oct 12, 2018
 
Rated: 3.84 by beerrat from Virginia

Oct 09, 2018
Photo of StoutHobbit
Reviewed by StoutHobbit from Virginia

4.82/5  rDev +19.6%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75
A solid place to hang out, grab a beer, play some games, and listen to music. They have a super solid Wednesday Trivia night. I might be partial but I love this place, it's definitely what I'd call a community watering hole.
Sep 25, 2018
 
Rated: 4.15 by tocuse from Virginia

Aug 26, 2018
 
Rated: 4.11 by jbarry3000 from North Carolina

Jul 29, 2018
 
Rated: 4.01 by terry33 from Virginia

Nov 19, 2017
Photo of Blu_Hound
Reviewed by Blu_Hound from Florida

3.88/5  rDev -3.7%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75
Really good communal vibe. Lots of outside seating as well as a living room and fireplace where a band was playing. Pretty decent beer selection, but nothing too dangerous. Staff was friendly but very busy. Food truck was good but ran out of food quick. I would like to try it again and probably will!
May 01, 2017
Photo of JaminStov
Rated by JaminStov from Virginia

5/5  rDev +24.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
By far the best brewery in the Roanoke area
Mar 04, 2017
 
Rated: 2.33 by NonicPanic from Pennsylvania

Jan 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4.01 by seanchai from Virginia

Dec 06, 2016
 
Rated: 3.87 by rjp217 from Massachusetts

Nov 10, 2016
 
Rated: 3.92 by Boone757 from Virginia

Aug 12, 2016
Photo of Riff
Reviewed by Riff from Virginia

3.97/5  rDev -1.5%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Have been here twice, once on a beer tasting tour and the second time was for their yearly oyster festival. Not much in the way of frills, but they are a smaller brewery. Friendly people working there, the oyster festival was loads of fun despite how cold it was. Good selection of beers, particularly of ones they don't normally bottle. Not a bad place to spend an evening listening to music and knocking back a few.
May 12, 2016
 
Rated: 4.06 by ccanterbury from Virginia

Mar 27, 2016
 
Rated: 3.67 by WickedBeer from Alabama

Feb 11, 2016
Photo of WoodBrew
Reviewed by WoodBrew from Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +7.4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Parkway is a work in progress and their success is going to result into a very nice tap room. So the vibe is coming...be patient....I was able to sit on a comfortable sofa in front of a fire....quite nice. The quality of the beers was very good. The service was friendly but really didn't talk to much to them. There was plenty of beer styles to choose from. I had an enjoyable time there.
Jan 09, 2016
Photo of markjarema11
Rated by markjarema11 from Alabama

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Very laid back place. Food truck on property and a nice greenway in front of the property. Very cool place both in and outside.
Oct 14, 2015
 
Rated: 5 by cdw762

Nov 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Josh54

Jul 19, 2014
Photo of coldriver
Reviewed by coldriver from Texas

3.93/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75
Visited on a warm Friday June 27th afternoon. I really like the location of this place in an old light industrial site backed up against a wooded hill. It gives the feeling of being in a clearing out in the woods (which reminds me of my high school kegger days back in Western Washington). They had a cool three piece band (mandolin, guitar/dobro, upright bass) playing an interesting mix of styles (blues, jazz, etc but not bluegrass). The crowd was a little older than your usual brewery patrons, but everyone we talked to was nice.

They only had five taps going including a witbier, kolsch, Baltic porter, and two IPAs. I'd already had their Get Bent Mountain IPA around Roanoke and really liked it. I found everything else to be okay. The bar (the only service) setup was a little awkward being deep inside the building despite most of the patrons sitting outside. It would be better to have the bar closer to the door or even an outdoor bar. There's plenty of room inside the building and Parkway's website indicates an expansion is in the works of both brewing capacity and diversity of styles.

They don't serve food but there was a food truck on hand.
Jul 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by JMUbrewz from Virginia

Jun 15, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by NokeBeerLover540 from Virginia

Jun 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by jaswilson2 from South Carolina

May 20, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by bunkyzzz from Virginia

Apr 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by brother_kenneth from Virginia

Mar 23, 2014
Photo of bdubs22
Reviewed by bdubs22 from Virginia

3.89/5  rDev -3.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3
I've been here now numerous times and have always been impressed. My 1st time arriving at Parkway Brewery was before it's soft opening had occurred (a non-affiliated website posted the wrong date) and me and my friend went in only to discover they were still in the process of getting everything set-up. Upon noticing us, the owner and his wife as well as the brewmaster introduced themselves, and then the brewmaster proceeded to give us a full-tour of the facilities and equipment. I've returned several times since, always being impressed with their beers, particularly the Get-Bent IPA and Raven's Roost Baltic Porter. They provide bottled beer, both in 6-packs as well as 22 oz bottles, as well as growlers. My only complaint (and I can hardly even call it one), is that the last 2 times I've been, their version of an Imperial IPA has been unavailable (they said because of an inability to secure enough hops from a west-coast supplier) and since they have only 4 other beers, options are limited. That being said, you will not make a bad decision because they are all great beers, and the environment is great with picnic tables and a very laid-back atmosphere to be enjoyed by all. Live music also comes through here regularly!
Mar 13, 2014
Photo of bigkingken
Reviewed by bigkingken from North Carolina

3.86/5  rDev -4.2%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3
I've been here a lot in the past year and I have to say I'm pretty impressed. Everything is expertly crafted and executed. The Belgians are especially on point, and the Baltic porter is one of the best examples I've had. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area...

Original Thoughts...

Southwestern Virginia isn’t exactly a mecca for breweries. They are few and far between, and those that do exist aren’t of an outstanding caliber. Sufficed to say, there is plenty of room and plenty of market for newbies in the area. And apparently someone finally got the memo.

Parkway Brewing Company is the newest kid on the block, joining two other small breweries in Roanoke and just a handful of others within an hour’s drive. The Brew Master knows the area, having decided to jump ship from the largest brewpub in town (Roanoke Railhouse) to start his own place along with a likeminded local dreamer. My guess is that they will succeed.

The brewery isn’t much to look at. It’s a warehouse space in the industrial district of Roanoke’s next-door neighbor of Salem. They’ve got the front painted nicely to proclaim the name of the place, but not much else in the way of signing. The parking lot is too small to accommodate the number of drinkers in the moderately sized city. The interior is concrete, mash tuns, fermentation tanks, and everything else needed to produce the wares. A couple of days per week, some ropes are strung, tables put out, and employees man a few taps behind a simple bar. It’s not so much a tasting room as a tasting area.

However, the tasters are actually tasty. I was fairly impressed with the fledgling brews. The IPA has an intense, distinct citrus note that intrigues for a pint or two, but begins to become wearisome after more. The Belgian pale ale is a wonderful combination of European sweetness with American ingenuity. I might actually be able to drink an entire growler of it. The third beer – just released the day of my visit – is a dark and smoky porter. It is full and rich, but with a nuanced taste profile that gets overwhelmed by the IPA and Blonde if switching back and forth between the three. I need to try it sometime on it’s own for a true feel of its flavor.

Since the brewery just barely has a tasting area, it certainly does not have a kitchen. The role of food provider is played by a food truck happily sitting away in the parking lot out front. There are at least two that I know of that have taken up residence, and as far as I can tell, both are viable options to say the least.

All in all, I look forward to returning here and I think as more beers are developed, the brewery will grow in size and acclaim. The rating for this place is going to undersell it because of their current lack of selection. Once they get more beers on tap and evolve a bit, I think the score will easily bump up to a 4ish range.
Jan 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by qcbrewer from North Carolina

Dec 27, 2013
Photo of cyclonece09
Reviewed by cyclonece09 from Wisconsin

3.81/5  rDev -5.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.75
OK, first of all, if you don't know where you are going, they do not have a proper sign visible from the road, but the address is good for GPS. The brewery is in a repurposed manufacturing plant with an area cordoned off for the tasting room. Got here right as they opened, they had music from Pandora going, but the staff was there to talk about their beer and serve you. Beer is very fresh and ALWAYS served in proper glassware. You have to go to the bar to order, but it is a small place, so not too surprising. They have 5 beers on tap currently, and the beer is all good. Beer is reasonably priced, $3-5 per serving matting on beer and a $5 sampler of 4 beers. This is a place you should stop by, to try the beer and see the murals.
May 22, 2013
Photo of JK4Stout
Reviewed by JK4Stout from Virginia

3.57/5  rDev -11.4%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3 | selection: 3.25
Ok, I want to make this short and sweet. First this is not a negative review even if it is a little low. I really enjoyed this place. The IPA was great...extremely fresh. They only have two styles available now (IPA and a blonde), but more to come soon. Once I get a swip of the Double IPA and Belgian Dark that should be ready soon I may come back and up the rating a bit.

I will say service could have been much better...
Feb 24, 2013
Parkway Brewing Co. in Salem, VA
Brewery rating: 3.82 out of 5 with 1186 ratings