Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery

Rock Bottom Restaurant and BreweryRock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery
Rock Bottom Restaurant and BreweryRock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery
Brewery, Bar, Eatery

401 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, North Carolina, 28202
United States

(704) 334-2739 | map
rockbottomsouth.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.69
Beers:
471
Ratings:
3,248
Linked Beer Listing
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.66
Reviews:
30
Ratings:
40
pDev:
16.39%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Stopper:
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Reviewed by Stopper from Connecticut

3.18/5  rDev -13.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 2.5 | food: 3
I took advantage of a sports-related trip to Charlotte to make my first trip to a Rock Bottom. We went late-night, and there was not much food to choose from, but what was available, though unspectacular, got the job done. Service wasn't better or worse than I was expecting. The atmosphere was also decent, but unimpressive -- clean and decently comfortable, but pretty boring decor. The brewing equipment was off in the distance on the restaurant floor, and looked like it was separated from the dining area by glass walls. I had a chance to have at least a taste of all (six, I think) beers on tap, and was pleasantly surprised to find them all very distinct from one-another, clean, and decent representations of styles. But like in the other aspects of the brewpub, nothing really impressed. I'm glad I got a chance to go, and I enjoyed my food and drinks, but it certainly didn't entice me to go at all out of my way to get there again during my stay in Charlotte.
Apr 22, 2004
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.59 by ha-sheem from North Carolina

Jan 17, 2017
 
Rated: 3.73 by Bcraft11 from North Carolina

Dec 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.01 by WOLFGANG from South Carolina

Mar 20, 2015
 
Rated: 3.65 by mbfolk from North Carolina

Feb 18, 2015
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Reviewed by Harry-Porter

4.51/5  rDev +23.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4 | food: 5
They brew their own beer in house so that scores bonus points for me! Their food is great and they cooked my steak just how I asked them to (most places overcook beef). The waiter visited the table just enough without being a nuisance. They have a cool sampler with their different beers for only six dollars so if you need help deciding you can just try them all.
Feb 10, 2015
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Reviewed by evan35 from North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -0.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Rock Bottom is a great go-to spot for craft beer and dinner. It's fun to mesh a downtown dinner date with my wife and craft beer. She's a big fan of their oatmeal stout and I just typically order whatever beer is the freshest (their menu includes the tap date for each keg). Their Rocktoberfest is decent but I especially like their high gravity dark offerings. Food is well prepared and decently priced considering the fact it is downtown.

I recommend buying a growler as their high gravity refills are some of the best value in town.
Jan 21, 2015
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Reviewed by tillmac62 from South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Atmosphere was nice - family style. Beer was very good (Hop Nugget IPA) and well priced at $3/pint. The food (bacon, chicken mac & cheese) was outstanding. The beer selection was a bit limited. The service started out exceptional, but ended up taking 20 minutes to pay the bill due to a "computer reboot."
Dec 29, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by cptbenjamin from North Carolina

Oct 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by qcghost from North Carolina

Sep 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by MsShira08 from Tennessee

Jul 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by DaPan from Canada (ON)

Jul 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Stargazer2892 from North Carolina

Jul 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Mantooth from North Carolina

Apr 25, 2014
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Reviewed by Kirkman from North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -4.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4
My wife is from Charlotte, this place is a legend in the Charlotte Area. The have been around since my wife was a kid. I was so excited to visit this place for the first time. They did have an ok selection and the food was great, but not a lot of dark non-hoppy beers for selection. Good news for most people, but not me. The food was awesome and high class. A good place for the family and kids.
Feb 15, 2014
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Reviewed by JoeyBeerBelly from New York

4.5/5  rDev +23%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
My son moved to NC and on a visit he took us out to dinner here.
The place was hopping when we went and everyone at the place seemed to be having a good time. Even though they were busy or waiter was constantly checking on us for drinks and the food was served in a timely manner. We all enjoyed our meals, a few beers and a few laughs. I'd recommend this place to anyone in or visitng Charlotte.
May 30, 2013
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Reviewed by emkayh from North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
Went out exploring Charlotte to see what was open while everything was snowed in. Happened upon this place because it is close to my house and was looking to get out of the cold. They had a small group of people in there at the bar. I chose a booth because I wanted to grab some food while drinking. Ordered the Hefeweizen and was pleasantly surprised with the flavor. Also, tried a bit of the Coffee Stout they were offering. I ordered the chicken quesadilla and was pleased with how tasty and fresh the food was. Would definitely like to see this place when it is packed and will be returning.
Jan 11, 2011
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Reviewed by GJ40 from North Carolina

3.66/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3
Rock Bottom may be a chain and it may be pretty conservative in its beer but it played a key role in the development of brew pubs in the US.

This location is spacious and comfortable with a large bar, lots of tables and a few pool tables. They had seven beers on tap. I went with the IPA. It was an English IPA and it was better than I'd expected. It had a great balance of hops and malts yet the hops still sang.

Rock Bottom wouldn't be my first choice in most cities but it's one of the better beer destinations in downtown Charlotte.
Nov 21, 2010
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Reviewed by Onenote81 from North Carolina

3.83/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
Stopped by here each day I was in town for business. Perfect place for my afternoon beer. Didn't eat anything this time I was in town, but have eaten here before. Good food if I remember correctly. Sat at the bar each time. Good bartenders. Friendly and helpful. I had a couple questions about their beers which he answered, or went and found out the answer. Had a couple of their beers. Very good beer. Their brewer must have changed things up as these were quality brews. The place is pretty open. Some tvs there for sports, some pool tables available as well. Just off of Tryon Street, so you are close to everything. Not a bad place to stop for a bite to eat and some good beer.
Sep 24, 2010
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Reviewed by runnerno1 from South Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
We came to Charlotte for Heart concert. Stop by Rock Bottom for a pre-concert drink and dinner. I have the sampler. It was good. I thought the stout was the best which was surprising because I am an IPA girl.

We ordered wings and pizza. The pizza was excellent. The crust was crunchy outside and chewy inside. Plenty of topping. Yummy.

I agree with other reviews that the service is slow. Our waiter was not knowledgeable about the beer. I asked him how much was in each sample glass. He said one once when it is actually 2.5 to 3 oz.

I am glad that I stop here for a bite before Heart concert. It definitely put me in a right mood for a night of rock n roll.
Aug 17, 2010
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Reviewed by thagr81us from South Carolina

4/5  rDev +9.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Stopped in here to eat dinner last Friday night. Upon walking in it looked like a typical restaurant that one might come across in downtown Charlotte. The wait staff was nothing less than awesome. Not only did they know what went into all of the food (I was with a person with a food allergy), they also knew each of the beers they had quite well. I must say, the beer there was quite good (had a sampler) with the Stingin' Brits IPA being my favorite. The food was quite good as well. Overall if you are staying in the area it is worth checking out, even if it is just for a beer or two. You won't be disappointed.
May 10, 2010
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Reviewed by schoolcb from Texas

3.3/5  rDev -9.8%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3
Was in Charlotte for the first time for a business conference and had no plans the first night in town and found Rock Bottom on Beerfly (I should have stopped at the Irish Pub that isn't listed here). The weather was very cold and drizzly outside. I was greeted by a hostess as I entered. Since I was alone I headed straight for the bar so I could watch TV. They had the standard beers on tap (light lager, red ale, IPA, brown, stout, and a seasonal which was an ESB). The lights in the place were turned down low...are the people here so ugly they need the lights low? It was very loud in the bar area. They had some kind of raffle going which I did not hear about and they gave out glassware and t-shirts. I'm sitting between a guy that just sent his order of wings back for the 3rd time and someone that appears not to be feeling any pain (he is having a hard time taking his jacket off, and his eyes are starting to droop). Both bartenders are pleasant. The ESB is pretty darn good. Nice malt, fairly bitter, hints of caramel, amber in color (they had a young one handing out 2oz samples). Guy next to me is doing the head-bob and attempts to stand up and falls taking two barstools with him. Bartender tells him he needs to pay up and leave but I don't think he can hear, he's still sitting here. She asks the manager to come over and help him pay up and leave, and he comes over to talk and when he doesn't get a response walks away (spineless!!) I order the ribs (I thought NC ribs were the best, but they don't come close to Texas ribs) and I am almost done when the drunk next to me wakes up enough to pay his bill (he signs the check by writing the amount of his tab - and doesn't leave a tip). So what could have been a decent night of food and beer was somewhat dampened by the drunk guy and my fear that he is going to hurl at any moment. Read the other reviews here, sounds like this place is average at best, and my experience was no better.
Feb 07, 2010
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Reviewed by beer2day from North Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -9.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Very large pub within walking distance of Time Warner Arena (4-5 blocks). 6 beers on tap, all regulars. I'm not a big fand of their beers - all are just a little too sweet with weaker hop profiles than I like.

Food choices are much better than the beer, with good apps, wood-fired pizzas, and very nice sandwiches.

Service was very s l o w, despite not being crowded when we first got there. Service speed did not degrade as the crowd thickened, however.

Worth a stop if in the area, but not a destination in itself.
Nov 07, 2009
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Reviewed by wesbrownyeah from Florida

4/5  rDev +9.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Was in North Carolina visiting my brother at UNCC when the conversation of Microbrewery came in. He recomended Rock Bottom because in Florida A1A Ale Work is my favorite brew pub.

A- Beautiful wood floors, walls, and counters shine giving a excellent clean environment upfront in the bar. The brewing tank are shown in the corner close to the two pool tables that face the street. Great party or dinner atmosphere.

Q-S-S-F- Are great and always up to par for this restaurant chain. Had an wonderful bartender who was very friendly and knowledgeable on the beer she was serving. Tasty menu that i've grown to love from A1A served as ordered.

A must visit brewpub if your in the area and need great service and food. If you have a thirst for fresh beer don't think twice.
Oct 02, 2009
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Reviewed by Bung from Michigan

3.76/5  rDev +2.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Brews look like they're made on site. 8 or so drafts with a seasonal or two mixed in the the regulars. Some are dumbed down for the masses, but there darker brews are as good as anything else you'll find around Charlotte, especially downtown. This is one of the most beer challenged cities I've ever seen in my life, but I digress. Service was good, place was clean with some tv's and 2 pool tables for entertainment. Restaurant area looks nice, with a stone pizza oven set in the middle, but I have not eaten here. A place to visit downtown Charlotte if you want to go downtown, but avoid the 21-25 crowd.
Dec 15, 2008
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Reviewed by Metalmonk from North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -0.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
On a very busy Saturday night, our part of 13 freaks invaded this trendy Charlotte spot. I didn't realize it was a humongous chain until jumping on BA today...which might explain the mainstream feel of the place, and the just-good-enough taste of their food and beers.

Don't get me wrong, we had an excellent time and our one and only server did a great job of handling us all. Their Stingin' Brits IPA is something I regret not bringing home in a growler, it was wonderful and uber-fresh. (The Randolph Ride red was also very good, but the Oktoberfest was merely decent, and I got report that the light lager was pretty awful) But I couldn't help feeling they're more interested in packing 'em in and serving merely adequate food, and they certainly did both. The veggie nachos were good but a bit cold when they arrived, and the pizza was just okay, maybe some of the weakest oven-fired pizza I've had. Others in our party went from "yum" to underwhelmed.

Atmosphere was typical sports bar meets slightly more upscale downtown family restaurant. Pretty boring, really, and the lighting could've been dimmed just a little, but it didn't keep us from having a good time anyway. The biggest turn-off are the "guest beers": Bud Light, Coors Light, Miller Lite. Give me a break.

Yeah, I'd go back, but I can live without returning just as easily.
Sep 28, 2008
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Reviewed by lpb1970 from North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 2 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Rockbottom has a lot going for it and can also be a little annoying. They have a great location right in the middle of uptown Charlotte so you can get a bit of that urban feel which is rare in NC. The big problem for this place is getting a table. The last 2 times we went here we had the exact same experience. They have young girls handling the wait list/seating (no reservations) who are in totally over their heads, they ususally don't have enough buzzers to give out and ultimately I usually have to wait an hour to get a table. This is on weekend nights but I think this place stays busy. Another curious thing about this place is they always have this long wait list but there will be 4-5 tables empty on the patio. I have never been able to figure that one out. Anyway once you get to your table the experience improves. The waitstaff has always been friendly and knowledgeable, the food is really good and the beer is pretty good too. I really like the IPA and their most recent seasonal was a Porter that I thouroughly enjoyed. Bottom line, you may have to deal with some hassles getting seated but good food and brewpub beers plus a great location make up for it.
Dec 30, 2007
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Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
We recently stopped in here for dinner with some friends on a recent trip down to Charlotte. It had been a long time since I had been at this location (probably 8 or 9 years) so this was basically a new experience for me. It’s hard to miss this place with the big ole’ Rock Bottom red neon sign prominently displayed along the main downtown drag on North Tryon. The restaurant itself is pretty darn massive. The layout includes both a huge dining and bar area as well as plenty of outdoor seating when it gets warmer. As much as I appreciate the size of the place, I just wish there was more to the atmosphere. The décor seemed very simple and plain and actually reminded me a lot of its corporate cousin, Gordon Biersch.

We took a seat in the bar area and sized up the beers. Unfortunately, this Rock Bottom location is part of a different chain than most of the others in the country, so no giant Club Mug for me. They had on their regular lineup of staple beers (Southern Flyer Light Lager, Prospector’s Pils, Randolph’s Ride Red Ale, Stingin’ Brits IPA, Sweet Magnolia Brown Ale, and the Iron Horse Stout) plus a seasonal Pumpkin Ale. None of the staples looked very interesting, so I went for the Pumpkin Ale and my buddy the Light Lager. The Pumpkin Ale was light but fairly flavorful. I was still pretty beer bloated from a trip to another brewpub earlier in the day, so that’s all I tried. The food menu was fairly limited and garnered more towards the expensive side. I had a Cobb salad and it was fresh and very large. Service was OK. Our server seemed pretty knowledgeable about the beers with what we asked her and was fairly prompt with the service. She just seemed pretty non-enthused about being there but the place was pretty dead (on the night before Thanksgiving) so I’ll chalk it up to that.

All in all, there was nothing that really bugged me about our visit here but then again there was nothing that really stood out either. The atmosphere and beers just really can’t compete with the Rock Bottom chain experiences we’ve had up north (although to be fair, our home Rock Bottom is the King of Prussia one and it’s really been kicking it up beer wise over the last 2 years). I understand that they sometimes have on more interesting seasonals and cask offerings. We just didn’t get to see them on this trip. I’d definitely be up for a revisit and reevaluation sometime down the line.
Dec 12, 2007
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Reviewed by mikesgroove from South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +7.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
Had the pleasure of having dinner here this evening after a show downtown. Place looks great from the outside and the vibe is very upscale brewpub once inside. The have six standards that are always on tape and one seasonal too. Nice five dollar sampler rack gives you a taste of all. Nothing really fantastic about them, though the brown ale and Stout were quite nice. Food was really good, nice pizza for my son, great salads and good entree. Staff has stock answers for pretty much all of their brews so they can give you a pretty fair run down on the place. Prices were a bit much depending on what you ordered. Overall it has a nice atmosphere, great food, decent fast/knowledgeable service and if you are looking for a good meal, a nice place to stop into to.
Jun 17, 2007
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Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
This was sort of a bizarre location in that it was a standard Rock Bottom layout, but it fell under the Godon Biersch ownership umbrella. It was conveniently located on the corner of North Tryon and 7th Streets in downtown Charlotte with the main entrance on Tryon.

Entering, there was the standard short vestibule with the m.d.s. along the right wall just inside of the door. The wood Art Deco-style bar was a left-oblique past the entryway. The left side of the space was the bar area with a line of booths along the windows, culminating in a curving shelf with high chairs as well as islands with stools. The bar area ended with a pair of billiards tables in the centerline; a door onto a short, fenced-in patio area; and a short set of booths which fronted the brewhouse. Past the left of the bar and between the bar and the brewhouse were more of the elevated islands, and further back was a private party room with reproductions of vintage Yuengling and Ortlieb's trays displayed on the walls. To the right of the entryway was the extensive dining room, with a mix of tables and chairs, as well as booths. Down a passageway and to the right were the washrooms with the serving tanks in a separate room across the hallway.

During the weekend of my visit, they had six beers on, including South Flyer Light Lager, which was the standard light beer for a brewpub; Randolph's Ride Red Ale, which was a bit malty for a hophead like me; Stingin' Brits IPA, which was not hoppy enough; Sweet Magnolia Brown Ale, which was enjoyable; Iron Horse Stout, which could have been sufficient; and Prospector's Pilsner, which I chose because I am on a Pilsner kick, following Bill Moore's arrival at LNCBC.
Mar 07, 2007
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Reviewed by atsprings from North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +10.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
My sister and I stopped in for a late lunch after visiting Discovery Place a block south. The atmosphere was very pleasant, it was about 3:30 in the afternoon on a Monday and there was a decent scattering of people. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had a cask tap. I noticed this right after ordering an IPA and the waitress was nice enough to take it back and give me the cask ale instead. The selection was not the best in the world, 6 different beers including a seasonal that I can't remember off the top of my head, I think it was a witbier. The food was very enjoyable. Typical pub fare, my burger was very good. The prices, especially the beer, are very reasonable at $3.50 for a 20oz. glass. While I'll be more likely to visit Flying Saucer while in Charlotte, I'll certainly visit here every now and then.
Feb 24, 2007
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Reviewed by rodrot from North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -0.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
I used to visit this establishment occasionally when I lived in Charlotte, but I hadn't been back since I moved in 2002. I was in town on 04-05-06 and decided to give this place a visit and review it in the process. The beers are all pretty average in my opinion. The Iron Horse Stout is fairly tasty and so is the IPA and Irish Red. However, it seems like every time I come here the place is packed with either corporate types drinking scotch or hot chicks drinking wine. Beer seems to be in the backround. Food is pretty good, but the prices have really jumped since I was last here. 10 dollars for a damn cheeseburger? Used to be you could get a decent sandwich with fries for under 7 bucks. One positive is the beer prices. $3.50 for all the house beers, served in Imperial pints no less, is a pretty good deal. Overall, not a bad place to people watch and maybe converse with some out of town business folks. If you're into really aggressive beers, forget it. They were out of the weizenbock and the bar manager told me that the head brewer had no plans to brew any new beers until next fall.
Apr 06, 2006
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Reviewed by SaCkErZ9 from South Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +3.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5
If you are ever in Cha Town, Tryon street is most likely the place to be. This brewpub resides on that particularly busy street. Right downtown, you cant miss it. A huge building fronting Tryon street. I cant imagine this place would run out of seating. There are nooks and crannys everywhere. I almost got lost going to the bathroom due to the brew room and employees only and fermenter room, etc. Beers seem to be very worthy. Wait staff was complimentary as well. I stopped by to get a pint while walking downtown. I would suggest you do the same.
Dec 15, 2005
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Reviewed by blitheringidiot from Pennsylvania

3.34/5  rDev -8.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3
After hearing that the South East Rock Bottom has a different ownership that the Rock Bottom up my way, I was stoked to stroll over to Charlotte Rock Bottom. This place is smack dab on the corner of THEE busy street in town. THere are outdoor tables and inside the place is huge. A big restaurant area to the right and to the left is the bar, pool tables, stand up tables and brewery.

Since I was there twice in on e Friday, I got a feel for service. While not busy and busy, both bartenders were quick and adequate.

Selection was pretty lame: Light, Pumpkin on cask, Stout, Brown, Red, IPA, and Pilsner. I bellied up and tried the pilsner (decent) pumpkin on cask (lame) IPA (fuggle bland) and red (actually hoppy.)

I was just here for the beer. It was average at best. Nothing here to see, folks. Move on! This place isn't all bad, but for beer geeks like us, it barely crosses over the threshold. No wonder places like Town Hall Brewery are awesome. Oh, as far as the "could you take your Mother here" test? Not after 5pm. It gets crowded and loud.

Last call: Ok place to grab a brewery pint. Skip it if you want to geek out. Go to Brawleys and buy some good bottles instead.

Beer is good. Happy brewery beering.
Nov 09, 2005
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Reviewed by dirtylou from Oklahoma

2.88/5  rDev -21.3%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3
This place sucks, period.

the atmosphere is horrible. It seems like nobody ever even drinks beer in this place. its location in uptown charlotte is both annoying to access at night and draws lots of scandalous characters. I will never go back to this place.

the beer selection was normal, obviously no high alcohol brews. Nothing was particularly good and the service was slow as hell.

maybe i just went on an off night but the scene in this part of charlotte is just way to trendy. If you like watching cars on hydraulics and cruising strips, this might be your new spot.

not recommended
Jul 19, 2005
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Reviewed by gabe from Florida

3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Rock Bottom is fairly similar to most other brewpubs I've been to... mediocre beer and slightly better food. Its located right in the heart of downtown Charlotte. A pretty nice location that makes it an easy stop as a beer destination in this city whether you live here or if you are just traveling.

I've sampled the majority of the beers brewed by Rock Bottom and while none were bad, none of them really stood out either. It was a fairly standard offering. They seemed to be brewed with the intention of appealing to the masses. Notice the name of Rock Bottom... the word restaurant comes before brewery and that is evident here.

As for the food, everything I've tried here has been delicious. No doubt about that. Service has always been good too. Even when crowded (this place is big), the waiter/waitress was always attentive. They were pretty knowledgeable about the beers that Rock Bottom brewed, but you could tell it was more of a "I know this only because I work here" sort of knowledge, not that they genuinely knew about the beers.

Anyways, all that aside I enjoy going here because of the location and decent food. Its a great spot to bring guests from out of town.
Apr 21, 2005
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Reviewed by AlexJ from North Carolina

3.13/5  rDev -14.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3
After trying out Southend Brewer & Smokehouse, we made Rock Bottem our next eating-out designation. It's a pretty large place, but it was so crowded you would never know it. We were greeted by our server in a reasonable ammount of time. I tried the IPA first, which was pretty good, but as with most touristy brewpubs, nothing the write home about. It had a slight citrus and pine flavor, but was shadowed by a funky, bready/yeasty taste that just did not belong. I also tried a porter which was better. Roasty and bitter, it still lacked the body of a porter, it was quite thin. We got wings to start, which were decent. A grilled chicken sandwich was next, smothered in bacon, tomato, BBQ sauce, and grilled onions, it was pretty tasty, but pretty hard to mess uo too. Overall, worth a stop to check it out, but no different from many of the countless, and pedestrian brewpubs.
Apr 05, 2005
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Reviewed by beercollector from Oregon

3.88/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
I found myself in Charlotte for a conference and had to find a brew pub. This is where I landed since I'm familiar with the Portland and Denver locations.

I got in at dinner time and the only place was at the bar. The beer tender found out that I was from Oregon and we struck up a good conversation. This also resulted in my getting pretty great service.

I had shrimp and a scottish beer for dinner. Both were great. I could watch the dining area and the pool tables from where I sat. This was a typical corporate bar but a fun place to watch folks. Finished the night with their stout and found it basic but a good finisher.
Mar 28, 2005
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Reviewed by Backer2004 from North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Rock Bottom is located in prime real estate for Charlotte, just north of the center of Uptown (Trade and Tryon). Does not seem like a brewery at first glance and many customers may not realize it to be more than a restaurant. My suggestion is to order a flight of all their brewed beers--best selections are the Red Rocks and Black Diamond Stout.

Good burgers, very good pasta dishes (especially the Southwestern Shrimp and Chicken), and some of the best White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes I have ever had. Not brew pub prices but these meals aren't typical brew pub choices.
Sep 16, 2004
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Reviewed by kevinl6 from South Carolina

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4
This place has been here a while, but if you go to Rock Bottom's web site, it's not listed...go figure. Anyway, this is right in the middle of uptown Charlotte, and I am very 'crowd intolerant'. So, we bellied up about noon on a Saturday, when there wasn't much going on. A freakin huge place!! It took me 5 minutes to walk to the bathroom! A pretty nice atmosphere for what I like....which is basically relaxing and drinking. We received great service from a bartender who was at least 'dangerous' when it came to good beer. Their food was pretty good, I had a crabcake sandwich that I finished easily. OK, on to the most important thing...beer. They only had 6 on tap, I was expecting more. Perhaps its because there are so many listed on their beerfly. Of the 6, I liked the red, the IPA, and the stout (my favorite). I thought the IPA was very good, and their stout was better than a Guinness. A pleasurable experience, and I will return, but nothing extraordinary.
Sep 10, 2003
Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery in Charlotte, NC
Brewery rating: 3.69 out of 5 with 3248 ratings