Neuse River Brewing Co.

Visited in a Wednesday evening. Sat at the bar.

V - Not a beer bar but rather a southern brassiere. Open, bright and full of energy when I visited but don’t come here looking for an introspective beer tasting. Met the owners. Very nice/from California. Located in a transitional area between the train tracks and a neighborhood. I would definitely hang out here if I lived nearby/walking distance. 3.5

Q - I had the Equinox and the Bobbi Brune. Decent but not great. If they want to compliment their food the brewers should focused more on the Belgian styles. 3.75

Ser - Bartender and owners were very nice and attentive. 4.25

Sel - The selection was just barely enough. Greater selection of wine and cocktails than beer. They were definitely selling more non-beer than beer. 3.5

F - I had the Thai noodles with blackened shrimp. A bit dry. Not spicey enough. Probably even needed some salt. 4.0

 

I visited this brewery/brasserie (a.k.a. cafe) for dinner while in town visiting Raleigh. I was excited by the description on their website that they are "Belgian inspired, Carolina crafted," since I am a huge fan of Belgian beers and I've loved the food when I've visited the country. I found this location difficult to get to, having to get off of major streets and go through tiny, zig-zag residential streets for quite a way. On the positive side, I think this is due to the intent that the location be a truly local, neighborhood establishment, like many in Belgium.

Once I got there, I found a pleasant, brightly lit taproom/eatery. It was plainly decorated, with white walls and simple wooden tables and chairs. There was an eclectic soundtrack playing at a reasonable level, and the room was small and intimate enough to have pleasant conversation while you sipped and ate. Our server was a very friendly guy who knew a lot about their beers and food, and made good recommendations. The food menu did not have a great number of selections, but they did have a Belgian and European feel, with simple, fresh ingredients. The dishes we tried were very good, and paired well with the beers.

The taproom had 10 Neuse River beers on tap, a collaboration brew with Standard beer Co., and another 5 taps with regional ciders from other producers. Their beers were a good mix of staple Belgian styles like many US breweries dabble in, and several others that had truly inventive flavors and ingredients, which is also very true to Belgium's beer philosophy. All the beers I tried were good to very good. I found that most of them seemed to have been brewed with a good understanding of Belgian ingredients and techniques, much more so than I find in many small US breweries. They were all served in appropriate glassware, at appropriate serving temperature, and the quality of all of the beers was very good.

My family member and I were very happy with our experience at the brasserie. He is not the huge Belgian fan that I am, but he found the food and beers very enjoyable on their own merits. I felt the same, but, in addition to that, I had an appreciation of how true to their Belgian roots all the beers were. This is a special place and I encourage you to check out their beer and/or their brasserie if you get the chance.

 

 

 

We stopped here after a quick stop at Nickelpoint (they are next to each other in the same street). I loved the Native American theme and logo. Also cool music selection and space, which reminded me of a New York art gallery (great wooden ceiling).

Tables outside, a food truck… you know the drill of a Raleigh brewery. And a super friendly bartender to boot.

The 6 beers on tap are mighty original and include a “Biere de Neuse” saison, “Bobbi Brune” (smoked brown ale), Belgian Golden, Tripel, Neusiok Imperial Saison (9%, 3.5), Caleb’s High Noon Imp IPA (7.8%, 3.25).

I didn't love all the brews but I'll admit they are unique, and the place is cool.