Rip Rap Brewing Company

This part of Norfolk is shaping up to be like Richmond's Scott's Addition. Lots of old industrial buildings being repurposed, and this is right in there. A small garage , a small l shaped bar, and a smattering of tables. Small, cozy, friendly. I only had one beer and it was fantastic. See my review of Breakwater Cream Ale. Don't skip this place.

Very nearly drove by it as it blends in with the neighborhood. Very much a low key operation -- almost a hobby brewery by the feel. Loved it!

Their symbol is a lighthouse style that I only know of in Maryland - cool, but not really Hampton Roads unless I am wrong.......hmmm.

There are bigger brewpubs in Norfolk, but I really want to spend time here. Very comfortable feeling when I entered. Knowledgeable staff. Friendly. I will return!

 

Rip Rap is a rather small operation with a homestyle feel. When you walk in you are greeted by paintings on the wall of a map of the Hampton Roads area. On the left side of the taste room, facing towards the inside of the establishment, there are various flags of the uniformed services hanging. Both of these things delighted me, as it gave me the local feel I wanted while including support for our service members. As you walk in a friendly staff greets you a offering fantastic beer selection that has a style for everyone. My favorites are then Scrimshaw, the Heart’s Content, and the Marlin Spike. As you sit down, upbeat music and a lively atmosphere allows you to enjoy your beer while socializing. Note: if they do open the garage door during colder weather, it will get chilly! Overall, I love Rip Rap Brewing Company!

 

 

Rip Rap is probably the brewery that's the furthest east in Norfolk, and just a couple of blocks away from O'Connor. It's a simple set-up with the brewery in back and the tasting room upfront. It's really no -frills, except for the TV and video game set up (which kids seem to love): bar, bathroom, and picnic tables, that's it. A garage door opens to the outside when the weather is nice, and there's also a very small seating area out there if it's nice enough. Parking is bountiful, and you can bring your own food in or order to have it delivered there (they do have some snacks available).

There are 8 beers on tap, which I though reasonably priced. They seem to be pretty well varied including wheat beers, pale ales, IPAs, stouts, Belgians, cream ales, and English milds. I'm personally an English mild fan so that works for me, and my wife loves wheats. What they don't offer are the bigger, crazier beers (sour beers, massive IPAs, barrel aged offerings, or all three of those things combined into one ~ I think you get the picture).

It's not much to look at with it's mostly bare, white-washed cinderblock walls but it's a comfortable place to just hang out and chill with a beer, and as it's not really that far from almost every other place in Norfolk you could easily do a pub crawl, even if you had to walk!

 

 

Tough to evaluate a place on its opening weekend, especially with bad weather on a Sunday afternoon, but I hope other locals do check this place out and things pick up for them. However, there are some drawbacks albeit some can be rectified. Located in a dense part of Ghent, the parking situation is not ideal and the place is small and barren (as in there are some tables and that's it, not even bar seating). As for the beers, they offer a flight for $10 to sample the four beers on tap via four ounce sample glasses (I wouldn't be surprised if they were actually two or three b/c the glasses are smaller than I'm accustomed to seeing in flights). On the flip side, they offer pints for $5 so it is a better economical choice to split 4 pints with a friend/spouse if you have the opportunity to do so. As for the four beers themselves, nothing wowed me but I can't say anything was terrible. Worth going here to support another local brewery but I do hope they liven up the place and get more than four beers on tap (as well as make a flight a more enticing offer for people to sample all their offerings). As for parking, any place that makes great beer is worth spending a couple minutes looking for some parking.