Just moved to NC

Any total wine(Durham has one) and Sam's Quick Shop(thank me later).
http://samsquikshop.com/

Sam's has free tastings on Fridays and always have about 12 good things on tap. You get to keep your glass too!

 

Well, go to Allen and Sons BBQ on N.C. 86 between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough to get a touch of living history. Bull City Burgers, Sams, any Tylers, hell the list is long and the area is big- look for old threads here, but please check out Allens if you like old fashioned BBQ. Welcome!

 

Ridgewood Wine & Beer in Raleigh has a decent selection and a usually awesome set of beers on draught. For some high-end stuff (e.g. Rochefort 10), their prices beat TW's prices by a smidge.

 

Other recommendations:
Beer Study - right off franklin street in Chapel Thrill. Nowhere else can you get a pint and play super mario.
Sams - thank Kenny Powers for that. I 2nd it.
Brixx Pizza - good local "chain" with solid selection off the tap.
Town Hall Grill - Decent tap list and good food.
Tylers (Carboro) - good pub food and good tap selection.
ACME (Carboro) - great food but you'll pay $$$ for it. Beer selection isn't that great. Just good food here.

 

Fullsteam in Durham is worth checking out. And Milltown in Carrboro has good food, solid taps and an interesting bottle list. As for NC breweries, Olde Hickory and Foothills are always a solid choice...

And just go to Sam's (and thank the dude above later)!

 

You're not the first to say that. Prob not the last either. As Destro said, foothills and olde hickory for sure. Mother Earth makes some solid brews along with pisgah. go check out bull city burger in Durham. All their stuff, except for the ketchup, is made in house. Great burgers and solid beer. And get some bull nuts. . Just trust me.

 

To go along with this post:
If you make your way out near Raleigh, also try BottleMixx, Bottle Revolution, Tasty Bev, Flying Saucer, and Trophy Brewing/Pizza Co. I know there are many others that I can't think of. As for breweries to try, I agree with everyone above. And like you, Carolina was a let down for me as well.

 

side note, there is Carolina Brewery (Chapel Hill and Pittsboro), and there is Carolina Brewing Company in Holly Springs

 

For Raleigh I will second Ridgewood, a solid bottle selection and for me the best draft selection in the triangle. Although limited to 16 taps I find more on tap there that I want to drink. Also for Raleigh I will add the Busy Bee, and Raleigh times.

 

2nd that. Both great places for beer and food!

 

Welcome to NC Brandon8807-

I live in Chapel Hill/Carrboro. Sam's Blue Light in Durham is about a 25 minute drive for me. It's the best place in the area to buy beer, but it's rarely worth it for me to drive there.

Beer Study is 7 minutes away and a popular hang out among the local beer geeks. The owner, JD, does a great job of keeping the 8 drafts interesting and fresh. He also cleans the lines regularly. It's a fun place to hang. He also drive to Asheville & Charlotte to pick up beer that's not distributed here like Pisgah.

Milltown is also on the short list of the best places for craft beer in Chapel Hill. Tyler's and Carrboro Beverage are also worth a visit.

There are more and more breweries every month in NC. Try everything and see what you like best.

 

Sorry to hijack this, but it falls in the same state.

I'm heading down to Charlotte, staying pretty close to the Epicentre in a couple weeks. I'm sadly missing out on the BASC release by a week or two. Any recommendations on local beer to try? I'm hoping there are just as many quality spots (bottle shops and bars/pubs) in Charlotte as there are in Chapel Hill/Durham.

I'm also hoping to stock up on brews that don't make it up my way in NYC.

 

Brawleys would be the bottle shop to go to. Great place and the guy that runs it.....he's ok too. . Check out NoDa brewing and Old Mecklennurg.

 

Recent thread here on places to go:
http://beeradvocate.com/community/t...tte-nc-for-a-week-in-july.89762/#post-1519324

Local CLT beers to try? Yes, go to Noda Brewing, look up at the board, and try them all! Seriously, they rarely put out a dud. Same with Olde Meck (german styles). Birdsong Jalepeno Pale Ale and Triple C 3C IPA are among other local favorites of mine.

Regional favorites? Too many to list.

 

Right now, I like the beers I taste out of CLT better than anywhere else in NC (haven't tried Wicked Weed). 3C & Noda are brewing great IPAs. Olde Hickory is good too. Brawley's is great. Near Brawley's, Duckworth's has an abundance of drafts to choose from with no crap on tap.

 

If you are coming "in a couple of weeks" you will be on target for Foothill's 2013 BBA Sexy release on 9/7. That is one GREAT release/bottle share Friday Night/Saturday morning that you DO NOT want to miss. I can assure you that it will be an event that you will tell your great, great, grandkids about 50 years from now. You have been warned !!

 

I'm from Greensboro and I can only say what little I know of the Chapel Hill/Durham/Raleigh beer scene. It's off the friggin hook !!. The only "Bar" that I have first hand knowledge about is Busy Bee .... stunning. The shizzel on the fizzle about that area is the Breweries/Brew Pubs ..... it is off the hook in a non Illinois kind of breweries and brew pub kinda way (I know you brought some of that great Shytown/Wisconsonian good shit down with you ...... hook a brutha UP).
Amazing brew pubs (newbies such as Trophy, Fortnight, Steel Strings, Crank Arm, White Street out in Wake Forest, the list goes on and on not to mention the old guards : Fullsteam, Big Boss, Natty Greene's - who I have never been to in Raleigh, but the Greensboro brew pub is average at best, Lone Rider ... all great breweries and brew pubs.
Keep in mind 1 thing ..... this is the south; we take our sweet ass time ...... so if it takes a little longer to get your pint .... just stare @ some titties or crotchtal areas and know you are about to experience some of the BEST southern brews bar none. Cheers, Gary

 

Hey I'm here in chapel hill. If you want, I'd be glad to show you around chapel hill. Bluecane and I are going to beer study in chapel hill at 1230 today. Also, I work at the Durham total wine, names Tim. Just introduce yourself.