5 frothy patios to fulfill your pursuit of hoppiness.
This year, NC Beer Month is in October (a shift initiated last year), but this April marks the inaugural #HopIntoSpring—because “there’s no finer way to enjoy the sunshine of a Carolina day than with… a locally crafted NC beer.” We agree… it’s always hoppy hour during patio season. Here, our five fave beer patios with a mix of vibes and a variety of brews—pouring out the perfect perch for eternal hoptimists. Cheers!
Dubbed “Raleigh’s favorite patio,” Wye Hill is an alfresco affair that promises to cure what ales you. Impeccable views + bangin’ housemade brews + chef-driven bar food = our definition of a perfectly spent spring day. You’re gonna need some Everything Brussels… then wash ’em down with Wye’s constantly rotating small-batch brews—so there’s always something new to sip on. wyehill.com
You’re gonna want a slice of patio-drinking season at this Trophy hot spot. Pizza and beer already make the perf pairing—but nothing pairs as well with a slice of ’za than Trophy’s house-brewed sips. Fave combos include the Local Celebrity pizza with a Cloud Surfer IPA, or the Most Loyal with a Trophy Husband witbier—but TBH, you can’t go wrong no matter what you tap into. trophybrewing.com
Savor the flavor (and the sun!) on this sun-soaked patio—complete with a small, calming herb garden that sets the scene for a serene day out. The old-meets-new brewery specializes in Belgian ales and IPAs (but experiments with other brew styles as well), which are best enjoyed with European bistro-inspired fare with a North Carolina twist—out under the twinkling lights, natch. neuseriverbrewing.com
Come for the LBC brews and stay for the food from Wilson’s Eatery—thanks to the outdoor haven bridging the two hot spots at Dock 1053. Trust us, there’s no better way to spend a Saturday or Sunday Funday—or any afternoon/evening imbibing sesh—with your crew than with one of LBC’s palatable pints and a sammie or flatbread from its sister resto. lynnwoodbrewing.beer
You can never be two-tired to sit back, relax and enjoy a brewsky post-biking sesh (or, well, ever) at Crank Arm. Complete with bike racks, naturally, this primo alfresco perch always promises a hopping good time, with plenty of tables and chairs (plus a cozy bench) to post up at and relish the sun + warmth with a pint or a tasting wheel. Hoppiness, found. crankarmbrewing.com
A trio of Mexican concepts land in Raleigh + the burbs.
Giving Raleighites something to taco ’bout are three spicy Mexican concepts recently opened—or bowing soon—in both Raleigh and its burbs. (Hey, don’t tempt us with a good time… will drive for margaritas and tacos). For a sneak “taste,” we asked what to expect and how these hot spots’ll stand out from the rest.
“Welcome to Mexico City in Cary, where everyone speaks English,” says Top Chef alum Katsuji Tanabe of his recently opened a’Verde Cocina + Tequila Library. The menu features traditional Mexican food (think loaded nachos, enchiladas, street charred corn and more) made by “the son of a Japanese and Mexican family.” And no Mexican resto is complete without cocktails… so when you get thirsty, spring for the Like, Literally or Aloe You Long Time. averdecary.com
Although local bar owner Jason Howard’s concepts are usually small and simple, their quirkiness makes them especially distinct. Howard’s newest spot, Lil Hombre, will be no different—just in Clayton. “[Lil Hombre] is a taco version of The Cardinal,” says Howard—“simple, no frills.” In addition to tacos (feat. meat cooked outside over a live fire!), the spot will be tequila and mezcal heavy—and frozen palomas and margs will be on deck to enjoy either inside or out under a large pergola. Si, por favor! @lilhombreclayton
A gym that you’ll actually be excited about going to… Gym Tacos’ highly anticipated brick-and-mortar is finally open on Hillsborough Street (across from Meredith College) serving up OG faves from the food truck like tacos (natch), quesadillas and burritos. “Everything about Gym Tacos is fresh—from our homemade corn tortillas to our homemade salsas, as well as our homemade aguas, like Jamaica and Horchata,” says Gym Tacos GM Kayla Ramirez. “The facial expressions we see are all the proof you’ll ever need… the taste itself will get you that perfect out-of-this-world feeling.” Spec-taco-lar! @gymtacos
WEB EXCLUSIVE Local org The Third Talk hosts seminar on preventing children from porn exposure.
We all love the internet (… it’s worth a Google)—but not everything on the web is good for children’s eyes.
As shocking as it may seem, U.S. kids are, on average, first exposed to porn at the age of 11—thus making up the second-largest demographic of pornography viewership in the world (!). Thus, there’s more of a need than ever to educate children about this type of content and the negative impact it can have, ideally before middle school.
Enter The Third Talk—a local org that aims to reduce the harm to children from exposure to online pornography—and its free safety seminar. In an effort to provide parents with the necessary tools to prevent such harmful childhood exposure, The Third Talk’ will host A Critical Dialogue About Our Children & Technology at NC State’s McKimmon Center on March 31 in partnership with authors, trauma counselors and the NC Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force to discuss ways in which parents can protect their children from exposure to sexually explicit media online.
“Most parents simply don’t think about the sheer volume of content their children are watching,” says The Third Talk founder John Van Arnam. “Viewership is rampant and prevention is absolutely critical to the long term health of our children.”
Expert speakers will include Van Arman, The Third Talk’s chairman of the board Dr. Olson Huff, children’s trauma counselor Shaaron Boyles, author Deborah Berry and commander Kevin Roughton. Register for the seminar here.
WEB EXCLUSIVE Morgan Street Food Hall’s Buena Papa Fry Bar is getting a little taste of stardom.
If there’s one thing that unites everyone in the world, it’s food. And on March 17, award-winning Mexican celebrity chef and TV personality Pati Jinich (of PBS TV series Pati’s Mexican Table fame) will be coming to Morgan Street Food Hall’s Buena Papa Fry Bar as part of a new digital series called Thriving With Food with the nonprofit Stand Together.
The series highlights local immigrant chefs’ stories, contributions and influences on local food scenes. During this special Raleigh visit, Buena Papa co-owner Johanna Windon (a native of Bogota, Columbia, who immigrated to the U.S. when she was 6 years old) and her husband, James, will chat with Jinich about “how, as Americans, we are all united by our shared connection of people coming from all over the world to contribute to our country—especially through food.”
Jinich will also cook side-by-side with the Buena Papa chefs in a Diners, Drive-ins and Dives-style format (minus the bleach blonde hair…), which will premiere on Thriving With Food mid-April.
But before you tune in to this little fry-day activity, a little background on Buena Papa… The husband-and-wife team founded the casual eatery in 2021 in Raleigh. Buena Papa’s (which translates to “good potato”) menu was inspired by the Columbian food Windon grew up eating—and, fun fact, the entire menu is in Spanish in an attempt to help English-speaking customers learn the language—plus, a lot of the ingredients are specially imported from Colombia.
Once you try Buena Papa’s loaded fries (topped with everything from Colombian refried beans and fried pork belly to meatballs and tomato sauce to grilled chicken and tzatziki), you’ll never be able to go back to regular fries again… and that’s something everyone can agree on.
WEB EXCLUSIVE CLTure and Transfer Co. Food Hall are teaming up for another shopping bazaar on March 26.
You’re in for a fun-filled day of arts and culture—plus music, food and shopping!—during the CLTure + Transfer Co. Spring Bazaar on March 26. After a successful fall event, the Spring Bazaar will once again take over the entire Transfer Co. Food Hall in an effort to encourage and promote the support of local businesses and North Carolina musicians.
While you’re shopping around you can enjoy all your fave food and beverage offerings from the food hall to the badcrop of live beats from Zack Mexico, Solomon Fox, Jack the Radio and Tecoby Hines. And new to this season’s bazaar is also a mini-arcade set-up by Arcade of Thrones (!).
Arcade of Thrones | Photo by Rich Levine
“We’re extremely grateful to bring back the CLTure + Transfer Co. Bazaar to Raleigh to showcase a diverse mix of music from all over North Carolina along with a great selection of local vendors,” says Cameron Lee, founder of CLTure in an exclusive interview with Raleigh Magazine. “We look forward to continuing to provide spaces for local bands and microlocal businesses throughout the year with Transfer Co. Food Hall.” We don’t know about you, but these shopping bazaars are definitely something we could get used to! Music festival tickets $7; local market free to the public, eventbrite.com
