Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery

GJ40

North Carolina

3.66/5  rDev +0.8%
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.

11-21-2010 01:19:52 | More by GJ40

emkayh

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -2.8%
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.

01-11-2011 15:49:30 | More by emkayh

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.83/5  rDev +5.5%
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.

09-24-2010 18:10:53 | More by Onenote81

runnerno1

South Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +6.9%
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.

08-17-2010 15:57:06 | More by runnerno1

thagr81us

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +10.2%
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.

05-10-2010 12:38:26 | More by thagr81us

schoolcb

Texas

3.3/5  rDev -9.1%
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.

02-07-2010 14:30:49 | More by schoolcb

beer2day

North Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -9.1%
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.

11-07-2009 02:43:26 | More by beer2day

wesbrownyeah

Florida

4/5  rDev +10.2%
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.

10-02-2009 00:40:43 | More by wesbrownyeah

Bung

North Carolina

3.76/5  rDev +3.6%
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.

12-15-2008 00:37:13 | More by Bung

Metalmonk

North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev +0.6%
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.

09-28-2008 18:45:04 | More by Metalmonk