The Giant, Scenic, And Unique North Carolina Beer Garden Known As One Of America's Best

North Carolina has charming seaside towns like Wrightsville Beach to the east and serene wilderness escapes, such as Mingo Falls, to the west. And in the middle, its capital city of Raleigh has one of the country's best beer gardens. The Raleigh Beer Garden came in at No. 4 on USA Today's ranking of the 10 Best Beer Gardens in the U.S. for 2024 (it was No. 3 in 2023). 

There's really no question as to why it's consistently ranked so highly. Throughout Raleigh Beer Garden's two floors and rooftop bar, there are more than 380 beers on tap. This impressive (and possibly overwhelming) selection helped the bar earn a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the "most different varieties of beer on tap." For some of the beers, this is the only place on the planet beyond the company's brewery where you can get them. If you can't decide, you can order a mystery beer.

One of the best ways to enjoy whichever beer you choose is in the incredible back garden. The family-friendly space, which was renovated in 2024, has a mini golf course called Hop Shots, table tennis, foosball, and other games. Of course, there are two additional bars in this space that have even more beers on tap.

Whether you're a beer lover or not, all who visit Raleigh Beer Garden can enjoy the beautiful surroundings and fun vibe. In addition to its extensive beer lineup, there is an impressive cocktail menu. In fact, the garden on the roof is where they source some of the herbs that are used in select cocktails. Along with the featured cocktails, Raleigh Beer Garden has eight different mule cocktails available (including the highly-acclaimed Moscow mule ) and classic bar food options, like beer battered pretzels, mac and cheese, pizza, and sandwiches. There's also a specialty brunch menu on Saturday and Sunday.

Along with the backyard beer garden, the multi-story bar has plenty of character inside. There's a tree in the middle of the bar, and oak trees from the property were utilized to make some of the bar tops. Raleigh is known as a "city in a park," and customers can revel in how Raleigh Beer Garden is bringing some of the outside in.

The beer garden hosts weekly trivia nights, as well as karaoke, and is open from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m. everyday. So, check it out! You're pretty much guaranteed to find a new favorite craft beer (and have plenty of fun) while you're here.