15 Best Craft Breweries near Cornelius

“Awesome (if sometimes eccentric) beers with a VERY large selection. They have something for everyone: Stouts, IPAs, Lagers, Sours. Very chill vibe, almost like the basement rec room. My wife loves the Vienna Lager, I usually get one of the Porters or Stouts, or my old standby Ass Clown IPA.“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ BEST IPA’s AROUND! And the serve wine too 😍“

“First, the food was excellent. We were there for $1 wing night, and trust, these are some of the best smoked wings I have ever had. My only complaint is that you order sauces, and the wings don’t come sauced, you have to dip the wings in the sauce, which is awkward to eat, especially if sharing, so make sure you ask for individual sauces. We also ordered the hotdog for our daughter, it comes with fries, but they happily substituted it for Mac & cheese, which was good as well. If I was an adult ordering this Mac & Cheese, it could easily be elevated if they added a crispy cheese and bread crumb top layer.

Second, I went to a brewery and felt compelled to talk about the food first, so that is why it is a 4 star and not a 5 star. The beer was okay, but the wonkiness of the service and the absolutely uncomfortable low top chairs, made this a place not top of the list for breweries in the area. I am not surprised by counter service only at a brewery, but I am surprised when I visit a brewery with a restaurant menu then for them to only provide counter service. Once you get your food, counter service makes it inconvenient having to walk away from your party and food to wait in a line at the counter to order your next beer. They need to have a digital solution, where you can order beers through an app, or have someone that walks around and clears glasses and asks if the table needs anymore beer.

I was really impressed that the chef came out of the kitchen to ask us about our meal and gave us some insight on the menu and how the food is prepared. Now imagine if the brewery had someone walking around talking to guests and informing them of the beer options, flavors, and upcoming seasonal batches. What a difference that would have made. But also, those low top table chairs are garbage, I cannot stress that enough. Will we come back to Lost Worlds? maybe…, those wings were so darn good, and now I want to try other menu items.

Ps. We have a 5 year old, so simply moving to a high top table for comfort is not a great option.“

“Great beer and friendly staff!!“

“Hoptown has the absolute BEST staff! We are always greeted with smiles & kind words. There's a huge variety of beers & some cocktails to select from. There is always something fun to do from Singo to Trivia, live bands or markets you'll never be bored. Hoptown frequently has a great food truck rotation & if the food truck isn't your cup of tea Brooklyn Boys pizza delivers. There's also a wonderful little area to celebrate events. I have personally never had a party here but I've seen some beautiful baby showers & birthdays. If you haven't tried Hoptown you're missing out!“

“always a good vibe! love this spot so much i decided to host my wedding shower here!“

“Trivia nights are the bomb!“

“They have inside and outside seating ( weather permitting), good beer (I enjoyed an IPA), live music, and the bartender let me borrow an iPhone 15 charger. Friendly atmosphere. A nice place to relax and enjoy a beer.“

“We love love love Lake Norman Brewery! It’s always lots of fun and the music is usually great! Love the ciders….delicious! One thing I don’t like about it….you can never sit at a table. We used to get there 6-6:30 ish and there were usually tables to sit at. Now….they’re ALL reserved! Last night we got there at 6:25 and there were no tables available. They ALL had reserved signs on them. If you’re going to reserve them , there should be a few left over for us folks that wander in…spur of the moment! Just sayin………. We came after dinner last night with our company and didn’t bring chairs…….it was a bummer!🍻“

“we had some great pizza and tasty beer“

“A fantastic addition to downtown! If you want to host a party here or just low-key hang out with your people, this is the place! The owners have done such a great job going above and beyond for the safety for all family members, including fur or child. Excellent food trucks and drink selections. And they are always adding more comfort and design. You will not be disappointed!“

“This place was nothing short but AMAZING. We were serviced by the bartender. She gave us all the info on the lunch specials. I enjoyed everything I ordered and I found my favorite craft beer!!! 5 stars!!!“

“Delicious beers, fun atmosphere, so many events to enjoy including yummy food trucks!“

“Great service full of recommendations on different brews“

“I was looking forward to having a nice birthday dinner, I haven't been to BJ's in awhile, Berry Burst Cider! As I'm ordering it I was told they were out, then I tried to order another cider and they were out of that one as well. That was disappointing. The Appetizers were good, wings and avocado egg rolls. The entrees were good and the pace was perfect. Our server Christian was very good and checked back often. The dessert was delicious.“