14 Best Craft Breweries in Durham

“This is a beautiful cozy place to hang out. They have indoor and outdoor sitting.
The bartender was so sweet and always smiling and very helpful.

We went to a nearby brewery with out own food only to find out they dont allow outside food. So we moved here.

I have been to the rtp one too and both are beautiful locations and very friendly staff.“

“Classic beer store and bar. I've been going to these kind of places in the area since the Good Beer Store and this place does it right! Friendly staff and a laid back atmosphere are the perfect complement to the high-end, high-quality brews. Don't miss it!“

“Lovely place to hang out. They have huge outside sitting and good amount of inside sitting too.
The staff was friendly and beers were great. Some friends had cocktails and they loved it too.
We went with our own food and snacks but couldn't eat as they serve food and outside food is not allowed. That is fine, we just realize they serve food too.“

“Crank Arm is rad in a world that is full of bad.

This place is so much more than a bar. The run club is huge, supportive, and chill; trivia welcomes all kinds of nerds; the Wednesday bike ride has grown exponentially; and Crank Arm is constantly supporting bike, walking, accessibility, and advocacy events across Durham.

They’re genuinely dog-friendly, with treats and good judgment about keeping everyone safe and happy. There’s pinball, shuffleboard, cornhole, great music, excellent TVs, NA options, and—very importantly—chips. The Saturday early karaoke is also not to be missed.

The staff, especially Adam, understand that bars can be third spaces and community spaces. They’re welcoming, responsive, and actually care about making people feel comfortable and included. Need to organize an event? Adam makes the whole process weirdly painless and pleasant.

And can we talk about the bathrooms? Four clean, spacious, single-occupancy locking bathrooms. As an aging punk, I appreciate the nostalgia of gross bar bathrooms, but I am officially over it.

Sure, occasionally someone gets grumpy because 30+ happy cyclists or runners inconvenience them for three seconds. But honestly: come join us instead.

Great beer, great people, great community, and a place where you’re allowed to show up as a whole imperfect person. Crank Arm rules.“

“Great spot to hang out and big or small groups. Manager Jessica is fantastic and her staff is Top Notch! Shout out to JM, Jake, Mark, Flan, Rachel, Kristin, Chris, Danni, Zoe, Zane & Emily“

“I was surprised to find a light(in calories and carbs) beer made by a craft brewery. As a diabetic, this is greatly appreciated. Taste wise, it's a change of pace from most light beers, which are almost all pilsners (this one is an ale). They always have this beer at Food Lion and Urban Axes. I hope to see it in more places around town.“

“Relaxed atmosphere and good beer selection.“

“Service, beer and food was outstanding. Thank you to who ever thought of brewing something for the Blockhead. My wife was like, we are going once she found out there was a NKOTB boc. Haha. I can’t wait to share with my beer friends. #runforbeer #swabeerfinder“

“Awesome spot for beers or a not bored bev after a long day at work. Great patio that provides shared options on the hottest of days. They have a pool table and arcade games. Cheap cold drinks and friendly people. Just what I needed on a hot August day. There's a big LED business access sign that helped me find it. I'll be back for trivia!“

“Super fast and friendly service, clean. And most importantly delicious food and beers!“

“The food is great. Very well managed. I’ll definitely go back!“

“Lovely bar with delicious beers. Lots of games and comfy seating and dog-friendly!“

“Starting off a self-directed food tour here at Bull City and we were the first ones in when they opened at 11:15. This was a great spot to start, get in the vibe and have something to eat. It's friendly and it's relaxed. We sat at the bar and were well served and had a good time.

We started off with the jalapeno poppers which were tasty even if they didn't have much hot to them. Five stuffed jalapeno peppers which were tasty but unspicy. The buttermilk dip on the side is great for cooling down the heat but it wasn't needed today.

It's super that they pour half pint beers which was a real plus when you're just looking for tastes and not a huge meal. The burgers did look tremendous and well presented with a 6 ounce patty, which is a bit more than a third of a pound making for a big meal. Too much for us on this trip today, but I am sure that I'll be back.“

“We called 5 different restaurants to accommodate our party of 27 people for a surprise birthday party and were turned down because of the size of our party. We called Flying Bull Restaurant and Brewery and they not only said yes.. but heck yes! The service was amazing and the food was top notch! Can not recommend enough. Thank you for making our special persons birthday amazing 🩷“