First off, this is a review for the Tap House as a bar. Â I understand that they serve the same food as the Smoke House across the street (carried over from the Smoke House), but I'd go to the Smoke House to eat, and the Tap House to drink. Â And as for drinking, the Tap House is awesome.
Beer: They have all of the Aviator brews (I think all the pints were $5) including seasonals. Â To be expected. Â I'm a fan of a lot of the specialties (if you love heat, try the habanero saison - you may need to chase with a water). Â But I assume you wouldn't be interested in going to the Tap House (a bar owned by a brewery) unless you were specifically looking for Aviator brews, so enough said.
Service: Bar service was prompt. Â Bartenders were really helpful in recommending beers to try and giving samples.
Atmosphere: Â The atmosphere is awesome, which is why this place gets five stars from me. Â It's in Varina Station, a cute historic area of Fuquay-Varina (which I'd never been to before, but I found quite pleasant). Â The decorations--all aviation themed--inside were great--think old-fashioned-looking aviation posters on the walls and miniature airplanes hanging from the ceiling. Â The interior was dark, but not too dark to have a conversation. Â There's a big bar area with plenty of seating, plus high two-person bar tables along the wall, and some long tables with benches. Â But, the best part in my opinion was the area outside--there were two huge porches - a deck out back and a patio out front. Â On a beautiful NC summer evening, it seemed that the whole community was there. Â From a group in their 50s catching up to the late-20s after work crowd to couples of all ages on dates, the place had a great atmosphere around 6:30 on a Friday night. Â Can't say I'll regularly be leaving Raleigh to go down to Fuquay-Varina on my weekends, but I'd try it again for sure.
Great location. Best place within miles to hang out on a nice summer night. Live music 4-5 nights a week. Bartenders can be hit or miss, some are nicer than others but that is pretty much standard unfortunately. If they could have consistently "happy to serve you" employees, it would be top notch.
Review Source:I had about an hour to sort of kill while in Fuquay Varina, so I stopped in and had a brew here. Â Aviator has a great selection so I went with one that's similar to a porter. Â It was great, just right, not too heavy but lots of flavor. Â The two young ladies who were behind the bar were very pleasant. Â Since it was mid afternoon, there weren't many people there. Â I also discovered that if you wanted something to eat, they would give you a menu for the Aviator Smokehouse across the street and they bring your food over. Â The decor is good, the place is very clean and pleasant.
Review Source:Love it, love it, love it. Â The food is good, but I prefer the wings on Tuesday when they are on special. Â I usually have the Black Mamba or Hogwild IPA. Â Personally, I prefer the Tap House over the Smoke House across the street. Â Just more my taste and preference. Â Your mileage may vary. Â Always friendly staff. Â Live entertainment on the weekends with no cover. Â Growlers to go. Â Whats not to like?
Review Source:Love this place : been there often. One tip : If you're looking for a Hefeweizen type beer, Aviator doesn't offer one. No loss, the several craft beers they do have are fantastic and if you like a lot of beer in your beer you've come to the right place.. Â But go easy on the quantities of ones like the Triple... It's VERY strong as are several others.
Review Source:This review is of the Tap House. The Smoke House is the resturaunt across the street.
If you like micro-brewed beer made locally, then this is the best Tap House in the Triangle. Â Large selection of many different beer types. Â If you are hungry, your order can be taken at the bar and they carry it over from across the street. Â The smoked meat is great.
The outdoor deck is great. Â They have live music on the weekends, but it is a little loud sometimes. Â Very clean front patio with nice view of downtown. Â It is so nice to be able to walk or bike to grab a pint whenever I like!
We had a very lovely lunch at Aviator last weekend. It was a beautiful day and we were happy to sit outside. You need to go into the bar to place your order, but that is only a minor inconvenience. I'm not sure id this spot is new for them as we noticed the big Aviator is across the street and they were bringing the food from across the street. The building also seemed pretty run down and no finished inside,so maybe hey are still working in it. Despite that thing,the food was delicious. I had the brisket sandwich which I thought liked small when they set it down but it was packed with moist tender delicious brisket. The roll also looked burnt, but I didn't notice it tasting that way. My side of choice was slaw which was also quite tasty. My only complaint was that I would've liked more of those wonderful caramelized onions, I felt like I was hunting for them and they were sooooo good! I would love to go back for a brewery tour.
Review Source:My wife and I had lunch here on a Saturday; we sat at the bar, our bartender was Valerie. Â She did an outstanding job, Terrific Service! Â Food was very, good; we both had large salads with BBQ as a side, we could not have been happier. Â The one downside is crowd noise; the restaurant is a large, wide open building, and there were a lot of screaming kids the day we were there. Â we will definitely go back, even with some crowd noise this place rocks! Â Also, the house brewed Aviator beer is a huge plus.
Review Source:I'm going to update this from 2 stars to 3, reluctantly.
Truth is, the food and drink were good, and that should be an important part of my review. Â Here are more details:
Location = Great, old historic building in downtown Fuquay.
Beer = Great, Cold and unique (especially if you like the bitter, strong types).
Bar = Great, Full Bar, thankfully since we aren't big on the bitter beers.
Food = Very Good!!
Kitchen Efficiency = Great, didn't have to wait long for orders to come out.
Prices = Reasonable.
Atmosphere = Needs improvement. Â Too dark, and odd seating.
Wait Staff = Poor
It bothered me to give 2 stars to a place that has so much going for it. Â But the poor customer interactions overshadowed everything else.
I hope the management trains their staff to be helpful and polite, and starts to hire people who actually want to be there. Â Then it could be a 5 star place!!
Hit the tap house this past Saturday about 2pm. Â Drank their Hog Wild IPA which is one of my faves. Â My buddy who like Heffe's could not really find any of their beers to his liking. Â They had 6 or 8 on tap including 3 dark beers. Â They are currently featuring a winter beer called Frost Nipper. Â It is the darkest, smokiest tasting beer I have ever tried. Â Get a sample of this before you pay for a full pint and that reminds me, they short pour their beers. Â There is no excuse for this. Â It's a pint glass and I am paying for a pint. Â Fill the glass up. Â This country needs to do what they do in England and other countries in Europe. Â There is a permanent mark on the glass that indicates 16oz. Â You better believe you get 16oz or more in a bar in England. Â Short pouring beers (or wine or liquor) is my main pet peeve and is tantamount to stealing, false advertising and down right thievery. Â Give me what I am paying for. Â IF you can't keep a bar or restaurant open and solvent w/o resorting to short pouring, close the doors and turn out the lights. Â Raise the prices or do something but don't short pour the beers in a brew pub or beer bar!!! Â
We ordered some burgers and onion rings which are made across the street and carried over. Â VERY GOOD BURGER...the Galen and the onion rings aren't too shabby either. Â They have a very unique batter with lots of flavors and spices going on and are served with a creole mustard dipping sauce. Â My (monster) burger, 3 beers and half the cost of the onion rings came to $25 so it's little spendy, a lot spendy for Fuquay but at least their is this one brew pub there. Â Cheers!
My boyfriend and I had heard of this place for a while, and when a coupon showed up in Citipass book, we decided to make the drive from Cary, NC last Friday night. Â When we arrived it was busy (as we expected) and we got in the 35 min wait line and headed to the bar. Â The 3 staff bartenders ignored us for a while, until I practically begged one for a drink. Â
The Aviator was out of most of their beer (huh?), and getting someone to tell us what WAS on tap was like pulling teeth. Â It was very frustrating to order. Â No one could explain their beers, and when asked for advice on ordering a brew, no one was willing to say anything. Â This is a brewery people! Â My boyfriend immediately got the unfriendly vibe. Â One of the serving staff got into an argument with one of the bartenders who evidently wasn't pouring the drink requests fast enough. Â Very unprofessional. Â Â
We waited so long at the bar, we had to go ask the hostess if we were still on the list.  So we ordered onion rings at the bar and those took so long, we thought they forgot us.  It seemed that a server came out of the kitchen with food at  a rate of 10 minutes or more.  On a busy Friday night, what wild inefficiency! Â
I can wait a long time for food if the people are friendly, the food is good, or the drinks are being poured. Â And NONE of this was true. Â With my meal I ordered the side of Mac 'n Cheese. Â It was just buttered noodles, not worthy of being served at a restaurant. Â
The people are unfriendly, the food I could make at home, the beer disappointing and not well stocked, and the bathroom out of toilet paper. Â I like adventures, but sorry Fuquay, I'll stay closer to home.
We stopped by Aviator Tap House after dining at their Smokehouse restaurant.
They have done a great job renovating an old downtown business into an inviting space. Â The outdoor seating was welcoming on a nice September evening. Â
We sampled a number of their beers including Octoberbeast, Hot Rod Red, Hog Wild IPA, and Mad Beach American Wheat. Â All were very nicely done. Â The October beast and IPA were my favorites. Â They both had just the right amount of "hoppiness".
All in all, this was a great finish to an evening out with friends. Â We will definitely be back!
With the exception of 1 or 2 my wife and I have hit every tap room east of Raleigh. This one is the best. I didn't get a chance to try all of their beers, but the 2 pints I did have were great. The atmosphere was great, plenty of indoor and outdoor sitting, it had food (more on that in a sec) and soda (which is actually a rarity at Tap Rooms, but a plus for whoever the DD is). I had their Tripel and their Irish Red, the tripel is the best I've tried, the Irish red, for a craft brewery is really good. Â
Food: First off we actually went there for the smokehouse, but after being told it was going to be 30-45 mins (not bad) we went across the street to get a beer while we waited. Â We found out that if you ordered at the Bar they would bring you your food to your table. If you just want the food and don't mind being your own waitress (which we didn't/don't), it's the way to go. Â
Next the actual food...awesome! My wife got the pork tacos and I got the pulled pork sandwich. Neither of us are huge fans of NC BBQ, but this place may make us change our mind. Â Both meals were terrific, tasty and moist. Â I also got the fries and slaw, both sides were good. Finally we got the fried pickles for an appetizer, great as well. Â
My only beef is that it's an hour and a half away from our home. Â :-) However, unlike most other tap rooms, this place is located in the downtown area, so it would be easy to head there for an entire afternoon as there would be plenty to do other than drin beer.
BL: Great place, looking forward to being able to go back.
I have been following Aviator beer since Mark began brewing out of an airplane hanger at a small little airport in Fuquay Varina. The beer has become a bit more refined but all the fun is still there!
The Tap House is a place where Aviator can showcase their beer. Â They keep a single brew from another brewery on tap as a 'guest' beer but they always have at least 6-7 brews of their own on hand - and this place is definitely about the beer. Â Lots of styles with seasonal and special brews throughout the year. All brews are very reasonably priced, and if you are so inclined, you can join the 'mug club' and get 20 oz. pours for the price of the usual pint. Â
Aviator has recently opened a Smoke House restaurant across the street from the Tap House, and now you can order anything and have it brought over to the Tap House. Â Food is something that has been missing for some people and now it isn't an issue. Â
To wrap up, there is live music playing several nights per week, usually from Thursday through Sunday. It's just one more thing that makes this place a fun place to hang out with friends and drinks some good beer. Hard to beat this place!
A little out of the way from Raleigh, but well worth the trip. I'd been meaning to make the trip for over a year, and finally did one lovely day this spring. Â We had intended to go to the Smokehouse, but the weather was too nice to sit inside so we walked across the street to the Tap House for lunch instead. Â First off, Aviator brews some good beer. Â They had a bourbon barrel Hot Rod on tap when I was there and it was amazing. Â But the big surprise was how good the food was. Â I had the "monster sandwich," which has pork barbecue, brisket, bacon and crispy onions on a great roll. Â It was delicious. Â One of the best sandwiches I have had in the Triangle area.
Don't be intimidated by the drive down to Fuquay-Varina, the beer and the food are worth it! Â Couple that with a nice outdoor patio and I'm already scheming on when I can go back.
Without a doubt, some of the best brews I've ever had and I have tried a bunch (lived in Boston, New York, Japan before N.C.). Â My favorite is the hoppy IPA. Â Unique, casual setting but the space is tight so folks spill out on to the porch and outside deck. Â More seating would be nice for those of us older than 30! Â Though not attached to the tap house, Aviator recently opened a smokehouse restaurant across the street with a full bar but the food --while good -- does not yet rise to the level of the beer.
Review Source:great beers, interesting decor, sports on tv, wii, live band, can i say more? Â looks like a cool beer garden although it was too cold so we did not go out but the beers were great and the live band/performer was quite entertaining. Â it made for a great night! Â
i would definitely go back and suggest it to anyone who lives in or is visiting the area. Â we noticed there were adds for a homebrew contest - which my boyfriend would love. Â i wish we had something like this in chicago!
Brit and I rolled into here to waste some time. Â Parking was a bit difficult since there was a small festival in downtown Fuquay. (Google maps directions are wrong BTW)
We walked in and were greeted with the rustic appearance of the building. Â Wood floors harkening back to the old days of this building being a train station. Â To the left of the main entrance are a couple of card tables with some chairs. Â It looked like they had a Wii set up for the kids to play.
To the right of the main entrance is the long bar, two sets of taps and a flat screen showing the State v Georgia Tech game. Â
I walked up to the gentleman at the bar, while Brit scored us a rickety high top, and I ordered 2 flights since they had 8 taps flowing. Â Definitely a bunch of different flavors. Â The chalkboard appeared to be missing a couple of the draughts that there were pouring, but the alcohol content and the flavor of their Devil's Tramping Ground Tripel swayed me to pick up a growler. Â
Total price for 2 flights (4 / 4oz glasses per flight), Â a pint, and an Aviator Growler with a fill ran 30.00. Â Great price, great beer and a fun atmosphere. Â They have live music a couple nights a week. as wel for those looking to unwind.
Now I just have to find an excuse to be in Fuquay more often to put the Growler to use.
Very good beer. Â Sometimes the selection is skimpy but I think the owner has managed to increase his brewing output enough to improve that somewhat lately.
Love the deck but it needs a cover. Â It's on the west side of the building and is a furnace in the summer.
No food (unless you count the popcorn machine).
They should have a folder or notebook full of take out menus from local businesses so you could order and have it delivered or walk over and pick it up when it's ready.
Owner is a fantastic guy and the everyone there is great.
I recently made my way to Aviator Brewery, located in Fuquay-Varina, south of Raleigh, NC, for a brewery tour and a few pints.
The brewery and tap house are located used to be located in an airport hanger, but it moved last weekend.
The range and quality of available beers points to Mark's love of the hops. The beers currently offered range from an Irish Red and an ESB to a Belgian Ale and an IPA. A few more unique brews (like a Berliner Weisse) are scheduled to premier at local bars and restaurants.
I haven't sampled all their beers yet, but I can happily say that I have thoroughly enjoyed each one I did try. Currently on the top of my list of favorites is the Old BullDog ESB. This "Extra Special Bitter" is described as a "pale ale on steroids". It's a smooth, refreshing beer whose malty taste is rounded out by the flavor hops. Makes you want to drink it from an English pint glass while pretending to be in a pub and starting an all night session with friends.
They also have two versions of the HogWild IPA available at the tap house. One regular and one dry hopped. Both were great takes on an IPA (India Pale Ale), but the dry hopped version had an extra punch of flavor that was much appreciated. The dry hops add extra flavor without contributing to the bitterness of the beer.
Keep an eye out for these beers in bars if you are in the Raleigh area-or swing by the brewery for the full experience (details at their website). Small, local breweries like this one are ideal places to experience different flavors and you just may end up with a new favorite. .
Aviator Tap Room serves the best micro-brewed beer in Wake County...and I say that objectively as someone who has brewed himself for 30+ years. Their product is one that's very clean, accurate to style and innovative all the same. All too often micro brews have off flavors from fusel alcohols, tired overused yeast or beer brewed at incorrect temps, but this NOT the case with any Aviator brews. That means a high quality product with easy drinkability and you can get your fill at the Tap Room.
The proprietor, Mark Doble, is very friendly and is more than happy to answer questions about his brews. Â If you are a homebrewer, he may even have a good tip or two to make your own efforts better. Mark is a former homebrewer, and graduated to the pro ranks a decade or so ago. Â He knows his stuff, but he's definitely not stuffy about it. Â
Ambience of the bar is good, as the staff is fast and friendly, the place is clean and parking easy. There is no restaurant but food is nearby. Depending on the bartender on duty, music might be bluegrass, classic rock or blues. It's never overly loud. Â If you don't like what they are playing, ask nicely and they might change it...the staff are just that kind of laid back folks. Â There are live bands on the weekend. In summer, Aviator has a large outdoor deck.
All in all this is a bar that could very easily be in Raleigh or Cary and is a very welcome urbane addition for a growing Fuquay area.
OK, I'm rooting for these guys all the way -- local guys making world-class beer and providing a much-needed watering hole and gathering place. Â
Aviator is making some really good beer (take the brewery tour), and the taphouse is a smart off-shoot and on paper is something Fuquay could use. Â For a while I was filling up my growlers and getting out, mostly due to the musical approach which sometimes tends towards too-loud hair metal over a bad sound system, but more recently that has been toned down markedly making it a much more enjoyable place to hang out. Â
The bar itself also has promise; the narrow building was previously an antique shop (and I think a train station before that?) and they've done a decent low-budget job of transforming it, adding airplane memorabilia as decoration and keeping the number of TVs to a minimum. Â
They explicitly want to be a taphouse and not a restaurant. This makes it a place to stop in for a round after work, or before or after a meal somewhere, but it makes it tough as a primary destination. Â They sometimes offer free popcorn, but beyond that there is a sign for some sort of microwaved or toaster-ovened pretzels or pizza snacks; I've never seen anybody actually try these. Â
So, upgrade the sound system and the snack options  maybe put in a few low-top tables with more comfortable seating, and I'm there with a fifth star.
I just hit this place tonight with a buddy. Â I especially liked the fact that no smoking was permitted. Â I tried the Hotrod Red (e.g. akin to Killian's Irish Red but better) and also tried the Devils Tramping Ground Tripel (e.g. a very potent belgian ale). Â All in all, I'd say it's definitely worth a second trip as I barely scratched the surface in terms of the styles of beer they offer.
Review Source:
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