Field Trip! Neuse River Brewing & Brasserie

A High Bar

We had visited Neuse River Brewing & Brasserie (NRB&B) before we had started our craft beer journey, and back then, we were much impressed by NRB&B’s focus on Belgian beer styles and elevated cuisine. Nowadays, we’re more knowledgeable about beer in general and how it pairs with food. One book that has practically become our sacred text is The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food by Garrent Oliver. In it, Oliver rhapsodizes about how brilliantly Belgian beer styles pair with food. So, for our “official” visit to NRB&B, the bar was even higher, figuratively if not literally.

We had also read that NRB&B has received consistent recognition for their excellent food, thanks in large part to Executive Chef Mark “Woody” Woodard. Raleigh News & Observer and Raleigh Magazine have both listed NRB&B’s burger as one of the best in Raleigh. Their menu also includes several European Bistro-style dishes we knew would pair well with their beers: Duck Poutine; Risotto with sun-dried tomato, pesto, and feta; Pan-Roasted Chicken; and, of course, the Wednesday Pasta Du Jour Special.

With all our research completed, we were primed for a great food/beer pairing experience at NRB&B.

The Basics

Location: 518 Pershing Road, Ste. 100, Raleigh, NC 27608

Parking: Street

Website: neuseriverbrewing.com

Social media: facebook.com/neuseriverbrewing, instagram.com/neuseriverbrewingco

Vibe/atmosphere: modern-meets-vintage, lively, comfortable, inviting, trendy

Beers we tried: Locals Only Lager, Riverkeeper’s Wit, Tripel Brilliant Belgian Tripel, Bobbi Brune Smoked Brown Belgian Ale, Saturday Morning Hazy IPA, Streamside Island Punch

Important NC Beer Explorer Tip: When consuming alcohol, always have a designated driver. Be safe out there, friends! Follow these simple tips for safer consumption.

Long Journey Home

NRB&B is owned by Ryan and Jennifer Kolarov. Ryan comes from a long-time family heritage of North Carolina tobacco farming. However, post-college, he found himself in St. Thomas, working at a fine-dining restaurant where Jennifer was a waitress, and together, they learned a great deal about food and wine. What began as friendship between them led to shared travel and eventually to marriage. Their travels first took them to France, and then eventually to Belgium, where they discovered the wonders of Belgian Beer.

After they were back in the states and married, they ended up in Atlanta in 2008, when the economy was in free fall, and the family real estate business was struggling. Jennifer originally hails from Northern California, so they went to Palo Alto where he got a job with Chemco, a company that manufactures cleaning and sanitation products for the food and beverage industry.

Wine to Beer to Bistro

Ryan’s mentor at Chemco had worked with three generations of winemakers, and eventually, Ryan took over his book of clients, including about 250 wineries. Ryan and Jennifer moved to Sonoma where his romance with wine continued, until he began to call on breweries.

By 2009, he was already homebrewing. Bear Republic Brewing Co. was one of his larger accounts, and they began to let him take home unused samples of specialty malts. His first efforts weren’t very drinkable, but he stayed after it, learning more with each brew. Eventually, homebrewing led to dreams of opening a brewery. In 2013, Ryan told Jennifer he wanted to move back to Raleigh and start a brewery – and she said yes!

After a long search, they settled on a location in the Five Points neighborhood, only blocks from where Ryan grew up. They opened in 2015 as a brewery, and they hosted food trucks – a common approach for new breweries. Within a couple of years, Ryan and Jennifer decided they wanted to add their own restaurant to help even out the ups and downs of the brewing industry. In 2019 they opened an in-house kitchen specializing in European bistro-inspired dishes designed to complement their Belgian-style beers, and soon their food was also a significant draw for patrons.u

Tobacco sticks from the Kolarov family farm add architectual interest around Neuse River Brewing & Brasserie.

The open kitchen at NRB&B communicates the pride and care that goes into their Euro bistro menu.

Enticing Aromas

On a rainy Wednesday evening, the delicious smells emanating from the open kitchen both whetted our appetites and made it challenging to discern beer smells/flavors. We were well-tended by our server Brandon while enjoying the vintage Motown soundtrack. Jennifer had recommended the Pan-Roasted Chicken (a menu fixture for good reason) and the Poutine as excellent pairings for NRB&B’s Belgian beers – especially the Belgian Smoked Brown Ale and the Tripel, which Ben was keen to sample. I was already eager to taste the Pasta Du Jour.

The Belgian-style beers paired beautifully with the food.

Have We Mentioned the Food?

If it hasn't been obvious up to this point, we really enjoyed the food at NRB&B.

We started with the Duck Potine, which I propose they rename, “French Fry Revolution” because I found it so delicious that I will never look at ordinary cheese fries the same way again. To me, the NRB&B poutine is better than any we had in Montreal, although Ryan was quick to tell us it is a local interpretation without cheese curds. We feasted on layers of crisp potato, pulled duck and gravy, and the poutine paired nicely with the smoked Belgian Brown.

Ben’s Pan-Roasted Half Chicken was not your typical Sunday-dinner bird. The dish featured roasted garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed green beans, ladled with the perfect amount of savory pan jus. Delicious to the last bite, it was a terrific pairing with both the Belgian Tripel and the Smoked Belgian Brown. The lemon/citrus/herbal notes of the Tripel matched that of the chicken, and the medium carbonation lifted the oils to refresh the pallet. The Smoked Belgian Brown proved to be a chameleon that went with everything, and again, its med-high carbonation cleansed the pallet.

What to say about my heavenly pasta dish, Raviolini Tegmata? It was composed of house-made pasta stuffed with braised pork cheek and parmesan, served with stewed ripe tomatoes and a pan sauce with white wine, onion, and thyme. The savory pork and plum tomatoes went so well with the Belgian Brown that we had to order another glass!

You don't have to be a beer connoisseur to appreciate the fine food at NRB&B.

When the weather is fine, so is the scene on the patio of NRB&B.

All in the Family

The atmosphere at NRB&B was exceptional. We noticed that people were acknowledging each other in the restaurant, and we got the sense that it is well-loved by the neighbors. Even on a rainy Wednesday, the place was buzzing with customers. Jennifer explained that their Wednesday Pasta and Martini specials are always a draw.

Jennifer also told us that the charming young man who greeted us at the host stand was her and Ryan’s son, Caleb. We had a chance to speak with him briefly on our way out and found that he shared his parents’ love of wandering, and he has hiked the Camino Del Santiago three times. He plans to go back for a fourth time with his maternal grandmother!

Caleb noted two highlights from his experience along this legendary trail:

• The first part is the challenging, steep climbing part of the trail. He recalled climbing and climbing until it felt like he was looking down on the whole world. There were fewer people on this part of the trail, and this solitude allowed time for reflection and for intimacy with the natural surroundings.

• His second trail section was less challenging and had more fellow hikers. He had a chance to meet people from all over the world and hear their stories.

Jennifer Kolarov with son Caleb

Carl Spangler’s Seat of Honor

When we walked over to the bar to capture a quick video clip, Jennifer pointed out a special corner seat bearing a plaque.

Carl Spangler was a resident of the nearby Springmoor Retirement Community, and one Friday he wandered into NRB&B while trying to go somewhere completely different. Instead of leaving, he stayed and immediately fell in love with everything about NRB&B, and he was back every Friday like clockwork until he passed in Nov. 2025. He always sat in the special corner chair at the bar, and Ryan and Jenn have memorialized him with the engraved plaque on the chair.

We definitely would have enjoyed meeting Carl, and we could feel his spirit alive and well at this neighborhood brewery where all are welcome, and any occasion is heightened by the delicious food, fresh beer, and gracious hospitality.

NCBE's Beer Notes - Neuse River Brewing Co. & Brasserie

• Streamside Island Punch

  • Style: Sour

  • ABV: 5%

  • Color: Golden pink, light head

  • Aroma: Orange, sour cherry, malt

  • Taste: Orange, sour cherry, pineapple, floral

  • Mouthfeel: Thin, high carbonation

  • Aftertaste: Short, sour

  • Overall: Great beer for a spring picnic

• Locals Lager

  • Style: Lager

  • ABV: 4.5%

  • Color: Straw, clear, light foamy head

  • Aroma: Light malt, herbal, hint of corn

  • Taste: Crisp, clean, hint of pine

  • Mouthfeel: Light, med/high carbonation

  • Aftertaste: Short finish

  • Overall: Highly crushable, good gateway for typical domestic drinkers

• Riverkeeper’s Wit

  • Style: Belgian Whitbier

  • ABV: 6%

  • Color: Golden, light head, lightly hazy

  • Aroma: Toasted bread, malt, coriander, orange

  • Taste: Orange, bread, caramel, honey, grass, coriander

  • Mouthfeel: Light to medium light

  • Aftertaste: Lingering balanced bitter/sweet finish

  • Overall: Delightful rendering of the classic Belgian style

• Tripel Brilliant

  • Style: Belgian Tripel

  • ABV: 8.2%

  • Color: Gold-beige, white foam

  • Aroma: Lemongrass, citrus, spice

  • Taste: Lightly bitter, zesty lemon, herbal, umami

  • Mouthfeel: Medium body, medium-high carbonation

  • Aftertaste: Sweet/sour, a little bitter/grapefruit

  • Overall: One of our favorites. Paired well with the Pan Roasted Chicken.

• Bobbi Brune

  • Style: Smoked Belgian Ale

  • ABV: 6%

  • Color: Deep brown, light beige foam

  • Aroma: Clove, banana, coffee, chocolate, tobacco

  • Taste: Clove, banana, cacao, coffee, caramel, charred wood, tobacco, earth, sweet/sour, light-bitter

  • Mouthfeel: Medium-light body and carbonation

  • Aftertaste: Lingering chocolate and smoke, lightly bitter

  • Overall: Our favorite – a shapeshifter that paired beautifully with all the food.

What do you think about Neuse River Brewing & Brasserie?