Roanoke, Virginia is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Southwest Virginia. The city is about a 3.5 hour drive from Northern Virginia, about a 3 hour drive from Richmond, and about a 4.5 hour drive from Virginia Beach.
Roanoke is famously home to the Roanoke Star, which is a large neon star overlooking the city from Mill Mountain. Roanoke also has a number of trails, a zoo, and art museums in the downtown area.
The city also features a number of great craft breweries that have made it a great destination for beer lovers in Southwest Virginia. Nearby towns like Salem also offer a lot of a great options for high quality beer.
Below are my top recommendations for the best Roanoke, Virginia breweries.
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Top photo by Meritt Thomas on Unsplash.
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Big Lick Brewing Company
Location
409 Salem Ave SW, Roanoke, VA 24016
Hours
- Monday – Thursday: 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Friday: 2:00pm – 10:00 pm
- Saturday: 1:00pm – 10:00 pm
- Sunday: 12:00pm – 8:00 pm
Description
Big Lick Brewing Company is hailed as Roanoke’s first Nano Brewery, and it is one of the top local breweries in Roanoke.
They feature a large selection of excellent brews on tap, including an American Lager, a Cream Ale, a Red Ale, Brown Ale, Stout, plus sours like Lime in the Coconut. They also have a number of Pale Ales, IPAs, and Hard Seltzers.
The brewery hosts many special events, including Music Bingo, a Pub Run and Walk, and music performances by local bands.
Food
The brewery doesn’t offer food onsite, but you can order food from nearby restaurants and have it delivered to your table.
Dogs Allowed?
The brewery is dog friendly and allows well-behaved dogs inside.
Starr Hill Pilot Brewery & Side Stage
Location
6 Old Whitmore Ave, Roanoke, VA 24016
Hours
- Monday to Wednesday: 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Thursday: 3:00 pm – 10:00 pm
- Friday: 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
- Saturday: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
- Sunday: 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Description
Starr Hill Brewery is another great place for beer in Roanoke. They have numerous locations throughout Virginia, including Charlottesville, Richmond, Lynchburg, and Tysons.
The Roanoke location features a good beer selection, including, including several IPAs such as the Sonic Haze, Ramble On, and Northern Lights.
They also feature seasonal beers like a Belgian Golden Ale for spring, a Summer Ale for summer, Oktoberfest Lager for fall, and Doppelbock Lager for winter.
For a unique treat, they feature the Winter Harvest pumpkin ale, an Elderflower triple ale, and the Red Velvet dessert stout.
Starr Hill Pilot Brewery also hosts a number of events, including Trivia Tuesdays, and “On Wednesday We Wear Pink”, which is a special event in October to benefit the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation. They also host numerous musical performances.
There is even a great gift shop for the brewery, and you can check out a number of cool t-shirts, hats, towels, and more in their online shop.
Food
There are food trucks available outside. You can find out more on the Events page.
Dogs Allowed?
Dogs are allowed on the outdoor patio but not inside.
Parkway Brewing Company
Location
739 Kessler Mill Rd, Salem, VA 24153
Hours
- Monday – Tuesday: 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm
- Wednesday – Thursday: 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm
- Friday – Saturday: 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm
- Sunday: 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Description
Parkway Brewing Company is located in Salem, VA, which is 7 miles west of downtown Roanoke. The brewery derives its name from the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway and Blue Ridge Mountains.
Parkway Brewing features a wide selection on tap, including a gin and lime hard seltzer, blackberry hard seltzer, Wagon Road Apple Ale, a Coffee Ale, Flat Top Lager, Belgian Strong Golden Ale, and a Blonde Ale, plus a number of IPAs.
The brewery features a full calendar of events, ranging from Trivia Tuesdays, to music performances, open mic nights, food trucks, and even yoga classes on Sundays!
Parkway Brewing also hosts several special events throughout the year, such as the annual Oyster Roast and the Pig Pickin’.
Food
You can bring your own food or visit the food trucks outside. A schedule of food trucks can be found online.
Dogs Allowed?
Dogs are allowed on the outdoor patio but not inside.
A Few Old Goats Brewing
Location
515 8th St SW #228, Roanoke, VA 24016
Hours
- Monday: 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
- Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday and Thursday: 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Friday: 2:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Saturday: 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Sunday: 12:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Description
The colorfully named A Few Old Goats Brewing is a nano-brewery near downtown Roanoke. They often feature new beers on tap every week.
They feature a number of unique beers, including a pumpkin/yam beer, as well as more familiar fare such as a pale ale, several IPAs, and a golden ale.
The brewery has an indoor and outdoor area for seating, with both indoor and outdoor games to enjoy while having a beer.
Food
You can bring your own food or visit the food trucks outside.
Dogs Allowed?
Yes, well-behaved dogs on leashes are allowed.
Olde Salem Brewing Company
Location
21 E Main St, Salem, VA 24153
Hours
- Monday – Thursday: 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Friday – Saturday: 12:00 pm – 11:00 pm
- Sunday: 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Description
Olde Salem Brewing Company is one of the best breweries in the Roanoke Valley region. They have two locations in both Roanoake and nearby Salem, VA.
They have a wide variety of great beer on tap, including German Hefeweizen, Pumpkin Ale, German Pilsner, Amber Lager, Belgian Pale Ale, and a Raspberry Wheat beer. They also have numerous IPAs, plus a Coffee Stout and Oatmeal Stout.
Food
The brewery doesn’t offer food onsite, but you can order food from nearby restaurants.
Dogs Allowed?
Yes, dogs are allowed.
Twisted Track Brewpub
Location
523 Shenandoah Ave NW, Roanoke, VA 24016
Hours
- Tuesday to Thursday: 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Friday and Saturday: 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
- Sunday: 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Description
Twisted Track Brewpub is not only an excellent craft brewery in the Roanoke region, but it also has a full-service restaurant.
The brewery’s specialty is Lagers, but they also feature Pale Ales, Blond Ales, and IPAs on tap. They also have Mexican Lagers and Scottish Ales.
Beyond beer, the brewpub features wine, cider, kombucha, and soft drinks. They definitely offer something for everyone.
You can find their full drink menu online.
The brewpub hosts private events, and they even have catering options available.
Food
The brewery has a full-service kitchen, with items like Pretzels, Boneless Wings, Fried Green Beans, Fried Vegetarian Spring Rolls, salads, pizza, sandwiches, and burgers. You can check out their food menus online.
Dogs Allowed?
Call for more information.
Golden Cactus Brewing
Location
214 5th St SW, Roanoke, VA 24016
Hours
- Monday to Thursday: 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Friday to Saturday: 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
- Sunday: 1:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Description
The colorfully named Golden Cactus Brewing features unique new beers every week. The brewery is festively decorated with cacti. They’re conveniently located in the heart of downtown Roanoke. The brewery is kid-friendly.
The brewery features Lagers, Pilsners, Blonde Ales, IPAs, and a Belgian Dark Sour.
The beers on tap are always changing, but you can find a full list of their current offerings here.
The welcoming brewery likes to show people how their beer is made. It’s a great location for a craft beer tour.
Golden Cactus also has a full calendar of events, including Halloween Drag Shows, live music, and fundraisers.
You can also buy cute merchandise from their online store.
Food
Call for more information.
Dogs Allowed?
Yes, dogs are allowed.
Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery
Location
24 Campbell Ave SE, Roanoke, VA 24011
Hours
- Monday: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Tuesday – Wednesday: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Thursday to Friday: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
- Saturday: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
- Sunday: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Description
Three Notch’d Brewing Company is headquartered in Charlottesville, VA. They have several locations throughout Virginia, including Roanoke, Charlottesville, Richmond, Virginia Beach, and Harrisonburg.
They feature a large variety of beers, plus a craft cocktail menu. The full-service kitchen offers beer-inspired dishes that are designed to pair well with the beers on tap.
Beers on tap include IPAs, Lagers, Scottish Ales, Belgian Dubbel, and the intriguing Bourbon Barrel Biggie S’Mores. You can find a full list online.
Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery has Trivia Nights with prizes on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm. They even serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
The brewery also hosts special events, including birthday parties, holiday parties, business events, and more.
Food
Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery has a unique menu with beer-infused dishes that are locally sourced. Their dishes include Parmesan Garlic Tater Tots, Parmesan Garlic Fries, Garden Veggie Burger, Soups, Salads, Whiskey River Burger, and Hatch Chili Burger. They also have a full kid’s menu,
The brewery also hosts brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Dogs Allowed?
Yes, dogs are allowed outside.
Learn about more top breweries in Virginia!