Why We Fell In Love With Wye Hill Kitchen and Brewing

What’s better than great beer and food? How about great beer and food with an incredible view of downtown Raleigh thrown in!

This is just one of the reasons why we love Wye Hill Kitchen and Brewing in Boylan Heights.

We remember the first time we visited this brewery six years ago when it was formerly called Boylan Bridge Brewpub, and we liked it then (well, the location at least), but we LOVE it now as Wye Hill Kitchen and Brewing.

You know when you go to a place and love it, whether it’s a restaurant, a brewery, a coffee shop or even a vacation spot, and it becomes your go-to place for many occasions – that’s Wye Hill for us!

We’ve gone there to celebrate my birthday, to celebrate getting our Green Cards for the United States, for brunch with friends, for lunch with our daughters, and sometimes just to enjoy an afternoon beer and cocktail (or three!)

In this guide, we share all the reasons why we fell in love with Wye Hill Kitchen and Brewing, and you will too…

Why We Love Wye Hill Kitchen and Brewing

Our love for this brewery started even before current owners Chris Borreson and Sara Abernethy took over in 2019 and renamed and totally revamped the space.

I remember the days of Boylan Bridge Brewpub, sitting outside on the patio overlooking downtown Raleigh with our friends and talking of our love of travel and of Raleigh – dreaming up ways we could somehow call Raleigh our permanent home. 

The beer and food wasn’t great back then, but the views and memories always stand out!

Fast forward to today, and we’ve made our dream come true and live in Raleigh permanently.

Now, when we sit atop the hill by the Wye Junction in the railroad tracks that flows beneath the historic Boylan Bridge, we not only get to savor that same fantastic view (although new buildings have gone up), but the quality of the beer and food at Wye Hill has gone way up too!

What We Love About Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing

1. The location

As they say, come for their refreshing brews and creative food and stay for the fantastic views! 

Wye Hill Kitchen and Brewing is located right in downtown, just a stone’s throw from many of the main attractions in Raleigh.

You are within walking distance to CAM Raleigh, Morgan Street Food Hall (if you don’t want to eat at Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing), Raleigh Convention Center and Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts.

You could also walk to North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the NC History Museum within 20 minutes, so if you wanted to do some museum hopping in downtown Raleigh, it would make a great place to unwind at afterwards.

2. Modern and Cleverly Designed Space (Indoors and Outdoors)

Back in 2019, Chris and Sara and their team totally revamped the space, the food, and the beer. The much needed facelift now lives up to the prime location that it’s in.

There’s a fun casual atmosphere that’s perfect for a group of friends, a date, or a family like ours. 

But we must talk more about the outstanding patio space. In my mind, it’s the best patio in Raleigh, certainly with the best views of the downtown Raleigh skyline.

The improvements they have made since the old Boylan Bridge Brewpub days and continue to make are very noticeable and a vast improvement.

The updated pergola has a covered roof for shade and rain protection, there’s heaters for the cooler months, and misters/fans to help make the North Carolina midday heat and humidity in summer more bearable.

If you don’t want to sit undercover, you have that option too (our favorite on a gorgeous fall afternoon or summer night). 

There’s plenty of space between tables and you can take in the views no matter where you are seated. 

Keep in mind the patio does not face the setting sun, but you get gorgeous light saturating the downtown skyline as the sun sets behind you!

All up, it’s a beautiful outdoor space, and in this crazy year that calls for outdoor dining, it’s hard to beat – dog friendly too!

Inside there’s a cozy bar and small lounge area with a large screen TV for watching the game.

Although we prefer to dine outside, the inside feels like a comfortable space to hang out if the weather drives you indoors.

3. The Chef-Driven Bar Food

To be honest, I can’t even recall any of the former menu options before it was Wye Hill Brewing, or beers, they just weren’t memorable.

Now we’re always talking with friends and recommending out of towners eat here. Same story with the beer!

When you come here, you can expect innovative meals with a healthy twist, an amazing outdoor patio area or cozy indoor seating, refreshing craft beers, signature cocktails, and wine. 

I don’t hesitate when I say some of the best, and most interesting and diverse food we’ve eaten in Raleigh is at Wye Hill.

Their chef is obviously talented and creative and it amazes us that they can even make broccoli taste good!

Whilst it has the name “brewery” attached, don’t come here expecting your typical pub grub or brewery food.

There’s nothing really traditional here – this is more innovative, like a Gastropub (specializing in high-quality food) with an emphasis placed on North Carolina ingredients and unique twists on familiar dishes. This is one of the best local restaurants, period.

There’s a welcome offering of choices for everyday carnivores to vegetarians and several choices for those seeking gluten free options like us, and some vegan offerings. 

They typically have a children’s menu which we appreciate as a family. 

Their food is always fresh, original and the presentation on point and served in a timely manner. 

We’ve dined here for lunch several times, brunch, and at other times just ordering small plates from their Snacks & Shareables list with drinks!

On the main menu are creative starters, plus larger plates and sides. Our favorites being the Roasted Beet Hummus and Charred Broccoli. 

For brunch, we enjoyed the Steak and Egg Frites, and our kids the French Toast. And if you like omelettes, the Mushroom Omelet has a nice balance of egg to filling ratio.

Other popular items are the Deviled Eggs, Fried Green Tomatoes, Beer Cheese Fries, Shrimp  & Grits, Southern Saltimbocca, and Falafel Waffle (vegan).

What we like is that their menu changes relatively frequently, so each time we go back we can eat our favorites or try some new interesting choices. A few gluten free dishes on the menu.

Wye Hill Brunch Video

You can watch our brunch experience in the following video.

4. The Drinks

I’m happy to say that the beer selections and quality greatly improved under the new name and ownership as well, and this is one of our favorite Raleigh breweries even without the views and food!

And whilst this is a Brewpub, there are some great signature cocktails and wine on the menu too.

Now, the beer list might be short, but every beer I’ve tasted has been worth the purchase and refreshing and flavorful and would rank them among the best breweries in Raleigh.

Depending on the season, they serve a range from IPAs to Pilsners to Porters to Ales and Stouts – there’s always something for all beer lovers.

In the past I’ve enjoyed their Virtual Insanity IPA and Mango Hefeweizen (in summer). And they also sell 32 oz growlers to go. 

Their cocktails are well crafted with quality ingredients and spirits. At our recent brunch outing we enjoyed The Retox Cocktail (Watermelon Margarita) and the Seasonal Mimosa (Apple Cider Mimosa).

5. The Service

In my experience, I find the staff friendly, attentive and courteous, and the service prompt.

We’ve chatted a few times with the owner (Chris) who is often on property and personable and welcoming, and you can tell they have wonderful management all round. 

They are righteously good people, and are respectful of all cultures and backgrounds. Anyone can feel welcome here!

Where to Park for Wye Hill Brewing

As for parking, we typically park on the street in Boylan Heights (one of the most historic neighborhoods in Raleigh) and walk across Boylan Bridge, or up and down W Hargett St. 

There are also parking lots and structures in the Warehouse District (an easy 5 minute walk) and on W Hargett Street.

In Summary

I think a great way to start at Wye Hill Kitchen and Brewing would be to come for a few drinks one afternoon or early evening, and order a few small plates off their Snacks & Shareable’s menu. 

This allows you to get a taste of the food and drinks, and to take in the views – don’t just take my word for it or look at my photographs!

Or, just jump right in for brunch, lunch or dinner. 

When you visit Raleigh NC, I don’t think you’ll regret whether you come here for a night out with friends, a date night, or a family gathering. Did I mention the views?! Wye Hill is one of the best places to see the sunset in Raleigh.

You can also book your reservations on Resy. 

• Address: 201 S Boylan Ave
• Website: Wyehill.com

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