Huntersville's oldest brewery always brung the good times, especially during their Oktoberfest: a Bavarian Bash celebration. Beer, soft pretzels, German food, oompah bands, lederhosen - check! They consistently have a dozen beers on tap plus right seltzers or ciders. Many nights there is a food truck as well as popcorn for sale. The outside has plenty of seating and room for booths (crafts or food) and the inside has an 18+ room so adults can enjoy their drinks together. If you're seeking a local brewery with easy parking and lots of great beer spend an afternoon or evening at Primal. read more

See all

This is our go to local brewery. The atmosphere and staff are always friendly. They have a wide variety of beer so everyone can find something they love. Don't miss the fresh popped popcorn which goes great with the beer. Also, they have rotating seasonal beers that are great, every one of them. read more

Primal Brewery - Pumpalicious with the rim - Breweries Near Me - Huntersville, North Carolina

See all

Love this spot a classic staple of Huntersville/Cornelius. Fun beers and great spots to chill.

This is a great place to go hang out with friends - indoor/outdoor space, easy parking, pet friendly, and good beer. They have events and food trucks - a great place to socialize. Light snacks available aside from food truck options. I love the venue and beer. The only disappointment is the service/staff. They're in their own world and you'll need to be patient/persistent. read more

Love this brewery! We've been mug club members since 2022. We have always loved the staff, beer and atmosphere. Today was a disappointment. Bryn was our original bartender and so sweet. Riley got there for her shift and was not prepared to provide customer service unless you were an owner/manager or a regular to the point she knew your name you weren't important to her. I don't expect perfection and everyone has a life but if you show up to your shift with an energy and attitude so strong it makes me leave to go somewhere else then you should have just stayed home. That's a loss for you and the business. There are plenty of options that serve beer- it's the people that make the difference. read more

They always have a great food truck that can not be beat. The staff is incredibly friendly and can always answer a question. Great ambiance too. read more

Pros - Wonderful beer and a great variety of food trucks. Cons - kids running around everywhere like rabid animals is very common. A few weeks ago I was sitting talking with my husband and a kid about 4 years old stood in back of me a screamed like a banshee, I was so startled I spilled my beer everywhere. There is an 18 and over section but there is usually kids there as well and management doesn't enforce this. There is currently a young teen here now with an obnoxious family that thinks the rules don't apply to them. read more

Some Beer Snobs (capitalizing of my own volition) will scoff (how's my vocabulary so far?) at this rating. However, I was here with a friend--West Virginia Bob--on a Tuesday night. In other words, it was empty. No rush at the bar, no new-age hippies dancing on picnic tables, and no one talking about their latest Disc Golf outings. All of this is good, but only 2-3 other patrons leads to a lack of energy. The beer was good. Service was very good. Didn't try popcorn or pretzels because it was a Tuesday. I need to attend again when it's busy. read more

See all

John and family are beer drinkers- me, not so much. We were in town on a spur of the moment visit to see John's sister & we went out touring the area and that means breweries! This one had a pleasant surprise~ an arts market!!! Yay for me! This place must be insane on weekends normally- because there is overflow parking next door and it was packed! 2 birthday parties in full swing, the arts market and a food truck made for a busy evening! While the fam all ordered beers I shopped. They had port-o-lets outside and looked to be only single restrooms inside with a huge line. Yikes- I held it ;) Everyone was happy with the beers- this is my sister-in-laws favorite local brewery! Obviously popular with the locals! read more

See all

Primal brewery had these gigantic pretzels that were phenomenal the bear cheese and the mustard were perfect with them. The bears were great. They had a large selection of beers and sours. read more

Popped in for a candle making experience. Tried their pumpkin ale with caramel rim. Delicious! Candle making was fun too!

Primal brewery is one of my favorite spots to go and the staff is always inviting and super knowledgeable. As a young adult I've been able to talk with a couple of the younger staff and they have been beyond accommodating. Rylie, Norah, and Cole specifically have kept me coming back! read more

Beer sales appear to be the priority above the safety of the patrons. I was physically assaulted at this establishment, and after a meeting with a manager, was not taken seriously. I discovered that they do not have a zero-tolerance policy against violence while being informed they "will not close the doors to anyone." Plenty of other breweries in the area for me to enjoy and feel safe at. I would not recommend this place. read more

Nice little discovery while on a brewery daytrip outside of Charlotte. Staff were friendly and made great recs for their offerings and even let me sample before I decided on my flight. Luved the atmo and ambiance as it fit right into their namesake motif; the handles were especially cool! None of the beers were incredibly memorable, but I did like all of the ones I tried. I'm a high gravity beer girl, so I wish they would have had more high abv options, but then again I wish that for almost every local brewery I visit. Definitely worth a stop in! I came on a Saturday afternoon and they had a little arts fair going out front, which was neat! read more

See all

I really appreciated the welcoming personality of the bartender. She made me feel at home, offered me some tastes so I could decide on which beer to order. I sat outside, ate the lunch I brought with me (it's fine to do so) and did some work. I enjoyed seeing the local vendors' wares on display. read more

Primal Brewery - Local vendors. - Breweries Near Me - Huntersville, North Carolina

Good hangout and beer choices. Food options are lacking but they are courtesy of food trucks. We were there day of live music and genre of tunes was good. Would return if ever in area. read more

This was my first time visiting and I must say I was super impressed with the space, the beers and the food trucks on sight that day! Christian our bar tender was so helpful and let us know he hosts music bingo on Monday nights! We will definitely return for that! I also liked they had games for people to play or you can bring your own. Great selection of their own brewed beers and then guest taps as well. I loved the $3 all you can eat popcorn and they have a pretzel machine! They have plenty of seating indoors or out and this is a great space for an event, hanging with friends or whatever you want to make it. Dogs are welcomed. read more

YUM! We started a delightful Friday evening out with a pint at Primal, and loved the beer and atmosphere! Pumpkin for me and a good IPA for my fella. Music on the patio was a great touch- food truck seemed well run and others were lined up to partake though we were headed to dinner. Nice place to unwind! read more

Never have had a bad beer here. We went to try the "old hag" beer. The glass was rimmed with caramel and Graham crackers. It was amazing. The brewery has lots of indoor and outdoor seating. As well as outdoor games and there is also a food truck that comes thru. There is a party room if needed. We actually went to a baby shower here. Several taps. They offer/sale pickles,pretzels, hummus, and even have a popcorn machine. A nice outing or planned visit! read more

Primal Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Huntersville, North Carolina

See all

Primal Brewery is a quaint and small place up in Huntersville/Cornelius. It is one of my personal favorites in the area along with Ass Clown. It's also conveniently located not far up the same road from Crafty Beer Guys where you can find some of Primal's and other local breweries on tap. Back at Primal you can find a well varied selection of staple brews and the occasional small batch. Prices are about as to be expected from breweries in the area. Lawn Boy is about as close to basic American beer as they come - but with far more character. The hazelnutty goodness of Mother of Human Kindness is a stout made for the cold months. And my personal favorite would have to be the Lucille red ale. (I took a half-growler of it home on my last visit.) The folks working here are fairly friendly and easygoing, as is the crowd. It also doesn't get too crowded. Nowadays they have the almost requisite food truck parked outside. But if you're just wanting a small bite they have hot pretzels and a steady flow of endless, buttery popcorn for a small fee inside. Whenever I find myself back up this way, Primal is one of the first places to come to mind. read more

Primal Brewery - Lucille Red Ale in a half-growler! Sweet presentation! - Breweries Near Me - Huntersville, North Carolina

Great place. Lots of space, good beers, this night has cousins main lobster, the best !!

1st time here. We were told to seat ourselves. We sat outside and were never acknowledged for 20+ minutes so we moved to the bar, assuming we would not get waited on if we stayed outside. Once we moved to the bar the service was adequate, but all the servers who were waiting on people outside were on their phones at the end of the bar - which was a real slap in the face. The food and drinks were fine, but Primal may need to re-train their servers on the basics of service. Also would be nice for the staff to wear masks since we are in a pandemic and there is a mask mandate. read more

Googled this brewery passing thru and pleasantly satisfied. Beer selection was good from sours to IPA to stouts. Helpful bar service and plentiful seating outside. Nice they had a food truck on site for a dinner option. Plentiful parking. read more

Charley Brown Ale was delicious! We met friends here on a weekend for a surprise party and had a blast! The Charley Brown Ale is sweet and had good notes of malt. The food truck was outside and we had party food so will try next time. They had a spacious reserved room for the party. The parking is a gravel lot next door. read more

Last stop for the day. I love that you have a 4, 5 or 6 flight option here. Of course I went with the 6 flight option! This flight included: MOHK, Obsidian Lager, Grim Creeper, Lemon Haze Pale Ale, Porter and Lucille Red Ale. Boyfriend and I really enjoyed the MOHK, a hazelnut stout, and Porter. My personal favorite out of the beers that we tried was the Grim Creeper but since it was so high in alcohol I went with a pint of the runner-up Lucille Red Ale. The atmosphere was inviting, people were so friendly minus one overserved gentleman who told me he needed to go wiz then laughed about it and said I did not need to know that.. why yes, you are correct. I also really liked the fireplace and outdoor seating area. read more

See all

On a recent tour of Lake Norman area breweries, Primal was our first (and favorite) stop along I-77. I liked the tap room -- it felt like hanging out in someone's swanky mountain house living room. As for beers, I enjoyed my Lucille Red Ale and Not so Harry Porter. The names made me chuckle. They were in a line up with the likes of Devils Gas, Grim Creeper and Cravens Elixir. Someone has a sense of humor! While I really liked my beers, for the sake of full disclosure, Ted wasn't crazy about the IPAs he tried. I think he'd probably give them 3 or 4 stars. But, since I'm the one assigning stars, I'm giving 5. ;) I hate we're not in Cornelius more often. If Primal was a little closer to home, I think we'd be regulars. I'll just settle for hunting them down at beer fests and stopping before/after lake days! read more

Primal Brewery - Lucille Red Ale - Breweries Near Me - Huntersville, North Carolina

Have been going for years and really enjoy the beer! Now they are the first brewery in the area (to my knowledge) offering an "Over 18" area for adults only. That's a win/win in my book....... read more

Primal used to be one of my favorite breweries in the LKN area. It has become a kindergarten, with kids running around like it's a playground. I get it, adults with kids may not be able to find a babysitter, but it's all the time now. I don't know if they got rid of their brew master or what happened but the beers aren't as good as they were before. Their IPA's are bland and nothing really memorable. If you have kids, definitely check this place out. If you don't, stay away. read more

Pros : Parking Vibe Decent collection of beer $3 pop corn Cons : Little food options read more

Very cool spot in the lake Norman area. Fun outdoor area for adults and kiddos alike. And a more chill dimly lit vibe inside. I loved all the beers we sampled on our visit. And the staff couldn't have been any nicer / more helpful :) read more

A very cool spot. I swung by one afternoon for a beverage after doing some research. They have a great and wide-ranging selection of beers for me having never heard of them until I drove past! It looks like they renovated an house into a brewery to be honest. Very quaint and compartmentalized with some high-top tables, bar seating, a couple couches, and some larger easy chairs. I also think they offer yoga on Tuesday nights, but I could be wrong. I had the Craven's Elixir IPA (one of their four IPAs) and thought it was very good. A great amount of hops, great flavor. Will definitely be returning with friends and spreading the word! read more

Primal Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Huntersville, North Carolina

Extremely mediocre at best. Visited Primal Brewery (PB) during the week thanks to a work-sponsored happy hour. When I pulled upon the PB sign, I drove into an unmarked gravel parking lot. However, I turned around and saw the PB parking lot sign so I drove around and parked in their own graveled lot. When I entered, I was struck by the cabin-in-the-woods feel. There's wood everywhere. Also, they don't seem to have a fully functioning A/C. This was a hot, July evening and the inside was stuffy, to say the least. I wasn't in the mood for beer, so I was very appreciative that they had a wine list. I ordered a glass of Riesling which ended up being just as clear as tap water poured in a wine glass. Thanks to my coworkers, I was able to sample everyone's beer selection. The peach flavored beer (I forget the actual name) was not a favorite, the saison was good, and the lemon flavored beer was a little bit of a letdown as well. They have a food truck on site, Lake Norman Grill, that serves a limited menu of hamburgers, hot dogs, fried pickles, fried mac & cheese bites, pretzels, etc. I ordered fried pickles and was given a buzzer to wait for my food. Once my buzzer beeped, I picked up my food and brought in to share with my table. Completely underwhelming. Also, while at PB, I went to the bathroom. HUGE negative that they have only ONE stall/toilet for ladies. Why is this a thing?! I'm very thankful for the fact that my job paid for the beverages because I cannot see myself going back to PB to pay for a drink. read more

Service is always great. Ambiance is super fun and I can bring my little dogs which is a plus! The food is good depending on what food truck is there. I really love The Butcher Grill, Big City Bites, Hot Boys Chicken, and Rowdy Street Eats. read more

It's been a while since I was a beer snob (also coffee and whisky variously) so I don't get excited much about 'dark water' but the establishments that serve it are sometimes noteworthy. Primal has the perfect location, right about the time I've had my fill of sitting still in traffic there's the option of sitting at a bar. Primal has been comfortable during my few visits, patrons and servers alike, the main room has the feel of a hill-country lodge, out front there's a few umbrella-ed tables and a slew of full-sun seats over by the food truck/corn hole arena if you're so inclined. I wouldn't try to offer a meaningful comment about weekend, lunch, or evening experience but others will have covered all that. The day time help Lauren is a good kid, knows what's on tap and can help you make wise choices if you're willing to help, otherwise you can work your way down the handles: saison, lawn boy, raspberry something... Word of caution though: seems there's some sort of rotation with the offerings on tap so unless you are pretty regular you may miss one or double up. BTW: Best thing about running a tab during a tornado warning; if the really bad thing happens your beer was free... read more

See all

First but not last visit. Nice rooms super friendly and welcoming staff. Nice, out of the way location and easy parking. The atmosphere is relaxed. Not sure if there is live music. read more

Place is really nice to have a beer and chat with friends. I was a little disappointed because they don't serve food. However at 4 or 5 pm a food truck parks right outside. I didn't stay long enough to try it, but the place was hopping! read more

The beer was delicious!! I got the pumpkin beer with a caramel cinnamon rim -- heaven! And also got the Lucille Red Ale. Fans of both. I sat outside due to COVID and that it was a perfect/beautiful day. But there are plenty of seats outside and all spaced out. I didn't spend too much time inside but there looked to be decent amount of seating inside as well. Highly recommend and will definitely come back! read more

See all

Great place to visit when North of Charlotte. Beautiful outside seating with, of course, cornhole. Inside, decent bar seating, nooks with couches and a fire place for those cold days. Brews are artfully displayed above the taps. Jay was great and engaged all customers, young and old. He made sure all were taken care of and answered questions about beer. For larger groups, they are allowed to serve two flights of six....see pic. Which is epic to behold. This way all beers can be sampled and a pint of your favorite ordered next. None of the beers really stuck out to me or the hubby; however, they are decent beers with a large variety, which is nice. read more

See all

Such a fun indoor/outdoor brewery with a great beer selection. Definitely recommend getting a flight to try multiple beers!

The outdoor space was awesome, I wish we would have been able to grab some food from the food truck, but we didn't. We both got flights and the beer was good! read more