My husband and I stopped by here on our way to a local music venue down the block from this location. The bartender, Ashley, was amazing and a wealth of knowledge. We live 2 hours away so she was very helpful in helping us navigate the area. We ordered the Sweet Home Alabama with chips and Dusk Til Dawn with pasta salad. Both were loaded with meat, delicious, and we loved the cozy atmosphere! Great place to hang out with friends due to the seating arrangements both inside and on the patio. Highly recommend! read more

See all

Great beer selection, excellent wine selection and lots of local draft beer. Also the food menu touches all the bases. Excellent meal was had by all. read more

Stopped in for lunch on a Friday, they had live music outside, also seems like a remote friendly working space. Ordered from the phone and it was delivered to the table. Went with the Smoke on the Water sandwich, a chicken bacon jalapeño panini style sandwich. Delicious, the Smokey jalapeño aioli was excellent. You have a choice of chips or a side salad. read more

See all

Guava rice lager 10/10. Sando - 10/10. Ambiance 10/10. Take home wines and beer, say less! Foosball table inside, large patio outside, bar seating, indoor tables. Would definitely be back. You get a side with your sando $15. Chickpea salad was very pepper forward, healthy and delicious! My bacon was thick!! read more

Great lunch stop in downtown Raleigh! They have a huge beer selection, amazing beers on draft and even a couple cocktails too! The sandwiches were soo good. We sat outside, The tables all have QR codes to order at your table, at your own pace, you don't interact much with the staff. But still a Great little spot downtown for a quick bite to eat and drink! read more

State of Beer - Smoke on the water - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

The sandwiches here are ODEE fire. Let me tell you a lil bit about the Caprese Sandwich--served hot, it's a literal 12/10. OMG. It was a taste straight from heaven. Beautifully made with house-made pesto, heirloom tomato, fresh mozzarella, balsamic reduction, and La Farm focaccia. Every bite was perfect. Pair it with their pasta salad on the side, and you've got yourself a next-level meal, ready for anytime time of the day. It was so good I wanted to order more, but I was stuffed from just one sammy. The ambiance is great too--there's a cozy little fireplace outside that gives the place a very homey vibe. The staff is super nice and welcoming, which makes the whole experience even better. Plus, they've got a foosball table in the back for some added fun. Definitely a chill, nice vibe type of spot. Would 100% recommend and will definitely be coming back! read more

See all

came for a comedy show and want to come back again for their beer and food. they have a vast canned beer selection and a decent draft selection as well. the sandwiches were omg so good. highly recommend stopping in for one. read more

State of Beer - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

Amazing sandwiches! We got the "a chut above" sandwich and the "smoke on the water". Staff were friendly and their beer was good. read more

Great Raleigh bottle shop. I love their sandwiches and small bites. They have something for everyone. Never had a bad experience, always good service. Plenty of seating inside and out. read more

Never miss a chance to hit this place for a drink when in town. Great beer and wine selection, and they can make a mean Aperol spritz. Love the music, too! read more

State of Beer has such a variety of both beer and wine for purchase. We stopped by after church on a Sunday evening and sat outside - there is PLENTY of seating. You can buy wine by the glass or beer on tap. They do not serve dinner, but have some light bites (pimento cheese plate and hummus plate) to snack on in the evenings. I heard they have some pretty good sandwiches during the day, so I will definitely be back to try! We got the hummus plate and it was plenty food for two people and only $10!!! The bartenders were friendly and knowledgeable. It's a cute little spot tucked in the middle of true downtown Raleigh and glenwood south - walkable from both locations. read more

State of Beer - Hummus plate - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

What a find! Great beer and wine, amazing food as well. The bartenders are friendly and very willing to help you find whatever you're looking for. Highly recommend. read more

Went in for an adult snack plate aka a charcuterie board and a pour of the Haw River Pound of Flesh. I know it sounds gross at first but once you realize it is referencing WATERMELON, doesn't your mouth immediately start watering? The beer was great; however, it wasn't the best pairing for the contents on the board, so I requested a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and performed the happy food dance in my chair for the remainder of my lunch. Everyone enjoyed their selected entrees and drinks--perfect place for a quick sit down. This establishment is also owned and operated by the same staff as Young Hearts Distilling, State of Beer, Trophy Brewing & Pizza, and Trophy Brewing & Taproom. I have yet to try these out, however, everyone raves about them! read more

This is one of my new favorites. Great beers on tap and the menu is simple but consistently solid. This place does not serve your average "bar food". It is a great place to go for a snack in the afternoon or a sandwich for lunch. They have an ample outside sitting area that's great for watching the hustle of DTR. We love the Adult Lunchable and the tin of tiny fishes. read more

State of Beer - Adult Lunchable - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

First and foremost, my wife and I did not eat here. But we were in town from Los Angeles when we went. The beer selection was absolutely crazy ! The folks there were also so damn nice. Awesome experience !! read more

We've been going to State of Beer for a while now and it wasn't initially a favorite spot for me. After the urging of my husband - for whom eating inside a bottle shop was a dream fulfilled, we kept going. And you know what? It's good. The food they serve is fresh, real food. The menu is mainly sandwiches and wraps served with sides such as chick peas, pasta salad, chips or fresh greens. The sandwiches are amazing. The charcuterie plate is one of the best around. Of course they serve Trophy beers along with others and since you are (as previously mentioned) sitting in a bottle shop, you can purchase beer or wine to enjoy there or take home. For non beer drinkers they do offer a red, white and rose on menu. There are also a lot of bottles of wine to peruse in the store. You won't find the typical selection. You will most likely a new favorite. Cold brews, kombucha and other non alcoholic beverages are also available. Definitely come during off peak times if you want to sit up at the bar, or hopefully the weather is good and you can sit outside on one of the many picnic tables. I love sitting inside to listen to whatever they've put on the record player and relax in the low lit bar area. Staff is friendly, bathrooms are mostly clean, parking can be semi difficult. read more

State of Beer - My rosé and State of Beer/Raleigh merch in the background. - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Pretty cool beer place on the northern end of downtown that I passed when walking back to my hotel. They had a few beers on draft with a list you can either scan a barcode or see at the bar. They also have a LOT of cans from which to choose as well. The prices on the cans that were marked (some were not which is a pet peeve) seemed pretty high for a single beer or multipack, so I ended up just getting a wheat draft from Trophy which I enjoyed very much. They gave me a sample first which was nice as well. Staff was friendly! Outdoor seating was nice too. This was a beer only visit as I think the kitchen was closed. read more

See all

Had the hot Sicilian Sandwich with a side of pasta salad. No drinks. The sandwich was delicious. Bread was toasted and buttery, great mix of cheese and meat. Pasta salad had a mustardy dressing that I enjoyed. Service was friendly, but there was a long wait. Only downside I found was the wait. Significant selection available for beer and wine. read more

State of Beer - Hot Sicilian Sandwich with pasta salad side - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I had no idea that State of Beer expanded earlier this year into the space next door. This provides more room to put beer to purchase for home and for indoor seating (seating is not available at the bar during COVID-19). A few of my favorite sandwiches are the apple & brie, jive turkey club, sweet home alabama and turkey pesto and sides are the pasta salad and mixed green salad. This place is a must visit. read more

See all

Great beer! Also had the humus, which for one is a meal in itself. And they provide plenty of crackers and veggies, which is a plus.

I'd say it's pretty hard to impress me with a sandwich so take that as a reasoning to my madness. I came in with a small party during lunch on a weekday, but service really took quite a bit of time - to the point that when one of my friends got their food, they just took it to go since the rest of us almost finished eating. The food itself I thought wasn't the greatest. My sandwich came with a terrible bread to ingredient ratio that I found myself just ripping pieces of bread off to make it more enjoyable. The meat itself wasn't memorable so it almost felt like a chore to eat this. I didn't get any beer, but I'm going to hope that's one of their redeeming factors. I hope to change my review if I ever return here! read more

New to town and this place was highly recommended. I had family coming to visit so I ordered a bunch of sandwiches online per instructions, with no substitutions at all. For a relatively small menu, my order was very straight forward. After using the online portal- they received the order almost immediately because they called to tell me they wouldn't be able to cut the sandwiches in 4s, only 2s, which was weird but I agreed to. He told me that they "aren't allowed to make sandwiches that way". I got home and cut them myself. These are big sandwiches that can easily be cut in 4s. I went in for order pickup and the order was packed on time. Got home and had 7 of my 9 sandwiches. I was missing two of the signature ones which really drew me to order here to begin with. When I called, the receptionist said the kitchen staff left (it was 830pm) but offered to try to put the missing 2 together herself. I would have to pick up, they don't have delivery, so I declined. She asked me if I wanted them for lunch the next day instead lol. She refunded but did nothing further. She wasn't apologetic or solution-filled, so this is probably a pretty normal occurrence for them. I personally won't return as there are plenty of sandwich making competitors, but I'd recommend to use this place for in person small order only. A 9 item order shouldn't be such a feat, so I imagine this is how it goes there. As far as customer service- they don't do really anything to attempt to rectify mistakes. Outside of my customer service issues- the sandwiches were mediocre, but not really a hit. We won't return and won't be passing along the recommendation read more

Super good atmosphere! Was a perfect stop after walking around the city for a while! Will definitely recommend to friends! read more

State of Beer - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This is my favorite spot in all of Raleigh. It's always relaxed. There's always cute dogs. Always a great selection of beers and I've never had bad service. Only down side is that it's on the route of the trolley pub and I hate drunk people singing and thinking they're cute. Still my favorite spot regardless. It's also right next to Morgan street food hall. read more

State of Beer - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Great soup, great sandwich, great cider on tap. The only thing that could take it up a notch is great chit chat with the manager...and I had that too. Sincerely enjoyed my stopover here on a beautiful Fall Sunday. I will return read more

Good selection of beer, nice location. It is actually nice to be able to sample some beers before buying some to take home. The food was mostly appetizers. I wouldn't expect to eat there or expect a filling meal besides the appetizers. I went at 6pm and they were not serving anything dinner related. read more

When it comes to sandwiches, I always think of places like Toast out in Durham. Taking a humble sammich and making it special isn't as easy as it sounds. But thankfully, State of Beer is up to the challenge! Part bottle shop, part sandwich shop, State of Beer toes the line between the two really well. Out front, State of Beer sports a large parking lot patio with plenty of tables. Inside they've got a large retail bottle area, good number of refrigerated cases and their beer/sandwich counter. With 8 or so beers on tap along with 8 or so sandwiches, I went with an Italian for my first go. Put together with Yellow Dog baguette bread, my Italian is well-stuffed with plenty of freshly cut sandwich meat, bibb lettuce, provolone and viniagrette. Very tasty and fresh. Paired with some chips and you've got yourself a good lunch. So I'm happy to say that Raleigh's latest bottle shop is doing things really well. The bar keeps on getting raised and State of Beer comfortably makes it over that bar with great beer and excellent sandwiches... read more

See all

My first impression of State of Beer was that it's a place I'd happily return. While many locals might agree that the beer market in Raleigh is very "saturated", the uniqueness of SOB (should I say that?!) is recognized upon entry. With a sleek feel to the whole shop, exposed brick and beam and a wonderful open bar with silver tap handles, it feels classy (and a bit hipster with the expansive record collection and only the latest tunes playing). SOB brings some unique beers to the shop as well, with help from the owners, fellow Busy Bee and Trophy partners. You'll find limited editions but also Trophy collaborations you won't find other places. Twelve beer tap, with prices in line with Trophy's prices (a little high for the area) but a varied selection, and wine by the glass. There's also a wall of coolers for bottles/packs to take home and drink in shop by the bottle/can (with up-charge). But something you won't find at the other walkable bottle shops (five currently!) is food in house: sandwiches, salads and several platters. While I can't vouch for any of them, it's a first for bottle shops in the area. State of Beer was a first time four star experience (with a hopeful five star experience when tried and tested). I also have to say that the bartenders were awesome, they've been hired with good beer experience but also the ability to be molded into giving the customer a stellar experience (huge shout out to Rishi!) I look forward to returning and trying to food and am also so excited for the potential that State of Beer (and Runology next door) give to revamping Hillsborough Street. read more

See all

Had the hot Sicilian sandwich which was excellent. Large selection of beer. Large outdoor seating.

If you're searching for a classy but casual bottle shop with 10+ taps & serves delicious food, look no further! State of Beer has a little bit for everyone. Located on Hillsborough in DTR, they have 6-8 big picnic tables outside on their dog friendly patio (if the 10+ barstools are taken). There's even a cozy nook to sit in near the windows. Parking is on the street & can be scarce on weekends, but don't let that deter you from swinging by here! The bartenders are extremely nice & knowledgeable about their products, and the place is always clean. When I drank beer, it seems like they always have something tapped for everyone (IPA, stout/porter, pale ale, pilsner, hefe, etc) but they also have tons of bottles to choose from too. Their food was delicious- mostly sandwiches with fresh local bread & good deli meats. Great options to fill you up when drinking their tasty brews :) I love that they carry Tribucha (locally made kombucha) & my favorite is Cafe con Bucha - a light coffee kombucha! Bottles are $5 and they're well worth it for the non-alcohol drinkers. I think they also have a few sodas too, but don't quote me on that. I have no complaints here & love that they accommodate everyone. Love everything that the Busy Bee / Trophy Brewing / State of Beer owners are doing - it's all so consistent & the only thing I'd love to see here is kombucha on tap! read more

State of Beer - Tribucha! It's locally made kombucha & it's so delicious :) love that they have non-alcoholic bevvies! - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

It's been a few years since I first reviewed State of Beer. Since then, I've probably averaged 3-4 lunches per month, and I pick up some beer to go every couple visits too! The sandwiches are the best in downtown Raleigh. My current favorites are the buffalo soldier, ghost pepper salami, and the dusk till dawn. I also really like the hot sandwiches; I just tried the kimchi reuben today, and it was delicious! All sandwiches come with a side. I usually go with the mixed green salad most of the time, but I'll get chips if I'm picking up a to-go order because I don't like things sloshing around in the to-go box. The sandwiches are pretty big! If you're a normal-size human, you'll most likely end up taking half of your sandwich home. The beer on draft and in the shop is also excellent. They almost always have something I'm interested in, whether it's any of my favorite styles including IPA, farmhouse, saison, or gose. If you're looking for anything in particular, make sure to ask the extremely knowledgeable and friendly bartenders; they are some of the best people in Raleigh. read more

Went for lunch with 2 other people. Everyone's food was absolutely perfect. For being a sandwich place it still was light with tons of flavor. definitely going back and by far the hardest choice will wanting to get through the whole menu read more

State of Beer - Ghost Pepper Salami Sandwich - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

We were in search of some late-night eats recently, and thanks to Yelp found this spot still open and serving sammies. While we'd originally just wanted to grab food to go, we ended up buying a few beers, too, since the selection is so great. The staff was really nice and it's definitely a spot I'd want to spend some more time in. Also, the outdoor seating is great. I feel like this would be the perfect spot to come for a weekend lunch to hang out, take it easy and enjoy some delicious grub and brews. read more

Absolutely love this place. Great vibes and a magnificent selection of beers from around the world. Probably my favorite thing about this place is the selection of Trappist beers available like Rochefort among a few others. There are just it many places in the currently over-saturated micro brew USA where you can find these types of beers in a cool setting. The bartenders here are excellent and chill and play great classic rock and just classic songs in general on Vinyl records to add to the mystique and nostalgia that doesn't necessarily even have to had experienced before to truly appreciate. This is my new go to when in Raleigh and taking out friends. Only downside is the limited inside seating but great outdoor seating when the weather is nice! Beer selection: 10/10 Ambiance/Vibe: 9/10 trying to keep this place a secret! Service: 10/10 Value: 9/10 Will return! read more

State of Beer - Endless beer - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Service is horrible (waited 20 minutes for anybody to even acknowledge me). The beer is aligned each week. Porters one week (who wants that in summer?) then all sours another week. I just want a good beer, unfortunately the management doesn't feel the same. Decent sandwiches but just fired their best chef. Stay away from this place read more

State of Beer is a fun place to meet up / hang out with friends! They have a good selection of rotating beers on tap, and their sandwiches are really good! They also have a selection of cans and bottles that you can buy to take home. Bartenders are helpful if you have a question about one of the beers. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, but mostly indoor with shade. They usually have records playing and it makes for a fun, casual atmosphere. read more

See all

Love this spot. DO NOT MISS THEIR FOOD. Some of the best wraps/sandwiches in town, hands down, deli meat sliced to order right in front of you. One of the best bottle shops I've ever been to. Amazingly knowledgeable staff with a legit comraderie feel, cool vinyls stay spinning, massive selection with esoteric finds. Just go. read more

Good beer selection and a cool venue, but they are selling mediocre sandwiches for $14. The bread was nothing to write home about nor were any of the other ingredients. Same sandwich at $7.50 would've earned this place a 5 star review. A $14 sandwich better blow my socks off... somebody has to keep these places honest. read more

I think this is just what Raleigh needed, an awesome sandwich and bottle shop. Bottle shops these days are by far my favorite places to hang out , add some food and I'm a happy girl. It's so nice to have really good food options while enjoying some tasty beers. They have a nice outdoor patio and a large bar to sit at as well. I sat at the bar on my visit and was greeted by the friendly staff with a menu full of delicious eats. It was hard to decide what to eat I ended up ordering the turkey sandwich but definitely have my eye on that ghost pepper salami sandwich for my next visit. Yup I'm already planning my return to State of Beer. My turkey sandwich was huge I actually took half of it home. DTR needed a sandwich shop bad and they are putting out some killer eats so definitely grab a beer and a bite when your here. Your sandwich comes with a side which I'm not sure but I imagine they must change them up every once in awhile. I really enjoyed the chickpea salad as my side today, you could also order chips or a side salad. I have found a new favorite spot in town I'm looking forward to coming back soon. read more

State of Beer - Awesome turkey sandwich with a chickpea salad - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

State of Beer is a staple of Downtown Raleigh and I always take people here when they are visiting. Their wraps and sandwiches are delicious and the beer selection is great. They have plenty of seating space both inside and out and there is typically a great record playing. I love hanging out here and trying out the different beers on tap. Not to mention, State of Beer supports local businesses and that's amazing. read more