Iconic downtown Raleigh bar opens taproom at RDU Airport. What to know
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- Raleigh Beer Garden opened a bar and restaurant at RDU Terminal 1 near Gate A4.
- Airport location has a full bar and 20 beers on tap, including NC brews.
- RDU expands local dining lineup with Bongiorno & Son and Crawford’s Genuine.
One of the most well-known bars on Glenwood South has expanded to a new location at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Raleigh Beer Garden is a concept from Hibernian Hospitality Group. Owned by Niall Hanley, the group also operates businesses including Hopshots Mini Golf (located behind Raleigh Beer Garden) and Hibernian Pub. One of Hibernian Hospitality’s newest concepts is a North Raleigh speakeasy called The Dry Cleaners.
The beer garden is one of the biggest bars in the Triangle, a destination for fans of craft beer.
Raleigh Beer Garden, famous for its hundreds of beers available on tap, recently opened a bar at Terminal 1. The airport location doesn’t have the 350+ draft beers, but it does have a full bar and 20 beers on tap, including some North Carolina brews.
Located near Gate A4, Raleigh Beer Garden also serves “approachable pub food,” according to a news release. It is operated by MERA, a Mexico-based company that provides concessions at RDU Airport.
Dining options at RDU Airport
Raleigh Beer Garden is not the first locally owned concept to open an outpost at the airport.
For example, Bongiorno & Son, an Italian deli first established at North Raleigh’s Lafayette Village, opened this year in Terminal 2. Chef Scott Crawford opened Crawford’s Genuine in the same terminal 2024.
And more Triangle-based restaurants and breweries will join the airport dining lineup.
Adios!, a Mexican restaurant from Oscar Diaz of Raleigh’s Cortez and Durham’s Little Bull, is expected to open in Terminal 2. Bond Brothers Taproom & Kitchen, which was open in the airport for a short time in 2020, is returning.
But RDU still hosts national chains and restaurants with multiple airport locations. Some, including Bobby’s Burgers and Guy’s Pizza Joint, are from celebrity chefs.
This story was originally published December 17, 2025 at 11:32 AM with the headline "Iconic downtown Raleigh bar opens taproom at RDU Airport. What to know."
