Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard

Restaurant · Raleigh

Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard

Restaurant · Raleigh

1

1930 Wake Forest Rd, Raleigh, NC 27608

Photos

Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard by null

Highlights

Bowstring is a lively bar in a revamped warehouse where you can enjoy craft brews, tantalizing pizza, and live music while soaking up the great outdoor vibes.  

Featured in Eater
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1930 Wake Forest Rd, Raleigh, NC 27608 Get directions

bowstringbrewyard.com
@bowstringpizzabrewyard

$$ · Menu

Information

Static Map

1930 Wake Forest Rd, Raleigh, NC 27608 Get directions

+1 984 206 4800
bowstringbrewyard.com
@bowstringpizzabrewyard

$$ · Menu

Features

dine in
takeout
delivery
wifi
payment credit card
Tap to pay
reservations
outdoor seating

Last updated

Jul 10, 2025

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@eater

"Co-owner Matt Golden has two kids, so he knows something about keeping children and parents entertained. Think live music four to five days a week, big screen TVs streaming the Canes’ games, and lawn games all on the predominantly fenced-in yard. Try one of the sparkling CBD waters if you need a chill pill. If you’re ready for something a bit heavier hitting, try the Pinehurst Transfusion, a refreshing mix of grape juice, vodka, ginger beer, and ginger ale. Kids and adults rave about the mozzarella sticks and NY-style pizza, quintessential fuel for bopping along to the classic tribute bands headlining the stage. To make the floppy pizza more manageable for kids, ask for it to be “double cut.”" - Elliott Harrell

7 Kid-Friendly Spots to Grab a Drink Around Raleigh
View Postcard for Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard

Hunter Routh

Google
Man, this place was so sick. Andy Wood/Seth Rosenbloom show was amazing. The pizza was glorious and the staff were all super nice. Loved this place. Hope it continues to book National Acts!

Donna J

Google
Came here around noon on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Great for dogs. Food was eh. Had pizza and mozzarella sticks. Both tasted like they were frozen. Enjoyed a Hummingbird Helles from the tap. Beer was great. If you want a large place to sit outside this is perfect.

Jim Williamson

Google
Came out for some live music "Shot Thru The Heart", a great Bon Jovi cover band. Had a great time. We ordered a pizza that was yummy and came out in under 30 minutes. Kudos Bowstring on the improvement. It took a full 2 hours on our first visit. We arrived early enough to sit at a picnic table beyond the VIP tables where fans had paid to reserve for their group. I mention because being in our early 60s, standing only venues are in our past. The evening was perfect for this outdoor event. I see a few more cover bands on the schedule from our high school and college days so we will be back for more.

Dr B I Gardner

Google
Loved the touch with the fire 🔥 pits on the outside patio. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was great. The weather was a little chilly, so I enjoyed having that fire pit. This is an excellent chill spot. Parking is a bit challenging when it starts getting busy which is pretty early in the evening.

Sally Oakley

Google
We had a big Graduation party and rented the BrewYard out. It was so fun and just perfect. Courtney was amazing to work with. Very organized and great communication. Pizza and bar were great. Big memories were made for these High school Seniors. Thank you Bowstring. You guys are amazing!!!

Kyle

Google
Pizza and Wings are great. Beer and Cocktails as well. The outdoor area is very nice, the only problem I have with this place is it is a breeding ground for young parents to bring their children who don’t want to pay for a babysitter. I’ve seen a toddler wander behind the outdoor bar as their drunk mom was oblivious to her surroundings. Wish places like this would prohibit children as it is a nice set up to drink and eat.

Mark Rowsey

Google
This place is a very unassuming place. There's also really not a lot of parking available, so if you plan on visiting I would recommend coming early. For a bar it's pretty good, the music is a pretty normal volume, but the live music is a bit loud. Conversations got a lot harder when the live music started. The pizza is good, but it takes a long time to get the food. At the very least the food is authentic and cooked properly. The outdoor seating is also nice. If you're able to get off work early, I would recommend Bowstring pizza. Just be sure to understand it's a bit difficult to find.

Rachel

Google
Super chill brewery with a small event space. Yes, the parking lot is small but just park nearby and walk over. Not a big deal.. We ordered a pizza during a concert and right around dinner time - only took 20-30 minutes to come out. It was delicious! The sound for the concert was spot on - no complaints! Excited about coming back for more shows soon

Jillian S.

Yelp
TLDR: Highly recommended place to hang out with friends, family, or co-workers. Full bar. Great customer service. Delicious pizza and garlic knots. Dog friendly. Trivia brought us here first then we returned to spend our winnings ($50). In addition to trivia, Bowstring hosts a variety of concerts at the adjacent R&D yard. Plus they have several arcade games and a shuffleboard inside. The repurposed warehouse provides a welcoming and fun atmosphere. Park in the nearby lot (free) then head to the bar to order food and drink. The long tv screen rotates through menu slides. It is easiest to pull up the online menu from the QR code. It's primarily NY style pizza, wings, and sandwiches. They offer custom flatbreads and have vegan options. The food is served on disposable plates. If you are unsure what draft to get, you can taste them. I particularly like the Hula Vibes. I then pair it with a custom pizza or garlic knots. Sometimes the beer is served in glass other times in plastics cups. After ordering, take your number and drink to a table inside or outside. The bartenders and servers are friendly and efficient. We received our order surprisingly quick. The garage doors open to cool or warm up the inside. From what we noticed it seems to be dog friendly inside and out. Overall, this is a great hang out spot that isn't overly crowded.

Emmanuel W.

Yelp
I spent the last 72 hours reflecting before writing this review. I did not want to write this review from a place out of fresh emotion but from an unbiased, rational perspective with just the facts. My sister and I purchased tickets through Afton to see a reggae concert at Bowstring this past Saturday (6/1). Naturally we were both excited to see the opening band whose from Raleigh, however, from the time we arrived at the venue things went downhill quickly. The tickets purchased from Afton, specifically stated the show started at 7, doors open at 6. (attached) we arrived at 6. The two greeters in the grass turf stage area, ostentatiously asserted that doors were not open to the general public, only to 'VIP's', regular entry was at 7. Strange, but shrugged it off. The show didn't start until 7:45, btw. So naturally, we decided to go to the 'bar' area to place an order for pizza and drinks. From approximately 6:00pm until 6:19pm my sister stood at the bar unattended to and completely ignored for nearly 20 minutes. She was wearing a bright red sundress with various vibrant flowers printed all over the dress, so it's pretty obvious she was being ignored. A flat out refusal of service. I STRONGLY urge you to check the cameras at approximately 6:18pm and I can assure you, you will see a commotion of kind patrons surrounding & consoling a customer directly at the bar with NONE of your staff around or caring enough to assist or even simply acknowledge someone waiting for service at the bar. So upset from her treatment by the staff, she was crying at the bar from the experience. Other kind patrons & customers noticed and offered to get the bars staff attention so we could actually order but at that point the damage was done. I was ready to leave. My sister, nor I, have ever felt so publicly humiliated in our lives. For her to take such offense - the treatment was especially egregious, she has background in regional managerial experience overseeing operations of multiple dining & bar establishments in the Raleigh area. I promptly walked to the concert astro turf area, and politely asked how can I get a refund for this show, as the vibe of the place just seemed like something out of a modern dystopia. Not because of other patrons or customers, but solely the energy of the working staff. Both my sister and I felt invisible, and whenever we were addressed it was crystal clear we were being spoken down to and in a condescending manner. To no surprise, I was again answered rudely and was told "It wasn't the venues problem and to contact Afton" - whom by the way has an unreasonably strict no refund policy - under no circumstances whatsoever do they offer refunds. Frustrated, starving, and slightly in disbelief in what transpired - we begrudgingly - took the orange wristbands to stay for the show so my sister could see the band she's so passionate to support. Thankfully the show itself was good but that's ONLY a reflection of the performers - not the establishment. WE SPENT THE NIGHT STARVING AT A VENUE THAT SELLS FOOD! Let that sink in for a second... Seeing the way this venue's staff selectively treats customers, I can only imagine how poorly & unfair they deal with business on the backend and the low level of professionalism they must treat artists/bands coming to their venue to perform. Listen - I'm a touring artist about to go on tour in the US and overseas. I'll be performing downtown Raleigh, August 10th. So, believe me, I have had my fair share of dealing with rudeness, unprofessionalism, lack of integrity and a lack of giving a damn but this 'venue' is by far one of the worst experiences I've EVER had. Word of mouth will make or break a business and I will NEVER recommend this place to any touring artist/bands, friends or family members. I wouldn't even recommend this place to a stranger. I will make sure to spread the truth of our experience at Bowstring around Raleigh to promoters, bands/artists. An absolute atrocity of a business. Can't speak on the food, because again we were never served. It's insane that a place that sells food would happily choose to have customers starve at their venue. WTF. Karma (You Get Back, What You Give)

Dhara J.

Yelp
Got here around 5 pm and quickly ordered some pizza and held off on the beverages until the rest of my group got there. They have a great beer selection as well as cocktail offerings. There is a lot of seating especially outside. I loved the astroturf area on the other side of the parking lot for the kids to run around on and dogs to have a space to feel included. I gave it 3 stars mainly for its pizza services: the pizza took over an hour to get (it was a busy night but still...) as well as the quality of the pizza was okay. I wasn't blown away with the taste of the veggie pizza. Also the price point for the slices seemed pretty steep. The space is great for a drink but food wise I don't think we'd go back.

Janet C.

Yelp
Great outdoor space and a nice variety of drinks. Good pizza, decent sandwiches, but the wings were dismal - especially at $19 for 12. They were scrawny and not crispy at all. The sauces were just ok. I would skip these in future visits for sure. Service was pretty slow to get food out. We were here for the jazz brunch. Peter Lamb and the Wolves were fantastic!

Ken W.

Yelp
Jordan makes the best old fashioned I've ever had. Great space, great atmosphere. Trivia is fun too

Kendall W.

Yelp
Ugh, I used to LOVE bowstring, but it has kind of gone down hill. The pizza recipe has definitely changed and is sadly not as good. And that is what we loved the most! Also I feel like $90 for two pizzas is outrageous!! The drinks are good but it doesn't seem like the workers really care to make the drinks the correct way. This makes me sad because I used to love bowstring!

Shavonne H.

Yelp
Good place to grab a drink and pizza! This bar has good vibes and arcade games. There's a medium patio for you to sit outside that's uncovered as well as a closed in patio. When I went the closed in patio was closed for an event. Parking is a bit tough here. There is a lot, but it's rather small and it's shared with the other businesses. I definitely suggest carpooling or Uber/Lyft. There's lots of beer options, but there's also a full bar. They have some great menu drinks, but since there's a full bar you can order what you'd like as well. My friends and I went on a Thursday evening and it was crowded, but not packed. Right outside there's a food truck with pizza. It's good and it comes out quick. They have options for slices as well as full pizza and some appetizers. We ordered a full pizza and it was delicious. I will be back and recommend you try it out if you're in the area.

Mike K.

Yelp
Stopped by for a quick beer and a snack. Glad I did! It was busy for a Sunday night. The bartender was definately hustling. Beer list wasn't anything special, so I settled on a Red Oak lager at the bar. Needing a bite to eat, I ordered a slice of sausage pizza from the food truck kitchen on site. I was able to order when I ordered the beer, and they delivered it to me at the bar. Glad I got a slice! The crust was tasty and crispy like when you reheat pizza the RIGHT way in an oven. Ingredients and sauce were delicious. Limited toppings for a slice, but they also have full pizzas and they looked delicious. I need to come with someone else next time and get one. Lots of indoor and outdoor seating, games and such- definitely a place to hang out with friends for a while.

Anna P.

Yelp
Bowstring is a great place to meet up for happy hours. If you're starving though, I would put in that pizza order first as it does seem to take a while. I think I waited about 45 minutes for a slice of pepperoni pizza. My friends ordered gluten free pizzas right after me and it probably was a good 20-30 minutes after mine came out. I didn't want to eat first so of course my pizza was cold. It did still taste good though. The pricing doesn't really make sense to me. Sorry, about to get a little nerdy here and do some quick calculations. A slice of pizza is $4 and then add $1 per topping. They have 12 different toppings. If you ordered a slice of pizza with all of their topping options, it would cost $16! If you ordered a whole pizza with all 12 options, that's $56 ($3/topping). I highly doubt anyone would order a pizza that all the options, but still, that would be a pretty expensive pizza. They do have a few flavors to choose from if you're going to order a whole pizza though. $32 for a giant pizza (18") still seems a bit much but maybe that's just me. I wish they showed prices of the draft beers on the menu. Same comment for the mixed shots that they advertise. I ordered a drink, 3 shots and a slice of pizza (with 1 topping) and my bill seemed kind of high. I read previous reviews that there have been issues with possible incorrect bills but I forgot about that when asked if I wanted my receipt. Oh well, I'll just try and remember to check next time. I got a round of cinnamon toast crunch shots and they were served in plastic cups. They should at least get the red solo shot cups. It's a little weird taking shots from such a normal sized cup. I also had a peppermint stout. It was okay, didn't really have much of a peppermint flavor to me. The table that we sat at didn't have the correct height barstools so it was a bit uncomfortable. The chairs were too high and there was a bar under the table that made it difficult to have your legs under the table. There was live music but we wanted to continue our conversation so we moved to a table outside. I'm glad they had heaters and fire pits outside. They seem to have even more outdoor seating across and to the right (if you're looking from the bar) but no one was out there. Maybe they just keep that space open when there are events. There's a very small parking lot. There are some spaces that are dedicated to the small shops next door but you can park there after 5pm (I think). One of our friends couldn't find a parking spot in the lot or anywhere close by so she actually turned around and went home so I felt bad about that. I came around 4pm and there were only a few spots available.

Sean G.

Yelp
Great place - parking nightmare - food great - atmosphere great - very busy and happening.

Katie B.

Yelp
Skip it and go somewhere else. I won't be back. Parking: Awful. Small lot where you have to park all sorts of wacky. No close parking that felt like a safe walk to the Brewyard. Zero parking info available on the website. We ended up parking in a surface lot about a 4-minute walk away. There was no sidewalk and we were more or less on the side of Wake Forest Road, walking to the venue. Figuring out what is where (because there are multiple places to go with a parking lot in the middle): Awful. Just put up a couple of signs or put this info online! The food: SLOW. Tastes fine. Nothing fancy. We did not have pizza. Sandwiches were adequate. Mozzarella sticks were standard fare. I wouldn't plan on eating here again. Waiting an hour for 6 lukewarm mozzarella sticks? Nah, bruh. The beer: cold. Okay prices. Beer selection was a decent variety. For a place that calls themselves a "brewyard", I would've expected more options, however. The outdoor tent area where the music is had only two drafts: Coors Light (seriously!?!?) and some Wicked Weed IPA Staff: the food runners were nice, friendly, and really hustling. The staff checking tickets for the paid concert under the tent was very uninformed. People had paid for vip and couldn't find a place to sit. Staff couldn't really clarify anything for those people (not me). Bartenders were friendly and efficient. Sound quality for the concert under the tent: Awful. We couldn't even hear the opening act. Ended up leaving before the main attraction. Concert info: seriously lacking. All of my paperwork/preshow info: tickets, email blast, social media...all of it...said 7 pm. Come to find out it wasn't scheduled to start until 8 pm, but nobody in the crowd seemed to know this. Complete waste of time and I wasn't about to pay another $11 for parking. Total waste of time. Total waste of money. Won't be back.

John C.

Yelp
Beer 5 stars but the pizza is edible and is fodder that you would find at the Elementary School cafeteria it's just not great. It is also super expensive. Atmosphere nice work on your pizza.....

Josh M.

Yelp
If Bowstring could figure out parking and pizza wait times, it would be deserving of 4 or 5 stars. A lot of potential here.

Jeff F.

Yelp
I really would like to give a better rating for Bowstring because it's a really cool place to hang out, but it has so many flaws. The first major issue with this place is their parking situation. Sometimes even on a weekday you cannot get a parking spot, they do have an auxiliary lot but typically it is full as well. Also it's sometimes a suicide mission to pull out from the parking lot entrance. The second issue is their beer selection. It's okay but definitely not great. It would be awesome if they would feature a bunch of local beer, and they do have some local beer but the options are very limited. My last issue with this place is the pizza. Sometimes it takes 2 hours to get a pizza made! And it's really not worth waiting for, it's average pizza at best. Typical Southern pizza. But if you're coming here just to enjoy hanging out with friends and don't mind drinking lackluster beer, then this definitely fits the bill! I would just recommend taking an Uber

Markiesa B.

Yelp
So i visited this place last month while being apart of the offline foodie club. It's kind of located in the cut off of a main road. Parking was a little iffy i could see it being an issue on the weekend for sure. It's a big place and has lots of outdoor space with games and things to do for adults. Looks like they have live entertaiment outdoors as well. The inside decor was pretty cool as well. We ordered 3 slices of pizza and set inside. It took a while since the place just did open so the oven had to heat up. They do have a bar inside as well and plenty of tvs everyone to catch the games. The pizza was good as well. The kitchen though is actually outside in like a foodtruck btw.

Katie T.

Yelp
I'm not sure what to call Bowstring as it seems to be many things... restaurant, hangout, bar? The pepperoni pizza was really good. I'm not usually a fan of thin crust but I think it was the sauce that sealed the deal. Marinara sauce can often be pretty vanilla. Bowstring added something that gave it some zing! I'd definitely order it again. Though I'm still unsure what I was charged for it as my bill seemed pretty high for two beers, the 20" pizza and $15 off with an Offline Raleigh deal. Check when ordering. Their beer selection is lacking and has room for improvement. Given we have so many great North Carolina breweries I thought the selection would be better. I was there on a Thursday evening and it wasn't too crowded, just doable for me. I imagine that weekends are very packed.

Brandon G.

Yelp
The pizza is fantastic. The Dark and Stormy is horrible. I made better drinks in my dorm room with crappy mixer from food lion 20 years ago. The bar staff, let's just say I've met nicer people in the Waffle House of I-40 at 2am. Now these ladies are easy on the eyes, but they definitely don't wanna be here. But the pizza is spot on. Stick to the draft and avoid contact with the staff all will be well.

Jacki R.

Yelp
Had a great night listening to live music, good selection of beverages (draft, bottle, cocktails, and non-alcoholic) and a slice of 'za. The pizza is by the pie or by the slice. I ordered a slice with three toppings. A slice is $4 and each topping g was a $1. You order at the bar and they give you a card w a number and the food comes out pretty fast. We started outside and when the heat got to us we went inside, lots of space in both areas. Outside is dog friendly. Inside they have some games, it looked very fun! I parked in the lot, but if the spots were all gone I see they gave a shuttle for parking around the corner. A very relaxed night, and I'll go back again!

DBones R.

Yelp
Arrived a Friday night several weeks ago. Parking a slight challenge. Met with family and friends to have some drinks, all appeared to have a glass at the ready and the bar was humming. Good service, fast moving lines. The pizza wait was far too long, thus am unable to offer input. Good for all ages, would like to see some arcade equipment for added entertainment.

Adam B.

Yelp
Good food and drinks, but matters on time of day you go, and who is working. Sadly we went at a time of day where the outside area was being used as an obnoxious parents kid hangout where the kids were running around, trying destroy stage equipment, being mean to other kids, and the restaurant help on duty did nothing about it. Luckily, there are better pizza places around where you don't need to deal with the possibility of having a kid assault your toddler and have to get into a shoving match with their parents. While the employees don't care about customer and child safety.

Ashley G.

Yelp
Terrible. Waited an hour for three slices of pizza. For it to not even come out. We had to get our money back. Alcoholic drinks are watered down also. Pizza slices are reheated... it shouldn't take an hour to heat up 3 slices.

Tom S.

Yelp
Love the atmosphere here. Always lively and a lot going on. Great beer selections. Pizza always and food truck options. Not sure if they have anything online about their live music, but have come several times when there happened to be live music. Lots of spots to order food and drinks. Nice and spread out, so easy to come with a big group. Also lots of young families

Marin J.

Yelp
It could be much much better. The Good---- Pizza. Lots of outdoor seating Live entertainment area Indoor games. The Bad--- Not much parking...watched a vehicle get towed for being a little bit over the line. A very nice staff person, a woman went around asking people where they parked to avoid a nasty suprise. This should not have to be the case. The Pizza Yes it makes the good and bad list? How? Well, errr....everybody likes pizza. The dough is good, toppings .... meh. Price...double meh for what you get. The Yougoddabekiddingme---- The drinks. Overpriced... $11 dollars for a drink mix that burned all the way down with zero nuance or ability. Four drinks over multiple visits each with multiple friends and NONE of us can give even a slight nod to the quality or ability of the drinks. PASS. If you want to remember your college days of PJ. parties...well maybe. And even then, liquor mixed in a clean trash barrel might be your reference leven here. I really liked the schoolbus kitchen, though for a first timer it was pretty damned confusing to figure out where to order and what to order...slow azz menu board in the sky to your left. Just order a pepperoni and forgeddabout it. Enjoy the sunshine.

Lucy D.

Yelp
The pizza is solid "bar pizza", and the space is great. There is a lot of open seating and they have giant jenga and some other games. There's also some arcade games inside. It is very dog and kid friendly. Definitely good for a big group. The staff is nice and the overall vibe is relaxing. There's also live music sometimes. I did notice a sign near the bar that said "during busy times the pizza can take 1-2 hours". I went today around 5 pm, and waited about 20 minutes. Not sure what the busiest time is, but just FYI!

Adam H.

Yelp
Awesome venues and pizza! If ya'll need a night out, check this place out! Ya gots to do it!

Rachel J.

Yelp
Had best Valentines w my Boo here ! Thanks B S ! ‍ Cheers to my neighbors across the street for a great business

Holly K.

Yelp
I can't believe I hadn't made it to Bowstring earlier. What a neat spot tucked away off of Wake Forest Road. I went on a Saturday afternoon and while they were busy, there were still plenty of socially distanced tables available on their astro turf. The place was packed with families, which, with a toddler is something I look for. We ordered pizza and wings at the bar from V's pizza truck, it does take awhile to get a whole pizza so plan accordingly. The pizza was tasty and I really enjoyed the wings as well. I also loved that there was plenty of space for my toddler to run around and "play" cornhole. On the astroturf they have a very paired down bar with mostly just a few beers, ciders, seltzers, and very basic cocktails. If you want their specialty cocktails you do have to go inside to their main bar (that's where you order the food as well). I saw they had online ordering for food, but it was turned off when we were there. It's the perfect spot to spend a family friendly afternoon while the weather is great outside. Parking is a bit tricky, we got lucky with an open spot. However they do seem to have a second parking lot that they have a shuttle going back and forth to. I actually have no idea where that parking lot is, and I didn't see it listed on their website. I look forward to heading back in!

Jet S.

Yelp
Ugh, was excited when told about bowstring but it was not for me. For starters, the parking is horrendous. I went to one of the overflow lots, only to be told my the business that it is not overflow parking and if i didn't move my car, it would be towed. from there, had to park in a pretty hard to maneuver lot about an 8 minute walk away. The pizza was okay, nothing too crazy. All of the bartenders had spoiled, rude, careless attitudes. Not to mention the smell in there...yikes

Ian M.

Yelp
No parking! Expensive canned beer! Over an hour wait for pizza on a Sunday afternoon! Not many options for pizzas either which means they should be able to crank them out. The pizza was okay.

Susan J.

Yelp
Pizza was ordered at 6:55. Promised at 7:35. Still waiting at 8:10. No one seems to really care. 8:31 update. Manager came out and said there was an issue with the screen. No ETA on pizza. Already paid or would have left. Pizza received at 8:44. Manager said he would comp it but didn't see him when I got the pizza. Will contact him if not.

Lonnie S.

Yelp
Horrible parking situation. Ordered wings which took 30 minutes to get and they were awful. Not a good beer selection. If you ask the bartender/cashier any questions they have a attitude. I see there are a lot of negative reviews on here and there is a reason for that.

Casey B.

Yelp
Avoid this place like the plague, two hours for a pizza and when you ask about the status they tell you "it's not in the oven" and then a hour later you ask and they say "5 more minutes" took 3 hours for a pizza. Absolutely mismanaged, I've worked in the restaurant industry for years and never have seen a place this bad.

Elizabeth B.

Yelp
I like this place for the pizza, but not for the brewyard. Bartenders are very slow and rude. The pizza (from Vic's Italian Restaurant) is absolutely amazing! Parking is a nightmare, but there is a lot of nice outdoor seating if you can find a spot and get there.

Roger S.

Yelp
Great atmosphere for everyone! They have a great setup for adults and kids. The pizza was phenomenal, I enjoyed the wings and great selection of beers. Will definitely be going back!

Victoria M.

Yelp
This place is great. I came out to see my friends band play here. I noticed they had some bad reviews but I couldn't disagree more. The staff and service was A+. Super welcoming, kind, and helpful. Great space. Parking is not bad, but this place is great so of course it's going to fill up fast! The pizza was pretty solid (coming from a New Yorker). And it came out in under 10 minutes. Great drink selection as well. 10/10!

Carrie S.

Yelp
Literally if I could give a -5 I would. We came to see a band but when we ordered food we were never told a prep time. So needless to say 2 hours later we were not happy. Asked the bartender to check in our food order which was 2 slices of pizza and 12 wings they said it would be another 40 minutes! If you have a band with high crowds, for the love please pre make food to be ready for the masses. We would have stayed and spent more on beer but left and will take business elsewhere.

Heather M.

Yelp
Happened upon this place when I was in town for work. LOVED the pizza and the drink specials. Met lovely local people. Live music was great. Enjoyed the fire pits and the whole warm feel of the place. Just loved that this place is dog-friendly. Would return without hesitation.

Maggie K.

Yelp
One of my absolute favorite places to go for football, day drinks, new beers, great seltzer selection and overall great ambience. Their outdoor space is like no other outdoor space in Raleigh and their pizza is top notch!

Chelsea M.

Yelp
LOVE bowstring!!! The bartenders are awesome! I love the atmosphere is fun and inviting!! Jordan (bartender) is my favorite! She truly enjoys her job and always makes sure my friends and I have a blast!

Roger K.

Yelp
We are all entitled to our own opinions, right? Well here's mine: Parking: 5 Location: 5 Decor/ambiance: 5 Customer Service: 5++ This spot is no more than 2 months old (yep opened in the middle of Covid) and has the best open space for drinking, pizza eating, mingling with friends while social distancing and more! These guys are known for their signature cocktails and local North Carolina beers. New beers are added weekly. As stated before they have plenty of space for friends and families to mingle yet social distance themselves from other groups. They even offer a "touch-less menu". Pictured here is their signature pizzas. Their pizzas take roughly 5 minutes to make and come out of the oven piping hot and ready to devour. You see the cheese pull so you already know what time it is! Vegetarians fret not...they have options for you to! And don't forget the tap - I mean this is a state if the art bar! Check these guys out as their prices are stellar, the food is yummy, the drinks are cold and the vibes are priceless!

Stephanie J.

Yelp
The space is cool, it's an old garage that has been converted into a bar. I was really impressed with the outdoor seating as there were multiple areas. Beer, wine and craft cocktails are on the menu at the bar and there is an outdoor pizza kitchen if you are hungry. It's a small average pizza that is served on a paper plate and can get pricey with multiple toppings. The mask rule was a bit lax when people were moving around inside so we didn't feel comfortable being in there while it was raining. In the end, it's a fun place to grab a drink at if you can sit outside.

Jacob T.

Yelp
Great outdoor seating! The yard area is huge, and it gets full sun which is great in the winter and not as great in the summer. The patio space has plenty of heaters for wintertime, and the inside space has good seating. They even offer games, bar seating, and they have roll-up doors for great weather days. The pizza is delicious. The wings had good flavor but they were definitely over baked and small. The beer selection isn't great, but unlike some "breweries", they have liquor as well.

Chad E.

Yelp
Drinks are standard, food is subpar. Do not go on a weekend, the wait for food is 2 hours and when it arrives it isn't even very good. Could make a homemade pizza from scratch, cheaper, faster and better. Cool atmosphere saves this from being a one star experience.

Trey C.

Yelp
Parking is terrible, you have to park down at a random church for overflow parking. The bartenders don't wear masks. The pizza takes 1.5 hours to come and is meh. The beer is okay but nothing noteworthy. Overall, there's better breweries in the area to check out.

Laura G.

Yelp
I very much enjoyed my time at Bowstring. There's a huge amount of outdoor seating, there was live music across the parking lot from where we were sitting and it sounded good. My drink was delicious, a watermelon mimosa. The food looked good, I had eaten dinner before, so I didn't have any, but my friends had pizza, wings, garlic knots and they looked and smelled delicious. The only thing that was weird was that if the parking lot is full you have to park around the corner and leave your car in a parking lot and then take a shuttle bus back to Bowstring. If I had been alone I would not have liked that.

Ms. M.

Yelp
Three stars because this place is expensive for what you get. But they have vegan pizza, which is a plus. Always on the look out for Vegan/Vegetarian options. The drinks(cocktails) are $10 - $13 dollars, they come in clear plastic cups. They are easy drinking, and minimal alcohol. Noone at the table could taste any alcohol in the drinks, but on a hot day you don't get too picky. The better option will probably be to go for the beer on tap. Pretty good rotation and mix. Service is good. From what I could tell there were 2 different sections to eat and drink. You order at the bar and get a number to put on your table. They have 2 overflow parking lots, one of which is a 3-5 min shuttle away. No extra cost for the shuttle, but tipping signs placed with in view sight. I suppose if you stick to beer and just plain cheese slices, the place is worth it. Don't know that I would go back due to price/quality of the drinks & food.

Hannah P.

Yelp
This is a fun spot! Stopped in here with a group of about 10. There are two sitting areas, one near the bar and the other quite far away with a bunch of picnic tables. We ended up at the picnic tables and it was a bit of a hike to come back in for a beer or to use the bathroom, but there was a lot of seating. The picnic tables have fake grass under them, that we noticed had a lot of ants and mosquitoes in it. We ordered two pizzas, one was a cheese and one was a supreme. The pizza was huge and pretty good. The real winner though was the buffalo wings which were really delicious! They have a nice selection of beer on tap, and there are some options for non-craft beer drinkers like cocktails and standard lagers etc. I do have one gripe about this place, and it's the parking. The parking lot is so tiny and you're forced to pretty much park at a random lot down the street. When we got there we had to park over there and walk about a quarter of a mile to get back over. Not super annoying, just kind of inconvenient. At the end of the night they had a shuttle that brought us back to the parking lot, which was nice. The parking lot is extremely tight and hard to get out of though

Kristin M.

Yelp
Okay...we went on a Saturday afternoon around 4:00, parking lot was already full and we had two toddlers so parking in the extra lot, across the street behind snoops wasn't ideal, but we did it. The side patio was reserved for a private event and then the lawn area was also being sold as a "ticked" event since they had bands which wasn't communicated at all on social or the website. We ended up grabbing a picnic table where the lawn games are and it was fine. Pizza was delicious, I thought it was well worth the price even though others said it's overpriced. If you are trying to make a reservation, do it 24-48 hours in advance, otherwise you are out of luck. Beer selection was meh...but overall the vibe was fun.

Kathy L.

Yelp
Flew in from out of state, visiting my daughter. Ordered pizza and 2 appetizers. They said it would be 55-65 minutes for delivery which I was ok with. I could track the delivery driver and saw where she was waiting on my order for a long time (around 25 minutes) It was finally delivered almost 2 hours after placing my order and the garlic knots were just hard bread knots with no butter/garlic and no marinara. The same for the mozzarella sticks, cold and no marinara. The pizza had pretty good flavor, if I were to try them again I would definitely go in person.

Lynne H.

Yelp
We've wanted to check this place out for a while. On a prior attempt, there was a sign saying it was a 1-2 hour wait for a pizza so we left. Returned this past weekend; Saturday afternoon. Parking is scarce. Then I thought there might be Bowstring beer - but that must not be a thing. They have about 10 rotating (?) taps. Didn't love the choices, either (only lager or pilsner was like a big Mexican beer company, nothing local or craft). The beers and cocktails we ordered were served in plastic cups! The cocktails were so basic - Tito's and soda and they charged me $13 for a single and $16 for a double (which makes no sense - so $3 for the vodka and $10 for a plastic cup of club soda?). No idea why it is so popular. Never tried the pizza but the rest of the experience told me all I need to know.