Catawba Brewing Company Downtown Morganton

Probably my favorite beers ever here. An excellent Belgian called White Zombie takes the cake for me. Good selection of their own stouts, ales, pilsners, and more here. The only thing they don’t make is a cider! Good bartender always on staff taking care of people.. dog- friendly patio area for enjoying a beer outside. These guys have grown dramatically in the last few years, you can now find what they make here throughout much of the Southeast.

Had a great time visiting. Plenty of outdoor seating, sanitizing solution & lots of beers on tap. Looking forward to coming back this year.

Decent place to get a beer. Staff was friendly, wore masked and encouraged social distancing. Beer was tasty. A little too close to the traffic outside but at least they had plenty you outdoor seating.

Great beer selection, from their classic Farmer Ted and White Zombie, to new sours, IPAs, and brown beers! They've updated the seating, with more indoor and outdoor seats, including some with picnic tables with umbrellas to protect from sun and rain. Definitely check this location out!

My other mother convinced me to leave Texas for some shenanigans over beer and wine tasting! Best decision! I had heard about this pumpkin beer forever and a day! It was heaven for my taste buds! They also had trivia night, which was really fun!

White Zombie: I don't always drink beer but when I do I like notes of Vienna Sausage and marijuana? A fair cross section of beer styles that were decent just not terribly memorable.

Great beers, cool place to hang out. It just gets really hot and stuffy in here, even when it's not that hot out. Tuesdays are trivia night!

Beers were great! Loved the sours. Joe are bartender was so fun and awesome made our trip

Some great beer options. CHS and Carolina Fog Hazy IPA were good selections. Live music both nights we visited (Fri and Sat) which was a big plus! Staff is super friendly....we really enjoyed our time spent here.

The original brewery, had to check it out! Way bigger than the Asheville ones and had live music playing during my visit. Staff was very welcoming and place had a laid back and homey atmosphere. They had a good selection of beers and there was something for everyone in our group. Morganton downtown starting to liven up and draw in people!

I simply can't say enough great things about Catawba Brewing in Morganton. Joe the Bartender is fantastic and told me and my wife a personal story about his cat that legitimately had us getting misty. So friendly to my two kids too, it's just a great place to be. Oh yeah, and the beers are top notch, obviously. During Peanut Butter Jelly Time season, be sure to get the Strawberry Rhubarb variant while it's on draft. It's beyond phenomenal. Lots of new rotating small batch brews every time I've been there and I can't say I've ever had a bad drink from them. If you're in Morganton, this stop is a must.

attending a family reunion in the area, one of the locations we gathered was here. Enjoyed the beer selection and will definitely return on my own when I return to the area.

We had an absolute great time. From the atmosphere, the music, the crowd, and the selection (and taste) of the ales and even seltzers...it was all just really spot on. Our bartender also had a great personality and was awesome with suggestions...he read us well and we were not left disappointed at any moment. I love that we have the option to sit inside or outside on the patio, and they have some yummy food truck options so definitely check their website for updates. I'll definitely visit again.

Beer selection is pretty good for a local chain brewery, live music, and a patio. The flavors of some of the beers (peanut butter and jelly??) were sufficiently interesting in theory but fell a bit short in reality.

Joe made us come back 2 days in a row! He's their part time retired Bartending to stay busy bartender and he's a friggin riot! What kind of a great personality he has is hard to describe and even more difficult to duplicate! Everyone drank copious amounts of beer (not me, as usual, but I did their plum gose) our group tried it all, from dark to light to dark again. Then we ordered tons of cans and more to go! Both nights we stopped in here the bands were fun and easy to dance too! From jenga on the front patio, to the outside bar, to the inside bar, to the tables, we had a blast! This place was packed but didn't feel crowded at all! The beer is amazing and you have to try the small batch brews! You won't get them for long and they are strong on taste and imagination for the flavor combos.

Beat place in this small town. Joe the bartender makes the place. He's voted best bartender of the year and it shows. Good beers, good conversations and good people. Fun time

I already enjoyed Catawba beers by being a frequent visitor at their site in Asheville down on south slope. (Evening Joe's still ranks top! Coffee blondes are genius). The reason for frequenting the Morganton site was to recon the area. Last week I signed up for a 30k trail run up Table Rock cause I hate comfort and the packer pick up was going to be at Catawba in Morganton. Since this place was foreign to me I saddled up my Yamaha Bolt and journeyed over here. The brewery is located, it seems, toward the heart of the town and looks huge on the outside. The road that runs by then is a one way so don't be cocky and think you can wrap around from the north like I did. Ended up going in a needless circle. Maybe it's from comparing to their Asheville site in south slope, but the place looked small with held the selection. There is still plenty to choose from, Asheville's site that I'm comparing too is probably bordering close to anxiety levels of beer options. Nevertheless, it was a familiar welcoming atmosphere that allowed escape from the summer heat. The fact they cooperate with ultra run planners shows their appreciation of psychos like myself who pay to suffer long anguishing goals. 5 stars from me!

Our 4 yr son says blah blah blue. More to the point, great space and vibe. As for the beer, the IPA is hoppy and not malty at all. This is more bitter than my fav wedge IPA but still drinkable because min malt. Red ale very drinkable and went down very easy. Overall great beer and great place especially if on the way to Boone. Makes Morganton very much worth the visit!!!! Great coconut porter!

Highly recommended! Good recommendations from the bar tender, Joe. He's just the best, friendly guy and so is the beer here! I tried the blackberry/peach tropical smoothie sour after Joe offered a free sample and it's so good, I had to order a full one. Very well balanced and smooth. I was worried it would be too sweet but it was perfect. Also loved the CLT IPA, very good. The Lite IPA is surprisingly flavorful for being a lite style, really love the dryness and how it finishes smooth and hoppy. You will be glad you came in for a visit!

We stopped in on a Friday evening to check out Catawba Brewing Co. The service was great, but the beer just wasn't making the cut on this visit. Some had the taste of burnt plastic, others just seemed a bit off. Not on par with other local breweries or what we have experienced from them in the past. With limited outdoor seating and unmasked crowds building quickly, we left with hopes to try again another day. All indoor staff and guests were required to wear masks.

So, to be honest I had not been a big fan of their beer before coming to home base. Maybe the real issue is I didn't feel like they stood out, but in Asheville there are so many breweries it is hard too. Their sours were outstanding. The staff was great and dog friendly.

The friendliest people serving. Loved the Farmer Ted, White Zombie and Low Country Lager.

We love this brewery! It is our tradition to always stop here on our way home from Asheville every time we take a trip there. We've always been pleased with the environment and customer service and of course the beer. Today we got there little bit before the official opening time but they said they would open it up for us since we were headed out of town and could not have been nicer! We spoke with the owner as well and he is a very funny and friendly guy. Our toddler ran around while our dog happily greeted other customers. Overall it was a great ending to a great weekend in Asheville. And if you're ever in the Morganton area I can't stress enough how much you shoul. Overall it was a great ending to a great weekend in Asheville. And if you're ever in the Morganton area and a lover of good beer and company I can't stress enough how much you should prioritize stopping in! We are already looking forward to our next trip and visit. And while I'm at it the Peanut Butter and Jelly is amazing! So that's on tap try it!!

First of all, LOVE the two best selling beers, Farmer Ted and White Zombie. My impression of the tasting room/ brewery is unimpressed. There is a nice patio area with picnic tables, but no umbrellas, so its sit in the hot sun or go inside to the UN-air conditioned bar or tables. There is a out-of-place pool table with not a lot of room around that supposedly they charge $6/hour. we walked around a bit looking for the restrooms and found them behind the convenient store type coolers with their bottled and canned beer for sale. We sat at the bar, the staff kind of glanced at us and went about serving others instead. I think they concentrate their attention to the younger maybe-I'll-get a bigger-tip kinda guys. After educating myself on how to order a flight of 4 beers for $8 a girl finally came over and asked," these are what you want?" No Hi, how you doing. Brought the flight, set it down, I paid and that's it for interaction. Didn't know anything about the brews and really, don't know if I would have wanted her to explain after the few minutes of terrible service. My wife and I split the flight and left. The beers are good, the service is terrible and you would think with the great amount of sales the do, would upgrade the tasting room a bit. It was a day only in the low 70's but quite warm inside. Must be brutal when its 90's. Almost forgot to mention. We had to wait for flight glasses, she was going to serve it in plastic cups, but I said absolutely not! totally changes the taste. I looked around and there were only 20 glasses being used at the time.

Original location is a great place to visit. Inside and outside seating is ample. TVs and pool table for entertainment. Quiet and quaint. Good for families. Large selection of their craft beers, especially the stouts and browns. Merchandise for sale.

I was impressed with all three beers I had. The Farmer Ted, the salted lime ale, & the coffee blonde was my favorite. The bartender was very friendly. They had a live band playing which was very enjoyable. Would definitely stop by again next time I'm in Morganton.

One of the best brewery tasting rooms you will find anywhere, and perhaps the most authentic. When Joe is at the bar and has time to talk it enhances it even more. Great company with a great story. Great people brewing and serving great beer!

We stopped in for a beer while exploring Morganton. Great atmosphere and super nice people! We'll definitely be back!

We made a detour on our way back to Charlotte from Boone and were not disappointed. We a frequent visitors to the Charlotte location and the OG location is a slightly more relaxed vibe but fantastic in its own right. "The Old Man" (he told me to call him that, promise!) is psychic, I'm sure of it. He looked me dead in the eye and knew I wanted the Black Widow (not sure what that says about me). He also hand delivered water to my pup outside, without us asking for it. She's a rescue and has a hard time with strangers but she loved it there. Probably because the old man brought her a cookie! Thank you for a great experience we will 100% go out of our way to come back here.

I enjoyed my time here, but I think it was mostly because of the people I was with and the fact that we got to spend some time in the sun. Catawba has great offerings as far as their beers - major kudos for the massive expansion they've experienced - but that was my favorite part about my visit here. Sitting outside at the picnic tables was nice, but after it got too hot, we moved inside. It's very warehouse-y, not really an environment. As stated by other reviewers, my interaction with the bartenders was quite lackluster. Their card reader is janky, and caused me to be customer 91 instead of Jess. Oh well. I'd stop by here again, but in the same capacity that I did for this time - on the way to the rest of Morganton.

Good thing the beer is good because the service is usually awful. Everybody that works here is always grumpy so that says a lot. I've been here maybe 10 times and have decided not to return.

This was our last stop of the evening and I wouldn't have even thought to come here if it hadn't been for the helpful gentleman working at Brown Mountain down the road. It was pretty crowded (it was a Saturday night), but we found a table in the back. I only tasted the King Coconut, Small Batch Apple Sour and the pièce de résistance -- Peanut Butter Jelly Time. I don't know what they did or how they did it, but they made a beer taste and smell spot on like a PB&J. I bought two four packs immediately. I should have purchased more. I wish I could share this beer with the entire world -- it's that good. Overall, the brewery itself seemed pretty average, but their beer gets them that fourth star.

We've been coming here for quite some time! Always go out of our way to support locally owned breweries! This place has blown up in recent years and we are proud to say that we've been a fan since the beginning! My favorite beers are: Hopness Monster PB & J Farmer Ted

Exploring the area since we will be weekending up there & happy we ran into this dog-friendly pub. The vibe is very relaxed and the brews are good. I really enjoyed the slightly creamy and lightly fruited White Zombie. The bartender was generous with the tasting samples and smiley even though she was fairly slammed with thirsty customers. Looking forward to this as a staple in the rotation. Looks like they have live music too!

What can you say? It's Catawba brewing. Love their beer! First time at the Morganton location. Cool building, would be fun to catch some live music on their stage some time. Bartender was patient and attentive. Overall vibe was average but it was a Monday.

My girlfriend and I stopped in on Christmas Eve during our holiday travels. We have a combined 20 years experience in the restaurant/bar service industry. We've visited more than 50 breweries and I've never felt compelled to leave a review. I'm leaving one now for one reason only, the bartender Joe. Joe is the best! A lot of locals frequent here because of the beer and to hang out with Joe. He made us feel welcome and part of the family of locals. We laughed, we drank, and had great conversation. Joe made our experience great and we will definitely stop back in next time we are passing through just to see him. There were more sour options than we expected, that was also a plus.

Catawba Brewing is by far NC's most overlooked micro brew (pole position is Brueprint Brewery in Apex), full of decadent hop arrangements, but Geez Louise: it's 3pm and they're closed for business. One of our favorite road trip stops for a cool beer and relaxing break, but we'll miss the way home too because they don't open until 5:00pm on Fridays either. Not so dope.

I'm going to structure this review based on the brewery itself rather than specifics regarding the individual beers offered at Catawba Valley (refer to Beeradvocate.com). However, in general, all the beers are fairly tasty along with being high on the "drinkability" scale. I do wish they added a double American IPA or imperial IPA to their selection. The Firewater IPA is fairly light and flavorless for my taste. The location is quite nice being in a warehouse right at the heart of downtown Morganton, NC. The taproom is very open and inviting along with sharing the same space as the fermentation vats and canning operation. I'm guessing they operate the canning process during the time when the taproom is closed but I'd sure like to watch them in action! In summary, I'm a big fan of this place and would recommend a visit to anyone passing through the area (only a few minutes of hwy 40).

Lots of beer choices and a low key, dog friendly atmosphere. Surprised to find such a wide variety of unusual beers here - the coffee blonde was good and unusual. Live music the night I was there on a Thursday, which was also unexpected. Bartender was friendly and attentive. The only downer that night was the group of redneck brothers who rolled in looking for a fight (you could tell). Not Catawba's fault but I felt for the bartender who was there by herself.

They just did a major overhaul, including a big update to the interior and patio. The place looks like a really nice tap room now, and less like an industrial warehouse with beer. The beer is great. They finally seemed to have stopped charging people to play pool. That made me happy, we stuck around for a few more pints once we had a turn at the pool table. If only they'd get some classic arcade games, I'd never leave.

Great bartenders and entertainment on weekends. For the most part great beer. Their peanut butter stout is awesome, however their PB and J beers are just horrendous. I don't know if people buy these because of the nostalgia of it being offered once a year or they really enjoy it.. I've tried to be open minded and have tried every flavour and find them all just horrible. Kind of like smelly socks meets peanut butter.

Came here from Atlanta to try the deep state porter, wasn't in season but we sat down at the bar and Joe did an amazing job of keeping us here. Atmosphere is amazing, people are friendly, and the beer is great. The White Zombie is a go-to if you are stopping by for sure! I will definitely come back to get that deep state in Nov/Dec (hopefully joe will be here too!). Don't sleep on Catawba brewing Co, great beers and great people!

Shockingly good spot in shockingly cool Morganton, NC. Open atmosphere, fairly hip scene, and more importantly, very good beer. The IPA was fine, but what really stood out to me were the variety of interesting seasonals. Terrific pumpkin (and I rarely write those words), very drinkable Octoberfest, and a solid Porter. I'll absolutely visit again.

Great place, My husband and I really had a great evening. Joe was very attentive to all of the customers . Farmer Ted , White Zombie and Evening Joe were my favorites. I understand they are expanding and I understand why. Having entertainment and events are a perk.

I can't really say enough great things about this place. First of all its a warehouse in downtown Morganton, and while there may not be much going on downtown, there's always something happening at the brewery. Its a locals watering hole, but plenty of tourists stumble onto it. The the one-star reviewer below, its lame you're bringing down their average rating because they weren't open when you wanted to go. Since your review they've started opening on Wednesday evenings through Saturday evenings. Its not technically a bar, but a "tasting room" and to keep this status they can't be open all the time. Enough of that, the beer is absolutely AMAZING. The Brown Bear is far and above my favorite, although their flagship "Farmer Ted's Cream Ale" is also a great standout for me. As a craft brewer they try all kinds of unique flavor combinations, and yes the coconut porter is fantastic! They have a great IPA, Lager, Red ale, etc. The other cool thing is they don't serve food here BUT you can totally order pizzas/takeout or bring in food and its ok. Definitely stop by but as mentioned call first, or see if there are people hanging out out front. Park in the lot across the street from the warehouse. Also of note - family friendly atmosphere except during [most] special events.

Not really impressed. The tasting room/brewery has potential ( a diamond in the rough, maybe, just maybe). There are not that many places to sit. The seats at the bar relative to the counter height are super short. I felt like a little kid sitting at the bar. Above the bathrooms you can see a bunch of stuff stored and back by the tanks things looked very cluttered/disorganized; it looks a bit like grandma's attic. There was yellow tape cordoning off the majority of the brewery; it is under remodeling/construction. The bar is being moved to another area/side of the brewery. Hopefully it will be an improvement. Now on to the beer - I tried a flight of their darker beers. Only $4 for 4. Tried the Brown Bear, Winter Ale and Java Stout (plus one other) - they were all drinkable - but none stood out as very memorable. I have tried Farmer Ted's, Firewater and White Zombie in other venues, and I although I am a dark beer lover, I think they do the "lighter" beers better. Again, I think they have some good potential if their refurb turns out nice and they declutter and polish the place.

Nothing at all against the service or the atmosphere here. They were both pretty good. But the beers are pretty mediocre and bland. Buckle up and drive another 1.5 hours to Asheville for the really good stuff.

Went tonite to c TNT! Great band!!! Wall to wall people not enough seating. Im not much of a craft beer drinker but it wasn't bad.

The beer? GOOD. The establishment? Just fine. Even had a stage for live entertainment. The worst part is the lack of servers and the lack of enthusiasm or general interactions from the bartender, who was less than talkative. I got a flight of four beers and enjoyed them, however I had no clue how much anything cost as the server did not let me know my total so I just gave him my card and walked away. It was a quick stop after a workday with some co- workers, to sample the local flavor. It wasn't mindblowing by any means but their operations seem larger than their reach. I was impressed with the capacity of the holding tanks, and the bottling line for sure. I'd probably go and check it out again when I have more time and a better night than a Wednesday.

Like many brewery tasting rooms, this is not made to be a bar, though it's a big room. It seems like a good fit for a small group of friends going out and wanting to stop in for one or two beers (craft beers only -- Bud Light fans need to move on). There is just one TV, at the opposite end of the room from the small bar. It's a large, open space, with not much separating the seating area from the brewing area, giving it a kind of industrial feel.

Call here before going. Tried to go there tonight and they were closed, on a Saturday night! Nothing posted on their website that the Morganton location was closed.

Best brewery I've been to in NC. Amazing staff. Joe was on bar. He was the nicest guy and really gave good recommendations on what to try. The beers on tap were better than Sierra Nevada Brewery in my opinion. Will be returning here my next time in town

One of the best things that has ever happened to MOrganton. Live music , casual fun atmosphere. Beer aint bad either. We the Mother Trucker. Bring your own food or order in! Smile and be happy :)

This place is open every wed, thurs and fri night. They are only open for select events on sat. They rock. Their pumpkin ale is amazing and so is the white zombie. Annual events are what make it great, Boo & Brew, Chili Cookoff, New Year's Eve, Superbowl party..... yeah... It's great.