I love spending an hour in the afternoon at a brewery. Something about sipping on an interesting beer, surrounded by like-minded people and the smell of hops just makes me a happy camper.

My kids are good little brew-babies too. Being born in Colorado, they were at the epicenter of a world of breweries. Every neighborhood had a microbrewery nearby with plenty of family-friendly tables, away from the bar, where I could precariously balance my kid’s car seat and happily have lunch with my husband. While still being a (mostly) good parental ambassador.

We have a fondness for some of those places where my overtired, hormonal, postpartum self could have a few moments of conversation with daddy while a new, tiny human slept soundly next to me. Something about the background noise, and probably also the smell of stale beer, made sleeping come quickly to my child.

As they got bigger, going to the brewery for an hour or so in the afternoon seemed commonplace to the tiny tornados. They’d sit in their stroller with a snack or a book while mommy and daddy had a beverage and sat in the sunshine, soaking up beautiful Colorado weather and saving what was left of our sanity.

The beauty of a brewery, over a bar, is that it is family friendly, there isn’t usually any hard liquor being sold, and there is often plenty of space for my kids to play. Toss in a fabulous food truck, and you’ve got yourself a day.

I’ve mentioned before that I haven’t found a brewery here in NC that I love. Although, we do enjoy heading over to The Railhouse in Aberdeen for their delicious fried cheese curds. (If I were pressed about it, I’d admit that I rather like The Railhouse because they have a varied beer selection, a pleasant atmosphere, and excellent service, but that’s not the point of this post).

We’ve now been to the Pinehurst Brewing Company a few times, and I want to like it, I really do. I just can’t. I admit, their food, although a little spendy, is tasty. They have great pizzas and a good selection of BBQ (which I hear is good but haven’t tried myself). So, if you’re looking for a fun, industrial-themed lunch spot with outdoor seating and a few lawn games, you will be super happy here. Food is decent, and the space is cool. But…

Their beer is…boring. I know that’s a harsh review, and I make this blog about good reviews. I’m just so disappointed each time we go there. I wanted to get a flight, but their Pale Ale tastes a lot like their IPA which seems a lot like their Amber, believe it or not. So there isn’t really any reason to get a flight because they offer no porters or stouts, have very few guest taps available, and only provide a standard fare of basic lagers and ales. Nothing to really knock your socks off, no unusual flavors or standout flagships. Maybe it’s because they are relatively new, and I’m being overly critical. (I know that I can be too critical.)

Perhaps it’s because we need two high chairs while we’re there and it always takes an astonishingly long time to receive them once we are seated. Or maybe it’s because our sweet, child-like waitress (whose name I won’t mention, although I’m tempted to) never even asked if we wanted another beer but did question if we wanted water (a bit condescendingly if you ask me: “No I don’t want water! Can’t you see I have two toddlers?! Momma needs a drink).

I digress.

I suppose we’ll be back there again. We like to give places a fair shot of “getting it right.”

Our QUICK CHECK for Pinehurst Brewing Company, Pinehurst, NC

• Kid Friendly?  Yes, mostly. They have a kids menu, offer plenty of large seating areas, and have many highchairs…if you can get the staff to bring you one while you hold a squirming toddler or two on your lap.
• Quality Kids Meals? They have a big kids menu, but we didn’t try it because its pretty expensive.
• Interesting Menu?  The menu offers plenty of choices
• Daily Specials? I’m not sure. None were mentioned
• Beer Selection? Only a few on tap options, mostly ales and lagers.
• Waitstaff? Plentiful, but painfully slow.

Do I recommend going to Pinehurst Brewing Company? Absolutely, if you are going for the food. I’m not sure I’m impressed with the beer yet, but I’m willing to give it time. I think we will be happier here without children as its pretty busy and a bit crowded.