Trolley Barn Fermentory & Food Hall — Restaurant in Charlotte

UPDATE 2023: Not what it used to be.

I started coming to TB from their opening night back in Summer of 2021. In 2021 and early 2022, TB had an amazing, eclectic and gourmet selection of food, beer, and cocktails. They retained an amazing reprotire of staff members and bartenders that made this place feel like home.

Yet, in the last 4 months, they have declined significantly. At their New Year's event, my coat was stolen. We caught the suspect on camera but the way TB handled the situation as a whole was disappointing and unprofessional. Just a few weeks later, while at TB, a piece of broken glass chipped off my glass and severely cut my finger. I'm a doctor, and had I not been a physician myself, I would have had to go to the hospital-kind of severity. Yet, the best explanation the manager had was "it happens" and no reimbursement was given in any capacity. They simply asked me if I needed an ambulance and that they couldn't let me use their first aid kit even though I'm literally a doctor.

From unique to bland. From exciting to generic. From upscale to subpar. From delicious to distasteful. And finally from safe to unsafe. TB has fallen far off the ranks of my favorite places in CLT. Their turnaround for staff is greater than anything I've ever seen as well and a lot of friendly faces from before are no longer there. TB is now far beyond their glory days in 2021 and early 2022.

Only a few relics remain from TB's glory days. 1) Their Barn-Burners Run Club, which is an amazing community of people crafted back in 2022. 2) Their beer is decent. 3) The current bartending staff is very friendly and I hope TB steps up to retain them.

See below for my review in 2022....

2022: I have been coming to Trolley Barn since their pre-opening and am so proud of the team there. This place came to south end with a whole lot of hype and certainly lived up to all of it. They have adapted very well to customer feedback since opening and done a great job in streamlining operations.

The bar itself is a work of art and unlike any other I have seen. The rotating taps are a genius idea that allows Trolley Barn to always keep an interesting selection of beers on tap that even the regulars do not get bored. The upstairs lounge is a wonderful setting to enjoy a cocktail w/ a view of the beautiful Charlotte skyline with a smaller crowd too. Overall, a wonderful place and the food options are also all a hit.

I highly recommend you try out Trolley Barn if you are in the mood for a casual, fun, and unique experience in South End. Whether it is the food, beer or cocktails, they will...

Hey Y’all - The Pirate Hunter is back with another rare 5 star review!

I was in Charlotte this past weekend filming a documentary for an Army Veteran & ParaAthlete on his way to the 2024 Olympics. While we tried a few different places, this was THE BEST experience we had in Charlotte all around - BY A LONGSHOT. Located in the South End district of downtown Charlotte, this Brewery & Restaurant was a refreshing experience! This Trolley Barn is a massive space of real estate, well designed inside and outside! Multiple floors to accommodate several large groups at a time. The 2nd Floor Patio is where we sat and enjoyed multiple dishes from their 3 separate menus offered. These are not your traditional boring menus. It is loaded with amazing culinary experiments gone right in additional to twist on some traditional items. If you’re going to be upstairs, note it’s basically self serve for silverware, sharing plates and free water offered to stay hydrated. Ordering for patio takes place with the bartenders.

On to the food we ordered. What you see pictured is their version of a charcuterie board. What separates this board from many others is the unique spreads and the FRESH HONEYCOMBS! Great meats & cheeses paired well together with condiments.

Anyone that knows me well, knows I’m a huge burger enthusiast that loves to push boundaries of Flavor combinations! The Big Vinny’s Mac & Cheese Smash Burger is legit AF. The grass fed beef Patties were seasoned well, along with the sauce and thick cut bacon slices, oh and the mountain of killer homemade Mac & cheese was a dynamite explosion of flavors on your palate. Truly, a very creative and yet simple creation that is a MUST HAVE for any burger enthusiast. The Buffalo Chicken Salad Bowl was stellar as well! The chicken is cooked and seasoned perfectly on a bed of beautiful and fresh green salad.

Last but not least - The BEER. As a connoisseur of over 500 unique IPA’s and over 300 different brews of Ambers, Stouts, Porters, Pale Ales, etc, the Beer brewed here is absolutely fantastic!

If you’re a Charlotte metro area local or a Visitor passing through - YOU MUST take time and experience what this team has put together for the city to enjoy.

As we say in the Navy, Bravo Zulu Trolley Barn Team! Absolutely well done all the way around from the moment we opened the entrance door through the exit of the facility, every single second was a memorable experience!

Follow me here and on IG to Stay tuned to see who is the next deserving recipient of a 5 Star Review!

Justin Myers “The Pirate Hunter” GM2(SW),...

This seems to be a really popular eatery that was jam packed on a weekday. I was really surprised to see how busy this place was on a Wednesday night. The menu was huge with many different types of cuisine from all over the world. However this menu was a hit or miss with our large group of diverse individuals. Some of our group enjoyed the food. Some disliked their dish enough to send it back and order something else from the menu. Unfortunately there was pork or bacon in almost every entree, so the people in our group who are vegans or pork-free did not enjoy the dining experience here. Two people ordered the lamb chops (the most expensive menu item) and the food came looking delicious. However one person said the lamb chops were bland and not seasoned well, so they sent it back. The other person enjoyed it enough to finish the dish. I had the fish taco bowl which had a mahi mahi filet on a Mexican salad and this dish was average in taste and quality. Not bad but not the best either. It was perfectly edible but I would not order it again. I also ordered 2 side dishes. The fingerling potatoes were seasoned well. The street corn was delicious but it did not have the grilled flavor that I was expecting. Honestly I like these 2 side dishes more than the main entree. I had wanted to order the vietnamese spring rolls but I was informed that they ran out of them, so I was disappointed in that as well. Overall I would not make this a regular restaurant stop for me, unless they add more pork-free and vegetarian options so our larger diverse group could all enjoy the dining experience here. I do want to point out that the wait staff was helpful and pleasant so no problems with...