Hops Restaurant Bar & Brewery

Man! I remember going to Hops when I was a kid! Sad that not too many are open these days, but I suppose I can see why. It’s a bit of a 90’s-esque trend in restaurants that didn’t have long to live.
The menu is pretty blah — steaks, burgers, boring salads. HOWEVER, I do remember that their bleu cheese dressing was some of the best I’d ever had. I was just a kid then and didn’t experience the same here. Boo.
Best thing in your life: Honey Croissants served pre-​meal. Screw that. More like served THROUGHOUT. I’d make an entire meal out of these things. They are just pure magic. Whatever sorcery they use to make these is fine by me.
The beer? Ehhhhh it’s not for me. Weak and doesn’t showcase a ton of variety for my palate. Will I drink it? Sure. Will I do cartwheels over it? Nope.
Hops, you’re ok by me. I’ll more than likely be by in the next 25 minutes for some of those croissants.
Cheers.

Visited Hops for the first time in about 6,7 years and my opinion it is still the same now as it was then. Hops is a great place if you are into micro-​brewed ale, or are trying to develop a taste for said brew. I used to take my children for dinner and they loved the in house brewed root beer and the tour of the brewery, which they did on every visit, acting like it was their first time.
Went on Saturday (⁶⁄₂₉), with my youngest daughter, who is now 20, and she immediately ordered root beer and wanted to request a tour! She had a Caesar salad and potato soup, which she said was creamy and delicious. Oh my goodness, I had forgotten about the honey croissants, that we used to fight for the last one! They are still heavenly and light, with melted honey butter drizzled on top. I had the steak with lobster with the seasonal vegetables. The lobster was on point, while the steak was on the tough side, but very flavorful. The squash medley was done very nicely, still a little crisp, as it should be.
Our server was very attentive, checking often to see if we needed anything and providing refills without being asked.
All in all, this was good experience, definitely worth a visit, especially to try the different brews.

The happy hour specials are some of the best I found in 4 months of discovering Charlotte. From 4−7pm Monday-​Thursday you get half price appetizers at the bar and all day Monday– Thursday their craft draft beers are only $ 1.50. This «microbrewery» will not appease the IPA/​beer snob but for a place to pop in after work it is worth the stop.
For dinner I ordered a 9oz steak, baked potato and added grilled mushrooms. The soup that came with it was cold, and my steak over cooked after I specifically told them what I expected. The best part of the meal were my mushrooms and the complimentary sticky buns with some amazing honey glaze. And the cheap beer.
I will go back for happy hour but that would be it.

Alligator ale is pretty rad. 20 bucks for a 9 oz steak and lobster trail isn’t bad at all. So these two things combined make for an awesome meal imo. It seems like all the steak places here in Matthews don’t have proper beer selections so coming here is a nice break from the water downed American piss water they serve at other places. My lobster tail was defiantly over cooked and rubbery. My steak though was spot on and tender! Chili there was pretty good as well. I enjoyed my meal there but it could have been better.

While visiting the Charlotte area, Hops was near our hotel. It was a very nice fine. Excellent micro brews and great menu. Words cannot describe those croissants they serve before your meal. Those are worth the calories.
If you are enjoying the micro, ask the bartender for a Jeremy, it is a special blend they do for one of the regulars. Very nice! We ate there a couple of times and were never disappointed.

Best mid-​week beer specials in Charlotte!
Hops is a bar and grill that brews their own beer in-​house (you can see the setup in the middle of the restaurant). Lots of styles to choose from: pales to reds to porters, and a seasonal or two. I find it to be pretty darn tasty, too. You can even grab a growler to go (same goes for their house-​made root beer, too).
Food wise, it’s standard fare. Steaks, burgers, chicken, sandwiches, and a decent sized appetizer menu. Everything comes out flavorful and well prepared. I tend to gravitate toward the California burger or the grilled chicken sandwich.
The staff is really friendly and easy to talk to, and are quick with their service. Lots of cool people.
Check them out and grab a beer or two. Neat spot that’s worth braving the Independence traffic.

Their salad along with their soup is no longer that great. The salad is a mediocre romaine and they no longer offer the bleu cheese wedge along with the soup and salad combo. They want an extra 5.99 (4.99 with entre) and I don’t think it’s worth paying 14.00n for a soup and salad from here. Sorry, guys… lost a star in my book.

We weren’t expecting to eat at Hops on Saturday 6÷30÷12 but due to the Outback Steakhouse on Independence being a cluster of inconsistency we decided to venture across the street.
Unlike Outback we were greeted by friendly staff immediately and got a table with a beautiful view of fermentation tank #2.
Lydia our server was quick, efficient and friendly and did a great job of getting us in and out quickly as needed to make it to a 7.40 movie across the street.
Being a quick in and out dinner we didn’t try any of the grilled items or specialties but I will tell you that two people had burgers (delicious) and one had a Reuben sandwich (good). We had onion rings to start which were good and a garden salad which was fresh and great.
For casual chain dining it’s A++ the staff makes the difference.
The only thing I’d change: Beer.
I ordered a Hammerhead Ale which is a darker beer, you can taste the toasted malt and hops, it is a good beer. When Hops first arrived in Charlotte, and most markets in fact, craft beer was a very very very small business. Hops could have capitalized on this but they didn’t, because their beer menu hasn’t changed in 10+ years. Sure they have seasonal selections but they have a huge advantage of brewing beer IN HOUSE and do not capitalize on it.
No IPA, why? Pair your beers with your menu items. The pricing is actually well below the industry average so there is room to make money. I feel this is an untapped resource they could truly capitalize on.

Why! Why did I go in there. Oh that’s right, I was wanting a cold beer.
After entering Finz in Matthews and leaving after reading their menu (all fried food!!!) … I was completely lost on where to get some dinner in Matthews/​Mint Hill area… So finally, I saw Hops and said, sure I could drink a cold beer and get a bit to eat…
AGAIN, why, why did I do it. I should have went home with a six pack.
I ordered the beer sampler. meh… blah… warm… why? Didn’t like any of them.
Ordered the Reuben. meh. blah… hot on the outside cold in the middle with soggy fries…
So I ate my meal like a rat would, just nibbled on the outside of the sandwich and picked the non-​soggiest fries…
My waiter, who was pleasant, Joel, came by to check on me… I told him I was done… he looked at my plate and made a face of confusion… then he rolled his eyes over to the beers, he said, «you’re at least going to stick around to enjoy your beers right?» Me, «No just the check will be fine…»
Again, why, why did I even bother?

I am ONLY reviewing the beer.
I met some family members here shortly after I had brunch, they had not ate. I did not want to sit at the table with nothing in front of me so I ordered the beer sampler. The beer sampler consists of Hop’s four regular brews in 4 oz glasses plus whatever seasonal beers they have, in this case three seasonal. All of this for the low low low low low low low price of 3.75. What amazed me about the beers is not that they were particularly bad in terms of taste but that they lacked taste. The two light beers were so light that they made Miller Lite seem like a stout. The IPA had no distinction of an IPA in my definition, I tasted nor felt any extra hops. One of the seasonal was a «Mexican Cerveza» which I thought was corny and it tasted like corn corona. The only one out of the seven that I would say stood out was their Red Ale, but even still I can not tell you why. I think it had the best mouth feel.
In a way I should not be surprised, at a price so low I should not have been expecting much. Then with «award winning beer» plastered everywhere that should have been my second flag. The food looked decent, the service was good but for a place that supposedly brews their own beer… no me guesta.

This was the first time I ordered a steak. The Brewmaster steak I ordered was terrible. I told our waiter and he sent a manager to our table. The manager was very concerned and demanded that he make it right. He told me that he would cook it himself. A few minutes later he brought my new steak out. It was perfect ! It was one of the best steaks I’ve eaten. Almost cut it with a fork. Seasoned so good that I did not have to add anything. Not even worchestershire sauce. Speaking of worchestershire– they do need to invest in non metallic containers to serve in. The sauce was metal tasting. Nasty !! Lea and Perrins it wasn’t. The manager also discounted our meal.
I will return due to the fact that management cares about their customers.
Oh yeah ! The chicken and rice soup along with the potato soup is the best!
The chicken tenders are very good also.

Hops is what would happen if Olive Garden and Texas Roadhouse had a baby and taught it to brew beer: a brewpub that is designed to appease the masses.
What exactly does this mean? It means the beer is good, but tame and a bit sweet for my liking. You won’t find wild, experimental brews here. That isn’t to say it isn’t good, far better than a big 3 beer, but it’s not beer for beer people.
It also means they have a big menu full of crowd pleasers. The onion rings were tasty and substantial but my burger was pretty average. The patty itself was tasty but it was advertised as a blue cheese burger and they were not so generous with the star ingredient. I did like that they didn’t slap a huge slice of onion on the burger, since that often competes with the strong flavor of the blue cheese. I swapped out the fries/​chips it came with for rice and black beans (another of their equally priced sides). The beans tasted like they went straight from can to plate and the rice that came underneath them was yellow in color but cardboard in flavor. Pricewise, you are looking at $ 8-​$ 12 dollars for most entrees and $ 2.50-$ 4 for the beer (clearly a bargain, I will admit).
I like the idea of bringing a brewpub to everyone and since I am part of everyone Hops’s broad strokes didn’t leave me displeased, but I think I’ll grab my beer at somewhere a little more adventurous.
P. S. Oh Dear God, the complimentary honey croissants are good!

It’s a shame that the majority of the locations have shut down. I believe this was the original location in Charlotte and still is a great place for a great beer and good food. Obviously they brew their own beer here and the selection has never let me down. I particularly love the Lightning Bolt Gold and it’s one of the only locations near my house in Monroe, NC where you can get a growler to go. Service is great and the food selections range from $ 30-​$ 10 a plate so from burgers and sandwiches all the way to fresh fish dishes and great steak dinners.

YUM!!! The boyfriend took me here last night for dinner and what a delight! My favorite things — beer and burgers! A great old school spot with a hoppin bar area. They brew their own beer here and I tried the Lightening Bold Gold and it was perfection!
The dinner starts with these complimentary pieces of heaven — I don’t know what they are called but there is a picture here someone took. I have iron will when it comes down to resisting bread before dinner but one bite of these and you will be beggin for more. They taste like criossants, super light and covered in a sticky warm honey-​ish sauce. Holy Cow — love it!
They have 16 and 22 oz beer specials Fridays where the 22 oz is $ 2.50!!! What!!! Love it! And they offer growlers to go for just $ 9 bucks.
I got the California burger and it was huge. Fresh ingredients, carefully made to order. I swapped out the fries for Chicken and Wild Rice soup and it was fantastic. There was a little bit of heat in the soup which i LOVE! Super reasonable prices.
Will definitely be back! :-D

I have been meaning to stop by this place for quite some time now, but never really had a chance to. Our homebrew club hosted a «pint night» here the other night so we decided to give it a shot.
The atmosphere is fairly standard for a chain brewpub/​restaurant. We were at the bar area which had a clear view of the brewhouse.
The wait staff seemed to be quite attentive and quick enough; we never seemed to have an empty glass. Unfortunately, at least our server, did not seem to know too much about the beer.
They had about 4 or 5 of their standard beers on tap; an english porter, an american amber, and strangely enough two blonde ales. They also had a seasonal on tap which was a scottish ale. The beer was decent, not outstanding, but decent.
The food was pretty good, I got a Reuben sandwich and fries; both were pretty good. I have heard from several people that the steaks are pretty good as well.
Overall, this is a fairly decent place to stop and have a beer or two

I’m really still amazed that this place has held it’s ground for so long. It never really seems that busy, but they were pretty packed for a Friday night when I came in.
Our waiter was running around all over the place, but he got the job done. We almost didn’t get our buttered croissants — they were so busy they were all out at the moment, but we got a nice hot batch of them mid-​way during our dinner.
The menu has a ton of options, but I went the steak and potatoes route. Also tried the seasonal summer brew which was a honey wheat and very excellent.
I’ll keep coming back for the beer, but like some people said previously… the place does need a little updating.

Not a bad spot, for a restaurant chain that is.
Always had great service at this location. I worked very close, so I often came here for lunch, and after work gatherings. The bartenders were always the best. Very personable, remember you and your drink (which counts for a lot in my book). I mostly came here for apps/​drinks.
The few times I came here for dinner, the food was ok. Mostly under seasoned, and unimaginative. I found one steak I liked to order that was a safe bet. But steak is usually not why you come to a place called «Hops».
Moving on to their house brewed beer, its not bad. Its not great either. I usually stick to the «red/​amber» ale here. Can’t remember the exact name right now.
Overall a safe bet for a decent meal at a reasonable price with good service.

We had a great experience at Hops last night, so I want to update my earlier review. This place has gone from relatively dead during evenings to, well, hoppin’.
Sorry. I had to do it. Somewhere, an English professor sheds a single tear.
Anyways, Hops is quite a bit busier than they used to be, and although we had to hunt for a parking spot, the hostess sat us within ten minutes and the waiter was prompt.
Hops brews their own beer, and the Scottish ale they’re serving right now is really good. It’s got a smokey, coffee-​ish essence that was really enjoyable; nice enough that I might go back for a growler.
Our food was good too: typical bar food but executed well. My California burger – lettuce, tomato, sour cream, thousand island – really hit the spot.
Sometimes, New Year’s resolutions be damned, you just crave a big burger with a bigger glass of beer. And when you are craving such thing in Matthews, Hops is a good place to head.

Boooo. Waited too damn long. I don’t know why they don’t have more servers on the floor during fathers day weekend. And the manager was not apologetic about anything. (Take ownership for the team coach!)
Don’t blame the amount of guests in the house. Don’t blame the cooks.
Get more staff and cover the shift accordingly. The food was like it was supposed to be… an hour and half later!!! Oh wait, I forget. I had to tell my Dad not to eat his burger! The bacon on it was still raw! And aren’t they supposed to bring out those croissant roles to everyone? WTH — what gives. We had to ask and still waited for them.
Well, I do like the food there but if you want to wait for a table and wait for the food, go ahead be my guest — visit hops on Ind blvd.
I’m starting to hate that place. Ugh. :-(

The food is average, and the staff and service were kind of blah. I have been to this place one time, and I haven’t been back. It’s a little grubby inside, and everyone seems sorry to be there… staff as well as patrons. It’s not the kind of upbeat place you’d expect from a micro-​brewery type of spot. I like this little area of Matthews, too, so I really expected more.
My expectations were dashed!
It’s a spacious facility, though, so it’s a great place to go for groups or when you don’t want to wait in line.