Decent, but hot great beer. Really a 3.5, but getting a round up for being local. Came here when we were going through and looking for a good, local brewery to check out. The space was smaller, but cuter than I was expecting with a clearly mellow feel and lots of locals. The server behind the bar was incredibly friendly and helped me pick out my flight. That said the beer was really only ok and I wound up leaving having just had the flight. I would have gotten a bottle of their New England IPA, but they were sold out. The other beers were uninspired between the west coast IPA that was a bit too sweet, the helles which was also a bit too sweet and the mango gose that was a pretty generic sour. read more

Rockfish Brewing Company - Flight - Breweries Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

On the way out of the area, we googled reliable breweries in Charlottesville and this definitely fit the bill! Definitely a smaller space with a fun gritty vibe. Love that it was attached to a plant store. Outdoor seating is well covered with a tent, but kinda random in a parking lot basically and not a ton of indoor seating. Bartender was really friendly and made some good recommendations for some dependable beers but I honestly couldn't for the life of me remember what I got so maybe not terribly memorable. read more

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Small venue attached to a florist shop. Beers were good. Parking is on site wit indoor and outdoor seating. Bathrooms were clean and stocked. read more

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Great brewery! The service was attentive and ambiance was brewery-typical with outside seating in the shade. Love the meads! read more

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Great place to meet with friends or watch the game. I had a flight, and these were the biggest pours I've ever seen on a flight very filling. Good variety of pours to choose from if you are not sure what you like there. My only concern I had was that they shared the restroom with another bar next door, and the other place was a bit rowdy. Going to the back for the restroom, I saw a lot of people hanging out and being loud. As a female, take someone with you to the restroom if you see a crowd hanging out by it just for safety. read more

Rockfish Brewing Company - Beer flight - Breweries Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

The short - cool spot that offers a variety of ales/IPAs. There's a couple of lighter beers to choose from, but Rockfish seems to tailor primarily for those that enjoy ales, so I would check their menu beforehand in case to make sure you have to drinks that sound good to you. The bartender was very nice and knowledgable on the questions we had about their selection. The venue was relatively small, so I could see it filling up quick during busy hours. They also have seating outside under a canopy, but I could see that getting uncomfortable on a hot day (I didn't see a fan or cooling unit). They do have food options at the location like pizza, pretzels, nuts, and basic accommodations and there's a small selection of party games to pick from if you want to play with a group. Rockfish is a cool brewery tucked away from the main downtown of Charlottesville and shares a space with some kind of plant store. I'd recommend checking it out! read more

Rockfish Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Quaint spot with good beer and both indoor and outdoor seating. I loved that they offer flights. I had a light farmhouse ale and three IPAs that were all good. They have a couple of games. The bartender who served us was super nice and knowledgeable. It's connected to a plant shop and they share a single stall bathroom. read more

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Small relaxed brewery with a long bar. Great place to try some beers so I had a flight. Solid beer lineup, the dark lager and NE IPA were my favorites read more

Rockfish Brewing Company - Beers - Breweries Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

My regular go-to brewery. Selections rotate, but there is always one that I like. Some of my favs California Common, Australian Sparking Ale, American Amber ale. Love the cozy "tucked away" feel. Love that it is attached to 5th Season Gardening Center. They also have a great pepperoni pizza just the right size for 2. read more

A most excellent Porter. Deep, syrupy and flavorful but not on the bitter end. Enjoyed at the first sip and at its last My first visit to Rockfish. Asked the bartender to pick amongst the broad and interesting list, and he narrowed it to their lager and porter and offered the decision back to me. I doubt a bad choice anywhere on the list. Adding it to mine, of local breweries that warrant a methodical and thirsty return . read more

Rockfish Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

A very underrated brewery in Charlottesville. Thankfully for us fans, they are opening another location on the downtown mall. I think this will help get them more of the respect they deserve. There really isn't a bad beer in the portfolio. Their New England IPA is my current favorite. Their Witbier also is at the top of my list. I enjoy the food trucks they have at their Preston location. Typically there is something for everyone. Pizza has been a big hit recently. They have outdoor seating, great for bringing the pups. The seating is covered and heated during the winter. They have a few spots in the lot in front of the brewery. There are some street spots as well. When Fifth Season is closed next door, you can use their spots as well. Now excuse me while I had downtown to check out their new location. read more

Rockfish Brewing Company - Flight - American Strong, Banana Passionfruit, Brown, NE IPA - Breweries Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Rockfish is a nano brewery so seating inside and outside is limited. I tried a flight of 4 (you can choose 4-8 5oz beers for $7-$13), I chose the New England IPA, Strawberry Pineapple Gose, American Pale Ale and West Coast IPA. My husband ordered a pint of the California Common. The beer was good, my favorites were the IPAs. I think that this spot is worth checking out if you are in the area. read more

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Salmon tacos were so flavorful and the ingredients were so fresh you could taste them individually. The Gose drinking tasted so good, almost like a hard cider but way better. read more

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What is not to love about this cozy establishment. I love to support our local businesses and Rockfish Brewery is one of the best. Peter McMindes the owner is extremely passionate about what he does and made this place very community oriented. I first hand witness that he goes above and beyond for customers and it isn't about making money - it truly is pure passion for him. Rockfish has many amazing drinks, but my favorite was the Mexican Lager!! read more

My family and I stopped here on our way back home to Hampton Roads after a beautiful birthday weekend celebration. I recommended this brewery because of the reviews. Well, I guess we picked the wrong day to come because Oakley was working and did NOT provide the customer service that would yield a great review. Since this was our first time there, I asked about a beer that apparently is no longer available. It was the American Strong Ale. I asked Oakley if it was available and he continually stated "we don't have that beer" until I mentioned that it was still listed in the beer library online. Then Oakley finally said, "we don't carry that anymore." We asked to test some beers and when he poured them they were filled with beer foam. Then kept asking, "does anyone wanna buy some beer." I don't know if he thought we couldn't afford to buy beer which is far from the actual reality. Needless to say, this ruined me coming back or recommending this brewery. We had very pleasant and positive experience at Random Row Brewery right down the street. We will be back there!!! read more

I can always find something I like on tap at Rockfish. Big fan of their English Brown Ale. I appreciate their Kellerbier and New England IPA as well. Typically have something sour like their Banana Passionfruit Gose on tap as well. Definitely something for everyone. Super friendly owner and staff. Can't wait until their new location opens Downtown. read more

Rockfish Brewing Company - American Strong Ale, Banana Passionfruit Gose, English Brown, & New England IPA - Breweries Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Small brewery with outside seating, hubby had the ipa and he liked it. I don't drink beer so I was just there for company.

Good brews but the location can be noisy. I visited Rockfish Brewing Company on a Sunday afternoon and had their west coast IPA. I thought the beer was good, but the outdoor seating area was a bit noisy even though there were not many people. The outdoor seating area is surrounded by plants and enclosed by a tent which I believe serves to trap the sound. The location is also near a busy street, so there is a fair amount of traffic noise outside. If you don't mind the noise, then I would recommend Rockfish Brewing Company, but I'm not sure I will return myself. read more

A friend and I were hungry after walking downtown for a few hours. We saw this place and but thought the tacos looked decent. I can't drink beer containing gluten and they did not have a wine license at the time. I would have loved a drink, but mostly went for food. My friend ordered a beer and liked it. For $20 I got 3 very small fish tacos, they were out of Rockfish and made mine with tilapia. They were ok, nothing I'd wrote home about. The soft shells are homemade and gluten free, so that was a win. Service was fairly slow, but very friendly. Overall, I'll be back if they ever have a good drink that would agree with my stomach read more

Came here for an event and I can't believe I've never made it over here before! The beers were excellent, and the vibes inside were great. Lots of people enjoying the warm atmosphere indoors. Outside there are several tables with heating lamps, which make it accessible on cold nights or gorgeous afternoons. I'll definitely be back to this place to try a few more brews (so far my favorite has been the blonde ale). Can't wait to check out their downtown mall location when it opens soon! read more

They know beer. Great old school bar where the quality of the beer is first priority. Bountiful variety of brews. I tried the sour and the red ale. Both were perfect in flavor, hop and distinction. I was there at a YELP party. Otherwise, I may not have discovered this beer lovers find. Thank you YELP (John) for another great discovery. read more

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Good beer and a low key vibe. Rockfish is definitely on the more micro end of Charlottesville breweries, which means you get a little more of a personal touch every time you visit. Sometimes it's a raw hide for your dog (Rockfish is super dog friendly!), sometimes it's a crockpot of free pork and sauerkraut just because it was a rainy day. While Rockfish may be on a main road, they make up for it in ambiance with the nature vibe extending from fifth season, and the hop vines growing over the outdoors tents. We love the ''coming soon!'' list and are always checking it for limited releases of Rockfish's delicious sours! read more

Rockfish Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

This place is fantastic--both locations. Wet cold craft beer. Different beer and food menu across the two locations, and both are excellent, so try both. This is a can't miss if you're looking for an authentic local brewery. Home run read more

Nice little brewery next to 5th Season. They have a good beer selection and its prob the first time I've seen a California Common on the menu. We tried several beers, NE IPA, Irish Stout and Califirnia Common and they were all excellent. It's a dog friendly bar so that's always a plus. The bartender was also the brewer . Definitely a hidden gem in Cville! read more

Rockfish Brewing Company - Hunter the Border Collie - Breweries Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

One of my favorite breweries in Cville! It's on the smaller side which might be its only downside, but has some of the best IPAs/beers in town. I love their west coast IPA, NE IPA, and brut IPA in particular, but I can't say I've had a bad beer from them yet. Plus they have snacks, including lumpia like dumplings and pizza! Inside there's bar space and three high top tables, and there are lots more tables with overhead covering outside. Love that it's next to Fifth Season garden shop too. read more

So, kind of a long story but me and my family were visiting Charlottesville for the first time and on my way to this place I had a tire blow out. After 2 hours waiting for AAA and NTB to get me a new tire I finally made it to Rockfish. The owner overheard me telling this tale and came out from the back and comped my wife and child some soft drinks. They really made a crappy day better. So then, after my excellent experience there I decided that they were the ONLY place I was getting my growler filled for the duration of my trip. I went in the next day and the same awesome bartender was on duty. He remembered my name and thanked me for my good review on another social media platform. Lotta brewery competition in this town, but this place has top shelf beer and top shelf people. Show them some love! Highly recommended. read more

Solid little no frills college community brewery. Chill vibe inside & out. Great service, solid beer. Nice selection with a few being quite tasty. I especially enjoyed the IPAs. Drink local! read more

Very chill great spot. I loved the Irish Dry Stout and Baltic porter. I would highly recommend stopping by for a pint.

Brand spanking new brewery in Charlottesville, on the premises of Fifth Season Gardening at 900 Preston. Four beers to start with, Pale Ale, California Common, Amber Ale and a New England IPA. Stopped by on opening day and sampled the beers, which were excellent. Most of the beers were made with Charlottesville local malt from Murphy and Rude. They've done a great job on the space, it's a very warm and comfortable room. There's also a nice outside area. Food trucks (Cote Rotie the night I was there) if you're hungry. Big screen TV. They also have coffee and some non-alcoholic drinks, so there is something for everybody. read more

Great brew Great atmosphere Awesome owner. Check out Rockfish you I won't be disappointed. The owner Peter is an awesome guy and an even better brewer. read more

Yet another great brewery in Cville! The Czech Pilsner is sublime. Really good place to relax and watch a game as it's not as hectic as some neighborhood breweries. Has a good selection of things to snack on too. Make sure to check out Fifth Season next door for some really cool plants! read more

Pretty good beer (the Baltic porter was my favorite) but the space could use a few more touches. It's dim and dark and LOUD. Even a small crowd fills the space with noise because of all the echo, and I wished for a little lamp at my table. They were out of most of the beers on their printed menu, with a new beer handwritten on kind of sloppily -- probably wiser just to reprint the menu as needed. The pilsner was floral and very refreshing, but the amber ale had a soapy flavor to it and the nitro stout was kinda light on the nitro. I'd like to go back in a couple months and try the next round of brews. read more

I love the vibe of this place! The outdoor seating is a perk- surrounded by plants but also shielded from the sun by a large tent. Service was friendly and beer was good. Not a ton of outdoor seating (there is indoor as well) but it's usually not crowded. read more

Such a shame to be writing this review, because the atmosphere and drinks at Rockfish are great. The staff on the other hand... completely unprofessional and rude. The bartender gave consistent attitude to my friends and I as we asked for simple brew recommendations. Another staff member intrusively banged on the bathroom door while my friend was using it because she had "broken rules by entering with two people." I don't know a world in which multiple women don't go into one bathroom together, and even so - there is never a case where a male staff member should be aggressively threatening to come into the ladies room while a customer is busy using it. I've never felt so un-welcomed by a restaurant staff! read more

Just got to the new downtown spot this last month. Pete always nails the beer styles that are posted. If your interested in what a porter, kellerbier, steam beer or anything listed is suppose to be like, go to Rockfish read more

Terrible, overpriced, pathetic food. Maybe a good place for drinks but the food is absolutely terrible. I ordered the pizza and the bartender proceeded to get the cheapest, smallest frozen pizza you can buy from a grocery store, and place it in a tiny oven. I was then served the saddest most pathetic frozen pizza which was undercooked and tasted awful. Not to mention this costs $11 for a tiny, store-bought frozen pizza. Comparable to Lunchables you serve your 8-year-old. Do not get food here. It's embarrassing and bad business to serve this and charge for it. Will not be going back. If you're hungry do yourself a favor and go anywhere else. read more