New River Gorge Insider

Southside Junction is the right place to land after a long trail day in downtown Fayetteville. Eighteen rotating craft taps, a full lunch and dinner menu, and a stage that hosts live music every Thursday. Wednesday is Game Night. The vibe is local and eclectic — popular with the outdoor crowd that passes through Fayetteville and with locals who come back because the tap list keeps changing.

Rated 4.4 on TripAdvisor and ranked in the top 10 restaurants in Fayetteville. Worth knowing for any evening that doesn’t involve driving far.

Maggie’s Pub is the neighborhood bar — a laidback, unpretentious spot on Keller Ave with a good selection of wine, spirits, and cider alongside the expected drafts. The outdoor patio is well-suited to the evenings when the weather holds. Live music and karaoke nights pull in a mixed crowd; board games are available for anyone who wants a slower evening.

Open every day starting at 1pm — one of the earlier starts among downtown Fayetteville’s bars, which makes it a realistic stop for the group that wraps up early from a day on the water.

Bridge Brew Works is the original Fayetteville brewery — the one that’s been here long enough to have regulars who started coming before New River Gorge was a national park. A quieter taproom experience than the bars downtown, good for a pint and a low-key evening. Growlers are available for taking back to the property.

The kind of place that’s worth visiting once on any trip to the area, if only to say you had a local beer in the shadow of the bridge it’s named after.

Freefolk Brewery relocated to Hico, WV — about 20 minutes from Fayetteville — where it now operates alongside Ample Pizza. The combination of local craft beer and pizza in a single stop makes it worth the short drive, especially for a group that wants dinner and drinks without bouncing between spots.

Check their current hours and tap list before heading out, as schedules can vary by season. The Hico location is a good reason to explore a bit of the area outside of Fayetteville proper.

Smooth Ambler is one of West Virginia’s most respected distilleries — their Contradiction Bourbon and Old Scout expressions are serious whiskeys that have won national attention. The distillery in Lewisburg offers tours and tastings and is worth adding to a day trip south that already includes the Lewisburg historic district and Lost World Caverns.

About an hour from Fayetteville, so this is a half-day or full-day excursion rather than an evening stop. Best on a slower day or a rainy day when the gorge trails aren’t the draw.