Natty Greene's Brewing Company

Located at 345 South Elm Street in Downtown Greensboro, Natty Greene’s Brewing Company serves brewpub cuisine for lunch and dinner. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas, an upstairs taproom, and a bar with rotating beers on tap. A private dining area and daily food and drink specials are also available.

It took seven years of living in Greensboro for me to finally make it over to Natty Greene’s, but now that I have, I envision several returns. This place delivers all you can ask of a brewpub: a fun atmosphere, a good selection of food and drink (and some menu items that infuse the former with the latter), reasonable pricing, and competent execution and service.

Despite its aged visage, the inside of Natty Greene’s doesn’t feel badly worn. The brick-and-wood décor is a classic look, and a wall mural adds a splash of color. Multiple dining areas (downstairs, bar, upstairs, outside) ensure that there is plenty of space.

The menu here is unpretentious without being boring. Fish n chips and barbeque aside, this is an app/salad/sandwich place, but the sandwiches go beyond mere chicken and burgers (both of which are available). Pork belly, capicola, and ahi tuna make an appearance, and many of the meats are ale-marinated.

For our first visit, my companion and I split an order of Cajun fries. They came loaded with bacon, scallions, and cheese and proved to be salty and spicy enough to make us forget about the calories contained therein. I followed up with a Cohiba sandwich: a variant of the Cuban with Pale Ale-marinated pork and barbeque sauce. That the sandwich was slathered in sauce (as opposed to merely housing it) made it a mess to eat, but it delivered the right combination of sweet, smoky, and savory. My companion’s veggie burger (with avocado, red pepper, and tomato) was similarly satisfying.

To escape the noise, we opted to eat in the bar area. The bartender who took care of us was amiable and knowledgeable. Neither the service nor the pricing (generously portioned sandwiches are $9 to $11 and include a side) left any reason for complaint.

It may take a few more visits for Natty Greene’s to grow on me the way that Foothills Brewing has, but if nothing else, it showed that “local institution” needn’t mean needlessly hyped. This is as good a lunch spot as any for the downtown crowd.

8/10