Massive new Raleigh beer garden is so dog friendly, there’s even beer for dogs

Zack Medford has been in the Raleigh nightlife scene for more than a decade, opening bars like Isaac Hunter’s Tavern in his 20s, as well as Coglin’s, Parliament and Paddy O’Beers. Within the first year of the pandemic, he had closed or sold them all.

“2020 hit us really hard,” Medford said. “When you don’t have any income for an entire year straight it’s impossible to stay in business.”

Now Medford is back with his first new bar in years, opening Tap Yard Raleigh, a massive beer garden near downtown, off Capital Boulevard. Located at 1610 Automotive Way, Medford has built a beer garden on one acre of land, meant for a slower pace but plenty of fun.

“I’m 40 years old with three kids and two dogs,” Medford said. “This is definitely a different kind of place than doing a bar on Fayetteville Street.”

Tap Yard Raleigh has been in a soft open mode since mid-January but will host a grand unveiling on March 25.

One acre of space immediately makes the new Tap Yard Raleigh one of the Triangle’s largest beer gardens. For comparison’s sake, the sprawling Raleigh Beer Garden in Glenwood South offers about a third of an acre of space.

Building a beer garden for all

After closing his bars, Medford continued to operate The Great Raleigh Trolley, a rentable trolley for private events. One day while looking for places to park the trolleys in the hours beyond the “Woos!” Medford saw an old Advance Auto space in a new light.

“It was overgrown but I could see the potential in it,” Medford said. “It was just at an acre and I thought it would be perfect for a beer garden.”

Turning an auto parts warehouse into a beer garden has been a process. Medford started in October 2020, clearing the brush and gutting the building for a renovation.

Now there’s a vaulted ceiling, glass garage doors and two main bars. Up front is a bourbon and cocktail heavy “Tap Yard Tavern,” and out back, offering indoor and outdoor service, is that “Tap Yard Hall.”

As the name implies, beer is the centerpiece of Tap Yard, with 16 draft lines and a wide selection of canned beers. Aimed at offering something for the whole family, Medford said to expect fresh lemonade and shaved ice as well.

“The building alone is 5,000 square feet,” Medford said. “The beauty of the space is there’s something for everyone. It’s fenced in, so it’s easy to bring your kids and feel safe.”

Medford’s bars were all in Raleigh’s downtown blocks, often in the middle of the frenzy on Fayetteville Street and Glenwood Avenue. The pandemic changed things, Medford said, and changed him.

“I’ve always been looking to do an outdoor beer garden, something like the breweries my wife and I enjoy going to, but without brewing beer,” Medford said. “When it comes to the pandemic, it really changed the way people go out and enjoy beverages. There’s a lot less interest in nightclubs, people are looking for some way to enjoy the outdoors.”

Tap Yard Raleigh even has beer for dogs

If someone can invent human to dog texting there are about a half dozen Nobel Prizes up for grabs, but until then, “beer” for dogs might bridge the divide.

At Tap Yard, Medford has concocted Mason’s Good Dog Beer, named for his Siberian husky and made of chicken broth, peanut butter, applesauce and parsley. The beer has no carbonation and merely resembles the human grade pints pouring from the taps, but Medford says furry best friends lap them up.

“You put that in a bowl and you’re having a brew with your bud,” Medford said.

Beer garden grand opening

For the grand opening bash on March 25, Medford said Tap Yard will host an all-day festival, starting with an 11 a.m. yoga session. Later there will be a craft market, live bands and food trucks.