The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery & Biergarten

Founder John Marrino began developing the brewery in 2007, and Copper first poured when the original Southside Drive site opened in March 2009. The move to the current property followed in August 2014. Brewing follows the German four-ingredient tradition of water, malt, hops and yeast, making the beer's ingredients a central part of the business's identity.

The kitchen uses that beer beyond the glass: pretzel dough includes it, and Copper lends its name to the accompanying cheese sauce. Reuben egg rolls tuck corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Dusseldorf mustard into a crisp wrapper. Currywurst brings sliced bratwurst, curry ketchup and fries, while sausage samplers make it possible to compare several styles.

Most food orders are moderately priced, with rolls and individual sausage plates below the larger mixed platters. The main menu extends beyond German dishes to salads, hummus and a skirt-steak doner bowl. Flatbreads use a Roman-style dough fermented for forty-eight hours, giving a mixed group alternatives to another round of sausages.