Fifty Fifty Brewing Finally Arrives in Reno: An Inside Look
By Ask Reno
After a six-year wait, Truckee's award-winning Fifty Fifty Brewing has officially opened its doors in Reno as of March 2026. Located inside the bustling Reno Public Market on East Plumb Lane, this new outpost brings the brand's celebrated craft beers and a full-service food menu to a stylish, open-concept space. It sheds the idyllic Truckee mountain views for a more urban feel, but the beer is still piped down from the original brewhouse — and that's what brought everyone here in the first place.
After two months open and 4.6 stars across 16 Yelp reviews, here's what the early consensus says.
Quick Facts
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| Address | 299 E Plumb Ln, Ste 145, Reno, NV 89502 |
| Inside | Reno Public Market (RPM) |
| Hours | Mon–Thu & Sun: 11 AM – 9 PM · Fri & Sat: 11 AM – 11 PM |
| Price | $$ · Brewery & sandwiches |
| Happy Hour | Daily 2–5 PM (this is the move) |
| Reservations | Yes, plus walk-ins, takeout, and delivery |
| Yelp | 4.6 ★ across 16 reviews (as of June 2026) |
Vibe & Atmosphere
The Reno location feels more formal and modern than the cabin-y Truckee original. Spacious interior with a real bar, counter tables, lounge seating with cozy sofas, and four large flat screens that turn it into a legitimate game-day option in south Reno.
Two real quirks worth knowing before you go:
1. The brewery backs directly onto the RPM live music stage. When a band plays, conversation gets nearly impossible inside Fifty Fifty. Check the RPM live music schedule on the days you want to actually talk to your friends. 2. The afternoon sun through the skylights can be blinding at certain tables. If you're going between 2 PM and 5 PM (also Happy Hour, see below), ask to sit away from the south-facing skylights.
The Food — What Actually Works
The Hits
- Pork sliders. Universal acclaim. Generous snackable portion, big flavor, and they hit during Happy Hour at a price that makes ordering two rounds easy.
- Burnt ends. The smoked-meat program is where Fifty Fifty really separates itself from the rest of the food hall. Order them.
- Nachos. A reliable, big-portion option for a table.
- Cowboy Ribeye Sandwich. The heartier flagship — smoked ribeye on a real roll. The single best entree the kitchen turns out, per the early reviews.
The Misses
The menu still has kinks to work out:
- The beer cheese & pretzel board baffles people — it's served with cold baby potatoes, apples, and grapes. Diners find the pairing confusing and the cold fruit awkward to dip in warm cheese. Skip it for now.
- The Happy Hour sausage platter is frequently called out as overcooked and underseasoned.
- The tuna sandwich is overly lemony per multiple reviewers.
- The turkey club wrap lands as bland.
The pattern: stick to the BBQ side of the menu. The smoked meats are the kitchen's strength; the lighter plates haven't found their footing yet.
The Beer Program
The whole reason Reno waited six years for this. The beer is still sourced from the original Truckee brewhouse, and patrons heavily praise the variety. Specific call-outs from the early reviews:
- Storm Chaser Lager — the crowd favorite. Clean, drinkable, the easiest pour to recommend to a friend who's not sure what they want.
- Belgian Quad — for the heavier beer crowd.
- Mexican-style lager — pulled in repeatedly as a warm-weather standout.
- Dark beers kept on tap into spring — beer nerds appreciate that Fifty Fifty isn't seasonally rotating their stouts out the second the snow melts. A small detail that signals the program is run by people who actually care about what they're pouring.
- Non-alcoholic hop water — the sober/sober-curious crowd has a real option here, not just a token NA pour.
Service & Hospitality
This is where Fifty Fifty quietly wins. Service is consistently described as fantastic, engaging, and professional — a real differentiator inside a food hall where most counters are by definition impersonal.
Servers and bartenders called out by name in reviews: Bryan, Simi, Kegan, and Garrett — all with 10/10 shoutouts. Business Manager Nic T. is also visible: actively responding to almost every online review with grace, creating an attentive community feel that's rare in any food-hall concept.
If you're a regular, you'll get to know the staff fast. They want you back.
Reader Tips
- Show up for the 2-5 PM daily Happy Hour. The pork sliders alone justify the trip.
- Stick to the BBQ meats. Burnt ends, nachos, Cowboy Ribeye. Skip the sausage platter.
- Check the RPM live music schedule first. If a band is playing, you won't hear yourself think inside Fifty Fifty. Plan around it or embrace the chaos.
- Parking can be tight. The Reno Public Market lot fills fast on Friday and Saturday nights — bring patience or rideshare in.
The Verdict
Fifty Fifty's Reno landing has been mostly smooth — the beer program is unimpeachable, service is a quiet strength, and the BBQ side of the menu is already a go-to for south Reno locals who don't want to drive into Truckee. The lighter plates need iteration, and the live-music acoustic clash with the RPM stage is something the team will have to figure out. But for $$ pricing inside one of Reno's best new gathering spaces, the upside is real and the downside is fixable.
If you've been waiting six years to drink a Storm Chaser without driving I-80, the wait's over.
Browse more: Reno restaurants by neighborhood · Reno nightlife · What's happening at Reno Public Market
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