NoDa Brewing’s new airport taproom, near gate A26 at Charlotte Douglas. Photo courtesy.

NoDa Brewing opened a taproom in Charlotte Douglas Airport last week in the expanded A concourse, near gate A26. There, guests can enjoy a dozen beers on tap in the travel-sized version of NoDa’s Tryon Street brewery. They can also find a full menu.

NoDa’s headquarters on North Tryon Street has food provided by Tin Kitchen, a food truck that parks alongside the patio and serves tacos, sliders, and quesadillas. The airport concept, however, serves a full menu under the NoDa brand. Without an existing menu to adapt to the new spot, the creation of what NoDa Brewing should serve fell on the airport’s executive chef Mike Suppa.

Suppa, who is employed by the airport’s restaurant management company HMS Host, started his research by visiting the taproom a few times and sampling the beers, as well as chatting with NoDa owners Suzie and Todd Ford.

“I talked to them about what they wanted and what I envisioned for the space, and it was just to make our spot here at CLT have as close of a feel to what they do at the taproom at the brewery,” Suppa says.

The vibe he wanted to carry over was comfortable and casual. You can see that in low-key touches, such as the metal platters holding the food and the street-fare menu. Murals by the same artists that decorated the main taproom walls are also on display.

Menu options include pizzas, tacos, sandwiches, and salads, as well as breakfast sandwiches until 10 a.m. Some of the dishes use NoDa’s beers, such as the barbecue sauce made with Ramble on Red.

“We operate a lot of stores here, so I want to be able to put together a menu that really has some identity for them,” Suppa says. The final menu was okayed by the Fords.

CLT’s NoDa Brewing has 44 seats, and the menu will be tweaked seasonally or as NoDa releases seasonal beers. And though it has only been open a few days, customers have a clear favorite dish: the tacos. —Kristen Wile