Submitted by Red Rover — Correspondent
Roll down Rigsbee on any given Friday (or any given "any day" for that matter) and find a scene quite different than Durham nightlife of yesteryear.
Anchoring a block teeming with what's now and what's next — without an ounce of just-to-be trendy — Fullsteam sits across from quick-rise music house Motorco, around the corner from not-so-garden variety Geer Street Garden and up the block from newer kids to the block: the bar and Surf Club — a block clearly built on mission and ambition. A block quickly becoming the block-to-be...
And that forward progress easily gets a lot of its propulsion from the Bull City's fave brew house. Out front, the patio is brimming with peeps sucking in a sweet combo of fall air, their fave pint and the food-truck fare. Inside ping-pong balls fly; a band is strumming, (other nights a high-interest political or sporting event is on the big screen); and the communal picnic-style tables that stretch across the open space are packed.
Bringing the Bull City (and area-pint progress and prowess) "full-steam" ahead in a progressive city at the prime of all kinds of forward progress, the significance of the name of this suds spot isn't lost. But the plow-to-pint brewery and tavern isn't just revolutionizing the homegrown hops by serving up the "culinary and agricultural heritage of the South" in a pint. I mean, they are, but they're also a driving force in revolutionizing Old North Durham's renaissance ... and its nightlife.
But beyond all the plowing and pioneering that is making Fullsteam a local landmark, ultimately, its vibe is what seems to sit at the root of the local love affair. From the industrial design, to the wide-open space, to the community-style picnic tables. Open. Unassuming. Friendly. And sporting many faces (from Bolly Mondays to Run Club to Theology on Tap, to Drag Bingo and Zombie Prom, to charity events and Food Truck Rodeos to easy Friday nights like this one ... need I go on?).
In essence? It's by Durham. About Durham. For Durham. And it nails it.
