Driving down from CT to Myrtle Beach on Friday. Should be passing through Richmond sometime in the 12-2pm window and Durham 2:30-4:30. I was hoping to check out Hardywood (and stock up for vacation) but they don't open until 4. Where should I stop? I'd prefer 1 place where I can hang out, talk to the people that work there, try some samples, fill my growlers.. The kind of place where I would give the owner my last In Perpetuity to spread the love. I plan on stopping at Backyard BBQ in Durham to eat and it looks like Fullsteam and Steel String are nearby. One better than the other? Should I go somewhere else? Anyone have a "go here, hang out, and you'll want growlers of these 2 beers because they're delicious" go to spot? Thanks!
I have been to Steel String. The atmosphere is nice, but I have not been blown away by any of their beers. Downtown Carrboro has a nice vibe though. I have not been to Fullsteam yet.
I don't think places around NC will fill your growlers. Sam's Bottle Shop in Durham (not to be confused with Sam's Quick Shop, their big brother store) keeps around 30 taps and does crowlers. The staff is friendly and will give you samples of most anything, unless it is a limited release kind of thing.
A lot of people express this same sentiment about Fullsteam. If you do go to Fullsteam then you might as well head to The Pit next door for barbecue. Like msscott suggested, Sam's Quik Shop is a great bottle shop and it's a short drive from there. If you're determined to go to Backyard BBQ then consider stopping by The Glass Jug just down the road (draft & bottle lists).
Us folks from the Northeast don't differentiate Sounds like my options are 1) Backyard BBQ and then The Glass Jug, 2) The Pit and Fullsteam/Sam's Bottle Shop. I picked Backyard based solely on a quick yelp search so I'm open to switching to The Pit if it's better. My goal is "authentic local BBQ and local beers for my 4 days in Myrtle Beach" and this definitely helps. I have no problem buying Crowlers or whatever, just wanted to know if I should pack my own growlers. So based on that, which option is better? Thanks guys! This is foreign territory for me!
I'd recommend Backyard BBQ if you want authentic local BBQ. Backyard BBQ screams local, hole in the wall. Hog Heaven is another favorite of mine.
Re: Sam's, I always say go to Sam's Bottle Shop if you are looking for a good tap selection, but go to Sam's Quick Shop if you are shopping for bottles to take with you. So, in other words, go to both.
Agreed with several others, Sam's Bottle Shop is very different from Sam's Quik Shop. Both are absolutely worth going to - Bottle Shop has a cool second-floor deck to chill and drink a pint from a great selection of taps in addition to a good selection; Quik Shop has a bigger selection and is like a cave of beer. A little disorganized, but you're sure to find good stuff.
You could always hit Mekong in Richmond. They are open for lunch and serve some of the best Vietnamese food in the city and their tap list is usually pretty nice. Answer Brewpub (around back) doesn't open until 4pm though. I don't think Mekong fills growlers, but there's a Growlers To Go location just a few blocks away, close to the I-95 ramp, that will have a lot of good local beer on hand. If An Bui, Mekong/Answer's owner, is around at Mekong and you offer him presents I hear magical things usually happen. Maybe he could get you some crowlers of Answer's awesome IPAs to go... I've been to Steel String, but not Fullsteam. I've had a few Fullsteam's beers and based on that fact I'd stop there first.
Hardywood has earlier hours this week with the big bike race in town. They open at 3pm on Friday but this appears to be outside of the hours you will be in the area. I agree with what some other posted in Richmond about stopping by Mekong. Not a brewery but one of the best bars in the state with a ton (probably 40-50+) of taps. I have also heard An is quite generous for someone who bring in out of distro brews to share the love. They open at 11am every day. I Do know STRANGEWAYS BREWERY opens at Noon on Fridays. Pretty good place with a lot of creative beers. Just be careful if you venture too far downtown. The bike race has created a lot of road closures and alternate routes but Mekong and Strangeways should not be impacted too much. It's several miles from d'town. Total Wine is also a huge beer & wine store if you are looking to stock up on your trip through.
If he wants to take a little detour, I would recommend Allen and Sons BBQ on N.C. 86 between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill. I've been visiting for close to 50 years and it's as good as it gets.
I STRONGLY encourage you to check routes and closings before jumping off 95. Town is hella jacked up in some areas with road closures and such. Parking has also been very difficult. Not trying to discourage you from stopping by our fine town, just offering words of advice. Especially if traffic delays (what on 95? Never!) place you near the Hardywood window of opportunity. Boulevard is particularly hard hit during the race. http://wric.com/2015/09/16/road-closures-course-schedules-course-maps-for-richmond-2015/
Agreed. I was going to mention the road issues a little more strongly but did not want to discourage from any brewery that may be of interest. I love that Triple Crossing opens at Noon tomorrow but being that far downtown I would be curious as to how difficult it is to get there.
Agreed with others--for what you are looking for, Mekong is probably the best bet. There are many many good bottle shops--Once Upon a Vine, De Fles Winkle, Corks n Kegs (best growler prices in RVA), Strawberry St Market, and many more--in case you are looking to stock up in that respect. Triple Cross may be hard to get to, but has some great beers.
Ya, it's kind of like a catch 22. Huge event that could really shed some positive light on even an international level onto the Richmond brewing scene yet getting around to them will be a challenge. I really hope that all the breweries were able to take advantage of this event, at least better than restaurants and food trucks. Those guys are not having a good time of it according to the news. As far as scaring folks off, if people are like me they'll not pass up a chance to jump off the road for unique brews - but it's worthwhile to arm them to the teeth with advice! No matter how the bike race pans out from a traffic perspective, it may be a picnic compared to the Pope induced locked down DC unless he jumps off onto 5 and 301. No matter what OP - I am rooting for your trip to be a success, and if NY, Philly and DC traffic throws your schedule into too much of a problem to swing in on the way down, please stop through on the way back up. Be very worthwhile to carry some of Richmond's finest back to CT!
Thanks for all the suggestions guys! Hit up Dots Back Inn (a little DDD food stop to appease the girlfriend) and Corks n Kegs in Richmond, and then Backyard BBQ Pit and Sams Bottle Shop in Durham. Backyard had the best slaw I've ever eaten and the bottle shop had an awesome selection. My fridge looks like it belongs in the South (Atlantic)!
