Steel String Brewery

Loved everything about this place from the atmosphere to the staff to the beer. I thought the staff was knowledgeable and helpful, our server even wrote down a list of other places for us to try and explore in the area. We had the Big Mon, Brett Mon, and the Temptation. Sat inside and moved outside when seating opened up. Would definitely recommend as a quick beer stop, a date spot, or a «just because» place to go.

Best brewery outside of Asheville in NC. Big Mon is a fantastic West coast style IPA. Rubber room is a mildly spicy session pale ale that ranks among the best I’ve tried. They always have great seasonal beers, and have high level barrel agreed sours and imperial stouts.
No food, but it’s an open food spot, so bring in what you want.
Steven is the best bartender in the world, save for the dude with the shaved head who ID’d 60 year olds.
The owners are always around and back up their business with their positive progressive convictions.
Hands down most innovative business in the triangle.

Always more than awesome beer. They just need to not have complete amateurs play music there. The last time I was there with my wife the beer was excellent and then the band showed up for their 1−2−3−1−2−3. I’m pretty sure we fled the place on the second 2. Again, I’m all for local bands but you can’t invite someone who doesn’t even know how to work a mike. But let me reiterate: the beer is excellent!
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The problem with Steel String is that their beer is JUST OKAY. It’s not Great. They have plenty of options though and even a cider, which makes me very happy for broadening their horizons! However, bar food would be nice to accompany the alcohol but I think their location is too small for a kitchen unfortunately. Not their fault. The location is actually prime for business in downtown Carrboro. And I love to go here to check out the music and art by Señor Tim Lee. What talent! But, i digress… give me beer that makes me want to quit my job and live in a trailer and watch nascar all day. And if you supply it with sweet tater tots then Ill give you 5 stars.

Steel String Brewery has a super casual, semi-​eclectic vibe with a hit or miss on their beer. The brewery is located in downtown Carrboro, which doesn’t have a plethora of parking spots in general. It’s beer only here (although you’re welcome to bring your own food) with six of their own taps and a handful of guest-​rotators (including cider, as well as a wine option for those inclined). My favorite part about Steel String is the large, covered, outdoor patio. It’s lighted in the evenings and makes for a perfect spot in warmer months (good for groups and dogs!) The downside of Steel String for me is the beer selection, I haven’t found anything that I’d go back for. They’ve got some tasty brews, but they’re a small batch company, and seem to kick the good stuff fast. Also, I can’t help but say I’m always a little confused by the overall «theme» of the bar: music, line drawings, industrial, robots… what’s going on here guys? As someone who loves clean lines and graphics, I can get a little overwhelmed by everything going on, it’s too cutesy and funky at the same time. Overall, good spot for a group or someone that is really chill, not a great spot if you’re picky about your beers or a very straight edged person.

I’m conflicted with Steel String. A friend and I bought a sour beer of theirs from a bottle shop and were really impressed. We were going to Chapel Hill/​Carrboro a couple days later and let it be known that Steel String brewery was a must.
Once we arrived I even ordered two flights as I wanted to try every single thing they had on tap. Imagine my disappointment when I wasn’t really impressed with any of them. How is that possible? How could a brewery make such a sophisticated sour and then mediocre offerings for all their normal styles?
I still enjoyed my time there. As many others have mentioned it was a cool place to hang out and the bartenders were all very friendly. Just sadly disappointed in the beer when I had high hopes. Oh well.

Steel String is a really cool place to grab a beer. I’m kind of torn between 3 and 4 stars. None of the beers really blew me away hence the 3 rating. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go and give this place a try if you are in the Carrboro/​Chapel Hill area.
I ventured in here on a trip to Chapel Hill to visit a friend. I had some time to kill before my friend got out of class, so I figured I’d try out this newish brewery. I sat down at the bar and was promptly greeted by the bartender. I wish I could remember her name, because she was fantastic. Knew her stuff in regards to the beer, positive attitude, and chatted up every customer that came in. This was part of why the experience was so great. I also talked with a couple of the other patrons there and they were all very friendly.
Now to the beer. As I said before, none of the beers blew me away. I think the Big Mon IPA was my favorite. It was slightly above average. They also had a good sour on tap that was a Grissette. The cool thing about this one is that it was inspired by a track from the new Mipso album. For those of you that don’t know, Mipso is a local Chapel Hill Folk/​Americana band that has been blowing up recently. A couple local brewers all brewed a different beer that was inspired by a track on the album. I thought this was kind of cool. The bartender also told me that Mipso would come and just do surprise concerts there sometimes. I would love to see that.
The brewery has a cool vibe. It is very clean and they have a couple of games that you can play with your drinking buddies. They also have a nice patio out front that is perfect for watching all of the interesting people in Carrboro walk up and down the streets. I also liked their flights that were shaped like guitars. All of this kind of goes along with the music theme.
You won’t find any groundbreaking beer here, but they do have a cool atmosphere and plenty of nice patrons and workers alike. If you are in Carrboro it is worth grabbing a flight or a pint from this little brewery.

Chill spot to grab a few beers. I was able to sample all of the Steel String beers that were currently on tap: Big Mon IPA, Rubber Room, Sound City, Bustle in your Hedgerow, Thickfrenchtoast and Der Schneid. Steel String’s beers are good but none of them screamed order a pint of me. Shockingly my favorite was the Der Schneid which is a Berliner Weisse, it was smooth and tasty. I think I was most disappointed with the Thickfrenchtoast, I expected more bold flavors. The service was also slow which made for a long wait for my next beer.

I would have to agree with other Unilocalers and state this place does have a great vibe to it. Great place to enjoy some beers with friends and play one of the many board games they have available. Nice outdoor, covered patio that is dog friendly. They only had four of their beers on tap and all four of them were delicious. Something for every palate with the Bustle in your Hedgerow being my fav because of my love for Belgian style ales. The No Quarter Stout was a close second and a very solid coffee stout overall. They also had several guest taps available which rounded out my experience nicely. Since they don’t serve food, a group of us hit up Acme for brunch and walked over here for a quiet afternoon of beer and games. Even though their selection is small I thought they were overall better than Fullsteam but not to the level of Mystery Brewing. I look forward to seeing what else they offer as the seasons change and if you are in the area I would recommend them.

Great vibe, some very good beers including a few sours.

Love the location and space that Steel String has. Their patio is a great spot to people watch, & there’s plenty of seating inside. The bartenders are always really friendly every time I’ve been there. I wish they had a larger beer selection, or at least rotate new ones in every now & then. Their flagship IPA is really good, and the Rubber Room session ale has enough hop flavor for me to still enjoy it, even though it’s an ale :)

Gave Steel String another few tries and glad I did! Have been in 3 more times since my initial review, with two other bartenders and the same one from first visit. Brews were great, nice selection, good company from the bartenders. Love the funky beers they have occasionally. They have games to play, which is also fun. Really chill place on a Saturday afternoon (the only times I’ve visited). Will definitely be back.

Very chillaxing place to grab a beer, especially since its $ 1 off beers Monday night. The seating inside is plentiful and the picnic-​like tables encourage friend-​making and friend-​bringing. The patio had several choices of tables and chairs. They have a large selection of beers, and you can ask to sample some if you are having a hard time deciding.
Note, they do not serve food, but they welcome you to bring your own =).
I tried the Turn Table, which was a light, a little bitter, and pretty easy to drink. I also tried the Little Sadie, which is was smooth and a little sweeter.
Made out with just a $ 7 tab + tip.

Have been wanting to try this place for awhile. I used to live in the Pittsboro/​Chapel Hill area and loved to hang out in Carrboro. Things have gotten even better and now a brewery! Got there right when they opened and had a flight. Cozy tap room with a seasonal outdoor patio. Super nice bartender to chat/​reminisce with and talk about their beer. Cool looking Big Mon hat that I must have next visit! The flight: Der Schneid Berliner Weisse = smooth and sour without being bitter, Rubber Room Rye Pale = just a hint of Rye — not a fan of «the Rye» in general, but this was pretty good, No Quarter Coffee Stout = smooth and smoky, Guest tap = Harpoon Dunkel. Was kinda disappointed they didn’t have any Big Mon IPA as that’s my true current love. They do cask ales too and are getting ready to unleash some very soon. Very cool place to have a good brew in Carrboro. Can’t wait to go back this summer!

This past weekend I found myself in Carrboro. An anomaly for sure. As much as I wanted to avoid the patchouli-​scented hippies, I had to stop by the Arts Center for a bit of holiday shopping. The wife and I figured if we were stuck in Carrboro, we might as well do something we enjoy. That thing, if you couldn’t guess, is paying a visit to a local brewery.
We each grabbed a flight of four beers including the Secular, Non-​Demoninational Holiday Ale, Neutral Milk Porter, Bustle in Your Hedgerow and, since it is both delicious and on tap (!!!), Southern Tier Choklat. Of the Steel String brews, the SNDHA was by far my favorite. Warm, inviting, and a little spicy. Just right for the day’s rainy weather.
6 bucks was more than fair for the flight and the barkeep was a delight.

Great patio where you can bring your own food. After a long week and a long trip, our experience at Steel String was a welcome delight. Their easy, no-​nonsense style exemplifies the Carrboro vibe.
They have a delightful assortment of beers with flavors for the craft-​beer aficionado and the newly initiated alike. The flavors range from the more standard (fruit infusions — does every craft beer place get their ideas from the same place?) to the more eclectic (coffee-​flavored — at least more coffee taste than I’ve ever had in a beer before). And they have your seasonal varieties too, e.g., I saw a pumpkin-​flavored beer on the menu.
What I loved is that they had a simple menu with only a handful of beers, and they were all different and described in detail. You can tell they put a lot of care and work into designing the menu. At the same time, there was a chalkboard with a few more beers if you happen to be a regular. For my first time, I appreciated this catering to newcomers. With reasonable prices ($ 5 – 6 for a pint) and nice overall presentation (i.e., they tell you the alcoholic of each beer, and each has a little bit of a story), you can’t ask for much more from a craft brewery.
The beers themselves were similar to a lot of other breweries, so I can’t really say that the tastes were that fantastic. There’s a lot of interesting flavors (again, try the coffee one just for its uniqueness), but I think I also would’ve appreciated something more traditional too as an option (although maybe I have boring tastes). All in all, it’s the best experience you can get at a Craft Brewery, and a perfect way to wind down the day or week. Very Carrboro!

Having come from the Rocky Mountain West, specifically the beer Mecca known as «Utah», I clearly know a thing or two about beer (or cerveza, as our Mexican comrades call it). The beer here was fantastic, and moderately priced! I had a «dark» beer (it was black, like my heart, oh true love why do you evade me at each turn), but was also delightfully tangy as an «IPA» is most usually. It reminded me of making love under the shade of a mountain peaks, as Eagles and Falcons dove around me. Oh how I miss my muse, why did you leave me for a Patrician???
Likewise, I was amazed at the variety of peanut and other tree nut products available for purchase. Not only could I have peanuts, but also pistachios! What a delightful selection. In Utah we have to still raid our neighbors and local «Tough Guy» squirrel tribes for our nuts. If one wants to eat peanut butter their is a blood price to be paid.
Overall I find the craft beer at Steel String to be made with love, more love, and an extra dose of love. I heard that Luke Kelly’s Brooklyn Style Pool Ribs will soon be opening, only enhancing the selection of food products. I highly recommend this place, and give it 5 stars of Utah approval!

Carrboro é uma das minhas cidades preferidas, por que? Porque é descolada, porque é antiga e contemporânea ao mesmo tempo e o melhor de tudo, porque é do lado de Chapel Hill.
Apesar de ser próxima, a galera que frequenta os bares e restaurantes de Carrboro não tem nada haver com a galera de Chapel Hill (visto que a maioria das pessoas lá está conectada a UNC de alguma forma).
Descobri esta cervejaria com um amigo, e viemos num domingo — que costumava ser um dia bem morto na cidade. Bom costumava no passado, porque a Steel String estava bombando, com música ao vivo e muitas pessoas animadíssimas
Eu provei dois tipos de cerveja diferentes, conheci um monte de gente e fui muito bem atendida.
O cupcake de stout também é ÓTIMO. Está favoritado. S2.

I’ve been twice — the first time, I had a Farmhouse Ale, which was in the style of the Belgian Saison Ale, and very good and true to form.
The second time I went I had a few beers that kind of blended into each other… but were quite good.
One knock is that the outdoor «patio» is really some wobbly tables in some reclaimed parking spaces.

Steel String Craft Brewery brings something to Carrboro that it surprisingly it has not had to this point: a craft brewery! Durham has a bunch of these (Fullsteam, Triangle, etc.), Chapel Hill has TopO and Carolina Brewery, Pittsboro has another Carolina Brewery, and Hillsborough has Mystery Brewing. Carrboro, the cool city (to borrow from Richard Florida) mecca of the South, has not had a single craft brewery to my knowledge.
Steel String changes this, and they succeed overwhelmingly. Once you enter the bar, you are immediately hit with how well the space is used: there are multiple big tables, as well as a nice bar area. They also have games at the ready for people who are looking to play games. Furthermore, these are not the games you usually expect at a bar (Jenga, Apples to Apples, and I once saw Operation at a bar). No, they’ve got Settlers of Catan (Sheep!) and Munchkin (Also I’d assume sheep, which you can use to attack people I’d imagine). These are both games that take awhile, so it’s a brilliant plan: get people in, get them playing for awhile, and they keep drinking and trying to defeat their friends with hilarious weapons (and sheep).
But really you’re wondering about the beer. It is a brewery after all. The beer is excellent. I tried the saison and the Farmhouse Ale. Both were worth their $ 5 cost, with flavors that are perfect for a nice late Spring day. They also have many other beers on tap, both their own and other local breweries (I saw Fullsteam and Mystery both on tap, similar to Fullsteam’s special guest taps). The bartenders are also incredibly knowledgeable about the beer and the general beer-​making process, and are also really good at what they do.
They have both indoor and outdoor seating, and do offer sandwiches from Merritt’s as well if you’re hungry. Basically this is the exact place Carrboro has needed, and now that it’s here, you should go. So go. Because I said so. And we all know that usually works (usually being the operative word here).

I’ve been looking forward to this spot opening for months, pining from across the street at Open Eye. The day has arrived! I came here on a Tuesday evening with some friends. There was trivia happening. The place was pretty packed – not a seat available. Once trivia ended, people left, and there were more places to sit, but on a beautiful spring evening, everyone wanted to be outside. That might be a consideration for the future: more outdoor space. It was also nice when the brewer turned down the lights later in the evening. It was kind of bright for 10pm. Talked to the brewer, and he was a nice guy. He mentioned there will be some pretty sweet bluegrass music on various nights.
The beer here was very good, superior to others in the area. I’m just happy it’s so close to home! I enjoyed the IPA most. Evidently you can take your own food here because they don’t serve anything.
Overall, the place is hoppin right now with new business. I’m not sure they have found their identity yet, but that will come. I hope Steel String stays around for a long time!