We decided to have them play on a Monday night, which was a dead night for us and we didn’t expect much, so we only had a couple bartenders on and no security (didn’t know we needed it), and it went completely ballistic – pandemonium! I was scrambling to help everywhere I could, but it was out of control and I clearly remember stopping for a moment thinking, "I might die tonight, but good God I think Laura Martier is singing in French right now! This is cool!” Our grill guy at the time was a true DJ and was in an experimental band called Rhythm Quest Syndicate led by Laura and Dan Martier. In honor of the Outer Banks Brewing Station’s 20th anniversary in 2021, here are a few of those treasured memories.Įric Reece, co-owner: My perfect Brewing Station moment was when we first started doing live music at the pub in the off-season and we wanted to have music nobody else around here was doing on a day that none of the other restaurants had anything planned. With the pub’s varied live music and nightlife scene, family-friendly backyard and willingness to host events and fundraisers of every sort, nearly every longtime Outer Banker has made a memory here, especially the girl who was serenaded in the parking lot by funk/jazz saxophone legend Maceo Parker. Some of their well-trained former employees have gone on to open very successful businesses, including Outer Banks Distillery, Pok’s Art, Greentail’s Seafood and Blue Mountain Brewing. It’s also known as an excellent place to work, proven by the fact that the average length of employment here is nine years. Outer Banks Brewing Station, aka the BrewPub, is highly regarded for the quality of its beer and food, but it’s the owners’ commitment to community that’s landed their pub in the hearts of the locals.
Little did everyone know back then that this place would become an icon – known not only as the nation’s first wind-powered brew pub but also as a 20-years-and-counting fixture at the pulse of the Outer Banks. Adding to the intrigue was the new business’s concept as a gourmet restaurant/brewery – a rarity for eastern North Carolina in 2001.
It doesn’t seem that long ago that a cathedral-sized, lifesaving station-inspired structure being built along the Bypass at milepost 8.5 was the talk of the town.