THE ENGINE ROOM PUB
On April 4, 1974 the west end of the Truro Centre sparked to life with the opening of the origianl Engine Room which offered seating for 190 but no live entertainment. Patrons enjoyed their favorite beer of draft while listening to tunes provided by a DJ.
The Engine Room proved to be so popular that an expansion was inevitable. Two years after opening the doors, the birth of live entertainment took place at the Engine Room with the addition of 100 seats, a band stand and a baby grand piano. The Engine Room rocked with live entertainment every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening as the movers and shakers of the town gathered at "The Room" to dance til they dropped. And while the dance floor was crowded, the pit provided a unique place to strike up a new friendship or renew an old one.
The doors closed on the original Engine Room on Christmas Eve 1981, marking the end of an era.
But all was not lost! The Engine Room number 2 which opened February 16, 1982 may have been smaller with its 146 seats and room for friendly stand-up patrons, but the new location at 24 Havelock street was the ideal spot for the launching of an extensive menu which featured delicious Italian and Canadian cuisine. The combination of good food and great live entertainment meant it was usually standing room only at the new location, which was once the home of Pharaoh's Tavern.
The close quarters prompted a second move for The Engine Room, which returned to the Truro Centre, but on the opposite end from which it had started. The east end of the Centre was originally occupied by the Lincoln Pub but at 7PM on November 17, 1986 The Engine Room re-opened with seating for 150 and a staff of 25. In March 1993, Jim and Bernice Rowe purchased The Engine Room Pub from Truro Center Ltd.
The Engine Room features a wing night every Thursday followed by a Kitchen Party with live local entertainment. Saturday nights feature such popular bands as Shameless, The Persuaders, Boys Next Door, Hawco, Bittersweet and Juno Award winner Garret Mason. On Thursday nights the amateur performers take to the stage for karaoke.
