Dogfish Head Alehouse

Dogfish Head AlehouseDogfish Head Alehouse
Dogfish Head AlehouseDogfish Head Alehouse
Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

13041 Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy
Fairfax, Virginia, 22033-2001
United States

(703) 961-1140 | map
dogfishalehouse.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.23
Reviews:
33
Ratings:
59
pDev:
7.57%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by ZluvDbeer:
Photo of ZluvDbeer
Reviewed by ZluvDbeer from Virginia

4.53/5  rDev +7.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
If i could go here every week i would. I love the food, everything is home made not your ordinary bar food. The beer selection rotates and sometimes it doesnt have as much as i would like but when it does its heaven. It can be a bit pricey but mostly its reasonable. I really love their beer.

The brewpub in Rehoboth is better because it has more beers and exclusives but dont knock the alehouse as it holds its own and the food is actually better than the brewpub...

If you like DFH beers at all then you must give this place a try.
Jun 03, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of MadMadMike
Reviewed by MadMadMike from France

4.39/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4
Love the DFH Alehouses. They’re a combo of sports bar, casual sit and sip spot, pub grum and fine dine restaurant, with unique and interesting food options. Plenty of parking. Family friendly. Outdoor activities and regular celebrations and events. Themed dinner & beer pairings.
Attentive and quick service.
The run of DFH brews on tap is unmatched, offering usual and familiar to unique and outrageous. (Wait till you try ‘Heaven & Hell’ - a black & tan made with 120 Min IPA & World Wide Stout!)
It’s also one stop shopping for apparel, glassware and swag.
Excellent.
Dec 07, 2023
 
Rated: 4.13 by Jaasoares from Virginia

Jul 16, 2020
 
Rated: 4.06 by slasich from Pennsylvania

May 16, 2020
 
Rated: 4.15 by DrBass from Maryland

May 12, 2018
 
Rated: 4.2 by Nace4 from Virginia

Jul 21, 2017
Photo of therealJAYZ
Reviewed by therealJAYZ from Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.75
Great location, on par with DFH in Rehoboth. Atmosphere is above the original position, maybe because the location is newer. DFH Rehoboth does have the edge on Vibe, since its located two blocks from the beach and your dog is always welcome on the deck. Food rocks, and is worthy of the high quality beer selections. You can always find the DF standard releases on tap, but their limited and seasonal releases are the best part. Too bad you can't get growler fills for the limited releases.
Apr 04, 2017
 
Rated: 4.13 by SierraFlight from Virginia

May 03, 2016
 
Rated: 4.81 by BigTuna820

Mar 02, 2016
 
Rated: 4.71 by jcMPLS from Minnesota

Dec 24, 2015
 
Rated: 3.83 by ntjockey from Virginia

Dec 22, 2015
Photo of scxcrunner
Reviewed by scxcrunner from Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
real fun place. food was decent beer selection was great, got to try a couple beers that are unavailable in my neck of the woods. only downside was the cost of to go beers. asking $20ish for beers like import, wws, and 120 i was expecting house beers to be a little more affordable but still a great place.
Dec 11, 2015
 
Rated: 4.01 by Cpmitchno1 from Virginia

Dec 03, 2015
Photo of VABA
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

4/5  rDev -5.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
This place is a nice place to go to if one is in the mood for dogfish brewing beers. It has decent food and a good selection of beers on tap, but no exclusive beers.
Sep 06, 2015
 
Rated: 4.05 by Boone757 from Virginia

Jun 18, 2015
 
Rated: 4.34 by hoppy91 from Texas

Apr 22, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by Plakerio from Virginia

Feb 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4.26 by wilhelm_phoenix from Virginia

Jan 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by Iamjeff6 from Virginia

Dec 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by reebtaerG from Maryland

Aug 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Ngntjp from Virginia

Aug 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by atrocity from Virginia

Aug 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by IrishGermanAmerican from Texas

Jul 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by DRouth from Vermont

Jul 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by tjcamm from Oregon

Jun 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by derryd from Illinois

May 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by HuntDaddy540 from District of Columbia

Apr 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Laulau from Virginia

Apr 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by midlifec from Michigan

Mar 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by kristougher from North Carolina

Jan 07, 2014
Photo of Thrashsquatch
Reviewed by Thrashsquatch from Virginia

4.11/5  rDev -2.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
This is like my local cheers bar. Love the vintage nights and special release parties. This place fills up when special events happen but the staff stays on their game. The food here is to die for. Bottles are available for take home. My only gripe would be the pricing is a bit high, but hey what are ya gonna do?
Nov 13, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by avisong from Virginia

Oct 31, 2013
Photo of delta490
Reviewed by delta490 from Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.25
I love coming here (and the original in Rehoboth DE). I have had a wide variety of their menu and the food never disappoints. Burgers, sandwiches (both hot and cold), appetizers, desserts, they all are delicious. Then you get the bonus of having a wide variety of the Dogfish Head beer line available (to include some offerings that are difficult to find or only available in their Alehouses) and it makes it just that much better. The service sometimes suffers a little when they are really busy, but not horribly. Just a little bit longer of a wait on getting drinks and food. All in all, I keep coming back.
Oct 08, 2013
Photo of Jeffreysan
Reviewed by Jeffreysan from Virginia

4.73/5  rDev +11.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.75
Atmosphere: It’s located in a strip mall, in its own stand alone building (there is a soccer store located in this building too, but it’s predominately Dogfish Head’s building). Inside, the place is decorated in the typical Dogfish Head style, a cross between beach hut/boathouse, with corrugated tin and maritime accompaniments. The Dogfish Head logo of the shark is everywhere! During happy hour and weekend evenings, it can get very crowded and very loud, but lunchtimes are great times to get in here for some killer food and beer!

Quality and Service: All of the staff are excellent, from the hosts/hostesses, to the servers, to the bartenders, they’re all friendly and professional. The bartenders are always willing to pour tasters of beers that you’ve not tried and the servers are always prompt with their service. Never had a bad experience here.

Selection: The beers, Dogfish Head of course, are always stellar, and they always have a great selection of Dogfish Head beers on tap, usually about 10-15 beers, as well as some vintage bottles available for purchase. They even fill sell and fill growlers! Each beer is poured into a glass appropriate to the style of beer: pints or snifters.

Food: The Ale House serves KILLER pub food. Their fish tacos are outstanding, the flatbread pizzas are excellent, the burgers are fantastic, the fish and chips are solid, the pulled pork sandwich rocks, and their jambalaya pasta is killer!

Overall: This, and its sister location in Falls Church, is one of my favorite brewpubs in the Northern Virginia area. (This location might edge out the Falls Church location because it’s around the corner from a Total Wine!) It serves some of my favorite beer, some really killer bar food and the staff are extremely cool and friendly. The only negative is that there aren’t more of these places in the area. They need about 50 more, and at least one in my back yard!
Jun 13, 2013
Photo of MarshallMan
Reviewed by MarshallMan from Kansas

4.73/5  rDev +11.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
What more do I need to say other than ... they've got Dogfish Head beer on tap! Lots of Dogfish Head beer!

I really appreciated the friendly & helpful staff at this place. Being a beer geek the beer selection was epic. The staff was knowledgeable and made some great suggestions. If you go you should try some of the blend recommendations they have.

They also have some great swag. T-shirts, glasses, hats, openers, etc. I got a nice camo DFH Alehouse cap.

It's a can't miss for any beer lover if you are in the area.
Oct 19, 2012
Photo of beerenjoyer1
Reviewed by beerenjoyer1 from Illinois

4.83/5  rDev +14.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
I really enjoyed the Dogfish Head Ale House in Fairfax, VA. After walking 2.7 miles to get there I was expecting some pretty good stuff and I was not disappointed. Awesome beer selection from the Dogfish Head collection of brews, great service, good food, and a nice atmosphere made the experience all worth the long walk from the hotel. I really enjoyed the hushpuppies but that is just me. The local folks were very nice and had a good knowledge of the Dogfish Head beer selections if I had any questions. Thanks again and I will be back!
Jun 06, 2012
Photo of BritCvS
Reviewed by BritCvS from Virginia

4.55/5  rDev +7.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
This is my favorite local place.
Atmosphere is good, slightly noisy at times, but generally fine.
Quality of beer is outstanding.
Service is very good. They know their stuff, and they try hard.
Selection is very good too, though I'd love a tap of "Guest Beer that Inspires Us". On their blog DH sometimes visit other breweries and talk about other brewers, so I figure sharing the love once in a while could be a good thing, and might bring increased distribution elsewhere from time to time in response.
Food good too :)
Overall I'd happily come here for a beer and a bite to eat any time, as it is good value too.
Enjoy.
May 03, 2012
Photo of Chaney
Reviewed by Chaney from District of Columbia

4.28/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
"Come to this place on a Saturday night and see if you get a table" - Me

I go to this place a good bit and it's always packed every time I go!

Atmosphere: Located in a strip mall (with a killer Total Wine!) just inside the Fairfax line. Inside, the typical rustic, garbage can-esque DFH decor is all about. The bar and restaurant area is MUCH more spacious than the Falls Church one which is a good thing.

Quality and Service: The beer pretty much speaks for itself, and the food ain't half bad either. I've always had good service here and never really remember having a bad experience of having to wait too long for anything.

Selection: The always have about 10-15 of their brews on tap and BIG note about this place: THEY FILL GROWLERS! Hell, they even fill ones of their high octane stuff like WW Stout (even though it's very pricey).

Food: I've had just about everything on the menu know, and I have to say that of all the food items, my wife and I tend to gravitate towards the wood-fired pizzas. Also, they have the best crab dip in town.... seriously!

Value: The beer is expensive, no doubt, but a lot of love, blood, sweat, tears, money, and waiting around went into that gourmet liquid. I'll willing to swing it for those quality suds! The food prices are typical of most quality bar fare.... only much better.

I highly recommend this place.... and just about any place that has Dogfish in the title.
Apr 16, 2012
Photo of gixxerman
Reviewed by gixxerman from Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +8.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I have been here about 10 times and it never disappoints! Be sure to try the Randall, or at least inquire as to what they are pulling through it. Yesterday I had the Punkin through cinnamon stix and vanilla beans. I wasn't sure the Punkin could be improved, but it was damn tasty, the vanilla and cinnamon really added some complexity to this already well crafted offering.

The beer speaks for itself. Standard Dogfish offerings, with the limited runs mixed in. Maybe not exotic as Rehoboth, but always good beer. The food is also right on. I have yet to be disappointed, and I have tried most of the menu.

They have some swag for purchase in a small giftshop, and they seem to give a lot of it away as well. I guess I just hit it on the right nights or something, but I have scored a t-shirt, beer coosy, pint glass, and some kind of dogfish puzzle thing.

The staff is always OUTSTANDING. No matter how busy or hectic they are, they are always hustling and attentive, service with a smile.

TVs usually have the local DC sports, or national game on.

I will be back, and you should stop in, worth the trip.
Oct 20, 2011
Photo of agomega
Reviewed by agomega from Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +3.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
I was able to make it to the Dogfish Head Alehouse twice last month on business travel. On the first trip a friend and I had to kill several hours here since our flight was pretty late at night. This place is very bright and clean. It is basically half bar half restaurant with the bar taking up the central area of the alehouse. It gets a little loud around 7 or 8 since the place is so open, but hey its a bar. The entire staff seemed very friendly and there is a lot of joking around and even a little horseplay which is entertaining. The beer selection is pretty good with almost all of the standard Dogfish Head beers on tap. I was extremely fond of their Black and Tan which mixed 90 minute with Chicory Stout. In talking with the bartender it sounds like they occasionally get some of the more rare releases on tap such as Burton Baton, 120 Minute, WWS, etc. I wasn't that lucky on either of my trips and their prices for bottles of the more rare beers were a little exorbitant for my pocketbook. The food is as good as the beer and I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people in the area go there for the food with no thought for the beer. I had one of their wood fired pizzas on the first trip and a spicy plate of Jambalaya on my second trip and both were excellent.

The Dogfish Head Alehouse is highly recommended if you are in the area.
Aug 28, 2011
Dogfish Head Alehouse in Fairfax, VA
Place rating: 4.23 out of 5 with 59 ratings