Ornery Beer Company

 

 

We stopped here for a late lunch and to try their beers. It was mid-afternoon on a Saturday and they weren't busy. The brewery is located in a street corner setting on the first floor of a 3-story commercial building. A patio seating area is at the front close to the entrance. When walking into the brewery the view is down 8-10 steps to the bar with seating and a dining area. Additional dining space is further to the side. The brewing equipment is visible at the far end of this area. The vibe was okay, but seemed more like a restaurant than a pub. There were a number of TVs so that it also seemed like a sports bar. Service was good, especially when I sent my meal back because it was barely lukewarm. It was promptly returned to me very hot.

There are 16 beers and one seltzer on tap. Packaged offerings included two NA beers, 8 wines, 3 ciders plus cocktails. We ordered a sampler flight so I could arrive at an overall evaluation of the beers. All were brewed very well to style, and the most notable was the Pacific Waves IPA (I liked the hops that were used in it).

The food was good (except for mine being only being lukewarm), and we enjoyed what we ordered. This place is a worthy visit.

NOTE: the place gives a choice for the bill for the food and beverages of cash or charge. I think it was 3% higher for using a credit card.

This review is for the Gainesville Taproom.
Been there a few times now and Pete the beer tender has been great each time. Decent sized industrial park space containing both the tap room and brewery with plenty of bar and table seating. They have about 15 on tap and cans to go as well as crowlers. Beer selection is decent, quality is pretty good and they have food trucks on site later in the week. They seem to host a lot of small group functions and have some pinball machines and arcade games.
I haven't seen much of a crowd there but I've only been on Wednesdays from 4-7 pm.

 

 

A brewpub located in Fairfax with the usual food selection and a dozen different type beer styles in tap near George Mason University. Good overall experience.

This place is now in downtown Fairfax City and took over what was previously a Green Turtle. Parking is available in the downtown area, but none specifically dedicated for the brewery. There is some outside seating in a square, a fairly long bar with a handful of community tables, and a regular dining area. The bar area has about a dozen TVs, most tuned to sports channels.

The tap list isn't vast, but there has generally been a decent variety of selection available. With a dozen plus-or-minus beers, there were a few IPAs, a few roasty options, a lighter option, and a couple Belgians / sours. Most of the beers were pretty solid in the construction, with usually just some minor issues preventing them from reaching the next level. Side note: I did note that some beer ratings on this site are a tad skewed by all-5 reviews by a single user.

The service and food were likewise pretty good. We were confident in our choices, but I saw the staff was quick to offer samples and help out customers who were looking for a beer that would fit their taste. After two visits to this relatively nearby location, we won't hesitate to return again in the near future.

So excited to get a brewpub in the DC burbs. Sadly, this place is a mockery of a brewpub. Beer is mediocre at best. Food was blah. Had a lamb burger. Um, lamb died in a pool of its own blood and urine, apparently. Flight of beers presented in a puzzle, pick it out format. But worst of all was the complete lack of atmosphere, including pink formica tabletops, white painted cinder block walls, and a pervasive smell of the bucket used to mop the floors. They had a ridiculous set up for something like 100 different beer taps, but not a single one was connected to anything. Pathetic and I will never return. Oh, and if anyone thinks that an empty strip mall space is somehow "industrial", they need to visit Bluejackets in DC to see the real thing. Please, owners of this restaurant, make it a Hard Times Chili House again so we can return.

 

 

 

My local pub-house, best Woodbridge, VA has to offer. Keep up the great work!

 

 

Excellent modern industrialist styling on the inside, couch area with projection screen and outdoor area.
Great select of in-house brewed beers, havent tried the food yet, will try it out next time.

 

It's a shame that such high hopes for a first of it's kind place in the area were immediately brought down by poor training of servers, and cooks. Poor execution of the food, and lastly dark and bad design elements.

The servers need better training on the menu items and the beers themselves. The cooks need to be trained properly to not overseason food, and more importantly not overcook/burn it.

If you build it they will come is true, but if these issues are not addressed don't expect them to ever come back again. The beer selection is limited and understandable. From the flight selection two stood out. The IPA offerings were pretty much it. I'll take another stab at visiting to dine, instead opting for a growler fill.