Founders Restaurant & Brewing Co.

Founders Restaurant & Brewing Co.Founders Restaurant & Brewing Co.
Founders Restaurant & Brewing Co.Founders Restaurant & Brewing Co.
Brewery, Eatery

607 King Street
Alexandria, Virginia, 22314-3105
United States

// CLOSED //
BEER STATS
Average:
0
Beers:
0
Ratings:
0
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.97
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
9
pDev:
7.3%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by hopsaplenty:
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Reviewed by hopsaplenty from District of Columbia

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Stopped in for lunch during what is now their last week in operation. The establishment is scheduled to close on December 31st, since they lost their lease.

The have a nice set-up inside with a medium sized-bar and a large dining area with booths and open tables. Plenty of space for large parties, and they are also kid friendly with highchairs being available. The bar area can get a bit crowded, but they have some overfolow space. The dining room is relatively quiet even when full so coversation is not a problem.

The menu runs the gamut from sandwiches in the $7-10 range to seafood and meat entrees in the $15-19 range. The tuna club was cooked to perfection and served on fresh foccaia bread. The portabello mushroom was fresh and also served on that same fresh foccaia. The fries are nice and crisp. Salads are fresh and iceberg in non-existent.

Our service was great and Paul was attentive without being obtrusive. He was quick with our drinks, and they had 8 house drafts available. The Helles Lager was just put on and was brewer Barbara Gerovac's last batch.

I'll miss ducking in here on random afternoons in Old Town. There are not many places like it available in the area. Unfortunately, Old Town is left without a brewpub.
Dec 25, 2005
More User Ratings:
Photo of sinistrsam
Reviewed by sinistrsam from Maryland

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
This restaurant/microbrewery sits right in the cozy heart of Old Town Alexandria. I stopped in with a friend after walking around taking in the sights; we were looking for a good place to have a beer and grab some decent inexpensive food.
It sits in an old building and has a generally good atmosphere about it. The interior consists of exposed brick and a somewhat older theme, but by far the most obvious points of interest are brew kettles, which are easily visible from almost anywhere in the place.
They have at any given time about 6 standard beers on tap and one or two seasonals, which are all written on a large chalkboard. The board tells what it is and when it was first tapped; something I was suprised and delighted to see.
Prices were a little on the pricy side but reasonable, both for food and beer. However, you're in the D.C. area and everything is going to be a bit steep.
The waitstaff was knowledgable and very nice, and the service was prompt and accurate. Food was also very good, complimenting the beers very well. If you need a good meal or juts want ot try some local brew, hit this place up when in Old Town.
Nov 12, 2005
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Reviewed by BrinkyBeerBoy from Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 5
I'll start by saying I'm so glad my Dad lives in Alexandria, and I have the BA directory. First it was Bilbo Baggins, and now I picked Founders to take the whole family to.

Outstanding Brews and Food!!! The Oktoberfest was just added to the chalkboard.So after being seated, and greeted by our very nice waitress I started with the Ofest. Fresh, and wonderful!! One of the best Ofest brews I'v had. We all shared the chips, and salsa. The salsa is good, but the chips were really good.

Then came my entree-The new york strip in a stout reduction sauce. Words cannot describe how awesome this steak was. Medium rare perfection, and the sauce blew my taste buds away. It was serverd with a twice baked potatoe, and veggies with a potent garlic/butter sauce. I ate half of my Wifes Brewmaster Brat sandwich. Which again was outstanding! Then for my second Beer I had the Harpers Pale ale. I was in Hop heaven with this one. Very clean, fresh, and big time up front hop spice. I wanted to move on to the stout(the Wise Weiss was kicked) but I was driving home afterwards.

And as far as the atmosphere goes, cozy old tavern look with wood floors, brass rails, and perfect soft lighting. Very clean too!
The theme fits perfect for a brewpub. I cant wait to go back.

Gotta try that Wise Weiss!
Sep 18, 2005
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Reviewed by asabreed from New York

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
During a road trip that took a friend and myself through Maryland and Virginia (including D.C.), one spot was Old Town in Alexandria. As we were looking for someplace to eat, and also have a beer, we came upon Founders -- a small microbrewery and restaurant.

The tanks are attractive and right at the front of the restaurant, encased in glass, which was a nice thing to look at. There's a big chalkboard with their beers, in addition to when the beer was first brewed and when the keg was first tapped. There are 4 of 5 signature beers, in addition to some seasonals (Porter and Oktoberfest I believe are coming soon).

The food wasn't especially fantastic, but was certainly tastu. I had a BBQ pulled pork sandwich that went well with some of the hoppier beers.

Pints were around $5, and we had a sampler with small glasses of 5 beers, which was $6.

We went a bit later during the lunch hour, so it wasn't packed with people, but it still seemed like it'd be a decent place to hang out, grab some food, and have some beers.

Overall if I'm in the area I'll definitely come back again.
Sep 07, 2005
Photo of ppoitras
Reviewed by ppoitras from Massachusetts

4.14/5  rDev +4.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Stopped in during the afternoon on a Saturday, with a couple of NoVA/DC BAs.

We sat at the small bar just inside the foyer, but it seemed that there was more bar seating, not to mention ample table seating. Taps were prominently displayed on the chalkboard near the door, with some pertinent info, such as when tapped, etc. for each brew. Service was quick, brews were good, and I enjoyed my albeit quick visit this time around. Will check it out again. Also worth noting was that all the day's baseball games were noted with times on a whiteboard next to the bar. Info that is useful, and I was also impressed to see that the Sox game was highlighted that day, although I am unsure why...

Definitely worth a stop, what with their wide swath of brew styles, there's sure to be something to fit your bill.
Jul 05, 2005
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Reviewed by meathookjones from Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +9.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I figured I would wait till the new brewer got settled in and got going before I started coming here. I have been here a few times since then and have yet to have a bad thing to say about the place. It’s a very casual relaxed atmosphere that I enjoy drinking in. Food has been great for lunch, brunch and dinner. I haven’t eaten anything I wasn’t happy with. It’s a little pricey but that’s expected in that area. Service has been at worst a little slow when it wasn’t busy but other wise good. There were 11 beers when I was there 10 on the board as you walk in and the stealth Big Al Double IPA. I have had half the beers there and they have all been good. With the Scotch Ale being my favorite, that I can never get enough of. They had an excellent variety of beers there as well, a Wee Heavy, Stout, Raspberry Blonde tart, Grand Cru(Dark Strong Belgian), Pale Ale, Oatmeal Stout, Alt, Double IPA and a few others. So there should be something for everyone. I recommend checking this place out if you are in the area.
Feb 24, 2005
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Reviewed by tomciccateri from New Mexico

3.35/5  rDev -15.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 4
The non-smoking enviroments makes it possible to enjoy all the flavors of the food and beers. New brewer Bill Madden is just now rolling out his renditions of the house beers. The Pale Ale is a great combo of malty sweetness topped by bold hoppy flavor. The Alt is clean and malty but will probably be tweaked to become a bit more distinctive. The Kolsch is a nice clean summer beer. Bill hopes to bring back the Scottish Ale soon, followed by some new Belgian-style brews. Weekday and Saturday afternoon happy hours, otherwise typical Old Town prices. This place has the potential to become a worthy beer destination.
Jul 11, 2004
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Reviewed by JoEBoBpr from Missouri

3.73/5  rDev -6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
I really enjoyed this place before when it was VBC and now. I was suprised of how the warm ambiance that was always arround VBC still inhabits its air. This place is so homie i love it. They have increased their food selection and their beers are very accurate to what each style should be. I especially enjoyed the stout and the pale ale. Pricess are a little bit off, except there are some good specials once every blue moon. Service was a little off to but maybe they were short staffed and the waitresses were not informed on their house brews.
Apr 26, 2004
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Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Founders is not only named for the owners of the pub, but also for the founders of the town. And the beers are named for them as well! Take notice of the portraits on the wall as you enter, and then compare them with the beer menu!

Founders' looks almost exactly like its predecessor, the Virginia Beverage Company, with some minor updates and a few nice touches added. The 7 bbl. DME brewhouse, tiny bar, wide plank-wood floors, exposed brick walls, tin ceiling and comfortable booths are all still there. Even the glass block "window" into the cellar is still there - although it's usually covered with a rug and table these days. There are a few minor additions and alterations here and there... and it looks good! The food has improved (I love the red jalapeno poppers stuffed with cream cheese!), and they're working on the service; but the one thing they've absolutely scored with is a great brewer! All of the four house beers are clean, well-brewed examples of their style (kolsch, alt, weizen, porter); and the upcoming seasonals (IPA, baby!) promise greatness. There are 13 taps in all, and they feature a few other local beers as well so you can always find something to try! And, it's a smoke free bar so you can actually smell your beer. If you're passing by it's certainly worth a try; and if you're local give them another chance - it's not the old VBC that's let you down so many times before!
Sep 03, 2003
Founders Restaurant & Brewing Co. in Alexandria, VA
Place rating: 0 out of 5 with 9 ratings