Extra Billy's Smokehouse And Brewery

V: Kind of an odd, borderline artificial atmosphere, with a bunch of vintage advertisements mounted on the walls (not to mention the slightly kitschy hotel room wall-to-wall carpeting. Aside from this it was fairly comfortable, with a good-sized bar as well.

Q: A decent amount of quality to be found here with the beer and food. Not over the top great, but still good.

S: The service was quite friendly and prompt (even though it wasn't busy at the time). Very solid.

S: The beer selection was good, but not stellar. They brewed their own hefeweizen, tripel, IPA, blonde and brown ales, as well as having local breweries Legend, Strangeways and Center of the Universe. They also have Devil's Backbone and Allagash on tap as well. Not a particularly wide selection, but decent nonetheless.

F: The food was pretty solid BBQ, along with burgers, sandwiches, etc. Nothing exotic, but tasty.

 

 

 

 

 

Visited on Saturday, Dec 27th. Anticipated watching the VT/Cincinnati bowl game with a bunch of people.

V - Super slow, a nice wood bar with a beer bar atmosphere in a bbq joint but hard to tell with no one in the place - 3.5

Selection- Extra Billy’s beers are very good and they have a great selection of local RVA and Virginia breweries, but nothing beyond that - 3.75

Quality - Just pint glasses and cold- 3.5

Service – Very attentive, but it was slow. They did help me out when I tried to order an off the menu appetizer - 4.25

F - Straight smoked meat and sauce on the side (not sure if there is some dry rub) - 3.75

$$ - For both beer and food.

 

 

 

Pretty good BBQ with a good selection of sides. Prices are resonable. Beer though is oustanding. They usually have 5-6 of their own on tap and a few other typically local guest taps. Try one of his IPAs like Kong Krush or Citra Arse. Growlers to go too.

 

 

Loved Extra Billys. Loved their BBQ. Their collard greens are to die for. I was there during the middle of the day so I couldn't get a feel for the atmostphere as we were the only ones there. The Citra Ass Down IPA is a great beer. I wish I could go back. I love southern cooking and extra billy's combines that with their own housebrewed collection of Ales that is small but superb. I wish I could go back.

It had been a while since I had been here, and I cannot honestly remember what random thought steered me back in their direction a few months back but am I glad I did stop by. I was there as the previous Brewer's beer was starting to get phased out and kicked, with the new Brewer's beer backstopping. This gave me a unique perspective on the 180° change in beer mastery. New brewer has been creating hop treats that easily stand up against some of San Diego's powerhouse greats while offering a decent balance in selection through both the more tame house brews and a well rounded smattering of local beers. If the beer wasn't enough to hook you, the tasty yet well priced fare is worth it. Great rustic and family friendly atmosphere cater well to most any crowd while being careful not to make anyone feel out of place.

Long story short, I've been here several times in the last few months and they have yet to shake my confidence or disappoint.

The entry was off of the parking lot with the brew house fully visible in the front window. There was a tiny door for children and twinned entrance/exit doors for the rest of us. Continuing in, a takeout counter was to the left, and further in, the bar was to the right with the kitchen to the left. All of the way aft, past friends, was the extensive restaurant area with booth and table seating. A porch seating area was all of the way back, but 91°F and high humidity relegated us to the bar. A bank of six taps sat atop the left side of the dark wood, "P" shaped bar. The back bar was an extensive mirror and blonde wood affair, but the eye catching centerpiece was a plastic pig surrounding the back bar's bank of six taps. I had the sampler platter of ¼ chicken, pulled pork and beef brisket.

Beers: American Ale;, Red Ale; Pilsner; Hefeweizen; Oaty Amber Lager. Go for the food, less for the beer.

Kathy was our chatty server.

Closed Mondays.

Following a post-OFS beautification procedure (haircut), the wife, daugher, and I crossed the street to Extra Billy's to see if all of the hype from the salon (yes...my wife's stylist cuts my hair as well...not that there's anything wrong with that...) lived up to the billing.

Combo brewery with a restaurant, EB's has about 15 tables, along with a separate conference room as well as a bar. Nothing too glitzy...just yer average good-eatin' establishment. Kid-friendly (always a plus) with numerous weekly specials to entice the locals (free kid's meal on Wednesdays).

They were not very busy when we arrived, with only 2 other booths occupied. Quick and attentive service. 5 brews on this evening, with the 4 permanents (lager, pale, red, porter) and the hefe seasonal. Good prices for pints ($2.50 for 10oz. $3.50 for a 22oz). Growlers to go (64 oz. jugs $13.95 purchase and fill with $9.95 refills). Menu is nicely-priced as well. We had the standard BBQ plate for about 8 bucks, with bread and 2 sides. Our daughter approved of the grilled cheese sammy, too. Selection is the beers from the brewpub and they are certainly better than Hops down the street. Beer was fresh and overall tasty. Close proximity to our house ensures a return trip. If you like good BBQ, EB's is definitely worth a shot. The locally-brewed beer is just icing on the cake.

BBQ and beer... what could be better? Well, maybe pizza and beer.... ...but if you're into BBQ you've found the place! Whoah-hoah! Extra Billy's has been around for over 15 years serving genuine hickory pit cooked barbecue baby back ribs, beef ribs, smoked chicken, vegetables, and apple cobbler. (There is NOTHING vegetarian here! Well, not much, anyway).

It's a well-run establishment that's clean and comfortable with a bit of a tex-mex look although it's very mainstream. There's a brick walkway as you enter with some wooden columns, and the bar and dining rooms are seperated. At the bar there's a very nice, rounded-edge mahogany bar that seats 15-20 people with a mirrored back bar and 6 taps. At the center on the bartenders side there's a bright pink pig with a line of taps inside of it is a little weird, or maybe just overkill, but it somehow still manages to fit in. The small 7 bbl brewery is on display, and although it isn't a "showpiece" brewery you at least know that the beers are brewed on-premesis.

The service is good on all ends, from the greeting to the goodbye; and the bathrooms are kept clean - which is always a good sign that everything else is being done right!

And the beers are certainly no exception. I've had better brewpub beers, but I've also had far worse bottled micros. I've enjoyed each and every one of the beers I've had there, and some were quite nice. Their Red Ale is their best seller, and they often sell out, but customers repeatedly come back for it. And their Pils ain't bad either!

They're not that far from downtown Richmond, and if you'd like you can call your order in for pick-up and grab a growler when you go to get it! It's certainly worth trying if you're in the area.