February 29, 2012
Small shop up in Cehvy Chase, DC. Not really metro accessible. I would describe the ambiance as ’creepy’ and probably the staff as well, who also are generally worthless. Reasonable selection with a few oddities but prices are stupid expensive. If you find yourself here for some reason, I would suggest walking down the street to Magruder’s instead.

February 25, 2012
Amazing selection, that’s about it. Never found the staff to be very helpful.

November 9, 2011
If the Brickskeller was the bar of my early craft beer days, this was the store. A thin, cramped upper NW joint, the relatively crowded beer area towards the cash registers in the back is an impressive one. Don’t be fooled: the magic kingdom is below decks and you’d be suprised at the stuff that may be stashed down in the basement. As many folks have noted, Larry is the dude to go to for queries and advice. Some other staff members can be a bit prickly, but it’s part of the vibe of the place. Terrific selection of Belgians in particular but a ridiculous overall assortment of foreign and domestic micros, always with specials and seasonals well represented.

August 23, 2011
I go to this place pretty much every time I go back to see the old folks, holidays and what have you. Before dealing with family, it is essential to get liquored up to ease the brutality of it all. This place is right near the border of DC toward Chevy Chase. Looks pretty standard inside until you get to the beer area. At that point you realize they gots what you need. Lots of great stuff from almost all breweries that see distribution in the area. Some mixed twelvers for your family members that need a bit of easing into the whole good beer thing. The service has not been the best when I’ve gone - most employees don’t seem to know much about beer - but I hear there’s at least one guy who is somewhat knowledgeable. Not that I care being the world’s foremost beer expert. This is for your edification though. Anyway, nice place for all your northwestern DC beer needs, and hey, you might even get a couple of ticks out of it.

June 10, 2011
Nondescript looking place. Kind of a shotgun layout. Lots of wine, liquor and beer. Lots of foreign and American selections, with some rarities. Prices are OK, and the staff was very nice. Nice decor with a cool bottle selection. Very nice stop.

April 10, 2011
Incredible selection, at least one very knowledgeable staff member for beer (Larry, with the big white beard), and pretty high prices. I love the hole-in-the-wall feel of this place, with bottles stacked to the ceiling.

April 4, 2011 [ Updated November 12, 2011 ]
Went there today as part of my absurdly long bike ride. Contrary to what many people are saying, I found the store to be reasonably well organized with a selection that does put most other stores I have seen in this area to shame. However, as many other people have noted, things are quite expensive. Rodman’s and Whole Foods have many of the same things for a dollar or so cheaper (especially some singles). The only thing that I noticed that was cheaper than Whole Foods was Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale. Also, it is clear that a lot of the stuff sits there quite a while and they don’t scour over it to find the bottles that have already expired (i.e. the ones that have the writing on the label). Frankly, a place like the Whole Foods on 14th and P is probably a better bet, if you don’t care which beer you get that day, but this is still a good store with a good selection. One of the guys who works there will help you with your beer. He also is able to look up in his directory to tell you how long the beer has been sitting on the shelf, which is pretty cool.

May 17, 2010
Lots of beer but randomly sorted. Found some god stuff from all over the nation and plenty of stuff I’d never seen before. About half of it is kept cold, which is nice. The most expensive of the stores I’ve been to since getting to the Baltimore/DC area, though. I would go back for the hard to find stuff, but the prices would keep me away from being a regular.

March 18, 2010 [ Updated May 18, 2010 ]
The selection here is a little better than Rodman’s (which has the advantage of being cheaper and metro accessible). The atmosphere here reminds me of a haunted house and the staff could be fill-ins for the ride as well. Prices are stupid expensive and make no sense. It’s sort of a creepy place to visit. I hate going here and have gone about three to four times and have never bought anything. Mostly because they don’t have anything worth buying (6 month old DIPAs anyone? $30 DuClaw Colossus?) Don’t waste your time jaunting over to this place which is not metro accessible. Don’t believe the website, which says it’s like in the Top 10 of ____. Lie.

February 16, 2010
Nice store, good selection of singles. A little on the small side, and I wasn’t particularly impressed with the service, but the selection is pretty solid. A touch hard to navigate, as stuff isn’t very well organized. Prices all over the map from great to crappy, better then Rockville prices though...