As with the other GB I have visited it is hard to pinpoint why it does not get full marks - the albeit limited choice of just house beers are good quality, the staff do an excellent job, the atmosphere is informal and sports bar like. I would like spend more time in one but being a foreigner with too many other bars to visit I give chain pubs like GB quick visits. Has got free wifi.

It does look nice as mentioned by others but once again this is tourist trap. In summer pack by them. Order one pint and left. Service was just ok. Beer average.

Very much a chain place. Beers were all generic and if German beers weren’t your style, you were out of luck. Samplers were quite pricey. However, their rosemary-garlic fries smelled incredible, and it might be enough to convince me to go back again.

Great ambiance in a cool old building with marble columns - classy. Otherwise, it’s exactly what you’d expect from any other Gordon Biersch: mediocre food, beer, and service. But it’s really close to the Smithsonian.

Great interior. Jam packed on a Thursday at 5 PM before a Caps game. Seasonal was a weizenbock. Ordered it by name and the bargirl had no idea what I was talking about, so I had to point. Too crowded to try the food. I’ll have to come back.

A large and open brewery very close to the Smithsonian American Art Museum F Street entrance. The beers are typical Gordon Biersch beers.

Score reflects the fact they spilled beer on me (The same event that DiarmaidBHK refers to). In fairness, the service was otherwise good and the Manager offered to pay to have my clothes laundered. Updated June 12 2011 - I gave them another shot and they still disappointed. I had brunch which consisted of some very dry french toast and a schwarzbier that would have been better if it didn’t have those charcoal notes. I doubt I’ll give them a third chance to disappoint me. On a positive note, they didn’t spill beer on me this time! So they’ve got that going for them.

Good place to grab some quality brews when you are wandering around downtown. Decent food, but the prices are a bit higher than I would normally pay if there weren’t good beer involved.

big old bank converted into a brewery. focus on german beers. 6 beer sampler for 5.50, so there is that. beers were decent enough.

Other than the dramatic interior, this place was pretty boring. In fairness I had to deduct points when the server spilled beer all over my sister. (Updated June 14, 2011)The things we do for the beer ticks. I tried the sampler. Was not impressed by any of their offerings. The bank building vibe still impresses but the beers were indifferently made. As was the food. I ordered fish and chips. The chips had been sitting around a bit since they weren’t the same temperature as the fish. The breading on the fish was very crunchy and added nothing to the taste. The service at the bar was nothing to get excited about either. This is tourist beer. I can’t see anybody coming here regularly.