Latest reviews from Olney

“Rainy day stop. Inside seating is ample. Good service. 20 taps. Nice range of styles including one ba and one seltzer. Flights of 5. Beer quality pretty meh overall.“

bytemesis 458 days ago

“Another cool farm brewery around Brookeville area. This one is similar to the others, with a small pond at the bottom of the hill. Some teepees for larger groups, and campfire tables as well, mostly reservation only. The picnic tables all around the massive ground are just walk in. No lack of space. Beer was pretty decent, all available in flights of five. Saison was probably highlight for me. Not the best of the four in the area, but at least two of those are really good. Definitely worth a stop for sure.“

solidfunk 1128 days ago

“ Ambiance: I mean, it's a Safeway. It is one of the bigger, nicer ones in the area. It's clean and modern, there's a Starbucks and a good cheese counter. Good parking for the area--lot out front and also a garage underneath. Service: I mean, it's a Safeway. You're not there to be served with beer expertise. You're there to pick up a six-pack on your way to that holiday party you've been dreading. Selection: So MoCo is weird with alcohol regulations. Only one store in any given chain can carry alcohol in a certain radius. This is the only Safeway in the area that stocks beer and wine. The good news is that they seem to take their beer selection seriously. In addition to the expected macros, there's a TON of craft beer available, the majority from local Maryland brewers. This is the place to pick up Brookeville 4-packs outside the beer farm itself. Lots of Jailbreak, Flying Dog, and Manor Hill here also, and some of the bigger micros (Oskar Blues, Sierra Nevada). There's one wall of singles, but nothing special. Really, just a surprisingly good selection of local stuff for a grocery store. Food: I mean, it's a grocery store. They have the usual Safeway hot bar too. Value: Really, really good for MoCo. They can keep prices low due to the volume. Overall: If I'm looking to grab something solid and local, or if I'm looking for something from Manor, Brookeville, Jailbreak, etc and don't feel like going to the source, I'm trying this Safeway first.“

JDBaker11058 1966 days ago

“ AMBIANCE: Reconditioned corner convenience store/package store. Remodeled very well, with a couple of long tables, a good amount of two-tops, and some standing tables. Feels wide open and they got a lot in here for the size. Along the back wall is a rack of beer coolers where you can buy beer while you drink beer from one of the 24 taps. Their primary challenge on this front is going to be PARKING. There are exactly 21 spaces in the lot, and when this place is crowded (as it was on opening night) that's not nearly enough. The next door businesses are not permissive environments (aka you will be towed), so the best bet on busy times would probably be to park in one of the shopping centers across the street and walk over. SERVICE: Very good. They seemingly had all staff on hand for opening night. A few minor, minor hiccups with the PoS, but everyone was friendly, engaging, excited, and happy to talk beer. Seems to be a family-run business (they also own outstanding MoCo barbecue chain Urban BBQ). Free pint glass if you voted (opening night was also election day). SELECTION: 24 taps, ALL local micros. They will fill growlers, but right now it's a BYOG. This is a lovingly curated tap list. The coolers have maybe one case for domestic macros, and everything else is craft. Good selection there, especially for MoCo, and they have a couple of coolers of good singles for a make-your-own-sixpack. Plus, you can buy a single and drink it there. FOOD: There's a small but well-utilized kitchen tucked into a corner that puts out a variety of poutines and sandwiches and apps. Tried the bourbon bacon poutine, which was very good, and the pretzel, which was also very good (it's exactly the same as the pretzels at the World of Beer chain). VALUE: For Maryland in general and MoCo in particular? Outstanding. The prices here are a good 10-20 percent lower than some other nearby places, and far better than those found at the only other business like this (bar+bottle shop+food) in the area (Gilly's). OVERALL: The parking is a challenge, but this place is off to a rip-roaring start. It's about 5 minutes from my house, and it's on my way home from work. I may be in trouble here.“

JDBaker11058 1997 days ago

“Ambiance: Strip mall at the corner of Georgia Ave and 108 in Olney. Small seating area out front on the sidewalk. Inside features reduced lighting, a wood bar, tables that aren’t too close together. Service: Not amazing, but definitely not terrible. On the high end of average with the regular wait staff, but the floor manager came by a couple of times too. Selection: My inner beer douche is coming out here, but I don’t think you can really call your place a gastropub when you only have eight draught lines and eight bottles in addition to the standard macros. The draft and bottle lists were nicely varied between styles, and most are local, but there were no pleasant surprises or rarities. Food: Had a few different small plates, as well as the charcuterie platter. Some of the stuff was really good (beef skewers and the charc), some was good (my wife’s ravioli), and some was a mixed bag (meatballs over polenta). Where the food gets weak is that some of it is a tad underseasoned (the polenta and the bread basket), which is not that big a deal, except that this place did not have salt and pepper shakers on the table. That’s a pet peeve of mine. Value: This place was definitely on the pricey end. The charc platter in particular was on the expensive side. The charc, plus ravioli, small beef skewers, small meatballs, two beers, and a cocktail ran a hundred bucks plus tip. Overall: Nice ambiance, better than average food, high-priced, with an average draught and bottle list. Probably won’t be a regular.“

JDBaker11058 3485 days ago

“Ambiance: Trading post/farm house style pub with dark wood and high shelves of hundreds of beer bottles. Service: Good enough that it didn’t detract from the experience, but not good enough that it substantially added to it. Selection: Around 30 taps that included most major styles of beer, mostly represented by well-known examples of the style. Plenty of local DC brews. Substantial and well-curated bottle list, but nothing you couldn’t find at a local store. Overall, an excellent selection for whatever mood you’re in, but you’ll not find any rarities here. Food: It’s the kind of food that TGIFridays or Ruby Tuesday would produce if they were small, mom and pop style places. in short, really, REALLY good pub fare. Start with a loaf of the fresh-baked molasses oat bread. Potato skins consist of 2.5 whole baked potatoes cut in half and loaded with about a pound of toppings. The nacho plate could feed a family of six. The fries must be cooked in duck fat or peanut oil--they are really remarkable. I had one of the top 5 burgers I’ve ever had. The peanut butter pie is not to be missed, and the key lime is the most perfectly, insanely tart I’ve ever had. It’s not michelin-quality hoity-toity fare, and it’s not supposed to be. What it is, is incredibly excellent pub fare. Value: Four beers, a loaf of bread, two appetizers, burger plate, two desserts, all for under a hundred bucks. In the DMV, that’s a STEAL. Overall: This place is a local treasure. Unless you’re going to someplace in DC, you’ll not find a better beer list/food combo anywhere close. Also, their Guinness pours are absolutely PERFECT, which is unfortunately all too rare.“

JDBaker11058 3652 days ago

“ Ambiance: This is a small place in a relatively dingy strip mall. Inside, they cram a bunch of tables together and the chairs are small and uncomfortable. But the music is awesome--laid back French jazz--and there are sweet Belgian beer signs everywhere. Last time we went, we had to wait 20 minutes past our reservation, and it was extremely hot in the restaurant. Service: This is a mixed bag. Been here a handful of times. Mostly the servers are great, friendly, and knowledgeable. Last time we went, our guy was new, young, sweaty, and overwhelmed. Selection: No taps, but around 50 bottles, both individuals and 750s. All are Belgian, and the beer list is well-organized by style. Honestly, the best part of this place is that every single beer is served in its appropriate, branded glass, which includes the Kwak, which comes in what looks like a test tube on a wooden stand. Food: The food is awesome. It’s a relatively small menu, focused entirely on Belgian cuisine, the majority of which is mussels here. But there are enough other menu items for non bivalve eaters like me. The house-made sausage is amazing; try the merguez on a bed of Corsendonk-braised red cabbage. The carbonade flamande (beef stew) is incredible, and the desserts are superlative. Value: This is not a cheap-eats place. Also, the beers are really, really expensive. Single-serve bottles are $9-15. There’s even a note on the beer menu blaming the Montgomery County beverage control board for the %35 markup! For four people, 5 beers, an appetizer, and 4 entrees, we spent $200 (incl tip). Overall: A nice date place if you go on a night that’s not too busy, you like great food, and you don’t mind overpaying for your beer a little.“

JDBaker11058 4311 days ago

“ Updated rating to reflect major improvements in beer service since their opening a few years ago. Ambiance: Mid-sized organic grocery store midway between Rockville and Olney on Georgia Avenue. Aisles are small and the place can get crowded. However, it’s clean, well-lit, and doesn’t smell like patchouli. Free samples of food, often. Service: Beer service has substantially improved. They now seem to have at least one full-time beer guy, which is pretty exceptional for a grocery store. Everyone is very friendly here. Selection: The buyer clearly cares about promoting craft beer. You won’t find a macro in sight. There are several shelves of singles, including bombers, but mostly 4- and 6-packs from brewers like Allagash, Dogfish, Heavy Seas, Sam Adams, Full Sail, Bruery, etc. They have also recently added a 3-tap growler dispensary. You can buy 32 or 64 ounce growlers and join their growler club; 10th fill is 1 cent. The growler options are pretty bold. They usually have 3 different styles, and recently featured an Eastern Shore-origin berliner weisse. Roots has added three new taps, so they now have six! Food: Well, it’s a grocery store, so you can buy all kinds of healthy and organic stuff. They do have a GREAT cheese counter in the center of the store (lots of beer-centric cheese including a guinness cheddar that ROCKS). Value: Surprisingly good for the DMV. I’ve found bottles here for $2-3 less than other places. 750s of Rodenbach Grandh Cru for $7.99 is just one example. Overall: If you’re driving by, it’s worth checking out. If you live in Rockville and you’re hosting a party, this is a fine place to build your cheese plate and pick up some accessible craft beers for the crowd. You aren’t going to find any rarities, but you will find a decent selection of well-chosen craft beers. What I like about this place is that it’s the only grocery I’ve been to in Maryland that also sells alcohol. They also sell the no-tears organic shampoo my toddler loves, so it’s a perfect excuse to pick up a few beers when I’m out buying that.“

JDBaker11058 4423 days ago

“Great food, good service, nice beer selection, but know you’re going to pay for it. Menu selection is fairly limited but what they do have is top class.“

flyinggerbil 4474 days ago

“A local legend. Go for the food. Stay for the beer list.“

flyinggerbil 4474 days ago

“Very cozy place quietly tucked away among the surrounding horse farms. The bar area was really quaint. Actually, I just liked the entire atmosphere of this place. Service was kinda slow even though the place didn’t appear too busy. The menu was a bit sparse, mainly just pub food. The "Black and Blue" burger was tasty and my date liked her steak salad. The house pale ale and lager were both solid brews. The beer list was decent enough - full of locals on draft (Hook and Ladder, Clipper City...) and a bottle list comprised of things I could find at any local liquor store (Allagash, Victory...). I’ll definitely return...though probably only after the season and beer lineup change.“

lamas 5481 days ago

“Nice cozy little restaurant with a very nice beer list. When I was there I had a Duvel and a 1995 Saison de Pipaix (I was there in 2005). So I figure anywhere that has well maintained 10 yr old saison is not to shaby. Just after I recieved the beer what I assume was the beer manager came over to discuss it with me and talked to me about how he came about getting the vintage beer. The beer list is fairly well rounded making sure to have atleast one or two good examples of major styles and hitting most of the major beer producing countries. The food was not bad, average pub food, some of the sandwiches had small twists that made them slightly unique.“

jeffin7 6899 days ago