Piazza Beer Garden

We came here for a birthday happy hour from 4 – 7 pm. They had $ 1.50 off beer but a lot of the beers ran out fast :(But we made do. The calamari, bacon pizza, and wings satisfied and I would definitely recommend them.
We were sitting next to the window looking into the restaurant that was having some event with some tasty looking cake. The server inside noticed our longing glances at the cake and came out and brought us a slice! So kind of him.

Only regret I have is that I have lived across the street from this place and haven’t tried it until recently. As the more casual sister restaurant of Cesco, this place is a refreshing outdoor respite with shade and great food. They do have more casual beer garden type food, they also have access to the entire Cesco menu from their more formal sibling restaurant next-​door in a less stuffy atmosphere. Give this place a try. Reasonable prices and pleasant wait staff.

I like this place and really want to give it a 4, but it just comes up a bit short. The outside setup is nice. The service is good, friendly, etc. Even the food is great. Inspired service staff (people who you would expect at a 4 – 5 star establishment).
There is some lounge style seating outside that has 5 star potential, but 2 star furniture in this area (the rest is fine). They have the right setup and hopefully they will make an upgrade.

Two and a half stars. Props to Cesco Osteria for realizing they could give half their patio space a more casual feel, but Piazza is way more garden than beer. Service was friendly and reasonably attentive considering the beer pong and flip cup happening in the corner (yes, really). Decent top 40s playlist in the background. Pretty strings of lights overhead, ivied trellis to give you some distance from passing Woodmont traffic. Didn’t feel like sitting directly at the outside bar, but the picnic tables were just fine. Saw a few people in the same section ordering straight from CO’s food and drink menu. Half a dozen taps, and four bottles makes for little more than nice outdoor seating. If you don’t specify draft or bottle and they have one on both lists (you heard me), they assume you want the cheaper bottle option, which has a bigger volume pour anyways. Maybe I’ll come back for a pizza pocket during happy hour.

I’ve been meaning to go to a beer garden since I vacationed in Germany 13 years ago. I know there are few in DC already, but somehow, I haven’t made it out to any yet. I was drawn to Piazza because they have pretzels on the menu — that’s a beer garden, beer and pretzels. So, having an errand in Bethesda tonight, I stopped by and was very pleased with my experience there. The service was excellent, the host/​bartender very friendly, and the space is pleasant (although I’d have preferred a backyard garden and this was facing the street, the flowers and greenery do much to make it a garden-​like setting). They had a good variety of beers on tap, so I ordered my usual and a pretzel. What a pretzel. Way better than the super-​pretzels that are all over. This pretzel was delicious and the dipping sauce was perfect. I don’t make it to Bethesda often, but I will definitely visit again when I’m in the area.

Great place to sit outside and drink beers. Beers are $ 7. Snacks are $ 5. Only 3 beers on draft is a pretty weak for a «beer garden». Service was fine. There wasn’t anyone else there at 6PM on saturday. If your walking by, it is great, but I wouldn’t come up from Mt. Pleasant or anything.

Attached to Cesco Osteria, PBG is a fine place to rock a brew or two. Selection is pretty slim, but their exclusively local brewery support is to be lauded. This isn’t a place that you’d want to make a Rez (and I doubt that you can); but rather it is a great place to meet-​up in open air and chase a beer or two with friends. Menu is rather limited (which makes me think the food would’ve come out faster) but appropriate. I chose the special (pulled-​pork sandwich) which was objectively top-​notch. The barkeeper/​waiter was very attentive and thoughtful. I’ll look forward to cruising back for a casual beer sometime.

While I would not typically write a review about a place where I had a single can of beer, the fact that Loic D. wrote what is so obviously an employee/​owner review to boost their rating makes me bitter. Yes, I know, most places do the same, but at least try to mask your identity and not be so blatant.
Just read Brandy H’s review and you get an exact idea about this place. Who comes up with such weak marketing ideas?!

After seeing random advertisements and announcements on local «Going Out Guides» and «What to do this week» about this new «beer garden» to open in Bethesda, my husband and I decided to give it a try!
We ran our errands around Bethesda and then hopped over to Piazza Beer Garden, but that is when it hit us… this is not what it says it is. And then disappointment sinks in. {cue sad music in the background}
We were thoroughly confused from the moment we walk up. The sign for the Piazza Beer Garden is on a bi-​fold sign out front with 6 different printed pieces of paper put together like a puzzle announcing where it is. We did not know where to enter. Did we just walk up to the lady standing outside? (There is NO hostess stand, or anything that resembles a station a staff member, just a lot of wood tables and stools). So we walk inside to the hostess stand at Cesco Osteria and ask what we do to be seated out at the Beer Garden, and she proceeds to tell us that it is a different establishment and to go see the lady outside.
Okay, no problem. The lady greets us and lets us know we can sit anywhere. We choose a high top table and plop down. She walks over and lays two petite menus in front of us and immediately asks us what kind of beer we want. I then ask her in return, «what do you have on draft?». «We don’t offer drafts», she politely responds.
Wait, back up… This is a beer garden and there are no draft beers? Something is not right.
«Oh», I respond disappointingly and there was a fleeting moment of me wanting to just leave, but my husband and I decided to try it out anyway. After viewing the index card sized menu with the 6, yes you read that right, SIX beer options, I went with the DC Brau Corruption and the husband ordered a Dogtoberfest. We did not order any food since we just finished eating at Brickside, but did look at the offerings, such as the donuts, fried dough sticks, and pizzettes. The food looks cute, simple and interesting… more like cool bar food.
She goes behind one of the long tables (Oh, I guess that is the bar, even though it is not clearly marked and looks like all the other tables) and pops open our can/​bottle and asks us if we want a glass. Of course we want a glass… thanks.
She brings our bottled/​canned drinks over to us with a glass and we sit there in amazement over how this place is advertised falsely! This is a cute little patio that is owned and operated by the same people as Cesco Osteria. It is the patio of Cesco Osteria. And when you go to use the restrooms, you are using the restrooms at Cesco Osteria. I do not care that it is a part of Cesco Osteria, but the fact that they are trying to deny that it is and promote it as a completely different entity is just WRONG.
There should be draft beers available and I honestly do not know how they call themselves a «Beer Garden» when they have LITERALLY 6 beers on the menu… six non-​draft beers. I will say that the bottled/​canned beers are mostly local, which is the only plus side to this whole thing.
DC Brau The Corruption IPA — $ 6
DC Brau El Hefe Speaks — $ 6
Flying Dog Raging Bitch Belgian Style IPA — $ 4.5
Flying Dog Dogtoberfest — $ 4.5
Dogfish Head Pumpkin Ale $ 6
Heavy Seas Über Pils — $ 4.5
I just want these people to be honest. After seeing the announcements for this new beer garden, I liked them on Facebook (that is usually the easiest way to keep up with happy hours/​specials for a business) and I still did not get the impression that it was the same place. Just fess up guys and call yourself what you really are; The patio of Cesco Osteria that offers 6 beers and bar bites. Just call it the outside bar of Cesco.
Positive Attributes: The patio is really lovely. Cute lighting. Friendly waitress. Local beer. Cute menu.