The Beer Joint

I just got here to find out this restaurant is closed and the space is available for lease. Hopefully Unilocal will update this.

Went to this place with a few friends on January 17, 2015. We had hoped for a cool «guys night out». We get to the door and our plans drastically changed. There was a sign on the door that said, «Closed for renovation.» Which isn’t that big of a deal. But noticed that there was also a sign on the door that said, «Closed for the holiday.» We are standing outside the place trying to make different plans when a lady who works in that office building sees us and says, «Don’t bother. That place has been closed 3 weeks.» C’mon! Nothing on the website said they were closed or shut down. I counted ATLEAST 7 other people come by and try the same thing we did. Pretty sad company.

Ha! I ordered a Bloody Mary and the bartender brought me this pale pink drink in a water glass — saying that they were out of mix so he made his own out of catsup. Ugh! I ended up sending it back as it was watery and horrible. This was on a Sunday afternoon. The wings were okay and nicely priced, but the high top tables are uncomfortable. My husband drove by tonight and there was a «closed for the Holidays» note on the door — hmmm, that usually means closed permanently, especially before New Years. Too bad — it should have been better.

I will start by saying this place is very new so they are still figuring out their groove. The new chef definitely has revamped the quality since the first reviews were posted. The folks and I came on a quiet Tuesday night so there was probably 4 – 6 tables of people. My biggest gripe was the service was still pretty slow, BUT the owner did check on us often and really made sure we were good to go, and we weren’t in any sort of rush so we didn’t mind. The effort to explain the short staffing and to holler if any issues really goes a long way.
Now for the good stuff. The Food. We started with the $ 9 Lamb rack app. They were AWESOME. And better yet you could add individual ribs for $ 3 each till your little heart is content. You could technically get 6 ribs for $ 18 which is amazing. Next we tried the tuna nachos. SO GOOD. GET THEM. The burger was also tasty, not dry as previous reviews have mentioned. Not an out of this world best burger ever, but a very satisfying burg to say the least. The Italian flatbread was pretty good. Satisfied our craving for a bit of pizza, and I actually liked it better than typical super thin crispy flatbreads.
The décor is nice, the beer options were delicious, the food top notch, and service needing a touch-​up, but all in all I’m excited to come back! Man those nachos were good!

Too bad to. Because the burger was really good. I mean really good and best of all hot and fresh.
With that said… The rest was the exact opposite.
Beer almost room temperature and buffalo chicken dip room temperature even after i sent it back and was promised it was hot this time. ??? The grouper was soggy and the mashed potatoes were actually cold like refrigerator cold.
Over all not a good experience
People are very nice and seem to be running around non stop, the place is cool with a nice vibe. Music is old 80 hits.
Not coming back though :(((

This is still Vintage 50 w some cool décor and new tables. Good beer and atmosphere but lacking all else.
My friends and I don’t need blown away by a beer/​bourbon and burger place but this was crap.
False advertising on the website. The site is very promising showed cute girls serving big beers. Our waitress was was wearing standard white shirt/​dark pants w messy hair, poor table demeanor and an overall «Half give a crap» attitude.
Beer list was a copy of a hand written list on standard white paper. No alc percent, poor details of the beer. Plus she was clueless on the beer list. How about a big chalk board or something for us to look at on the table. Ugh.
The food was like something you would microwave from Costco. Why is it so hard to walk in Melt, Burger Fi or even 5 guys to see how to go basic or crazy w burger creations and to do them right.
3 of us had fries but had to ask for salt: pepper and hot sauce on her next fly by.
Cuban sandwich was very dry. No complaints about the pretzel. Burger was plain simple. Needed to ask for condiments for that also. Fish taco not bad. But I kept thinking about all the stuff that wasn’t right.
For a Saturday night this place was dead. 6 months to year to be closed unless they take the kitchen serious and take a tour of some successful brew pubs and note the difference. Over haul the menu at least, or forget it.

Went here last night with some friends. Sat in the bar area. I’m an avid beer drinker so I was eager to try their porter… and to my surprise it was absolutely delicious. One if the best I’ve had in a long time. I ordered the chili (small). It has good flavor to it, but unfortunately was room temperature by the time it had arrived. I’ll definitely b going back and looking forward to trying some of their burgers and other beers! It wasn’t too crowded when I got there, and had no problem finding a parking spot like some people mentioned in earlier reviews. Guess it depends on when you go though.

There’s only one concern I have when drinking beer — knowing where the bathrooms are when it’s time to break the seal. And it’s quite a trek to find the restroom! You have to walk out of the restaurant and down a hall. So whoever you go with will think you had to poo because you take too long to find where the damn loo is hiding.
I guess I wasn’t a fan of the layout there nor the décor. I wasn’t sure if they were trying to be German or Southern or simply a high-​class brewery. And what’s the deal with a donut burger? Sounds like something you’d order at a carnival funnel cake stand. And then when I asked if I could order the donut without the burger as dessert, they said no, it was more of a bagel than a donut. Lame.
I really enjoyed their IPA, but their French fries were only a 1. They were super soggy. I’m glad we ordered the happy hour pretzel braid. I only had a couple fries because they were obscenely limp. And the only thing worse than limp French fries is not being able to find a bathroom after you’ve had a couple beers.
In addition, the veggie sandwich wasn’t anything special at all. I ended up just eating the vegetables with a fork without the unappealing bread. My friend ordered the fish and chips — he said the fish was good, but his fries were soggy like mine.
Now you’re probably wondering why this got 3 stars rather than 1 or 2. Because I liked the two beers I had, and I LOVED the ahi tuna nachos. I would come back for those nachos. They were unconventional and tasty and pretty to look at before they went in my belly. Without ordering those nachos, I probably wouldn’t have considered returning here. Praise be Nachos!

I am not sure why I am giving this place one star. Let’s get started.
Imagine opening up a place called the Beer Joint, and only having four shitty beers on tap. Is the name ironic? Aspirational?
The waitresses are dressed like German hookers, which seems odd in every way. As the food started to come, the chili had an inch of fat floating on the top, the silverware was filthy, and the tacos were cold and bland.
As we were eating a couple came and sat down and waited for service. The one waitress was sitting at a table with other customers and apparently was too busy to go serve them. When they left after ten minutes she loudly exclaimed «it’s their loss» Apparently she is confused with how tipping works. It was actually her loss.
All in all it was a horrible experience, and just reminded me why Tuscarora Mill is a can’t miss every time. It’s simple: service, great food and amazing beers in tap. Someone from this lousy restaurant should visit it sometime.

The Beer Joint — a mixed bag of «whats?»
I wouldn’t say I was a frequent customer of the previous establishment, but my wife and I went there about once every six weeks. We enjoyed it. The food was tasty, the beer was excellent and the service was prompt and adequate. It wasn’t a destination restaurant, but it was in the rotation.
I’d probably give the current occupant «The Beer Joint» 2.5 stars b/​c we didn’t dislike it, but we were a little disappointed (rounding up to 3 for its potential). We left thinking «WTF?»
The Beer Joint (or as it shall henceforth be called «the BJ») seems like a place designed by two bros on a coke bender. I imagine the conversation went something like this:
Bro 1: Dooood, we need to come up with a new theme for this place.
Bro 2: Yeah, something totally ballin that’ll bring people in for miles! *bangs down a line of fresh powder*
Bro 1: You know what, we should just do something that’s never been done before like gourmet burgers, craft beer and bourbon! *sniffs fingernail full of booger sugar*
Bro 2: Sick idea Bro, you are so right! But we need hot waitresses to bring in the Bros!
Bro 1: One step ahead of you Broheisen, we dress ‘em up in those Oktoberfest outfits! That way only chics with tight bods will want to work there.
Bro 2: Pure genius Bromeister General… But then won’t people think it’s like a German restaurant? *rolls 20 dollar bill into a nasal straw and rips a massive rail*
Bro 1: Good point Brometheus. So let’s put some German food on the menu, like sausages!
Bro 2: Holy Schnitzel that’s an awesome idea! *laughs continuously for 20 minutes at his own joke*
Bro 1: Yeah, but you know what Bill Bro Baggins? Not a lot of people eat sausage, so we should throw a pretzel and a hot dog on there. No one will know the difference.
Bro 2: Totally, but let’s call it a Frankfurter so everyone knows its authentic.
Bro 1: Freaking amazing C-​3PBro!!! But what if we have to hire some dudes? How are we gonna handle that?
Bro 2: Let’s make ‘em look like Justin Timberlake. You know, like a vest and bowtie. That way tons of smokin babes will show up to flirt with them! *dumps remaining yayo onto coffee table and prepares snort mountain*
Bro 1: I’m with you Tony Bromo, but we don’t want them to look too good, otherwise they will take home all the talent. Let’s make sure they don’t tie their bowties. We want people to know they aren’t worried about their appearance.
Bro 2: I like where your head is at Brah. Now all we need is a logo. Something dominant so people know this place is powerful! I GOT IT, A MASSIVE BULL!!! *bangs head against coffee table, tears sleeves off of UFC tee-​shirt*
Bro 1: HELLS YEAH BROMINE! But the bull needs to be wearing a suit cause he’s a bull banker and he’s stackin fat BENJIS!!!
Bro 2: (now shirtless) I F***KING love that idea!!!
Bro 1: This is gonna be KILLER. You know what else we need?! Tacos and fried calamari, people love that stuff! *plows face first into a pile of Colombian baby powder*
Bro 2: Dewd, you are totally speaking my brocabulary. You’re like the Vincent Van Braugh of menu items. Serious, we need like Cuban sandwiches and Flatbread. It’ll blow people’s minds!
Bro 1: WE ARE GONNA BE RICH!!! *suffers massive heart attack*
The Good: There is a lot to like about the BJ, and it has some potential. The atmosphere is clean, bright and airy. The décor is pleasant and the bars are setup to accommodate a decent crowd. Overall you walk in and think, «Hey, this place looks pretty cool.» The beer I had was tasty, and while they don’t seem to be brewing on-​site, they do have a nice selection of craft beer and micro-​brews.
The Bad: Uhm… hmm…
1) Is there a theme to the cuisine or the restaurant in general? The décor is very country western (and nice) but I am surrounded by hipster waiters, and my waitress looks like she should be serving me beer by the liter. Why is she dressed like a German beer maid? I know its October, but I’m guess she is still wearing that in January. Is there a reason the male waiters and managers can’t tie their bowties. Do they not know how, or are you trying to show people that they are serious about not taking their appearance seriously?
2) So, you specialize in burgers, but I only see 4 options on the menu (the low-​carb burger doesn’t count cause it is a regular burger with a salad), are the other burgers hiding somewhere?
3) What is going on in the kitchen? The fries were limp, the «Cuban» sandwich was a ham and cheese with cold pulled pork on top, and the tacos had enough arugula on them to feed a herd of buffalo.
We are keeping our fingers crossed and will be back in a few months. Hopefully by then the BJ has turned the corner and is back in the rotation.

This is just my experience at this establishment, and my opinions. Take it as you may…
Came here for the good Vintage 50 ambiance, and was disappointed in the change that was made.
We sat in the back that used to be where you were seated by a hostess, which is now seat yourself. Okay, that’s fine. However, when we approached a high top table that someone just vacated, we stood waiting for 5 minutes and no one still came by. It was a Friday, but it was by no means swamped. We moved to the bar for better service; however, it was near the register and all the servers were coming by and chatting with the bartender. We overheard several conversations, one of which led me to believe there were no set order to what servers had which tables. No wonder the high top table stayed dirty for so long.
Burgers were good, and there were food and drink specials 3−8pm Monday-​Saturday.
Customer service needs to improve before I will return. Reading online it is the same owner, which surprises me for the experience I had.

I hope that anyone that wasn’t satisfied during their grand opening gives this place another chance. I don’t come in here too often, but when I do I typically leave happy. The service I receive is always exceptional, and during the busy times of the night when the lot is more full, it should be expected that there is a slight chance the servers are in the weeds and may not give you the royal treatment.
As of this past week, for those who had an issue with the girls’ uniforms, they did change them. I was not deterred by them, but reading the reviews gives me the idea that it kept some from returning here. Fortunately for you, they are now similar to the male uniforms.
The food is GREAT. It has a little twist to it, so for those who are more into traditional American food with little seasoning and plain mayo/​cream based sauces, you might not like everything they have. Regardless, you can definitely find something you like you just have to actually read the menu to make sure it is what you want out of an entrée. The burgers were okay at one point, I think they’ve gotten a lot better now. Try the brisket sandwich if they have it in stock! It is sooo worth it. I’m a fan of dark beers, and I love the porter they have.
Lastly, for those who are under the impression it is a family restaurant and care to complain here about it… it is called The Beer Joint. There are two children’s menu items to ACCOMMODATE you if you do happen to bring your children, not CATER to your kind of market.
The servers and bartenders are great, I always enjoy talking to them.

After a rough start, I am now happy to give this place a positive review. The speed and friendliness of service has continued to improve, until tonight’s was back to what you’d expect from an established bar and grille. Better, the women can now wear the same uniforms as the men, which is a huge improvement. Even the woman who wore her faux dirndl tonight did so respectably, with no inappropriate show of skin. Considering the awesome beer and good food, now that the service has improved, I’m happy to give a great review. I’m looking forward to more awesomeness to come. Keep up the great work!

Not sure how they are in business. We went in and stood there waiting for someone to help us, finally seated ourselves. Only to wait another 20 minutes for the waiter and bartender to look over at us, like we were inconveniencing them. We walked out. Anyplace is better.

Just not feeling this place at all.
Parking lot is packed tight and busy!
Walk in and sit at the bar to wait for my friend and the bar stools are not comfortable at all. First of all, no back rest. Second, while the stools are cool and designed like Kegs, you cannot find a foot hold to rest your feet on. Which means your feet are DANGLING.
The service was less than desirable. Not sure if the bartender was having a bad day or if that’s his regular attitude. Anytime someone asked for something, he’d roll his eyes or have a disgusted look on his face like he’d rather be anywhere but behind that bar. Literally.
He’s one of those bartenders that make you wave your hand in the air for his attention. We had to ask for everything meaning he didn’t take the initiative at all. Yes, when he took my first order, he shook my hand and said his name but that was the only personable contact. After that, I think he thought he was working at DICK’S LAST RESORT in Myrtle Beach where insults and poor service are their gimmick.
First off, when I get to a bar and I’m there by myself and I order my drink, you would think I’d be on my own tab, right? Nope. My friend shows up 30 minutes after me and when I ask for my tab, they’re combined. Why? That has never made sense to me and we don’t like it.
Ordered the fried pickles and they’re spears, not slices like I was expecting. No big deal there. We had to wave and literally raise our voices to get some silverware. When the bartender unhappily brought the silverware, he didn’t bring small plates so instead of dealing with HIM, I just got up and walked to the service station and grabbed plates myself. When I have to take care of myself at a restaurant combined with attitude, I won’t go back again.
He made rude and inappropriate comments where one was about ‘yea, they’re cute until you shove gorillas in them’; referring to the female ‘uniforms’ and the larger ladies.
At least, the ladies were all tucked into their «uniforms» and nothing hanging out this time.
A very pretty establishment but pretty isn’t worth the poor service and bad attitudes. Had my two drinks, fried pickles, and we will not be back.

In the fall, get the pumpkin bread pudding. Don’t ask, just do it!
Great ambiance, good beer selection: all home-​brewed. Their milk stout on the Nitro system is fantastic!
The food was very good. The fried pickles were a major favorite, they tasted like pickle corn dogs… so good!
Of you’re looking for a casual place that provides an all-​around great experience, I highly recommend coming to the Beer Joint!

This was our first visit to this restaurant since it changed and we went without reading reviews first. First impression was that the inside décor was really nicely done. It wasn’t very crowded at 1330 on a Sunday and there was nobody to greet us in the back area so we seated ourselves. The bartender saw us so we figured all was well. Until we sat there for about ten minutes with not so much as a glance. I walked up to the bar and asked if it was in fact seat yourself. The bartender apologized and was quick to come take our order. Very nice guy, but strike one. We ordered the poutine (sp?) to start, the wife ordered chilli and I got the lamb burger and we each got a beer.
The poutine was absolutely tasty as heck! But huge! So be prepared. The wife loved the chilli. Good portion size, nice presentation. The lamb burger was good, nothing great, but good. I ordered a spinach salad rather than fries since we had poutine as an appetizer. Very good salad but hard to eat in the tiny bowl that was overflowing with salad.
So, not bad huh? I had to save this for last. The waitress outfits. OMG what were they thinking? The place went from a local craft brew pub with decent food and comfortable surroundings to a German Hooters real quick. The outfits are ridiculous, demeaning, inappropriate for an establishment that expects families to eat there. They have a kid’s menu, so I assume the don’t expect folks to leave the kids home. Even if they did, it’s just weird.
Change the uniforms and we’ll be back. Or make the men wear something similar and we will be back at least once: P
I would give four stars with more attentive service and different uniforms. Today, three stars for you.

Now the waitresses aren’t wearing the trashy outfits we went back. Excellent burger, Especially the lamb. Onion rings are great. Décor is still werid, a combination of German, cowboy and other mixed themes. But tasty and we will be back.

Regardless of what this place was before (Vintage 50), I’m gonna review this irrespective of what it once was. Every new place deserves a fresh review.
Food/​Drinks:
Beer is marginal and honestly not as good as other craft beer places in the area. There were a host of beers listed and yet not available. The ones they did offer weren’t great examples of their style, nor were they good enough to stand on their own.
The food was average. Just your usual American bar fare. Burgers were ok and well prepared.
Atmosphere:
Interior looks good. Seating area was comfortable and attractive.
Other than that, I honestly don’t know what to think of the «beer maidens.» I wouldn’t mind if the dress, hair, and makeup was only suggested, but after reading the requirements on the posted job listing, it seems kinda antiquated that the beer maidens must wear their «uniforms/​costumes,» be «fit and glamorous,» and be «knowledgeable of glamorous hairstyling and make-​up application.» Requiring a fun and friendly attitude is ok for a customer service role, but being «fit» (sometimes a little junk-​in-​the-​trunk is a-​ok) and wearing silly costumes, hairstyles, and makeup is cheesy, old-​fashioned, and kinda degrading. I’d rather have knowledgable, friendly, competent, and hygenic staff rather than feel sorry that it’s a job requirement and not just a suggestion. Seriously, you’re limiting the application pool and excluding the possibility of having the best staff you can have.
Sure it’s legal, most likely consensual, and there may be a market for it in Leesburg for 18 – 65 year old male DBs, but it just doesn’t work for me. Let me be able to bring a date there and not worry if the women are being used as a marketing/​advertising gimmick. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate and admire the female form, but don’t subscribe to overtly sexual clichés. Let the women that work there express themselves without the precedence of relying on their appearance alone. Maybe if both genders of waitstaff were treated equally and had the same expectations of «fitness» and dress, I wouldn’t be as critical.
All in all, it was pretty average and better can be had elsewhere.

This is what Vintage 50 has become, and I’m really disappointed.
The wait staff was marginally polite, a bit unfriendly, and totally uncoordinated (literally, there was confusion and disagreement about whom should serve my wife and me; we wound up having two servers). I also didn’t appreciate the manager giving my entrée salad to my wife and then shooting me a slightly disparaging look when I moved it over in front of myself. News flash, your point-​of-​sale system should have seat numbers. If it doesn’t, ask when you carry food up to the table — don’t assume.
The food was not good. The pretzel twist was dry, hard to chew, and came with sauces that mostly tasted terrible — especially avoid the cheese dip. My Caesar salad was fine, except for the fact that the dressing had no flavor. Bonus points for using really good cheese, at least. My wife had the veggie sandwich and found it impossible to hold and eat. Why you would use naan like flatbread, instead of like a pita, is beyond me. Some things are so easy to get right apparently they can still be screwed up. The fries were very oily, but otherwise okay.
On the bright side, there were four college football games playing, lots of seats, and good house-​brewed beers on tap. Otherwise, this place would barely rate a single star.
We won’t go back.

Sad. I solidly liked Vintage 50. Note I’m a lady, 34, I have disposable income, I like beer. V50 was one of the true foodie craft beer quality havens, worth the drive to Leesburg.
Despite some local news coverage saying «oh, it’s a man cave BUT we want women to feel welcome!» the new place’s job ads are for «Beer Girls.» A-​yup, even the job title is a put-​down — I’m assuming you’re not hiring that many minors to serve alcohol?
I’ve been to Oktoberfest — those women and men can not only carry ten to fifteen liters of beer at a time, sing along, dance, not worry about their uniform riding up AND fully enjoy a half-​chicken and potato salad. «Fit and Glamorous» — mmhm.
Even if they’d truly welcome us hetero wimmens with shirtless dudes in lederhosen, I’ll save myself the drive and hit Old Ox, Lost Rhino, Caboose, the list is long — unlike these fantasy dirndls, and more importantly, the actual beer list currently available. That’s nothing, right now, even when you click the website’s «categories» of blondes, redheads, and brunettes. Beer joint, indeed.
–there are also endless other places to get poutine in the DC area now, it’s on-​trend.