November 5, 2007
First Look: Dogfish Head Alehouse in Falls Church
By DCist Contributor Aaron Morrissey
Dogfish Head Alehouse, the third (and we assume not the last) in a planned series of eateries that serve lovers of the venerable Delaware-based brewery with the American basics, is now open in Falls Church, and DCist popped by to survey the scene in advance of Tuesday night's official Grand Opening party.
There’s nothing outstanding about the place upon entering. The immediate thought was the episode of The Simpsons in which Moe promises “a whole bunch of crazy crap on the walls” at Uncle Moe’s Family Feedbag. The televisions on the wall project Sunday football games (but are volume controlled) and the restrooms sign is branded to the wall in a pale red neon glow. You’ll have a hard time differentiating the space from other chain restaurants, which is unfortunate since the Alehouse offers menu items that you’ll never find in Chili’s. (Hint: they don’t offer Miller Lite. Or disgusting onion...things.)
Beer connoisseurs can attest that Dogfish Head’s 60 and 90 Minute IPAs are among the most notable and well-crafted microbrews on the East Coast, but they might not realize that DFH produces some other fantastic beers, ten of which are on tap at the Alehouse. For starters, try the Shelter Pale Ale: a malty, bittersweet ale that perfectly matches crisp days of falling leaves and cardigans. Or try the Raison D’Etre, the winner of the 2000 American Beer of the Year title, as awarded by Malt Advocate.
The menu isn't much help in finding the right beer and food pairings, but they are some good ones to be had. The aforementioned Shelter Pale is great with the Cajon Andouille Egg Rolls, a confluence of peppers and sausage, with just the right amount of Cajun kick. Also try pairing the Chicory Stout (a dark, dry porter made from Mexican coffee and licorice root) with the gigantic Alehouse BBQ Burger, a behemoth slab topped with cheddar, bacon, and seasoned onion rings. The burger, made of two four-ounce patties and cooked perfectly, was bar food at it’s best –- how you’d hope kitchens on your Friday night bar crawl would cook.
Is it worth the trip? An unspectacular drive — and no Metro accessibility by foot — means probably not. The prices are reasonable enough, though, to make it a solid destination for Virginians and anyone with other business in Seven Corners.
Dogfish Head Alehouse
6363 Leesburg Pike
Seven Corners Shopping Center
Falls Church, VA 22044
703-534-3342
Happy Hour is 4 to 7 p.m. on weekdays, with $1.50 off drafts and $1 off other drinks.
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One big downside, due to Virginia's alcohol laws, is you can't get Dogfish's excellent distilled spirits there.
The food is good, the service will work itself out, and the beer is great. It's well worth the trip for me, but then I live in Arlington.
So does Dogfish make an ale that isn't some overly hopped IPA? I'm looking for something that's closer to a mildly hopped English bitter, and about the closest I can find is Redhook ESB. Hopefully, the rising cost of hops will encourage brewers to go a little easier on them. I'm tired of having beers that that taste like you're going down on someone who been wearing a copper chastity belt since the first Bush administration.
"Unspectacular drive" what does that mean? Did you expect majestic vistas and a tranquil sunset on RT 50? Also, East Fall Church station is about a mile north, not terribly un-walkable. Although Seven Corners isn’t’ quite a pedestrian dream.
Monkey- I think most of thier beers are hoppy. I don't like them- hoppy is not my thing. The one that's OK for me is their lightest one, I think it's called Lawnmower something.
@monkey: They make some really good low hop/no hop beers, including Chateau Jiahu, Festina Pesche, and Fort. But they aren't what you are looking for, either, I bet.
The Shelter Pale Ale isn't as hoppy as the IPAs. The fantastic Raison D'etre (and it's 18% counterpart, Raison D'extra) isn't hopped much.
If you like stouts, the Chicory and World Wide Stouts are fantastic. The WW, though, can be as high as 25% alcohol. Go slow.
If you really want a good English-style bitter, hit the road and go to The Wharf Rat near Camden Yards in Baltimore. The English publican/brewer even has a few beer engines/hand pumps.
re: alcohol sales,
yes i went last week and was hoping i could buy a few to take home. anyone know what the MD store is like? can you buy the beer to go there? i am not very familiar with MD alcohol laws.
This Raison D'extra that you speak of sounds intriguing. I love the Raison D'etre.
monkey, just because you are weak does not mean the rest of us should have to suffer. On the other hand, since I first has a 120-minute IPA a few years ago, my taste buds never fully recovered...
@Samer: Just wanted to add that not all of the beers you mentioned are available all the time. The Chicory Stout was delicious, but it is listed as a seasonal brew (lucky for us, it's the winter choice and should be available for a while.)
Well, I'm willing to experiment to build up my hop tolerance, so I'll give them a go. I just wish they were more clearly labelled as toxically hoppy, like Ruination IPA or Tuppers Hop Pocket. I mean, if they're peddling something called Old Mouthful of Copper Chastity Belt Funk, I'll know what I'm getting into.
Try a Dogfish 60 minute IPA - it's hoppy, but without the usual bitterness or alcohol burn. All in all a smooth IPA. I'd also recommend the Victory Hop Devil, although that may be a bit too strong if you're very much against hops.
Their seasonal pumpkin ale is good this year. Depsite having panned it two years ago, I was pleasantly surprised at its mellower flavor this fall. I think I plowed through four four-packs last month, so it's got to be pretty good, right?
In addition to the metro being about a mile away, there are also these nifty things called buses that have loads of access to the area.
Try a Dogfish 60 minute IPA - it's hoppy, but without the usual bitterness or alcohol burn. All in all a smooth IPA. I'd also recommend the Victory Hop Devil, although that may be a bit too strong if you're very much against hops.
Oh for god's sake, would you listen to yourself: "the Hop Devil may be too strong if you're very much against hops." It's like the guy wants to eat his red beans and rice in peace, and you're there with the bottle of "Demon Ass Burn TNT Sauce" saying, this is spicy, but not *too* spicy. Unless you're a wimp.
God, why is it that every cask ale in this town is a freeking Imperial Cherry Porter with 140 f-ing IBUs?
Enough already. You're not impressing anyone.
I never realized this whole hophead thing was such a freaking hornet's nest. It's like the damned single malt scotch fetish. I mean, they blend that stuff for a reason; and yet otherwise intelligent people will pay through the butthole for three single malts that each taste like lawnmower trimmings, bong resin, and wide open ass, respectively. But god forbid they actually pay for a blended scotch that combines the finer elements off all three.
Here's a thought: how about we blend them, charge $500 a bottle, and call it Johnny Walker Blue?
Best hoppy beer (name) ever: Hoptimus Prime.
monkey, have you been to birreria paradiso in Gtown or the Reef in Adams Morgan? They have good selections of beers (and one cask each usually). Of course they have some hoptastic action but they usually have something for people with more sensitive taste buds.
Whenever I'm unfortunate enough to find myself in Adams Morgan, Reef is my go-to beer spot. And unlike Brickskellar, they tend to actually have the beers that are on their menu. Nowdays, though, I've been working my way through the beer list at Rustico. And when I find myself a little light in the wallet, I can at least afford a $2 PBR or Miller High Life.
I really have to start using "unspectacular" in casual conversation. Like this morning, my commute was particularly unspectacular. No monkeys with jetpacks and flails, no sexy pirates or gangster octopuses. Not so much as a single tentacle from the dreaded Cthulhu. I got bupkus. It's enough to make me want to move back to Shaw.
yeah, second on birreria paradiso. From their website:
"Now On Cask: Allagash Dubbel"
Mmmm. Now *that's* what I'm talkin' about...