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Categories: Restaurants, Bars
1523 22nd St NWDupont Circle (Red)
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.
Sat. 6:00 p.m. - 3:00 a.m.
Sun. 6:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
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Awesome!
This was my first time at the Brickskeller on Tuesday night. There weren't very many people at the bar, which was okay by me. I can't BELIEVE their beer selection. I had heard they had the largest selection in the world, but my god! pages and pages of beer to choose from!!
I went with a friend, and we decided to share the spicy fried chicken wings, and two garden salads. Can I just say... DELISH!! The chicken was so good! I couldn't believe it! And the salads were fresh as well!
I tried 2 different beers (had to drive home), which went great with the wings.. mmm....
Also, there was an amazing "jukebox" there.. You know, the electronic touch screen ones. The music selection was awesome! they had just about everything! $5 bought us 18 credits, so we jammed out. The people at the bar were super nice, the bartender was incredibly knowledgeable about all the beers, and it was just an over all great time. Also, it was only $25 a piece for us. Not bad!
I will definitely be back!
DUDE, lets totally go to this brickseller place, they have like 5.243 bazillion beers. Totally sweet dude. We can totally relive our college pub crawl years. Then we can play DARTS!!!!! Maybe later we can go to the strip club, thats awesome bro!!!!
Yeah ok, if you want to experience being told that they dont have any beer on their extensive menu in stock, then go for it. If you ran a restaurant where 85% of your beers werent available, you would be out of business very quickly.
And now the definition of menu, you will note, the word availability. Maybe the Brickseller owners will read this, but I am sure they will want to still be the restaurant with the "biggest beer menu" in the world, not realizing that it ceases to be a menu when the majority of the items on it are in fact, not available.
menu (mn'y)
n.
1.A list of the dishes to be served or available for a meal.
2.The dishes served or available at a meal.
Two words: American Tragedy.
Seriously, every time I have been here, those words have run through my head. You look around and get a little depressed seeing the people around you. Kind-of like you would looking around at people at Kings Dominion. Or Medieval Times. Not that I would REALLY know because I would never go to those places. But these are probably their cooler but somehow equally sad cousins. Come to town. Drinking beer in a sad, dark place.
Overall it's really not that bad, and they do have a TON of beer. BUT they are also liars. They put together a 5000 page menu of beer, and then you ask for beer 1.
"Nope, we're out."
"Ok, how about beer 2?"
"Nope."
"Beer 3?"
"Nope."
"4?"
"Uh, let me check. No."
"Ok, so what beers DO you have?"
And then you settle on something mediocre, irritated that they didn't have the first 4 you asked for. I like Alex V's term: beer roulette. Which you will lose.
I'm also not really a beer connoisseur so I guess I don't have the appreciation one should have of this place.
But anyway, I think almost everyone should experience this place at some point. I just try to keep the American Tragedy in my life to a minimum so I keep my visits spaced out to about once a year.
Here's the deal: I love Brickskeller. Or, I want to love it. Really, I do. In fact, when I first went, back in 2000 or so, I thought it was one of the coolest places I'd ever been. And, in theory, it is: dark, funky design, looks like it's been there since the Dark Ages, a cellar-like feel and loads upon loads of beer available.
It's well known that you will hear, "I'm sorry, we're out of the ..." at least twice in your visit. But it's gotten to be ridiculous. For a bar that boasts a Guinness Book level of beers, they sure don't actually serve that many. I'd wager that only 30% of the beers you see are in stock at any given time.
Someone told me the other day that they tend to buy their beer in bulk at the beginning of the year, and so when they are out, they're out. I don't know how much credence to put in that statement, but from my experience, I'd believe it.
Anyway, I now tend to give my waiter options: Here's my first choice; if you're out of that I'll also take X or Y. But service, while friendly and helpful (and knowledgeable), tends to be quite slow.
The food's not that great -- sure, it's crappy bar food, but it's not even good crappy. Burgers are OK, probably your best bet. Pizza -- don't go there.
I'll never give up on Brickskeller -- I just want them to do a bit better.
My boyfriend and I come here whenever we're in D.C. for a few beers that you won't normally find in a bar. The selection is great and it's fun to look at the book (menu) and pick out selections from all over the world.
I've experienced what many people have with unavailable beers. But I've been very satisfied with the waiter's suggestions.
Last time we were here, we ordered burgers and I was very satisfied. The waitress was attentive and my beer choices made me very happy . I was introduced to Pyramid Apricot Ale here and as soon as I returned out West, I renewed my love for this beer with a six pack (not all at once or by myself, no worries).
The atmosphere is a bit dark and deary, but it's a fun local place with good beer and food.
Tip: note the hours they are open. We showed up at what we thought was a reasonable time for dinner, but had to wait about 30 minutes for them to open up.
I think this place is fine but nothing more than that. It's annoying how you order some interesting beer and inevitably they don't have it. The beers are expensive and the food is mediocre and overpriced. The waiters I have encountered are tired and not actually that knowledgeable about the beer at all. How are you supposed to choose a beer you have never heard of from a massive list if the waiter has no clue what anything is like? My food took forever to come out after all of my friends had been served and the waiter never indicated that my food would be out soon or anything. One of my friends went to find the waiter to ask him. Overall I think this place has outlived its gimmick and is nothing more than a generic bar.
Meredith C. summed up exactly what I wanted to say perfectly - be sure to prepare for a lot of the following:
- "Can I have this one?"
- "Oh, we're out of that right now"
- "What about this one?"
- "Out of that one"
- "How about this one"
- "Out of that too"
- "Ok, and this one"
- "Nope, don't have that, we're out of it"
- "And this one?"
- "Sorry, we're out of that"
So basically, you sort through an extensive menu of beers from dozens of different countries, get rejected on the half-dozen that sounded interesting, and end up having to order a Miller Lite.
I could have done that anywhere else, thank you.
WOW. Too many beers on the beer menu - guess it's hard to keep that kind of inventory. Slow service in a cool, ancient feeling, oddly shaped space.
Cool basement bar with an insane bottled beer selection. Sounds like a recipe for success, but there are some shortcomings.
The selection is huge, but the availability sucks. It literally took me 5 times before they actually had a beer I wanted in stock. Its like playing beer roulette, chances are you are going to lose. It took me 25 minutes to get my first beer.
The staff was inattentive, and they really had a limited knowledge of beer. The place was dirty, and there was only one functional urinal in the men's room. The other two urinals were covered by trash bags.
The Brickskellar is definitely worth a visit, but its not a place I would bother going to on a regular basis.
If you go to Brickskeller for anything but beer, you're an idiot.
Good for trying new beers if you're a snob like me
Good for having a taste of something from home if you're a traveler like me
Good for drinking your standards
some negatives:
- It can get crowded really quickly because it's mostly a restaurant seating style establishment, thus making the wait time significant.
- It can be hit or miss with the staff - some of them actually know what they're talking about while others are complete dumbbells. if you're running a beer establishment, at least hire people that can read a label on a bottle of beer.
- Food is awful
Brickskeller is a love it or hate it place. Personally, I love it. I have spent many a night here while traveling on business to DC.
Brickskeller is one of the most amazing places you can go if you love real beer.
If you are looking for food, don't go (their food is awful)
If you are looking to get drunk on light beers, don't go (they aren't particularly quick)
But if you want to choose from a list of beers so long you could drink a new one each time for a few years, this is the place for you.
The staff is generally very knowledgeable about the beers, and can often recommend a similar beer if they are out of one you want. That is my only complaint... they are often out of stock, but I imagine its not easy to keep over 1000 beers in stock all the time in a somewhat tiny bar.
Also, I'm not sure if it was luck of the draw, but the staff tending bar seem to know even more about beer than those tending tables.
Anyway, to summarize:
Beer Fanatics: 5 Stars
Non Beer Drinkers: 1 Star
Don't Do It. Resist the urge to get anything besides the beer.
Go for the Beer. Go for the banter. Go for the BEER.
It was a warm Thursday evening when the cube and I decided to explore Georgetown and Dupont Circle. I had heard stories of the brick joint serving 1k plus beers. 1000 beers, really? My beer gut smiled in joy...
We stepped through double doors and were greeted with a "your ID please!" Once allowed in, we plopped on some bar stools and asked for a menu. Did I just say menu? HA! It was more like a paper pamphlet with pages and pages of beer names across various continents. Africa, India, Europe, the US, and El Salvador. Of all things right, I had to fly to DC to encounter some Suprema?!?!
Loved the delivery system of the beer-and if you go to the second floor-you will see what I mean. Waitress was sweet, and offered us some good tips. After having the pumpkin ale and some HORRID HORRID spinach dip with bread, we bounced like bandits in the night.
Again..I stress my point:
Don't Do It. Resist the urge to get anything besides the beer.
Go for the Beer. Go for the banter. Go for the BEER.
In Tallahassee, where I spent four years in college at FSU, there's a bar called the Leon Pub, with hundreds of beers from all over the world. And it's got a great dive-y atmosphere.
So when I was first introduced to Brickskeller, I immediately felt at home. The two bars could be twins. Love the divey atmosphere, but ultimately it's the beer menu that gets me going. I've been tempted to, ahem, steal a menu and then go through one by one and try all the beers on the list. Obviously not at once. The bartenders are always super knowledgeable, which always amazes me because no matter what beer you pick, or how vaguely you describe one you've had before they know everything about it.
I've never tried the food here, but I have to say upon glancing at the menu, it looks pretty good, and the prices are really reasonable, so I think sometime I will definitely give it a try. Until then, 4 stars for the atmosphere and beer!
If you're looking for someplace chill to grab a beer, or two, or three - this is your spot. It's an unpretentious, no-frills place that is serious about their brews. Don't be surprised if your selections from the beer list (which reads more like a novel) aren't available... the selection changes often and even if one isn't available, a hundred others are. I wouldn't count on the food here; I've tried a couple of the appetizers (including the fries and pierogi) without much success, but it'll do to pad your stomach so you can... uh... drink more BEER? Isn't that why you came here in the first place?!
Drink beer, be happy, tip your server for recommending the best ale you'd never heard of. Good stuff.
This used to be my favorite spot for a beer in DC. They have the best beer selection I've ever seen, but my last few visits cost them a star. To be fair, I haven't been in a few years, so my review may not be accurate, but.... they were out of quite a few beers I ordered (and also some food items). I'm sure when you have that many beers, it's hard to keep them all in stock. Bottom line: they have so many beers on the list, if you like beer, you'll find something awesome to drink. I wouldn't go just for the food though. It's not all that.
YAY they have Founders!!!
Heart the Porter, just give me a Kentucky Bourbon Breakfast Stout and I think I just might fall in love.
I like that you had Oatmeal Stouts when I asked.
I don't like that it took the fourth try to get it.
I…
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4 stars for their Beer selection alone. It's unbelievable how many different beers they have.
This place got pretty crowded, but luckily there was one table left on this Friday night. We delighted in some Hoegaardens and cheese fries with hot sauce.
This has a great pub vibe and awesome for tryiing out new beers!
Awesome selection of bottled beer in a little hole-in-the-wall complete with colorful (or colourful for you Brits) regulars from the neighborhood. The food is strictly "Pub Grub", but what else would you want when you can travel the USA, and the rest of the world in beer!
Yesterday I had several German selections with a killer Bratwurst plate. Today, Russian and Polish selections with Perogies as good as my (deceased) Polish Grandma used to make (Mom's are still good, but just don't have that G'ma love, no disrespect intended Mom).
Crowds vary a lot! Last night (Wednesday), almost SRO. Today (Thursday), no problemo. Great seat at the bar.
Good food, GREAT beers, cool people, friendly servers and beertenders. Looking forward to my next visit.
What country does Spinach/Artichoke Dip come from??
On a rainy post-dinner Saturday evening a few friends and I stopped into Brickskeller figuring we would grab a drink before heading somewhere else.
We were immediately amazed at the decor as this was truly a place which knew it's beer. The recently printed beer menu had what appeared to be thousands of varieties from all over the world. Our waitress was very knowledgable about beers...I would say "she has forgot more about beer then most people will ever know", but it didnt seem to me as if she had forgotten anything at all. It was almost spooky how much knowledge she had.
Despite our intent to just stop in for one, we didnt leave the place until about 2 AM. Amongst the 3 of us we tried probably 15 different beers. Although I'm not a huge beer drinker I have a little bit more appreciation of it all after my experience at Brickskeller.
Not to mention I now have a list of beers I need to find and have available at home!
It should be noted I give this a 5-star based on our beer experience, we didnt have anything to eat at Brickskeller.
this rating only reflects the place as a whole. it has been said in many reviews before that this place is known for its beer, but i'm doing this on the whole.
their home-printed, paper menu is daunting at first. pages and pages of different beers divided by country. so what should you do? ask the waiter. they seem to know enough about beer to suggest you something.
as for the food, wait til later. their cheeseburger was underwhelming, and their pasta is something you can make at home (not to be confused with home-made).
I had high hopes for this place. I love beer, and my dad was so excited to take me here. He used to go here 30 years ago.
But this place kind of sucks. The doorman was a real jerk--my mom was joking around with him, saying, you really need to see my ID? And she's a sweet and charming lady. And he was all pissy, like, yes, I do, it's the law, I'll get fired, blah blah blah. Seriously, she was joking.
Our waitress was really knowledgeable, which was great. But the beer list was not what I thought. There were a lot of beers missing that I would have liked to see. Just not that impressed with the selection.
What boosted this over the one star rating? Video bowling.
Their reach exceeds their grasp....
Impressive menu, but less impressive stock. Is it OK to be a tease?
Definitely has a "hole-in-the-wall" ambiance. No kidding, I watched a mouse run across the floor, but hey.... that's why beer comes in bottles!
I'd go back to meet friends but I wouldn't take someone there for their first visit.
2.5 stars, really. Everytime I go here, I have to have my beer order backed up by 3 more choices. They are FOREVER out of beer. The safest bet is to go with the tap. The beers on draft are great (and clearly always available!) so no worries there.
The food is bad. Literally got food poisoning there once from the chicken. Threw up on Valentines' Day a few years ago. Not good.
Review Summary: yes, this place has an amazing beer selection but it doesn't justify treating patrons like crap.
I came here last night and I think considering it was a Monday night, it was an off-night in terms of the crowd. It was filled with douchebags, tourists and douchebaggy tourists. But that didn't really bother me so much considering that I was with friends and wasn't looking to mingle anyway.
What DID bother me was how the manager Mike body-checked my friend as he walked by and in doing so, knocked my friend's drink out of his hand. The water spilled all over my shoes and the floor while Mike looked back, recognised what he did, and continued on his own arrogant and lazy way without apologising or offering a towel to dry my feet or taking the courtesy to mop up the slippery floor.
When I brought up the issue with a server, he looked at me somewhat blankly and said, "well, what do you want me to do about it?" I don't know, man - exercise some of those customer service skills you theoretically have. Use your imagination. Replace my friend's drink. Offer me a towel so my feet stop squishing in my shoes. Mop up the huge spill on the floor. Bring Mike back from whatever hole he is lurking in so I can talk to him politely about what just happened. These are just a few ideas I can think of...
And a small but somewhat integral gripe: there's no free music. Any music played must be purchased via the jukebox. That just kind of bothers me.
I will not return until new management comes in and shakes things around.
My impression when I first came here? Pretty much wow! Although wait was about 45mins on a really busy night, I was just amazed at the selection of imports they had. I gotta say I was really excited and wanted to try a bunch of stuff. The bad part? They were out on 4 of the 5 beers I ordered.. sigh. And everything I tried that night tasted the same so it was meh. The pizza here is pretty good, and that says a lot because I don't like pizza =\.
Anyhow, the past couple visits have been quite dull to say the least, maybe it's just seasonal because the place is empty as of late. Feels weird since the first time I visited which was a super cool atmosphere. I'm big into Japanese beer and wanted to try some of the nonexistant ones like the Hitachino Nest but they never have'em when I'm there so I've given up on it. They always have the usual Kirin Ichiban, Asahi, Sapporo etc but I can have those whenever =\. Orz
This place is getting 4, not 5, and my reasoning will follow...
I have been going to the Brickskeller since I discovered it 6 years ago. The first time I went with a couple friends, one of whom really wanted to try new and different beers. The other pretty much just ordered American Microbrews that weren't too exciting. Either way, I think this shows the wide range of beers you can drink here.
On some occasions, I have the best experience here (usually upstairs), and this usually correlates to the server/waiter. Sometimes I'll get one of the real experts who knows the beer, knows what they have in stock and can give me good advice. This was the case for my first few visits. Being able to say:
"I'd like a German beer, that's not too heavy, and not more than around $10." And getting a few options. Of course you can ask a more detailed set of questions around a particular beer, which is great.
Other times, I have been here and if I am not sure what I want and have questions, I would probably have more success on an iPhone using google. I think my gf once asked for a heifenwiezen suggestion and the waitress looked and said "Widmer." Seriously??!!
I am going with 4 stars because of the absolute awesomeness of the beer list. The loss of a star is due to two main things. The above reason for lack of assistance and the second reason is the stock. So many times have I come to get a certain beer and they are out. Then i give them 2 back ups and guess what? They are out of those too.
Overall this place is pretty sweet and there is something to be said about sitting in a dark basement with brick walls and very little light sipping on a Schneider Hefeweizen.
As a beer lover, I have very few complaints about Brickskeller. The selection was top-notch and I'm not the type that's going to complain if they're out of the exotic pilsner from Mauritania.
On my most recent trip, I represented the motherland and went for a Ukrainian lager. "You not say Ukraine weak!" That brew had some punch.
All in all, I love the place. The location is a bit off the beaten path so you can avoid the insanity of Dupont. The atmosphere is dark and dingy...perfect for slugging back good beers.
The only gripe I have about the place is that their jukebox could be updated. The choices range from weak 90s hits to adult contemporary. Really, Brickskeller? Such an awesome, low-key, underground feel with great beers and that is your choice in music?
I haven't had the food yet, but I'll be sure to update when I do.
Definitely all the points for this place come from its massive beer selection, and for having reasonable prices. The service is mediocre at best, but the atmosphere is just fine.
Even taking into consideration the options they are out of on a given night, there is still a staggering amount of variety here. They lose a star for being the only beer garden I've visited that consistently is out of things on their menu. (Unrelated, their menu really needs a revision. It has a lot of mistakes).
All in all, I'd definitely come back here when I'm in the area.
Come for the beer, stay for the . . . beer.
This place has a huge selection of beer. The food may not be the best in town, the service certainly isn't. But the beer, my god, the beer. If you want wine or liquor or food, I would look elsewhere. If you want to sit back and try a few pints of foreign beer with friends, this is the place.
Wha?! I gave the Brickskeller 4 stars way back in the day?!?!
This may be nostalgia talking, but this place deserves a 5. Easily my favorite bar in all of DC, and missed all the more now that it's not nearby.
Go upstairs for the draft selection, get the cask ale. You won't be disappointed.
6 months on Yelp and I haven't written a review for the Brickskeller yet??? FOR SHAME!
This *might*…
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This place has a great selection of beers but the service is awful. We were sat in a back room in the corner even though the place wasn't full, and it took forever to even have our drink orders taken. The food wasn't bad, but we had some issues with getting the waitress to split the bill. When we finally figured out how we were going to pay, our waitress told us not not to come back until we learned how to count. And that's putting it nicely.
I've been to Brickskeller a few times now and yeah, they have more beers than you can shake a stick at which is all fine and good, but the chances that they'll actually have the one you want is slim to none. Not only will you have to pick a first and second choice beer (in case they don't have it on hand), you'll have to pick a third, fourth and even a fifth choice. I know that Brickskeller boasts the Guinness World Record for the most beers (or something to that effect) but so far, that hasn't impressed me much.
As for service at Brickskeller, it's so-so. During my last visit, our server didn't really check up on our table all too much and it's too bad for her because boy, was our table THIRSTY! We ended up dipping out after only one round to find another place to go. But if you're looking to play a few slow-paced rounds of "Around the World in Beer", Brickskeller couldn't be more fitting.
I'm the biggest beer geek I, or any of my friends, know. This review is largely directed at fellow beer geeks/snobs/homebrewers.
I was looking forward to coming to the Brick...
I scanned a few reviews and talked to some folks before going and my expectations were instantly made much more realistic.
They do carry a lot of beer here, but there are a couple problems:
- As others have noted, they don't actually have most of the beer available. I went through about 5 different beers till I arrived at one they actually had.
- About 80% of the beers here are imports. Personally, I'm more into American micro-brewed beers. And many of the iconoclast West coast microbreweries are not represented on the Brick's menu.
- 99% of the beer here is in BOTTLES. The tap selection is neither vast nor impressive
Things I liked:
- Unlike others, I found the staff here to be very good and helpful.
- I loved the dank, dingy, stale UK pub atmosphere. Ambiance is great here.
- The crowd: some of the nicest, friendliest people I encountered in DC were here.
Overall: worth a visit, if for nothing else than to say you've been. Just don't get your hopes up.
The Brickskeller doesn't really deserve 4 stars, but I'm giving it to them anyway. You wanna do something about it? Come on, I'll take you right here!
It's a total dive-- it was founded about 50 years ago and I'd guess they've purchased new chairs and tables... oh, once or twice since then. Service is pretty terrible-- adequate on a good night. The food's actually above average for bar food-- and I love their fries. Cheap enough, too (especially for this neighborhood).
Not that I'd come here at all if not for the beer list-- and yes, blah blah blah-- you need to have a backup or two because they are out of at least 20-25% of their inventory on any given night. But still-- the beer list. And again-- cheap enough, especially for this neighborhood.
All in all, a three-star place. So why am I giving it a fourth star? My mom worked here 'round about 1969. Let's call it vicarious nostalgia. When I'm sitting in the Brickskeller, it feels like the '60s.
Kinda like the chairs.
I have to admit the massive tome of beer selection in here is amazing. They break it down the list by the country of origin, most of the beers here I have honestly never heard of before. I kinda felt a bit overwhelmed when I sat down in front of this massive book and tried to decide on the first round of drinks. I drink because I don't want to think. I kinda wish they had a wheel of beer that I could spin, that would make that decision for me. (Maybe have them put their top 25 beers on a wheel and spin it, what you land on is what you get. It would take the thinking away for me.
I do agree with Clara L. though, when you make your decision, try to make 2 or 3 alternatives ahead of time, because the first round we ordered all four of us managed to pick beers that they didn't have in stock. On the second attempt 2/4 of us had to reorder, and then on the 3rd attempt I got my beer and my buddy had to reorder again. It is just to much thinking for me for the sake of alcohol. And while I appreciate that they have hundreds of beers, and not back-stocking one that would sit and get scummy, I kinda wish they would have a more up to date booklet to make ordering a bit easier.
Still if you want to give a Polish or Brazilian beer a try because you never had it before it might be worth a look. I can also imagine playing a game of who can travel around the world first. I might try that next time....
I love Brickskeller, despite all its inconsistencies. Even though they do not have every beer on the menu in stock at any given time, they still easily serve at least a hundred more types of beers than you'll find at any other bar. I love that it is a sit-down only place, that they take their beer as seriously as fancy restaurants take their food, and that it is not too loud to have a conversation with all of your friends around the table. I love perusing their pages and pages of beer in 8 point font, listed alphabetically by country. I love the little glasses they serve their beer in, which makes you want to go bottoms up every time you take a sip. I love the tipsy feeling you inevitably get when you get up to go to the bathroom after a handful of beers have been drained without you even realizing it amidst great conversation.
The service is really hit or miss, but it is awesome when you get a really nice server who knows a ton about beer, has great recommendations, and never needs to write anything down. The food is also surprisingly good. I particularly like their fish & chips and their burgers (you have to try the Brickburger, which comes with salami). Their bread, cheese, and side orders are decent as well.
But back to the beer. Brickskeller is my favorite place to bring good friends and spend a few hours trying a bunch of beers you couldn't get anywhere else.
Ok, no place in the world has a beer menu this large. But it is one thing to list a lot of beers and another thing to actually stock them. The problem with "The Brick" is that you can order 4 different beers and they will be out of all of them.
I have a friend who adores the place so too often I find myself being dragged here.
It is dirty, grimey, and stinks of stale smoke who obviously bonded itself to the wood decades ago ... this I can appreciate. But it is also often filled with poser tourists who heard about it on the food network.
The food ... well, lets just say you don't go here for the food.
And lastly, the staff. I once went here with a group of friends and received some of the worst service I've ever received anywhere. Then the waiter screwed up the bill. After he finally corrected it we paid, in cash, and left. We tipped him 10% (extremely generous considering how rude he was). As we walked out the manager accosted 2 of the girls in our group about why the tip was so low. When they told him how rude the waiter was and how bad the service was his response was "so?"
This place is a fraud. Anyone can make a list of beers and then not carry them.
What can be said about the famous Brickskeller that hasn't already been said?
I stopped by for a little post-trivia food and drink recently and realized that the place that I first went to in 1986 is still the same. Exactly the same. As in the same print out menus with the same beer stains on them from 1986. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Yes, their food is sketchy and their beer selection sadly way lower than what they advertise, but if you go with great people on a quiet night, you are still guaranteed as good a time as I had, just like I did when Member's Only was cool.
Food is basically just okay pub food.... hit and miss on the burger which you can get a buffalo burger (from real buffalo meat). I've have had good ones there, but the kitchen is not consistent.
Now why does this place get 4 stars? They have probably the best
list of international beers all over the world found anywhere in the USA.
I ordered up a dark Yuengling beer, and they fished out the porter beer for me in minutes, ice cold. :) They have hanging from their rafters
and on display old discontinued novelty beers too... like the 007 beers.
Upstairs they have some old pinball machines and pool tables. Just a hang out with a huge specialty of beer.
The Brickskeller is comical. They say they have "The World's Largest Selection of Beers." What they have is the menu with the world's longest list of beers. Whenever you try to order something that looks interesting or exotic, they've always "just run out." Always. I live right down the street from the Brickskeller and my friends and I go there from time to time to play our new favorite game - we order interesting looking beers from the menu, which they never have, and we keep ordering until we hit one they do have. The person who orders the most "just ran out" beers and hits one they do have last gets his beer for free that round. Sometimes people will order 5 or 6 beers before we hit one they do have.
Four stars for good location, cool ambiance, and a great idea. Minus one star for false advertising.
Prix fixe menu $20.50
Washington, DC
Thanksgiving Special!
Neighborhood: U Street Corridor
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
Category: Nightlife
Neighborhood: Foggy Bottom
Category: Sports Bars
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: U Street Corridor
Category: Pubs
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