Latest reviews from Vienna

“Great little place co-owned by the same people who own High Side in Fairfax City. Good beer list, lots of variety. Great South American food. Really nice team working there. Drafts rotate often. Haven't been since pre-COVID, but I hope to make it back soon.“

radagast83 1368 days ago

“Decent sports bar/restaurant. Haven't been there in a while (pre-COVID). Okay draft list, but nothing out of the ordinary. If you're with a group of people, mixed crowd of folks to watch a game, it may be worth a visit. Better beer taplist options nearby (Inca Social and Lost Dog).“

radagast83 1368 days ago

“I have to admit that I really want to like Caboose but have a hard time doing so. I live in Vienna so I would really like to have a solid brewery in town. After almost 5 years since Caboose opened, I am sadly still waiting. The beer at Caboose is simply not great and it also gives me serious headaches/hangover symptoms the next day (I have discussed this with others who have similar side effects), even after modest consumption. One can argue about their high-end menu and lack of TVs, that is a preference thing and I get the owners point on that front. But from a beer/brewery perspective they need to rethink things. I get that some may enjoy the total experience/ambiance/local vibe so my comments are 100% directed at your beer. Go do some research and don't be defensive. I am on your side and would very much like you all to make better beer. Go taste with an open mind what Settle Down and Triple Crossing is brewing or whatever Dominion in Falls Church is serving and aspire to something better than what you are serving now. I also get that this is only one opinion and you will most likely continue to do your thing, which is sad for me. Same goes for the beer at Caboose Commons. I was there for a party recently and all the same applies. Cool atmosphere. Beer is not good.“

saveferis 1647 days ago

“As stated elsewhere parking is an issue. Service is a nightmare. Food was good, beer was below average. The layout of the building was nonsensical. I had to return to the bar three times to ask for a single sampler, and we had already finished our food. Received my check and that was also wrong. Those working behind the bar were slow and confused. No need to ever come here.“

ilovedarkbeer 1874 days ago

“Place is in a strip mall, so plenty of free parking. Medium size selection of pretty high quality bottles and progressly increasing cans, although I found no rarities. Weirdly my cell phone does not work in the middle/back of this place. Prices seem pretty reasonable. Norm and other staff is very helpful. Usually if you ask nicely they will break six-packs/ four-packs, however pricing for singles is not clear, however it seems reasonable. A usual stop for me when I am in the area. It varies a fair amount how much I find here.“

weihenweizen 1914 days ago

“Similar selection as the Tyson’s location. The big problem with both is the limited selection of single 12 and 16 oz bottles and cans. I also worry about the freshness of some of the large bottles sitting on warm shelves.“

Iphonephan 2023 days ago

“One of the better beer stores in Northern Virginia. Lots of good selection, and lots of singles available. Has a bunch of odd country ticks that show up from time to time if that's your thing. Friendly service and they fill growlers, give tasters of the beer on tap. Definitely a go to place in the area. Wish it was closer to home.“

solidfunk 2132 days ago

“No frills greasy spoon divey diner in downtown Vienna by the W&OD trail. Standard beer list with some decent craft selections. Definitely not a beer destination so come for the cheap chili dogs rather than solely for the beer.“

GenDV138 2275 days ago

“Upscale-ish sports bar/restaurant near Dunn Loring metro. Free street and garage parking available. Pretty pedestrian beer list with a good selection of local beers though nothing really out of the ordinary. Standard pub fare with various sandwiches and entrees. Wouldn't go out of my way to come here, I'd recommend Lost Dog instead.“

GenDV138 2275 days ago

“A well stocked and well run beer store, with an excellent selection. Sign up for their twitter feeds, and you can join the bros in line for limited releases. Or stop in on a Thursday or Friday and you might get lucky.“

Iphonephan 2398 days ago

“Located in an industrial building, this place has very little parking unless you’re a bike rider since it’s next to a rail trail. We went on the Monday of Memorial Day weekend so the place was packed. Service was terrible as there was a lot of confusion as to whether or not food was served and where we could sit and for how long. Despite having a number of servers walking around, we had to go to the bar to get beers. At 4;20 after we’d ordered 2 of their expensive barrel aged beers we were told we had to vacate the table because of meal service at 5. It was all very confusing and poorly handled. I’d never seen my sister so agitated before. There are a lot of craft beer options in NOVA, so we won’t be back to this one.“

DiarmaidBHK 2539 days ago

“This place has a decent beer selection, but there isn’t a lot of really exotic offerings. They have a lot of six- and twelve-packs, along with a few shelves full of bombers.“

Emeister84 2552 days ago

“Medium sized parking lot that was busy early in the day (I would parking gets difficult at times). Typical Whole Foods ambiance. Selection is some what limited but pretty good. No real servce for the beer. I purchased a bottle. Did not try the food. Prices were going rate. Not really a beer destination, but would be nice for locals.“

weihenweizen 2556 days ago

“Located in a small shopping plaza across the street from Tysons Corner mall. Standard chain restaurant appearance, pretty good sized dining area. Friendly service. Solid selection of house beers and guest beers. Food was solid, nothing to write home about but decent enough. Okay stop if you really feel the need to visit but if you have the time, I’d drive the 10 extra minutes to Mad Fox instead.“

GenDV138 2561 days ago

“Small place in a strip mall. Vibe is very chill, there is a helpful guy, but no pressure. Mostly beer, appears well curated. Singles available, you can buy just one if you want, bUT pricing on single is not clear. Worth visiting if nearby.“

OnTheTrail 2610 days ago

“Small trendy/upscale-ish grocery market in a small plaza with Norm’s Beer and Wine. Plenty of free parking. Sort of a cabin looking interior. Beer/wine section to the front left of the store. Pretty much just 4-6 packs and a small selection of singles, both macro and micro. Didn’t see any large format bottles. Beer-wise, no reason to come here with Norm’s right around the corner.“

GenDV138 2737 days ago

“Visited with DCLawyer on a hot Sunday. Easy walk from Greensboro Metro Station on the Silver Line. Seems like kind of a weird/random location for the area, think this would do better business-wise if located at Tysons Corner Center. Parking is available but limited, though I hear there’s a food truck parking lot you can use nearby. I imagine parking is a nightmare during peak hours.

Pretty spacious outdoor patio area with lots of picnic tables/benches. Too hot and humid to enjoy on my visit. Main floor has the main bar with 18 Belgian and German drafts. Decent sized bar, some community tables, and some regular tables. Small upstairs area with half a dozen or so tables for seating. Downstairs bar has a small bar with 4 American craft drafts and more tables. Also more comfortable temperature-wise if it’s hot out. Pretty good amount of craft beer bottles, counted close to 100. Bottle selection was pretty decent though most things you could probably find cheaper at local/retail stores. Service and beer knowledge were a bit lacking.

They use a chip system to purchase drinks and food, $8 plus tax per chip. Blue for beer/wine, red for food, I think white was for liquor. Drafts are all 1 chip ($8), bottles ranged from 1-3 chips ($8-24). They had a little paper explaining their choice of chips over the normal tab system, not a huge fan of the chip thing.
"Uh, excuse me, can you tell me if this is the line for the beer, or the line to get the tickets to get the beer?"

Didn’t try the food, looked like it was mainly sausages, pretzels, and sides. Hear the sausages are hit or miss. Narrow awkward hall where you order your food and wait there, could see it getting confusing at busier times.

Not a place I’d return to on my own choice, go for the place tick if you so desire. Take a ticket-based beer festival and cram it into a small building and that’s basically what this is.“

GenDV138 2855 days ago

“Short walk from the metro stop, limited parking on site. Vast outdoor area with tables and umbrellas, with a young lady playing accoustic guitar and singing to no one at all, given it was 97 degrees out. Past outdoor ID checker, walk in to an open bar area with loud music on the stereo. Populated by meatheads of all varieties. They operate on a token system; food is red tokens, beer is blue tokens, white is ... I never did figure that out. Each token no matter the color seems to be $8.50. Upstairs bar has German and Belgian beers. Food is in a closet-like hallway where you order,give a token, and stand there waiting (I watched people do this). Downstairs is a dark cinderblock wall bar area where you can buy American craft beer. Lots of regional ones, though nothing particularly special. Each beer costs one or more blue tokens. GenDV110+OT got a bottle of Argus cider that neither of us had yet tried. One token. Young bartender gal asked if he wanted a glass. The only America n beer I had yet to try was a middling Alewerks that is available everywhere for next to nothing. I did not wish to pay 2 tokens for it ($17.00!!!). So I got a one-token German lager upstairs. It was 22oz at least. Sign on the wall trumpeted 6 packs to go - the bartender was unsure if that costs the full $51.00 or not. Bad service, bad environs, ridiculous pricing and chip system. Not a fan.“

DCLawyer 2855 days ago

“Nice interior decor, modern but comfortable. Small bar on the left with a tasting area, mostly a standing bar. Restaurant seats on the right with more seating upstairs. Friendly efficient service despite being fairly busy. Flights of four available, and they had something like eight beers on, including a gravity cask of one of their seasonal beers. Beers were solid. We didn’t try the food, so I must return for that. Very nice stop.“

Travlr 3110 days ago

“Stop #5 on our W&OD bike and beer tour. Got here 20min before last call - way too late for food! Got a sampler of four and ran out of time. Would like to head back some day and check out their menu.“

hopdog 3169 days ago

“Typical Whole Foods with a quite good beer selection. Parking is annoying.“

DCLawyer 3242 days ago

“This is a really cool little brewpub. Great ambiance and vibe, not pretentious. Beer is decent, flights of four available. Food was much better than pubgrub. Will definitely return.“

DCLawyer 3242 days ago

“This is a nice, locally owned place inconspicuously located in a Virginia strip mall. The place is pretty packed on this inside, due to the awkward shape of the shop and small interior space. The guy at the counter, I assume it is Norm, is a nice guy and very willing to help. He is quite chatty. The beer selection is not outstanding, but you can probably find a thing or two that strikes your fancy, if you are someone like me who is always looking for a new thing. The prices are fine, but maybe a tad on the expensive side. I would like this place more if you were allowed to break up six-packs, but instead there are only a limited number of bottles that you are allowed to use for mixing and matching. A lot of the six-packs were stuff I would have gladly bought if I could have just got one bottle. They also have wine for reasonable prices, cigars, and Nutterz (potato chip covered peanuts, known as Twinuts Maxicrac in France and Tijger Nootijes in the Netherlands... this is the first time I have seen this snack in the US), which should be sufficient reason for you to go here.“

mansquito 3246 days ago

“Visited Friday night around 8 PM with ajax25g and my friend Tyler. Busy but comfortable. Small brewpub all the way at the end of Mill Street in Vienna, if you’re passing industrial looking buildings you’re in the right direction. Free parking though it could get scarce depending on how busy they get. If walking in from the parking lot, enter through the second door by the tables. Right off the W&OD Trail if you want to run/bike for your beer.

Small but good sized interior with a 15-20 seat bar. Two nice sized standing railing style tables by the bar. Decent amount of tables inside and out on the patio.

Eight of their beers on draft plus a guest cider. Beers were solid with a couple standouts, dug the Citra Wheat and Vanilla Hobo. Flights available in sets of four 4 oz pours, pick your own or one of their predetermined flights. Growler fills available. Full pours in 10-16 oz glasses. Small selection of wines.

Don’t know about full pours but flights were pricey at $11 for four 4 oz pours. Good quality food but also on the pricey side for the portions. Burger was overdone and a bit dry but had nice flavors. $15 for just the burger without any side. Friend got the pork belly which smelled good but only had three pieces for $11.

Service was slightly on the slow side getting noticed but bartenders and staff were friendly. Overall, a pretty nice brewpub and addition to the center of Vienna.

7/24/2015 update: Made a few additional visits since my initial visit. Beers are improving and they’re adding some interesting styles. Hand cut fries with house-made ketchup and whole grain IPA mustard were tasty, as was the macaroni & cheese. Portions are still a bit deceiving for the prices but decent portion on what I’ve gotten, some are small plates and others a bit more substantial. Cheese and charcuterie are good too but kind of expensive for how much you get. Other than taster and food prices, fair prices on growlers and full glasses.“

GenDV138 3256 days ago

“Ambiance: Strip mall. Parking is copious. Store occupies an inner corner, so the facing looks small. But you step inside and it’s like the Tardis--it’s way bigger than you’d expect. It’s nice inside. Cozy but not too cluttered. Service: Good. Both Norm himself and the other associate were nice enough, and Norm was kind enough to check his stock to see if they had a couple of items for me. But they weren’t patronizingly nice, or following me throughout the store to see if I wanted or needed help. And that’s just fine. Selection: Excellent. About 60 percent of the store is beer. Lots of all my favorites, including ones I can’t get in Maryland (Bells, Founders, etc). There were indications that they get some nice rarities too, although I didn’t see any, just empty spots and shelf-tags where they had been. A few racks of bombers too. Where the store is a tad lacking is in the singles department. There are only a couple small racks of singles, which seem to be limited to overstocked or old items. That said, you get a discount when you make your own sixpack, and Norm did say if there was a sixpack I wanted to pull a single out of I could let him know and he’d see if we could work something out. Cool. Food: N/A. Value: Average to good. Some stuff was pretty pricey, but there were a few good deals too. Liked the discount on the build-a-six. Overall: I used to only hit the Total Wines & Mores in this area when in Virginia, but I’ve just added a new favorite stop!“

JDBaker11058 3286 days ago

“After a long process, the place has finally opened up, it’s official opening date being May 12th.

Located at the "caboose" of Vienna, perhaps the last real structure you can easily see on the W&O trail when headed westward. You can access the place directly off the trail. A number of cyclists were there. Place has a pleasant patio outside.

Restaurant is pretty small, so be warned that there might be a wait if you come to eat. Food all looked delicious and the desert donut holes with chocolate sauce was pretty awesome.

Could use a few high-top seats in the dead space that is by the bar, but other than that - pretty solid start.“

radagast83 3292 days ago

“Situated conveniently next to the W&OD trail in the heart of Vienna. Only open a week but still quite busy on a nice Turesday afternoon. Fourteen of their own brews on tap -- all quite solid.“

Iphonephan 3294 days ago

“Just found this place. Good casual food. Mic of good own beers and sad craft guests. Good service“

kassner 3365 days ago

“Different layout for a WF than I am used to. Pretty solid beer selection. Dry storage and large aisle long cooler. Helpful staff.“

ilovedarkbeer 3551 days ago

“Came here on a Monday evening. AC was blasting, which made this place freezing. Service was spotty. Food is ok. Decent beer selection“

Tonkun 3582 days ago

“Pretty much your average Whole Foods, right next to the W&OD Trail and 1-2 minutes away from Norm’s. Decent selection of beers with some gems I don’t normally see. Good prices. Free parking in the lot, a bit of a strange parking layout.“

GenDV138 3625 days ago

“Well another chain Ice cream flavored brew pub. While some beers were very good most were not well done. Large selection of worldwide beers. Service and food were very good. Large place and modern“

Bierkrug 3748 days ago

“Nice little shop in Vienna with a good craft beer selection of domestics and imports. Nice amount of 4 and 6 packs along with bomber bottles and a selection of singles. Discounts including 6 bottles of singles and/or bombers, any combination. Prices are some of the best for local shops in the area. They have a small section of snack foods (peanuts, chips, etc) and dips/salsas/hot sauces. Staff is pretty helpful whenever you have questions. They post most if not all of their new arrivals to Facebook and Twitter which is nice to know when things come in. The more limited releases tend to get snatched up pretty fast despite the bottle limit if you’re not quick enough to get there.

Growler fills are now available.“

GenDV138 3760 days ago

“Nice little store in an unassuming strip mall with great beer selection. Great staff.“

DCLawyer 3861 days ago

“Complete dive in the middle of Vienna - apparently a staple of the area. Service is spotty, Food is really inexpensive, but it’s pretty cheap, greasy spoon quality. I knew what I was expecting and really dig the place for whatever reason, but don’t expect fine dining if you show up to this place.

With all that said, occasionally you can get a decent craft beer, mixed in between the terrible macros that you’d generally find. I wouldn’t particularly tell people visiting the area to ever consider this place, but if you want some place with interesting people and don’t mind cheap bar food, check it out.“

radagast83 4079 days ago

“Tucked away next to Fresh Market about four blocks from Vienna Whole Foods so nice to do these back to back. Solid craft beer focused bottle shop like a mini Perfect Pour. Lots of singles, lots of beers you will not find regularly, lets you do mixed six packs it looks like with ~$2 per 12oz for your normal stuff. Knowledgeable, beer geek staff. Prices are higher, not as outrageous as Perfect Pour. But a lot of stuff was a good +$2-3 more than the same stuff at Vienna WF, *if* Whole Foods had it in stock. Will be back to find some more interesting single bottles. One big qualm that I cannot nick the score for here like Perfect Pour is that AT&T gets no service in here so tough luck if you are trying to look up which beers you haven’t had. Ugghhhhh.“

GT 4190 days ago

“Mid-range to lower end Whole Foods that happens to have a pretty decent beer bar and sizable beer selection. Lots of six packs and single bombers. Stuff that is not easy to find like Duvel Tripel Hop, odd Crispin ciders, lots of local beers and ciders from VA. Tap list at the bar had Old Rasputin, 21st Amendment, Peak Organic, Lost Rhino, Founders, etc. About 8-9 taps. Allows sample flights $6 for 4, pint pours, and growler fills. Very good prices for the growler fills. $12 for a fill of Old Rasputin O_O No staff on duty in the beer area. Food at the salad bar/hot bar was very inferior to most Whole Foods to the point where I was shocked at how bad it was. Nothing tasted good or tasted fresh. Very odd concoctions served that no one in their right mind would come up with (chicken salad with spinach and nicoise olives, old tasting overcooked tipalia, bland roasted vegetables in inedible giant pieces). Just garbage. They did have a custom sandwich counter so GO THERE for food since the hot/cold bar sucked. Bartender was nice, not sure if you tip them though (??). Let me do only three samples instead of four. Would definitely come back for growler fills.“

GT 4190 days ago

“Great store not too far off the beltway. Great selection of regional, US and foreign beers. A bit small - ample parking. Definitely worth a stop.“

shrubber85 4310 days ago

“The beer is located in the center of the store near the cash registers. They also have a "bar" on the far right of the store which has 8 taps of craft for $4 a pint although you’re still in a Whole Foods. They have 2-3 coolers of sixers plus an aisle of bombers and a few singles. The selection is comparable to the Whole Foods in Reston but they have some serious turnover problems. You don’t expect to find a 3-year old bottle of beer at a grocery store. Don’t they have an inventory control system. I find the high ratings of this baffling. It’s decent if it’s your local but I don’t see this as any sort of destination place.“

DiarmaidBHK 4372 days ago

“The killer app here is the 10% discount they offer when you make your own sixer. The downside to that is they don’t exactly have the biggest sixer selection. They have a few things here I haven’t seen yet in other shops but I didn’t see a ton here that wasn’t available in other stores. The store is decorated like a fraternity party basement which seems to be the clientele they’re going after. The service on wine seemed more alert than it was for beer. It’s a solid store but not worth me schlepping all the way out to Vienna.“

DiarmaidBHK 4372 days ago

“I’ll start by saying I don’t like whole foods stores. I think they are hypocrites, but that’s a different rant. The shelf space for beer is limited for a grocery store. They do have rotating taps for $4 a pint which is awesome and the prices are very reasonable for the area.They have some gems, but they also have some beers that are 3 years old! Third tier store, sadly. Even for a grocery store. I’d rather go to the total wine in McLean.“

magsinva 4374 days ago

“Great, great place. I wish it wasn’t 15 miles away. The selection is great here, the service helpful and informative. If you want something unique in DC metro area, odds are this is the place most likely to have it. A number of bottles are also significantly cheaper than other shops in the area.“

heminator 4435 days ago

“The selection here rivals the Alexandria location and is complete with growler fills. The staff is typically nearby and ready to help. This is a good place to stop if you are nearby and thirsty.“

BeerandBlues2 4500 days ago

“Long live Norm’s! A "must-see" for beer enthusiasts.“

Beerlovesme2 4522 days ago

“Great local shop that will do anything to help their beer nerds. Very helpful when you talk to them, and have a newsletter that lets you know when rarities show up and they will let you reserve them over the phone. Prices are always good if not amazing and they offer discounts when buyng at least 6 singles, or enough 4/6 packs to make a case. Great craft beer store.“

dbarnold 4639 days ago

“nice little store in Vienna, VA a couple blocks away from Whole Foods. You will find a nice variety of craft beer at Norm’s. The staff are knowledgable. Some singles are available. Lots of DuClaw, some AleWerks, Founders, Bells, lots of Belgians, Clown Shoes, Stone, Victory, Weyerbacher, etc... There are about 6-7 rows of beer with a few in the cooler. You can find things here that are not at Whole Foods.“

HopsChalice8938 4683 days ago

“really nice Whole Foods location in NoVa. Small but great selection of craftbeer - not quite what it used to be, but still very good. They have the typical Belgians followed by many local VA / MD stuff. Also stock The Bruery (including Coton, Cuir), Utopias (when released), the big line of Avery, Bear Republic, some Firestone, Founders, Victory, Troegs, Weyerbacher, etc... the beer guy I spoke with was knowledgable. Some singles are available. They also have a few taps now for growler fills.“

HopsChalice8938 4685 days ago

“Pretty good selection of beers“

dabubbleboy 4725 days ago

“Norm’s is a small beer and wine store located in Vienna. The place is packed fairly tight and the selection favors quality over quantity (always a good thing in my book). Prices were reasonable and you can make a mixed six pack from the singles case. There are staff recommendations posted and they were very helpful overall. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area..“

Elwood 4759 days ago