As the air crisps up and the leaves turn, teams across the nation are taking to the gridiron, and legions of fans are taking their seats in pubs and restaurants across town, eager to lead their team to victory. Here are three places to have a bite to eat and a good beer while you take in a football game.
Glory Days Grill, 3141 Duke St.
The sports bar and grill over on Duke Street is a football fan’s version of heaven. The sprawling space lacks nothing in the way of televisions; from nearly every vantage point across the multiple dining areas, it’s easy to get your fix of football. Looking to listen to a specific game? Turn your table’s radio dial to match up with the TV of your choosing and get the play-by-play while you eat.
And speaking of food: Glory Days has many of the pub-fare options you’ve come to expect from a sports bar – pretzels, onion rings, wings and crab cakes are all in attendance – but the menu spreads out from there. Pastas, tacos and even the Impossible Burger also grace the pages of the menu, appealing to sports fans of many types of taste-buds. Order a beverage from the restaurant’s extensive rotating beer list to round out the meal and cheer your team on to victory.
Aslin Beer Company, 847 S. Pickett St.
The city’s newest brewery is also a great place to catch a game and have a beer and a bite to eat. The Herndon natives’ Alexandria outpost has been open and bustling since midsummer, and already it’s becoming a go-to weekend spot for many residents and visitors. Why not add a game to your reasons to visit? The tasting room sports a number of televisions all well placed to catch all the action.
But of course, the beer is the star of the show. Aslin delivers with a dozen or so selections at the tasting room (with one or two canned varieties to take home at any given time), ranging from IPAs to double and triple IPAs to stouts to pale ales to sours. The brewery also has a food truck whipping up some specials daily to accompany the beers. Like the beer list, the food menu rotates fairly regularly, but light bites and heartier sandwiches are items you can count on.
Charlie’s on the Avenue, 1501 Mount Vernon Ave.
Charlie’s opened last year with the goal of becoming a family-friendly neighborhood sports pub and hangout, and it’s certainly angled its sports-watching experience to be just that. For game-watching purposes, your best bet is the bar area. Several large TVs adorn the space and are just waiting to broadcast a Saturday or Sunday matchup.
Charlie’s offers a vast array of beer options to help you cheer your team on (or drown your sorrows after a loss), and many of them are local. Right now, pick up a saison ale from Richmond’s Ardent Craft Ales or an Oktoberfest from Port City Brewing just across town. About a dozen options are on offer between the draft selections and bottles and cans, from pilsners to stouts. Paired with local oysters, Cuban nachos, a BLT sandwich or even vegan tacos, you’ll be well fortified for the game ahead.
Hope Nelson owns and operates the Kitchen Recessionista blog, located at www.kitchenrecessionista.com. Email her any time at hope@kitchenrecessionista.com.