Initial Impressions: Spencer Devon Brewing

So, it's too early for a score, but Spencer Devon brewing had a soft opening tonight, and we wanted to give it our initial impressions.

Long story short: This place has the potential to be awesome. The beer is good, the location is perfect, and the space seems like it's going to be used well.

Behind the bar is a window where you can see the massive chrome brew tanks. Along the walls are booths (which are SUPER comfy) and tables are scattered in front of the window. In the front wall. There's a large open area off to the side, where we were told a 20 top as well as smaller tables would be found.

We don't know what kind of events or specials they will run, or what kind of food they will have; this was strictly a night to try out their brews, which were very good.

If you ever visited Fatty Js, you will amazed at what you find when walk into Spencer Devon.

Reviewers:

Krebbs

Reggie

Musselman

Johnny

Mike

Jeremy

We all took some time to give some thoughts on the beers they had on tap. Who said what, I don't remember, but here you go!

IPA

• Not too hoppy, but good flavor
• Fairly mild, but a solid choice
• Good starter IPA for people who aren't into big hoppy beers

Milk stout

• Like a non-watered down Guinness
• Coffee undertones, but not overpowering
• Has a smokey initial flavor but not overpowering. Overall pretty solid.
• Just the right amount of creamy/sweet without being overwhelming, perfect

Brown ale

• A tiny touch of spice on the back end, nothing that rewrites the book but a very solid beer all around
• Could easily drink several which I won't typically do with brown ales

Pilsner

• Light and tasty
• Aftertaste of a spice - almost an Old Bay profile
• Smooth as you would expect of a Pilsner but with a light light surprise on the back end of smoky/spice? Excellent beer

Old ale

• A lot of favors going on
• "It's like a party in your mouth"
• High ABV
• Oddest beer I've tried in a while-I can't actually say whether I like it not, probably just means I need to drink more.....

So, initial impressions:

• Good use of the space
• Tasty beers
• Loads of potential
• Friendly staff (they let us bring in a pizza from Benny's!)

We can't wait for this place to open.

Review #2 - Park Lane Tavern

We're back with our second review, and we're sticking with the St. Patrick's Day theme!

Bar: Park Lane Tavern

Location

Rated by
Reggie
Joanna
MB
Jeremy

Date of Visit
3/17/2015

While J Brian's feels more like a British pub, Park Lane LOOKS like a British pub. There's a lot of wood used in the decor, as well as British themed art. The bar itself is a massive wooden bar, with molding for decoration. The "roof" of the bar is lined with their massive selection of bourbons and scotches, as well as mugs hanging underneath.

Selection/Variety - 9

• 23 beers on tap, the majority from overseas plus 4 rotating taps
• While the selection of beers is large, we found ourselves asking if they were beers that we were really interested in drinking
• Large selection of layered beers (snakebites, black and tans, etc.)
• 44 bottled beers
• Root beer (on tap!!) - perfect if you're pregnant or not drinking
• PAGES of scotches and bourbons
• Specialty cocktails and martinis
• Full selection of wine and liquor

Atmosphere - 8

• British pub themed
• Lots of TVs that feature soccer if it's on
• All four sides of the bar has seating, which is nice if you just want a drink
• It's a big place, but even when it's packed, it doesn't feel crowded
• However, given the size and the number of patrons that can fit, on busy nights (such as St. Patrick's Day) it can be very loud
• They have an outside area, a glassed-in patio, and the main dining area
• The outside seating is nice, but it looks out on a mall; there's no real "view"
• There are fire pits for cooler nights, which is nice

Location - 6

• Having to deal with Route 3 can be a deal-breaker for some people
• The parking lot, while large, fills up quickly due to all the shops and restaurants in the area
• The decor and atmosphere would be better suited in downtown Fredericksburg, not in the middle of a commercial shopping center.

Service/Staff - 8.5

• The women wear plaid skirts and knee-highs, the men wear kilts. How can you go wrong?
• Servers are attentive and friendly
• When it's crowded, there's a small waiting area with padded stools and small tables; servers will take drink orders and bring them to you while you wait, which is nice

Prices - 7.5

• Not cheap, but reasonable for what you get
• Your mind won't be blown, but neither will your wallet
• According to our server, "the higher the ABV, the higher the price"

Events/Entertainment - 8

• Tap takeover/steal the glass nights every week
• Live music and a DJ on the weekends and for some special events
• Dart boards in the back glassed-in patio area

Happy Hour/Specials - 9

• Different daily specials
• Monday - Half priced fish & Chips
• Wednesdays - Steal the Glass night
• Thursdays - $6 pizzas and live music
• Fridays - Martini specials and a DJ
• Sundays - Bloody Mary bar
• Happy hour Mon thru Fri 3 to 6 - specials on drinks and apps

Food - 8

• Full menu
• Burgers
• Steaks
• Pizzas
• Sandwiches
• "Pub fare" (fish & chips, shepherds pie, etc.)
• The food is very good, and is well prepared

Individual Overall Scores

Reggie - 85

Joanna - 90

MB - 88

Jeremy - 85

Final score: 87 (out of 100)

Our first review! J Brian's Tap Room

Alright. Here it is. Our first review. For our first outing, we all put our heads together to come up with a scoring system (as well as drink some beers) to make sure our ratings made sense.

The Categories are:

• Selection/Variety
• Atmosphere/Location
• Service/Staff
• Prices
• Events/Entertainment
• Happy Hour/Specials
• Food (extra credit - This is a drinking review, after all)

Each category is rated out of 10, and the total score is out of 100

Without further ado, and just in time for St. Patrick's Day:

Bar: J Brian's Tap Room

Location



Rated by
Musselman
Krebbs
Mike 
Reggie
Jeremy

Date of Visit
3/12/2015

J Brian's is the closest thing to an actual pub that Fredericksburg has. Sure, we have a place CALLED The Pub, and a British themed Tavern, but this feels like a legit pub. The only thing it's missing is a fruit machine. Due to the nature of the bar, it has become a staple of local St. Patrick's Day celebrations, and is a stop on many a bar crawl.

The main bar area is somewhat small, which gives it an intimate feeling. The main form of "entertainment" is a jukebox, which primarily plays classic rock or 80s music (at least when we're there). Off to the side is a larger dining area, which is well suited for eating or visiting with a group. In addition, there is a small front porch with 4 or so tables and a large back patio, perfect for drinking on a summers evening.

And now, the scores.

Selection/Variety - 9

• 24 different beers on tap - 7 from overseas, 8 from Virginia, and 9 domestic
• Fully stocked liquor bar (and, to quote Reggie, "more whiskey and scotch than you can shake a d*ck at"
• Always has Two Hearted (extra points from Todd) Note - this ran out as we were here
• No cheap beer (except for Bud Light - we'll forgive them for that)

Atmosphere - 9

• Bar area is cramped, yet cozy
• Easily crowded, but it's not a crowd you mind being with
• The back patio is wonderful on a summer night
• The bar counter is comfortable to sleep on, per Mike. And the railing outside
• The bar area feels like a local pub. Lots of sports decorations, mainly Boston
• They cater to the chill, quiet crowd who wants to enjoy their beer
• They can get rowdy on a weekend evening, but it's few and far between that it is
• The clientele is friendly

Location - 8

• Parking near the bar is hard to find
• In the heart of downtown, near most everything
• Easy to get to

Service/Staff - 7

• Krebbs didn't get a fork. He was very sad about this fact
• Mike, the bartender, is seems surly (to go along with the Pub vibe) but he's friendly
• Staff is friendly, and accommodating to annoying patrons
• If the bar is packed, there can be a bit of a wait

Prices - 8

• Prices are reasonable for the beer that you get ($5 or $6 is the average price)

Events/Entertainment - 3

• Note: There was nothing going on in the night we went
• Menu advertises the following:
• Monday: half priced wings and trivia night
• Tuesday: half priced burgers
• Wednesday: sliders and flight night
• "At least they have a jukebox"

Happy Hour/Specials - 5

• See events for specials
• Happy hour is an unadvertised, at-the-bar kind of thing. The website advertises it, and we didn't know they had one until we paid our tabs

Food - 8

• Standard pub fare (wings, cheesesteaks, pot pie, etc.)
• The Big Bad Wolf burger (sausage and chorizo) is the best burger Krebbs has ever had (Reggie thinks it's not that great)
• Musselman really likes the quesadillas
• The main dishes are all good; we've never had an issue with anything we've ever had

Individual Overall Scores

Reggie - 85

Mike - 88

Musselman - 85

Krebbs- 83
Jeremy - 85

Final score: 87 (out of 100)

Mission Statement (or something)

The idea behind DrinkFXBG is to give the residents of Fredericksburg and surrounding areas an idea of the best place to get a drink around town.

We'll have different categories (Restaurant with a bar, Sports Bar, Bar Bar, etc.) and rate each location based on numerous criteria (atmosphere, selection, staff, etc.)

The plan is rate every location in the area, and determine where the best place to drink is. Who knows, maybe you'll find a new favorite!

Note: just because a place sells beer doesn't necessarily mean we'll rate them. The main criteria is that they have a bar area. So as much as we love some of the restaurants downtown, just serving beer won't cut it.