Dog St. Pub, Williamsburg, VA Review

A Review of Williamsburg’s Gastropub

*Quick notes are highlighted in red.

The night is young.  Its dark blue sky settles in after the sun recedes behind the horizon. “Clip-clopping” of horseshoes litter the cobblestone streets of Colonial Williamsburg, VA.

You approach the old building after being invited to Slider Night by your friends. Inside the walls and cathedral ceiling are reminiscent of the bank that used to inhabit this location. The lighting is bright and the decor euro-rustic – all with new furniture of modern materials. It’s clean.

The hostesses greets you with a certain lack of enthusiasm you come to expect from someone who doesn’t love their job.  You haven’t a reservation, so you wait “35-45 minutes”. They jot your information in an iPad and promise a message to you when your table is ready.  The Gastropub is crowded, but not too loud. Your friends are still absent, so you decide to try a beer. You maneuver your way to the huge bar; only to find someone luckier than you got the last stool. You squeeze into sight of the bartender. He observes your presence and places the rotating beer menu in front of you.  Pleased with selection, but not price, you know the biggest bang for your buck is ordering from the selection of “Tasters”. Getting a decent beer can be a gamble, after all, at Dog St. Pub there are no free samples. After treating yourself to a small beer, the friends you’ve been pateintely waiting for grace you with their presence.

After catching up with your friends, the group is led by the hostess who escorts you to your table. The waitress is flippant but polite. Her drab uniform reminiscent of the Sturmabteilung uniform. She is fast and thorough, knowledgeable on the beer, and gifts the table with free peanuts.

Everyone orders the Thursday Night Slider’s Special – it’s Dog St. Pub’s specialty. A triple of taste tested sliders paired with a complimenting flight of craft beer. Seldom does it disappoint. You must order the fries separate (an unintuitive way to order burgers) but it’s how they do it; if anything for the special Pub Sauce that comes with them. A life changing experience of green onion, ketchup, mayo, and worcestershire sauce – your taste buds will thank you.

You decide against the biplane for the flight after finishing your satisfactory burgers and fries. The conversation among your friends leads to an exit of Dog St. Pub. You leave the restaurant, feeling satisfied, if not a little ripped off. 3 tiny beers, 3 tiny burgers, and a cup of fries is close to $20 with tip. Finding yourselves on Duke of Gloucester Street (aptly named) and not wanting to continue hemorrhaging money out at Dog St. Pub, the choice is between going for a nice crisp walk in Colonial Williamsburg, or hitting up a more casual, less expensive bar.

You opt for a more casual bar, Brickhouse, a few blocks down…

*When someone orders two flights in an evening, it’s called a biplane. — yeah we coined that.