Continuing my Winter 2013-14 DC Brew Tour…

Part 3: BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, Tysons Corner, Virgina

When Visited: With gift cards in hand, we looked for post-Christmas deals at Tysons Corner Center on December 26, 2013. Normally, a trip to Tysons means a visit to the Gordon Biersch. But on this trip we decided to have lunch and sample the brew at the new BJ’s, a west coast-based chain of casual dining restuarants with about 150 locations primarily in the west and southwest. The Tysons Corner location, BJ’s first in the mid-atlantic, is at the intersection of Leesburg Pike and I-495 directly across from Tysons Corner Center. Convenient!

After a morning frenzy of mall shopping, we pulled into BJ’s for lunch and fresh craft beer.

Beers Sampled: There were 10 house beers on tap, and I ordered a complete set of tasters:

• Brewhouse Blonde, a German-style Kölsch (4.7%)
• BJ’s Oasis Amber, a sessionable Amber Ale (4.7%)
• Piranha Pale Ale, a West Coast Pale Ale (5.7%)
• Harvest Hefeweizen, a Bavarian-style Hefeweizen (4.9%)
• HopStorm IPA, a classic American-style India Pale Ale made with six hop varieties (6.5%)
• Jeremiah Red, an Irish-style Strong Ale (7.3%)
• Nutty Brewnette, an American-style Brown Ale (5.9%)
• BJ’s P.M. Porter, a Robust Porter (6.4%)
• Tatonka Stout, a full-bodied and complex Imperial Stout (8.5%)
• BJ’s Annual Grand Cru, a Belgian-style Strong Ale (10.0%)

I love a large beer menu because it usually means a large sampler rack! I had a great time working my way through the variety of BJ’s brews.The menu offered a huge range of styles, from the light Kölsch to the strong Grand Cru. These beers were solid, true-to-the-style, and eminently drinkable. Too hard to pick a favorite.

BJ’s has a bit of a corporate feel (and with 150 locations, how could it not?), but like Gordon Biersch and Rock Bottom, BJ’s gets it right. They have a huge menu of delicious pub food and everyone in my party enjoyed their lunch.

The next time I go out to Tysons, I will be back at BJ’s to try the pizza with growlers in-hand.

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