Westover Market

Sludgeman

District of Columbia

3.61/5  rDev -9.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5 | food: 2.5 | $$$

Westover Market is both a beer store and a Beer Haus & Garden. To be fair, each should be evaluated separately. I will my best to discuss both in this review.

A
Store - I personally like the atmosphere. Laid back. A big focus on the beer. Others may say the store messy. I don't.
Beer Haus - Small and quaint. Once again focused on the beer.

Q
Store - I am always weary of a beers age in the store, especially with the singles. If the beer does not have a "bottled on date" I am typically hesitant to buy. Some of the coolers aren't so cold, but not much worry there. The beer is not hot and then I go back to the bottle on date.
Beer Haus - No worries here. They typically serve in an appropriate glass inside. Outside will be a plastic cup.
I give the place an average rating because of the age and potential storage issues. Just remember, buyer beware in the store.

S
Store - Almost non-existant at the Wall of Beer. I guess because the guys that know the beer are working in the Haus.
Beer Haus - Good. No complaints. David, Drew and others are very friendly. Remember that you can sit inside and still go outside to get a beer and they charge it direct to your tab inside. Easy accomodation, but somewhat unexpected.
Once again, the store pulls down the overall rating here.

S
Store - Excellent selection. A huge variety of six packs. Singles pulled from sixers. And large format bottles. Greater focus on domestic beers, but there are plenty of Belgian and English available.
Beer Haus - Six to eight on tap inside. Five to six on tap outside. Always varying. Regular tap takeovers. I always find two or three beers I want to drink when I visit.

F - Food is hit or miss. There are some great items on the menu (some specials, the burgers, the bolgogi), but other stuff like the pulled pork and the chili have been extremely disapointing.

V
Store - The store can be more expensive than other nearby establishments such as Lost Dog or Arrow Wine. I recognize that and never buy too much of a special item. Only enough to satisfy. But you can typically save $2/$3 on a bomber (e.g. Bruery) if you go someplace else.
Beer Haus - Standard bar prices for craft beer. Food is not expensive but you must weight that against the quality.

05-18-2013 04:03:52 | More by Sludgeman

alevaza

Virginia

4.95/5  rDev +24.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

This is one of the few places in the Arlington area with some actual character, its eclectic and unique; I find it a refreshing alternative to the Ballston/Clarendon scene and appreciate its laid-back, unpretentious vibe. It has undoubtedly become my favorite hang out in Northern VA since I discovered it two years ago. On summer nights, I love nothing more than to sit on the patio under lighted trees sipping a beer. In winter, I’ve roasted marshmallows and made smores by the fire. They support local music, you can watch sports on the outdoor TVs, there’s good food, the friendliest crowd I’ve ever come across…and an awesome beer selection both at the beer garden/haus and the market. I’m a fan.

03-22-2013 01:17:38 | More by alevaza

Hanzo

Virginia

3.38/5  rDev -15.1%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | $$$

Stopped in to check if they had any BCBS since we didn't get any in my area of Southeast Virginia. The place doesn't look too great inside, but they do have a large Variety of beer available, and honestly that is what I was there for. A lot of it was refrigerated though not all of the coolers seemed operational.

There were a lot of dusty bottles which led me to question the freshness of some of their time sensitive beers (and I was warned of this by a fellow BA prior to going so I was on the lookout). The Racer X DIPA I picked up, that was on their display table clocked in at a little over two months old, so it wasn't all that bad. They did have five 4-pks of BCBS sitting on the same table so they score points for that!

Prices....well that is where they go wrong. They were about $2-$3 more per item than other stores I have been in around that area. I have no problem spending a few extra bucks if it means the store would look nice and the staff were helpful...neither were the case here so where is the extra money going?

I would certainly return but I think it would serve them well to give the place a little freshening up and at least have one person walking around to help people instead of one guy standing at the register.

12-10-2012 13:14:24 | More by Hanzo

claspada

New Jersey

2.76/5  rDev -30.7%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3.5 | service: 1 | selection: 4 | $$$

Stopper here after lunch at Lost Dog across the street.
There is a pretty nice selection all long the right wall as you walk in of cold sixpacks, cold bombers and warm versions of both. After having stopped at State Line in MD a few hours earlier I was less than impressed but would be quite happy if I hadn't gone there first.

This is really just a low budget grocery store with a crap ton of beer. A better sixpack shop if that makes sense. Lots of seasonals and out of state options. Most of the beer is American craft. I questioned the freshness of some of the less popular stuff just because of the huge 6 pack variety, but they can say that they have new stuff as well because of the large Pumking and Founders Breakfast stout display.

The cons are the lack of anyone working there. There was like one person and he was running the 1 of 2 registers (for a grocery store) and i just wanted to buy a 4 pack of Maui Coconut Porter but chose to bag it because of the lady buying a cart full of groceries in front of me in line.

09-17-2012 19:21:52 | More by claspada

MissBuffieSkisAlot

1.14/5  rDev -71.4%
vibe: 1 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 1.5 | $$$$

Don't order a keg from Westover Market. You will be sorry. We sure are.

We ordered a 1/2 keg for our small non-profit's lobster roll party last night. As our attendees milled around waiting for beer they had paid for in advance, we scrambled to get the keg to work. Turns out WESTOVER MARKET GAVE US A FAULTY TAP. We got a working tap from another, closer, store, but by then, our event was more than half over. When we returned the almost-full keg and the faulty tap this morning, we asked for "a little" discount on the beer. Westover charged us full price in spite of its mistake. As a result, we are out $99 for less than 20 cups of beer.

Go elsewhere for your keg. We certainly will.

07-30-2012 00:29:55 | More by MissBuffieSkisAlot

ProudBeerSnob

New York

4.15/5  rDev +4.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

In town for vacation. Picked up some goodies I can't get around home.

Westover Market is a small market/deli. They boast of their wall of beer, but it's really a matter of circumstance rather than planning. The entire store is ringed with bottles on top of the produce coolers, etc. Previous posters call this poor storage due to light exposure, but I doubt it. Only bombers and 750s were positioned as such and only 2-3 at a time. The rest were left in their cases on the floor. Nothing seemed outdated, certainly nothing I bought.

Prices seemed reasonable, slightly cheaper than the bottle shop section at the Lost Dog Cafe across the street. 10.99 for a sixer of Founders Centennial IPA is the the only beer I'm familiar with pricing and that isn't out of the ordinary.

The gent at the register saw my case of mixed bombers and singles and inquired if I was looking forward to anything. All of it ws my reply as it was mostly new stuff to me. We got to chatting about distro issues and the expansion plans of New Belgium and Sierra.

I would definitely go back to Westover if visiting DC metro again. Locals may have better options but this place was convenient to our hotel and the Lost Dog where we had dinner.

04-16-2012 02:00:58 | More by ProudBeerSnob

frickprick

Washington

1.28/5  rDev -67.8%
vibe: 1 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 2 | $$$$

Why I stopped giving Westover my business after shopping there a couple of times.

1. The prices are the highest I've seen in all of Northern Virginia and DC. Old dusty bottles of good beer that no one wants to buy because of the outrageous prices. For example, $12 for a single bottle of Backwoods Bastard. That's almost $50 a 4 pack.

2. Their storage of beer is horrendous. Broken down coolers and shelving of beers on top of the coolers directly under florescent lighting.

3. You want a special release? Be prepared to pay $$$ just to be on a reserve list.

4. The place is just run down and filthy. I would never buy any groceries there or eat their food.

Better bets, Total Wine in Alexandria or Lost Dog located directly across the street from Westover.

03-06-2012 21:48:48 | More by frickprick

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.31/5  rDev -16.8%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | $$$

been to westover a handful of times over the past year. just recently looked at the overall rating of 94 and was shocked. felt obliged to put in my 2 cents.

when you first walk into westover it simply appears as a dirty grocery store. small rows of goods, some produce, and then to your right a big wall of beer. single bottles (bombers, 750's, etc.) of some of the hard to finds on top produce cooler which hold 4 & 6-packs as well as a selection of mix and match 12oz bottles. the mix and match selection is something i always enjoy doing, but this place is really not the place to do it. very overpriced single servings of brews that are really not that rare (starr hill, SN, kona, etc.). the bottles on top are where you should keep your eyes focused as there are some gems. however, dont plan on walking out of this store with any steals. they know what they have and have marked up accordingly. i find it deterring when i see beautiful bottles of beer directly under florescent lighting covered in dust and then i am asked to shell out a buck or two higher than the average market price. buying beer in this area is a little more expensive than most, however this place is on my avoid list when it comes to doing some bottle hunting.

one cool aspect of westover is it does now have a beer garden that utilizes the side patio for some outdoor seating. they have about 10 drafts and the selection gives a nice range of diversity. the prices are a bit high, but if you have been reading my review this far that should not be unexpected.

i think way to many users are quick to give a high rating to a store if they see a large selection of beer. i understand because i was similar when i first began visiting different bottle shops and exploring new brews. however, the review should really focus on all the aspects that makes up a rating as i find atmosphere and price just as important as selection, seeing as atmosphere and price are the two areas where westover really doesnt cut the cheese.

02-12-2012 12:43:44 | More by Jimmys

rhartogsq

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -5.8%
vibe: 2 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 2 | $$$$

I both love Westover and hate it.
The Love: Awesome, huge beer selection. Great local stuff from Port City, Starr Hill, and others. And a great world wide selction.
They get some great stuff on tap.

Hate: The prices are generally a dollar or more per bottle than average. The taps in the beer house and beer garden are cost prohibitive.
The food I had there was very basic, and expensive for what it is.
The bartenders are hit or miss. One took ages to get my bill, luckily I rarely see that guy.

I talked to an employee once who told them they will keep rare and limited stuff on hold, then jack up the price. Not cool. I own a business and understand the value of making a buck, but the craft beer industry thrives on sharing and word of mouth.

12-19-2011 20:12:58 | More by rhartogsq

jrarthur

Virginia

4.36/5  rDev +9.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

My overall impression of this place that it boasts a very good atmosphere, sporting a small beer garden in the back and a traditional bar inside, with simple decor and good seating options. The draft selection was not very numerous, but of high quality and wide variety. The beverages were delicious and well-priced. The bartenders were friendly and knowledgeable, as well as the other patrons from what I could tell. I have only been once to the beer garden/bar, but am a frequent shopper of the associated marketplace (amazing selection of well-priced beers), and plan on returning to both as often as possible.

09-08-2011 14:01:54 | More by jrarthur