By the Gastronomes

While we have featured Union Street Public House (USPH) in this column several times over the last 38 years, we treated the Tap Room side as sort of a “sidebar” in those columns so thought it deserved some special attention this month.

The Tap Room is a popular gathering place. The large bar accommodates plenty of people and spacious booths are scattered along the walls. Two tops and four tops dominate the large space in front of the bar and behind the wall-to-wall windows looking out onto Union Street. The entire restaurant is very inviting with both décor and ambiance, and the Tap Room is iconic. Much of this can be attributed to the Bob Holland design that you will also find at the former Portner’s now Josephine, on South St. Asaph Street. They both have that old school D.C. bar vibe. There is something about this bar that lends itself to a kind of Cheers (I know this analogy gets a bit overused but…) kind of place. Whether you are a regular or not, you feel like part of the crowd.

From day one, the Tap Room has been known for their large selection of draught beer, fine whiskeys and great food. Locally sourced, their food is always good and plentiful. It is also home to some of the best bartenders in the DMV – including the infamous Bruce Wytucki who has been holding court behind the bar for almost, if not, 40 years. Our bartender the day we lunched, Tim, always has a smile on his face and is eager to please as well.

We stopped in for a late lunch on the day after Memorial Day and were greeted by General Manager Al Chadsey as we sidled up to the bar next to a few regulars and some fun visitors. There was a decent number of people in the booths so the decibel level – with the exception of one known regular who forgets he has an inside voice – was pleasant. The Tap Room can get pretty raucous at Happy Hour and later in the evening. Like many restaurants in Old Town, the acoustics aren’t the best when a crowd is having some big fun.

The lunch menu is pretty straight forward and concise. It is much simpler than the dinner menu but has plenty of offerings to sate any appetite. Some of the favorites remain the popular Crab Dip, the USPH Burger, the Fish and Chips, the Crab Cake Sandwich, the Classic Caesar, the Oysters on the Half Shell and who could pass up the New England Clam Chowda? All of which we have consumed over the years.

On this trip, we opted to just have appetizers and went with the aforementioned Crab Dip and a bowl of the ‘Soup of the Moment’ – French Onion. The dip is a great combination of crab meat, artichoke and green onion in a creamy/cheesy base. Served nice and hot with Pita chips, it is just the right amount for an appetizer. We both love a good French Onion soup and were not disappointed with the version served here. It is beef broth based and the caramelized onions were some of the sweetest I have tasted in a long while. Served with croutons and topped with just the right amount cheese (some places go way overboard with it in my opinion) melted to perfection on top and served piping hot with a chopped parsley garnish. It is served in a traditional crock that is also on the smaller side in order to give you room for an entrée.

For a nice cold draft beer, you will find what you want with a dozen beers on tap and the prerequisite seasonal craft cocktails won’t disappoint. They have a pretty impressive back bar and the wine list is fairly extensive as well.

Happy hour runs from 4 pm-7 pm Monday through Friday and Brunch is served on both Saturday and Sunday and the Brunch menu is very impressive on its own. They have daily specials for both lunch and dinner. Growlers of beer, bottles of wine, and cocktails are available for carry-out.

Summer is officially on its way and there is no better time to stop by the Union Street Public House Tap Room to cool off and enjoy a “bite” of historic Old Town! Be there or be square!!

Union Street Public House Tap Room

121 S. Union Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

Tel: (703) 548-1785

Unionstreetpublichouse.com

Hours: 11:30 Monday-Friday: 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 a.m.

Saturday-Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m