Order Up is a regular series that features our staff visiting local eateries.
On a recent Friday evening, my husband and I stopped into our favorite local pub for a beer and a bite to eat.
Three Notched Brewery and Craft Kitchen, named for the old colonial boulevard that runs through the heart of Virginia, founded in Charlottesville in 2013. There are currently six locations across Virginia, including a location in Virginia Beach's Town Center that opened in 2021 on the former site of Gordon Biersch Brewery.
The spacious, inviting space features a dining area with booth seating and tables, a large bar, high-top tables facing two garage doors that can be opened when the weather is nice, and a small patio where well-behaved dogs can relax (unfortunately, ours isn't the most well-behaved, so we don't bring them with us when we visit).
We tried pints of Firefly Nights, a light and refreshing summer pale ale served in a mason jar, and Duke of Clouds, a hoppy, hazy session IPA with hints of citrus. The perfect tipple to start the weekend off right.
Beer lists and food menus are tailored to each location and change seasonally, but each has its staples. Lucky for us, one of our favorite appetizers has been on the menu for a while: spring rolls (lumpia), lightly fried and crunchy on the outside with cabbage, celery, water chestnuts, carrots and onions inside. Perfect for dipping in the piquant chili sauce.
For mains, I ordered the Beef Sliders with Cheddar Cheese and Sweet Potato Fries, and my husband ordered the Southwestern Black Bean Burger and regular fries.
Both were perfect.
Served on toasted potato buns with pickles, the three sliders were juicy, well-seasoned and meaty yet not boring – the perfect snack, and the sweet potato fries were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside – plus, a nice boost of Vitamin A.
My husband's black bean burger was light yet hearty, nicely charred, and tasted like a beef burger. It was a little tangy, probably from the chipotle aioli, but the avocado slices added a cool accent.
“That was a satisfying sandwich,” he said, digging out the last of the fries from the bottom of the basket.
Three Notch'd also serves main dishes like fish and chips, shrimp plates, and a Buffalo Macaroni and Cheese Bowl with fried chicken tenders. Other family favorites include the Beach Street Nachos and the giant Cobb Salad.
They also serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, but the menu is less extensive.
If beer isn't your thing, the extensive bar menu offers cocktails made with Three Notch'd Distilling Co. bourbon and whiskey, Virginia ciders, wines from Williamsburg and the surrounding area, and interesting non-alcoholic drinks.
The waiters are attentive and friendly, the space is relaxing and the food and drink is more upmarket than typical pub fare – Three Notch'd is worth a visit for everyone, save for the most misbehaved dogs.
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If you go
where: 4561 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach
time: Sunday to Thursday: 11am to 10pm, Friday and Saturday: 11am to 11pm
price: Drinks: $7-12, Meals: $10-24
detail: 757-916-8080; threenotchdbrewing.com/pages/vb
