Date of Visit: February 21, 2022
For several weeks, Doug and I have been spending time over in Reston helping a family member with some issues at home. That's not beer blog fodder. But. After spending several hours and feeling like no progress is getting made, filled with the overwhelming sensation that we're not getting anywhere, a person should just take a detour to get a cold one.
This was one of those days.
So I picked Caboose Brewing. Slightly out of my way but I figured it would be great to just sit, relax, and have a beer.
The place was super crowded when I got there. It was a gorgeous day, and the tavern backs up onto a rail trail. Dozens of cyclists and families with kids were hanging out enjoying a break on their long or short hauls on the bright and sunny afternoon.
I entered the tavern, the signs said to wait to be seated so I waited. For a rather long time. I was about to give up and leave when one of the staff noticed me and asked if I wanted anything. Yes. To sit. Somewhere. Please.
She told me that I could sit anywhere, gestured around and gave me a big smile. I thought it odd, and pointed out that the sign said to wait to be seated.
She shrugged. I headed straight to the bar.
The bartenders (they have a full bar) basically ignored me as they washed glasses and cleared the bus corner where the waitresses were bringing things back.I finally flagged one down and asked if I could order. He said sure. Again, kind of a weird feel to this but okay.
I chose To Helles and Bock because I love good pun names. It was very refreshing, especially after hours of cleaning and working. Great taste and a nice maibock. I downed it fast, but got a picture for the socials.
I wanted a second one, and just couldn't get the attention of anyone behind the bar. There were two or three people back and forth, filling orders for the wait staff bringing things to the tables. I even got a middle distance stare through by one of the staff, like I wasn't even there. Eventually I walked over to the to go case because there were a couple beers I wanted to try, and when I came back I asked for my second beer, and the guy heard me.
"I'll take a second pour and these to go. You can close out the tab then."
I ordered the Dunkelweisen, and got the Fog Hazy IPA and Blackberry Gose to go home to the boys. My notes in untappd are blank from the check in, so I think that I just wanted to drink it and go. I don't have a really strong mental note either of what I thought.
Caboose serves food too, but I knew I was headed home to a fully made dinner in an hour, and I didn't want to ruin my appetite. The menu looked good, and the bike rider next to me had a buffalo chicken sandwich. It smelled amazing and he made a couple audible groans of delight at the deliciousness of the sammitch. I asked him how was it and she shook his head, asking "are you married?"
Laughingly, I admitted to such and he told me that if I had that sandwich, I'd leave my husband, and live with the sandwich forever. His wife was sitting on his other side, and she was laughing (with her salad in front of her, probably not feeling the same about her salad). I asked him if he was going to leave his wife and go live with this sandwich, and he said yes. Yes he was.
Note to self that the sandwich is worth divorce.
I had to flag down one of the waitstaff, while sitting at the bar, to pay my tab. I realized that the bartender was paying attention to the couple next to me and I still felt that this was just weird.
It was time to go. I felt overall that the beer was good here, but my experience was negative. I'm not used to ever sitting at a bar and not getting attention. Luckily the ride home was swift, and we were able to enjoy the Fog and Blackberry Gose at home. I didn't take notes or photos of them, but we overall really loved the Gose.
To be honest, I'm not sure I will ever go back to Caboose, even for the divorce sandwich. Even with Doug.
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