High Side

20240510 Had a late lunch here with my long time friend. She loves the pork belly rice dish. It was good. Pork Belly was very tendered and I like that it's cut in small pieces. Unfortunately, it was very salty. The dish could have more veggies. The waitress was excellent. They have a mice variety of beer options. I didn't care the for narrow alley into and exiting the parking lot. It's too narrow.

I will not admit to how many chicken sandwiches or bao I've purchased. Bar staff is on point with recommendations. There's a lot of options and there's no bad choices from their menu. My favorite spot in downtown Fairfax, and one I'm very happy to see made it through a tough couple of years during the pandemic. Follow all their festivals and events because the Asian Festival on Main, shouldn't be missed.

The vegan food offered here is really good! The staff was very friendly. There is parking behind the building, which you access from the alley right next to the building. Highly recommend!

Such a cute little modern spot. All the food was great and fresh. Fries, bao, popcorn chicken, and pork belly were all great. Good beer selection. Loved all the different beer glasses. Went in on a Sunday evening so it wasn’t very busy at all. Waiter checked on us consistently (sometimes that’s actually an issue when it’s slow, but not here!) will def be back to try the rest of the menu.

Really enjoyed the dan dan noodles with the added braised pork belly. The braised pork belly over rice was also good but definitely needed the addition of the pickled mustard green and really was a lot of rice. Pork belly boa was good but a little bready, and I was luke warm on the popcorn chicken, as it was crispy but a bit dry overall. Generally I'd say the pork belly menu options were the way to go.

We tried this place in Fairfax City for the first time. They have a nice selection of beer and spirits. We tried the braised pork belly over rice. It comes with a braised egg. This plate tastes like home cooked meal. It was delicious! I would highly recommend this place! It tastes like my mom's home cooking! Absolutely the best. The other plates were also delicious. We ordered the lemon grass fried chicken over rice with a fried egg. The chicken has a nice flavor and moderately spicy. The scallion pancake with stir fried beef was okay. I will definitely come back to try all the other menu items and order the braised pork belly again! It is the menu item and always consistent. If you like hard seltzer, they have Smooj and the Humble Bumble is the best if you like a fruity tropical seltzer water. They taste like spiked fruit juice... So delicious. We got the beef noodle soup, there are some flavor of anise in it is basically a very concentrated flavor of pho. It comes in a smaller bowl than the pho. The Dan Dan noodle is pretty decent You can add chicken or pork belly with it. It is pretty flavorful. We also got the dessert ube custard cake which was not that sweet and it was delicious. Can't wait to come back here!

As an Asian, the food is not the most authentic but it is still not bad. The waiters are very nice and I like the atmosphere. But the highlight of eating here is the deserts, they are so delicious! I got the coconut flan and the ube custard cake and I enjoyed every bite.

Not quite Taiwanese food; closer to Taiwanese fusion, and delicious! Great pairing with beer and hard (dry) cider. Kids are welcome, but they either must be adventurous eaters or of Asian descent since the spices are different. Love the fact that one can hang outside or inside. Spaces are on the small side, but still very cozy. Limited parking on the site (back of the restaurant) but there is a bigger parking lot on the next block. Tons of traffic outside so it's probably better to park elsewhere.

Came for the Taiwanese fusion and the beer check-ins (an official spot, apparently?) Ordered an assortment of dishes to try as I was just excited to find Taiwanese food in Virginia (yay). Started with a pickled cucumber, which was supposed to be "ma La", which is a numbing spice, but it was not that spicy. The pickles were more sour than I had expected. Still good though. Ordered pot stickers for the kids. Popcorn chicken (also yum, though basic could've been added) was a hit. And the beef in scallion pancake tasted like steak tips with a frozen pancake. Not bad, but not quite as good as a traditional rolled pancake with beef. For main course we had shrimp fried rice and beef noodle soup (spicy). Both were great. I thought the beef noodle soup was quite authentic and worth returning for. The service was very warm and friendly, and although we came after the festival where they had a booth, we were still welcomed and fed, and even sent home with extra pork belly rice leftover from their booth. ...which my kids ate the next door and loved! A very kid-friendly restaurant that I'd happily return to try again.

Old Town Fairfax isn't a place we frequent as it is a bit of a drive from Reston but it's a quaint little area with several restaurants and bars and numerous folks out on a Saturday night. It'd be a cool area to live and walk to get a bite or drink. High Side has many of your typical Taiwanese dishes and I'm always looking for a good Taiwanese restaurant. It's a small place...so you may have to wait but luckily we got a table for 2 outside on the front patio. The national dish of Taiwan is the Beef Noodle Soup and it's also my son's favorite so we have to give that a shot. I go with the Dan Dan Noodles with grilled chicken. We also add in the Scallion Pancake with beef and onions after the fact as the noodle dishes are on the smaller side...so be ready to order a few apps if you are hungry. As for the taste of the dishes? Good stuff...the Beef Noodle broth is flavorful, the beef is tender and seasoned well and I like the pickled mustard greens that are added in. The Dan Dan noodles are also satisfying. The grilled chicken is nicely grilled and adds a nice grilled flavor to the noodles along with the peanuts and sauce. My son also liked the scallion pancake roll. The beef is tender and the pancakes are crispy and flavorful. It's not your typical scallion pancake beef roll but still good. Overall, a good experience..a bit on the pricey side considering portions but solid, fresh take on Taiwanese favorites.

The Garlic Noodles with Shrimp..with Parmesan Cheese?!?! Yes yes and yes! It's amazing and I would come back just for this one dish! This is a small cozy relaxed restaurant with very attentive service. It does echo quite a bit in there so can get loud. Theres a small outdoor seats if you prefer a more quiet time but it faces the main road. I also loved the Taiwanese pork bao. The edamame and pot stickers were a hit with my kids. Looking forward to coming back

Thank you thank you to the wonderful & energetic staff for providing such amazing service!! Despite the relatively small size of the restaurant, the food really delivers hugely on flavor and variety. We loved everything we tried, especially the fried lemongrass chicken. My personal favorite was the pork and rice - a yummy Taiwanese classic. Overall, this was a great, casual place to eat good food and enjoy good beer (there were families there as well so it's still a family friendly place)! Parking is difficult (small lot behind the restaurant that's easy to miss), so you're better off finding parking in one of the nearby structures.

Winning combination in Fairfax: Asian street food and craft beer... ...except my table ordered cider. We shared the Double Haul and Raspberries & Brett, the only two options for cider. Both were distinct enough in flavor for us to enjoy. Overall, you will see a nice selection of beers from Virginia and elsewhere. For food, we got the Lemongrass Fried Chicken over Rice and the Zha Jiang Noodles from the Big Plates side. It was definitely a hard choice for us to narrow down from the menu, but we were happy with both dishes and the portions. The table service was very welcoming, friendly, and patient when we could not decide what to order. We came in for Sunday lunch and it wasn't too busy. It's very casual and a good place to hang out with friends. It's just a pain that it's so far out in Virginia for me.

First of all I really wanted to give the place another try because the owner was so responsive via my Yelp review. The beer selection was great and the juicy tiles was refreshing. The service again was TOP NOTCH. I was here on 1/13/23 at 8 pm and the staff were super helpful and efficient. The food was a lot better than when I first tried it. I really enjoyed the Dan bung (but with a cheesy twist), the fried chicken was garlicky goodness, the Zhang jiang main had a great, light flavor, and of course the potstickers were a star. Again, the beers are extremely expensive. Would I go back? Sure. Just for the staff and service alone. I see they attempted to have sound dampeners in their dining space but it does get very very very loud just with people talking.

Finding gluten free Asian choices is always a treat. I have enjoyed their menu and options and found the pricing reasonable for the quality received. The close quarters and quick crowded feeling was the only reason to give 4 stars- however it is no surprise this establishment is usually crowded due to the great food!

I've been wanting to check out High Side for almost a year now, and I'm glad I finally stopped by. My friend and I got dinner here this past Friday at around 5 PM. There weren't a lot of people there so we were able to choose a spot to sit at. They definitely have a variety of Taiwanese small bites and entrees along with drinks. TAIWANESE EGG CREPE (DAN BING) - 7 Wow, wow, wow. This was definitely our favorite. The dan bing was perfectly crispy and pan-fried on the outside, and the inside was neatly wrapped with slightly runny egg and melted cheese. This was generously topped with scallions and drizzled with sauce. This was definitely our favorite of all the things we ordered, as it was super flavorful and satisfying texture. I'd highly recommend this as it was delicious and filling. CHICKEN WINGS (W/ THREE-CUP CHICKEN SAUCE) - 13 Each order comes with six wings, drizzled in three-cup chicken sauce. I thought the sauce was much too overwhelming and salty. If I could somehow wipe some of the sauce off, I would. If you can handle a lot of sodium, I would recommend it. I had to eat these chicken wings with rice from our lu rou fan to help balance out the salt. Maybe there is a way to ask for sauce on the side, but I probably won't get this again in the future. BRAISED PORK BELLY OVER RICE (LU ROU FAN) - 11 Wow, I'm surprised this was so cheap for the portion size. Lots of pork belly with delicious sauce. The fat was also so tender and mushy, which was perfect. I would prefer more minced pork as I found the pork belly to be too thick/heavy after awhile. The sauce was delicious - I wish there was more of it to smother all over the rice. The marinated tea egg went well with the rice and pork. Definitely would recommend this for taste and amazing value. UBE CUSTARD CAKE - 7 This cake was full of ube flavor. My friend and I were super impressed. The ube cake itself was pretty heavy/dense, but again, full of ube flavor that I deeply appreciated. The flan/custard on top was a nice change in texture. It was silky soft and on the sweeter side with the glaze on top, but does well to balance the thickness of the cake itself. I would most definitely recommend it if you're a fan of ube and flan! Overall, solid food experience for a cheap price. My friend and I were shocked at the total (20.90 per person after tax) and thought we heard incorrectly. Maybe we didn't eat too much, not sure. I thought the price we paid for two appetizers, one entree, and a dessert to share was more than fair. Will definitely be returning for more delicious Taiwanese style food and maybe drinks next time. The Tornado Fries look like a must.

I was pleasantly surprised by this place. It's been on my list for a while now and finally got the chance to try it out. It's very modern and clean, I enjoyed the beer, tornado fries, bao buns, and chicken sandwich! The bao buns are pricey but I liked the shrimp one the most. I loved the vibe here, very laid back and great place to work or catch up with friends. Our server was very nice and helpful. We will definitely come back.

Recommend this spot for a taiwanese street food spot! The place is pretty small but fun! They have a large beer selection and other drinks too! I recommend trying the dan bing. Its an enhanced version of the typical taiwanese breakfast. The bao is delicious, real close to the real thing, the pork is very tender. We loved the beef noodle soup. I do think the portions are smaller than expected. The bowls are usually larger for soups and that was unexpected. Otherwise I would come back again!

The restaurant is very small and cozy, making it really intimate. I could tell guests who come stay a long time to snack and drink beer, so I guess my friends and I came to the wrong place for dinner. We ordered a bunch of appetizers, thinking we'd get authentic Taiwanese foods, but the popcorn chicken had too much better and the scallion pancake tasted odd with cheese and I'm not even sure what sauce. We also got beef skewers, which tasted better than the other appetizers, but I really don't think it was worth. My lemongrass fried chicken was better than the popcorn chicken, but I honestly felt pretty dissatisfied with this meal. My friends liked their pork belly over rice as that tasted the most authentic, but we all had lost our appetite by then. My friends did however like their drinks, so maybe this is more of place to drink than to eat.

Cute place in downtown Fairfax. The servers were super nice and kind. They are all passionate about their place of work. We started with the Lemongrass Chicken. Crispy but still moist. This one packs some spice so be ready. Maybe grab a beer from their extensive selection, both draft and cans. After that moved onto main courses. I had the Popcorn Chicken over rice. The fried egg was a nice touch. The cucumber had an unique pickled taste that complimented the chicken nicely. My wife got the Dan Dan noodles with Tofu. Now, I'm not a super fan of tofu but they did a good job. They only reason I gave them four stars in the portion size. For the same money, i have gotten similar quality food but more of it at other places around town.

How have I not shared a review sooner is a mystery to me.. I'm here all the time and have tried pretty much the entire menu! I love the traditional, Taiwanese dishes the most (Taiwanese American approved!) Jinson, the owner, curates the absolute best beers, ciders, seltzers, and rotates the drink menu often with amazing options. The patio is dog friendly so bring your pup along. One of my favorites in NoVa!

My wife and I stopped by here on Saturday around 2:30pm for sort of a lunch snack after a GMU basketball game. On the plus side, the craft beer selection is excellent. I enjoyed a lovely 4 oz. lager with hint of white grape produced at Wheatland Spring Farm (Loudoun County VA - near Leesburg). You can order 4 oz. samplers as well as the larger 10 oz. or 12 oz. mugs. The Taiwanese snack food was a pleasant surprise (nothing in the cozy space suggests or hints at "Asian fusion"). I would probably recommend the Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (which goes well with beer). The braised pork belly with rice was good, but not as tasty as Taiwanese restaurants such as A&J in Annandale). However, here it was a nice complement to the beer. My wife enjoyed her Dan Dan noodles a lot! On the minus side, the parking situation kind of sucks. A few parking spaces are available on the rear side of the building (after entering and exiting on narrow alleyways at 4009 Chain Bridge Road). But if you have a large SUV, I would strongly recommend parking a block away and walking (there's a free outdoor parking lot that is catty corner from the Truist Bank sign). Overall, I would definitely come here again. You can find online menus through the QR codes. Be sure to know your order when the server comes as limited staffing can make wait times a bit long. Once again, I think the craft beer selection is the star of the show!

High Side is not only an amazing craft beer pub, but it has delicious food and a strong sense of community. I like that it's located in a small space that isn't loud like so many larger pubs, and is much more conducive to talking with friends and meeting new people. The staff is so attentive and knows their customers by name. It's always a fun experience and I highly recommend High Side even to people who don't drink beer. The food alone is worth it!

Gosh, this place has so much potential. If the food were only better. Let's start off with the good. The place was very cozy and had a cool vibe. The service was also friendly and spot on. And all the beers we tasted (approx 6) were all fantastic. The food was average unfortunately. We ordered 7 dishes and shared them all. 2 were tasty, 3 were passable, and 2 we all took one bite and didn't eat anymore. We'll absolutely come back for the beer, but not the food.

The atmosphere was relaxed and casual. The service was great and the food was fantastic!

This is a cute little place in Fairfax. There is parking behind the restaurant. A sign will indicate where parking is but easily missed. There are free public parking around. I wouldn't say the dishes we tried at High Side are authentic Taiwanese food. The flavor is tailored more toward to American taste buds or fusion style. They do have Happy Hour (HH) offers in both drinks and appetizer, you can ask the server for additional details. As you use the QR code to see the menu, some appetizers (Small Plates) will also indicate what's included in the HH. We ordered the following: * Taiwanese Pork Belly Bao * Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken * Braised Pork Belly over Rice * 3 Cup Tofu over Rice * Ube Cake The Taiwanese Pork Belly Bao is flavorful. The authentic way is with ground sugar peanuts but our bao did not have that. Instead, we had the chopped up peanuts, which loses it's overall authenticity. Still good though. The Taiwanese Popcorn Ck was first marinated then fried. The authentic way is to douse plentiful of the salt/pepper mixture. This dish did not have the heavy presence of salt/pepper. The chicken is very crunchy. The dish also came with a sweet chili dipping sauce to give it a different variation. There are two styles of the Braised Pork Belly over rice offered. One kind is the diced up pork belly and the second type is the big slab of the pork belly over rice. We picked the big slabs instead. This dish has very strong flavor of the 5 spice and also cinnamon. The pork belly was very nicely braised (definitely the highlight). Pork fat tender and melty and the meat was soft. This is the same pork belly as the bao. Initially, we thought there isn't enough sauce to go over the rice but at the end, we didn't think the rice was dry. The rice they used in the rice dishes are good rice. Bouncy and chewy texture of the rice also able to soak the sauces. YUMO! The most 'unauthentic' dish would be the 3 cup tofu over rice. The tradition flavor of the 3 cup wasn't there for me but still a good dish to eat. There was a lot of sauce (a bit too much for me) but with rice, it was good. The tofu was fried to the level of VERY crispy and for me, missing that tender middle of the tofu texture. The marinated cucumber was very much on point. I would say it was my favorite 'dish'. The cucumber was crunchy and with good flavor from the marinate (garlic, sugar, vinegar and hot oil). The dish is very garlicy and great tasting. If you go on a date, I would suggest you reframe from ordering the popcorn ck and the cucumber unless you and your date both like garlic. The Ube Cake was a nice finish. The flavor of the ube was good. The texture of the cake is soft but not chiffon cake soft. Still great flavor. The experience was pleasant and good. The atmosphere was relaxing and inviting. We will definitely return to try out other dishes (Beef noodle soup comes to mind).

I went here for happy hour. The food was great. It would be nice if a few more food and drink items were on the happy hour menu. I had the bao bun with pork belly and the Dan Dan noodles with chicken. They both were delicious! I will definitely be back to try other items. The service was good! The place was smaller than I expected but it was very nice and intimate. FYI: unless I overlooked it, there's whiskey, wine, beer and hard seltzers. Don't make the mistake I did and not realize they didn't have other liquor.

Such great food and friendly service! The shishito peppers were best I had. The salad was delish and the pot stickers and Dan Dan noodles also incredible

as far as authenticity is concerned, you'd be better off going to any other taiwanese or chinese restaurant, emphasis on the "fusion" in asian fusion. three cup tofu over rice, subbed in chicken (三杯鸡) - tasted fine but absolutely nothing like three cup sauce spicy dan dan noodles (担担面) - very disappointed, as dan dan noodles is my absolute favorite chinese noodle dish. way too sweet and nothing like real 担担面 beef teriyaki skewers - $13 for four skewers- overpriced and bland, worst than what you could make at home with any store brand teriyaki sauce taiwanese pork belly bao (割包) - AMAZING and the only thing worth coming here for. completely authentic taste, delicious pork that melts in your mouth complemented perfectly by the pickled mustard green and crunchy peanuts. food aside, the servers are incredibly sweet and personable, and the vibe is hip and energetic. i only wish that 'modernized' and 'stylish' asian restaurants didn't feel the need to compromise authenticity!

Kindof disappointed with my order from last night. The garlic noodles with shrimp were bland and really, 4 shrimp? The lemongrass chicken was also pretty meh. On the positives, the bao were both good although the ratio of pork to bun could've been better. The pickled cucumbers were probably the best thing we ordered.

Whats on tap? An awesome selection of beers. They rotate through several types, and they have Smooj! The bartender was super nice and knowledgeable, and they have delicious Asian Street Food. I wanted to try everything on the menu!

Insanely delicious food Garlic noodles, Dan Dan noodles, any and all bao buns are so good. No reservations but I haven't ever had to wait. Great selection of beers We also had an incredible server. I wish I got her name but she had long brown hair and was just super cool, attentive and funny. This was on a friday evening. Thank YOU mystery name server lady.

Food: Delicious Asian street food Service: Super friendly and attentive Atmosphere: Cozy bar with TVs to watch games Price: $$ High Side is a great local bar with delicious Asian snacks. Great beer selection and even better service. The bartender was attentive and funny. Favorites were the Taiwanese egg crepes, Tornado Fries and scallion pancakes with beef! Definitely worth the trip!

Oh what a nice find! Ordered way more for 2 adults and 2 kids but we devoured it all! Parking was a little interesting to find as it requires driving down a narrow street off the Main Street. Now...for the restaurant itself, it is a nice atmosphere with an amazing selection of craft beer with a few spirits (like Pappy and Birthday Bourbon!). Expect to pay $30-40/ounce for the nicer bourbon. The food was delicious! Tasty and fresh made to order! Service was top-notch with a smile and very helpful! Would highly recommend. Enjoy! ***Tues/Weds - half off Fried Chicken Sandwich! Sp down to $6!***

The food was pretty good, nice flavor profile and decent price. I don't know if it was an off night for the serving staff but our table was pretty much ignored. Our waiter literally pulled up a chair and sat with the next table and talked while our food was finished for five minutes while we waited for the check. Not very impressed from this experience but open to trying it again if a friend wanted to go.

Service here was amazing. Our server was super friendly and attentive, answered all questions happily. I came here as a Yelp event and got a free order of tornado fries (would def. recommend). Their bathrooms were also very clean and had great heaters in them. Parking here is not that great- a few spots in the back that you get to through a slim alley or you could find street parking or one of the free lots a few blocks down. We had gone around when they opened and were lucky enough to find parking in the back. We ordered the tornado fries, scallion pancake with beef, popcorn chicken, beef skewers, garlic noodles, chicken sandwich, and pork belly and rice. All dishes were pretty decent but I'd get the tornado fries, scallion pancake with beef, and beef skewers again. Highly recommend all of those. The sandwiches here are on the larger side for sure. I really wanted to try the buns but couldn't bring myself to pay $10 for two but may have to the next time we go because they looked so delicious. The restaurant itself is super small so I wouldn't recommend bringing a big party here, most tables are set up for 4 people max. I'd definitely come back in the future.

Thank you, Yelp, for getting me over to Fairfax to try out this delicious spot. I ordered an IPA, some "tornado fries" which seemed to defy some sort of law of physics how they were cut that way, and the popcorn chicken app. The popcorn chicken arrived and the scent alone - with all that garlic - was amazing. Yes, I was surprised at how much garlic is used in Asian street food. I'm that person that doubles the garlic in whatever a recipe says anyway. 3 cloves? Oh they must mean 6. So I loved it. I took an order of the Spicy Dandan Noodles (with chicken) to go for dinner later because I literally cannot resist this combination of ingredients: chili oil, sesame sauce, peanut sauce, shallots, and scallions. I was worried how it would reheat, but it was perfect. I was totally shocked to learn they were open for 4 years. I live in Alexandria, but I can see this being a place that is worth the trip over to Fairfax. Thank you, Yelp, for helping me discover it!

This is a small place; the tables are placed very close to each other. Luckily, our waitress was nice enough to move us when the table next to us freed up. We liked the scallion pancake roll with stir fry beef; however, even though the pancake was crispy the beef could have been braised to be a more authentic Taiwanese dish. The chicken satay was ok; the sauce was too thin to coat the chicken pieces.

First and last time. Disappointed, not authentic and a little pricey for the portion. Possibly a Great place to drink. Mostly American customers. Service was good, small parking space in the back. Not Taiwanese, more bar scene than restaurant. Not the place for good food.

We came for lunch and it's a little hole in the wall place that doesn't get enough credit! Per our server's recommendation, we got the lemongrass chicken and pork belly (something), my preference was baos. Alarmingly, the baos were very generously sized and they did not skimp on the pork belly filling. Such a wholesome taste that felt like something you'd get out of your grandmas kitchen. I couldn't put my finger on the exact taste; but that authentic flavor was definitely there. The lemongrass chicken was a twist on something fairly tradition and they definitely did a good job. Again, the portion was generous and did not disappoint. I do wish they would provide an option for spice level since it wasn't indicated on the menu and might be considered spicy for some. While we did not get drinks since we were here for lunch, the bar and the options looks amazing and we will definitely need to go closer to 5pm and grab a drink with our bites. Overall, the service was very attentive, the food authentic, and the atmosphere refreshing. I wish they had a bigger sign indicating parking behind the building (since my bf key driving in circles trying to figure out where to park) though it's no fault of the restaurant. I hope they can make their parking/restaurant a little more visible from the road. Next time we're craving Taiwanese food, this is on our hit list.

Have visited High Side a handful of times within the past couple years and my experience was positive overall. Servers are friendly and attentive, and the place is clean. Met up with a friend for dinner and drinks on a Tuesday, and everything tasted amazing! For this visit, we tried the popcorn chicken and tornado fries. The popcorn chicken is served both as an appetizer and over rice as a meal. This was my favorite dish and would actually recommend the appetizer since it seemed to come with more chicken (which is confusing since the small plate is cheaper?). The chicken is crispy, crunchy and garlicky! The meal comes with the chicken, rice, a fried egg and cucumbers. For those spice sensitive - the mala cucumbers that come with the meal are actually so spicy. They also have a ton of beers on taps and ciders! We tried a couple of their ciders and everything was really good! The food is a tad on the expensive side, but probably on par for the area. Their biggest con is parking, but there are several lots that you could squeeze into nearby. Such a fun place to eat, drink and chill with friends.

I was excited to try this place. The tornado fries and beef teriyaki were REALLY good. The pork belly and rice was decent but not the best pork belly I've even gotten. Their different Steam buns are really good. Korean fried chicken was my favorite! Parking can be a bit weird. So prepare for that. But it's a cute little spot. I'd def suggest you check it out.

We really enjoyed this place! The beer selection was surprising. I had a delicious stout at the recommendation of the server. The food itself was rich, and very filling, so we took leftovers home. My favorite would have to be the seasoned cucumbers and pork belly bao. The cucumbers were just enough sour and spicy, meat on the bao was tender and marinated thoroughly. Our server was accommodating and helpful. The only feedback I have: - The noodles were good, but the noodle itself seemed slightly over cooked and too soft. - The parking is tight and a bit confusing. Overall though, we thoroughly enjoyed the meal, the service and would try it again.

This is a hole in the wall restaurant located in the heart of Old Town Fairfax, right next to a gas station. There is a small parking lot behind the restaurant, but I would recommend parking in one of the free garages and walking there. Upon entering we were greeted by the server and she was super friendly and sweet. I am trying to remember her name but she was really pretty so hopefully that helps! The restaurant itself is very small so if you're worried about social distancing, this might not be the place for you. We came in right around opening so we enjoyed very quick service but I can see how this place can get packed and busy quickly, seeing that she seems to be the only one working on the floor. My friend got the Dan Dan noodles and Pork Bao Bun and I got the popcorn chicken over rice and tornado fries. The popcorn chicken was absolutely AMAZING! It came with an egg on top and some veggies that I opted out for. We also got the tornado fries which were a very fun first experience. I loved the flavor of the fries though I wish it was a bit crispier, as it came out a bit cold. Regardless I'll definitely be back to try the rest of their menu items.

Came here just last night and wow! It's a smaller place but the vibes are giving! They have cool lights when you first walk in and have a small case with their menu to the left of your head. The service was great and the timing wasn't too long either. Their menu is so good and we ended up trying the tornado fries and two cans of the Pulpit rock pastry seltzer and it was so good. It tasted just like a mimosa! They have a small parking lot in the back and the entry point is between two buildings so it is a little narrow and tight when you first drive in. This is a great spot by GMU and in front of the courthouse. Definitely check this place out!!

This is my first Yelp Elite - Event Review and I will keep it unbiased as always. High Side is a very unusually interesting place. Its retro aesthetic on the inside makes it into a great hip brewery which definitely pleases my eyes because I love the retro design aesthetic. Combined the tapas style Asian street food options- it makes the place into a delightful experience. Now let's talk about service. I think it needs a little work but for the most part the level of courtesy is good. The beer menu is absolutely fantastic and it is a great spot for a bunch of friends/coworkers to get together and have a blast. Food - I think with food it also needs to stand out a bit more if it wants make its mark. That said I really enjoyed the tornado fries. I will definitely have another visit with friends for sure.

So many delicious options it was hard to narrow down! When we walked in we were greeted and taken to an empty table. The menu is a QR code you can scan and the employees are really good with checking in on you periodically. They have several beers on tap that sounded great, but we didn't try any. For food we got the fried chicken and grilled shrimp bao buns, garlic noodles with grilled shrimp, lemongrass chicken which came with rice and a sunny side up egg, the tornado fries, and for dessert the coconut flan. The garlic noodles and flan were the two highlights, although everything was delicious!

Food: Food was 5/5! I ordered the scallion pancake w/ stir fried beef and that was my absolute favorite. The flavor and texture was amazing. For my entree I got the Dan Dan noodles w/ pork, it was spicy and flavorful, but could def use an acid like lime. It was good, but the pork belly w/ rice was better. My friend ordered the shrimp & garlic noodles and said it was basic, she kept trying to doctor them up to make it better. Lol! We're foodies, so if you like complex flavors, this probably isn't the food you should orders the tornado fries were delicious. I thought it was going to be hype but it wasn't, they were worth it. I had the strawberry lemonade mead and it was really good and a large size. A little sweet, but I'd order it again. Service: Service was good and attentive. It took a little bit to get someone to take our order. But after that everything went well. The inside is REALLY small, I'm talkin "booty rubbing up against someone at the next table when you get up" small. I imagine this would be uncomfortable for someone bigger in size. There's outside seating, not sure if that's simply due to COVID though. Overall: I'm ready to go back ASAP.

The place looks like a dive bar, but the food is just incredible!!!! The people who work here are nice and helpful, but it felt more like an adult hangout (see earlier comment) place.

Came here with some friends after seeing recommendations on instagram. The atmosphere was really lively and it is a really nice place to hang out with friends. The food was Ok. We got the popcorn chicken and lemongrass chicken rice bowls and the dan dan noodles. The chicken was good and crispy, especially the lemongrass chicken was really fragrant and had great flavor to it. The egg yolk was nice and runny, my favorite way to eat an egg. I didn't really enjoy the DanDan noodles as much as the chicken. It was on the sour side which is not what I was expecting from dan dan noodles. I loved how it was pretty spicy but I wouldn't recommend if you can't handle spice. Overall, enjoyable experience! get the chicken:-)

**written by the Taiwanese husband** My cousin called me one day out of the blue raging about the braised pork belly over rice. Understand, I usually don't talk to him very much, but the fact the he called just to tell me how good his food was meant I had to go and see what all the fuss is about. Nestled behind the Royal Gas and Auto Service, High Side is easy to miss amidst the more prominent restaurants on Main St. However, once you step inside, you'll know your in for a treat. The place has a clean and modern aesthetics, but can feel small if it gets busy. The beer selection is top notch. A nice collection of different flavors from all over the country. If your feeling indecisive, they have the option of 4oz pours. We got the Back Bay's Farmhouse Brewing Tiger Style (local) and it was probably one of the best beers I've had. For appetizers, we got Taiwanese Pork Belly Bao and Lemongrass Fried Chicken small plate. Main course was the much hyped braised pork belly over rice and Taiwanese zha jiang noodles. The stars of the show was definitely the Pork Belly Bao and braised pork belly over rice. Whatever they do to the pork bellies is amazing, whether it be in a bun or over rice, but I can see why my cousin called me. I am from Taiwan, and eating the food definitely brought some nostalgia vibes. The zha jiang noodles were surprising lite. The dish came with generous helping of vegetables and noodles with the actual sauce not as salty or heavy as I am use to, but makes for a surprisingly lite yet filling meal. The lemongrass chicken was actually a last minute order and went well really well with the Tiger Style beer. While not the star of the show, it kept us satisfied with while we waited for the main course. Overall, great place to grab a drink and some food if you happen to be around old town and looking for something delicious and different.

Very solid food and dining experience, seems to have a great beer selection though we haven't tried them. Love having good vegetarian / vegan options here, though truthfully the tofu is sometimes over fried or too hard. The Tornado Fries are a must try. Soooo good. Parking could be a challenge, so we try to come when it's during the week or outside of prime meal hours.

Cute place in the town of Fairfax, right next to Mason's campus! It's a relatively small place, very cute and trendy inside. Love that they have a lot of vegetarian options and reasonable prices as well. Plus when we walked in it smelled amazing! Service - Our waitress was really nice! She gave us a little sample of a beer that I was considering to make sure I liked it. She was personable and also very speedy! Beer - Great craft beer selection with sours, ciders, IPAs, stouts, and the like. I got a blueberry pecan cobbler sour that was very yummy. They also have cans for sale. Food - I got the shrimp tempura bao bun and tofu dan dan noodles. The bao bun was very yummy, to be honest I can't say I've ever had a bad bao bun, though. There was a carrot slaw, one piece of shrimp tempura, cucumber, and spicy sauce. I wish they'd taken the tail off the shrimp (especially for a bao bun), and maybe sliced the cucumber more instead of just putting one big chunk in. But it was tasty. My friend got the tofu bun and enjoyed it. For the tofu dan dan noodles - I liked the tofu a lot. Flavorful and cooked well. The noodles were decent but I didn't love them, they were spicy and also had a lot of peanuts in them but what I didn't like was the very sour taste to it. I also noticed that the noodles and sauce weren't really mixed or tossed properly together; it seemed kind of like the noodles were plated and the sauce poured on top after. I've had dan dan noodles elsewhere so this wasn't what I was expecting for sure. Overall a pretty good meal and good vibes at High Side.

We tried this place in Fairfax City for the first time. They have a nice selection of beer and spirits. We tried the braised pork belly over rice. It comes with a braised hard boiled egg. This plate tastes like home cooked meal. It was delicious! I would highly recommend this place! It tastes like my mom's home cooking! Absolutely the best. The other plates were also delicious. We ordered the lemon grass fried chicken over rice with a fried egg. The chicken has a nice flavor and moderately spicy. The scallion pancake with stir fried beef was okay. I will definitely come back to try all the other menu items. Can't wait to come back here

Nice people, decent menu. That said, will never go back. $9.50-$12 for a TWELVE ounce beer is ridiculous. $12 for a pint would still be considered high. I understand the cost of keeping a business afloat and paying the staff a living wage, but this is over the top. In regards to your response to my comments, I've had Monkish and Trillium at several restaurants/brewpubs in the area and none of them come close to your higher prices. At the very least, High Side should be pouring a pint, not 12 oz.

A cute little modern craft beer bar with some xiaochi, 'street food' commonly found across China and Taiwan. They have more than 20 beers on tab and amazing food, including tornado fries. I love their bao, especially the port belly bao. Free parking is available :)

Wanted to grab dinner on our way out of Fairfax and we haven't been here in a while. We placed an online order on Toast Tab and it was super busy, 50-60 min wait time but we figured why not. We ordered a bunch of different things to try out, fried chicken bao, pork belly bao, potstickers, tornado fries, garlic noodles w/shrimp, and lemongrass fried chicken. Pick up was a little difficult at first. I wasn't aware that there was seating out back and it was a little tough to get to the alley to park. We eventually found some retail parking a couple of blocks away. We also didn't get the pick up text at the estimated time so we just headed over eventually. Luckily the staff was super nice and got our order super quick. My favorites were the fried chicken bao sliders, tornado fries, and the garlic noodles. The fried chicken baos were just the right size, spicy, and crisp. The tornado fries were crispy also had good spice. The shrimp were pretty big and had a lot of noodles. The potstickers were pretty standard, no complaints. The pork belly bao were ok but a little more fatty than meaty. The lemongrass chicken had good flavor but I guess it lost its crispness during travel. Overall, a lot of great food and I'm hoping to try some other stuff next time. I also got the Don't Fret Boba Stout but haven't tried it yet but sounds super good.

It's a cute little shop with a small menu. The beer listing is pretty good, we got three IPAs as we're pleased with all of them. To snack on We ordered Taiwanese popcorn chicken and the pork belly bao. The pork belly was cooked perfectly and melted in our mouths. The bao was soft and warm & 2 for $10 is a solid deal. The popcorn chicken was under seasoned but the garlic and fried basil helped out. It lacked depth of flavor where the Chinese five spice would normally be. The sauce included is mai ploy but i think it would've benefited from some citrus or a light aioli. As far as the vibes of the place, The only thing that threw us off was the music playlist. Hopefully that was due to it being a Thursday night but it a mix of trio hop and the study music you find on YouTube.