Vinny N.
Yelp
The Cask is a perfect place to come when you're not quite in the mood for a full meal in a crowded restaurant, but you also still wanna snack on something and indulge in some delicious craft beer. The Cask fulfills all of those requirements, and it quickly has evolved into my "lazy Saturday afternoon" hangout. The format here is simple:
1. A solid selection of great craft beer that you can't normally find around town (that's saying a lot for RVA).
2. Locally made Sausage Craft sausages paired with excellent cheeses.
3. Other finger foods to keep you occupied while you try all the excellent beer.
The location is off the beaten path--so to speak--a little bit off of W Cary. It's still a fan location, but I like how it's not in the middle of all of the hustle and bustle of Carytown and W Main. The interior is a nicely finished wood look, a modest bar, and a decent amount of tables to accommodate most groups (I once saw a group of 15 show up, and they somehow sat them no problem). I love sitting by the window, especially when they have them open when the weather is nice. I also love love love the fact that they don't have a TV. Sometimes it's nice to get away from the noise, and The Cask is the perfect place for that.
The beer selection isn't overwhelming, but they always have something solid on tap. They order a lot of small batch stuff that you probably won't find most other places, and it is really exciting to show up and see what they have going on tap that day. I have noticed that they have had a lot of dark beer selections, which is fine, but I found the amount of dark beer to be a bit much for those who aren't big dark beer fans. I also came during the winter months, which probably explains that trend.
The food is good! I usually grab a beer and a sausage and cheese plate. It's $10, you choose your own sausage and cheeses, and it also comes with Billy Bread and olive oil. Definitely a good afternoon "snack", if you even want to call it that. The Saturday Nite Sausage is soooo good. They marinate it in Devil's Backbone Vienna Lager, and it has a perfect texture. Their Cheddar cheese is also fantastic.
The service is solid. Every time I have gone, there has only been one server taking care of the whole place (it usually doesn't get that busy), but she never seems stressed, is friendly, and always takes great care of me.
A perfect place for the afternoon beer and light bites, come here when you're in the mood for a relaxing environment and good conversation. A place to escape the crowds and chill, I would strongly recommend coming here.