The Garden

We have been coming here since they opened and it’s a great neighborhood meet up spot! We love coming for a beer or two after work or on the weekends to hang out with friends and have a meal. The ordering from your phone is SUPER QUICK once you have the app set up, service is fast and friendly. Everyone brings their dogs here :-) puppy therapy!

Atmosphere is amazing! We love that they had dog bowls and cold water on tap for our Aster. Everyone was nice. Food had zero flavor. Beer was yummy.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover this beer garden in the Mt. Vernon area. The fish tacos were pretty delicious. I would absolutely order them again. The chicken tostadas were very good as well. The smash burger wasn't anything to write home about but it was ok. So I definitely suggest the fish tacos. The place is very chill and has a good vibe. I'd recommend it for a relaxing time with friends and family. As for dates, I would deem it a good location for a second date. Take a walk around the neighborhood and cool off after with a beer and share some fish tacos. The only annoyance with this place is the ordering app. You get charged about a dollar to use the app which you must use! Pretty irritating.

Truly enjoyed The Garden on a Saturday afternoon, the fresh air and open outdoor seating was really lovely. We ordered the red sangria which was AMAZING and the down east cider. Didn’t order any food, but it was nice to create a tab online and have them bring the drinks to us. I will definitely be coming back here again!

Solid outside spot, eating under a few sun shades. Food was pricey, but good, came out Super fast. Had the wings, blackened tacos, chicken tostadas and NA beer. Plenty of dogs around if you’re looking for a Sunday chill spot with the pup, this might be the place for you.

I'm a little late to the party, but The Garden is THE outdoor space to be in Del Ray, if you're a dog lover! The atmosphere! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. Absolutely chill ambiance, great music, and plenty of seating options. There's a few picnic tables, a GIANT fire pit, some high tops, family style benches, etc. Both dog and child friendly, a for sure go-to on the Avenue.

Family and dog friendly! Their burger is nice as well

Great atmosphere and the place is dog friendly. I love the strong dog community vibe in this area. The place was well cleaned, the staff was very nice and attentive. Our beers came to us I'm about a minute of putting the order in through the app, and our food also came in promptly. We only ordered mozarella sticks, but they were huge and fresh. The accompanying marinara sauce also tasted homemade.

Super cute spot! Had different areas you could sit with or without a doggie. The service was super worth the mention! Every time you put an order in you get your drink or food within minutes! They were super busy tonight too so they definitely nailed their service plan. Super cute would absolutely go again, the drinks were great! The food was awesome and no complaints at all for the service! Had lots of TVs around so great for any game days as well!

What a great outdoor spot located in Del Ray! Dogs are welcome while leashed. You're able to order from the QR code on the table you sit at and they will bring your food and drinks to you! Food and drinks were delicious and service was great!

The vibe was chill and relaxing on a Sunday afternoon. Came with my husband and two toddlers for a quick bite. I very much enjoyed the soft shell crab sandwich with fries. My husband got the cheeseburger and my littles were able to enjoy the kids menu. The service was great and now we hope to come back soon!

The garden has been a refuge for me as a new parent. They are kid and dog friendly. My toddler will play with their rocks for hours, with no judgement in any direction. They have excellent beer selection, lots of seating, and when their private rental space isn't occupied, they open it up for additional seating. It's somehow clean all the time as well. Also they have kid friendly food options too. We love coming here and will continue to frequent this venue. Highly recommend.

The tunes here are set the mood for an enjoyable Friday. The weather was just warm enough to sit on the patio. Adam was great host and server, he was able to share his favorite menu items. The bathrooms are spacious and clean-a big win in my book.

Fun place to meet up with friends for a beer and a quick bite! It's also a very dog friendly place so you can meet up for a cold beer after a long walk with your pups. Easy to order and checkout via QR code on your phone. They also have a cute area that's outdoors but covered that you can book for special events.

Love the ambiance and the energy at this spot.. so basically ya have the QR code you can order your drinks from or even food. The place is pretty huge so you are able to sit where ever you want.. they have a pretty decent list of beers on tap and also in cans.. I was able to throw back some manhattans and a few beers. The sangria is smooth also great for hot days! Our server Adam was very helpful, being able to bring our drinks pretty fast while holding a convo as well. It got packed pretty quick so if you are looking to come get here a decent time.

I love this place! It can get busy but the staff are great, good drink and food options and it can be chill. They use a QR code ordering system at the tables which works well here. My dog also loves it! The children running around wildly is aggravating but now there is a notification about keeping them under control. I come here year round.

The Garden is great to grab a very casual cocktail or beer and hang for a bit. Their cucumber cocktail on tap is the best. I would honestly never order food here, but it's a great place to drink.

Wow the food here is terrible. Ordered the oysters and wings. The oysters tasted pre shucked and the wings were dry and probably a day or two old. I don't think anyone in our group enjoyed any of the food that came out.

Chill little place. Went there during the day on Saturday. Beer was good. Oysters were ok. Would recommend. Space for private event as well.

Me and my girlfriend went to The Garden around 3pm and had a nice time. So, we decided to return around 6:30pm the same day and the boys who worked there were playing around and threw a ball and it hit us! Instead of apologizing they hid around the corner and laughed. I don't know if it was because we are black or gay, but I do not recommend going here!

I stopped by with friends for a drink after dinner at the restaurant next door. Ordering beer was easy using the QR code and was quickly brought to the table. It's a spacious outdoor beer garden with many tables and places to sit. It was a great place to catch up with friends on a nice evening. If I lived in the DC/Alexandria area, I would definitely visit again!

I was really excited that this place offered a mocktail! We had dinner outside and it was perfect. I had the mozzarella sandwich with extra marinara on the side. Perfect. You have a choice of fries, chips, or salad. I had the salad, it didn't really have a dressing. I think it might have just been coated with some olive oil, salt and pepper.

If you're coming for a sunny drink on an otherwise cool fall or spring day and have a pup or littles in tow, the garden is a great option. The menus are all bar codes and you order and pay via the phone app meaning the service is pretty quick. The food is not worth it. I've ordered here a few times and tried the Moz sticks, steamed shrimp, cuban and bahni mi sammies. All of it disappointing. The last moz I got were undercooked, the inner cheese wasn't gooey at all. The shrimp were under seasoned and overcooked (and had some black spotting, not sure what that's about). Also be sure about what you order. I got a wine that I absolutely hated (obviously my bad for ordering the wrong thing) and tried to send back after a sip, I don't remember if it was canned and unlike a regular bar they can't (or maybe won't) really accommodate switching to a different drink. A note to not bring dogs that aren't comfortable around kids. I've seen lots of littles running around with more playground level of supervision than restaurant level which can lead to unplanned interactions.

This is a fantastic neighborhood gathering place and a welcome addition to the Avenue. The Garden filled somewhat of a void along this stretch of the Ave. The well known portion up the road kept our attention for quite a while, but then this place opened and we find ourselves frequenting this area more often! Offering up local beers on tap, along with a fun finger food menu, the Garden brings solid quality refreshments to its well adorned outdoor space. We particularly enjoy meeting friends here on summer evenings. Imagine a nice cold beer, warm, freshly fried French fries, fire table, and friends. One gripe: they're really lagging on their technology game. Their menu (both online and in person) are almost never updated. Twice we've ordered online a growler to go, showed up, and the beer we ordered wasn't on tap anymore (and apparently hadn't been for a while). Also, their "reservation system" isn't really a reservation system. It's a google form that populates a spreadsheet that only they can see on their end. So if you make a reservation, just save yourself time and call. Better yet, probably could just show up cause it doesn't seem like the system does any favors for the staff (at 7:30pm they were receiving reservations for same day 4:30pm....) Aside from their tech struggle bus, this place has an awesome atmosphere and solid food/beverage options making this a go to neighborhood watering hole.

The Garden is one of my favorite outdoor spots to meet friends for drinks on a nice day! My friend and I easily spent 4 hours catching up while beings served our food and drinks effortless and very promptly! I will definitely be back again, especially as the weather warms up more in the coming months!

I have decided to explore more of my neighborhood and I am glad I stopped by the Garden. I went on Saturday (Jan 11th) the weather was in the 60 so it was pretty cool to just sit outside and have a drink with friends. So let me say there is no indoors. (Only the bathroom ) there is a big tent and two nice igloos with blankets on every chairs) this is a really kid, dog friendly spot so if you cant stand being around them stay away lol! You can sit at your table and order with your phone or just walk to the bar. The bartenders were friendly. I asked them when it opened they told me late fall. The prices are affordable and my margarita was strong and delicious! We were lucky and got complimentary appetizer and I believe It was zucchini balls . They were delicious to say the least ! This is a pretty cool place and cant wait to go back once the weather is warm again!

TLDR: Fine for grabbing a drink and food, terrible for event rental I'm sad to have to write this review as we love supporting local businesses and have had positive experiences in the past getting food/drink at the Garden, but we were very disappointed when we rented their private event space and even more so by the lack of response we've received afterward. For the interest of being succinct, the day of the event we were disappointed by: QR codes that didn't work as designed and discouraged our guests from ordering (we were told the same intuitive QR code ordering from the rest of the space would be in effect for our event, and it wasn't, and we were left fielding questions from our 50 guests on how to order the entire time), negative attitude from management (no apologies or understanding about the QR code issue, fans not working on a 90+ degree day, and general attitude that the event space wasn't their concern and they couldn't be bothered), and general lack of infrastructure/planning to support events with food and drink (another example is that we had a 2 hour event with food, but there was nothing available to keep the flies off despite it being an outdoor space in the summer). In general, it feels like their event rental is an afterthought, which is not acceptable as the space isn't cheap (they have a $1,000 food and beverage minimum for a 2 hour event). Our last issue was that we received a charge that was labeled strangely and didn't make sense to us. We've tried for the last 4 weeks to get a response from the owner, Jeremy, to understand this charge, and despite providing multiple days and times that would work for us it's been radio silence. It's one thing to disregard or disagree with feedback (their prerogative), but another thing entirely to not provide insight into a charges on a customer's bill. Very disappointed with our experience. If you're looking for event rental in Del Ray, look elsewhere (e.g., Evening Star).

I cannot write enough superlatives about my experience at The Garden. I hosted my wife's surprise birthday party there, and from the very early planning stages, the ownership and the staff made me feel comfortable knowing that every little detail would be taken care of. From reserving the space, the food, the beverages, the cupcakes (OMG, the cupcakes!) and the service, everything was absolutely phenomenal! My wife was surprised, my guests (~40 of them) loved the venue, and I was able to actually enjoy the party and not worry about a single thing! Oh, and I should mention that the value far exceeded the cost; especially in comparison to the other venues I considered. Thank you, The Garden staff!

They oysters were not that well shucked here and service was just okay but fun outdoor aesthetic.

I love going to The Garden. The sun came out yesterday and warmed things up a bit, so we made a reservation to get some food and beers. I'm so happy that this place is in our neighborhood in Del Ray. The environment is great. The music is played at the right volume to enjoy conversations. Dogs and kids are allowed. The food is always on point. Go Tab QR code mobile ordering at your table, so you don't have to wait for a server to come by to order food or that next round of beers. This time, my husband got the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, which btw is huge and delicious. I got it another time we ate here and I could hardly finish it because it's such a large sandwich. This time I got the chicken fingers and fries and it did not disappoint. The buffalo sauce they give you makes everything taste like you are eating buffalo wings...yum, so spicy and good. The ranch is super dilly and different, but very enjoyable and has a nice cooling effect for your mouth when alternating dips with the spicy buffalo sauce. The seasoning on the fries is nice. I want to say it's a combo of Old Bay and something else.

I came to The Garden on 5/1/2021 at 4 pm with a friend. We didn't have reservations, but were seated at a fire pit. Cool. So then we tried ordering some drinks through their website, but everything we tried, the page kept crashing halfway through ordering. In talking to other people at the fire pit they said - oh, you can just go up to the counter to order, so we did. The people at the counter said their system was down too, so we couldn't order anything until it came back up. Frustrating, and they gave us some free water bottles, but whatever, we just went back to our seats. Another 10 minutes goes by, and we see other people coming back from the counter with drinks. I asked them if the system is back up, and they said it was not, but they just paid cash. So we went back up to the counter and asked if we could order with cash. There was a brief look between the two people standing there and one of them said they can't accept cash, and made some flimsy excuse for the other people who had just gotten drinks that they weren't supposed to? By now we'd been sitting around for about 45 minutes on a Saturday afternoon attempting to exchange money for beer, and completely failing at doing so, while watching other people getting service, so we just walked out. Now I don't know whether they simply had miscommunications between different people at the counter, or my friend and I were being treated differently because we're both queer women, but it was horrible service and I won't be back. There's plenty of other places in this city I can get beer from.

Oh my, have you visited The Garden? It is an epicurean wonder disguised as a biergarten! Wonderful food great venue super staff! Lovely Liz and gorgeous Brandy represent with professionalism and cordiality. Fish tacos, sliders, banh mi and really nice spiced shrimp that rival Key West. Icy cold beers from local breweries accompany high end cocktails (Aperol Spritz, a la Stanley Tucci really Del Ray? Nice!). Kid and dog friendly- you can even shampoo your dog with a convenient hose! This is a locals gem! Love it! Mike

Went with some coworkers for lunch and was pretty disappointed. Two stars because the service and atmosphere were great but the food (which is why you go) was just bad. The oysters were large and tasty but very poorly shucked; the meat was butchered and my colleagues had to very carefully sift the pieces of shell from the meat and juice. The gazpacho was OK but didn't come with any bread as advertised. Fries were soggy. The real cake taker was the elote; the corn was not roasted, stone cold, and absolutely drowning in three different sauces, including...ketchup? WTF? It was inedible. Go here for drinks with friends, NOT for food.

The Garden is a regular staple that we frequent often. It has good drinks, tasty food (try the fried chicken bahn mi or the fish tacos), and quick service. It is so lovely to be outside, and know we will get quality service each time. If you are looking for a casual, fun outside location, then this is your spot!

Why isn't this place packed all day, every day? Perfect spot during COVID and post with contactless ordering and payment. New staff is super friendly, and welcoming - plus this place is great to bring dogs. On menu: - Great selection of beers and some cocktails, plus delicious food. Epic breakfast tacos only available on Saturday/Sunday mornings. - Want to love the mozz sticks and chicken tenders but the fry is too thick and too thin, respectively - plus the tenders are massive (not our jam)

I didn't actually order any food here. So the only comment I can make on it is that it looked delicious. The beer is what I came for and it lived up to my high expectations. The drafts were cold, the assortment was good, and the service was quick! What more can you ask for? The environment was great as well super dog friendly and open space with shade coverings was great for the beautiful day it was! I will be back, next time I may buy food.

Cute spot! Dog friendly. Fairly intimidate, so a good date spot. A little cramped (could be more spacious). Nonetheless, a nice spot with a good variety of standard cocktails, beer and wine. Menu is also fairly robust (for a brewery).

The Garden is a fun local spot. Great for a chill Sunday place to catch up with friends. I went for beer but ended up sipping on a great mimosa. The menu had a few beer and mixed drink options for everyone in the group. The outdoor seating was spread out well enough for adequate social distancing and the fire pits are a huge bonus. Definitely will be returning!

It was such a pain to get to their QR-code driven menu, then they didn't even accept paypal... I forgot my credit card, had $50 cash in my pocket, and left 2 hours later (was on a date) without any food or drink whatsoever because they don't actually serve you or take cash, like, well, every other place i've gone to in my entire life.

We appreciate trying to be safe during the pandemic, but these folks were a bit absurd about it and not very hospitable. Our group had a 90 minute reservation (you can't extend) and got reminded when we walked in, at 45 minutes, and then again at 60-something minutes. At 65 minutes (ish) their staff tried to stick a couple more people at our table (which would no longer have qualified as socially distanced and would have been well within 6 feet), so we realized this wasn't so much "safety paranoia" and was more "how do we fill more tables" so the next time they proceeded to remind us *again* about our time frame, we left. Their menu was literally fries, chicken fingers, and drinks in a can, so we decamped to another Del Rey venue that is a normal level of hospitable and careful and had a great rest of our evening. Cute venue with a reasonable distance around each other but wouldn't bother with it again.

Came here on a whim and it's super cute! The precautions they have in place for COVID are cool (they use GoTab which can allow you to order, pay, and split the cost with people). It's fresh tasting bar fare with beers on tap (plus cocktails). Got the shrimp (like 10 pieces!) and VA IPA (super refreshing). It's great to come on a sunny day!

I want to love this place, but just can't / too many damn kids. Strollers in the way as you enter and unattended children running wild inside the space. There was a 4-year-old grabbing ice out of the water self-serve area with her dirty hands that were scooping and throwing rocks while mom & dad were hanging out 20 yards away, oblivious. I love beer, love the space, loge the dogs, love the app ordering, etc. - but c'mon people get a damn babysitter. I want to feel like I'm at a neighborhood beer stop, not a damn KinderCare that serves beer.

It is a local beer garden, and don't expect too much. We saw any dogs (it get a little annoying when they started to barking) and toddlers, and some girls in sport wear (spandex). For almost $7 to $10 per beers, it is pricy and they need to make a living. So, it was ok vibe and chill place. For $10, I can get a six-packs. Just make your call how many drinks you shall order. In addition, the payment and ordering process is confusing. The server don't know who is order what and only based on the app. Since I wasn't comfortable to add information to the app that I didn't know it. It was lucky that my buddy already have the app. So, he ordered for me. Again, app is great but also confusing to many people that don't like to pay with app. As the we (people) get more security concern, I think small business need to balance their way of doing business. Don't cut yourself short and take the cash : )

I give this place 3.5 stars. Listen, this is a family destination. I'm a parent so they get points for that. There's a good kids play area with plenty of places where parents can sit and still watch their kids. That means I can actually have an adult conversation here - wOOt. If kids aren't your cup of tea, come after 8pm. It's dog-friendly as well. It's always relatively busy, but I typically use the app (table delivery) and everything is out in a reasonable amount of time. I love not having to wait in line or go back to the counter to close my tab. I've described the food here as "perfectly adequate." It's not amazing, but it's better than average for a beer garden. Over the summer they had a great soft shell crab sandwich (not traditional) that I repeatedly ordered, which comes with nicely dressed salad greens. For the fall they switched it to a fried fish sandwich with pasta salad, which was eh. We typically just drink when we're here. The beer list is fine. I appreciate the local options. The list across the street at The Front Porch/Evening Star Cafe is a bit more interesting if you're looking for a strong beer list. They lose a star for the plastic cups & lots of trash in general -- I don't want to drink a microbrew out of a cheap plastic cup + it's bad for the planet. I hope they figure out the logistics for how to switch to glass.

If you like the idea of having drinks at a dog park, this place would be perfect. Lots of dogs everywhere and decent drinks. They have water for the dogs. The food is okay also (for a dog park). Location is cool as well.

This place is so cute. I love our diverse the menu is, I love how it's right in del rey and I love the ambiance. Quickly turned into one of my favourite places for sure

Food is great. Drinks are refreshing although selection is limited. Love the atmosphere. Super family friendly and lets face it Del Ray is full of young families. If you don't want kids around then go to The Garden after 8 on the weekends or during happy hour during the week when most families don't go out... to put it simple, stop being a grouch and let the kids play as long as they aren't harassing you. Parents need a drink too. The two things that could make this place better: 1) More fans or maybe a misting fan 2) Would be nice to have a tv or two to play some football or soccer games on the weekends. I understand charlie's is next door but in the fall and spring, who wants to sit inside?!?!

Food sucks. Huge opportunity and huge miss. However, we all know why everyone visits this spot in Alexandria, and that is to get a decent pour. Beer is great! Atmosphere is perfect for summer. Find a chef and a menu that supports the beer, and find yourself an expandable gold mind.

Love this place. A no-frills beer garden, large enough for your softball team, yet still perfect for a date stop on a Saturday afternoon. I'd like to see a much larger beer selection, but what I get there is always really good.

You must like children if you go to this place because there are a lot of them. This place has a great beer selection and a cool vibe. It's nice to be able to sit outside and enjoy a good brew. Kids are running hither and tither though - so be prepared.

Went to The a Garden for a beer on a hot July Friday after work and really enjoyed this place. Solid beer list with plenty of craft beers. Lots of outside patio seating, which get pretty full quickly. Staff was friendly and made our visit a pleasure. We live just down the street, so will be back again soon!

We had a great time at The Garden. The drink selection is a good mix of beers and cocktails. We enjoyed the tacos, sliders, wings, and banh mi. There was a mix up with our order and the manger took care of it quickly. Great service and good vibe.

The breakfast tacos are out of this world amazing. The ordering is easy and it's nice to come here with our dog and sit outside. Much better now they got rid of the requirement for reservations.

Salty tacos, worse service. I know it's tough to be a server but "you're welcome", "enjoy", "sorry for taking 20 mins for 2 beers" would be the least. They don't care, there's enough foot traffic to keep the business going

Stumbled upon this place one evening and it was pretty awesome! Great music, awesome server (forgot his name), and cool vibes! Love the open air and social distancing too!

Made reservations and showed up at 10 and no one was there. No message, email, text, or phone together me know they weren't opening. Fortunately, there are lots of other great options in the area.

Cuban sandwich was tasteless and slimy. The blood orange hard seltzer was awful and not drinkable. First time in my life that after a few sips I couldn't finish the drink. I tried to exchange it for an equal value drink and they weren't having it. We were a large party ready to spend more money but nevertheless we choose not to give them any more business. The dogs were nice and our dogs enjoyed themselves but if you are looking for that environment just go to a dog park. I would avoid this place so many better options in the neighborhood.

So in fairness I'm giving The Garden a temporary five star review as they are new and likely still figuring things out. That being said, there was nothing special (or awful) about our experience although it took maybe 15 minutes to wait in a short line (we were fourth in line) to get beer. I assume this is bc they are working out the kinks, but I hope they consider a different set up or having more than one person pouring drinks for those in line. There was only one other person tending bar, but she was pouring beers only for the servers. In any event, we're hoping to check it out again and maybe we'll be a bit wowed next time. Based on the first try, I didn't see why anyone outside of the neighborhood would make the trek.