Sunken City Brewing Company

This is a fun place to spend an afternoon, especially when the weather is nice. We usually stop by Kroger first for some snacks (homemade salsa, salami, and pub cheese are especially great). Watching the afternoon sun sink while you sip away on a local brew is one of life’s true treasures. Oh, and tell the bartender if you’re drinking outside because I think they automatically use glasses otherwise.
The Dam Lager is a real mainstay, and the Octoberfest and summer ale are also pretty noteworthy. I love IPAs, but for some reason, theirs is extra strong or something, and it comes back to haunt me. I only wish they ran specials sometimes. I can’t always afford an afternoon/​evening of drinking at $ 5/​pint. However, I’m all about supporting local businesses, and I hope Sunken City is here to stay.
The local music is good, too, but it’s usually too loud inside for our preference. The inside is really cozy and fun, and you get a great view of the brewery through the large window behind the bar. Kudos on design.

We stumbled across this place by accident. Hubby brews and judges beer. No judgement here. This place is great. There are six beers on tap. They rotate seasonal beers. Each Thursday they make a small batch. In the summer, bands play outside. It is worth a visit.

Small brewery next to the West Lake movie theater. Beers were all drinkable but not really fitted to my tastes. It is definitely worth returning to for a beer when you’re in the area and see if they have anything new on draft. Haven’t gone when they have music, but looks like they have good bands come occasionally, so you can check before you go.
Also, looks like dogs are allowed outside on patio, and depending on weather, they have been known to permit them in the tasting room also.

Great Brewery. Great Beer.
A must do if you are in the SML area and you enjoy good beer. Great atmosphere and staff

It’s just average at best. thus the 3 stars… Very nice staff the few times I have been there. Beers are just OK and don’t have much of a variety… It’s great that they have live music there pretty often. This place is a diamond in the rough, and if the owner actually made an effort (based on our brief conversation and the any accounts I heard) then this place could be a true goldmine.

An excellent small tap room showcasing their wonderful craft beers.
Close to Smith Mountain Lake, it draws many tourists and others from outside Virginia. I mention that because many have commented on the lack of food, and I presume they don’t understand Virginia’s restrictive ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control) laws. This establishment is a «tasting room» for the brewery, and by law cannot serve food. If it were, it would be required to generate a majority of its sales from food rather than beer. Be advised that if you come here, it should be to enjoy their beer, as they cannot serve food a currently licensed.
Having said that, you can bring in any food you’d like.
So, if you’re looking for a good time with friends, or to meet and talk with like-​minded beer drinkers, this is your place. If you’re looking for dining experiences, this is not for you.
The staff here is great, and service is very casual. There are usually only two staff serving the entire place, so be prepared to get off your ass and go to the bar for a refill!

We visited last fall and my favorite thing here is that you can sit at the bar and look through a window into the actual brewery where the beer is made. We tend to be porter fans but they brew mostly ales and lagers, so it’s not high on our list — though we do keep an eye out for when they might put out a darker specialty beer. They have a great reputation for good beer. Sunken City is close to SML and we are likely to stop in any time we visit the area.

Went in to try this place based on recommendations. When we first walked in, the bartender did greet us. We sat at a high top table in front of the bar to look at the menu. We would’ve liked to have a beer and appetizer but no food was found on the menu. The bartender yelled from behind the bar that «if you want something, come up to the bar». She was the only staff we saw in the brewery but did not come to the table at all. When asked if they had food, she replied «no». We responded «oh just beer» she snapped back «that’s the way we like it». In general, the service was rude and not very welcoming whatsoever. There was no staff available unless we approached the bar for her to wait on us. We walked out without ordering and will not recommend Sunken City to others we know!

Great small venue to enjoy some local craft brews. The dam ale and crooked road cream ale were a great choice. Liked the local vibe. We were not there when live music was being played but really enjoyed the hospitality from the local bartender (sorry can’t remember her name) she asked my wife what kind of beer she liked and recommended a perfect compliment to her taste buds. Bought tshirt and koozies. Can’t wait to come back!

This is our favorite place to hang out at the lake! The brew master continues to produce interesting new beers, I enjoy the live entertainment from local bands on weekends, and food from Bruno’s Gastro Pub and Old School Pub– is available to purchase on a regular basis (and you’re welcome to bring your own). Bartenders Jess and Lyndsay are personable and friendly. Fun to meet new people and learn about beer in both the Smith Mountain Mashers AND Barley’s Angels of SW VA Clubs. Highly recommend stopping in!

Great addition to the lake. Good beers. Lindsay the bartender very friendly and attentive. Fun spot.

My husband and I stopped in after grocery shopping to try it out. The bartender was very nice and let us sample a couple different beers. I preferred the Sunktoberfest, he had the Tartans Tent, both are seasonal. Many patrons were drinking the Red Clay which is 7% alcohol.
It is a little small and with the live music makes it a little hard to hear.
Speaking of the music, Mary Frith was awesome!
Old school sports Pub had chilli from 1 – 5. Did not try this but smelled delish! May try the next time
Would definitely go back.

Nice beers and seems like a fun place to hang out. Came with two sisters, brother in law and my beautiful niece and it was nice to sit around and catch up.
They welcome outside food because they don’t have a kitchen attached.
The Oktoberfest beer I had was good.
However, being sort of remotely located, if they’re serving beer they need more food options. And the place is not huge, so why oh why is the music so loud? We left after one drink because we couldn’t keep up screaming trying to talk to each other.
If this place is able to work on its retail business model and make the tap room more robust, I’d go back. If not, they should just focus on distributing and getting their beer into local restaurants.

We went there on a cold rainy Saturday to get out of the house for awhile. It wasn’t very busy but they had a good band playing. The music was a little loud for the small space but was still pleasant. The bartender was very friendly and kept our beer glasses full. I tried two different beers. The sunktoberfest (seasonal) was very good.
We would have stayed longer but the bartender decided to close the bar early because it was slow. We would have stayed longer but we kind of got kicked out in a passive manner.
They have a couple outdoor picnic tables outside that I’m sure get used a lot during nicer weather.

Just moved to the area and of course needed to check out the local brewery first! 6 beer flight to sample currently. The tasting room was very cute, super clean and inviting. The bartender was very nice and gave excellent information about the area. The Dam Lager was my favorite and I also really enjoyed there current small batch release.

Walked in here on a Sunday afternoon at the lake excited to explore the lake’s first brewery. When we entered, the nicely decorated bar area was completely empty. We were greeted and immediately told they only had two beers on tap. We explained how we were interested in tasting the two. Again we were told they only had two and sometimes on Thursdays they come out with a special brew. We asked what determined the special brew and the bartender stated she had no idea. She said the brewers just release it and no one knows what is coming and there is only enough to last until Friday or Saturday. We asked to try the Dam Lager and the bartender poured one sample size glass and asked three of us to share the glass.
As excited as we were to find a new business at the lake and a new brew, we will likely not be back at Sunken City. Maybe to try the limited brews before they run out. Unfortunately, Sunken City is a prime example of what could be a great business at the lake, but will quickly fail due to their close minded attitude and lack of customer service or welcoming attitude.
Now to walk next door to Kroger for a quality craft brew.

Sunken City is truly a great place to just relax and enjoy a fantastically brewed beer. Recommend the Red Clay IPA, if you like hops that is. I have visited often and they host some great local bands. Robotic Jive 80’s band was Awesome!
Great things to come for Sunken City Brewery.