Caboose Brewing Company

I was having second thoughts as we drove down a forlorn access road to an industrial zone hidden away in Vienna. But walking into Caboose made it worth the effort to find. A bright, cheery, well designed space with the brewery visible through huge plate glass windows behind the bar. Impressive! We were greeted by a friendly person, who allowed us to select our table, though the place was far from empty. We went over the beer selection and with the advice of our friendly waiter, made our selections. The menu of locally sourced food made our mouth water! It’s a «small plates» concept. And each plate is just about enough for two people.
We started with the appetizer board of cheeses, spreads, fruit, pickles, and a delicious, crispy, nutty flatbread. It was a nice sized portion for two men with healthy appetites. Each thing on the board was fresh, flavorful, with generous portions. There was a salmon spread that was amazing! We asked for more flatbread, which was brought immediately. We then went on to an order of the best homecut fries I’ve had in a long time, presented with homemade ketchup, followed by a chicken pot pie that was chock full of chicken breast meat and vegetables in a sauce that was more like a thickened broth than your typical gooey pot pie filling.
One of us had a sampler flight of four, the other had a pint, and one of us switched to wine. Beer is OK, but the food is the real star of this joint.

I really can’t say enough about how great this place is. The beer, the food, the service. Farm to table food, beer brewed in house. Absolutely incredible. One of the best meals I’ve had in a long time.

A large group of us came in late on a rainy Saturday evening — about 10:00 pm. There was a decent crowd present enjoying brews.
I ordered two flights so I could taste all of their beers. Each flight of four was $ 10.00.
Was not a fan of most of their beers, but I did enjoy the Citra Wheat Ale and most of all — the Ghost Train Pale Ale! The Citra was hoppier than most wheat ales I’ve had — due to the hops they used in the beer. It verged on the border with an IPA.
With the Ghost Train Pale Ale, you start to develop a warm, peppery, spicy feel in the back of your throat — about 10 seconds after taking a drink. But it’s not hot. Very nice pint on a cold, rainy evening!
The décor of the brewery is inviting — with a decent amount of seating.

«Don’t judge a book by its cover» should be this place’s title. Even by the standards of industrial parks this one looks rough, but once you’re inside you’ll find something more akin to a trendy pub than your stereotypical brewery, with beer, wine, and tapas style food made by a chef!
A flight of 4 samples is $ 10, with 8 offerings available (when I visited at least). The beer menu changes about every few weeks, although they try to retain a few ‘standard’ beers on tap. Wifi available.
Zoo Berliner Weisse Ale: Fruity and tart… and surprisingly good. Tart beers have been hit or miss, but this one is worth a repeat.
Vanilla Bean Imperial Stout: Boy, they weren’t kidding about the vanilla. Not bad, although probably not a repeat for me.
Sidetrack Saison: Farmhouse style; decent enough, but not enough to warrant anything special in my notes.
Casey Jones Pale Ale: Another one where my notes fail me. Didn’t dislike it but nothing to write about.
Citra Wheat: Very light, but for some reason it was my least favorite.
If there’s one thing that really sets Caboose apart, it’s the food menu. Yes, they have a chef, and according to my server ‘something’ will change on the food menu weekly, even if it’s only the seasoning of one of the plates. I wouldn’t necessarily come here for dinner — it seems more like upscale tapas styles than brewpub grub — I’d definitely recommend it as a light (if maybe pricy) meal.

Awesome evening at Caboose Brewing Company. They had the cutest personalized reserved sign for us at our table The Mister loved the IPA and the locally sourced farm to table share plates were amazing! Love that they use some of my favorite organic and pastured farms including Trickling Springs Creamery and Yohanan Farm! We will be back soon. #farmtotable #datenight #organic #pastureraised #local #eatlocal #viennava #northernva #edibledc #vafoodie

Parking is a royal pain in the butt for happy hours. There simply isn’t enough parking nearby. Parking becomes more available after about 8 PM.
Bar food menu is a little weird, for example offering smoked trout with pickled onions in a small jar. Who eats pickled onions these days? Who even uses it as a garnish? Ugh. The crackers served with them have a weird after taste. Very unappetizing.
The beer choices are great if you like IPA types. I’ve been there twice and neither time did they have all their beer choices available. If you like lagers or pilsners your choices are far fewer despite all the offerings on the board.
Between the pain in the butt parking, weird food, and limited beer choices, I am in no hurry to return to this place.

Came here on a rainy day and had some bites and a beer, very impressed by the food and beer here. Caboose is a small brewery at Vienna, location is a little off. You need to drive to the end of some industrial warehouses and reach the parking lot here. The entrance is at the other side, which took me a while to find.
It is a micro brewery and serves farm to table style food. Personally, I don’t drink beer that much and when I drink, I prefer light beer. After checking the menu, I had a glass of the citra wheat, which is a light bodied beer with strong citrus flavor. It is surprisingly tasty and refreshing. I also had some bar food to munch on. French fries here seem to be popular because the house made ketchup and IPA infused Dijon mustard. I didn’t taste the hoppy flavor from IPA though. Another small plate I tried here is the slider. It is absolutely amazing. It comes with three pieces. The patty is soooo so juicy and perfectly seasoned. The slightly sweet pickles on top gives another layer of flavor. I wish they serve burger like this here. I could totally devour one myself.
The restaurant is not very big and the second floor is more like a tasting room. Service is on point. I will come back to try more food.

This place is truly a hidden gem. Hidden all the way at the end of a string of warehouses, it’s honestly very unexpected. I came here for happy hour on a Thursday and it was surprisingly busy. The venue gave off a very chill and relaxing vibe and staff members were friendly. They have a variety of beer and ciders, most of them brewed right at their venue. Food is limited and was a bit pricey as well so we skipped food and just had drinks. It’s definitely a good spot for beer tasting, I wouldn’t mind coming here again although please note that parking can be limited!

I was starving, so I went to their site to see what time they stopped serving food. I was happy to see that they served food till close. So I made an out of my way trip over here to grab some food. I showed up at 10, and found out that their kitchen closed an hour ago.
I feel like Charlie Brown kicking the football with this place. Every time I come here, it’s hit or miss. After six months I’d think that they would have their shit together.
You can see from my previous reviews what a crap shoot this place is. Do they have any experience running a business? Zero regard for people’s time and constant apologies at best.

Lil hobo stout has good flavor, but it’s lighter, thinner, and a lower ABV% than I expect from a good stout.

***Just a beer review***
Disclaimer– driving to this brewery at night is a little sketchy. Yes you’re in Vienna, but after going through neighborhoods, you have to drive through an industrial part of Vienna to get to the brewery. When you arrive, you’re greeted with vintage lights and distressed wood light fixtures. Inside, Caboose Brewing Company boasts two floors, with many places to sit and order food. They are a full service restaurant which is a plus.
We were there for beers so my friends and I found a spot at the bar. They have a fair amount of beers on tap. I decided on a taster of 4 beers. I chose the saison, citron wheat, half wit, and the lager. The tasters come in a wooden box with your choices written on the side. My favorites were the Citron Wheat and the Half Wit. All the beers were good actually but those two were my favorite.
I am curious to try the food though. I’ve read some good things about the menu and I would like to see for myself. Everyone was friendly and helpful which is always a plus. Fun fact– the toilets are interesting because they’re not you’re standard flush. I think they are more eco– friendly. I won’t lie it took us a minute to figure out how it works.

Was here Friday night and thought the service was excellent, as well as the beer and food. We had Brussels sprouts, Mac and cheese, fries, and meatballs — all delicious. I love that the food was shareable. I tried the Car Hopper IPA and a regular beer with a citrusy flavor (I forget the name), both good. I did not see a problem with the interior. The only confusion was getting there, as it was dark. You kinda thought you were in the wrong place until you got to the end of the street — keep going!

Located off the W&OD trail and in an industrial area of Vienna, this place is a real gem.
It’s a great place to grab a beer or food. I’ve only had the beer here, which they brew themselves. Love local breweries. There’s tables, bar seating, and standing areas inside and outdoor seating and with some standing areas. There are no TVs but that’s fine with me because it’s a great place to come and enjoy the company you’re with.
I usually get the Half-​Wit or the Sidetrack. You can also order a sample and pick up to four beers. Haven’t had the food yet but maybe next time I’ll show up before the kitchen closes. I place the blame all on me, not Caboose whatsoever.
The only downside to Caboose is parking can be bit of a pain. There’s a tiny lot that it shares with other businesses. But that won’t deter me from coming here and enjoying a brewski (said in a bro voice).

Cool place tucked away from busy streets of downtown Vienna. We enjoyed the farm-​to-​table dishes for share, especially the potato frites. Hope they will expand the menu and/​or update it more frequently. Didn’t try the beer but the Saison must’ve been impressive that the hub ordered a keg for our wedding.
Gets pretty busy even during weeknights and parking situation can get challenging.
Various size kegs can be reserved online or in-​store or parties or events.

Well we HAD to check out the brand new brewery in Vienna that had only been open a month. It’s located in the very back of an old industrial park; that seems to be the place for these microbreweries to pop up. Yet, inside is a different story. Gorgeous, rustic, and high-​end finishes adorn the brewery. You can tell the owners have invested a lot in the décor and vision of this place. Wait staff is a little hipster, but friendly and knowledgeable about the beers.
You get to taste your choice of 4 beers and they come in a small, labeled crate with the name of your selected beers written on the outside. Cute touch. Without being terribly overwhelmed by any of them, my favorites were the Citra and the Brown.
It goes without saying that probably my favorite part of this brewery was the incredibly interesting foodie menu! I was in heaven. We did not eat because we had just had lunch, but I am so intrigued with this menu I’d come back for the food alone. Aged prosciutto, foie gras, pork belly, hot chorizo, rabbit, and a hard, nutty cheese!!! GET OUTTA HERE! At a brewery? Very, VERY impressive.
I hear this place bumps for dinner service, and it’s no wonder, with a menu and chic décor like this. If I ever return, I’d like to have a little beer with my food. Classiest bar snacks I’ve ever seen.

I mentioned to a friend that I would be taking a trip to DC and he recommended that I take the drive to Vienna and check out this new brewery. Knowing I’m not a huge craft beer fan, he promised that wouldn’t be disappointed. He said Caboose had both great beer and food.
Went this past Friday with a group of 5 and had an amazing experience. I started off with a flight of beer and really enjoyed the Hefeweizen. My girlfriend had the sweet Cider, which we were told was made on the oldest orchard in VA. The non-​drinkers (youngins!) were pleasantly surprised by the homemade sodas.
After a long drive from Long Island we were hungry! We started with the Duck Liver Pâté and the Rabbit Rillette, which were served with these delicious grain crackers. Then, we tried the Kale salad with pine nuts and raisins, which was absolutely delicious. Next was the amazing Pork Belly with applesauce and Scallops with peas and mushrooms. The pork was heaven on a plate and the scallops took a close second. The Shrimp and Grits were very tasty and nicely presented. We also had to try the Burger, Fries and Mac and Cheese. The burger was perfectly cooked on a delicious sourdough bun with garlic and enough to share. The Mac and Cheese was so creamy and topped with toasted bread crumbs, just out of this world. George waited on us and he was both knowledgable and attentive. The food and the service were top notch.
The décor and the furniture were both unique and rustic. It was a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. The experience was absolutely worth the trip.

4.0
This place is pretty stinkin cool! Located in Vienna in the back alley of some warehouses and next to the bike path it’s definitely in the cut! Walk around the side to the entrance and there is a very cute patio and what looks like a garage becomes a large open rustic brewery. The offerings are diverse. Obviously, beer and samplers as well as 6 or so wines, house made sodas, and a farm to table themed menu.
I’m not a huge beer drinker so wine options were nice. I had the chardonnay which was passable. From the hoppy sampler (which arrives in a cute little labeled box), I liked the casey jones RPA the best. I also heard the spicy ginger soda was true to its name and very spicy!
From the food, the salami was okay but was a very small portion for $ 5. The raisins were a lovely compliment on the brussel dish which were perfectly cooked. I haven’t had a lot of pot pies or rabbit in my life, but the rabbit pot pie was really good and the rabbit meat was so tender. In hindsight, the pot was pretty small for $ 15. I thought the bratwurst was very tasty but again only came as a single (hot dog sized) for $ 11. The burger was a massive double stacked patty that looked massive compared to all the other dishes. The aioli was divine. If you get the fries, you should ask for a side of the aioli to dip. I thought the pork belly was the best dish of the evening. It was so smokey, crispy, cooked fatty goodness.
Overall the food was quite good, but portions were small and dishes were expensive for what they were.
The service was great and very knowledgeable. All orders came out timely and the evening flowed seamlessly.
When we left the whole restaurant was packed and the patio also had plenty of minglers. I would recommend arriving earlier if you want to score a table or bar seat. Caboose exceeded my expectations especially in food quality given it is a brewing company located at the end of an industrial strip. I do think larger portion sizes for the price would be the best improvement.

Friends and I stopped by here for dinner after we heard about its grand opening the week before. The location is in a warehouse area, which is unsurprising given that they brew their own beer, but we certainly wouldn’t have known about it if we had not looked up its location. Despite its location however, the ambiance of the restaurant was a very nice and lightly fancy environment.
We had a little bit of a wait for a table of 7; it didn’t look like there was a plentiful amount of seating indoors. There were tables outside for only drinking as there were signs that said no food was allowed outside. Parking could also be problematic since their lot wasn’t too large.
This restaurant is one that definitely emphasizes the local-​grown, organic aspect of their food, with all the descriptors of their food having such words in the captions. That said, the portions of food were tiny. I got the bratwurst which was $ 10, but came out to be a tiny bratwurst that was about the size of a small hot-​dog. While it did taste pretty good, I would definitely not have paid that much money again for that portion size. My friends and I also got some cured meats and cheeses (I don’t really remember what they were), all of which were pretty tasty but again, it was expensive.
The beer is the only reason I would come back. The Vanilla Bean Hobo Stout was delicious and went down smoothly. We also got the hops and malts sampler which had a good selection and all the beers were definitely very good. That said, the price of the samplers compared to other places is pretty expensive, as with the food.
The money was worth it for the experience of eating tasty local-​grown/​sourced foods and pretty good beer, but I would not come back for more than the beer. As a food location, don’t come here hungry because that’s what we did and we ended up going to another place to buy more food just because we were so hungry.
Long story short, expensive prices, decent to good food that was organic/​local-​grown, and good beer.

I wanted to try this place out ever since I saw it opened per the keg with sign right off the wo&d trail. It is in a strange location but great for people who are walking or biking on the trail.
The place was packed late Saturday and it was hard to get a beer. Took probably over 10 minutes from the bar. My husband and I snagged a spot around the standing area.
I tried the Casey jones beer and it was pretty good. The vanilla stout my husband had wasn’t the greatest.
The prices are a little higher with two beers being over $ 15.
I would have liked to try some of their food but portions seemed on the smaller size for the price

4.5 stars — loving Caboose so far! I’d been following them on Facebook ever since I’d heard about their opening, and after months of delays, I was so excited to visit during their opening week. They’ve been open barely a week, and I’ve already been twice.
The first night was the second night they were officially open and didn’t have the kitchen going yet. I understand that things happen, and really appreciated that they were totally ok with patrons bringing in their own food that night (we didn’t). We grabbed a table — the place had a decent crowd but a few tables were open and ordered a sampler of the Hefeweizen, Saison, Stout, and the Wheat. We also asked for ‘samples’ (little tastes which are free, awesome) of the Brown Ale and the IPA. Our favorites were the Hefeweizen and the Saison, and we took a growler home of the Hefeweizen home that evening to pair with a little Plaka Grill takeout.
We decided to return two nights later when their kitchen was open, and I think the word is out — the place was JAMMED. I stalked two people who were actually getting up from the bar and snagged seats for my husband and I. I got a pint of the Saison and he got a pint of the Hefeweizen and then one Stout. He also ordered a brat, which came accompanied by horseradish mustard. I didn’t try any but he said he liked it.
Yes…prices are a tad high. But it’s Vienna — everything is expensive here. I have no problem paying good money for good beer and good food, and I thought everything we tried was fresh and delicious. I even didn’t *hate* the IPA (I don’t like IPAs) which is really saying something.
Why not 5 stars? Parking is going to get ugly quickly if it continues to be popular and thus, packed. There’s a tiny lot that Caboose shares with other businesses. Not as much of a problem at night during the week, but I suspect parking on the weekends will turn ugly fast.