The barn part of the brewery was closed so we headed to their "taproom"'. It appears to be a converted house. It's pretty small in there and the upstairs area was very hot, dusty, and had really old tables and chairs. Nobody was wanting to sit up there. They have a little carport area outside to sit but it has no ac. The beer was average to below average, we just ordered one beer and a flight. We were sitting right in front of the kitchen which appeared to be run by a microwave, so that's never a good sign. I think this would have been a better experience if their barn didn't have a private even going. read more

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Excellent oatmeal stout! Great atmosphere and pleasant staff. Just need to make the location a little more obvious off the road. read more

The beer was so good. And great atmosphere. Very pretty and spacious inside. I can see it being perfect for weddings. The food was fine. They were very friendly and allowed our dogs inside. There were games for kids like chess and sorry. read more

I really wanted to like this place because it's so close to home and it's a brewery. We have a group that gets together once a month or so and some like beer and some like wine. I will say, we purchased a bottle of Moscato and it was very good. Be warned they only have three different types of wine. However, when they gave us our wine glasses they put them top down on the bar where orders were being taken and cash exchanged. I know I'm a bit of a germaphobe but that was unacceptable! Why would you put a wine glass upside down on a dirty bar?? I took them to the restroom and washed them myself. The food was mediocre. It could be better. It should be better. They kept loosing our orders so people that ordered first got their food last. In all fairness there were about 16 of us but they knew we were coming. We had a reservation. The service was very good. They cleared our dishes as we finished eating and asked several times if there was anything else they could do for us. Also, it was extremely warm in there. If it had AC, I don't think it was working. It's really just a huge, rustic ballroom with round tables that sit 6-8 people each. I think they may be a wedding venue. There was also a large baby shower upstairs. They did have a guy playing guitar so there was entertainment on a Saturday afternoon, which is nice. Also, no handicap parking and entrance is a tripping hazard. As I said I really wanted to like it. I just didn't. read more

What a gem! Forgot to take photos of the gorgeous property. Our tender, Tim, was delightful, fun, & a highlight of our visit. They use herbs his wife grows in 5 of their current beers. My partner had the hazy IPA, & an old fashioned, which turned out to be the best OF he's had. Tim's wife makes the simple syrup they use in the OF. I had the fresh basil & strawberry vodka fizz & the rosemary & blueberry fizz w/ vodka instead of gin. Both were refreshing & delicious in different ways. Again, many ingredients from Tim's wife's greenhouses in my drinks. We briefly met the owner, Billie, who was gracious. They have a small food menu, but didn't get to try due to a heavy breakfast. BRB is killing it, has truly wonderful staff, & put so much work into their products, including using homegrown herbs. It's remote, so not on everyone's radar, but if you're nearby or passing through, it should be. We are definitely stopping again before heading home to PA. Thank you, BRB & especially Tim. You made our day! read more

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After reading all the reviews for the last 2 years I think it is clear that no one cares to reply to customers here or make adjustments to their way of doing business over the years....I have difficulty understanding why they stay open except maybe for the savings on the land taxes and the deposits from events? ....their staff isn't happy or healthy (their facebook keeps discussing hospital stays) and they never have more than 1 person working so they aren't hoping to be busy. I heard many complaints where customers felt mistreated. Someone should buy them out...it could be a gold mine in the right hands. read more

First timer, and it was just okay. Found a beer I liked (the porter), and the interior is quite pretty, but we agreed not to rush back because the service wasn't warm. Maybe the bartender was having a bad day, but he couldn't/wouldn't start a tab for our group, and he couldn't/wouldn't take food orders (or even update the whiteboard menu to reflect unavailable items). Felt like we were annoying him by ordering, which certainly isn't great for business... No one in our 5-person group went back to him to order a second beer. As for food, the kitchen was quick, and the food was fine. Everything came in to-go containers (lots of paper and plastic waste), and the soups are served with bread. Tip: Do not order the pretzels because they are the microwave kind - not fresh - and WAY overpriced (over $17 for 2)! They're oily without tasting buttery, and and the beer cheese had a funny taste (very unlike beer cheese)... If you're craving a fresh pretzel, go get your beer at Bear Chase Brewing Co.! read more

We had a relaxing lunch here on a Friday afternoon. The beers were surprisingly tasty. We liked the wit beer, the festival wheat, and the reliance road red. (The bartender David let me also taste the lemon basil wheat and the cilantro wheat, but I didn't love either of those). The sandwiches were decent - we got the pulled pork and pulled chicken and I preferred the chicken (pork was a little too mushy). The coleslaw and mac and cheese sides weren't that exciting. Come here for the beer and the rustic atmosphere. They are super dog friendly, with a heated enclosed pavilion for people with pups, which our pooch enjoyed! read more

Backroom Brewery - The gas fireplace that heats the pavilion. - Breweries Near Me - Middletown, Virginia

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Quickest brewery visit ever! Mediocre beer, staff not very friendly considering they hardly had and customers. Food was nothing special at all. The wedding venue may be good but this taproom was dirty and uninviting. We drank our one beer and quickly ate out food and left. read more

Backroom Brewery - Taproom - Breweries Near Me - Middletown, Virginia

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The owner is very nice and inviting and she has a great staff. The beers are different. Not all of them are my style, but there are some good ones. read more

This was a minor disappointment. But let me explain... When rating a business, I will not include poor/incredible service. Comments on the staff, can break a business, despite the higher quality of the food/drinks. Additionally I will not add the atmosphere into the rating, but will suggest that the owners pay attention. That said, the staff were friendly and knowledgeable about the beers. The bartender offered tastes according to our regular beers, and he did a good job of it. The atmosphere was exactly as advertised, a farm. The front buildings were nice but the tap room was more like a small logged cabin. FYI dog friendly! Another point is the feral cats were kittens. If you are allergic stay inside the tap room in the loft. A bonus space available to the adults, just inside the taproom. TBH these were cute and I have heard of breweries housing feral cats to assist with the rodent population, so kudos to the owner. As for the beer, the Weisse hit the spot. A nice pour with a fresh wheat flavor and a good finish, although the ABV was a bit higher than I was used to, I was still able to enjoy a few sips into the second beer without concern that I was driving. I also tried the Pilsner, a nice flavor, and the perfect ABV for those who want a second drink. Special note/ shout out to this place for offering a NEAR-BEER, the 2.9 ABV is just a great way to enjoy without any concerns of TOO MUCH. (Keep in mind we all have our limits.) the taste I had was very good! Finally, the food. This fell short, we ordered the turkey Reuben, which was packaged turkey slices-think Carl Buddig brand, the slices were perfectly round and cut the exact same size. The chicken salad had a bit too much mayo and was likely from a tub from the local store. I was not super happy with that, but it had nothing to do with the attraction-the beer! So for the rating, I have been visiting a few brew pubs as late and to me this one falls short. There is potential but at the moment it needs work. read more

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Recommend. Tried a sampler along with burger & chips. Simple. Cozy place. I liked the lemon/basil and the cider. Bartender was friendly and the interior was rustic. I loved that it's on a farm and off the road a bit. A nice change from suburban or city life. There are cats outside. There are probably other animals around. The brewery is a barn and again, it's rustic. So keep all that in mind if planning to stop by. You'll likely not be a fan if you're looking for an upscale brewery experience (e.g, gastropub vibe or similar) with some chillhop sort of music playing. This is not Backroom Brewery. The experience here is less refined and more about the beer and the farm atmosphere in my opinion. It's a slower type of pace & vibe here. It has a local, community feel to it and I really like that. All that said, again, I recommend. To each his (or her) own. It wasn't my favorite brewery, but if in the neighborhood again, I'd come back. read more

Great place with abundant selection of beer. Very pleased with food offerings. Hubby and I both got burgers w different sides. Everything was delicious and reasonably priced. The gentleman at the counter did not seem particularly enthused to ring us up, but other than that, no negatives. Was able to bring our pup which was a nice perk. Would return. read more

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We stopped in randomly on a road trip. Good beer, good service,good atmosphere. What else is there? They have a chili pepper red ale that's actually very good and a little different. And after talking to the bartender, Tim, it's clear the people running this place genuinely care. We would go back next time we're in the area. read more

Before you get to this place, you think you may have taken a wrong turn. It looks like you are just driving through a rural section of Va, and then there it is. The first large building you see in only part of the brewery operation. The large front building is a large room that had the upstairs rented out when we were there. There is indoor and outdoor seating. The upper building just has a few beers and wines to pick from. However, if you go down to the lower cottage there is a larger beer selection. There is also indoor and outdoor seating there. In addition, you can park at either location This is a pretty cool place. The beer that we tried was ok and we enjoyed hanging out there. My only negative is that at the bar serving area, they only have one ipad that can ring you out... so even if there are two servers- they are waiting on the other person to finish the transaction which slows the process down. read more

Backroom Brewery - Main building - Breweries Near Me - Middletown, Virginia

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Great service and the atmosphere was fantastic!! The company that I was with was very enjoyable and I think that they would like to go back again!!!! read more

This place is a gem! Stopped by for lunch and a tasting. 5 min from downtown Middletown. We will be back! read more

Backroom Brewery - Tasting flight of 4 for $12. Worth every penny. - Breweries Near Me - Middletown, Virginia

Worth a stop if the location works for you. On our way to Blackwater Falls. Looking for a farm brewery. It fit the bill. Beer perfectly fine. Nothing special. My husband and I each ordered a flight so tasted 8 beers total. 1 or 2 I disliked. Rest were fine. Sat outside. Lovely day. Inside is very small and dark. Bartender is not the warmest guy I ever met. That's for sure! Didn't try any food. Would be fine with stopping here again but wouldn't go out of my way. read more

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TLDR: Good beer ruined by rude staff, bizarre atmosphere, and dirty grounds. Came on a beautiful early spring day and first couldn't figure out where to go. There is a large taproom that was dark and empty, but the chairs, tables, and cornhole sets were left out, askew, and knocked over as if zombies attacked and everyone ran for their lives leaving the brewery preserved as is. There was even a rotting pumpkin oozing all over the patio. Neat. We finally figured out the main tap house was clearly not open despite no signage. We almost left but then saw someone emerge from a shed-looking structure on the property. Figured we'd walk in and see what was there. Turns out, that was the brewery. Again, no signage. We were "greeted" by an incredibly gruff, surely man who gave one-word answers and seemed resentful to be there. The beer was pretty good but the brewery shed was dirty and bathroom was gross. Went outside with our beers and the patio area was also rundown and unkempt. My "favorite" part was what could only be described as animal parts laying on the ground close to our table. I have no idea what it was and don't want to know, but there were large chunks of fur, an eyeball, and god knows what else protruding from under a smoking stand. We drank our beers in a hurry and left. read more

The beers are pretty good. Location is great. Food is surprisingly good. A bit pricey, but worth it. I'd go back

As other mentioned, Google had great reviews for this place. When we drove up thought it was out of business but the taproom was open. Grounds looked run down and restroom was nasty. They only appeared to have one guy working who did not seem to want to be there. Beer and food were average. Unfortunately can not recommend it as a destination. read more

Unique brewery off the beaten path on a small farm. A flight of four is $10, and they have a good food menu. Shared two flights and would definitely drink a pint of all sampled. The beer is unique, with a lot of herb infused varieties, I particularly enjoyed the Chili Pepper Red Ale and the Lemon Basil Wheat. read more

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We got married at Backroom Brewery in September 2021 and had a wonderful experience. After researching what seemed like every venue in Northern Virginia, BRB ended up being the perfect combination of location (approx. 1 hour from Fairfax, VA where we live), budget-friendly, size and indoor/outdoor space. Space - The main taproom is huge, and easily accommodated our wedding reception of about 90 guests plus vendors. They can fit 250+ people if needed. We opted for an outdoor ceremony in the back field which was an added bonus. During and after the reception, guests enjoyed hanging out on the covered porch and sitting around the fire pit. Parking was a breeze. Alcohol - We love that they are a farm brewery and their craft beers are enhanced with fresh herb flavors. They had several beverage packages to choose from. Food - You can choose to use their in-house catering or bring a licensed, insured caterer of your choosing. We hired a local caterer that we were impressed by at the Winchester Bridal Expo who was familiar with the venue. Entertainment - Plenty of space for a band or DJ inside and room for dancing. The owner and staff were helpful any time we had questions or wanted to walk through the space (our wedding was delayed twice so we had to refresh our memory a few times). Highly recommend for anyone who is searching for a venue that is well-located and can fit a large group. read more

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There's this nice building that greets you as you go up the driveway with a fire pit and picnic tables on the front lawn. Unfortunately, that wasn't the building where the public operations were. The tasting/food area was in the house on the other side of the driveway. The inside smelled like propane, and they only had one person working behind the bar. The food, surprisingly, was quite good. The beer was....fine. If you go here, prepare for lots of Karens without masks demanding stuff from the poor guy behind the bar, which will just make your wait longer. Oh by the way, if you like cats, this is a good place for you since there's a bunch of cats roaming the grounds. Lady said there's about 20 but we only saw 4. read more

Some friends of mine have visited Backroom Brewery a couple of times - and raved about how good the Ales and beers are. So I found myself in the general area on the way back on my trip home from New York and decided to check the place out. It's out on a very rural road in a little unassuming building. I ordered a flight of six Ales - you tell them which six you want (or in my case, which two I did not want). They serve the Ales to you in a cool little serving tray with chalk used to denote which Ale is which (see attached pic.) I had the Lemon Basil, Reliance Road Red Irish Red Ale, Pluperfect Porter, Oatmeal Stout, Hop Harvest Party Ale (a Pale Ale), and an India Black Ale. I enjoyed tasting all of them - but would never order a pint of the Lemon Basil - just not my thing. I'm thinking the Lemon Basil might make an interesting component in the kitchen to a sauce or a salad dressing. Of the remaining five Ales - all were excellent! I would order any one of them and would enjoy it! I need to come back here soon and try them again when I have more time to sit, hang out, and relax! read more

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Awesome awesome awesome. A new reason to visit Middletown. Normally at a new brewery I find one or two beers I kinda like. Here, I liked-to-loved all of my tastings. They also have a decent selection of food. Backroom has a wide assortment of brews and rotate them at a regular clip; so if you like something BUY IT, because next week it might not be there. You can try a flight of 4 beers, or mini tastings of 6 (they come in what looks like chemistry vials). I did the mini flight of 6. In order of most to least love, I had the Stout (which I also got a pint of), Pumpkin Porter, Holiday Ale, Blonde, Amber, and Cilantro Lime. Even the Cilantro was good enough to try, just to experiment. I skipped the IPAs. One thing I admire about this place is their 'niche' is to experiment with various brewing herbs beyond your regular hops. Because these herbs are seasonal, their brewing menu is closely tied to the season. It also helps that they are an active farm (although they must be a bunch of tipsy farmers!). My server was also great; he looooved chatting about beer and was happy to give the names of several of his local favorites. This place is basically in the middle of nowhere, but worth a trip. read more

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If you like terrible service and feeling uncomfortable while drinking mediocre beer this place rules! Save yourself the trip

We have been regulars at Backroom for a few years. I have to commend the effort that they are putting into their brewery. I agree it wasn't the most welcoming place at one time. That alone has changed. Very clean! Beer is as awesome as ever. If you were disappointed on your first visit, please give them another try! Tim, their new bartender is great! Made some pretty awesome Old Fashions! read more

Great beers, relaxing location at an herb farm. Checked out the greenhouses as they have a lot of herbs and flowers for sale and resident cats roaming the property. read more

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The tap room is so horribly dirty, I couldn't wait to get out of there. We were going to sit in the outdoor room with our dog, but the chairs were so filthy, we didn't want to sit on them. So we put the dog in the car and sat inside on wooden stools. The door was originally white, but it's brown now. Outside was the same, nothing was maintained and everything is gross. I got back to find that the dog was covered in burrs. This feels like such a strange thing to leave a yelp rating about, but I can't believe how high their yelp rating is and we feel deceived. read more

These folks are doing such interesting things with beer. I had a basil lemon wheat beer which was great, and tried the cilantro lime and it very refreshing. This brewery is a great find! read more

Stopped here after a romp in the Shenandoah Valley. Beer was good, atmosphere was good and the pretzel was killer! 2 stars off for customer service. It felt like the place was more local-oriented and did not enjoy having tourists there: 1. I asked the bartender what kind of beer he recommended since I said I liked IPA's...he repeatedly told me he "recommends all of them"..thanks? 2. There were additional food items charged on our bill, which they removed without any fuss (yay) 3. They charged us for bottled water...did not offer us tap. We are not newbs to the brew scene. Living in Seattle, we have seen so many great breweries with welcoming attitudes to everyone. Maybe we were there on an off day, but there's no benefit from being snooty towards customers trying to enjoy one of your delicious beers. cheers! read more

Backroom Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Middletown, Virginia

Our first Harvest Hosts experience and it was all an A+. Right from the beer, burger and Billie to the spot in the field where we pulled up and enjoyed the stars at night and birds in the morning. Five stars; and we will be back ! Paul Sgalia and Victoria Arthur and Gracie dog. Shrewsbury Vermont read more

Fantastic beer, beautiful special occasion and wedding venue, a wonderful local gem. Off the beaten path, it's very relaxing. Really their beer is top-notch in variety and flavors, and they have nosh-ables available of course. read more

Awesome find right outside of Winchester! Beer lovers need to make the trip out here. 17 craft beers all made on site. Friendly staff. We had 2 flights so samples 8 of their beers. Hints of herbs in their beers. Cilantro, rosemary, basil. Delish. Even a chili pepper beer. So glad we came across this spot. Lots of outdoor seating, so a great summer spot as well. read more

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Found this quiet little gem on "Harvest Hosts" a camping (membership) Ap where you can spend a night in the parking lot of participating breweries, wineries, golf course and farms. The Sunflower Cottage Herb Farm is home to this backyard brewery. We were impressed by the 20+ tap options of their own beer concoctions. I enjoyed the Shenandoah Sunset IPA while my spousal unit appreciated the Backyard Blonde. Picnic tables outdoors were a great place to enjoy a cold beer. Camping was quiet and the air was fresh. We'd return on another trip from Texas to NH. read more

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Nice hidden brewery off the beaten path. Really enjoy these small micro breweries. Lots of great beers, wish I lived closer. Friendly staff an clean brewery. read more

Backroom Brewery - Great tasting flight - Breweries Near Me - Middletown, Virginia

Located off the beaten path near Middletown Va this brewery is worth the trip. They specialize in flavorful herb infused beers that have flavor profiles that I have never tasted. The chili pepper red that is infused with habanero pepper is smooth with a spicy finish. They offer a small menu of hand made dishes with locally sourced ingredients. The black angus burger was a no frills burger that didn't not lack in flavor. read more

Backroom Brewery - Flight of beer - Breweries Near Me - Middletown, Virginia

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Leaving an extra star for benefit of the doubt because we didn't actually order anything. - We arrived a few minutes prior to opening (noon) so we waited till about 5 after. Started walking in and saw the cats others have posted about. There were maybe half a dozen. Not so bad as they're all outside. Place looked not well kept compared to other breweries. We went inside and the worker who had arrived just a few min before noon wasn't ready yet. No greeting. He looked annoyed we were there so soon after opening honestly, but could have just had a bad morning, who knows. Wife went to use the bathroom which had no tp except for a soaked roll on the ground. The upstairs and room outside furnishing are just odd for a brewery in northern VA. Folding tables and chairs, things oddly placed. I asked, "So do you guys do lunch here?" He replied, "we have food." And walked back into the kitchen which didn't have anything ready yet. So, long story short, after looking around and having no confidence anything was go to be quick or quality, we left and went to Vibrissa in Front Royal which was a great choice. The beer may be great here, but there's a lot of good beer in this area so food and atmosphere and all that really makes a difference. Will likely not go back and try again for those reasons. read more

Beers are good, food is minimal and overpriced. Service is very good. Hours are limited.