I had gotten up early and hadn't eaten more than airplane snacks and water all day. This spot came up as "nearby" during a Yelp search (it is in a bit of an odd spot in what looked like a business complex. There there is an Olive Garden nearby so it isn't out by itself, even if it feels like it. The weather was beautiful, so we grabbed a high top in the bar area, overlooking a nice little pond behind the restaurant. The service in the bar was surprisingly good, despite the bar itself being pretty crowded and nearly every table around it being populated. The food was served quickly and they allowed us to customize to our liking (TIP: pay the nominal upcharge to replace your existing side dish to Brussels sprouts with bacon and spiced pecans! Or get it as a side to share) I had the Hickory Grilled Hanger Steak with mashed potatoes and a field greens salad, except no potatoes. The salad was amazing (it has dates in it for a sweetness to balance the sour of the dressing) and the medium rare steak was phenomenal. We each had a glass of beer -- the Pale Face Summer Wheat on draft. It is a classic German Hefeweizen and described as "malty with banana and clove flavors." I tested the banana on my first sip. It was a solid choice. The next day, we worked a 15 hour day without stopping to eat. By the time we finished, we were so tired that we agreed to return. I ordered the same steak and my coworker followed my recommendation. He agreed that this is the steak to order. (even if he ordered his more well done than mine). For the second visit, we ordered the bread pudding for dessert instead of beer with dinner. I suggest splitting the dessert. Don't get me wrong, it was fantastic, but was definitely shareable after a full steak meal. read more

Sweetwater Tavern - It was late, so lighting was not so good. Hickory Grilled Hanger Steak with sprouts instead of potatoes - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

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I got the 3 fish tacos ($20) and it came out in about 15 mins. The sweet potato fries were freshly made and were crispy. The tacos themselves were loaded with a fair amount of fried fish! The corn in the slaw provided a good balance with the fried fish. Staff were friendly! The interior was nice with a partially open kitchen so seeing the staff cook was cool. Overall the food was quite delicious and I had a good time during this lunch experience! Food(50%): 8.3 Staff/service(25%): 8.5 Value(25%): 7.0 Overall: 8.0/10 read more

Sweetwater Tavern - Fish tacos - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

Solid American food do love the Ozzie rolls here. The salad and steak here were just okay slightly over-seasoned though and the baked potato was mostly cheese not a lot of other toppings would have liked to see more bacon. Big space though good for chatting and they have seasonal draft beers which are fun. Servers are nice and attentive. Overall solid and okay but not the best food you'll ever have read more

Sweetwater Tavern - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

Great vibe next to the water. We sat outside and weather was great. Service was quick. Food was good. I had the bacon cheese burger and had great flavor. The fries could have been better. Shoestring and flimsy and not enough salt. Everyone else liked what they ordered as well. read more

Sweetwater Tavern - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

It's been a while since I last ate here. The service was decent and food was only alright: We ordered: Ozzie rolls (always yummy) Salmon salad 7/10 - only alright. The salad was soggy and didn't taste fresh. I also don't really like the lettuce they use or maybe it just felt too basic. The salad was just a handful of a grocery stores spring mix. I prefer Fords salmon salad over this spots. I also felt like the salmon had a strong fishy scent which properly cooked and handled seafood should never have. Tex Mex Egg roll - 8/10 I enjoyed it. It's a little more above casual in regard to ambiance. Good for large groups, business meetings, drinks, or just hanging out. read more

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Been to this establishment at many different points in my life. Each time was a great experience. Servers always took care of us, and the food was always amazing. The inside is spacious but it does get busy as well, this is a fantastic place. Who wouldn't want to come here? Amazing establishment. read more

Sweetwater Tavern - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

Pretty cool place with a great beer menu - the only problem is they only have a fraction of the beer menu on tap, and most of those are lagers and IPAs. The service is friendly and accommodating. The walnut and goat cheese mixed green salad was delicious and my wife enjoyed the crab cake sandwich - lots of crab! The place is open and airy with a pub feel. read more

Sweetwater Tavern - Mixed green walnut and goat cheese salad in the foreground and crab cake sandwich in the background. - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

Our waitress has only been here 5 days and she did a wonderful job. Very attentive, willing to answer any questions..positive attitude. We had the crab sandwich and the warm goat cheese salad. Both were super. Tons of crab...the bread basket is a must read more

Sweetwater Tavern - Warning goat cheese salad - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

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Was visiting Ashburn, VA on a work trip. The vibe and the decoration in this restaurant was awesome. The beer I ordered was the naked river light and it was fantastic. The fish tacos were on point and the bartender was attentive and friendly. Will be back if I'm ever back in the Ashburn area. read more

Lots of brews available, the service is always great and I enjoy their roasted chicken.

It's been many years since I've been to this location of Sweetwater, so when in the area with a co-worker we came in for lunch. Getting there soon after they opened for the day, they were empty, but within 30 mins, they were packed. Service was decent, not very personable, but very good and on-point. I've been to nearly all the GAR restaurants over the years... I've been eating at Mike's since '91, so I've had many meals at their places, but have never tried their crab cakes. I decided this trip to try their crab cake sandwich. I have to say it was a very sad looking sandwich! No lettuce nor tomato on it. There was the smallest dot of remoulade on it and the crab cake itself had a strong lemon flavor, not much of a crab flavor and constantly fell out of the bun when I took each bite. There was a slightly higher amount of breading/filler than a true MD crab cake should have and it was just lackluster. GAR does so many things so very well and being the first customers of the day, I wanted to order their fillet tips, as they frequently run out, but I changed it up to get this and totally regretted my decision. My coworker's tuna salad looked absolutely amazing though and he raved about it! Overall, I'd most definitely return, they might have hiccups at times, but are still the best restaurant chain in the area. But I am disappointed with this visit. read more

Sweetwater Tavern - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

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One of my favorites growing up, I think Sweetwater is falling down the rabbit hole of cutting corners because they know they have a loyal fan base. I was that loyal fan- I have been here for birthdays, celebrations, girls nights, first dates, etc for 20+ years. My trip for lunch on Monday felt different though. Service was spotty at best- while our server was kind, he forgot things, gave us plates that had a squished fry on it (so was dirty), and gave us the bill way before our dessert came out (which seemed scary in case the dessert never came out or came out wrong). Apps: the crab fritters were decent but incredibly messy with the little topping crunchies on top and only 3 are included for like $18 which is insane. Good sauce but a bit fishy in the flavor. The ozzie rolls haven't been free since Covid but those were NOT ozzie rolls...they were dry and did not have that donut consistency they have had for 20+ years. Dry, both batches we ordered. Consistency of dough was completely different. Don't even get me started on the fact that they just give ozzie rolls and not all 3 different breads they had for many years. Lobster bisque was the only ok app for the price. Mains- chicken tenders and fries, salad, caesar salad, and the Louisiana pasta. Caesar salad was using a weird combo of spinach and romaine, with some lettuce pieces harder to chew. The chicken tenders were shrunken, I almost thought they gave my husband a kids meal size. My Louisiana pasta had great flavor but the chicken was shaved to the point I thought it was turkey lunch meat. I feel like having actual chunks of chicken may be better. Overall..was it an off day? Perhaps. But I am genuinely worried that they have lost their touch. read more

I've lived in the area for over 20 years. I've had ups and downs with Sweetwater, but the ups far outweigh the downs. I like Sweetwater wherever they are, but this location has always been my favorite. The staff are always friendly. There's a culture of smiles, and it's infectious. I've noticed many happy patrons. The food and drinks are good. The outside seating near the water with kids playing always puts a smile on my face. read more

Pleasant Surprise ! We walked in without a reservation and were seated within five minutes which was nice. Our server Reese was absolutely amazing! He remained attentive and professional throughout our dinner. I appreciated that he offered suggestions for drinks and food as this was my first time here. He noticed when my glass was almost empty and always showed up to clear the table in perfect timing. The food was perfectly seasoned , jambalaya pasta had a nice spicy kick to it with jumbo shrimp. The filet mignon had a beautiful pink inside I was happy to see and taste. Seasoned and cooked perfectly. I would say the rolls are my absolute favorite part of dinner but my entire meal was great. Hats off to the chef, everything was delicious. My espresso martini was a nice blend of the espresso flavor and sweet, creamy deliciousness . I definitely recommend stopping by and asking for Reese if you want exceptional service ! 10/10 read more

Dined with a friend on Wednesday, 13 May and had an awesome server! Yesterday (Sunday 15 May), my best friend and I dined at ST and were seated around 3:50. A female server came by telling us that she would be right with us. At around 4:00, she finally came to take our order. My best friend ordered his drink and the Drunken Rib-Eye (which he loves). The server told us that since it was 4:00, he would get the dinner serving. She told him that he would be getting a salad and I asked her if that would be extra. She told me that it wouldn't be. When she left, I searched the menu and it showed that the dinner serving would be $6.00 more than the lunch serving. When she returned, I told her and she told us that it was probably a bigger piece of meat and since it was now a dinner item, a salad would be included. We don't usually eat salads so that didn't really make sense to either of us - paying for something we didn't normally eat. If she would have waited on us a little quicker, my friend wouldn't have had been required to take the don't think we should have had to pay for her actions. She acted like it was no big deal. Thank goodness she never returned since it was a rotation of the shifts. She was "replaced" with a server from Bolivia. He had a very unique name but neither of us seem to remember it. But I do know that he treated us like he was our own personal server. He was always there to help us whenever we needed anything being both very professional and humble at the same time. In fact, he was one of the best servers that we have ever had and we dine out several times a week between us. Definitely in the top 10! I did make it a point to tell the manager when we left and he and a hostess standing nearby agreed with my statement. So wished that our server was like him wherever restaurant we went. This was the first bad experience either one of us have had at a Great American Restaurant. We usually go to Patsy's and Mike's American Grill, occasionally going to Carlyles and Ozzie's but always have had a great experience! Don't remember the server's name, but at this point, I don't guess it really matters. My hope is that we won't have her as our server ever again! read more

First of all I need to say that I'm not a huge fan of American cuisine. The tavern is casual place( quite big so can get noisy) with extremely polite and nice personnel. On w/e you better make a reservation, as place is getting full pretty quickly. Now about food. It was ok. Nothing "wow" as for my opinion, but my husband and father in law Really enjoyed the signature ribs. I'm sorry to give 3 stars for now, maybe I have to go back and try some more dishes in order not to " misjudge " the place. read more

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Sweetwater is delicious and a definite go-to! Making a reservation is recommended - although it's big, it does get busy! This is part of the GAR group and the menu is different, but similar in many ways. To me, food has always been consistent at GAR restaurants and management/service has always been receptive to feedback and helpful. Specific to Sweetwater, I find the service is a bit more professional. Ambiance is a western theme and it's casual. Good beer and wine list in comparison, but alcohol is pricey like at other GAR spots, but they do have handcrafted beers special to Sweet Water. Bring a growler just in case you love them! Lots of outdoor parking and there's outdoor seating for the nice months. What to get? I recommend the Ozzy rolls, drunken ribeye, or southwest chicken salad. Portions are large, but always flavorful. There's something here for everyone to enjoy, so this makes a great spot to meet up with friends or bring the family. read more

Among the Great American Restaurants, ST strikes me as the most casual, slightly more affordable, yet delivers the basic premise of good American comfort food. If you choose this location, you get to sit (although not as closeby) by the water outdoors. The bar area is covered and the high tops make a great choice for that. We have gone for classics like the burger and chicken tenders. Great coleslaw. Good selection of draft beers (although they seemed to be out of many when we were there.) Overall, friendly and timely service. read more

Sweetwater Tavern - Double Bacon Cheeseburger - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

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We usually go there for a business meeting every time I've been there the food has been on point along with the service the ambience it is what it is, but it looks good, so there is no denying how everything is read more

Sweetwater Tavern - Salmon - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

Sweetwater has been a staple in my life since I was a kid and it never disappoints! I've grown up dining here, starting with the kid's menu and now enjoying their regular menu with my family. Our go-to appetizer is the Blue Crab & Shrimp Fritters, they're truly a must try. Crispy on the outside and bursting with flavor, they are paired perfectly with the grilled corn salsa and lobster ginger sauce. We also can't visit without indulging in the Ozzie rolls. They're incredibly soft, buttery, and just melt in your mouth. For my main course, I had the Wood Grilled Filet Mignon and it was cooked to absolute perfection. The roasted cremini mushrooms added a wonderfully earthy depth of flavor and the mashed potatoes were rich and comforting. The field greens salad, with its light vinaigrette and sweet pops of dried cranberries, was fresh and delicious and my family loved it too. Sweetwater Tavern continues to be a place of amazing food and cherished memories for me and my family. Highly recommend! read more

Sweetwater Tavern - Wood Grilled Filet Mignon - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

Got the shrimp and crab fritters appetizer. Always good! Did the Southwest Steak salad. Delicious! Steak was very tender. Corn is cut fresh off the cob and dressing was great. No military discount but gave me a dessert. Great service! read more

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I stopped in during happy hour while waiting for friends and sat at the outside bar. It was a rainy day but the staff brought the sunshine! The drinks are Tens across the board!!!! The appetizers I had amazing! It's a hip after work spot or just visiting and need a vibe! read more

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Great American is consistently the most quality, attentive and friendly staff and all around best place to socialize!!!! read more

Sweetwater Tavern - Regan, Melanie and Eric at the outside bar. - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

Food was good.. loved the crab & shrimp fritters, as well as the white chocolate bread pudding. The ambiance and service were good, welcoming and chill. Would definitely come back' read more

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We had dinner there on 9/27/2024. My wife had lobster bisque as an appetizer. It was delicious. It was creamy, had that umani flavor. My only criticism is that the pieces of lobster were very small. I had the bang bang shrimp as an appetizer. The shrimp were crispy. The sauce was tasty, had a little kick to it. My wife had the kids tenderloin with mashed potatoes. The steak was tender, nicely seasoned, delicious. The mashed potatoes were a little dry. They needed a little more milk or cream. The little cup of gravy on the side was delicious. I had the fish tacos with French fries. The fish was nice and crispy. The habenero slaw was decent. Needed some more vinegar. Personally I would have thought the slaw would have more kick. Overall, the tacos were very tasty. The fries were very thin. They were nice and crispy. Overall, it was a very good meal. read more

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Excellent quality American fare, with large size portions and efficient service. Loved the pork chop most of all. read more

Sweetwater Tavern - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

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Food was phenomenal - service was awful. The waitress only took our drink/food order and then didn't come back until we asked for the check. Waitress was not friendly or attentive. read more

I had high hopes for Sweetwater Tavern, and it came highly recommended by a good friend, but the experience was disappointing. The restaurant was crowded and very noisy, which made it difficult to enjoy the meal or even have a conversation at the table. On the positive side, they honored our reservation despite the chaos, which was really appreciated. I was looking forward to the Ozzie rolls which they kept coming! The salad was very good. The balance of the experience did not match that positive start. Our sweet natured waitress seemed overwhelmed, spent much of the time tracking down other staff to bring basic items that should have come with the entrées. We had to ask multiple times just to get salad dressing, doesn't dressing usually accompany the salad? The place was packed to the point of being crowded and loud, making it hard to relax, savor the food, or even carry on a normal conversation. Disappointing that they didn't have any "to-go" cups available when we couldn't finish our non-alcoholic drinks, which is a small but standard convenience most restaurants provide. Rib-eyes are supposed to be fatty (they often dress it up by calling it "marbling") A $54 rib-eye steak is UNREASONABLY HIGH; The flavor was excellent but I think a lot of it came from the marinade not necessarily the steak itself. We left 1/3rd of it on the plate because we could not eat the "marbling." Given the above, having our reservation respected was a bright spot amid the crowd, the combination of crowd, noise, service, and very high prices made the meal far more disappointing than anticipated. read more

We love ALL The Great American Restaurants. Restaurants are all clean, friendly staff, waiters work together to ensure you never sit with an empty plate or drink. The Hickory Grilled Salmon salad is simply the best. I typically don't listen to specials or even look at the menu. We eat here 2-3 times a month! read more

Sweetwater Tavern - Salmon Salad - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

The food was delicious, everything came out great. It was a Wednesday night and pretty busy but the service was on point will definitely be back the next time we are in town. read more

One of the many GAR family restaurants. We usually go to Jackson's, Sweetwater Tavern or Coastal Flats. Once in a while, we would go to Pasty's as well. There is always a wait so make your reservation ahead of time. I am rarely disappointed with my meal at any of the GAR restaurants. Although many of the menu items look similar amongst the family, each restaurant's item is slightly different. At SweetWater, I usually get the ribs since it is not available at Jackson's. However, we got the always delicious Fish Tacos, the dependable Jambalaya Pasta and the Pork Chop. First time getting the Pork Chop and it was delicious. Overall, the service was excellent and all the food came out great. I would say GAR family restaurants are the only restaurants that I rarely have to ask for any refills on my drinks. read more

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Needed some comfort food and some good company so I went to the best place I know. Sweetwater food never disappoints, the new Pazole Verde special is outstanding. Reagan - the daytime bartender was awesome, she had some great recommendations on their in house beers. Wonderful experience at a very reasonable price. read more

Sweetwater Tavern - House brewed beer list - changes every so often for new flavors! - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

Love this place. The food is always good and the ambiance is fun. Our waiter was great. He was nice and helpful. read more

Sweetwater Tavern - Chicken tenders, coleslaw & fries - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

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The food was ok. My prime rib was more room temperature than warm. And one of the servers bringing our dishes out spilled sauce from one of our dishes on booth and me a bit. Didn't apologize. I asked for a new napkin to wipe the spill but she didn't bring one so I had to ask our server. read more

Sweetwater Tavern to me is primarily about two things: consistency and good beer. When you come here you know that the chicken will be cooked thoroughly, the salads will be prepared as they were the last time, and the beer on tap will knock your socks off. The Wood Grilled Chicken Breast has quickly become a favorite of mine, but I'm biased because I'm a sucker for cremini mushrooms in a brown butter sauce. The sauce alone could carry half the dishes at this place, but it pairs perfectly with the angel hair pasta. The warm goat cheese salad adds just the right amount of tang to an otherwise average iteration on a theme. The spiced pecans pair well with the goat cheese, but there aren't enough of them to really drive a change in flavor. And no meal could be complete without the delightful Ozzie rolls and honey butter. Talk about an easy way to ruin your appetite, thank god there weren't too many. The restaurant is comfortable, laid out the same way in the various locations. There are tvs playing live sports around the room and the beer list over the entrance delights with its hand drawn representations of each festive drink. Come with your family, bring a DD. read more

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One of my first truly disappointing experiences at Sweetwater. The main issue was that they were out of several standard menu items by 6:00 p.m. on a Saturday night--including the crab and corn chowder, which would have been perfect for such a cold evening. The manager blamed the shortages on an upcoming snowstorm, but the restaurant was clearly packed, which points to poor planning rather than weather. We ordered the lobster bisque instead, but it was underwhelming: barely warm and overly salted. Neither of us finished it. The bar staff didn't help matters. They seemed more focused on whether they'd have to work the next day than on taking care of customers. The manager did offer a gift card for being out of the corn and crab chowder but it was for a future visit. Didn't really help with the current dinner. read more

Food: not the fantastic tastes that we rely on when we come to a GAR. The bread basket was cold and Ozzie rolls stale. Firecracker shrimp fell apart. My halibut was good but mashed potatoes were somewhat lukewarm. Service: fantastic, our server was on point for everything, came to visit and check on us multiple times. I gave her my bread comment and she tried to explain that possibly she may have grabbed a basket that was already sitting there. Ambiance: we came for an early reservation to avoid the GAR dinner crowd. Maybe it was a mistake because the food was not as consistent. Tips: they do take reservations via Resy. Lots of outdoor parking. Bread basket contains 4 pieces and they charge you $1 read more

Sweetwater Tavern - Halibut special - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

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Don't frequent this Sweetwater location as often as there is one closer to our house, but we happened to be in the Sterling area for lunch. Just like any other GAR location, service is always outstanding as well as the food. Everything is delicious. Gotta get the ozzie rolls of course! read more

Sweetwater Tavern - Breweries Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

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The staff was incredibly kind and accommodating as I had to adjust my reservation time a few times due to issues with my ride. They were so sweet and understanding, and I really appreciated still being able to get seated. I started with ordering two orders of the Community Bread Basket. They didn't have enough so I was only served one and had the other to go since they finished making a new batch after we finished our meal. I had the Jambalaya Pasta and it tasted as good as it looked. The flavors were diverse and well balanced. I couldn't stop eating! Definitely a satisfying meal all around. read more

I rarely (!) drive to VA to dine, but a friend recommended Sweet Water for dinner. It was worth the drive! The vibe was very laidback and comfy. Our server was like a ninja. He'd quickly pop in and out, sometime unbeknownst to us. The food was delicious. I loved everything - mango martini, egg rolls, dinner rolls, fish tacos, and the white chocolate bread pudding. The mango martini tasted so good that I bucked my diet and ordered a second one. The bread was warm and fluffy, and reminded me of beignets. The bread pudding was the perfect dessert to end the meal. It was not your traditional bread pudding. Looked like a tart, but tasted like soaked cake. On the way out, I noticed that is an on-site brewery. Unfortunately, it's not open for tours. read more

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