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    The Public Option

    4.7 (46 reviews)
    ModeratePubs, Breweries

    The Public Option Photos

    THE PUBLIC OPTION ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Live music
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - The Public Option

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    Linda O.

    A no-frills bar that's reasonably-priced and trying earnestly to be a neighborhood watering hole. The fact that TPO only serves drinks is limiting. It's mostly beer for sale; however it's their own craft brew, and decent. Since there's no food menu, any outside food that customers wish to bring in is allowed (that's what the owners told me). Live music is offered on an irregular basis, so check the website. The hours of operation have expanded from just weekends, to Thursday through Sunday. There's some oldie-but-goodies box games stacked in a corner that I enjoy playing. TPO's layout is a bit odd; the décor is a retrograde time warp with personal touches, and fitting. A progressive, independent spirit is found within.

    Eri S.

    Tasty beers (and they have half pints so you can taste more of what they have on tap. Fine musicians playing for camaraderie and playing a song.

    Get a flight!
    Chuq Y.

    I am very happy to have just gotten back from here tonight. We stopped in for some drinks and a snack. The place was furnished like an 80's diner furniture-wise. Definitely a +1 for reduce, reuse, recycle. Even the salt and pepper shakers were old kitschy porcelain hens, pigs, etc. From what i have heard about Public Option, they are very neighborhood friendly. And I mean like giving back to the community friendly. They seem very socially conscious, so the Public Option name is particularly poignant. For instance, tonight was a fundraiser for the Rhode Island Avenue Main Street initiative. This is the group that is helping bring businesses to that neighborhood. Anyway, the head of RIA was there (Kyle) and he was the guest chef for his chilli. What a neat concept! The chilli was good and meaty, I think it could have used a little more flavor, but I enjoyed it. We suggested that they carry hot sauce, so it may be there by the time you go. I think they mentioned getting Texas Pete. The cornbread was more like my mom used to make, without all the butter and fancy. The side of honey butter was great though. The beers were good. I think they had 6 different varieties of their own brews, two guest brews and then the beers that you should never order at a place that brews their own beer (I.e Bud, Bud Light, etc.). The beers seemed a little sweet to me, but all had great flavor, Sam's stout, American Amber and the Breakfast Porter were our faves from the flight. IPA #6 probably being our least favorite. The pecan pie was delicious, but could probably have set a bit longer. The brewer, Bill Perry, came over to us and apologized for the service, which we thought was perfect! We talked some about the neighborhood, the name Public Option, and beer. He's a very cool guy, and I hope to talk to him soon. With a purported beer garden in the back for warmer months, I hope this place stays around! I can see that neighborhood growing by leaps and bounds with some of the new businesses in the area. Certainly check this place out. They're not open late since they are super respectful of the neighbors. Kudos for that! I highly recommend it and I'm sure I'll be back!

    Sam's Stout (4.2%) and Breakfast Porter (6.0%)
    Aditya R.

    Good selection of beer, but not enough space. I think they're too popular for their own good They had a live band when I went. They also have their own kitchen, didn't try the food but friends told me it was decent. Cool glasses!

    Jammin' on a Saturday afternoon at the PO

    If you really want to relax...if you want a great beer with an atmosphere to match, the Public Option is perfect. The atmosphere is laid back, with an opportunity for easy conversation with the owners/staff, or a chance to sit back and enjoy the truly delicious brews. When I was there on a Saturday afternoon, the upstairs was full of acoustic musicians who had gathered to jam, and it was such a rich musical experience. Meanwhile, other patrons were gathered outside at tables enjoying the sunshine. Public Option is a great home away from home destination.

    Cream Ale
    Takera G.

    I visited this place once. They are only open on specific nights. We went in for a couple beers. We tasted a few and found some that we liked. They have a small selection of food, we hadn't tried anything. They have a nice variety of games, connect four, uno, and others. I'll be going back.

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    While I really like this place and its a staple to come here when I am visiting, I think they could…read morehave done a better job with kicking off Oktoberfest 2026. I am on their email list (and yes I read most of my emails that are of interest to me) and noted they had an Oktoberfest kick off party happening this week on Thursday evening from 6pm -9pm in their outside patio, so decided to come here. We showed up at 6pm on the dot and the place outside was already packed with people. They were having a live Oktoberfest trio band play, so that was cool! A lot of people were in their Oktoberfest garb/outfits, which was adorable. The challenge was getting a beer and a non alcoholic drink for my mom. They had nothing NA for her and she ended up just having a glass of ice water. I got in the mobbed line and had a Kellerbier, which was brewed especially for Franklin's and Oktoberfest. They had an issue with their handheld payment device so that made the line longer. Beer was fine, but wished I could have gotten my mom a lemonade or iced tea. The other issue was the seating. We opted to sit over in the sandbox/kids area and the picnic tables didnt feel like the best use of space. The trio band was lovely and played some nice tunes including Edelweiss which is one of my favorite songs ever (yes I loved The Sound of Music and have watched this so many times as a kid with my mom) but it would have been nice to see the band more in the center of things, closer to the bar hut. They were serving up German sausages and huge pretzels but the line for beverages and food was so long that I didnt bother to purchase food. This was a great idea and I hope that the next one they do, they can iron out some of the wonky kinks. I'd come back again for an Oktoberfest for sure. My mom and I had a great time!

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    Harris/Trump Debate. Place is packed.

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    The Public Option - pubs - Updated September 2026

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