This is a great locals place. If you want to just watch a game, get some BBQ and be treated like a regular this is your place. I recommend the ribs, brisket the Totchos are the best!! and the way salad is my go to for a healthy option! I love the casual feel. Cassidy is super attentive and courteous. read more

Pulled pork and Brisket that costs 35$. We were expecting an appetizing meal. That was not worth it. Service was good so far. But the waiting time is unacceptable. Waited for 1 hour. read more

Way Station - Brisket and pulled pork - Beer Gardens Near Me - Fairfax, California

Swung by this new spot on our way back from the coast (they've been here 17 weeks). Nice atmosphere and good beer selection, downed one while watching the Giants lose to the Mets (boo). We played corn hole and giant Jenga outside on the roomy patio. Then we sat at the fire pit and the manager/owner/waitperson came over with the nicest offering of s'mores! How did he know it's my birthday? Too sweet. We didn't eat dinner tonight but the meat looks tantalizing. We'll be back. read more

Way Station - Beer Gardens Near Me - Fairfax, California

I love Brian and the crew at The Way Station! The menu has some serious hits (love the Hot Mess) and the beer selection is plentiful. The vibe is exactly The Way I like it....discreetly warm and friendly. Ironically enough, I'm brand new to Marin and The Way Station was the only place (I found) in Fairfax open on New Year's Day. My first visit, and by the time I got there they were out of almost everything. The place was fairly quiet, only a couple of families in the back enjoying some time out of the house with their young kids: rowdy but cheerful. The food (my first Hot Mess!) was, of course, delicious and I was very happy to have a relatively quiet place to enjoy some good food and watch a little football. At some point, though, the kids started to get rowdier and their parents didn't seem to notice. As the volume went up, I appreciated the staff's attempt to communicate with the adults, but they sure didn't seem to appreciate anyone suggesting they were out of line and left in a huff. For my $.02, having bussed and waited tables, I thought Brian, and his staff, couldn't have been nicer (or more discreet) about the whole thing. #aspiringregular read more

Waited over 50 mins to get my food:/ was super stoked to try it but never coming here again. Also way too price for such little food. Oh also the food gave us terrible stomachaches. Terrible terrible experience overall. Never really cared to write a review on anything before until I got burned by this place. read more

Some of the best brisket I've had in Marin. Taters stay crispy and don't get soggy after a few minutes. Will definitely keep coming back

Loved the food, smoky meat falling off the rib, tender beef brisket - I tried both sauces - regular and spicy both were great. Had the tater tots - perfectly fried. Super friendly service. I sat by the fire pit as it was cold tonight, and per the suggestion of the order taker, he said the fire pit was the warmest place outside. It was. I came late in the evening so there weren't many people there - I had the fire pit to myself. I loved the whole casual ambiance of the place with the large outdoor patio. Bathrooms were clean. Servers were friendly, conscientious and helpful. Excellent service. I will come here again. They also have a vegetarian burger that I want to try. read more

Thought I would try the delivery service. Food came in a good amount of time. Was warm but had zero taste and no flair! The chicken taco was just blah chunks of chicken, in a tortilla with tasteless seasoning and flat pico de gallo ($6). The Mexican corn was either way over cooked or previously frozen, seasoned well and fairly tasty ($7). The corn bread was dry but tasty as long as you added butter, BUT $5 for a small square? The pecan pie was served warm but was so oily and tasteless I didn't finish it ($6). My overall review is, priced way to high for what your getting and pretty much meh....oh the flavors. read more

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I've been going to the waystation since Brian the owner has opened always has been polite. It is a kid friendly place. Service is good. If you don't know about the beers or the wine, he is more than willing and as a staff to inform you of the choices the smoked ribs and burgers is delicious. Great place to bring family and friends or even have a work meeting outside. The atmosphere is very comfortable. You do really sit outside of a food truck that is permanent you can bring your dog outside. Keep it on a leash please and enjoy the sunny day with a glass of wine or a nice cool beer. read more

Best Ribs I have ever had!!! Broccoli too and also cole slaw. The pulled pork sandwich is fantastic as well. But the Ribs are still my favorite! read more

Great new spot right downtown. Ribs, beans, and cole slaw are a must - evolved family recipes! Good wines and beers on tap. Great inside / outside design. Good vibes, music, & kid friendly. Had to add to my review... before we could leave, the owner walked out with his cast iron cobbler and offered us a couple free samples read more

Way Station - Beer Gardens Near Me - Fairfax, California

Overall I'm a fan of Way Station. Pros * Crazy kid friendly * Really nice atmosphere * Friendly service Cons * The food is good but not great. read more

The good: The outside seating area is spacious and comfortable. The tables are picnic tables with attached benches, but they are surprisingly comfortable. There are around 5 adirondack plastic chairs in a circle. There's a nice number of restaurant propane heaters outside. The ambience is pleasant. The cashier who took our order was friendly. There is a small bar inside that would make a nice hangout. The bad: The food. We have had brisket from coast to coast, but sadly, this brisket was the worse. It was served in a lot of liquid. We both thought it tasted like it was pressure cooked. It was more similar to a pot roast than a smoked piece of meat. We could not taste any wood smoke. My husband asked for lean (most barbecue restaurants we frequent ask if you want fatty or lean) what he got was abundantly fatty. The coleslaw was ... how can I describe it? Tasteless. There was some type of dressing (??) on it that made it moist, but there was no taste. It wasn't sweet, not salty, not vinegar, not...anything. The most enjoyable thing were the tiny gerkins served in a small metal cup. I asked a man who was bussing the tables what all the liquid was in the brisket and he said we must have put too much sauce on it. Um. No. It was served with 1/2" of fluid. I can't understand how meat smoked could possible have this happen. The cashier came around and asked how our meal was. We quietly said it was the worse brisket we ever had and would like a refund. She walked away. At $17.50 it was a huge disappointment. We won't be back unless we read that it improves. read more

I love this concept! Spotted it on the way out to Pt Reyes, so looked it up on Yelp. Beer garden & barbecue, what a great reward for a long hike! Like everything in Marin, it's pricey. The atmosphere is fun, & I love the tables, which are exactly what they had in every German "Fest" I've been to. They have cornhole on 1 end of the patio & a fire pit on the other end. We had to wear our jackets, as it cooled off in the evening; it was as cool "inside" (quotes because the huge doors are all wide open) as out. They have a great selection of beers & wines on tap, local brands, which I really appreciated. The food was just pretty good. I had the ribs (1/2 rack) & hubs had the special, which was brisket. All the meat was super tender - in the case of the brisket, partly because it had a lot of fat. Ribs were falling off the bone. Cornbread was a little on the dry side, but OK. I enjoyed the cotija corn, though it was overcooked (cooked for days is great for barbecue but not so great for vegetables). Service was friendly but slow, which didn't make too much sense since the barbecue is already cooked ... assume it's just about having enough staff. They'll work out some of these kinks & it will be a fun place to hang out. read more

Way Station - Beer garden - Beer Gardens Near Me - Fairfax, California

Way Station is a great hang out spot in Fairfax. The atmosphere is beautiful, they have a spacious indoor/outdoor seating concept, a fire pit, the hanging lights, corn hole, and board games. This is a great spot for anyone or parents who want a beer, wine, or bbq while letting the kids have fun. Their menu is bbq and it is really good. My husband and I ordered their BBQ Chicken sandwich and a BBQ pork slider. The food was great, just be prepared to wait a little bit for food. Their interior is so cool but their kitchen is in a food truck where there was only one of two chefs. We ordered about a half an hour before our movie started and got our food minutes before. I definitely recommend this place though if you're looking for a nice, family friendly hang out. read more

I really wanted to like this place but our experience was extremely uninspiring. The beers provided a very good selection of local brews that spanned from light summer beers through heavier IPAs. The restaurant also did a very nice job accommodating families with a beer garden that included cornhole and other family activities. The food was very average. The meat lacked seasoning and the sauce tasted like it came from Safeway. I hope they get it together because I'd love to have a good local option for BBQ and the staff seemed nice. read more

This place is way too pricey for its britches. There are a lot of improvements to be made here, and I don't know if the owners in the end will pull it off. The ribs are adequate but a $70 lunch check for two kids and one female adult is ridiculous. For BBQ? And all the while parents ignore their screaming children running around your table while they immerse themselves in "adult" conversation and what must be sacred beer. The other issue is the extremely uncomfortable and unsafe benches. Don't sit on one end of the benches or like a see-saw you will soon be on the ground. And lastly, I've had better salads at the hospital cafeteria. Seriously. read more

After checking out their website and photos on yelp, I had thought I found a beer garden I'd like close to home. Iron Springs is my go-to place, but I wanted another location I could take my dog and have a variety of other brewery beers to try. Online they list many beers, stating "...on tap or has been on tap", I was excited by the selection. I wish there was a footnote stating "Only 5 taps". I was disappointed when I saw the lack of beer selections on tap when I arrived. Being an IPA fan, it was extra sad to see they had no IPAs. They apparently ran out of fieldworks IPA yesterday, I was thinking in my head "You only had one type of IPA? You didn't have a keg to replace it when it ran out?" Remembering the photo on Yelp take by the owner 9 months ago showing the fridge full of beer, I asked about that. The person points to the fridge next to the counter and says "We have a few beers." My jaw dropped...MGD, Modelo, & Pacifico (I don't count Clausthaler as beer, but it was between the wine and MGD). What happened to the fridge full of craft beer in the photo? I did get the Laughing Monk Coffee n cream ale. On their beer board they listed it as a blonde which made me wonder. I brew my own beer and I questioned how you have a blond with a creamy nitro coffee beer. I checked Laughing Monks website and as I thought its a regular ale. Hmmm, and you call yourself a beer garden... Food: Not bad, I had pulled pork sliders and jar of pickles. The winner was the pickled green beans, spicy enough to make my nose run and had good flavor. The regular pickle spears were so-so, nothing to get excited over and the the pickled carrots taste like how my dads car shop smells (the smell of oil change shop). I didn't finish the pickles or pickled carrots, and if you know me I love pickled anything. The pulled pork sliders weren't bad, I liked them. I did slather it with the spicy (not spicy) BBQ sauce, but not because I didn't like the flavor. I like extra saucy BBQ. The difference I found was regular BBQ sauce was sweeter than spicy BBQ sauce. I doubt I'll ever return. I'm not a huge BBQ fan, I truly went for the beer selection and there was no beer selection. You don't have to have tons of taps to be a beer garden (i.e. Westbrae Beer Garden in Berkeley), I do think you do need to have all types of beers on tap, at least 6-8 beers (I do not count kombucha or wine as beer taps), and at least one type of typical beers always on tap. Also, don't post an image of a fridge full of craft beer if it doesn't exist. If you have kids, dogs, and like BBQ than this place might be for you. read more

Way Station - Owners photo on yelp from 9 months ago. - Beer Gardens Near Me - Fairfax, California

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This place is truly amazing. Great music, awesome burgers, and a super duper chill vibe. A must-go to when in the area! Also, call and ask when they have live music! read more

Great environment, nice place to sit outside and grab a beer with a very solid beer selection. The bbq is also very good! I loved my pulled pork. Definitely will be back. The outdoor beer garden is also not too crowded and lots of comfortable place to sit. read more

Let's face it. I'm not feeling up to my normally detailed evisceration after having dinner here. The ribs were fall off the bone soft but had a weirdly unpleasant alkaline taste that our entire party commented on. And for a $30 rack, that's pretty damn disappointing. The Caesar salad was pretty heavy handed with anchovy flavor. The broccolini was just steamed, seemingly without any real effort to add flavor. Just salting it was a huge improvement. I dunno. I'm disappointed. Meh. read more

Horrible-just horrible. Got the burger. Asked for medium rare, it arrived a medium well. it had a brick of a bun that, though stale, was the biggest part of the whole thing. Dense, dry, sour and stale. The meat was like Burger King with lipstick; grilled but mediocre. I just don't get what this place is doing. Step up, people! read more

Loved the food & happy to support local restaurants. I do feel that $5. For a small piece of corn bread is way too expensive for an already pricey restaurant. I don't mind paying for the quality & this place has quality food. How about including a piece of corn bread with each entree instead of charging $5. Per piece? read more

One of my favorite places in town! Great live music, super cool staff, fun outdoor beer garden, awesome food, and very reasonably priced for BBQ, especially in Marin! The tacos are my fav and a great way to try all the smoked meats. Beer selection is always on point too! read more

The way station is amazing. I went to see a small band there last month and ended up loving the food!! I got a cider and the pulled pork sandwich and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!! I think I remember fries on the side too but they were not even comparable to the amazing sandwich. The staff was incredibly friendly as well! I have been craving this and want to go back soon! read more

Should be called "WayOverpriced". Completely average food, and terrible service. Avoid at all costs.

Had another lunch there today, this time a brisket plate (available on weekends, $18). Pretty much perfect brisket, juicy, tender, and flavorful with a right amount of smoke. BBQ lovers, check this place out for yourselves. read more

Way Station - Brisket Plate - Beer Gardens Near Me - Fairfax, California

Disappointed. Had always to try out this place as I love a good BBQ. Was super excited to partake in the school group fundraiser. Spent the afternoon calling but no one picked up, trying to order on the website but there was no availability for pickup, and couldn't find on DoorDash. Finally I dragged the family to the restaurant and after lining up, was told there was an hour wait for food. Yikes. Maybe next time but pretty disappointed that they aren't up to speed on 20th century technology. read more

Had there hot mess. That was the best thing I've ate in Fairfax on our two week vacation here from San Diego. Staff was friendly as well. Thanks guys read more

Went to way station a couple weeks ago for the first time and the quality of their food was great, the atmosphere was great and they even had live music playing. If you hadn't already, I'd recommend trying this place for quality bbq. read more

Good food, great beer and fun ambiance. The tacos are a killer deal and a must try but pretty much everything is on point. Super spot to hit after a local ride. read more

Great food, great service, great atmosphere and awesome time! If you ever in Fairfax, don't miss out this place! read more

Way Station - Beer Gardens Near Me - Fairfax, California

This place is amazing! From the cider to the bbq, it's stellar all around. Highly recommend the brisket and cherry cider. Thank you to the delicious recommendations and service from Allison behind the bar. read more

Had the brisket. No smoke ring. Tasted braised not bbqed. Came floating in liquid. Slaw unremarkable. Spicy bbq sauce thin, not spicy. Cornichion were good. Beer garden is nice but only benches , no table height chairs for back support. This isn't cord wood Oaktown bbq alla Flint's or Everett and Jones, but even with electric smokers and wood chips I've had much better read more

Terrible food, mac and cheese was tasteless and felt microwaved. The ambiance was nice but didn't make up for the bad food and even worse service. The lady working there was passive aggressive and made it apparent she didn't want to be there. The only redeeming quality was playing hot potato with the lava rocks in their fireplace. read more

I am updating my review b/c this establishment really needs to add items to the menu that are authentically fresh & that are priced fairly... $7 Empanadas +$1 for Chimi , $14 pre-made pizza, $7Pickles & $6 per slider (you know these are mini sandwiches...Other BBQ restaurants have a wide variety of items on their menu with plenty to choose from, here the menu is very limited & is not strong enough to hold up. This place has great potential but all it has going for it right now is the ambiance, that's it! Its been a while now & I've been expecting the menu & food to improve, but no luck. I do not recommend this place unless your looking for a beer & seat. read more

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These ribs were the worst I have ever eaten. I have lived and eaten some of the Best BBQ Ribs in Texas, Ark. and Tennessee, and frequently traveled to St. Louis to eat and enjoy well prepared slowly cooked BBQ Ribs. When Yelp gave the Way Station a 4 star for their ribs, I thought I would try them out. The rib meat was wet without texture & had no flavor, like it was boiled, then grilled quickly, and slapped with some bottled BBQ Sauce and warmed up in the microwave. read more

Fantastic service and live music! Outdoor beer garden with a fire pit. Sintax Imperial Peanut Butter Stout was amazing! read more

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1 star the food is tasteless I don't feel safe eating somewhere that used to be a gas station

This is an easy review to write... the ribs are down right awesome! We like the spicy sauce but the original is good too. Ribs, Caesar salad, cheese plate and beer were all good! If we had room we would have ordered the s'mores to roast on the open fire pit. The ambience was great too. Great place to enjoy the warm end of summer nights. Max came out and personally asked us how everything was as. Love it when the owner cares! Max, you're nailing it in our book! We'll be back! read more