Honor Brewing Kitchen - Fairfax — Restaurant in Virginia

I visited on a Wednesday evening to try one of the newer places in the neighborhood. The layout inside looks visually appealing with well-spaced and predictably newer seats and tables and a number of TVs over the bar and other seating areas. I ate at the bar which had a few patrons mainly on the opposite side of where I sat. A barkeep greeted me after a few minutes and gave me a menu. I was prepared to order by QR code based on other reviews I read, but I was pleased to be able to place my food order in a conventional way too. Service became increasingly interactive and engaging over the evening, especially when another barkeep took over my tab. The music inside seemed a tad loud for me, as I struggled to hear what another patron was saying to me just three seats to my left.

I ended up starting with the pulled pork sandwich with substituted sides of hush puppies and brussel sprouts instead of fries and slaw on top. Food arrived relatively quickly and felt warm overall. The sandwich seemed over sauced to me and reminded me more of a sloppy joe flavor, as I had trouble tasting pork instead of the sauce. The brussel sprouts also had a little too much glaze for me but had a good texture and cook all the same. The hush puppies tasted novel in a good way, as I was pleasantly surprised by the cheese inside (probably should be noted on the menu). The exteriors were crisp and the insides relatively light and airy. I then ordered chicken tenders with the standard sides of fries and coleslaw. A mixup in taking my order which resulted in an additional side of coleslaw along with the regular small portion which would have been fine for me. The tenders were a highlight of my meal. Three tenders definitely constituted a main dish portion. The coating was light, crisp, and flaky, and the chicken itself was still moist inside. The fries were warm and tasted fine. The coleslaw in the smaller portion was slightly overdressed for my taste, a trait amplified in the larger portion. The texture of the cabbage would have been better if not for this trait. Lastly the molten chocolate cake had a molten center that I wish were a little bigger if possible. The cake itself was baked reasonably well and had good chocolate flavor. The garnish sauces not only looked good for presentation but also had interesting flavor to go with the cake. Overall not a bad way to end my meal at all.

The total for my three part meal totaled around $52 excluding tax and tip (I think I missed reminding the barkeep how she offered to take the $6 charge for the extra coleslaw off the bill). I could see how this place would be good to watch a game or unwind after a work day or week. I could be tempted to return in the future and try another sandwich or two or even a main...

My good friends and I went there for dinner on Nov 12, 2022 before we went to a concert. What was suppose to be a fun time, turned quickly into a disappointing night. We got there and the host was very pleasant and accommodated our request to sit outside. To be honest, the host was the only reason why I gave our experience 2 stars besides 1. When we got outside we waited at least 5 min for someone to come and greet us. There was another lady out there that was working but she did not say anything to us. Once I was about to ask for someone, a man came up and greeted us with water. This was great but he did not bring straws. Still not a big problem. He proceeded to take our order since we told him we were in a hurry. He walked away afterwards but then came back 1 min later and said he needed a card to hold a tab open. My friends and I question this because it was 6:30pm and we did not order alcohol beverages and only had water. We asked why and he said this was policy. I asked where was this posted and he said he didn't know but it was policy. Later on I asked about this policy to the host, because I did not see this posted anywhere. She said she did not think it was a policy but will get the manager. I talked with the manager, and her response was that they leave this option to the discretion of the servers! My friends and I are Africa American woman and were the only ones in the restaurant. We noticed that other tables coming in were not getting asked to start a tab. I told the manager that this was not a policy they should follow and gives permission for their staff to discriminate their customers. She said she will have a meeting with her staff and discuss this rule. It's not right and quite frankly, they are really lucky I had a concert that we had to get to because we were running late. This "policy" was not even in writing. I asked for it, but they could not provide it to me. This establishment needs to do way more training to their whole management and wait staff. This whole experience was disappointing and I felt extremely disrespected. I would not recommend anyone to go there until this "policy" is resolved and we hold this company responsible for their actions. In order to make sure this company is held responsible, I will spread the word, on their so...

As someone who once regularly recommended Honor Brewing Kitchen for their salads and steaks, my experience on July 9th, 2024, forced me to reconsider my relationship with this establishment.

While dining with a friend visiting from NYC for lunch, she discovered concerning foreign particles throughout her slider—hard, plastic-like fragments that couldn't be ignored. What followed was deeply disappointing:

What followed was particularly troubling: The manager not only refused to document this legitimate safety concern but created an intimidating atmosphere directed at two female customers. He dismissively insisted the particles were "just salt," then proceeded to pour salt on our table and repeatedly slam his fist down with excessive force to crush the evidence—a display of physical intimidation that left us feeling uncomfortable and powerless. His aggressive behavior seemed calculated to silence our concerns rather than address a potential safety issue.

Our server, to her credit, showed genuine concern and even apologized discretely as we left—a stark contrast to management's approach.

This experience highlights a troubling disconnect between Honor Brewing Kitchen's reputation and its crisis management practices. In our community, we rightfully expect restaurants to take food safety concerns seriously, handle issues with professionalism rather than defensiveness, and prioritize customer wellbeing over deflecting accountability.

I've hesitated for months to share this experience publicly—the manager's intimidation tactics were effective, leaving me questioning whether speaking up would lead to further confrontation or dismissal. However, I cannot remain silent, knowing that other community members, particularly women, might face...