This was a great place. Met with Kim Brown and showed us a number of beers. Great time recommending the different beers. Also great history lesson on the DC area. Will definitely come back. read more

This place was a great find for a quick lunch break! Located near the Washington Navy Yard, this bar has a wonderful atmosphere to it and is situated near the water. I regrettably did not get to try their beer, but I can speak to their delicious potato skins appetizer. They smother their thin potato skins in melted cheese, sour cream, green onions and jalapeños. What I loved about this dish is that unlike some restaurants which will serve thick potato wedges and call it "potato skins", these actually were thin stripped potato skins. I also ordered their Bluejacket Burger and was impressed with the flavor. Their arugula salad had a house dressing which I was not too fond of, but overall a really great meal! read more

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Blue Jacket is a great local brewery. In my opinion, they especially excel in the sours category. The staff and bartenders are great and knowledgeable. The food is top notch. My favorite dish is the scallops. For something more casual, I really enjoy the grilled cheese. For brunch, the salmon and pretzels. This is a great spot for more formal dining in the restaurant to meeting friends for drinks at the bar. read more

Bluejacket - Breweries Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I wish half stars was an option. I wanted to to a 3.5 star rating. Both my friend and I had the fried chicken sandwich with mumbo sauce; it was okay. The chicken was very tender and fried well. The fries has literally no taste at all. Not a hint of salt. Otherwise no complaints. Menu wasn't very diverse, but that's not always a bad thing. read more

We got the burgers which were good however, on my way to the bathroom I saw a rat running across the floor. I won't be going back.

I take trapeze classes in the Navy Yard area of SE DC near the baseball stadium. Recently, some friends joined me for a class, so, naturally, we wanted to grab a drink afterwards. In fact, we had a pretty big party of like eight people. I'd never been to Bluejacket down the street so we headed in that direction. Bluejacket is a huge bar with outside seating. They serve quite a bit of food as well. We were lucky to arrive right when a large party was leaving their outdoor spot and we snagged it quickly. I had just expected to have a glass of wine, but when the server offered a number of vegan options to me, I thought, "why not?" I started with the Seasonal Board, which had northern neck asparagus, tomatoes, spring onion, tomato confit, marinated wax beans and romesco sauce. The manager there was so helpful as he had a list of ingredients for like every item on the menu and he confirmed that the romesco was vegan. It was great! I also tried the Crispy Cauliflower, which turned out to be kind of soft cauliflower, but had great flavor. It was tossed with toasted almonds, fried capers, and golden raisins; hold the yogurt. So, for a quick bar meal, it was great. The dishes were $7-$8 and the wine was very nice. The servers were attentive and helpful and knew or could find out what was vegan. Great experience -- I'll be back again. read more

I ordered a grilled cheese it took an hour and when I made a comment it got a response of OK. The service was not okay and they took a drink that I was drinking while drinking read more

We were here on a Nats game day, so it filled up quickly. Service was a little slow on drinks, but the food was prompt. He four of us tried the bratwurst, a burger, and a couple of the Salads. All were ok, not great. The beer selection was good and we love the atmosphere. I would definitely return. read more

This review is for their beer only: I came here before a Nats game and met up with some friends for drinks. The beer they brew in house is not affordable, it was delicious on a hot day and really hit the spot! Needless to say the place was packed right before a game but our server did a great job making us feel special despite the large crowd. It is within walking distance to the stadium as well. I will definitely come back even on a non-day game to try out their food. read more

Neighborhood Restaurant Group has done it again. The guys and gals from ChurchKey and GBD opened a brewery and restaurant in SE DC, upping the ante for the growing number of DC breweries. Bluejacket beers started as collaborations with some major US breweries and were featured on the ChurchKey menu. Now they're brewing their own brews and collaborations in house and even have one of the collaborations available by the bottle in markets now. In addition to getting a nice tour of the facilities, you can try all 25 beers on tap (five of which are cask ales) now that the brewery has officially opened to the public. Unique might be the best word to describe the collective of Bluejacket's beers. Whether it's the creativity of ingredients, the different kinds of barrels used including wine and tequila, or the smorgasbord of collaborators, there's something for everyone. So far the Ingenue (German Gose with lavender) is my favorite. The menu's description "perfumed, clean and airy with delicate and quenching acidity" is spot on and the 4.3% ABV means I could drink it all day...or at least try. Of the 20 taps we tried (we'll have to go back for the casks) some other standouts were the Wake (dark and dry imperial stout) in all of it's dark glory and the Forbidden Planet (dry hopped Kolsch with Galaxy hops) which reminded me of summer. The Seersucker, though I'm not a fan of sour beers, also deserves a special mention as it would be the perfect sour for someone learning to appreciate the genre. The only beer of the 20 that I didn't like was the Stroppy pale ale. It seriously tasted like grass. I've got an element of hippie in me, but that was going too far for my tastes; I'll stick with that level of earthiness in my wines not my beers. The restaurant itself, formally named The Arsenal, has a full menu (including dessert menu!) and bar menu. Seating is upstairs, downstairs and outside and the upstairs area can even be rented out for special events -- though let's face it, any seating with Bluejacket beer will be special. The bar menu consists of some regular bar food (burger and fries) and non-typical versions (lamb-pork sausage burger) and other smaller plates. We had a couple of burgers and I preferred the normal burger; the fries were delish. The small bites we had from the actual menu were even better - the pork cheek with grits was absolutely amazing and the pig tails were mighty good too. For dessert there's an array of pies, ice creams and other goodies. Do not miss out on the espresso ice cream with fudge swirl. The Ceremony coffee (http://www.yelp.com/biz/ceremony-coffee-roasters-annapolis) in it is so strong that it even overpowered the Wake...definitely have this treat after you're done with your beers! Really the only unfortunate part about the restaurant is that the food takes up room in the belly that could otherwise be dedicated to beer. If nothing else, that guarantees many return trips! read more

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I think my friend and I hit the jackpot on our first trip to check out the new addition to the Navy Yard neighborhood. We arrived around 1030pm on a Wednesday. The place was busy, but not packed. (I've heard from others about long waits and it being absolutely MOBBED...) We got seated right away and had an AWESOME server who really took the time to talk to us, talk about some of the beers, and make suggestions. She was very knowledgeable but was also able to explain things to someone like myself. (I consider myself to be somewhat of a novice when it comes to beer. I like beer, but I don't know a TON about it... other than other beers I like, and ones I don't.) I ended up with 4 small pours. Our server also gave me a small taste of a cask beer since I mentioned I'd never tried one before during our chat about the menu. I cant speak for the food... we were just drinking this particular night... So yeah, I really enjoyed my experience at Bluejacket and it is somewhere I know I will visit again. The small pours make it less intimidating to try something new, and its nice to have a place where people are not pounding back beers at a feverish pace. Welcome to the neighborhood Bluejacket! Glad you are here! read more

Definitely the most anticipated opening in our neighborhood thusfar. We went last night and had a pretty excellent experience. We had a reservation for 8pm and were a little early. Went to the bar to get a beer, and surprisingly was served in under 5 minutes, despite a very large crowd hovering around the bar. The space is gorgeous, with very dim, intimate lighting attempting to compensate for how open and soaring the ceilings and floorplan are. Really cool how they architecturally designed both the brewery itself and the restaurant/bar space. Food: The fried pig tails we started with were a bit weird texturally, but the flavor was pretty good. The baby back ribs were excellent, with a tangy, vinegary sauce, and served over an equally tangy and vinegary german potato salad. I was initially worried, because the ribs felt tough when i cut them apart, but my worries were unfounded, as they weren't quite fall-off-the-bone, but were pretty close. My wife's juicy lucy burger and fries were also excellent. We ordered a cheese plate to round out the meal; each of the 3 was good, but the highlight was the homemade bread crackers they served with them. Really crispy and enhanced the flavor of the various cheeses. Beer (i.e., the important shit): Every beer I had was above average, which is a compliment for a brand new brewery, especially one with 20 drafts and 5 casks on their opening day! Highlights were the James and the Giant (peachy beer... shocker. Very high ABV, but didn't taste that high), Trouble (an excellent brown sour), and The Forager (a nice crisp saison). Tried probably 4 others, and they were also very good. They've set a very high bar for themselves, and I cannot wait to see what else they crank out in the coming months. I'm especially excited about the sours and lambics, and also about everything they plan to barrel-age. Those are styles you don't see most breweries touch with a 10-foot pole, and Bluejacket's all-in on them, which is exciting. Service: Surprisingly good for such a new joint. The beers took a little longer to arrive than you'd want, but for a new restaurant that was that crowded, that's somewhat expected. Server was friendly and knowledgeable. I think the food took a while, as we were there for about 2.5 hours, but we were enjoying ourselves so much, I didn't even notice. All in all, this place lived up to my expectations, which is saying something, because they were sky high, given all the hype around this place that did nothing but escalate through its numerous construction and permitting delays. Excellent job guys, you'll be seeing us a lot... probably more than you bargained for! read more

Bluejacket - A Love Story in Three Acts Act 1: Hype - You can't be a resident of Navy Yard and not spend months gleefully anticipating the launch of an original new restaurant/brewery in your back yard. If you're like me, you've been social media-stalking Bluejacket for a year and were ready to book it for your wedding venue before ever stepping foot in the place because staging romantic photos amid shiny vats of DC's newest local craft beers was sure to make you the darling of scores of hipster wedding bloggers and WashPo's Style section. "Love in the Time of Hops," the headlines would quip above a photo of me holding a bouquet of wheat and barley. (Ok, so I might have gotten a little carried away.) Act 2: Underwhelm - I showed up a few weeks after the opening and posted up in the bar area for a couple hours on a Friday night (we were lucky to find seats). It was clear from the harried hostess to the nervous wait staff to the frequently confused plate runners that Bluejacket hasn't quite hit its stride yet from a service standpoint. They've seen huge volume from Day 1 thanks to all the hype, and everyone we encountered seemed inexperienced and flustered by the full house. While we enjoyed our beers and bar snacks (in descending order of deliciousness: soft pretzels, pork rinds, tots, grilled cheese), I couldn't help feeling a little let down by the experience overall. Act 3: Redemption - Made a dinner reservation shortly after our bar night, and found the staff to be way more at ease on a Wednesday evening despite the still sizable crowd and what appeared to be a private event on the upper level. The cranberry-walnut bread with some sort of lavender-infused butter was unlike anything I've been served before, and the braised pork cheeks with creamy polenta were super yum. Less yum: the shaved Brussels sprouts (raw, oversalted) and Manfriend's veggie burger (yawn). What really made the whole dinner worthwhile was my sweet potato gnocchi with duck meatballs, a dish so sinfully good I quite literally had to take a moment after the first bite. Two scoops of malted milk chocolate and toasted marshmallow ice cream later and I was back to feeling thrilled that Bluejacket is in the neighborhood. Epilogue: Bluejacket is a brewery first and foremost, geared toward a clientele that gets hot and bothered by an extensively annotated draft list. For those like myself who can drink even the most uninspired Natty Boh without shame, tasty beers are just one of several compelling reasons to come back. With time and diminishing novelty I think the crazy crowds will taper off a bit and Bluejacket will settle into Navy Yard just fine. read more

I really wanted to like Bluejacket. The location and atmosphere reminded me of San Francisco's SOMA district (one of my favorite places for drinking and eating), so from the time I parked to the time I sat down to order, things were going great. From there, however, there wasn't much to impress. We stopped in around 3:30pm on a Friday for early happy hour, only to discover that we were visiting on the "break" between lunch and dinner and so our food options were limited, which was annoying. We ordered smothered fries and tater tots. The tots came out quickly and, while over-salted and not especially crispy, were at least available for us to eat and were reasonably satisfying. The fries.. never appeared. 30 minutes and several asks of our server later, we discovered they were held up in the kitchen because, and I quote, "Bluejacket is out of gravy". So someone probably should have told us, right? Why is the onus on us to discover the whereabouts of fries and gravy? Anyway, we were starving and they comped us some regular fries, which were also tasty - possibly because we were starving. So food was limited, service was distracted at best, somewhat negligent at worst, but at least we were outside, enjoying some drinks on a Friday in the sun, having a relaxing time, right? Sure, until the construction kicked into high gear. Nothing like kicking back and listening to jackhammers, the beeping sound of dump trucks reversing, and smelling the glorious scents of tar, concrete, and possibly garbage. In summary: Bluejacket has great potential, but disappoints in the execution. read more

We flew in from California to visit my friend and by the time we arrived late at night, he was here having food and drinks with some friends. We took a cab from DCA and caught a glimpse of post ballgame fireworks as we headed towards Bluejacket at Navy Yard. Place was packed both indoors and out, so my friend came outside to find us. Atmosphere is pretty hipstery with the dim-lighting and wood/metal interior design. Loved the vibe. Even better was the food. Brussels sprouts are a must-try. Super delish. Awesome beer menu. Went for a citrus IPA I haven't heard of and it was great, so I had another one. Our server came over several times to check up on us and take additional food orders. She brought us more drinks, and it wasn't a problem later on when we wanted just more water. Brought us more water even after we paid our bill. We hung out until closing, no rush from the server! Awesome! read more

I want to like this place since I am a local. Bad service, my veggie burger was cold, waitress came by twice--to take the order and drop off check. Disappointing, not worth the money or wait. Again, local, live in area: not coming back. read more

Scooped by the Washington Post again; damn you Tom Sietsema (shakes fist in the air)! In my book, this is another Neighborhood Restaurant Group score: it's a great adaptive re-use of a portion of the former boilermaker's shop at the Navy Yard. It's also a novel (for DC at least) idea: have an actual brewery (not brew-pub) on site making interesting mix of German, Belgian, British-style beers. The interior is fantastic and really soars, with the fermentation tanks above you. The bar itself seats 18 and there are plenty of communal tables and a few booths as well (there's also a separate dining area that has different hours than the bar). There's also a good sound system that, on my visits, was playing everything from Johnny Cash to the Clash. Now, the caveat is that not all of their beers will appeal to everyone, not even to beer snobs. Many of them are esoteric styles with little appeal outside certain circles, but given the 25 beers in production (five of which are cask ales), there's bound to be something here for everyone. Having been three times now, I've worked my way through most of the beer offerings (although they are constantly changing). The star, in my mind, was the Butcher, a double dunkel heffweizen. Others standouts included the Harlow Belgian style strong blond ale, and Trouble Ouid Bruin sour ale (yes, I am a fan of the Belgian-style beers). Where I do agree with Sietsema on the food: as as Churchkey, it doesn't really live up to the space or beers. I did enjoy my shrimp burger, the pork rinds with five-spice powder and crab-roe deviled eggs, but a lot of the rest of the menu seemed uninspired. My biggest complaint though: it seems to be a victim of its own success. There were no seats at the bar on a Thursday at 4:15pm! Overall, a great place for a beer at the bar with a few nibbles (assuming you can find a seat), if nothing more than to enjoy the space and treat yourself to a beer adventure. read more

A long time coming, I finally have visited Bluejacket enough to write a good review. I first visited a few weeks after opening, then a year in, and now...now. I am not a beer aficionado, I am a lover of space and spirits, and I LOVE Bluejacket's food. If it's not too busy, request to be seated upstairs so you can admire the scale of this place. Straight out of a Milwaukee (or your choice Midwestern) Brewery, this space is vast with tons of vats of beer (and spirits) being made. I spotted some 1/8 Distillery barrels up in the rafters, and I'm excited to see this place rooted in the local food culture. It's quieter than downstairs, and it's a great place to catch up with another group of friends. The Grub: Loaded Potato Skins ($8): A+ Every time I've come, I haven't been able to resist this unbelievable mash up. These aren't like Joe2's famous traditional skins up in Baltimore, they are diced up which is unique. Loaded with thick chunks of crispy potato, thick bacon, sauces galore, and everything else you would expect, these surpass your taste cravings and ascend into a whole new level. Arugula Salad ($7): B Solid B for this one, and what makes this one special is the lemon herb vinaigrette. The herb combo: superb. Falafel Burger ($14): A- Wow, what is this giant gorgeousness? HUGE patties of Falafel, all the toppings on the menu, and pairs perfectly with their crispy potatoes. It's different in the best way. If you like a big restaurant, a lot of energy, and great food then it's worth a trip down to the Capital Waterfront just for Bluejacket. read more

Went to this place while I was on vacation in D.C. Went to this place on a Saturday night. Heard about this place from coworkers. It was pretty busy when we got there. We noticed there was a pretty big patio and it would be awesome to sit there in the summer. When we walked in we noticed there was a tiny room just for having the beer and tasting the beer. Then the the dining room and bar area. We found seats in the bar area at a community table. We don't mind sitting at tables like this. Our server was Kevin. And this guy was awesome! He was very attentive and very smart about all the beers. There is a huge selection of beers. If you can't find something you like then you don't like beer. This brewery was great. With the brewing equipment up in the rafters. It was pretty cool. We had a bunch of samples of beers. They were great! I will return here every time I come to D.C. And tell all my friends who come here. Cheers! read more

From the outset, I want to be clear - this review applies simply to the 'The Arsenal' component of bluejacket - aka the food, which unfortunately was underwhelming to put it charitably. We recently ate there for brunch which featured thoroughly blah, bland, and below average cuisine - from the presentation, to the taste, to price (which really at any point would be way to high for the terrible presentation and taste). Unfortunately, I had been warned by Tom Sietsema's review which made it clear that one should come for the beer and stay for the beer to the exclusion of the food. Suffice to say, Sietsema was on point. If you want beer, Bluejacket is great. But if you want a delicious meal? Steer clear. read more

Have previously had good experiences. I will not publicly go into detail as to not embarrass the person we had such a terrible encounter with-but it was incredibly inappropriate. Essentially we were told we HAD to order entrees if we were going to sit anywhere other than the bar. Since we just wanted drinks, we took our business to District Winery where they were so friendly and accommodating. There are so many options in the area-I have no problems not going back to Blue Jacket. read more

Baseball season or not, Bluejacket's existence is a great excuse to come check out this rapidly-changing part of DC. If Bluejacket is any indication, this area is definitely on the upswing, whether or not the Nats are in-town or in-season. I didn't come here as a result of baseball, but rather as a part of a friend's 30th birthday DC brewery crawl. Starting at Bluejacket definitely set the bar high, and we didn't even get to experience their promising-looking food. The biggest selling points for me on Bluejacket were the ample parking close-in to the bar itself, the awesome multistory, open and spacious atmosphere, and the friendliness and helpfulness of the bar staff. They're clearly passionate about their brews, and eager to share the whys and hows of what makes each particular beer great. Having the tanks/fermenters/brewing accountrements all visible add to the overall appeal and experience of Bluejacket. There's a large bar area for seating, or you can distance yourself at numerous standing-room family-style tables or booth seating. If you're there for the dining-in experience alone, the restaurant seating at the front-of-house is far enough removed from the hustle-and-bustle of the bar area, but not in a way that feels segregated from the holistic experience that defines Bluejacket's existence as a converted warehouse-to-brew house. Even though the space is large and airy, it's not too noisy in here, so it's great for people like me who enjoy a HH/bar atmosphere experience but still want to enjoy the company by whom I'm surrounded without yelling to be heard or pretending like I can hear what's being said. I was really amused by all of their creative and equally-creatively named beers, from the Moby Grape to the Mexican Radio, and intrigued by their Authentic Cask Ales, such as "The Fix," with coffee and vanilla beans in the cask. Personally, I had a chance to try and enjoy their "Forbidden Planet" Koelsch beer, and for only $2 for a healthy sample taste, I wasn't hesitate to fork over $6 for a full pour. Delicious and refreshing! Same with the uber-unique "Mexican Radio" spiced sweet stout for "dessert." PS - it looks like they have an awesome brunch menu, if the online listing is any indication. I need to check this place out and make the haul to SE DC for some brunch noms... http://bluejacketdc.com/documents/BjacketBrunch07.27.14.pdf read more

The home of the DC's most pathetic bread roll In the spirit of fairness I write this review with the lens that this place is a craft brewery restaurant for hipsters. I don't like craft beer and I am certainly not a hipster so this place was always going to be behind the get-go for the purposes of this review. I also need to point out that this place is joined to Buzz Bakery and I gave them a scathing review this weekend. So let me talk about the bar before I talk about my experience. Well this place is hipster heaven. No bottled beer, ridiculously limited liquor selection, only beer is craft beer on tap. I get the market that this place is trying to appeal to, but why slap multiple flat screens above the bar playing ESPN? I am no gospel on what appeals to the hipster crowd but they did not seem to fit in with the ambience at all. Like my review for the Buzz Bakery adjoining the restaurant, this place should be what it tries to be but don't be what it is not. This place is not a sports bar so why try to be one? Anyway I have to say that I have to say that I had a dreadful experience here this evening. I was told I would have to wait 40 minutes for a table. It was over an hour. I got a text message that my table was ready (cool feature BTW) but when I went to the host stand I was made to wait another 10 minutes. I totally get these problems; the place is a week old. I figured I would that I may experience some teething problems but it was the food and the service that let me down. The menu has some variety but it is a little limited. It also read like a series of inconvenient marriages. Perhaps I am stuck in my ways but it should be chicken alfredo not pork belly alfredo. It seemed like every plate I was comfortable with was paired with a meat I was not comfortable with (lamb, cow's heart etc). After placing my order I was greeted by the world's most pathetic bread roll. I am not kidding these things were the size of golf balls. The people at the table next to me were just getting seated as these were being served and they were laughing as they sat down. Verbatim the quote from the lady was "honey are you really sure you want to eat here"....I wish I would have taken her advice. I felt like the chef was giving me the middle finger for being hungry. Anyways I order the garlic sausage for appetizer. What I was presented was 3 cold mini wieners in glass. I'm sorry but there was no mention on the menu as to these being served cold. I can't stand cold meat and barely touched the sausages. I told my server that these were not as described on the menu and returned them. What really ticked me off was that there was no concern on my server's part. No "can I get you something else" no "I am sorry" just "ok your main meal will be out in a little while." I am sorry but it's not OK and what's worse is I was charged for the menu's ambiguity. I am not the sort of person that goes to a restaurant and kicks up a fuss for a freebie but a simple apology would have been nice. Anyway my main meal was the half chicken. I actually joked with my server when I placed the order as this place is 2 doors down from Nando's Peri Peri and I had asked if the food was as good as its neighbor. I was assured otherwise but all I need to say about Bluejacket is that the chicken is twice the price and half the food. Don't get me wrong the chicken was nice but it sure was one hell of a small one. Perhaps this is because I was starving due to my Tim-Bit sized bread roll and starter course fail however I finished my meal and felt like it was an appetizer (the first thing I did before I wrote this review was wolf down a peanut butter and jelly sandwich). Overall, a very disappointing experience. I'm a block away but probably will never return. read more

We went to dinner on Thursday night and the place was packed. I really wanted to give the restaurant 5 stars. First the positives: Service was top notch in bar and restaurant (5 stars)....hats off to the management and employees. The atmosphere is one of the coolest bars we have been to and its a HUGE space for DC. The restaurant and bar are in the middle of the brewery which surrounds. Its a must see Large brewery selection. Now the negatives which all associated with the menu and restaurant food: The menu is a bit odd for the location....it does not seem to match for a brewery. It appears the chef is going for a 5 star type "unique" menu. Its relatively high priced. I guess they have two menus one for the bar and one for the restaurant but you cant order the bar menu when sitting in the restaurant. Chicken was incredibly dry...awful..one star (remember Mom's overcooked oven baked chicken?) Meat spread appetizer was bad....little taste and bad assortment of meats (and very small portion), the sausage had NO flavor. Sides of macaroni and cheese...very small plate and nothing special in taste...$6.00 for mac cheese which was three scoops....really? And was topped with graham crackers (I think) to add crunch and texture.....strange mix. Brussel sprouts was "shaved" and diced...similar to cole slaw...didn't taste like it was cook...awful. Lamb was ok...but covered in an overwhelming gravy. Short ribs were dry and tough (doubtful they were slow cooked for 18 hours..) Burger and fries...was average...very dry bun. Wine list is small and incredibly overpriced for the quality. $40 dollars for the cheapest bottle....no Napa or Sonoma wines? If your wine list is going to approach $70 and $80 a bottle....it should have the best US areas on it. Is a Virginia Red really worth $70 a bottle? Suggestion...combine the bar and restaurant menus. A Five star restaurant meets a brewery...I think is the idea....but it doesn't work. Take a look at the Chop House menu....maybe that's closer to what your looking for. Brewery is five star and we will be back to try the bar food and beers again...... restaurant will not get a return from the 4 of us....$400 bill (including tip)....if it wasn't for the service...this would have been 1 Star.. read more

I am really surprised at some of the low ratings of this brewpub! My boyfriend and I are craft beer lovers and came here for the beer with high expectations. Not only were they met, but our service (at the bar) was exceptional. For some context, we came here around 12:30pm on a Wednesday, and it was not crowded at all. There were maybe one or two patrons at the bar aside from us at any given point in time. The atmosphere is beautiful, modern, unique, and -- in my opinion -- perfect for a brewery/brew pub. Sitting at the bar, you face the bright tanks and are surrounded with an intense aroma of brewing (home brewers will recognize this immediately). High ceilings, tons of sunlight, and obvious attention to aesthetic detail make this a pleasant place to hang out. We tried tasters of around ~10 beers. Overall we thought they were excellent, especially for a brand new microbrewery. Being the hopheads we are, we loved pretty much all of the regular and imperial IPAs we tried -- the Lost Weekend, The Duel, 9 Pound Hammer, and the cask versions of Right Hand Man and Bird of Prey. My boyfriend thought the Right Hand Man was the best beer he tried, though I personally preferred Bird of Prey to it. Our least favorite was probably the Redhead (on cask -- apparently it's quite different on tap). We also branched out, with some helpful prompting from the bartenders, to try some other more experimental styles of beer... I will say that I have never liked a Kolsch until I tried Bluejacket's Forbidden Planet. It had the most incredible hop aroma (for a Kolsch). I would definitely order a glass of this if I were in the mood for a refreshing beer! The Expat and Cashmere were also great beers for their styles. And perhaps the most impressive beer of all was the Mexican Radio, a Mole-inspired stout. It seemed to be perfectly executed, with great chocolate and spice flavors but not too sweet, not too heavy, not overbearing. That is hard to pull off! We ordered two food-things, their Bluejacket Double burger and the pickled sausages. The burger was decent -- the highlight of it is the house-made pickles, and unfortunately I don't love pickles -- but not worth $14. We had never had pickled sausages before and, unfortunately, didn't love them as a general food (not judging the brewery's rendition of them). The texture reminded us too much of raw sausage and we couldn't get over it, even though the flavor was delicious and very garlicky. The bartenders were kind enough to take it off our bill, though, since we barely ate any. Overall, I'd give this 5 stars for beer and 3 stars for food. The service we received was outstanding. A few comments about other reviews of this place, which are pretty misleading: -- Root beer is not beer. Don't go to a brewery if you're not interested in drinking beer. -- They do, in fact, brew all of their own beers. Maybe once they start giving tours, the naysayers will be swayed. read more

The owners of this place could have three stars lookin at four, if they: - replace the few snobby beers on the menu that are absolutely unbearable to 99% of humanity - reduce the annoying number of different workers who come by your table to take away a fork, or refill your water... a waiter and a water server is all you need - get rid of the medium-well-minimum requirement if you order a burger, and... - therefore replace the kitchen staff who cannot cook a burger - make it a policy to ask you if you want dessert, before bringing out the dessert menus - April through September, find a way to keep the drunk Nats stadium mob away, or under control (only a foreseen need, here as of January 2014) - put lights over the bathroom stalls, including the stand-ups. This is a bit TMI... but when nature calls who wants to be fumbling around in the dark? Otherwise, Bluejacket is in a cool location and has a good interior look, atmosphere, and noise level. read more

Great service, large number of drinks (like 20 different beers), and a beautiful space are the highlights of this venue. The bar area is really hopping, too! With giant windows surrounding you at a bar nestled among brewing equipment, you can really enjoy your time at this bar. The patrons are the usual assortment of Navy Yard and DOT consultants, lawyers, area residents, and beer afficianados. We enjoyed about 8 different types of beers. Some are a bit gimmicky, but that's what people who are into microbrews enjoy. If you want a boring old beer, just get the IPA. Many of the beers are sweet flavored. I enjoyed the ales. And btw, the beers listed often have two different brew methods, so there are more than are even listed on the exhaustive menu! We just got appetizers. Tatertots were awesome. Fries were awesome. Chicken wings were gross and almost undercooked, but they did have a spicy sauce which was awesome. I will definitely be back and this is my new go-to spot in the 'hood. Totally worth a trip across town, and not only to avoid the lameness that has become 14th Street. This area feels sophisticated and cool, and Bluejacket is no exception. High recommend. read more

Having been.... well, let's just say "subjected" to Gordon Biersch the night before by work colleagues, I was eager to taste some proper beer from a proper brewery. So nipped around the corner to Bluejacket, and plopped my arse on a stool. Okay, bartenders took a while to take care of my order, but it was a bit busy, to be fair. So let's just focus on the beer... And it was bloody good! Partook of the Bird of Prey (decent), Mexican Radio (excellent) and the casked Mexican Radio (ermagherd!!). Enjoyed them so much, met up with friends here a couple nights later for dinner... ...which was also tasty. A bit heavy on the use of off-cuts, like heart, cheeks, tail, and others, but all good. Definitely recommend the pretzels, they were excellent to munch on with a brew while waiting for dinner. Service for dinner was quick, friendly, and helpful. Can't fault them there. The bottom line? If you're reading this and waiting for a table at Gordon Biersch before a Nats game? Run. Run now. Just down the block... head in here. You won't be sorry! read more

Beer - GOOD However, when you drink, you probably want food. And, what would make it better, is if you didn't wait 45 minutes for your beers/food. Menu - Strange. Another reviewer described the restaurant as undecided if it's headed for maturity or bar menu. Close - I think it's eclectic, with potential, and crappy execution. As a guest of a birthday party here I can say that NO ONE enjoyed their food. Tots: bland. Veggie burger: bad. Chickpeas: Deep fried = tasteless. Double Burger: for the price, McD's could have been more satisfying in terms of flavor. Gnocchi: bland. Enchiladas: Salty. Service on the patio was just awful. I've been a waitress at a tourist trap and a smile goes a long way. Or a polite explanation that you're swamped. Waiting for water, when they simply could have given us a pitcher, is appalling. Or, when you ask for your drink a 2nd/3rd time, they don't offer an apology; sorry girl friend, my opinion was reflected in my tip. Don't sit on the patio if you don't like smelling like a campfire; the restaurant has split the menu between Bar (outside, campfire style) and Dining room (we were told we'd have a better experience inside). Disappointing really, that the outside patrons who want to enjoy the spring weather are 2nd class at their facility. I did mention all of this to the manager who said: 1. We don't read Yelp (well bud, your future patrons do - pretty arrogant statement, IMO.) 2. Did you try the tartare? (We tried a LOT of food with hopes that something wasn't nasty). 3. Here's my card, email me next time you're coming in (if you think I'm dragging myself from Rockville to SE DC for this again, you are sorely mistaken). read more

SERVICE: Received menus and water quickly. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. FOOD: Deviled Eggs - clearly the chef has never had them before. They were pathetic. A hard boiled egg, cut in half, with mustards seeds on top. Resist the urge. Pot of pickles - not a pot and no pickles. A dish of pickled vegetables. Weird. Blue Jacket burger - two hockey pucks on a bun and way too much pepper. Oddly, came with a pickle. Fries were good. Five Guys is just up the street if you want a burger. Mac & Cheese - tasted powdery. Did it come from a box? A strange cheese and what is that brown stuff on top? Gross. Summer Salad - best described as gritty. Umm. No. AMBIENCE: Sat outside. Uneven, wobbly table, music way too loud. PRICE: $44 for the above plus tip. read more

What a disappointing place. Other than a friendly helpful staff. Food was fair at best and beer was warm.

We all know Bluejacket is literally dripping with cool; it's a hipster paradise. Some people love that, lots of people love to hate on that, but it is what it is. Saturday night it was jam packed. In fact, le bf and I came a week before (mix up with the reservations) and they actually couldn't even seat us. We arrived at 9 and they said, we MIGHT be able to seat you for dinner, IF someone cancels...So do yourself a favor and make a reservation. For dinner, we ordered the mac and cheese appetizer and I ordered the short rib, le bf ordered the winter panzenella salad. The mac and cheese was disappointing. Gemelli pasta with a thin cheese sauce. I much prefer a casserole type mac and cheese, but realize that's a personal preference. My short rib was fall apart tender and had a great depth of meaty flavor. The spaetzle was a little mustardy for my taste, and I didn't care for the turnips; they were a little hard. We tried three scoops of ice cream, and their offerings were surprisingly large. We had toasted marshmallow, pistachio, and espresso fudge swirl and all three were perfect. Creamy, sweet, tasted genuinely of the named flavor...I'm not sure if they're doing these in house or not, but they were all knockouts. For lunch a few weeks later my friends and I started with the five spice pork rinds. They were definitely fresh, and delightfully crispy, but I didn't really get any of the five spice which was a let down. I ordered the veggie burger this time, and the fries were ultra crisy and addictive. The veggie burger had a nice texture (it wasn't dry at all like many veg burgers can be) but it was also a little bland. It would've been perfect with a hefty dose of cumin or something equivant. In both seatings, we had impeccable service. I say this as a former server, literally impeccable. There was a slight mix up with le bf's salad, and they handled it brilliantly. They let us keep the mistake salad to nosh on while they rushed out the right one, two people apologized to us, and we were given free dessert. At lunch, my friends and I lingered for quite awhile and the server continued to be attentive without rushing us, and both women who waited on us were gracious and friendly. The friends and I took the free tour at 11, and I have to say it was the most informational tour I've ever been on. The gentleman who designed the whole brewery gave the tour, and he was super knowledgeable. You also get a free taste after of your pick off the menu. We stuck around for our lunch reservation and tasted at least 8 beers. As a dark beer lover, the Mexican Radio was my favorite of all. But none of the beers were disappointing. Some weren't my favorite beer of all time, but they were all complex, interesting, and tasty. And it's worth noting in the cash pit that is DC dining, that you can order a tasting size of ANY of their 30 or so beers for $2-$3. It really makes trying their offerings incredibly approachable, which I just found so lovely. Overall, a lot of the food I had was just ok, my experiences with the service were great, and the beer was outstanding. I'd recommend coming for the beer, not so much for dinner. read more

They are just going to need to get better all around. I've been back 3 times since our first visit, and i have yet to be really impressed. Each time we stop in it always feels like they are understaffed and have a significant crowd at the bar. We came by during the baseball game on the 4th and they were once again just not enough staff there to handle the amount of people coming from the Nationals Game or for the World Cup. The bar gets packed pretty quickly and having a bouncer outside at 1:30pm is slight overkill. That doesn't really offer a great first impression when you are walking in either. We just wanted to grab a few appetizers and a couple of beers, but waiting 45 minutes for a table in the middle of the afternoon is not going to cut it. I hope they do improve because Southwest needs more spots like BlueJacket. read more

The positive review is for the design and layout, plus awesome location. Our server was a prick and my food was good, but not great. I gave most of it to my friend's dog. The end. read more

Been here a couple times already for take out, however, yesterday I had to wait about 20+ min for a $19 pomegranate glazed short rib. After the long wait this is what I received. Not worth the price. read more

Came here for beers and snacks with some friends on a Tuesday after work. Had no problem getting seats at the bar, though it was starting to fill up by 5:30 or 6. Emptied out around the bar again at 8 or so. I've been so excited to finally get to Bluejacket and try it out! It definitely lived up to my expectations. Unlike other reviewers, I actually do not care for Rustico or ChurchKey very much (I know I'm in the minority) so I was a little apprehensive. The bartender at Bluejacket was wonderful though! No talking down to us, no snobbish attitude, none of the things that make me avoid those other places. The only food I got to try were the tater tots - which were great but overpriced for such a small portion. I'm one of those people who loves almost all beer so as soon as I discovered the 4oz taster pours for $2-3 (one was $4 but I didn't order it) I was on a mission to try as much as I could. Total, I tried in no particular order (and some of these were just a sip of a friend's): The Fix on cask (amazing!), Forbidden Planet, The Stroppy, Lost Weekend, 9 Pound Hammer, The Expat, The Redhead, The Duel, and the Mexican Radio (the best). I have reservations for a couple weeks from now to come back for dinner, so if this changes I'll update then! Until then, I highly recommend visiting for the beer at least. And if Sam is bartending you're in good hands! (I'm not sure it's fair to knock them down a star for not brewing their own root beer - while some breweries do, most don't. Also for another previous reviewer, Blue Moon is nowhere near my favorite beer, and I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable on beer. I promise that this is not an InBev run place.) read more

If I could only give one star for the crappy service. We will call him Ike. Ike was a crap sever from the get go. Being a sever I really wanted to give him a chance, but he was really just inattentive and awful. He was friendly as the start but so slow to take orders and once he did, we rarely got them. We were hanging out with a large group of people, many of which are acquaintances. Ike closed out everyone and left me and one other with a $400 tab. We talked to him for a bit and agreed to cover it. I guess he was not satisfied with my signature and proceeded to question me on it, accusing me of having a messy signature so I could later challenge the charge. I've never been so insulted by a waiter. read more

This is really something like a 3.5 star experience. Bluejacket is a solid place but it definitely suffers from having been hyped so hard (didn't WaPo say it was the most expensive restaurant ever built in DC?) and not being able to live up to its impossible expectations. That all I said, I DO endorse taking a trip here and do frequent it fairly regularly. Here's a quick rundown of random thoughts: * The beers are all over the map. I've had some I really liked (Mexican Radio) and some that I really didn't. That's the fun of it all, though, so go in with an open mind and be willing to try things. * It's a good place to watch NFL. They have a decent amount of TVs without it feeling like a total sports bar scene. * The bar bites and basic food is pretty solid, with the standout being the baked to order pretzels, the different cheese fry varietals, and their wings (which are some of my favorite in the city). The entrees, on the other hand, leave a little bit to be desired and I find vary dish-by-dish. I had hoped in the yearish this place has been open that it'd improve, but the consistency has stayed about the same. * Service is spotty. I've had some awesome bartenders here, some so-so bartenders, and some so-so servers in both the "Arsenal" dining room and the bar area. Not surprisingly, this is also the case at sister gastropub Churchkey across town. * Good place for groups; they have large booths and large pub-height tables in the bar area. * Avoid like the plague during Nationals games. Even though the grill outside smells really good. * Disregard any reviews that say "I went here before a Nationals..." or "I went here after a Nats..." You just can't evaluate a bar after two thousand drunk people descend on it. Of course it sucks then; everything sucks then. read more

I have been waiting for Bluejacket to open for months now and if you only read the first sentence of this review, know that it was worth the wait. Every single minute of it. I have to say, I was a little turned off when I called for a reservation and was told that the only available time was 10:15 PM and they had a line out the door for the bar. Ugh, I thought.....why do fun and new things get popular and too cool (read annoyingly overcrowded), so fast in this city? I sucked it up and made the reservation. Best decision I have made in a very long time. The space is unlike anything that exists in DC. Such huge ceilings with a very classic brewery feel that I have been missing. I miss being able to go to Stone, and although Bluejacket is missing the gorgeous outside beer garden, the inside is of California quality. There is a lot of space, which I always appreciate and huge windows...I bet it is gorgeous during the day! I also have a feeling that it will be pretty full in Bluejacket's near future...especially during baseball season. For beer, I went with small pours so I could try as much as I could handle...I tried James and The Giant, Bombshell, Forbidden Planet, Right Hand Man, Figure 8 and Bird of Prey. They were all unique but the Bird of Prey on Cask was so delicious...a ridiculously good IPA. I usually prefer West Coast IPAs but Bluejacket got the balance between bitter and crisp just right. For food, I went on the side of quasi instead of vegetarian and had the sweet potato gnocchi with duck meatballs. I had absolutely no guilt for this meat dish. It was fabulous...although I shared it so was hungry afterwards, as it isn't huge. I also went for the brussels sprouts. They were shredded which I hadn't expected...good...but not quite what I wanted. My server was great. She was so attentive, despite the fact that things were new and a little chaotic around her. She made us feel very well taken of and made us eager to come back. Also, I have to say that I LOVE the fact the head brewer is a woman. Megan Parisi you are a bad ass and make some seriously delicious beer!!!!!! Bluejacket, thank you for living up to and exceeding my expectations. read more

Awesome! The beers are really really good. They don't have happy hour but you can get tasting sizes of the beers so it's like a 2 or 3 for 1. The food is great but why wouldn't it when it comes from the church key/birch barley/GBD family. They even carried over the frankenbutter for fries and wings. You really can put that $&@/ on everything. If you have a hard time getting a reservation, the bar area has ample seating. It's definitely worth the trip! There is limited street parking so metro or uber are best. read more