We popped in on a Saturday evening, a little before 6 to find the place a little busy. Love the parking behind the restaurant but big truck owners might not like the alley entrance and exit so much. They seemed a little short-handed when we arrived with one waitress covering about 7 or eight tables and manning the bar. She was awesome and had a great attitude as she hustled to serve guests. She got reinforcements which helped a lot. My wife and I each had the Sojourn Dwell IPA and it was out of this world. For food, we had not one but two portions of the house made pickles because they are so darn good! We also had the pancake which my wife loved but I thought was so-so. The pork belly bao was delicious! We also shared an order of the Three-Cup Sauce wings. They were sweet and well-cooked. The place has a very minimalist vibe with excellent music playing while we were there. It's not everyday you get "You're The Best" from Karate Kid playing in the background! It got VERY crowded around 6:30 when a bunch of people all showed up at the same time and it got pretty loud too, mostly due to a big group of mildly drunk people standing in the bar area. It made it hard to hear but really wasn't that bad. The bill seemed about right for hearty dishes and a couples of beers each. We will DEFINITELY come back! read more

tldr; if you like bars and you like Taiwanese bites. this place is an absolute vibe. I told my wife I want bar food and I haven't had any in months. Decided on this little spot in Fairfax town center after having a quick weekend day trip to DC. Really pleasantly surprised with the whole atmosphere of the place. It's a true fusion of asian bites but still a legitimate dive bar. The space is small, patrons are merry, and the whole place is an absolute vibe. I ordered some pilsner and some other lager on tap from local breweeies. Delicious. Ordered popcorn chicken, pork belly, and some 'real food' - a quick rice bowl with chicken. The fried bites were wonderfully crispy. They have good oil management and felt quite light especially with a swig of a cold lager. The rice bowl was tasty too. Construction was indeed very Taiwanese, and yet... I still felt like I'm in a dive bar complete with all its grunge. So cool They sell 4/6 packs of craft brews here too. They've got stuff all the way up from some Vermont and Maine (true craft beer land IMO) read more

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Great beer and very good bar food. I recommend this place is you're a beer snob like me .

The service was great. Very sweet gal and very attentive shall I add. The food was alright, not bad, not great. You can make the food at home if not better, but it's cute. The ambiance was very chill Asian bar but catered to Americans more than the Asian palate. read more

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Cool little taproom that serves Asian Fusion food. Although we did not get food, the smell of the food was great. The beers were ordered were also amazing. Service was friendly and the restaurant as clean. Free parking in the back. read more

Was surprised to find this hidden gem. They are aware of allergies, and gluten free items are labeled, but still limited. I did hesitate trying this place, I really wanted fried rice and it looks like they don't do tamari. But they had fried chicken with a sweet chili sauce and that sounded good, My husband said his Dan Dan noodles deserves a 5 star rating... and while the potstickers are only a 4, the sauce that comes with them is amazing. My eat noodles and shrimp everywhere we child was not impressed with her noodle bowl, she would get it again, but wouldn't go out of her way to come back here. Staff was very friendly and welcoming. read more

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I was looking forward to this place after hearing about it and I finally got to try it. First off, it's in downtown Fairfax so parking is a little hard to find but they technically have a small lot in the back you can park at. We walked in and the service was very friendly which was nice. The menu items looked promising so we ordered a couple of dishes but I have to say the price to proportion was not the best. The food was okay and the portion for the food was so much smaller than somewhere with the same dish and pricing. I got the beef noodle soup and it was pretty small but tasted pretty good. read more

The entrance is cute, and the vibe feels more like a place to hang out with a drink and some snacks than a full meal spot. They've got a selection of interesting beers on draft -- didn't try any this visit, but saw one that was like a mango sticky rice that I'd love to try next time. Our server was friendly and offered a few helpful dish recommendations when we asked! Beef Noodle Soup - Surprisingly solid. The broth had a strong beefy depth with just a hint of spice, and the pickled vegetables added brightness and layered flavor. The beef itself was the highlight -- most pieces were tender and juicy, with none of the dry bits that sometimes sneak into bowls like this. Noodles were basic but effective, and they held the broth well. Portion was on the smaller side for the price but still filling. 3.75/5 Crispy Pork Belly - This was well-executed -- the top had a very crisp, almost shattering skin with no greasiness, and the fat melted down nicely as you ate. It's heavy, though, so better for sharing. The pickled vegetables on the side were a great touch and cut through the richness, and I'd definitely recommend getting a side of rice to go with it. 3.75/5 Scallion Pancake with Stir-Fried Beef - Not bad, but not memorable. The pancake was a bit too doughy and could've used more scallion flavor. Beef was a little dry and tough in spots. I wouldn't order it again - 2.5/5 read more

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Long time regular here. High Side is run by a real beer nerd who clearly spends more time hunting down great drafts than chasing trends. The tap list is thoughtfully curated -- solid East Coast beers from up and down the coast, nothing random or just filling space. You can tell the owner cares about what's on draft and keeps it rotating with quality in mind. Food side is Taiwanese street food done right, whether you want small bites to snack on with a pint or bigger plates if you're actually hungry. Everything hits that casual, shareable vibe without trying too hard. Great neighborhood spot for beer people who also want good food. read more

This is a college sport bar vibe. We come in around 8:30 and 10 minutes before 9pm, we were ask for final order since the kitchen will be closing. The restaurant close at 10pm. Just FYI in case you want more than just beer. Food is more for drinking dishes and not restaurant type. We got Tornado fries $8 - good flavor and crunchy. Beef teriyaki skewers $14 were such a disappointment, dry and not much flavor. Garlic noodles with grill shrimp $16- shrimp is not dry and very well seasoned, noodles is also buttery. This dish worth the price however the portion is small -ish. Coconut flan is dense but not too sweet with dry coconut flakes. Ube Flan - the ube cake part is dry and dense, I wouldn't recommend. read more

This is one of our favorite place to get drinks - the beer selection is fantastic, especially for someone who loves sours (and watching my Untappd numbers go up). Good food, especially the small bites. Our favorites include the beef and scallion pancake and shishito peppers The only downside for us is that it's not a kid friendly place (no high chairs), so we rarely get to go anymore, but a great date night spot! read more

We love trying Taiwanese food and wanted to check this place out for a while. If I were to sum this place up in one word it would be solid. Nothing really blew me away and nothing was bad. The apps were both fresh and fried well. The beef noodle soup had tender chunks of beef, but the brother flavor was just ok. The best thing was the braised pork over rice that had soft pieces of pork belly that went well with rice. A solid spot with decent prices for Taiwanese food. Apps: Popcorn Chicken and Tornado Fries Entrees: Beef Noodle Soup and Braised Pork Belly over Rice read more

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Food! Best Taiwanese street food I've found, yet! The Pork Belly Bao is sooo good, and the Beef Noodle Soup? D A M N ! I love it! Top-tip: ask for just a little heat/spice to be added to the soup when you order. Service is awesome and conversational. Ask for Joe, who will likely be behind the bar. I also recommend sitting at the bar if it's just you or you're a friend. The bar has a more social vibe. Parking, this is downtown City of Fairfax, so parking is plentiful, and while in the neighborhood, checkout the City of Fairfax Regional Library; it's fantastic. read more

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Hole in wall Taiwanese fusion style eatery. I love the minced pork w rice and their wide array of local brews. Friendly service, reasonable prices. Parking available behind the restaurant or you can park in the lot and walk. read more

High Side - Beer Bar Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

Great beers and always great service. The guys and gals here are awesome. The food is a bonus especially the beef noodle soup, potstickers, and chicken sandwich. don't forget to check out the shelves to take some of those hard to find brews home to share with your friends and family! read more

High Side - Drekker Fluff Stuff - Beer Bar Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

love the selection of beer and food options. we got everything that peaked our interest and it was 10/10 i would recommend eating the tornado potato right when it comes out while its still hot and crispy. on tuesdays they have the chicken sandwich on happy hour menu and i plan to return. the popcorn chicken + pork belly both also really hit and we ordered rice on the side. read more

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A must go! Great service and a chill vibe! Killer selection of beers and always a fun cider to try. The blueberry cider they have currently is one of my favorites ever. I'm gluten free and they have great options including a popcorn chicken- delicious and hard for me to find when eating out! Don't leave without a pickle back shot! read more

Fantastic food and service. Please get the chicken sandwich, it's the best in DMV by far. No contest. Awesome craft beers too!

Nice small cozy vibes, staff was friendly & attentative and food was delicious. I ordered the fried chicken bao which was pretty crispy. I also got the spicy Dan Dan noodles with braised pork belly. It was very flavorful and started to get a bit more spicy over time but still delicious! The lemongrass chicken over rice had a nice lemongrass flavor that went well with the pickled cucumbers. read more

High Side - Spicy Dan Dan Noodles with braised pork belly (left) and lemongrass fried chicken over rice (right) - Beer Bar Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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Nice local, casual place to hang out. Though not super authentic, Asian fusion cuisine is good has interesting variety..

Thank you thank you to the wonderful & energetic staff for providing such amazing service!! Despite the relatively small size of the restaurant, the food really delivers hugely on flavor and variety. We loved everything we tried, especially the fried lemongrass chicken. My personal favorite was the pork and rice - a yummy Taiwanese classic. Overall, this was a great, casual place to eat good food and enjoy good beer (there were families there as well so it's still a family friendly place)! Parking is difficult (small lot behind the restaurant that's easy to miss), so you're better off finding parking in one of the nearby structures. read more

High Side - Sweet potato fries w spicy mayo & sour plum salt - Beer Bar Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

Friendly service, reasonable prices, Comfy, Cozy ambience, clean establishment. The Tornado Potatoes were amazing. The rest of the dishes, while decent, all lacked flavor. While edible and filling, I would not order them again. We had the spicy dan dan noodles, shishito peppers and tofu bao. Parking behind the restaurant. read more

First of all I really wanted to give the place another try because the owner was so responsive via my Yelp review. The beer selection was great and the juicy tiles was refreshing. The service again was TOP NOTCH. I was here on 1/13/23 at 8 pm and the staff were super helpful and efficient. The food was a lot better than when I first tried it. I really enjoyed the Dan bung (but with a cheesy twist), the fried chicken was garlicky goodness, the Zhang jiang main had a great, light flavor, and of course the potstickers were a star. Again, the beers are extremely expensive. Would I go back? Sure. Just for the staff and service alone. I see they attempted to have sound dampeners in their dining space but it does get very very very loud just with people talking. read more

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Looooooovvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Really good pork belly buns and really enjoyed the fried chicken. Portions were great. The staff was really nice, it's a nice intimate space. I took our waitresses recommendations and we were definitely happy! read more

High Side - Beer Bar Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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Winning combination in Fairfax: Asian street food and craft beer... ...except my table ordered cider. We shared the Double Haul and Raspberries & Brett, the only two options for cider. Both were distinct enough in flavor for us to enjoy. Overall, you will see a nice selection of beers from Virginia and elsewhere. For food, we got the Lemongrass Fried Chicken over Rice and the Zha Jiang Noodles from the Big Plates side. It was definitely a hard choice for us to narrow down from the menu, but we were happy with both dishes and the portions. The table service was very welcoming, friendly, and patient when we could not decide what to order. We came in for Sunday lunch and it wasn't too busy. It's very casual and a good place to hang out with friends. It's just a pain that it's so far out in Virginia for me. read more

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Owners are cool, staff is great, food is good, like I've stopped in for the basil chicken bites alone. It's a great atmosphere and vibe inside. My big knock is the beer.. I love IPAs, ideally something with Chinook, Cascade, Columbus, or Centennial (citra is ok..) but the 5Cs have been my jam as predominant hops and there's never been anything like that in the numerous times I've been. I'm not a fan of hazys or beer that's supposed to taste like food, or heavier barley new England style. I can usually tolerate them but it's not that enjoyable and has been rough on my stomach. Basically I'm a snob though and this review is only relevant if these are your tastes. read more

Wow what a find . Small restaurant great food .My daughter hosted her baby shower here . Their Bao Buns super tasty ,popcorn chicken so yummy , Fried rice and Noodles were too good .Their dumplings and spiral French fries delicious. Meat in a skewer were soft and tender. Drinks were wine and beer was good too . read more

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In old Fx City, many spicy dishes, poor control on what is or specifically what IS NOT SPICEY. Happened to me on what was supposed to be a perfectly non spicy dish, had very spicy cucumber. Parking in back or side streets. In back, no signage as to how to enter place. Must walk up exit or entrance ramp for cars for people to reach front entrance, ramps very narrow, could not fit you n a car. Food was tasty, not special, most important feature are the alcoholic drinks that suit the GMU College crowd. Not handicapped accessible. I have walking issues, was fearful of ramps. read more

Not bad but not great. The food was underseasoned and meh, the service wasn't rude but not attentive, and the vibe inside is kind of boring. There's also NO regular beer. read more

Meh. Beers are expensive. Food portions are small and food is just okay. Most of the food tasted frozen, could probably get the same quality from Costco frozen food section. Wouldn't come back. Service was fine. read more

3.5/5! Best part of this was how comforting and cozy it the ambience was with music just loud enough to fill in the silence while being able to hear the other person. I love the large selection of plates available from various Asian countries. Service was great and quick. The food is good, but I felt that each plate was lacking something. I've never had popcorn chicken were garlic was garnished outside of it and there was a large lack of basil and I can say I wouldn't want that again. I think the beef inside the pancake was good but the scallion pancake itself lacked the crispy and flavor to complete it. The Zhe Jiang noodles I have little complaint about the flavor. I just wish it were in a bigger bowl that would allow for mixing, especially since most of the sauce condensed to the bottom of the bowl, leaving the noodles at the top flavorless. read more

High Side - Popcorn Chicken - Beer Bar Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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I've been wanting to check out High Side for almost a year now, and I'm glad I finally stopped by. My friend and I got dinner here this past Friday at around 5 PM. There weren't a lot of people there so we were able to choose a spot to sit at. They definitely have a variety of Taiwanese small bites and entrees along with drinks. TAIWANESE EGG CREPE (DAN BING) - 7 Wow, wow, wow. This was definitely our favorite. The dan bing was perfectly crispy and pan-fried on the outside, and the inside was neatly wrapped with slightly runny egg and melted cheese. This was generously topped with scallions and drizzled with sauce. This was definitely our favorite of all the things we ordered, as it was super flavorful and satisfying texture. I'd highly recommend this as it was delicious and filling. CHICKEN WINGS (W/ THREE-CUP CHICKEN SAUCE) - 13 Each order comes with six wings, drizzled in three-cup chicken sauce. I thought the sauce was much too overwhelming and salty. If I could somehow wipe some of the sauce off, I would. If you can handle a lot of sodium, I would recommend it. I had to eat these chicken wings with rice from our lu rou fan to help balance out the salt. Maybe there is a way to ask for sauce on the side, but I probably won't get this again in the future. BRAISED PORK BELLY OVER RICE (LU ROU FAN) - 11 Wow, I'm surprised this was so cheap for the portion size. Lots of pork belly with delicious sauce. The fat was also so tender and mushy, which was perfect. I would prefer more minced pork as I found the pork belly to be too thick/heavy after awhile. The sauce was delicious - I wish there was more of it to smother all over the rice. The marinated tea egg went well with the rice and pork. Definitely would recommend this for taste and amazing value. UBE CUSTARD CAKE - 7 This cake was full of ube flavor. My friend and I were super impressed. The ube cake itself was pretty heavy/dense, but again, full of ube flavor that I deeply appreciated. The flan/custard on top was a nice change in texture. It was silky soft and on the sweeter side with the glaze on top, but does well to balance the thickness of the cake itself. I would most definitely recommend it if you're a fan of ube and flan! Overall, solid food experience for a cheap price. My friend and I were shocked at the total (20.90 per person after tax) and thought we heard incorrectly. Maybe we didn't eat too much, not sure. I thought the price we paid for two appetizers, one entree, and a dessert to share was more than fair. Will definitely be returning for more delicious Taiwanese style food and maybe drinks next time. The Tornado Fries look like a must. read more

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Came for the Taiwanese fusion and the beer check-ins (an official spot, apparently?) Ordered an assortment of dishes to try as I was just excited to find Taiwanese food in Virginia (yay). Started with a pickled cucumber, which was supposed to be "ma La", which is a numbing spice, but it was not that spicy. The pickles were more sour than I had expected. Still good though. Ordered pot stickers for the kids. Popcorn chicken (also yum, though basic could've been added) was a hit. And the beef in scallion pancake tasted like steak tips with a frozen pancake. Not bad, but not quite as good as a traditional rolled pancake with beef. For main course we had shrimp fried rice and beef noodle soup (spicy). Both were great. I thought the beef noodle soup was quite authentic and worth returning for. The service was very warm and friendly, and although we came after the festival where they had a booth, we were still welcomed and fed, and even sent home with extra pork belly rice leftover from their booth. ...which my kids ate the next door and loved! A very kid-friendly restaurant that I'd happily return to try again. read more

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Old Town Fairfax isn't a place we frequent as it is a bit of a drive from Reston but it's a quaint little area with several restaurants and bars and numerous folks out on a Saturday night. It'd be a cool area to live and walk to get a bite or drink. High Side has many of your typical Taiwanese dishes and I'm always looking for a good Taiwanese restaurant. It's a small place...so you may have to wait but luckily we got a table for 2 outside on the front patio. The national dish of Taiwan is the Beef Noodle Soup and it's also my son's favorite so we have to give that a shot. I go with the Dan Dan Noodles with grilled chicken. We also add in the Scallion Pancake with beef and onions after the fact as the noodle dishes are on the smaller side...so be ready to order a few apps if you are hungry. As for the taste of the dishes? Good stuff...the Beef Noodle broth is flavorful, the beef is tender and seasoned well and I like the pickled mustard greens that are added in. The Dan Dan noodles are also satisfying. The grilled chicken is nicely grilled and adds a nice grilled flavor to the noodles along with the peanuts and sauce. My son also liked the scallion pancake roll. The beef is tender and the pancakes are crispy and flavorful. It's not your typical scallion pancake beef roll but still good. Overall, a good experience..a bit on the pricey side considering portions but solid, fresh take on Taiwanese favorites. read more

The food is not very good. The Dan Dan noodles taste like peanut butter. The food just wasn't very good. Something was off. It felt like bad frozen Asian food. read more

Cute place in downtown Fairfax. The servers were super nice and kind. They are all passionate about their place of work. We started with the Lemongrass Chicken. Crispy but still moist. This one packs some spice so be ready. Maybe grab a beer from their extensive selection, both draft and cans. After that moved onto main courses. I had the Popcorn Chicken over rice. The fried egg was a nice touch. The cucumber had an unique pickled taste that complimented the chicken nicely. My wife got the Dan Dan noodles with Tofu. Now, I'm not a super fan of tofu but they did a good job. They only reason I gave them four stars in the portion size. For the same money, i have gotten similar quality food but more of it at other places around town. read more

High Side - Popcorn Chicken over Rice - Beer Bar Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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Disappointing experience. It wasn't busy but waitress made us feel rushed from the moment we sat down. She tried to take my food away while my plate was literally half full. Never checked up on us, and I had to get her attention for another drink and water. read more

My wife and I stopped by here on Saturday around 2:30pm for sort of a lunch snack after a GMU basketball game. On the plus side, the craft beer selection is excellent. I enjoyed a lovely 4 oz. lager with hint of white grape produced at Wheatland Spring Farm (Loudoun County VA - near Leesburg). You can order 4 oz. samplers as well as the larger 10 oz. or 12 oz. mugs. The Taiwanese snack food was a pleasant surprise (nothing in the cozy space suggests or hints at "Asian fusion"). I would probably recommend the Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (which goes well with beer). The braised pork belly with rice was good, but not as tasty as Taiwanese restaurants such as A&J in Annandale). However, here it was a nice complement to the beer. My wife enjoyed her Dan Dan noodles a lot! On the minus side, the parking situation kind of sucks. A few parking spaces are available on the rear side of the building (after entering and exiting on narrow alleyways at 4009 Chain Bridge Road). But if you have a large SUV, I would strongly recommend parking a block away and walking (there's a free outdoor parking lot that is catty corner from the Truist Bank sign). Overall, I would definitely come here again. You can find online menus through the QR codes. Be sure to know your order when the server comes as limited staffing can make wait times a bit long. Once again, I think the craft beer selection is the star of the show! read more

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Service staff is great, super friendly and responsive. Food is awesome and authentic Taiwanese for sure. Ambience is a plus for the boys because they get to watch the football game while they enjoy the food. read more

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I was pleasantly surprised by this place. It's been on my list for a while now and finally got the chance to try it out. It's very modern and clean, I enjoyed the beer, tornado fries, bao buns, and chicken sandwich! The bao buns are pricey but I liked the shrimp one the most. I loved the vibe here, very laid back and great place to work or catch up with friends. Our server was very nice and helpful. We will definitely come back. read more

High Side - Tornado fries and bao bun - pork belly and shrimp tempura - Beer Bar Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia