It was my first time here and it was highly recommended. PARKING - there are some spots right behind the restaurant with a sign to designate you. You can also park in surround public parking lots and do a little walking. It's a cute little town full of stores and restaurants. RESTAURANT - small but very clean STAFF - they were attentive and helpful with suggestions on their beer selection and food menu FOOD - I thought it was good. We ordered a few different small plates and no main entrees. Vegetarian options are available by the way! I'd like to return to try more off the menu. The chicken satay was not as flavorful as other places so I was a little disappointed. The tornado fries were okay but it was really hard to pull the spiraled potatoes off of the skewer. So if you're looking to get this to share, be prepared to have your fingers all over it trying to pull it apart. Their bao buns were delicious and THICKKKK. read more

Let me get this out of the way: They have a great beer selection. Lots of options. But I'm a lightweight and my husband does not drink, so we mostly go for the food. The braised pork belly (lu rou fan) is one of the best things I have ever eaten. Nothing more needs to be said about it; it is perfection. The tempura shrimp bao is of similar caliber. If we hadn't already ordered a lot of food, I would have ordered another pair, they are just so good. The marinated cucumbers are good but they have a lot of garlic and I say that as someone who loves garlic. The dan dan noodles are good and, thankfully, the perfect level of spicy to not blow my face off. Tornado fries are also good. Nothing amazing, but great when you're halfway through a beer on an empty stomach. read more

Came here to try their "tornado fries" for the Yelp Elite promotion and I really liked the vibe here. I got the "tornado fries" to go and also ordered the potstickers. I took them to go and had a chance to observe this place while waiting for my carryout order. They have lots of beers on tap and it looks like they have plenty of hard seltzer, ciders and I was surprised to see mead on their extensive menu. It wasn't very crowded just a little while after they opened on Saturday afternoon, and that was good so I could quickly get my order placed and prepared. The "tornado fries" were good, but I think I would prefer to have the sauce as a dipping sauce, versus drizzled on top. It had a kick to it and thought it tasted good, it was a little spicier for my taste. The potstickers were as expected and delicious. Both were good and I will definitely be back to eat in and enjoy different foods and some drinks to try. I recommend visiting High Side and trying their good and somewhat unique dishes. Also to give their "on tap" drinks a try. Highly recommend!! read more

See all

It's a cute little shop with a small menu. The beer listing is pretty good, we got three IPAs as we're pleased with all of them. To snack on We ordered Taiwanese popcorn chicken and the pork belly bao. The pork belly was cooked perfectly and melted in our mouths. The bao was soft and warm & 2 for $10 is a solid deal. The popcorn chicken was under seasoned but the garlic and fried basil helped out. It lacked depth of flavor where the Chinese five spice would normally be. The sauce included is mai ploy but i think it would've benefited from some citrus or a light aioli. As far as the vibes of the place, The only thing that threw us off was the music playlist. Hopefully that was due to it being a Thursday night but it a mix of trio hop and the study music you find on YouTube. read more

High Side - Beer Bar Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

See all

Hidden gem in Fairfax! Super cute beer bar with awesome draft options. Tried several beers and a few different plates. Everything was delicious! Service was great, cool ambience, and the background music was a hit. Glad we discovered this place and will definitely be back! (Hope parking gets better though, looks like there's only a few parking spots in the back of the building) read more

High Side - Beer Bar Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

I really wanted to like this place but I don't think I'll be going back. It was incredibly hot inside (neck sweat is *not* cool) and even though I was sitting across from my friend, I had to shout to be heard. Anytime you want to order you have to get up and stand in line again. I think a good solution for being short-staffed (and the small space) is to do something like Caboose Commons and have mobile ordering. I appreciated their expansive beer menu and the fact that items come in 4 or 8 ounce pours. The food was alright. We got potstickers, chicken skewers, tornado fries, pork over rice, and deep fried pork belly. I was surprised we didn't get chopsticks but that might be a fluke since I see in other photos that both utensils were offered. The chicken tasted a bit like lighter fluid and was too charred. The pork belly was too crispy and was a bit hard to chew. I liked the tornado fries! Also, parking is insane. There are only 3 parking spots for High Side in the lot behind the building. Both of the public parking lots were full, but after 4 laps I found some parallel street parking. read more

Delicious Taiwanese street food but even more enriched beer menu. Come for the food, stay for the beer! Pricey though so be prepared to dig deep into your pockets. The space is also quaint with few sit down options. High Side combos as a beer cellar and small restaurant. Be patient as service is personal, but ultimately this spot is totally worth the wait and $$. read more

Love, love, love. The staff was all delightful, the beer selection was top notch, and I don't know who is saying the food is frozen and reheated but that was not what we tasted at all. This place was so fun. It's so cool and intimate. The staff was uber friendly and knowledgeable. The beer selection is second to no other small establishment I've been to. We greatly enjoyed all the small plates we ordered and I can't see how anyone could mistake the potstickers for frozen. They came out with the seared dough still between each. We will 100% be putting this place in our regular rotation and bring out of town guests. The beer selection updates very regularly. If I understood correctly they generally only do one keg of each beer. When it taps out they are on to the next thing. Again, loved it!! read more

We love this place and typically go there at least twice a month. The food is amazing (we especially love the pork belly bao and potstickers) and they have an incredible selection of excellent craft beer, cider and mead. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable about everything that they serve and are willing to offer informed recommendations. read more

A Hole in the wall in Fairfax. Food was great, but the place was packed so it took forever to get seating, and awhile to get our food. We had: Pork on rice Meat in pancake (I think it was beef) Popcorn shrimp Cucumber salad I especially liked the pancake rolls with beef. I got two orders, it was that good. The cucumber salad wasn't bad either. AJs is still my goto for this type of food, but this will do if I'm in the area. I'd like to come back when it's not so busy to try some other things on the menu. read more

See all

This place is amazing. I don't live or work near Old Town Fairfax any more, or else I would frequent this place constantly. Highly recommend. The food is so delicious. I really like the atmosphere as well. I haven't been since before the pandemic, unfortunately, but I hope they are still flourishing. read more

I love the outdoor seating behind the restaurant! Very spacious and great afternoon sun. The tables are well spaced out and each table has an umbrella that you can adjust to your desired sun level! The service was EXCELLENT, all staff checked on us frequently and kept the drinks flowing! Kept our carafe of water full and let us sit and hang out for a while after we finished eating without us feeling rushed. Everything we ate was delicious! I had the Pickled Cucumbers and the Braised Pork Belly over rice. Both were delicious! The peppers on the pickled cucumbers are spicy as hell, but tasty! Avoid eating the whole pepper slices if you don't like a higher level of spice and you'll be just fine. read more

I have to admit I'm disappointed. The price/quality/quantity of food ratio is a little out of wack here. Was here with friends and ordered about 5 starters, 5 big plates, and a round of drinks. Tab was $150 (not sure if that was with gratuity added in; which it shouldn't have been for a group of 5). The amount of food we actually got for that though... that was lacking. Some of their items are just not worth it for the price. The Taiwanese sausage is a great example of that. $7 for a single sausage cut up into pieces in a plastic tub OR you could get roughly the same amount of sausage added to a Big Plate for $2? $11 for maybe a dozen very small popcorn chicken bites (think 1/2 size of a boneless wing)? Sorry, that value system just feels wrong. And for the drinks, I hope you keep track of how many ounces your drink is supposed to be. They use these plastic 12oz cups for half the drinks (why the disparity between glass/plastic?) and some beers are designated on the menu as 16oz. I almost fell for this until I noticed it and asked the bartender for the rest of my drink. Just feels weird. Overall, the food wasn't bad, but the taste was average and some items felt overpriced. Wasn't blown away by the absurd amount of plastics (bowls, cutlery, cups) for $150 on a standard appetizer/entree/drink order for 5 people. Skip this place and go somewhere else. read more

My wife and I and a couple of friends ate lunch here enjoyed it very much! It's a unique, eclectic place. Our server was very attentive, and the food was great. We had the lemongrass chicken, shrimp bao, and egg scallion pancake. My favorite thing was the pickled cucumber that was a side with my chicken plate. Every thing is a little small for the price but consistent with what we've seen so far here in Washington DC. It had very good flavor and spice levels, so you by no means feel ripped off, just seemed to me to be small portions for the cost. We would come again some day. read more

See all

Love this place! Fantastic selection of beers- many I've not seen at other spots. Food is great. Tried a lot of Taiwanese dishes and a lot were quite authentic, brought me back to Taiwan. Stand out dish was by far the pork belly bao. Much more generous with meat compared to in Taiwan. Pork belly was flavorful and had good meat to fat ratio. The place has a nice vibe and is very comfortable. Bathroom has a large picture of a koala. Will be back to try more beer and food! read more

High Side - Beer Bar Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

Nice people, decent menu. That said, will never go back. $9.50-$12 for a TWELVE ounce beer is ridiculous. $12 for a pint would still be considered high. I understand the cost of keeping a business afloat and paying the staff a living wage, but this is over the top. In regards to your response to my comments, I've had Monkish and Trillium at several restaurants/brewpubs in the area and none of them come close to your higher prices. At the very least, High Side should be pouring a pint, not 12 oz. read more

I don't drink, but I had to try this spot out for the food. Wow! The fried tofu sandwich which was a play on Vietnamese Banh Mi with southern fried tofu was a phenomenal combo. The sriracha mayo was perfectly balanced and complemented the tofu so well. I also tried the Vegan Tofu Bao which were also quite flavorful and the small Thai chilis dispersed in this delicious bite made my mouth water even more. A must try spot for the Asian food creations if you happen to be in Old Town Fairfax. read more

The beer selection here is AMAZING!! Both the beers on draft and the cans for sale in the store. Will definitely be coming back to pick up and try new beers; local and out-of-state. They serve their beers in nice stemmed glasses, and the service is friendly and fast. The owner is a sweetheart; makes an effort to say hi and to make people feel welcomed. Great that they have a full kitchen, too. read more

I came here with my wife for an early lunch. My favorite thing was the scallion pancake with beef and tornado fries so make sure to give them a try. We had an older man as our sever and he was personable and polite. It began to get crowded as we left and the place is rather tiny. Menu isn't too big but there are things that I would try another time if I got the chance. read more

See all

We came here with another couple sunday afternoon for lunch. Lets start with the good. The food was amazing, I would definitely come back for the garlic noodles. The tornado fries were also decent but were a little cold. My fiance got the dan dan noodles with pork belly and loved it. Their beer menu is extensive and delicious. The downside: the service. It took over an hour just to get our appetizers. The waiter did not come back once during that entire hour. But the owner came by repeatedly to check on another couple that were there writing an article on the restaurant. It was a little disappointing. However they eventually ended up switching waiters after us being there about an hour and a half and the new one was fantastic. Attentive and checked in on us. Overall I would definitely come back for the food. But I would probably just order takeout to make it easier. read more

We love this quaint little bar with gourmet Asian food. They have dozens of microbrews on tap. I particularly like the Kung Pao Stout which has a hint of spiciness. They focus on exotic and we love that. If you're a meat and potatoes kind of person this probably isn't your restaurant. If you can get a table on the small patio it's nice view of the old courthouse. You have to order food inside at the bar as there's no waiters to take your order but they do bring out your food. They have parking behind the place and one should enter in the ally before the restaurant as I mistakenly went in the exit which is after the restaurant. read more

See all

Service was a little bit slow but food was pretty good and they have a lot of great/trendy options worth trying. Love the tofu and bao buns. read more

High Side - Beer Bar Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

Parking is very restrictive here but they do have a free 2 hour parking garage close by. I like the chill vibe of this place and their drinks are good, but I thought the food was just ok. read more

See all

I went to High Side with my husband on 3/9/19. I was pleasantly surprised. The brew pub has a ton of beverages to choose from. I really appreciated that High Side organizes their menu based on the different styles of beer they offer. If you're not a beer drinker they also offer cider and wines. I tried the potato chips which were delicious. I arrive a little before dinner time and there was more than ample seating available. I can see if you come during "peak times" having a hard time finding a table. However that would not prevent me from coming back. I felt everything from their beer to their food menu was cohesive. In a nutshell, a unique place and a great gathering place in Old Town Fairfax. read more

High Side - Beer Bar Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

First off staff was friendly I had no problems with the service at all. 5/5 service The food, however, was very disappointing. 1/5 for food. I eat a lot of authentic Asian food so it may be that I have different standards, but the food was really lacking. We ordered the sesame noodles, tofu Dan Dan noodles, the braised pork belly over rice, popcorn chicken, & the scallion pancakes with beef. The sesame noodles were my least favorite, lacking in flavor overall. Same issue with the dan dan noodles. There was barely any pork belly & just rlly tiny pieces of pork to pick at for the rice dish. Popcorn chicken was so-so, better than both the noodle dish. My favorite dish was the scallion pancakes with beef. For the size though, it should be an $8-$9 appetizer instead of $11. Overall very bland food for the price. Would not recommend to anyone or come back sadly. read more

Visited High Side for the first time with friends. Overall, very underwhelming. Don't come here for dinner. This place wouldn't also be my go to for drinks or apps, other places do that much better too. The only thing going for this place would be their unique beer selection. My suggestion would be to do an online order of beers from them and get food from elsewhere and hangout at home with friends. Their entrees were not great. The flavors were so unique and interesting...in a bad way. The Dan Dan noodles by far were the worst. Either they were using ingredients that went bad, but there was a sour aftertaste that could only go away after a swig of alcohol. In terms of appetizers, the popcorn chicken was actually great and the first thing that came out which raised our expectations too high. The tornado fries were okay, not amazing. The bao was pretty good but overpriced. Also, our food was brought out at very odd times. Popcorn chicken, then three out of five entrees, then 2 baos a little bit after, the last 2 entrees came out separately maybe 5 minutes apart and then the tornado fries... I guess the fries were for dessert lol. We ordered all of these at the same time. read more

This place is tiny on the inside but cute. In warmer weather it would be fun to come by and do a flight if they do those to try different beers. The lemon grass chicken appetizer was pretty good and not too spicy. I had the garlic noodles and those were really yummy as well. They are very garlicky however! But they were cooked well and taste good. My stomach wasn't feeling the best after this meal however but I am not sure if that's just me, or the food. It tasted good! In reading reviews I saw that some other people's stomachs hurt after eating here so I'm not sure I would give it another shot because who wants an upset stomach! read more

I've been here several times, and each time I come, I am not disappointed. I brought a friend with me today to take advantage of a Yelp event, and we had the tornado fries, the Shrimp tempura bao buns, and the garlic noodles. Everything was so so tasty! We also had a few of the sour smoothie beers and All but one were super tasty as well! It's a nice lowkey beer spot with great Asian street food. They also have a great selection of to go beer to stock up at home. Highly recommend!! read more

See all

Delicious food. Super down to earth staff. Excellent beer selection! Glad to see they made it through 2020+ ! read more

The bearded guy gave us a run down and gave us his recommendation. Food was spot on and I definitely got a taste of the garlic shrimp noodles, as well and the chicken. The beer selection is endless. This place got me thinking. This is one of the best places to try for food and sit down relax and chill with your friends. Beer selections we amazing. If you are an ale, cider, or IPA person. This is your place to be. The fries were amazing and the food complemented the beer well. A place to take friends or a date here. This is the place to go. You have to try the garlic noodles, Tornado fries and also the delicious chicken nuggets there. There were many more options but i wanted to try a little because it was so good. Coming back multiple times will be amazing. The place was a little small so getting seated there with a large party of 6 or more will be a little difficult. Till next time folks! read more

It's a cute little place! I personally find it a little bit shady though, but in all it fine. Although I love the pickles soo much!

Love this place! Make Fairfax Hip 2018!!! Been here twice on two date nights! Excellent atmosphere, amazing variety of delicious beer, knowledgeable and friendly staff. I feel a little bit like a High Side fangirl because I watch their Beer Banter IGTV show where they review beers (and rate them on the Jinson Scale, named for their awesome owner) and then I also get to hear them discuss beer in real life. It's like a Fairfax celebrity sighting, lol. You can get full or half pour of everything, so it's great for when you want to sample a lot of things. They also have Taiwanese street food which looks awesome but I've been too full to try it both times I was there. They collaborated with another brewery to make a beer called "Five Jinsons" (the highest rating a beer can get) and it is WORTH THE HYPE. It's a sour with interesting notes of pineapple, lychee...and my favorite, star anise! It kind of makes your mouth feel weird but in a great way. They made cans of it and I plan on stopping by for a four pack. read more

High Side - Mic'd Up Mango from Monocacy - Beer Bar Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

Been wanting to try this Taiwanese place for a long time and took my friend here for a birthday celebration. Have heard lots of things about the Tornado potatoes and they did not disappoint. Our favorite was definitely the scallion pancake with beef. The tamarind shrimp had good flavor but it was only four shrimp and a lot of rice, the popcorn shrimp was decent but nothing special. The potstickers/dumplings were a bit weird with it all connected together. Like them better separately so the dough is browner. The staff was extremely nice and helpful and took the mimosas and flan off for my friend' birthday. I would definitely come again and try some other items. read more

See all

This is a small place; the tables are placed very close to each other. Luckily, our waitress was nice enough to move us when the table next to us freed up. We liked the scallion pancake roll with stir fry beef; however, even though the pancake was crispy the beef could have been braised to be a more authentic Taiwanese dish. The chicken satay was ok; the sauce was too thin to coat the chicken pieces. read more

What a great lunch place. A full fledged Asian fusion spot with an outdoor tent - 6 or so tables set up for 4-6 people - and a wonderful selection of draft beers on tap from sours to hazy ipas to stouts. Ordered the tofu and shrimp boa sliders which were great starter size, perfectly cooked and packed with flavors. The fried chicken sandwich had an incredible crunch and the fish sauce made for a great umami punch.; the scallion with pancakes and the crispy tofu sandwiches each were vegetarian delights; and the tornado fries balanced everything out. This is a place to visit early and often. So glad to have found a place that is different than your typical beer garden. And while you're there, go inside and pick up a pack or two of your favorite suds. read more

High Side - Lemongrass Fried Chicken - Beer Bar Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

Great beer and great food!! Didn't know about this place until I saw it appear on Instagram in a hashtag follow! The atmosphere is nice and very simple decoration. We ordered the yuzu mimosa, two tasters (morning wood and isastegi), Taiwanese sausage tornado dried, mantou buns and pickled cucumbers. All of it was delicious, the isastegi went well with the Taiwanese sausage sandwich! Mantou buns reminded me of home~ If you're looking for a chill place to hang with friends, good food, and great beer, this is the place! read more

See all

This place has solid food and great service! The garlic noodles are packed with garlic and the shrimp are cooked to perfection. The lemongrass chicken was flavorful, but it could have been more moist. The three cup tofu had good basil flavor, but the tofu itself was a little dry. The pickled cucumbers were delicious and cut the intensity of some of the other flavors. Overall, this is a good take on Asian fusion food. read more

High Side - Three-cup tofu, Lemongrass Fried Chicken, Garlic Noodles with Grilled Shrimp - Beer Bar Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

High Side is a perfect place to get a light meal after a movie or show. My wife and I shared three small plates. The beef teriyaki beef skewers were very good. The chicken satay was good but didn't have much flavor. The real hit was the Taiwanese sesame noodles. They are served at room temperature. The sesame sauce was excellent as were the noodles. Next time we will each order a plate. We didn't try the beer so there is more to go back for. read more

This place is awesome!!! The girl who works here was so friendly and nice! The food overall is great. They say it's mostly Taiwanese food but the owners are Taiwanese and Malaysian so occasionally a bit of fusion in it. - the sausage + garlic was pretty legit but I wish its grilled a bit more with some char on it - pork chop rice is awesome! Even comes with egg and sautéed cabbage, just like how it would be in Taiwan - popcorn chicken was solid - sesame noodles was a bit of a let-down. Not sure what it was but this was our least favorite. It felt like there was some Malayan fusion in it. The dish was slightly sour which I don't quite remember tasting when having the similar dish in Taiwan. Beer: a lot of choices!!! I mean A LOT!!! Overall, great place to come by yourself or with a group!! read more

See all

So disappointing. Small, no parking and holds tables for private parties on Saturday night. Yes, empty tables and people leaving