Warm beer, meh food, chaotic management, crowd disrespectful....that is just that start. Yea, its a cheap kitsch Tiki place. That isn't the issue. Basically the management on duty are simply unable to seat people, or control the crowds. We were told to wait "on the bench" while a table was opened. 45 minutes later, the managers still had no clue as they had lost complete control of table seating. And time and time again, the unruly patrons leaned over us, without masks, to greet and high five folks on the streets. Dozens of people arriving after us were allowed in.....and the mangers literally had to step over our feet each time. So it wasn't as if they didn't know we had yet to be seated. And the managers failed to enforce any social distancing guidelines. The crowd was in violation of COVID restrictions. AND the beer is warm. read more

Matt and Jason are literally all star bartenders. They are quick, efficient and fun. I came from DC to see them! Also Shonda is amazing she consistently goes above and beyond!! Jenna, Allison and Brandon made me feel so welcome and made sure we were comfortable. This place literally has the best service and vibes. read more

Unforgettable for me, got food poisoning after I ate a salad ... never went back for food

So can only give them three stars due to a few facts. They changed owners so it is not as kid friendly as it used to be. The sand is not as Sandy beaches as it used to be. The quality of the food is still good. The employees there are not as friendly as it used to be, bit harder to get help for anything when getting food and everything you need like condiments, napkins we used to go every weekend now we've cut that back dramatically. read more

Been to a lot of places in Leesburg, this is one of my favorites!!!! Totally relaxed, friendly and they don't over charge like other places. ( shoe's cup and corks). read more

MacDowell's - What a wonderful, delightful place. The ambience is great! Totally relaxed, the perfect place to come chill on a summer afternoon. - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

I feel like you'd have to be way too uptight to leave a bad review for this place. Very chill tiki bar with vacation vibes. A new favorite.

What a strange thing to find palm trees and sand floors in the middle of Leesburg! I was here for the weekend with a group and rented an AirBnb that was said to be walking distance to this bar. Turns out the bar backs up right to the kitchen windows! Being so close we had to check it out. They're open until 2am with live bands or music playing until close. They playlist on a Friday night was amazing, all the throw backs you want to hear from the late 90s and early 2000s. There wasn't a single person inside the restaurant, but it was packed outside and drew an interesting crowd. There were some very clearly underage teens there, as well as rowdy middle aged folks drunkenly spilling their drinks in the sand. My group enjoyed their beers, but it was more expensive than expected. We didn't try the food but it did smell good. Overall A-okay if you're looking for somewhere to get a little messy and stumble home. read more

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First, I want to say this review is not about the food or ambiance, but the fact that extra money was added to the tip I left. I have called MacDowell's twice, during open hours, and no one answered the phone; I have left two voicemails. I noticed that the two transactions I completeted each had an extra $2 added. I think they should be aware that someone on their staff is adding money to customer's bills. read more

This place is awesome! Comparable to seacrets in ocean city but missing the 3 hour drive. The first Friday of the month is the best time to come here and the best vibe. The drinks are good and the food is filling and fresh. This place is a great place to come with friends! The firepits are hot and this place is hotter! read more

MacDowell's - Seacrets for nova. Score!!! - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

half a star. bartender was drunk on the job and screamed at me for tipping poorly over 1 tab compared to the last 5 drinks i payed and tipped over 50%. then after being screamed at about how the irs takes his money away , a random stranger came across to tell him "you shouldnt be yelling at customers and automatically got security to kick him and not even me! all in all i payed about 32$ worth of tips in a total of 50$ worth of drinks. i used to love macdowells, but lately everything has become dead and now i know why. come here if you wanna witness the next episode of bar rescue. blessings read more

You can say I am a regular to MacDowells! I love the atmosphere and the live music, I always have a good time when I go and I got to know most of the staff! Everyone is so welcoming and kind! The good and drinks are always great as well. read more

There's really nothing like this place in Northern Virginia. BARNONE it has an incredible outdoor section with dozens of tables and yes, the floor is covered in SAND. They are bringing th beach vibes to Nova. Jason, Blake, Sam and ALLL these people are the most genuine, kind and helpful people I've met in a long time. Live music is my FAAAAVV and the beach vibe just makes it better. They're very responsible about the distancing and wearing masks so PLEASE PATRONIZE! read more

MacDowell's - FIRE PIT - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

Rude bar staff more interested in their phone than serving guests, do not recommend, overpriced watered down beverages.

Got to have a late lunch here today. If you have any affection for the beach this place is a MUST during the summer. We sat in their outside dining area and are started considering tearing up out backyard and doing what they created! Not the greatest place to take someone unsteady on their feet (note to self don't take your 87 year old Mom back here). Fantastic open space with a great area for kids to play. Beer menu seemed pretty extensive. Menu was fairly simple and straightforward. Had shrimp tacos that were great. I'd give it five stars, but I'm reserving that last star for the bartender that was willing to look through other beer fridges for a stout. Yeah for her! read more

In all honesty, my visit to MacDowell's Brew Kitchen had to have been one of the WORST experiences I had at a restaurant ever. I went with my boyfriend on a Thursday evening. We went with a voucher from LivingSocial for one appetizer, two entrees, and two drinks. We purposely went on Thursday to avoid weekend nights that may be busier. We had bought the voucher because we had heard great reviews from friends and were very interested in their beer selection. Unfortunately, their beer selection is pretty much all they have to offer. As first timers to MacDowell's we were a little wearier when we first arrived because there was no sign actually saying the name of the restaurant. We finally saw a small chalkboard facing the wrong direction that had the name written on it, so we proceeded to enter. When we entered we were even more worried, as the restaurant was seat yourself. There was some live music even happening on their outdoor patio, so we tried to find seating outside but were unsuccessful. We decided to sit inside and were the only ones doing so. After we sat down, it took over ten minutes for anyone to speak to us. And when they did, it was to tell us someone would be with us... eventually. That came at least another ten minutes later. So we had already been in the restaurant for twenty minutes before we even ordered or got anything to drink. When we asked the waitress about the voucher, she was very impatient and just told us to order. She rudely responded to questions we had about the menu and voucher. While I understood that they may have been busier than normal, I was very disappointed in this behavior. My boyfriend and I ordered two beers, mozzarella sticks, fish and chips, and the sweet chili chicken wrap (which I cannot even find on their online menu..) The mozzarella sticks were basically what you could buy in the freezer section of a grocery store. The fish and chips were okay. My boyfriend is Scottish, so his expectations were higher than mine. He was very disappointed, but ate them. I thought they were reasonable. My wrap was terrible. The chicken was a dried chicken strip and there was basically no sweet chili sauce. It would have been 100 times better if they had actually mixed the chicken strip in the sauce (like with wings). In fact it was so bad, I could not even finish eating it. To make matters worse, we did not realize that the drinks that were included were only NON-ALCOHOLIC ones, so we had to pay additionally for our beers. This would not have been an issue if it had been communicated. We also never received any non-alcoholic drinks, not even water. For a dinner that took over two hours, this would have been appreciated. We hardly ever saw our waitress or anyone else that worked there, so we could not even ask. As the dinner went on, more people came inside to eat. It seemed like the wait staff seemed to pay more attention to regulars. One large group came in and got their food faster than we had, but another couple who came in and sat next to us eventually left after waiting for 15 minutes without being acknowledged at all. MacDowell's beer selection is vast. Although most of it is in bottles or cans. There outdoor seating is pretty cool, so if you just want to chill and drink a beer MacDowell's might be acceptable. I would absolutely NOT recommend coming here to eat. The service was terrible, the food was terrible, and I came home smelling like fried food. read more

Overpriced craft beers, mouseketeer-sized location. Came with a group of friends on a Saturday night and it was packed to the rafters (a status not hard to achieve when your restaurant is the size of a large shoebox). Looked like they hadn't really converted it all the way over from the kitchen/interior store it used to be so it had that weird vibe of, you know, drinking beer in a custom kitchen and interiors store. Service was scatterbrained; flustered waitress inched her way by us as we stood confused and smooshed against the wall in the tiny hallway connecting the 'bar' to the 'dining room'.. she murmured hurriedly that we could 'sit wherever and she'd get to us when she had a moment'. Odd experience. Definitely not good for large groups unless you happen to be a band of traveling contortionists. I'm not sure why they call themselves a'brew kitchen' and/or 'nano-brewery' when they don't seem to actually brew their own beer, rather, just offer up single bottles of brands like Flying Dog for nearly as much as you'd pay for a six pack. Maybe they're still brewing and will offer the homemade stuff soon, or maybe I missed something but color me confused because I didn't see any homemade beers on their menu (and can't find any on their website). If the ambiance had made up for the marked-up beverages it might've been easier to justify looking forward to Nine Dollar Beer Nite. read more

Great atmosphere with live music! The burger was delicious and the "afterburner" mango habanero IPA was fabulous! Wish this place was close to home. read more

Pros: Extensive beer list Fun, outdoor area Food prices are fair for the food/quality Cons: Super slooooooooow service Neighboring tables aren't bused, which is really nasty to look at ALL night On the dirty side Really odd inside set-up Overall, we were impressed by their own brew, an espresso beer. If we were at a neighboring restaurant, we might stop in for a beer.... but we'll never do dinner again. read more

I think worse place I have ever been. I would rather eat McDonald's off the floor than return here. Let me start with the fact that I ordered a very expensive draft beer - just under $10, and it was served in a plastic cup, I can understand this for 2 reasons: I just ordered a Miller Lite or Bud, or it is packed - neither were true in this situation. So the food: I got the pulled chicken, which is NOT pulled chicken, it is merely slices of chicken with BBQ sauce on top of it, oh and a hair on top of mine. The coleslaw was straight vinegar which you can imagine is absolutely far from delicious. The pretzel we each only had a bite of because it was hard and flavorless. I would highly recommend to everyone that they go to whatever the place is across the street - they had great service and a great atmosphere, didn't try the food but heard it was awesome. I'd never recommend MacDowell's to ANYONE, not even my worst enemy! read more

The beer selection was decent, however they were out on the one I wanted to try. The beach set up was awesome and that itself is worth checking out. That is what really brought us in. However, the service needs to be fixed. We waited at the main bar for 5 minutes outside and was not greeted once. I was very disappointed. It is hard to find places with a good atmosphere and good service and MacDowell has the atmosphere part down, you just need to train your staff better and do a better job on the service part. Take a vist to one of the Great American Restaurants. Although they are more of a restaurant just go to the bar and take in the excellent service and atmosphere. You can learn from them and improve. Cheers! read more

Really didn't even want to give them a star, wish I could give them none! My boyfriend and I were hungry after the 4th of July fireworks and I had heard good things about this place so we decided to check it out. We sat outside at one of the tables and waited and waited for a server to come up to our table. We saw servers walking around but we couldn't get anyone's attention. Mind you, the place wasn't even that busy. We kept trying to grab someone's attention but they seemed to not notice us. We waited 25 minutes and finally was able to grab a severs attention. He said we had to go up to the bar to get a drink since there was no actual service for the night. We did not know that and were not happy we waited that long and no one bothered to come up and tell us! We got sick of waiting and we were so put off by our "server" who had an attitude and didn't want to help us out that we left. The customer service with this being our first time was AWFUL!! We loved the exterior and atmosphere of the place, but we had no one help us and left very unhappy. I want to try the food here but it would take a lot to get me to come back. Come on guys, customer service is #1 key in this business! Management please read!!! WHERE ARE THE OWNERS?!?! There are so many complaints on here, take care of the service problems!! It's ridiculous how bad it is and nothing is being done!!! read more

Awful awful awful service! First time checking out this place and it was terrible! You literally have to get up from the bar area literally ask the bartender to give you a drink. Otherwise you'll be sitting there for hours with no drink. I've never been to such a sucky bar/service. Highly disappointed. read more

It was fun to sit outside on a nice day at their boat bar but the service is horrible- you can tell they do not have a solid process established. We had to get our own beer menu, wrong check etc... i may go back for beers outside but dont' expect much when it comes to service read more

Stopped in a few minutes before going to an escape room on the backside of the bar. Place was very inviting and reminiscent of a hole in the wall dive bar from college! Had a great assortment of brews and ciders! Bartender was great at getting our drinks and interacting with customers! Would definitely recommend stopping in for a drink anytime you go by! read more

MacDowell's - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

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So this is awkward. I've never actually had anything to drink here. However, my dining companions have and we've all indulged in the food. MacDowell has recently become, for the Mister and me, our default 'let's eat something fried' place. They have a magnificent collection of appetizers, including 'frickles' -- fried pickles. The entrees are quite good as well. The dessert menu looks amazing; we haven't had any room to try it. The beer list is long, and good, but I haven't had the opportunity to put it through its paces. Do not come here expecting great or quick service. Frankly, it sort of feels like an afterthought that they need waitstaff. I've also seen a few spots on the glasses and that sort of thing. The food is a lot more impressive than the atmosphere and service. Adjust your expectations on those fronts, embrace fried pickles, and you'll leave happy. read more

Good beer selection. Atmosphere is different and fun. Big kudos for doing something different, in downtown Leesburg ... in an area saturated with unique restaurants. Service is always great, it's kind of self-serve ... and that's fine. Food is predictable and unadventurous but good, I cannot complain (and you know I WILL complain if I can). I've had tacos and a burger here, no issues. The sand is a coup-de-grace. It's worth a trip in should you find yourself nearby! read more

I've found my perfect local go to, and I could not be happier. MacDowell's has a great, upbeat attitude and you can tell when you walk in the door. The bar to the left has a bunch of taps, and the bartenders are always willing to discuss what is on tap with you or recommend something for you to try. The beach is a perfect place to hang out with friends at night, the campfires provide a great atmosphere. The food is phenomenal - I've been a couple times and haven't had anything I would not recommend. The items to share, like the Sexy Fries, are great. The panini I had was great, simple and filling. The staff is always smiling, even when its busy or hectic. The owners are usually on site to talk with the customers. I could not be happier with MacDowell's - they are a great local restaurant and they really support local craft brewing. I would highly recommend them! read more

Went to MacDowell Brew Kitchen early on a Friday. This is a pretty small pub when the outside seating isn't open (which it wasn't), so I suggest coming early if you want a table. I'll say this right off the bat, other than the salads, pretty much everything is fried - mostly in beer-batter. Even a couple of the deserts are fried. We started off with Frickles - battered, fried pickles. They were quite tasty. The batter had a bit of kick, which I didn't expect, but I liked. Those, I would probably get every time. I had the fish and chips (which is really beer-battered fish and homemade fries). I thought the fish was really good, but the fries are outstanding. I've never had fries that kind of melted in my mouth when I bit into them like these did. I recommend something and fries. Anything and fries. Beer and fries, perhaps. My daughter got the chicken tenders (and fries). I didn't see those on their online menu, but they were on the menu at our table. Don't know if it's a new addition. She thought they were some of the best she's ever had. The beer selection was pretty large. I got a (Lost Rhino?) apocalyptic ale, which I hadn't tried before. It was pretty good, but probably not my favorite. I wish I had thought to ask which beers were brewed on site (if any). We'll definitely try this place again; maybe when it's warmer and the outside seating is open. I have to try the beer-battered Oreos for dessert. read more

Okay, I see what's going on here. This place doesn't seem to get have the best reputation, but my review is solely based on the ambiance and outside "beach" part of the bar. Nothing like it anywhere in VA! I now realize when I'm reminiscing on my Hawaii days, this is the place to go drown my sorrows with their fun tropical drinks and pretty decent fish tacos and sweet potato fries, while listening to reggae and dipping my toes in the sand. What a hidden jewel! This is a must for some outdoor fun post-wineries, since that cheese and crackers ain't holding you over. I really wish I could give this place five stars, but man, THE SERVICE WAS BAD. Reality check to the waiters, this isn't an exclusive VIP club in Miami, be nice and lay off the mean bouncer persona - it doesn't suit this establishment well. read more

Went with my husband and another couple based on their recommendations. Sat outside, which I don't recommend doing for long periods of time because the "stools" are a little rough. Everyone in the group enjoyed their beers (I don't drink beer) and we stuck to appetizer food: pretzel with mustard (good) and the sampler (also good). The sampler had fried pickles, onion rings, chicken tenders, and mozzarella sticks. My husband ate all the "frickles" before I could try any but everything else was great. The service was definitely not great. Getting drinks refilled was certainly a challenge. The standout was the "funny fries" from the dessert menu: funnel cake sticks, sprinkled with powdered sugar. All in all, it was a dog and kid friendly place with a good menu for beer and food. Just be prepared for lackluster service. And sand. read more

Love the outdoor sand pit and toys for our toddler during the nice weather. It is a great place to kick back and dig your toes into the sand after a hard day while enjoying a frosty pint or two with some decent food. Unfortunately, also out here are a fair number of Leesburg's middle-aged men who think they are ballaz puffing on their cigars, rightly polluting the nice, fresh air. Bring bug spray, the mosquitoes suck! Menu has changed between the several times we have eaten here. They haven't been open too long and seem to be tweaking/dialing in their menu as they go, props for that. The salads are very good, simple but good. Loved the beer-battered fried mushrooms but they removed that from the menu, Boo! Beer battered onion rings with spicy sauce are really yummy, but I'm partial to beer-battered anything over breading and frying. As such I am not a fan of their chicken tenders, I'm not a skilled enough foodie to know if they are frozen/pre-made then fried, but it wouldn't surprise me. The breaded crust is too thick and I just don't like it (personal preference). Like the fish and chips, not as good as Ford's but good and fresh. They have some pulled pork BBQ and chili with cornbread that are good. They do some fried desserts that I have not tried. Inside is small but interesting. Bathroom is odd, would hate to try and spend an evening drinking here when "the urge" hits everyone at once. A unisex, single room with toilet, male urinal and sink (no diaper changing station). Fun! read more

We sat outside in the beach like area. It appeared to be very slow on a Sunday afternoon. They didn't really have wait staff, I had to go inside to get menus and to order. The beer they have on tap is good! A wide variety of some local breweries in VA and others. I gave the review just two stars because I tried the NEW Chicken Sandwich with pineapple and it was tasteless and the chicken was the size of a tenderloin - not a full breast. My son ordered a kids hotdog and refused to eat it, I tried and it tasted like fish. Very disappointed because it has potential to be a fun atmosphere with good beer but the food gross. Not to mention I felt the food was so over priced for what it was. All in all, it's a good place for drinks just don't order the food! read more

Uninspired... So after reading the reviews we were unsure what to expect here. I already knew that there was no tableside ordering so going to the bar to order was different, however not a huge deal. The bartender was very nice.. and we were helped pretty much straight away. That is however, how I managed to submit the 2nd star in this review as it was downhill from there. I wish I had taken a picture of the beer list that was on my table since it could have actually been a pretty decent list of choices, until you realized that perhaps 25% of them were crossed out as out of stock. I ordered the Pulled Pork Reuben (which the bartender claimed was one of their most popular) and my wife ordered Pulled Pork and Sweet Potato Fries. Not sure what the distance from the kitchen to my table was however both plates of food arrived at the table warm (at best). Usually I am pretty forgiving when ordering food at a bar, however since I like to make Pulled Pork at home I have to say theirs was ridiculously disappointing in flavor. Add to that, the Sweet Potato fries we are nearly positive came frozen from Costco and I highly doubt we will ever be back. There has to be better options in Leesburg right? read more

Can't believe we haven't found this little gem until now!! Entire outside eating area is sand with a boat in the middle as the bar. Play reggae and there are palm trees everywhere. Chairs are wood stumps and they have a fire pit. Would be a great place in the summer to hang for hours. It is a mild fall day though and so enjoyable to be outside still. We had burgers (classic and chef's) which were seasoned perfectly and yummy. Hand cut fries and great beer choices. You forget you are in the heart of Leesburg. read more

MacDowell's - Entire patio area is on sand. Bar is a boat in the center and they are playing reggae. Hard to believe you are in Loudoun County. - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

One of my favorite places in Northern VA! Great venue, great people and good drinks. You can sit either inside or outside in their awesome garden. In the fall we sat outside and warmed up at a fire pit. I truly love this place. Go check it out! read more

Looked online and it looked great. Going to Escape Room Loco upstairs so I emailed for a reservation for 8. They said no problem but it was an additional $40 that will be put on the bill. And I'm told that there is an additional $5 pp ($40) for live music. $80! I was disappointed. I understand some people are no shows, but charge them that if they don't show. $40 for live music is questionably reasonable. I said they had nothing on any single part of their website mentioning these additional fees. We skipped. Make sure you know this before booking. read more

I concur with Matt D's review, bald bartender is rude, sarcastic and surly. My issue with MacDowell's is that I was overcharged on my credit card and no one replied to several follow up phone calls or emails. I'll let Master Card settle the dispute, this is the first and last time I visit "the beach". read more

I had high hopes for this place when it opened, but I've begun to let them go. I am an avid beer collector and drinker, and McDowells may have the most comprehensive selection of good beer around. Unfortunately, outside and most weekend nights they only offer three or so draft beers. Yes, I enjoy Bells 2 hearted, but when there are 50 other selections I'd love to have a chance to try those. Is it easier and more profitable for them to limit my choice. Yes. But that isn't how a brew Pub should run. Food is fancier fried bar food. It's all decent but nothing you should probably attempt to make a meal from. Like other reviews say, service is not great. Slow and not knowledgeable. I asked for a recommendation for a bitter, hoppy IPA and was suggested a Sierra Nevada pale ale. Hopefully they'll pursue a Brew Pub feel again and stop this margaritaville vibe soon. I have not lost hope yet... read more

Great place to escape the northern va fast life style. As soon as I entered I heard the music and felt the sand on my feet which reminded me of jamaica. Not only does the environment transport you to the beach, the experiece is well complimented by friendly staff and a great selection of beer. Definitely recommend. read more

MacDowell's - My view! - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

I went with a group of people who had heard about the beach bar and wanted to try it out. This place was so cool! There is a large fenced in outdoor area that is covered with sand. They have lots of wooden chairs, picnic tables, and there is even a huge section of a boat, which you can sit inside! There are a couple of fire pits that you can sit around, which was nice, because it was pretty cool outside. The place was somewhat busy when we arrived, but not packed. There is an outdoor bar where you can also order food. We got a few flatbreads to share and they were delicious! We also really enjoyed the fried pickles. The bar had just a couple of beers on tap and a good variety of bottles beers, some which were from the local area. I really had a good time and enjoyed this bar. I'm very excited to go back when the weather gets warmer because the atmosphere makes you feel like you are somewhere tropical. read more