KenScale: 8.25/10 Visits: October 2025 Since moving to the DC metro area with my wife Jun a few years ago, one of our favorite fall activities has been to drive to Shenandoah National Park to enjoy the fall foliage. We made the same trip recently but it turned out to be a bust. Due to an unusually warm fall, the leaves have not turned color that much, and also with the government shutdown (meaning the park office could not collect entrance fees), the crowd was absolutely packed around hiking trails, with cars parked all over the roads where they were not supposed to be. After a quick hike to the Stony Mountain trail, Jun and I decided to call it a day and head over to get dinner at Sumac, a trailer operation inside Pen Druid Brewing. Little did we know that our experience at Sumac would turn out to the highlight of our trip! Run by chef Dan Gleason and his wife Abigail, Sumac has both a la carte options and a tasting menu at a reasonable $95 per person. If you want to explore the full range of dishes from the trailer, I highly recommend going with the latter. The food comes out in paper plates and you get plastic utensils, but there is nothing modest about the high level of execution displayed by the kitchen, using local ingredients from rural Virginia in a very skillful manner. A starter dish of tomatoes (playfully named Tomatoes' Last Waltz with chewy millets) was a nice surprise, and the grilled eggplant with pepper mayo and XO sauce was one of my favorite dishes from the tasting menu with its smoky flavor and texture that was spot-on. Who knew that a humble combination of napa cabbage, butternut squash and ricotta could create such a wonderful effect together? I certainly gained a renewed appreciation for the delightfully sweet butternut squash from the dish. Picanha steak with Amarosa potato fingerlings as well as black cod with lobster sherry sauce also wouldn't have felt out of place at other high-end restaurants. The desserts from the tasting menu were even more memorable. I was very fond of the pear cake with bay leaf cream (and pear is not even one of my favorite fruits), while Jun savored the acorn squash sundae with apple cider that more or less perfectly captured the fall flavor. If you are inclined to try the tasting menu, advance ticket sales last until the night of Wednesday for the upcoming weekend from Friday through Sunday so definitely plan ahead. You can complement your meal with beer, cider or natural wine options coming from Pen Druid Brewing; a glass of cider that I ordered turned out to be quite a nice pairing to the food. You can either grab an outdoor table behind the kitchen trailer or an indoor table inside the brewery and a staff member will deliver the dishes to you. Sumac was one of the most pleasant surprises of the year, and Jun and I are very excited to go back for a constantly changing seasonal menu for more. Who knew that you would find one of the most delicious food trailers in the Virginia countryside? read more

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Amazing pop up (not pop up) behind Pen Druid Brewery. Had the 6 course tasting menu which changes every week. Hyper local ingredients and a beautiful location make this a unique and special dining experience. Nice service as well. read more

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Sumac is such a neat concept! It is a wood fired kitchen just steps away from the Pen Druid brewery. You can grab some yummy beers and then partake in the Sumac menu. We came in early May and sat outside because it's so scenic there. The timing didn't quite work out for us to do the tasting menu, but we tried the potatoes, boo chop, black bass and pork belly. Everything was delicious and so interesting! My favorite bite was the perfectly seared black bass with such tender and flaky filet. It was served over a berry vinaigrette that was as pretty as it was yummy. My husband's favorite bite was the pork belly, which was smoked and decadent. It was served over a whey caramel and fermented oats, which was similar to a natto without the funky smell. It was jam packed with umami flavor and super interesting. I also liked the potatoes, which was cooked in pork fat and delicious, and the bok choy. read more

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Was really excited to try this place, but unfortunately left with a bad experience. Food is extremely overpriced and served in paper plates where you have to grab your own food from trailor each time. No service provided, mostly all self service when charged $90+ per person. Food portions are small and were not memorable. I remember my friends and I couldn't finish the last dessert dish as the bourbon flavor was too strong. We left so disappointed and had driven 2hours to try. Not worth the hype or good reviews. read more

On the grounds of the Pen Druid brewery, the people of Sumac are performing culinary miracles turning out first class food out of a small wood fired kitchen in a pull along trailer about the size of your college uhaul!!! Go for the tasting menu and let them take your tastebuds on a rollercoaster up and down the Blue Ridge Mountains with everything being locally sourced. This place has CHOPS!!! It's no wonder they have been written up in the New York Times!!! read more

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Pure perfection. We have been to this place countless times and every single dish we have had has blown us away. Super fresh, super seasonal and prepared literally right in this trailer. The team here is absolutely brilliant, sourcing locally, serving what's in season and fresh and doing it in a stunning and delicious way. We've also had them do in-home dinners for us and those were also life-changing experiences. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Do yourself a favor and order all of it. read more

We have been here six or seven times in last 18 months and done the tasting menu every time. It has become our favorite place to "treat ourselves". Yes, portions are small so do not come here expecting a feast. Rather, come here with an open mind and curiosity for amazing, savory flavors. The setting is unparalleled and we love the "hyper-local" approach with everything within a roughly 100 mile range. We have eaten at the Inn at Little Washington many times and this food is comparable and many times better than what we have enjoyed there. Truly a gem!! Thanks for your gift to this area.... read more

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Great food shack located behind the Pen Druid brewery that serves amazing food including a tasting menu for two that doesn't disappoint. This was an amazing surprise hit from our last trip to Sperryville. The day after we had our tasting menu at Three Blacksmiths we went for a long (9-mile) hike up cedar run canyon and back down white oak canyon and came to hang out at Pen Druid. We also decided to try the Sumac tasting menu for two. It's not cheap at $135 + gratuity + tax coming to like $170, but man was it good. Also the setting sitting at picnic tables with a sweeping view of the Shenandoah combined with red winged blackbirds and tree swallows flying around can't be beat. The tasting menu just kept coming. The sardines and french fries take on fish and chips was yummy and salty in the right ways, but wasn't the star of the meal. The hamasa crudo (yellowtail amberjack sushi) was spectacular and something I would have been excited about at any sushi restaurant, but maybe a bit better with the toppings of rhubarb and sorrel foam. The duck stuffed cabbage with a rich sauce and toasted peanuts was even better than it sounded. The bread service didn't disappoint with nicely toasted bread served with green garlic butter and some sliced fatty ham. It didn't stand out, but also kept up with the meal. The strawberries and vidalia onions were the sleeper hit of the meal and just word with the bitter and strong onion flavors flowing nicely into the sweet strawberries carried even better by the flowers, herbs, and sweet berry sauce. Dessert was a strawberry tres leches cake, which was moist and sweet without being overpowering or drenched. The service was fast and friendly. It took 10-15 minutes for them to yell our name across the open field and then we could come and get everything but dessert, which they had ready for us at just the right time after we ate. Even better, you can pair it with whatever beer you like from Pen Druid, which is fantastic since they have a great selection of saisons and lighter beers perfect for pairing. We got the Spontaneous Vidal bottle and poured it. The white wine and grape must notes over a farmhouse ale just paired beautifully throughout. read more

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Went for our 1.5 year anniversary dinner. Amazing food and staff. 10/10 one of the best tasting menus, food, and experiences. read more

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Went with friends for the 6 course brunch that featured 5 chefs from as far away St. Louis! What an amazing meal and excellent service. The beer was top notch too. The views were spectacular and much fun was had! Who knew a little food truck could provide such a big experience!! read more

Can't say enough about the creativity, plating and most important flavor of the dishes I enjoyed here. This is not an ordinary food truck at a brewery, this is fine cooking at a brewery. I really didn't come here for the beer, but found this place while hunting on google maps for interesting eats. The roasted carrots with cheese were amazing. Perfectly cooked to keep some crunk. you can taste the hint of smoke (not overpowering) as they are cooked on a wood fire. the cheese was not too heavy and had some sweetness to it. married very well with the carrots and sparkling white wine i was drinking. the pork belly was too out of this world. cut to a think was that's not too thin nor super think. seasoned perfectly as as not to be overbearing like in many other places. the greens and other items on the plate along with a piece of belly in one bite is the way to go for sure. had i been here earlier or was hungrier i would have ordered another round for sure. the strawberry shortcake had roasted strawberries with mint. what a bite. the cakes consistency was not angle cake nor too dense. again worthy of another round. come here with people (i happened to be alone) and get as many dishes as you can to share. they also have a tasting menus for 2+. not to mention the scenery here is killer too. looking forward to staying in this area next time and exploring the food scene some more. not cheap but well worth it! a great value if you like taste food versus just eat it. great job guys, and thank you!! read more

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extremely over priced , inexplicably tiny portions , and underwhelming flavor , ( for example , a $ 25 steak "meal" that was the size of a hot dog and fatty ) .....I don't understand all the excitement (?) . $ 185 and we all left hungry with a " not again " mindset . read more

The place has a very nice view of the mountains, but the food is extremely overpriced. Spent $58 with a 20% service fee included. The meal only included 6 pieces of steamed asparagus, and 2 small crabs with a miniscule portion of side salad. Definitely not going back to this place for food. read more