Cooperative Living March 2023 - 30

DINING WITH PEGGY
Got a restaurant for Peggy to review?
Let us know at editor@co-opliving.com.
Setting the Bar Higher
Much more than just another pub
by Peggy Hyland, Contributing Writer
O
n a recent near-perfect-weather Saturday, my
companion and I wound our way along rural roads
to Manassas to check out the Public House Kitchen
& Brewery. At the heart of the revitalized Old Town section,
this charming brewpub was well worth the drive.
The dining room
has both a bar and
tables in a familyfriendly,
welcoming
atmosphere suitable for
all ages. There are also
two window tables,
perfect for peoplewatching.
The walls
were covered in retro
beer signs. I always
check for purse hooks
and was pleased to find
them at all tables as
well as the bar (it's the
little things).
The menu takes pub
The Best Reuben
Around.
Gouda Mac & Cheese, also available as an entrée. I do not
usually go for macaroni and cheese, but this made a believer
out of me.
The small but well-represented dessert menu included a
delicious apple crisp. It had a nice savory warmth from the
cinnamon to balance the
sweetness and was served
with vanilla ice cream.
I could not resist the pull
of the seasonal bread
pudding, which was
blueberry and white
chocolate. Like macaroni
and cheese, bread
pudding is not my go-to
choice, but this would
make a bread pudding
lover out of the biggest
skeptic.
Beer Cheese
& Pretzels.
The service was
Blueberry & White
Chocolate Bread Pudding.
fare to new heights,
and we were blown
away by every single
dish. We first dove into
the poutine for an
appetizer; crispy fries
delicately sauced with
brown gravy and
melted cheese. The
candied bacon did not
last long, as we gobbled up the sticky, gooey, crisp and thick
slices. The beer cheese and pretzels had a creamy delicate
cheese dip. They were all so delicious that it was hard to pick
a favorite, but that one won by a narrow margin.
When a restaurant touts a dish as " the best around, "
they need to live up to it, and The Best Reuben Around did
not disappoint. Served open-faced, it had large chunks of
house-corned beef that was perfectly seasoned along with
beer-braised sauerkraut.
The salmon had a light, refreshing seasoning and was
cooked perfectly. The fried chicken had a crisp and crunchy
exterior with zesty seasoning surrounding juicy boneless
chicken breasts. It came with a house favorite: the smoked
28 ● Cooperative Living ●
March 2023
impeccable - friendly,
attentive without
hovering and seamlessly
tag-teamed. The ample
portions were
appropriately priced,
and the house-brewed
beers were excellent.
We sampled the hoppy
Just the tIPA, the malty
Alewerks Tavern Brown
Ale, the West Coaststyle
Public House Stop Playin' Smokey, and the decadent
Aslin How Now Brown Cow, with peanut butter, chocolate
and coffee, balanced just right.
Manassas has truly reinvigorated itself in the twenty years
since I lived there. The charming and bustling Old Town area
now has plenty of parking to serve the burgeoning arts and
food scene. I can't wait to go back, and the Public House will
be my first stop. 
Public House Kitchen & Brewery
9406 Battle St., Manassas, Va. 20110
(571) 292-1427
phbrewpub.com
co-opliving.com
http://www.phbrewpub.com http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living March 2023

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