#153: Leesburg Public House

Date Visited: 13 December 2014

Meal: Dinner

Diners: Me and Wendy

Experience: Leesburg Public House is the latest restaurant to occupy this storied location near Walmart. When we moved here in 1987 it was a Sizzler, then Ponderosa, then Red Apple Buffet (after I started this blog), then the short-lived Buffalo Wings & Beer (never visited), then Ironwood Tavern, and now Leesburg Public House. The restaurant is self-described as “Seasonal American Cuisine by Chef Mark Marrocco” and a place to “Enjoy a fabulous menu in a fun and comfortable new restaurant, featuring over 30 craft beers on tap, unique cocktails and top-notch wine.”

On the advice of our server, we picked the Bacon Popcorn appetizer, which is hot buttered popcorn in a brown paper bag, with crumbled bacon on top. Fun! There were several other appetizers that looked good too, but will have to wait until the next visit.

Since this is a beer joint, of course I had to order a beer. Again, on the advice of our server, I picked a Maine Beer Company Weez, from the “Malty & Smooth” section of the menu, described as “Hoppy American Black Ale”. It was really dark and great on this cold night.

For my main dish, I got the Southern Man Burger (“Praline Bacon, Pimento Cheese, Sweet Onions, Red Pepper Mayo, Lettuce”). I ordered it medium, and it was actually medium! (well, it looked medium.) The pimento cheese and red pepper mayo were a good combination of flavors. Wendy got the Baja Shrimp Taco (“Flour Tortilla, Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, Cilantro Slaw, Crispy Tortilla Chips”). Although the name is singular (“Taco”), you actually get three. The shrimp in the tacos are lightly battered and have a slightly spicy, creamy sauce on them. They had a nice fresh and light texture. She was also able to substitute Asiago Polenta instead of Tortilla Chips - yum!

Reviews on Yelp are mostly very good, with just a few instances of service issues. Our service was extremely good; our server was cheerful, attentive, prompt with refills, and had good presentation.

Check out Leesburg Public House yourself, and support a local business!

Location: 962 Edwards Ferry Rd. NE, Leesburg, VA, 20176, 703-777-6333

Website: http://leesburgpublichouse.com/

Total bill: $47.36 + $10.00 tip = $57.36