Old Town Pour House Gaithersburg Opens
Beer lovers rejoice! The Chicago-based Old Town Pour House opened its first restaurant in the DMV on Monday in the Downtown Crown area of Gaithersburg at 212 Ellington Blvd. The beer-centric restaurant is the Bottleneck Management’s first outside of the Chicago area. It joins Coastal Flats, Ted’s Montana Grill, Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in the new Downtown Crown development.
The Chicago-based Old Town Pour House opened in Gaithersburg’s Downtown Crown development on Monday.
(Photo: Bottleneck Management)
The 7,966 square-foot restaurant and bar and 1,511 square-foot outdoor patio. The interior has custom milled dark woodwork, high ceilings, copper-inlayed bars and tables, operable windows opening onto the patio and several 110-inch “video walls.” The restaurant seats 172 and another 92 on the seasonal patio.
The interior features dark woods and a copper bar. (Photo: Jeff Elkins)
“Bringing our ‘pour house’ concept to new markets allows us to share our extensive line-up of 120 craft beers on draft, made-from-scratch cuisine and an incredible atmosphere including a premiere audio/visual system to provide state of the art entertainment for our guests,” said Bottleneck partner Chris Bisaillon in a press release. “With the overwhelming response of our restaurants in the Chicagoland area, expanding to additional major metropolitan markets was the natural next step for our brand.”
Beer enthusiasts can browse the online menu of 90 beers served from 120 draft handles and even rate individual wheats, lagers, Belgians and IPAs. Besides the usual standbys like Bud Light, diners will find many well-known local brews like Frederick’s Flying Dog Brewery and D.C. Brau Brewing Co. to lesser-known brewers such as Laurel’s Jailbreak Brewing Co., Baltimore’s Union Craft Brewing and DuClaw Brewing Co., Silver Spring’s Denizens Brewing Co., Westminster, Md.’s Pub Dog Brewing Co., Salisbury’s Evolution Craft Brewing and Alexandria’s Port City Brewing Co.
Old Town Pour House features 90 beers on draft from 120 handles. (Photo: Old Town Pour House/Facebook)
But it’s not just about beer. There are eight wines on tap and cocktails such as Texas mules served in copper mugs and a 21-ounce Churchill Bloody Mary served in an oversize goblet garnished with peppered steak, pepper jack cheese, pickles, cocktail onions and a Slim Jim stir stick.
The menu, which features American cuisine, also includes beer in the Bavarian pretzel bites with Lagunitas IPA gouda cheese sauce. Other dishes include Chicago dogs, Vienna beef mini dogs wrapped in potatoes, tomato powder and poppy seeds topped with mustard relish, celery salt and sport peppers; truffle mac n chees made with Nueske’s Applewood smoked bacon, parmesan bread crumbs and shaved black truffles; 1871 chili made with smoked brisket burnt ends, N.Y strip, pork, chipotle peppers, Left Hand Milk stout, crème fraiche and red onion relish; the Pour House burger with Angus beef, aged white cheddar, lettuce, dill pickle, a beer-battered onion ring and vine ripened tomato on a white grain bun; shaved smoked brisket served with cider mustard, butter pickles and Big Ed’s gouda mornay on a Hawaiian bun; bone-in center cut 10-ounce pork chop with potato puree, chipotle maple glaze, cinnamon spiced apples and crispy buttermilk onion strings; farmed Atlantic salmon served with crème fraiche fingerling potatoes, braised baby fennel, oven dried tomatoes, grated egg and roasted spring onions with dill caper butter; and peanut butter Snickers pie with peanut butter mousse, Snickers pieces, chocolate and caramel sauce.
Menu items include the 1871 chili (clockwise from top left), cheese curds, smoked brisket sandwich and peanut butter Snickers pie. (Photos: Lee C./Yelp)
New for Gaithersburg is the Maryland crab cakes with jumbo lump crab meat, citrus jicama salad and saffron aioli; and the Ipswich clam sandwich with crispy clams, iceberg lettuce, pickled red onions and smoked potato aioli served on a hoagie bun. The restaurant also offers eight gluten-free items. Starters are priced from $7-$16; soups from $4-$8; salads from $6-$18; sandwiches from $12-$18; entrees from $18-$24; and desserts from $6-$8.
Old Town Pour House in Gaithersburg is open from 11 a.m.-2 a.m. daily. Happy hour is from 4-7 p.m. weeknights and includes a $14 beer flight for four six-ounce beers and $5 truffle popcorn, pulled pork sandwiches, sliders and Chicago dogs.
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.
