I can’t believe its taken me this long to put in a plug for some of our favorite restaurants here in DC, but a particularly good hickory bar-b-que burger at Sweetwater Tavern gave me the push that I needed.  The Great American Restaurant Company runs a handful of awesome restaurants in Northern Virginia.  All of them are basically a variation on American food depending on which one you go to. Sweetwater, the one we go to most often b/c its close, has a western theme to it with steaks, ribs and burgers the staple of the menu.

Their hickory BBQ burger is awesome, with great smokey sauce which is making my mouth water just thinking about it. I’m also a huge fan of their ribs, where they use the same sauce as the burger, but the meat truly just falls off the bone. Another favorite of mine is their sweet potato fries, which slightly outpace their regular fries for fry awesomeness.

I’ve discussed meat, now let’s talk beer. In addition to great food, Sweetwater also serves as a great micro-brew. They have a couple of standards available all the time, but most of what is available when you go in are seasonal beers. They have what is probably my favorite summer beer in their summer wheat, and I had an awesome stout last time that is similar to Guinness. There is generally a good variety and everyone should be able to find something they are happy with.

For those less carnivorous than I, Cris is a big fan of the salads that they have.  I’ll be honest and say that I don’t pay that close attention to the salads, but I know the last one she ordered had really good pieces of mango in it.

The last thing I’ll mention about the Sweetwater dining experience is what you actually get to experience first. Best Buns Bread Company provides all the bread for the Great American Restaurants and their “Ozzy Rolls” have ruined Cris’ appetite on more than one occasion.  They come in a typical bread basket, but if you’re like us, you’ll definitely be asking for more of these in particular.  On a side note, we finally discovered that they’re called Ozzy Rolls b/c their creator’s last name is Osbourne and he’s a big Ozzie Osbourne fan.

As I said, we go to Sweetwater most often but we’re big fans of some of the others as well. Coastal Flats sort of reminds me of the Charleston, SC area and has more seafood options, while Carlyle has a little more upscale, polished feel. All great places to grab a bite to eat in the Nothern Virginia area.