Andrea VanDenBroeke

Review of Blue Jacket Brewery

I booked a 9pm Saturday reservation at the Arsenal...

I booked a 9pm Saturday reservation at the Arsenal restaurant for a party of 3 through the Bluejacket website/OpenTable. We ended up in the neighborhood early at 8:30 and checked in with the host. They told us that we couldn't be seated early, as the hosts had 8:30 and 8:45 reservations to accommodate. This is totally reasonable, and my party was more than happy to walk to the river and wait for our reservation time. However, upon returning at 8:55, we were told that we would have to wait another 25-30 minutes for a table. This was frustrating, considering our previous conversation with the hosts.

Luckily, three spots had opened up at the communal tables in the bar area, and we opted to sit there. The wide variety of beers available made choosing one a delightful conundrum. My party tried 6+ of the beer offerings, and found them well crafted. I was impressed that cocktails were also offered on the menu, but I did not try one this visit.

The food we ordered was well made, thoughtfully presented, and the stars of the evening. The shishito peppers were sublime, tots delectable, and wings with mumbo sauce perfectly cooked and sauced. The cauliflower side bordered on a religious experience for one primarily-carnivore companion.

Overall, I would visit again to try more of the beer offerings and more of the menu. Despite a frustrating start, I was very pleased with the food and drink, as well as the ambiance and location.