By Helena Tavares Kennedy
Breweries seem to be popping up everywhere in the Prince William region, but BadWolf Brewing Company has been around since it opened its doors in June 2013. Jeremy and Sarah Meyers, co-founders of BadWolf, are locals who grew up in the area and wanted to share their naturally delicious unfiltered and unpasteurized beer with the community. They even give local farmers their spent grains as a way to give back to the community they love while embracing the environmentally friendly thing to do. Their BadWolf Public House second location is even Virginia Green Certified.
But people are bustling to their newest location on Battle Street in Historic Manassas, not just for BadWolf’s tasty beer or environmentally friendly philosophy, but for their scrumptious new food offerings.
The idea began with a conversation among friends who were also looking to start a restaurant in the same Historic Manassas area. The Meyers and restauranteurs Chris Sellers and Jon Kibben, who own CJ Finz Raw Bar & Grille just a few streets away, took their conversations into action and created the
new BadWolf Public House. “It quickly became the perfect marriage of a brewery and a fabulous new restaurant concept,” said Sarah Meyers.
The restaurant has been open since March, and at the time this article was written, the brewery is still underway as the current ABC laws and ownership structure make it a bit more complicated to get the brewery operational. Jeremy Meyers, BadWolf’s Brewer who is helping them set up the brewery part at this new location and is eager to start brewing as soon as possible, said: “Once the brewery is up and running, we’ll be sourcing local hops and other ingredients. My recipes here will not be the same as what you would find at BadWolf Brewing Company. They will be unique and original.” In the meantime, they are offering a variety of other local Virginia beers.
Even through the challenges of opening a new location with both food and brews, Sarah Meyers is quick to point out that “starting with a clean slate and a new concept is fun and challenging. We all had to come up with a concept that would work for the location and carry a great legacy with BadWolf beer and a
scratch kitchen.”
What makes this location different from other restaurants in the area is that it was created as a “gastro pub concept with scratch kitchen and beer soon to be brewed on site, all in a historic and beautiful setting of downtown Manassas,” said Sarah Meyers. “It will be the only brewery in downtown with a full-service kitchen.”
With rave online reviews, including on their Facebook page, customers are enjoying the food and new gem. According to Chef Clarke Congdon, the #1 seller off the menu is the Public House Burger, 6 ounces of local grain-fed beef topped with Manchego cheese, fire roasted peppers, rosemary aioli and tobacco onions. What makes this burger even more appealing is knowing that the meat comes from Rustic Acres Farms in nearby Fauquier County and the bun is made at Lyon Bakery in Hyattsville, Maryland.
Some other favorite menu items include The Bavarian which includes your choice of any three sausages all sourced from Logan’s in Alexandria. The grilled sausages offer a variety of choices with chorizo, kielbasa, sweet Italian, bratwurst and andouille, which come with a warm house-braised sauerkraut,
pretzel and whole grain mustard. The Charcuterie Board is another popular item and includes marinated olives, artisan cured meats, cheeses and house-made preserves. The salami for the board is from another nearby supplier, Olli in Mechanicsville. Online reviews show that customer favorites also include Famous Super C’s Fried Chicken, salmon, shrimp Caesar salad and poutine.
BadWolf’s emphasis on local suppliers and supporting the local economy comes through in their menu offerings, but not just for meats or breads. Happy Harvest Farms in Manassas supplies all of their lettuce and as the growing season begins in the spring, BadWolf sources more local vegetables when they are available. Congdon said, “Our Kitchen Coalition takes great pride in handcrafting each meal specifically for our guests’ ultimate pleasure, using only the best local ingredients when possible.”
BadWolf Public House is also a unique place to have a party or event as well since it has not just a first-floor dining room and bar, but a second-floor dining and banquet room that can accommodate up to 35 people. The brewhouse that is located behind the main first-floor dining area has a three-barrel system
with six fermenters and a barrel aging program, and seating for up to 14 people to have a special party experience for customers looking for a unique venue.
Visit BadWolf Public House on 9406 Battle St, Manassas during their open hours daily from 11:00 a. m. to 1:00 a. m. On the weekends, brunch is served from 10:00 a. m. to 2:00 p. m. Check out their food and drink menus and upcoming events at badwolfpublichouse.com.
Helena Tavares Kennedy (hkennedy@princewilliamliving.com), a longtime Prince William County resident, is a freelance writer and communications consultant at htkmarketingservices.com and
livinggreendaybyday.com.
