I admit, the name makes it impossible to resist, for a pack of pilots out searching for lunch and brews on a warm summer day.
The fact it sits only a couple of miles from one of our favorite grass strips in the area, Lovettsville Vintage Aerodrome, only added to the allure.
We don’t venture to this neck of the woods across the Potomac, except from time to time by air to make a low pass, so when we fetched our friend Nuno over in Georgetown on a layover, it made sense to trek out I-66 west to see what specials they had on offer on a random Thursday.
To our surprise—since the place always looks packed on its socials—we were the first ones for lunch and had our choice of picnic tables out back. Since we had Ms. Lilly the Vizsla with us, outside was a requirement, but there was plenty to choose from.
The burger special of the day was a tasty “Raspberry Heatwave,” a jalapeño raspberry cream cheese number (with bacon) that sounds like a strange combo but actually works. The Thursday special gives you a burger and a brew for $13.99 (or the beer and double smashburger for $10.99), a smokin deal. The boys paired theirs with cider, the “Ladies Man” on tap, an apple raspberry icewine, while I started with the Hellfire Triple NE IPA, hopped with Cashmere, Citra, Mosaic, and Vic Secret throws, and coming out mango-ey and citrusy and smooth as silk at 10% abv.
For my side I chose the potato salad (no fries on the menu since it is a BBQ joint and smoker based) while Nuno had the smoked mushrooms. Yum.
My second beer? A bier de garde called “Vin de Gorde” clocking in at 6.2% abv. Brewed with roasted squash straight from the Flying Ace Farm’s garden rows, it’s aged in red wine barrels from nearby Fabbioli Cellars in Leesburg. I found it honeyed and warm, with a definite pumpkin streak to it. Lovely. We grabbed a six pack of the Guns-A-Go-Go West Coast IPA to take home, enjoying its Chinook, Centennial, and Simcoe hops delivering piney dank niceness.
We’ll be back for Taco Wednesday…trust us. And hopefully catch a band on the outdoor stage.
