DoG Street Pub

Style: Gastropub (Beer and Food)
My Rating: 4.5 / 5 Stars

Website: http://www.dogstreetpub.com/

Likes: Quality ingredients, a beer for everyone, friendly service, gorgeous setting, standard fare with flair

Dislikes: It's on Duke of Gloucester Street, so parking is a pain


In the past, Duke of Gloucester Street in historic downtown Williamsburg, VA has been a source of disappointment and frustration. I have always wanted to like going there, but there are three things that highly annoy me. Parking is very frustrating, everything is generally highly overpriced, and the food and service in the area have been lackluster. So when I heard that DoG Street Pub opened up, I was very interested but hesitant. It took me almost an entire year to work up the motivation to check out the restaurant. But I finally did so and am so happy that it worked out.

We walked in at about 1:45 on a Saturday afternoon. It was a lovely spring day, with sunshine and temperatures in the mid 60’s being carried by a gentle breeze. The pub had seating outside, but we decided to sit inside because of the intense amount of pollen that has been plaguing the air. Inside I was stunned by the décor. Beautiful tiled floors and ceilings, with gorgeous wrought iron chandeliers and gates. 

There was also an interesting mix of people here. We were sat down next to a group of elderly women. Looking around the room, I also noticed young families with children, tourists, and college students. It seemed basically as a neighborhood restaurant where everyone is welcome. 

The pub had a descent menu of beers and our waiter could actually recommend beverages. It seems like many times in a restaurant, the serving staff has limited knowledge of the drinks. I was lucky to have an Old Rasputin from North Coast on draft and my husband had a bottled Fuller’s London Porter. The really cool thing was that they kept blue swing top bottles on the table for water so we could serve ourselves as needed. They were gorgeous bottles. 

I ordered the Honey Ham and Cheddar sandwich and it was worth every penny. It was a double layered sandwich with three slices of thick homemade bread. The bread tasted slightly like it had been smeared with garlic butter so that it would grill nicely. It had a generous amount of ham and cheddar between the three slices of bread, which was garnished with bacon. It was served with crispy kettle chips.

Brad had the hamburger. It was done to the perfect temperature, a medium, leaning towards medium rare. It was served with a special pub sauce which looked like remoulade, but tastes gentle and robust at the same time. The french fries that came with the burger were served in a cute little pail. The fries were thick cut steak fries with a touch of seasoning and partially skins were left on.

I wish that we had tried DoG Street Pub a little sooner. I enjoyed the scenery, the service, and the food. Now, we look forward to returning soon.