(Robby Willey and Chris Smith. Photo by Diane Catanzaro.)
By Diane Catanzaro and Christopher Jones
Robert Johnson’s blues masterpiece “Come On In My Kitchen” is a metaphor for sanctuary. The wind is howling and it’s raining outdoors. The kitchen in the song represents a warm, safe haven of protection from the harsh elements, both literal and figurative, and an offer of friendship. Virginia Beer Company’s brewpub, The Kitchen, is a warm and friendly haven to escape from the harsh elements to a kinder place, where you can sit a spell, have a brew and a bite, and experience a casual, friendly environment that is a remedy for cold winter days and the hassles of modern life.
This Kitchen beckons from the George Washington Highway in Yorktown. Virginia Beer Company has been brewing standout beers at their popular Williamsburg brewery since 2016. Realizing that beer loves food, and that there was a need for a brewery in Yorktown, owners Chris Smith and Robby Willey have opened a brand new brewpub, The Kitchen. Yes, it’s a restaurant AND a brewery, family friendly and welcoming to all humans.
The Kitchen features a from-scratch kitchen, a fine selection of VBC beers, plus cider, wine, seltzers, their own batch-made signature cocktails, and guest beverages like White Claw. Non-alcohol beverages include root beer, fountain sodas, and Enay (NA, get it?) beers from Williamsburg’s Precarious Beer Project.
The on-premises brewery at The Kitchen will start brewing beers as soon as Yorktown officials give their final approval. But, rest assured you will find many of their tasty beers, lovingly brewed at VBC’s Williamsburg brewery, delivered fresh to the Kitchen, and available both on tap and canned for takeout.
The location is a brand-new standalone building, with high ceilings and a blond wood interior. There is ample seating at the bar, and four-top tables that can be combined for larger groups. When warmer weather comes the outdoor area should be ready, with seating, firepits, and live music.
We have a special place in our hearts for VBC as their Free Verse Hazy IPAs was the first ‘hazy’ we had that was brewed in Virginia, back when this style was fairly new to market and known as the New England Style IPA (NEIPA) in tribute to Vermont’s Alchemist Brewery, credited with the first NEIPA, Heady Topper. This beer style has developed legions of followers and today almost every brewery offers one or more ‘hazys.’ The hazy IPA emphasizes hops flavor over hops bitterness, and is brewed with a variety of New World hops that impart juicy, citrusy, tropical fruit, melon, grape, and/or dank-cannabis aromas and flavors. These beers are hops flavor-forward and don’t have the hops bitterness of traditional ‘West Coast’ IPAs.
The VBC has been brewing ‘hazys’ since before the term was coined, and have it down to a science. In addition to Free Verse, other hazy IPAs on the menu at the Kitchen recently include Hall Pass, Gorgeous, and Fresh Powder. The latter is a hazy double IPA, called a DIPA, with a higher 8% ABV and probably best imbibed after skiing, but not before. What differentiates the various hazy IPAs, in addition to alcohol content, is the hops blend used in the brewing process and any ‘dry hopping’ during fermentation or conditioning. Yeast, malt, and any adjuncts also contribute, but the hops varieties and dry hopping are a key factor in the flavor profile of the hazy IPA or DIPA.
Have a hankering for an old-school West Coast IPA, with some crisp hops bitterness and less of the juicy? The Aurora IPA is for you. How about a balanced Pale Ale, a style we don’t see enough these days? You’ll be happy with the Sizzle Reel, which took home a Silver Medal in VEER’s Golden Tap Awards for 2025.
How about something that is not in the pale ale or IPA family? The Schwarzbier is a beautiful black lager with dark malt, chocolate, and roasted grain notes in a harmonious blend. Light on the palate, but big on flavor, the German-style black lager is winning hearts and minds of dark beer lovers who don’t want something heavy. Another German style at The Kitchen is the Slam Dunk Munich Dunkel, a malty brunette lager with bready-toast notes that pairs well with food.
Those who seek a lighter, balanced, quaffable beer will be happy with Cold Drinking Beer. As the name suggests, it’s an unpretentious, light, crisp refreshing “beer flavored” beer, 5% ABV, that just happened to win a Silver Medal at the 2025 Australian International Beer Awards and Bronze in VEER’s Golden Tap Awards. Another beer is On the Fritz California Common, in homage to Fritz Maytag whose Anchor Steam invented the style. The lowest ABV beer on the menu is Inklings’ Best Bitter, at 4.4%, and the highest is Single Barrel Experience, a bourbon barrel stout aged on vanilla beans, at 12.5%. Of course, the beer selection will vary over time, but you are guaranteed well-made beers served fresh at The Kitchen.
Oh, yes, and beer DOES love food! Steak frites, fish and chips, fish tacos, burgers (beef or falafel), grain bowl, pressed Cuban sandwich, crispy chicken breast sandwich, and hot dogs are some of the offerings. Salads allow you to add tuna, steak, chicken, or falafel. The steak is ‘bavette steak’ which we had to look up. It’s a French bistro cut also known as a sirloin flap, said to be rich and flavorful.
For lighter bites, try the biscuits with pimento cheddar spread, hummus platter with chilled veggies and honey chili crunch, or tuna poke tots. We enjoyed the fried brussels sprout appetizer, always a go-to for us and these did not disappoint. Fries and tots round out the menu. Both were tasty and arrived hot.
Go to The Kitchen and find a warm place to have a bite, meet neighbors, and enjoy a comfortable respite where you don’t have to do the dishes.
The Kitchen from The Virginia Beer Company is at 7120 George Washington Highway, Yorktown, VA., 23692. Open Thursday-Sunday 11 am until 9 pm. Monday-Wednesday open 4-9 pm.