brunch review: copperwood tavern;

So this is my first review post, and you might be wondering why I’m taking my food blog down this route.  The short answer is that I love some of the restaurants in the VA/DC area, and I simply wanted to record some of those places for my own personal easy reference when a friend comes in town or if I feel like T and I have been stuck in a rut restaurant-wise.  If I continue to do this in the future, I will definitely need to take more photos though!

The longer answer is that I was somewhat inspired by bitches who brunch, because they have a great site that lets you browse for almost exactly what you’re looking for in terms of brunch places, and they have yet to steer me wrong.  That said though, I want to do more than just brunch, because I love food at any time of the day.  (And those happy hours though!)  We’ve also been browsing this Arlington magazine that has a ton of food suggestions, so T and I have made a list of places we want to try!

And the second part is that Copperwood Tavern inspired this a little.  It’s just a touch out of the way, being in Shirlington, but with their “crack” popcorn at every table, as well as the three tasty meals that I, T and our friend got, I’m okay with documenting this so that I remember to go back!

The décor at Copperwood Tavern was super cute.  We didn’t make a reservation, but we tend to be early birds so while they didn’t have any seating in their dining area, I assume due to reservations, we were immediately seated at one of the high tops that has full service.  The bar area was quaint, and the whole place was pretty much the epitome of “rustic”.  From mason jars for water on every table to the little buckets to serve popcorn in, to the tree stumps scattered across the walls, it was rustic.  As T noted, an appropriate use of Edison lights too (which I personally think is hard to do unless you live in a log cabin).  But as décor for this restaurant it was definitely fun and cute.

The food itself was amazing.  That “crack” popcorn we talked about was definitely all kinds of yum.  I believe it was popcorn seasoned with some kind of BBQ seasoning, and our waiter kept it coming even as we powered through it!  I think the three of us went through at least 5 buckets of popcorn, and probably would have more if our entrees didn’t come.  We all ordered mimosas to help wash down the popcorn as we decided what to order.  We asked our waiter for suggestions on entrees, and he gave us options in every single one of the categories.  We ended up with crab benedict, short rib benedict, and fried chicken and biscuits.

The crab benedict and short rib benedict were amazing.  Exactly what you’d expect, with a hearty amount of crab, and a decent amount of short rib meat.  Both were served with breakfast potatoes (I don’t opt for those side-salad thingys, but it’s an option) sautéed with peppers and onions.

The chicken and biscuit was definitely tasty as well, and I would recommend for those days when you want a little more substance than poached eggs.  The biscuit was buttery and crumbly, and the chicken fried up nicely.

I found Copperwood Tavern perfect for a lazy Sunday to bring a friend, though don’t know that I would venture there on my own for a casual meal just because of the distance.  It’s located in a nice area, and to wander the cute shops around it in nicer weather seems very appealing.  I do want to try Cheesetique, another shop on the same street, but this time a wine and cheese boutique.

I think I’ll be modest here since this is the first review, but I would give it a 4 out of 5 chocochips (read: stars), and would definitely love to go back there again.

Copperwood Tavern
Copperwood Tavern Website
4021 Campbell Ave
Arlington, VA 22206

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