Fantastic Venue

The Birchmere gets all the best artists who come through town and is all in all a fantastic place to catch a show. The food is generic although the beer selection is good, but really, you are here for the music. Really, one star and a promise never to visit again because you didn't get a glass of water? Really? So you (a music fan?) are announcing that you will never again see Robert Earl Keen, Steve Earle, Cowboy Junkies, America, Nils Lofgren, Gillian Welch, or dozens of other great artists in the DC area, ever again, because you didn't get a drink of water? I don't agree with Birchmere's position here but the reviewer is the real piece of work. Sometimes I think there should be an IQ test for using the internet!

Code violations and drinking water

I went to a show here a couple of weeks ago and, in addition to wine with the food, asked for a glass of water. The waiter said they don't serve free water, you have to buy it. I asked for the manager, who said the owner made the business decision to save the cost of serving free water to customers. Seriously? A glass of water? Bad decision. I also checked with the VA health board and discovered they have repeated health code violations, most often for employees handling food with bare hands, second most often was food stored at incorrect temperatures to keep it safe. I will never go there again.