The Early Word on Owen’s Ordinary

Owen’s Ordinary opened in mid-October in the Pike & Rose development , becoming the first restaurant for Neighborhood Restaurant Group (Hazel, Birch & Barley) in Montgomery County.

It’s also the first to offer off-site beers from its brewery, Bluejacket. Beer director Greg Engert is behind the beer list.

Located at 11820 Trade Street within the Upper Muse Alley portion of the Pike & Rose development (in Rockville/North Bethesda), the Victorian-era themed eatery features tavern fare and a Maryland-focused beer list.

The nucleus of the 6,000-square-foot operation is a temperature-controlled draft room that connects kegs directly to the bar via a complex pipe system. Out of the 50 debut drafts, half were Maryland brands and the rest are American labels. And of the 150 bottles and cans at the ready, 50 are from Maryland and the rest are from the Mid-Atlantic, the U.S., and overseas.

The Slow-Moving News: Facebooker Elizabeth Rienzo thought “service was very slow, but that can be expected during the first week,” while fellow Facebooker Daniel Hearington said “the beer took forever to be served.” [Facebook]

The Prime Burger News: Yelper Xtine B. and her husband had the Angus double stack burger, and thought “it's definitely one of the tastiest burgers in this area,” while Yelper Eddie K. also thought it “was a really good burger” and he “would order this again.” Yelper Dave H. chose the Red Apron Country Sausage Burger, which was “full of flavor” and “came with a small (but just right) side of fries.” [Yelp]

The Frothy News: Yelper Jessica C. thought the Amber Ale was “good” but the second beer she ordered “had too much head, at least two inches of it.” [Yelp]

The Cool Scene News: Facebooker Owen Skinker thought the decor was “fantastic, steam punk with creative lighting and very comfortable. Cool ambience.” And Facebooker Tao Wan thought “the window bar is pretty neat” and “the location is great.” And Zagat notes the dining room and bar “employ wooden floors, subway tiles and zinc accents to lend an industrial feel.” [Facebook, Zagat]

The Overall Owen’s News: Yelper Dave H. says for “those that appreciate craft beer and quality food meant to eat with it, this place is a win.” And Yelper Marc L. gave it an “overall rating 4.5. Really good and will return.” [Yelp]