A Beer Hall Filled With Games Replaces Rowdy A-Town Bar

The owners of A-Town Bar and Grill are opening a new German beer hall this week that will replace the popular gathering place for hard-partying bros in Ballston. Bronson is scheduled to open Thursday, August 29, in the 6,000-square-foot space at 4100 Fairfax Drive in Arlington.

Loyal attendees of A-Town’s Sunday funday brunch won’t recognize the place.

“We wanted to do a total transformation of the space — our vision was to make it look like an Old World German beer hall,” says Mike Cordero, president of MacNac Hospitality.

Well, not completely old-world. Along with lots of red brick and lowered ceilings, Bronson boasts beer kegs that have been converted into urinals for prime Instagram-bait.

Rey Lopez/Eater DC

The 300-person restaurant, which sports a 24-seat outdoor patio, will offer American-German food and growlers filled with craft beer. The space doubles as an adult playground with a turf-lined section that’s packed with bocce ball, corn hole, and ping pong.

Rey Lopez/Eater DC

The food menu features giant pretzels, oxtail croquettes, and schnitzel to go along with beers sourced from near and far. A counter in the front displays homemade sausages, chorizo and chicken brauts, and wieners, which diners can buy by the pound.

“People can see where the sausage is being made,” Cordero says.

Its full-blown refresh started with the bar’s floor, which intersperses colorful worn-in tiling across slick concrete. Interior designer Yvette Irene is also behind millennial-driven sister spots Don Tito and G.O.A.T in Arlington, Virginia.

To create a cozy, lived-in vibe, wood beams bolted across the restaurant helped lower the cavernous ceiling, and the warehouse-styled renovation also included adding roll-up garage doors. Doors, reclaimed woods, and propellers sourced from a 100-year-old barn in Culpepper, Virginia, live on inside Bronson. Hundreds of Edison bulbs scattered across the ceiling lend a more modern look.

Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Rey Lopez/Eater DC

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