The long-awaited Astro Beer Hall is now open in Shirlington, serving fried chicken in many forms (fingers, wings, sliders, sandwiches) along with doughnuts, coffee, beer and other bar munchies amid old-school arcade games and walls covered in space-themed murals.
A joint venture of restaurateurs Elliot Spaisman and Jeff Halpern in partnership with hospitality development group Tin Shop, the new eatery, which opened on Sept. 19, is an outsized version of its sister location in D.C.
Spanning 14,000 square feet, the corner establishment features a two-level beer hall, a game room, a 140-seat patio—the biggest in Shirlington—and full-service coffee shop.
About that coffee shop: It has a robot that makes nine varieties of cake doughnuts to order. “When the product is done, the doughnut comes out and then the staff glazes it with what the customer wants,” Spaisman says. “We put [the robot] on display so the customer can see the doughnuts being made.”
For each day of opening weekend—Sept. 22-24—the first 50 people in line will get one of those doughnuts for free.
Childhood friends who grew up together in the D.C. area, Spaisman and Halpern opened the first Astro Doughnuts (it later became Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken) in 2013. Coming out of the pandemic, the duo decided to open a bigger restaurant that appealed to all demographics and had more outdoor space. The Village at Shirlington, with its combination of residential and office buildings, had the perfect vibe and a large corner spot. “It’s very bright and airy and has a lot of windows,” Spaisman says. “It really has a presence, which is great.”
In keeping with its larger size, the Shirlington beer hall also has a larger menu, created by Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken Chef Chris Kujala. New additions include the Astronomic Burger (two 4-ounce Pat LaFrieda beef patties topped with pimento cheese, fried onions, smoked bacon, pickled jalapenos and hickory barbecue sauce) and a Satellite Sampler Tower featuring loaded fries, deviled eggs, fried mac & cheese, chicken fingers, wings, cheeseburger sliders and fried pickles.
The kitchen also offers salads and sandwiches, entrees (including chicken and waffles) and a kids’ menu.
“We’re going to have a good [weekend] brunch component in about a month or so,” Spaisman adds.
The coffee shop, which serves Compass Coffee and Astro’s famous yeast and cake doughnuts, got a menu refresh, too. New breakfast dishes include the Astro Shot, a Nutella-coated yeast doughnut filled with a shot of espresso and steamed milk; a Buffalo chicken and Belgian waffle sandwich with a fried egg and honey butter; and house-made brioche cinnamon rolls with cream cheese glaze (the latter are available only on weekends).
But not everything is different. Fans can still look forward to Astro’s signature chicken sandwiches and chicken fingers (with the option of adding heat), as well as its award-winning creme brulee and maple-bacon doughnuts. “We have our staples that we’re never going to change,” Spaisman says. “Those will always be on the menu…but we kind of wanted to grow it a little add a little more.”
The bar program includes 24 brews on tap—most from local and independent breweries—plus cocktails such as a cinnamon-spiced Launchpad espresso martini; the rum-spiked Rocket Queen with pineapple and mint; and two seasonal slushies. Happy Hour will be weekdays from 4-6 p.m., with $2 off pint beers and select cocktails.
In the game room, guests can play classic arcade games such as Skee-Ball, Ms. Pac-Man, a 10-foot-tall version of Space Invaders and Rock the Rim, a basketball game. There are also a couple of claw machines for younger players.
“It’s fun for all ages,” Spaisman says. Plus, there are plans to turn the basement into a pool hall in the coming weeks.
Located in the Village at Shirlington (4001 Campbell Ave., Arlington), Astro Beer Hall’s coffee shop is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The beer hall is open 4-11 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday.