The Birchmere
The Birchmere
4.5
5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Monday
5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Friday
5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
356 reviews
Excellent
183
Very good
119
Average
35
Poor
9
Terrible
10
Katie F
5 contributions
Mar 2022
How are people not more annoyed by the way this place is run?? Regardless of how early you buy your ticket, you need to show up AT LEAST 2 hours prior to show time to have a chance at getting a decent seat. And then you have to wait around and drink overpriced beer and snacks ($7 for chips and nachos) until your number is called and you have to rush inside to get a good seat. The setup was fine and we had a good view of the band since we arrived at 5 PM for a 7:30 show, but the lighting was weird and we frequently had bright lights shined directly into our eyes. The food inside the venue was decent but again, extremely overpriced. This was my first time at the Birchmere and will likely be my last.
Written March 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yvette N
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Family
Tickets were purchased and picked up at will-call. You get in line to pick up and then, in addition, you must take a second numerical number. You then must wait in a bunched up, packed corral in the entry hall until this second numerical ticket number is called. You then must have the original purchased ticket scanned at the entertainment area entry. Is there a reason that the purchased ticket alone cannot be used for entry. Patrons could then get seated and orders placed right away. The venue could be bumping up sales while people are ordering drinks and the patrons are seated and comfortable for the 2 hours waiting for the show. This concept could be a win-win for the business and the patron. It does not seem to matter if you purchased tickets way in advance, you have to wait and wait in this terrible corral for a separate numerical number to be called. We got to the venue 1 1/2 hour early. That did not matter, the actual entertainment area was already almost filled. Why can't the original ticket alone be scanned to alleviate guests being herded in a corral before entry. We then waited almost an hour to get order service once we were seated. Every server that we tried to give our order to stated "they were not our server." Also, the staff showing people to an open seats(if you were so lucky to be shown to a seat) stated they had nothing to do with taking orders. After raising a mild fuss, one of the "not our server" gentlemen agreed to take our order. Every patron around us at entry and at the table were complaining about all of the above, but most people will not take the complaints to pen and paper. This show was general admission which should have been first come first served for entry. If there is a logical explanation for these processes, I would love to hear it. We did enjoy the show which was the saving grace.
Written November 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marlene B
Centreville, VA23 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Great evening out to see 3 local blue grass bands...Seldom Scene being the headliner. Moderately priced 1st come seating. It wasnt too crazy. Arrived just after 6pm for an 8pm show. We had time to order drinks and have dinner before the show. Dessert and drinks could be ordered during the show. You did not have to order anything to eat or drink. You can just come for the show.
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
patty6789
Arlington, VA7 contributions
Oct 2021
Wonderful venue but they are NOT following Covid guidelines. Packed with people and almost no one wore a mask! Talked with the performers and they were also shocked at the lack of mask wearers. Just selfish on the patrons part. These bands want to keep performing and if they get sick because of us their tour will come to an end.
Written October 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Charita M
Northern Virginia, VA46 contributions
Mar 2022
I go to Birchmere pretty frequently. I love the variety of music they have at this venue. They always have such great and popular artist. It is a great way to see famous artists in a small intimate setting. The majority if not all of the ticket prices are very reasonable. The food is good depending on what you order. The service is good also. I also love that some of the guest artist allow you to meet, get an autograph or picture after the show sometimes. I will continue to frequent this location. I will actually be there this upcoming Monday, Feb 13th for the Eric Roberson performance.
Written February 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lee H
Denver, CO361 contributions
Sep 2021 • Friends
Hour early wasn't early enough. We walked in at 6:25 for a 7:30 show and had a tough time finding a decent seat. Thankfully it is a small venue and the acoustics are excellent.
Get there early and enjoy the food and drink.
Get there early and enjoy the food and drink.
Written September 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wllangley
Richmond, VA2 contributions
Jul 2022 • Friends
The Birchmere is an intimate setting, with about 500 seats in a dinner theater atmosphere. I was at the Herb Alpert concert and could not ask for better seating. The sound system was great.
If you go plan to arrive early to get in line. There is no assigned seating. You get in line to get your entrance number and are called in to get a seat accordingly.
I was disappointed by the food. The service was good but the food was mediocre and expensive. I suggest eating before you come.
The parking was included in the ticket price.
Overall it's a pretty decent venue, especially if you want to be close to the stage.
If you go plan to arrive early to get in line. There is no assigned seating. You get in line to get your entrance number and are called in to get a seat accordingly.
I was disappointed by the food. The service was good but the food was mediocre and expensive. I suggest eating before you come.
The parking was included in the ticket price.
Overall it's a pretty decent venue, especially if you want to be close to the stage.
Written July 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MsKiesha
Alexandria, VA2,660 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
Absolutely phenomenal experience. I was here to support my sorority sister, Syleena Johnson, and she did not disappoint! The venue was surprisingly bigger than expected and the staff and food service were really great. The acoustics was good. The lighting was good and I really had a great time. My only recommendation would be to work on the parking lot because parking was a little bit all over the place. Otherwise I had a good time and I will be returning again for more concerts.
Written March 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thad
570 contributions
OK, you're going to a concert because you already know you'll like the music, so assume that part will be great (and this place does get some really good acts). The Birchmere is set up like an old beer haus. Capacity is said to be about 500, all at long tables seating 6-8 people. At some of the tables the seats face away from the stage and at some they're sort of sideways to the stage, so pick your seat carefully. If you want to come with a few people, come early (doors open at 6 for a 7:30 show) or you may not get to sit together.
They make a big deal on their website about being a "listening room" and saying that talking is not allowed, but don't expect too much. Someone near you likely will be talking through the whole show; the waitress will come by asking if you want anything; you'll probably be sitting with people you don't know; you may have to turn your chair around to watch the show; you'll be a little cramped; people will be coming and going around you. It's not an opera hall and you aren't in your own living room. But, the only smoking is at the bar in another room through a set of sturdy doors and most people are there to hear the music, not pick someone up or have conversations. So compared to other more bar-like venues this is pretty quiet and focussed on enjoying the band, not on cramming in as many bachelorette parties as possible.
Most folks seem to come early and eat here--the food appears to be nothing special and the prices are about normal ($8.50 for a hamburger). We weren't sure about the food and ate at home, thinking we'd have a couple of beers at the show. This irritated our waitress, who told us we were bringing down her per-table average check. The staff generally seemed polite, but they have a lot of territory to cover, so they're not fast. Allow at least an hour for your dinner or you'll be eating in the dark during the performance. Their website includes a menu, so you'll know what you're in for.
Parking seemed ample and the cost is added as a service charge on the ticket, so you don't have to come up with another five bucks as you're coming in.
There were a few lighting issues--they kept shining spotlights into the audience and turning up the house lights--but that may have been the work of the band's crew. Overall it's a pretty good place. Do your socializing before or after the show and enjoy the music.
They make a big deal on their website about being a "listening room" and saying that talking is not allowed, but don't expect too much. Someone near you likely will be talking through the whole show; the waitress will come by asking if you want anything; you'll probably be sitting with people you don't know; you may have to turn your chair around to watch the show; you'll be a little cramped; people will be coming and going around you. It's not an opera hall and you aren't in your own living room. But, the only smoking is at the bar in another room through a set of sturdy doors and most people are there to hear the music, not pick someone up or have conversations. So compared to other more bar-like venues this is pretty quiet and focussed on enjoying the band, not on cramming in as many bachelorette parties as possible.
Most folks seem to come early and eat here--the food appears to be nothing special and the prices are about normal ($8.50 for a hamburger). We weren't sure about the food and ate at home, thinking we'd have a couple of beers at the show. This irritated our waitress, who told us we were bringing down her per-table average check. The staff generally seemed polite, but they have a lot of territory to cover, so they're not fast. Allow at least an hour for your dinner or you'll be eating in the dark during the performance. Their website includes a menu, so you'll know what you're in for.
Parking seemed ample and the cost is added as a service charge on the ticket, so you don't have to come up with another five bucks as you're coming in.
There were a few lighting issues--they kept shining spotlights into the audience and turning up the house lights--but that may have been the work of the band's crew. Overall it's a pretty good place. Do your socializing before or after the show and enjoy the music.
Written December 30, 2004
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
trinigirlmd
Gaithersburg, MD933 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
It has been more than a decade since DH and I attended a concert at the Birchmere. Maybe it’s the distance or the fact that our favorite acts only have weekday shows, but anyway, the last time we went to The Birchmere it was to see Marc Cohn. A decade later we finally went back to see Marc Cohn again on Sunday night. In the interim, the venue had instituted an interesting ticket system once you picked up your Will Call tickets. In the past, you just lined up to enter the door. We arrived at about 4:30pm and got ticket # 57 to enter. By 5pm, the line for Will Call had stretched around the building for a 7:30pm concert. Once inside you can grab a drink and chill at the tables or visit the gift shop. Promptly at 6pm numbers get called. Your hand is stamped as you hand over your tickets. Once inside, you get your table. Long cafeteria tables at the front, tables for two on the sides and tables for 4 or 6 everywhere else. Reports that the food was not good were vastly over-rated. DH enjoyed his pricey but tasty chicken tenders and fries. I ordered potato skins and an order of cornbread (which most Yelp reviewers rated highly). Both were good.
A couple tips:
· If you care about where you sit, get in line by 4:30pm or earlier.
· Grab a parking spot near the entrance to the venue – it makes leaving way easier.
· Order your meal and drinks once you sit down. We were one of the first to order and one of the first to get our food. Our food arrived hot and promptly.
Once the show starts you will get the true ambience of the Birchmere. Warm, intimate, music. Having gotten (somewhat) used to the huge stadiums where you need to see the artist on a screen or through binoculars, it was a refreshing change. I can see us becoming regulars at the Birchmere.
If you found this review helpful please choose "Yes" below.
A couple tips:
· If you care about where you sit, get in line by 4:30pm or earlier.
· Grab a parking spot near the entrance to the venue – it makes leaving way easier.
· Order your meal and drinks once you sit down. We were one of the first to order and one of the first to get our food. Our food arrived hot and promptly.
Once the show starts you will get the true ambience of the Birchmere. Warm, intimate, music. Having gotten (somewhat) used to the huge stadiums where you need to see the artist on a screen or through binoculars, it was a refreshing change. I can see us becoming regulars at the Birchmere.
If you found this review helpful please choose "Yes" below.
Written August 5, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ciara M
Falls Church, VA4 contributions
I am going with a group of 4, is it guaranteed that we can all sit together or will we possibly have to split up if we arrive late?
sandyk8102018
Springfield, VA100 contributions
So it is strange how they do this (to me strange). You buy your general admission seats, then as you check in - so come the earliest you can - you are given a check-in number. When they are ready to open the door to the performance venue, they stand at the door and start calling "who has ticket #1?" "who has #110", etc etc. So obviously the folks with the earliest arrivals get the best seats or at least ones of their choosing first. My husband and I were #99 in our last concert in December (Chris Botti), we had perfectly fine seats at the back of the first section of the venue, at the end of a long table with many other people that we did not know. Some folks dont like that. But the maitre-d will squish people in even if it's just one seat here, one seat there. So yes, you "probably" will be able to sit together at one table but NOT if you arrive late.
The first time we came to a concert, we didnt know about this (that it was a restaurant and people come very early), so we got like the last 2 seats at a 4 seater table, way in the back. But we could see, hear perfectly and no one ever came and sat with us, we thought it was great.
NorthStar739135
Alexandria, VA2 contributions
Why does the advertisement say $29.50 per ticket when I log in and it’s $71 (all general seating)? This does not include $27.00 in ‘fees’ tacked on later.
Judy J
Elizabeth City, NC2 contributions
I would so love to see a menu for 2019. Almost like top secret.."says look here". I do..no menu...."look there" I do..no menu. FRUSTRATING!
SoCalNative1946
Reston, VA57 contributions
The previous posted noted that Trip Advisor won't permit posting a link, so here are the instructions to find the menus:
Go to birchmere site
There touch Menus, which will take you to order-up
Incidentally, i HIGHLY recommend the Pear, Bacon and Smoked Gouda flat bread!
Rip S
Reston, VA
What IS a good time to arrive? We have four people and would like to eat before the show.
DuaneRVA
Richmond, VA42 contributions
The box Office doors open at 5 PM, and seating selection is done by order of the issuance of your concert ticket. The most serious attendees arrive as early as 3:30 to 4 PM. This is most common during the warmer months when you can comfortably sit on the outside benches that line the wall. Some folks even bring their own folding chairs.
When I arrive as early as 4:30 PM, I am usually among the first 10 - 15 seating groups. This way I can easily select either a stage-front table or one further back.
Judy R
Alexandria, VA5 contributions
Why is the manager Stuart so rude and abrasive.
Alison R
Annandale, VA123 contributions
I haven't had any bad experiences with staff at the Birchmere, and not sure who the Manager is or anyone named Stuart. The serving staff are really friendly, sometimes slow because of serving so many, but overall do a really good job.
Lawgirl28
Washington DC, DC71 contributions
Are the line numbers per person or per group? We are taking our preteens to their first live music and are hoping one parent can get there and get a tickets so kids don’t have to wait from 5 and can show up at 6 when seating starts??
Marsha W
Alexandria, VA16 contributions
One person can get a number and save seats or you might be able to ask for consecutive numbers to hold for when the group arrives bec seating doesn't start till 6:30. Each attendee needs to show a
ticket to get seated
Bridget D
8 contributions
What are the closest hotels
Marsha W
Alexandria, VA16 contributions
Hotels in Crystal City are closest. Can also check Pentagon City, and Old Town Alexandria (altho likely to be the most expensive. There is a Best Western (Pentagon-Reagan Airport) which quite close ..on Glebe Rd.
knarh3914
Washington DC, DC
How can I ensure handicap seating?
MrPeteVirginiaBeach
Gaithersburg, MD447 contributions
I would call the box office, and also get there when the doors open. (Normally that’s an hour prior) Have fun!
harrison917
Temple Hills, MD
If I had my tickets mailed to me do I still need to get there early for a ticket number for me to entrances concert
LRettaK
Northern Virginia, VA88 contributions
Yes! The reason you need to go early is to stand in line to receive a number to enter the concert hall. Seating is first come, first serve at the Birchmere. If you look at your tickets, you will see seating is reflected as general admission with no seat number. Go early, stand in line, obtain a number, your entry number for seating will be called at 6 pm. Be sure to select any table that is not reserved. There are no bad seats so enjoy the food, drinks, and great show!
TracyfromVirginia
Alexandria VA40 contributions
What's the smoking policy? Is there a roped off section outside or do you get your hand stamped and go out the front door. Are vapor pens allowed inside?
Dave P
San Antonio, TX364 contributions
They give you a stamp so you can go outside and come back in. Didn't see any vapor pens in the theater
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Claim your listingThe Birchmere - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about The Birchmere
- The Birchmere is open:
- Sun - Sat 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
- Hotels near The Birchmere:
- (0.03 mi) Hip, Walk to Birchmere, Lit Patio, WFH, Fun
- (0.74 mi) Residence Inn Arlington Capital View
- (1.01 mi) Hilton Arlington National Landing
- (0.78 mi) Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel
- (0.80 mi) Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport
- Restaurants near The Birchmere:
- (0.01 mi) The Birchmere
- (0.08 mi) RT's Restaurant
- (0.07 mi) Royal Nepal
- (0.09 mi) El Pulgarcito Restaurant
- (0.08 mi) Jerry Chan's Restaurant