Amber Ox in Williamsburg
‘Tis the season for holiday shopping, and while I hate it, it must be done. After spending about an hour at the cramped mall with shoppers hovering over each other, searching for discounted items, I needed a different type of shopping experience. So, I headed up I-64 to Williamsburg to stroll and shop at Merchants Square.
Merchants Square is an open-air collection of shops and restaurants in Williamsburg, between Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area and the College of William & Mary. I love walking along Merchants Square’s brick-lined streets (reminiscent of my days in Athens, Ohio) and popping into the array of shops. By 2 p.m., I had worked up an appetite and was starting to get hangry.
As I pondered what to have for lunch, I made my way up North Boundary Street to Prince George Street, just outside the limits of Merchants Square. For a couple of years, I’ve been eager to try Amber Ox Public House. Without even realizing it, I had led myself to the restaurant’s front door.
Amber Ox Public House opened in December 2017. The restaurant is perfect for local college students to grab a pint, couples to share a meal or diners like me looking to refuel after building up their step count.
When I arrived, Amber Ox was just finishing brunch and closing the main dining room, so I headed to the bar area. Amber Ox has a large L-shaped bar with plenty of seating, along with communal high-top seating at its center. While it wasn’t super cold out, it wasn’t quite warm enough for me to sit on the outdoor patio, but that didn’t stop other diners and imbibers. Inside, the restaurant’s upbeat soundtrack was perfect for a casual meal, with music my mom would clap to. I took a seat at the bar and ordered a Blue Toad Hard Cider to sip on.
Beer aficionados will love Amber Ox. The restaurant pours its own line of beer, Precarious Beer Project. The brewery recently opened the Precarious Beer Hall, also in Williamsburg, where you can enjoy more of their beers in a fun, arcade environment. I’m not a huge beer drinker so I was glad to see that Amber Ox had offerings from other Virginia breweries and cideries.
The Food
From what I gathered, Amber Ox changes their menu fairly often to utilize local ingredients and keep it seasonally appealing.
There are a number of starters that are perfect for sharing, including The Biscuit Board, Middleneck Clams and the Southern Country Ham Board. Since I was solo, I debated between the Potted Pimento Cheese, served homemade caraway crackers, and the Salt & Vinegar Pork Rinds. I should’ve gotten the pimento cheese spread.
The Salt & Vinegar Pork Rinds came out crackling. I found the actual S&V flavors to be more subtle than I’m used to. Granted, I tear apart the inside of my mouth eating Utz Salt and Vinegar chips, so the pork rinds at Amber Ox left me wanted a little more. I did, however, really enjoy the pimento ranch and beer mustard dipping sauces served with the appetizer.
For my entrée, there was no hesitation when I ordered The AO Burger. Not only have I heard great things about this burger, but I also knew that Amber Ox is an authority when it comes to making burgers. The restaurant won the People’s Choice Award at the 2019 CoVa Battle of the Burgers – Peninsula with their Labor of Love burger.
Click here to read more about the CoVa Battle of the Burgers Peninsula.
The layers of flavors that helped Amber Ox take home the trophy with the Labor of Love burger are what made The AO Burger a winner in my book. Pimento cheese, caramelized onion jam, bacon, fried egg aioli and house-made butter pickles create a sweet, savory and salty flavor profile for this burger. Each bite hit my taste buds like a wave then perfectly balanced out. This dynamic combination of ingredients is served between a house-baked pork fat brioche roll. I’ve had plenty of brioche buns but not one quite as soft and buttery as this one.
Amber Ox’s menu is far more elevated than you’d expect from a combination brewery-restaurant. After my lunch, I quickly understood why the establishment has received so much praise in such a short amount of time. I know I’ll be back to see what’s in store on Amber Ox’s ever-changing menus.
Amber Ox is located at 525 Prince George St., Williamsburg.