Ahso Restaurant

Here is a look at tonights menu! Come join us!
https://www.exploretock.com/ahsoresto/experience/295827/tbd-thursdays?date=2023-01-26&size=2&time=20%3A00

If you could only choose one, which one would you have?
1. Octopus Takoyaki
2. Braised Short Rib
3. A delicious dish but we can't remember the name...😅
4. Burrata Mozzarella
5. Mini Hot Chicken & Biscuit
6. Shrimp and Grits

Join us tonight for Taco Tuesday and some amazing live music featuring Jason Masi!

Happy New Year!
Our hearts are so full from the support of each and every one of you. You push us to take our passion and creativity to another level with each meal served.

Here’s to 2023! 🥂🍻

Did you know Ahso Cellars is having a gift card giveaway? Check out their page for details!

We want to take a moment to thank everybody that came out this weekend and Thursday to celebrate our 5 Year Anniversary! Ahso would not be where it is today if it were not for every single guest that has walked through that door (and had a curbside order!).

To celebrate our 5 year anniversary our theme was 5 years, 5 courses, 5 wines, 5 stories. Those 5 stories are key moments that defined Ahso and showed us that we will continue to grow and move forward thanks to our amazing team, friends and family but mostly the community. We’re so happy to have found a home in Brambleton and cannot wait to see what the next 5 years brings!!

Happy Birthday Ahso!

Story time….

1. “What do you mean my order is not coming??”
Due to an error on the part of our sales rep, our biggest food order was set for delivery on the wrong day, and would be arriving on 12/15/17, our first day of business. When 2pm rolled around and it still hadn’t arrived I got on the phone, and discovered that he screwed up again, and it wasn’t coming. My only option was to drive out to Springfield and pick it up. 3 hours before our first service. I managed to get out there, they loaded my Jeep with the order and I was back on the Beltway when he called to inform me that they missed half of the order and it was still at the warehouse. I had to go back.
Fortunately, the team, my wife and our contractor (who was hanging the mirrors in the bathroom 5 minutes before the first guests arrived) had the place in order when I got back and we rolled right into the service.

2. A ‘No-tipping’ Restaurant
When we opened Ahso, we had the idea to make it a ‘No-Tipping’ restaurant, following a trend seen at some of the restaurants in New York and DC. The thinking was that it would be a fresh take on the system used by American restaurants for so many years and we wanted to be at the forefront of a trend that would ultimately benefit both our staff, and our guests. We built the service charges into the menu prices.
Well you know that saying, if it ain’t broke.... A month in, amid mass confusion with our guests and staff, we abandoned the no-tipping program. It was not going well, and I wasn’t going to let anything jeopardize our young business so early on. On a night in January after a quick chat between Christian, Tiffany and myself, we nixed it. To this day, some people still ask if we are no-tipping!

3. “Phil, will you come work at my restaurant?”
**First day of school, 1986, Meadowland Elementary, Sterling, VA**
Phil Duong: Hi, my name Phil, what’s yours?�Jason Maddens: My name’s Jason. Do you like baseball cards?
Phil:
When we opened Clarity in Vienna in 2015 Phil was happy at Mokomandy, but when I then brought it home and opened Ahso in 2017, Phil came right over. He quickly established himself, leading our cocktail program and becoming a fixture at the bar.

Then one day Phil didn’t show up for his shift. After some calls, we found out that there was an altercation and Phil was in the hospital on life support. Still unsure of the details, and at the urging of some close friends and family, we reached out to our network and set up a Go fund me to help with hospital bills. Our guests rallied and raised over 35k. This was the first time Tiffany and I saw our clientele, that we built, come out and support a cause that was so important to us. It would not be the last....
Phil was in rehabilitation for 7 months, and eventually made a full recovery. He remains a fixture behind the Ahso Bar.

4. “They’re never going to actually shut things down...”
Thursday, March 12, 2020 – amid all of the news reports around the novel Coronavirus, we opened for dinner to a full list of reservations. We had all heard about the possibility of a mandatory shut down, but I don’t think any of us thought it would actually happen. The next night, a Friday, we were dead and the same on Saturday.

That Monday we got the news—we would need to close our dining room to the public and would only be able to offer no-contact curbside pick up. We were floored. As difficult as maintaining a restaurant business is when you can welcome guests inside, how were we supposed to do it with no dining room? And how well will our food travel? How will we even take orders??!
After some brief discussion (it was really a no-brainer) we contacted our POS system provider, Toast, and got online ordering set up. We quickly sourced togo materials and turned the dining room into a togo box storage facility. We shifted our menus to lower price point themed nights, including Ramen, tacos, burgers, BBQ and Fried Chicken. And we marketed like crazy.
The community showed up in ways we couldn’t imagine. We had lines of cars around the block for curbside pickup orders. 300-bowl ramen nights. 1000-taco Tuesdays, 8 briskets & 12 pork butt BBQ nights. So many chickens...so many boxes.....

We were able to keep our entire staff employed.
After months of takeout only, we were finally permitted to open the doors to our guests again, which was the best feeling. Things slowly began to normalize. That year we celebrated the New Years ball drop at 10pm, due to the ABC curfew on drinks. But we felt like we made it through.

5. “Let’s open a Wine Shop!!”
In late 2019 we had a bright idea. The Misguided Angels clothing store two doors down moved out, and we got a look at the space. We started thinking: we’ve never really capitalized on our retail wine license at the restaurant—why not have a space dedicated to it? And figure out a way to host private events too!
We proposed our idea to the Brambleton developer, and they loved it. We signed a letter of intent, and were ready to sign the lease in March 2020. Then the world fell apart.
We didn’t sign the lease. The developer let us put the project on ice. For months. And months.... They even blocked another wine shop from coming to Brambleton. That’s when we started talking seriously about the project again.
We signed the lease in June of 2021, and planned an opening before the Holidays. What was supposed to be a simple 6 month ‘re-fit’ turned into a year long renovation project. The phrase “30 days out” became a running joke among some guests—we almost named it that.
Ahso Cellars finally opened in July of 2022. It is a retail wine/beer shop disguised as a wine bar, and has the ability to host private seated events up to 35 people. We are happy to say that things are going well!

Hello friends, we are closed today for a private event 🎉

But.. Ahso Cellars is open! Stop by for a glass of wine🍷

Take a look at what’s on the menu for tonight!🍽️🍾🥘🦀🍷🥮
Reservation link: https://www.exploretock.com/ahsoresto/experience/295827/themed-menu-thursday?date=2022-12-08&size=2&time=20%3A00

Put a jingle in your step with Ahso Cellars holiday wine bundles! 🍾🎄
https://www.ahsocellars.com/wines

Today is a fried chicken type of night!
Order now: https://www.toasttab.com/ahso-restaurant/v3/?mode=fulfillment

In honor of Whisk(e)y Flight Wednesday🥃!

Reservation Link: https://www.exploretock.com/ahsoresto/experience/14501/dinner-at-ahso?date=2022-11-29&size=2&time=20%3A00
Shane Gamble & Jason Masi

Because today feels like 🥶, you should eat 🍜 and you will feel like 😊.

Order online for curbside pick-up or join us at the restaurant for some ramen tonight! https://www.toasttab.com/ahso-restaurant/v3 #!/order

Fried Chicken night!

Order online for curbside pickup or join us in the restaurant!

https://www.toasttab.com/ahso-restaurant/v3/?mode=fulfillment

Can you believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away? We're taking the last of our orders for Thanksgiving Dinner at Home!
Order Now: https://www.exploretock.com/ahsoresto/experience/299554/ahso-thanksgiving-dinner-home?date=2022-11-23&size=1&time=12%3A00

Dinner Plans? It's Tasting Thursday. Choose 5 course or 3 course...

1. Sticky Glazed Pork Belly
pickled golden beet + slaw + benne seed
Rotari Brut Rose / Trento, IT / 2016
~
2. Red Curry Mussels
toasted sourdough
Orchard Lane Sauvignon Blanc / Marlborough, NZ / 2021
~
3. Seared Cobia
pork belly + bacon chowder
Dobbes Estate Pinot Noir / Willamette Valley, OR / 2018
~
4. 24hr Braised Beef Short Rib
celeriac puree + roasted sunchoke and mushrooms
The Paring Red Blend / Santa Barbara, CA / 2017
~
5. Peanut Butter Crème Brûlée
Chantilly cream + cocoa nib crunch
Taylor Fladgate Tawny Port / Douro, POR / 10yr

Here is a look at last weeks Themed Thursday Menu: Around the Mediterranean!
Themed Thursday Reservation: https://www.exploretock.com/ahsoresto/experience/295827/themed-menu-thursday?date=2022-11-17&size=2&time=12%3A00

In honor of Whisk(e)y Flight Wednesday we wanted to share some whiskey fun facts!
Make a reservation: https://www.exploretock.com/ahsoresto/experience/14501/dinner-at-ahso?date=2022-11-16&size=2&time=12%3A00

Join us for some ramen tonight!
Ramen To-Go: https://www.toasttab.com/ahso-restaurant
&
Some amazing live music tomorrow with Connor Daly!

Thanksgiving is around the corner and if you don't have plans, may we suggest our Thanksgiving Dinner at home!

Simply choose to pick up your feast on Thanksgiving Day or the day before, and follow the easiest re-heat instructions you have ever seen! Sit back and relax with a glass of wine!

Order Today: https://www.exploretock.com/ahsoresto/experience/299554/ahso-thanksgiving-dinner-home?date=2022-11-23&size=1&time=12%3A00

Here is a look at some of our past Themed Thursday dishes!

We create the Themed Thursday Menu days leading up to the event, thus we are unable to provide a finished menu ahead of time. Just know you are in for a one-of-a-kind experience and that we can always accommodate any and all dietary preferences/restrictions.

Themed Thursday Reservation link: https://www.exploretock.com/ahsoresto/experience/295827/themed-menu-thursday?date=2022-11-17&size=2&time=12%3A00

Introducing Whisk(e)y Flight Wednesday! Build your own flight from our extensive list of Bourbons, Ryes and Scotches. And don't worry, we still have the Burgers 🍔!

Hertelendy Wine Tasting w/Ralph Hertelendy - Ahso Cellars - Brambleton, VA | Tock

Join us at Cellars tomorrow for a tasting with Hertelendy Vineyards! This is a "come & go event" come check it out!

Tickets can be purchased at Cellars or via link https://www.exploretock.com/ahso-cellars/event/373685/hertelendy-wine-tasting-wralph-hertelendy.

Hertelendy Wine Tasting w/Ralph Hertelendy - Ahso Cellars - Brambleton, VA | Tock Join us Sunday afternoon with special guest Ralph Hertelendy of Hertelendy Wines in Napa Valley. Ralph will be on hand to pour and talk about his outstanding wines. This is a "come & go event," so stop by and check it out! Tickets for the tasting can be purchased here or at Ahso Cellars. Ticket incl...

Enjoy tonights Themed Thursday Menu!
Reservation Link: https://dashboard.exploretock.com/app/2022-11-03/calendar/day

AhSo Restaurant: Online Menu - 22855 Brambleton Plaza #108 Brambleton, VA Restaurant | Order now!

Burger Night Wednesday! Come and join us for an Ahso Burger or build your Dream Burger 🍔

We also offer curbside pickup!

AhSo Restaurant: Online Menu - 22855 Brambleton Plaza #108 Brambleton, VA Restaurant | Order now! Online menu for AhSo Restaurant in Brambleton, VA - Order now! Modern American Bistro by Chef Jason Maddens with a focus on local sourcing and an emphasis on Beverage Pairings

All Hallow's Eve 👻
Reservation Link: https://www.exploretock.com/ahsoresto/experience/295827/themed-menu-thursday?date=2022-10-27&size=2&time=12%3A00

Cass Wine Tasting w/ Ted Plemons - Ahso Restaurant - Brambleton, VA | Tock

We only have a couple tickets left for the 1st wine tasting at Ahso Cellars with winemaker Ted Plemons of Cass Winery in Paso Robles, CA.
Doors open at 7PM tonight!

Cass Wine Tasting w/ Ted Plemons - Ahso Restaurant - Brambleton, VA | Tock Ted is coming back to Ahso (Cellars)! If you've never been to a wine event with winemaker Ted Plemons of Cass Winery in Paso Robles, CA, you don't know what you're missing! Ted will be discussing several of his wines, along with a few small bites from the Ahso kitchen. There will be an opportunity t...

We are closed today (10/24) for a private event.
Make sure to join us tomorrow for Tuesday Tunes🎼!

🍊🍒🥃
Reservation Link: https://www.exploretock.com/ahsoresto/experience/295827/themed-menu-thursday?date=2022-10-20&size=2&time=12%3A00