Brickhouse Tavern to Open in Williamsburg

By Jill Found, of the W&M Flat Hat Sunday, October 09, 2011

The City of Williamsburg will soon have another tavern to add to its already substantial list, but instead of peanut soup and colonial waiters, this new establishment will offer students at the College of William and Mary another place to spend their Thirsty Thursdays.

Construction on Williamsburg’s newest sports bar, Brickhouse Tavern, has been underway since July and it is scheduled to open late this year or early next year. Located at 747 Scotland St. next to Paul’s Deli, the location was chosen for its proximity to students.

It will be the second location for Brickhouse, which has been open for a few years in Port Warwick in Newport News and is a favorite with both locals and Christopher Newport University students.

“I always wanted to be next to the College Delly, but until recently they did not have a place for the restaurant,” Brickhouse Tavern owner Michael Said said.

Said originally looked into opening a location on Richmond Road and in Tribe Square but both plans fell through.

The tavern will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week, joining the other Scotland Street bars in providing late night entertainment.

“We are an Italian pizzeria, but a sports bar,” too, Said said.

Some students see the addition of a bar to those within walking distance of the College campus as a boon to the social scene.

In contrast to the other Scotland Street establishments, there will be no age restrictions at Brickhouse at any time.

“In college a lot of kids have younger friends that they want to hang out with,” Said said.

With its inexpensive prices and an extensive menu, the Brickhouse Tavern located in Newport News is a favorite of locals and Christopher Newport University students. Some students at the College who have visited the Newport News location say they look forward to the franchise opening nearby.

“It’s a fun, friendly atmosphere to go to with a bunch of your friends and hang out for the night,” W&M student Marshall Jordan said. “It’s great there will be a place for live music in the community. The social scene is what you make of it in Williamsburg, and the fact that they’re bringing more variety is exciting.”

While the location in Williamsburg will be similar to that in Newport News, it plans to offer something a little different as well.

“The difference between this Williamsburg branch and our other branch is live music,” Said said.

The bands will be mostly local groups, including new ones and some that are already touring.

The 7,227-square-foot commercial development space on which the tavern will be located sits on an already important site: the first location of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Williamsburg stood on the same spot. For this reason, the development will be named after Herbert L. Cooke, a prominent Williamsburg civil rights leader during desegregation.

The facade of the building will replicate the exterior of the former NAACP building and will have a monument outside recognizing its place in Williamsburg history.