As much as I celebrate the edible finds in strip malls and office parks, one of the coolest parts of living in NoVA is that we’re usually just a short distance from escaping them. Drive a few miles west and you’re in the country, dotted with horse barns and, well, more delicious discoveries. Case in point: More Better Restaurant & Beer Garden in the quiet town of Round Hill is about 15 minutes from downtown Leesburg.
The German-inflected eatery rises seemingly from nowhere on a stretch of Harry Byrd Highway, right next to an outpost of Mom’s Apple Pie. This weekend, I was craving a micro escape. What better way than with some unexpectedly formidable fried fare?
More Better is probably best known for its mix of imported and local beers with a side of live music. But the pub grub late on a recent Sunday evening was far better—more better, dare I say—than it needed to be. And yes, brews find their way into some of it. The fish and chips is beer-battered and fried to a lovably greasy crunch. The haddock could be a bit firmer, but a pile of optimally seasoned, crisp hand-cut fries make up for any minor failings.
But the reason I’ll return is the jagerschnitzel. The finely pounded pork chop is so crisp that it withstands long minutes bathed in its creamy mushroom gravy. And that sauce is a winner. Generally, mushroom sauces tend toward the bland side. I usually avoid them. I’m glad I made an exception this time. The finely sliced fungi combine with sweet onions in a disarmingly zippy cream. Yes, the broccoli was steamed a bit too long, but after dipping it in the sauce, I managed to eat every bud. I should have asked for more of it for the fries, too.
Yes, I could still use a bit more of a real vacation. But a meal at More Better is a refreshing jaunt to the country that my chockablock calendar can spare.// 35246 Harry Byrd Hwy., Round Hill
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