Olney doesn’t always get the hype when people talk about where to eat in Montgomery County, but Brew Belly is the spot that flips that real quick. I’m SO in love with the food here, and if you’re hunting for good eats in Olney, they’re a must, for real. It’s a gastropub that leans hard into two things at once: a serious cheesesteak game and 24 locally-focused craft brews on draft, which is a combo I didn’t know I needed!
The sleeper hit of my visit though? Their Eloté Dog, a loaded hot dog that honestly had me rethinking what a hot dog can even be. Add house-cut poutine that was unreal and a Cooper Sharp Cheesesteak stuffed with meat, and you’ve got a casual spot that punches way above its shopping-center address. It’s the kind of place you roll into for one thing and end up planning your next visit before you’ve finished the first. Let me walk you through everything I got.
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What Makes Brew Belly a Standout Gastropub in Olney
What sets Brew Belly apart is that it’s doing gastropub food AND a legit local beer program without half-baking either one. The kitchen is known for cheesesteaks (they run a whole lineup, from a classic Wiz-Wit to a Seoul-style with soy-hoisin and spicy mayo), plus loaded hot dogs, poutine, jumbo soft pretzels and a rotating draft list that pulls heavily from Maryland breweries. It’s counter service with self-seating, so it stays casual, but the food’s got real thought behind it. The Washington Post literally called their cheesesteak worth a drive to Olney, and WTOP had them on a best-cheesesteaks list as recently as this year, so I’m not the only one who thinks the food’s a cut above. For a spot tucked into a shopping center, that’s a lot of firepower.
What to Order at Brew Belly
Here’s everything I got this time around, and I’d order all of it again.
Poutine Classique ($12.49)
House-cut fries doused in brown gravy and topped with cheddar cheese curds, and this was absolutely unreal. I could not stop eating it, and it’s the very first thing I’m reordering next time, no question. If you’re a poutine person, you already know, lol.
Eloté Dog ($6.99)
This was the surprise star. It’s a loaded hot dog piled with corn relish, chile mayo, feta cheese and corn nuts, and all those flavors worked SO well together. At $6.99 it’s a total steal too. If you only try one thing here, make it this, it’s a yum from the very first bite.
This one made my roundup of the best hot dogs in Maryland, so check that out if you’re hunting for more loaded dogs around the state.
Cooper Sharp Cheesesteak ($12.49)
A really solid cheesesteak, stuffed with tons of meat, Cooper sharp cheese and fried onions. They don’t skimp on the meat one bit. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but it’s done right, and it’s exactly what you want alongside one of their beers. If you want more Maryland cheesesteak options after this, I put together a roundup of the best cheesesteaks in Maryland worth working through.
A few things I’ve got my eye on for next time: their jumbo soft pretzel with house mustard gets raved about, and I want to try their Hill Country Sausage next. If you’re not eating meat, they’ve also got a Veg-Head cheesesteak and an Athena grain bowl so you’re not stuck.
What’s an Eloté Dog, and Why Does It Work?
If you’ve never had one, an eloté dog basically takes elote, the Mexican street corn loaded with mayo, chili, lime and cotija, and reworks all those toppings onto a hot dog. So instead of corn on the cob, you’re getting corn relish, chile mayo and feta doing that same creamy-tangy-spicy thing over a juicy dog. It works because a hot dog is basically a blank canvas that loves bold, salty toppings, and elote is nothing but bold, salty flavor. Brew Belly’s version adds corn nuts for crunch, which is the little twist that makes it theirs.
The Vibe and Experience
The vibe’s really welcoming and low-key. It’s counter service, you grab a seat wherever, and there are board games and TVs going, so it works whether you’re solo with a beer, out with friends, or bringing the whole family (all ages are good here). The draft list is the fun part if you’re a beer person, since it’s 24 taps that lean local, and they’ve got 100-plus canned beers you can fill a crowler or growler with to take home. It’s the kind of laid-back spot where you can stay as long as you like.
Good to Know
- Location: 📍 18065 Georgia Ave, Olney, MD 20832
- Hours: Sun to Thu 11am to 10pm, Fri and Sat 11am to 11pm
- Price: budget-friendly to moderate (the dishes I got ran $6.99 to $12.49)
- Order style: counter service, self-seating, dine-in or takeout. You can also order online through their website or get delivery on Uber Eats
- Drinks: 24 craft brews on draft (heavy on Maryland breweries), plus 100-plus cans for crowler and growler fills
- Good for: families, casual hangs, beer lovers; board games and TVs on site
- Parking: the lot’s small, but there’s more parking in the surrounding shopping center
- Vegetarian: yes, there’s a Veg-Head cheesesteak, an Athena grain bowl and a harvest salad
Is Brew Belly Worth the Drive to Olney?
If you’re anywhere near Montgomery County, the food’s good enough to build a trip around, and the fact that you get killer cheesesteaks, a genuinely creative hot dog and a strong local beer list under one roof makes it an easy rec. It’s not fancy and it’s not trying to be, it’s just really well-executed comfort food in a chill room. For me it’s firmly in the “would happily go back on a random weeknight” tier. Great option if you’re closer to Olney, and worth pairing with 168 Burrito down the road in Olney if you’re making a food day of it.
Have you guys been to Brew Belly yet? Let me know your go-to order in the comments, Nomsters, and if there’s a cheesesteak spot I need to hit next, drop it below. Save this one for the next time you’re out that way and craving something hearty!