just off the sunset highway, where no one would look, in a light industrial complex, where you're more likely to stumble into the gun shop next rather than the nondescript entrance, sits the abv public house. it's a pub-meets-growlery that clearly services the locals in the extreme western part of the metro area. with limited choices in the area, they are clearly benefiting from the lack of selection.
abv has an impressive number of beers to choose from, but the selection is too ecletic. solid labels, but offering their fruit and pumpkin beers. yes, the obligatory dozen ipas are available, but a serious lack of range. i "settled" after a half dozen tastings, including a "salt-brewed" beer that tasted like low tide at newport. the staff was nice enough, but not particularly helpful in the selection, nor forgiving in replacing a bad poor. the two huge walls of bottles weren't much help either. while they had plenty to choose from, the $1.50 per bottle corkage fee would have bankrupted our table of six.
the food is definite pub. they make a solid burger, and i'm a sucker for good saltyfriesso they had me there. the caesar salad is roasted which is nice and not seen too often, but the 2 we ordered came drenched in bottled dressing. an experimental poutine was intriguing and a really nice find, but even 2 hungry teenagers wouldn't get through it. the big hit was the chicken wings. they have an asian-based zesty tang that had us ordering a couple more plates.
if you're out that far, it's definitely worth the extra drive to mcmenamin's roadhouse or any number of the local brewpubs that the area has to offer. even the wait at helvetia tavern during christmas season is a better choice. abv picked a tough market to crack; the market they chose will keep them alive, but they're destined to be bit player in the pub scene.