Hit up the National if you want great beer and decent food at an average price.
The National is a quite loud beer hall with big long bench style seating as well as a few smaller tables with chairs. We started out our meal with the jalapeno fritters and the soft pretzels. The jalapeno fritters came with 5 medium sized fritters with a side of dip. I really enjoyed the fritters as the separation between with the fritter flavor and the jalapeno flavors were obvious and still worked well together. I enjoyed the soft pretzel more, however, as I will always be a huge fan of soft pretzels. The pretzels at the national were about the size of my palm and were slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It was salted quite well and served with some type of butter that I found to be quite good. The pickles and pickled onions that were served alongside the pretzels were nice as well.
Next up were the main courses. I ordered the prime rib. The first impression I had was awe at the size of the portion of meat I received. The beef slab was served on top of a bed of potatoes, carrots, and beets. There was also a large Yorkshire pudding on the plate. I was disappointed that there was no gravy with the dish, so I would suggest ordering that. Also I was surprised at how cold my meat had gotten by the time it was served to me. If you're going to serve that size of prime rib, please look into getting better/more spicy horseradish! The Yorkshire would have been better with gravy and the vegetables were good. Overall the meal was still above average but you have to pay for that serving size. I also enjoyed the drinks I was served and we received good service all night, about the level you would expect.
Overall, the National is good place to grab some beers or dinner if you don't mind the noise and select menu.