Jess was our server and she was Awesome!! Dinner was good. I had the catfish po boy and it was surprisingly good. They do need some better hot sauce like Louisiana hot sauce. read more

Jess was a fantastic server! She made excellent recommendations for dinner and checked in on us multiple times even while the restaurant was hopping. I appreciate she also brought me a water to go for my long ride home! read more

Our server Gracie was awesome. She was so polite and attentive. Our food surprised us we weren't sure what to expect, but everything was fresh and prepared perfectly. I asked for rare salmon & it was cooked perfectly. My husband had fish & chips and he said they were the best he's ever had. Our kids were happy with their food too!! read more

Dear Management Team, Today, May 5, 2026 at 6:15 pm I am writing to formally express my disappointment with a recent experience at your downtown Richmond location, Capital Ale House. On the evening of our visit, I hosted a party of 11 guests. Everyone in our party was present and seated by 6:10 PM. Unfortunately, the service we received from our waitress, Jen, was unacceptable from the start. Her tone and approach toward our table came across as brash and unwelcoming. As we attempted to simplify our order by keeping it on one check, her responses were dismissive rather than helpful. At one point, I was told in a cold and abrupt manner that I could not have my carrot cake before my meal because "that's not the way it comes." This interaction set the tone for the remainder of the evening. I requested to speak with a manager on four separate occasions, and each time my request was declined or ignored. It was only after Jen visibly became frustrated and stumped away that a manager was finally brought to the table. When Ruby, who identified herself as the manager, arrived, her initial response felt defensive rather than solution-oriented. While she did eventually apologize and stated she would take care of us by ensuring we received happy hour pricing, the overall experience had already been negatively impacted. What makes this especially disappointing is that I am a regular customer who dines at this location for lunch at least three times a month. I chose to bring my family here expecting a positive experience, and instead, it was quite the opposite. I hope this feedback is taken seriously and used to improve both customer service and management responsiveness moving forward. I would appreciate follow-up regarding this matter. read more

Went to Capitol Ale house because I was staying in a nearby hotel. They accommodated our large group which was appreciated. They have a huge menu of beers - great place to go to try new brews. I had a jalapeño beer which was delightful. They also have a huge food menu, too big in my opinion. I had the fish tacos and they were very average. My side dish was the street corn and it was almost inedible, chewy and cold. It is in a fun little courtyard area which was bustling in the evening. read more

Capital Ale House never ceases to amaze! They have incredible deals every night. My favorite is the half off appetizers after 9 PM... including my favorite jalapeño pierogis and loaded fries. They have a drink menu that is so large it reminds me of the food menu at Cheesecake Factory. So many good drinks at great prices. There are MULTIPLE bars within the multi level restaurant. The service was wonderful and everything came very fast. They have a super great rewards program that adds up quickly as well. Nice ambiance in downtown Richmond. Highly highly recommend!! read more

Capital Ale House - Loaded Fries - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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First we couldn't find this place because of the scaffolding...ok no biggie we had to drive an extra lap. We think only one waiter maybe plus a trainee was working but the poor guy looked like he was at his end...he was doing his best that he could with the amount of people he had to cover. Asked about the wings, they were out so I couldn't try them. I heard the wings here were great, but if you have none that worries me. Should have been the first red flag. I asked about the pirogies. He said they were really good so I got the sampler. My wife saw the margarita pizza and opted to try that. Well the pierogies were deep fried...like an egg-roll. Dry and poorly seasoned. Definitely frozen and deep fried, not made in house like I would have imagined. Now onto the pizza...it was a piece of premade flatbread with tomatoes thrown on and sauce with cold mozzarella on it. Just nasty. It was cold and didn't even taste good. This was more of a tomato bread thingie...this is not pizza. This would be a great place for kitchen nightmares to be recommended for a show...which raises another concern about the cleanliness in the back of the food was this poor. The location and atmosphere has potential but the food has to drastically improve and for god sake get the man some help. Would NOT recommend and will not be coming back here. read more

Capital Ale House - Cold version of margarita pizza...yahhhhhhhh right - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Ordered food to go through the Yelp app which is fulfilled by Grubhub. Ordered a pasta dish, mac and cheese, Cobb salad and 2 pretzels. 20-40 minutes was my estimated time. Showed up about 15 minutes later and staff confirmed order received and they were preparing. I can only speculate that some of our order was prepared and then sat for a very long time. At the 1 hour mark I inquired again and about 10 minutes later the order was ready. Mac and cheese was a very small portion and barely warm, pasta dish had clearly been sitting for a long time, no eggs or ham in the salad. I do not think this place is set up for to go orders. I saw plenty of food ordered well after my order was placed delivered to tables. Stick withe the burgers and wings. read more

The food was good. I would eat it again. I had the black and blue burger. Fries were on point. Wife had house salad. The salad dressing options were limited. My daughter had Mac n cheese. Everyone liked their food. We were with a group of 9 so our server automatically added a 20% tip. I wasn't a fan of this for two reasons. 1. I'll often give more. 2. The service was not exceptional. I would have still tipped but likely not 20%. The atmosphere was definitely like a dive. Not well lit. Kind of grimy tables. I'm not saying nasty but if your fry lands on the table, drop the 5 second rule to a swift 2! read more

We had a reservation for a large group at this restaurant on May 10, 2026. The restaurant was not busy during this time. We were there to celebrate my daughter's graduation and Mother's Day, but the experience was unfortunately marred by unacceptable service. Throughout the evening, we encountered several significant issues: Food service was extremely slow, and multiple orders were incorrect. Several guests never received their intended meals and had to take their food to go once it finally arrived. Drinks and refills were delayed or never arrived, leaving guests without beverages for long periods. Given the importance of the occasion, I chose not to escalate these issues in front of my guests to avoid further stress. However, when I spoke with our server privately to settle the bill, I was assured that all incorrect orders and the appetizers would be comped due to the poor experience. The server showed me the total on a handheld device which was difficult to read, but I trusted his verbal confirmation and paid the bill so I could return to my family. Upon reviewing the physical receipt this morning, I discovered that none of the promised adjustments were made. In fact, we were charged for every incorrect item, and the extra orders that resulted from the server's mistakes. I am incredibly upset that a celebratory milestone was overshadowed by these service failures and what now appears to be a dishonest billing process. I have emailed the manager of the restaurant (the next morning), however, I have not received a response or acknowledgement or receipt. I advise you not to go here if you have a larger party to accommodate. read more

A friend and I stopped here for food and drinks before a visit to the Capitol - we thought it was that close to the actual Capitol. It's not...or at least we decided it wasn't close in almost 100 degree weather, lol. That said, Capitol Ale House is a really big space, which was well lit near the windows but became increasingly more dark and divey the further I went into the building. We sat at the part of the bar closest to the front windows. LOL, I made the bartender do A LOT of work, giving me all kinds of beer samples until I found the right one. He was very patient with me, and told me it was the most interesting part of his day. I also ordered a basic pasta dish with brocollini and it was really good. So, while I don't recommend Capitol Ale House for proximity to the VA State Capitol, I did enjoy the food, drink, and service! read more

Capital Ale House - Broccolini & Parmesan Pasta - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Came in on a Saturday around noon and they accommodated ~20 of us! Food was delicious! Will 100% come back!! Free street parking on weekends. Paid street parking on weekdays read more

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Casual, cozy joint. Friendly staff. If you like draft beer, I believe I saw 70+ taps! The menu has some typical bar food. I just had the pierogi (spinach & cheese). They were good and came out fairly quick. There's a few TVs for the sports fans. When I'm in the area, I'll try to stop by again. It's recommended. read more

Capital Ale House - Spinach and Cheese Pierogia with a bacon drizzle and chive sour cream. - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Huge selection of draft beers of course the I wanted they were out of. Good downtown location. Bartender was friendly enough. It did not seem that busy but they do have a downstairs and a back room that could be why our nachos took over 40 minutes. It was odd that cheese comes on the side with the nachos, but going back and rereading the description on the menu it does say that beer cheese is provided for you to drizzle over yourself. The food was meh and the place could've been cleaner. I was in Richmond visiting family for the weekend, if I lived here, not sure this would be a go to spot. They can accommodate large groups and the prices were reasonable. read more

When in Richmond on business, I used to stay down the street from this fine establishment. I went several years that I did not visit Richmond, and then last week I returned. I stayed in a different hotel but was able to find the Capital Ale House again. It did not disappoint! They have an extensive choice of draught beers and I could have been happy with several of them. The fantastic bartender recommended a local brewery's Spring Lager from Legend Brewing. I loved it. For my late lunch, I had their pork Schnitzel. I've had Schnitzel in a 5-star restaurant and also in Frankfurt, and Capital Ale House's Schnitzel was the best! They served it on mashed potatoes topped with bacon, sauerkraut, and had gravy on the side. I can't wait to return! Since it was between the lunch bunch and Happy Hour/Supper, the ambiance was quiet. The interior is decorated like an upscale historic pub, and their business is booming! Rightfully so! I shall return. read more

Capital Ale House - Pork Schnitzel - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Nice as wait staff are, multiple problems: not seated for a very long time despite multiple seats available. Order not taken for even longer time. Drinks not refilled for a long time despite empty glasses on the table for over 15 minutes. Multiple food orders wrong, and took a long time to get so.eone over to fix. Cold soup. Stale pretzel. Don't open each day until you're ready to serve in a right amount of time, and quickly/correctly. Entered restaurant when multiple available seats -- 90 minutes later received Food, wrong orders. read more

Capital Ale House - This should have had all the toppings. Other orders came plain too. - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Dirty interior. Had to ask for a waiter after seeing no one for 10 minutes. Food was very average. Waiter all but disappeared and reappeared when it was time to collect the tip.meh read more

We visited at 9pm after an event. It took a while to be seated but once seated the waitress was nice and attentive. It was a Thursday night but the restaurant was buzzing. Music jamming in the back and the bar was hoping. The food was absolutely delicious. The wings were cooked to perfection and the chicken sandwich was tasty. The carrot cake hot the spot and tasted good. All in all a nice spot for after a show at Dominion energy center. read more

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We were in town for a concert and go take out after we got home. The food was really good. We hope to stop in again to actually eat there next time we're in town. read more

Great environment and the staff are friendly and welcoming. The food coupled with an ale is a perfect combination. The kiddos even enjoyed their picks from the kids menu! read more

Capital Ale House - Great food for the kids and adults! - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Arrived for early diner before a show. Hubs got burger and broccolini. Raved about it! Daughter got Mac and I got the wings and we shared both. We weren't able to finish all the Mac. The wings were the best part imo. The Mac was "good" but not great. A little on the dry side. Service and ambience were wonderful. read more

Capital Ale House - Mac N Cheese - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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We popped in here for a late night dinner after a volleyball tournament. Staying across the street was nice too. Holly was a great server. Very prompt and polite. The atmosphere is bar but not dive. It's a small place but very cozy. The food was really good too. Half our table got sandwiches and the other flat bread pizza. 10/10 would recommend! read more

Capital Ale House - Family Dinner - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

What a disappointment. This was always a go to spot and we are part of their loyalty program but we won't be returning after today. Staff was completely checked out and lackluster. It's obvious they just don't care and have given up on hospitality. Food was pretty bad. Chicken pot pie bits were dried out. Wings almost cooked beyond recognition and inedible. Pretzel, sausage, cheese platter was cold and lifeless the sausage was inedible and the cheese could have been purchased from a gas station cooler. The pizza that you know went from the freezer to the oven was only thing decent. Appetizers were on the table before the wine came out and the waitress asked if we would pour it ourselves. When she asked how things were I was incredulous when she walked away when I was mid sentence. Hopefully the innsbrook location is better or we'll write off this restaurant completely. read more

Really weird hostess. Not friendly at all. She had this gothic thing going on and really seemed agitated that I came in for lunch. Other than that everything was pretty good. read more

We were in town for a family wedding and our hotel was near Capital Ale House/Downtown. We got in on Thursday from California and I believe we ate at Capital Ale House every night through Saturday. My fav was the carrot cake! Sooooo goood! I'm here to say the food was great! The Bavarian pretzel is yummy with the mustard - the cheese is good but you don't need it - the mustard does you right. ;-) I am here to talk about the waitress he took care of us every night - Madeline... She was informative, professional, helped with menu items, gave great food suggestions and remembered us from the prior night. The ease in which she provided customer service and the standard of friendliness helped the atmosphere .... Thank you Madeline for being an expert in your field. Come back and look at this review in five years .... I put money on the fact you'll be leading whatever industry you decide and whomever hires and/or puts their org/firm in your super capable hands. You are a leader .... And you are going to do great things! We were fortunate to have her wait on our table each night and she made the difference in our return ... along with the menu items .... Great job kid! The five stars are for Capital Ale and also you, Madeline!! read more

Truly embarrassing. My friends and I came here for a post-dinner beer. I ordered the Hardywood Lager and a Bavarian pretzel. Both were very good, which is the only reason I am giving two starts instead of one. The real highlight (better: lowlight) was our server spilling beer all over me. He was absolutely profuse in apologizing. But not sincere enough to extend me even a 10% discount. So, I came home after paying full price, and rinsed out my shorts and shoes. They won't get a proper cleaning til I get back home. Again, this is embarrassing. The second it happened, the server should have comped my meal, which was only $13. I'll be in Richmond til Saturday, if management would like to contact me and make things right. read more

Capital Ale House - Soaked in beer - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

My son & I ate here in early October 2024. The night we were there for dinner we sampled some of their extensive beer list. We each ordered Oktoberfest inspired SauerBraten. It came with spaetzels & red sour kraut. It was very good. The marinated meat just fell apart. The sweet savory gravy had a taste of gingersnaps. We liked the place so much we went there for lunch the next day and shared the sausage & cheese plate. Washed down a couple beers. Great place. Lots of good beer & good food. Gemutliegkeit! Oh, service was great. Ambiance-idk- building is interesting. Can sit at bar, as we did, or at a table. read more

Capital Ale House - Sauerbraten, spaetzels, red kraut - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Loved the late night vibe and the club had an amazing spread of that was so good. I am still craving that sandwich.

We came here to meet up with some coworkers and were seated in a back dining room. We initially tried to sit outside, though it didn't seem like anyone was really down there, and smelled as though there was flooding damage or something water related. Anyways, we were pretty tucked away past the bathrooms. It was fine, seemed they forgot about us - out of sight out of mind. Our waitress was nice, and she had a good sized group to deal with, and surely other tables. My food was fine. Not life-changing, but enjoyable. I ate the chicken cáprese. Also ordered a strawberry basil drink which was nice and summery. This is a good spot if you're a beer drinker. I'd stick to the main part of the bar though! read more

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Having recently moved to downtown Richmond, we were anxious to try out the many restaurants that are within walking distance of our condo. While on a walk, we happened to stumble across Capital Ale. We've been to their West End and Southside locations, so we were somewhat familiar with the restaurant. This location is small compared to their other spots, but we expected that of a downtown bar. We ordered wine and beer, and our server made a suggestion on the beer. We also ordered pierogi asking to hold the bacon. Our food arrived very quickly and made a nice shareable appetizer. We also enjoyed our wine and beer and placed a second round order. This location is a great place to just relax and have some nice refreshments with your significant other; or bring a group of friends. read more

Capital Ale House - Pierogi topped with melted cheese and caramelized onions - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

It was all great! This was my third time in the place in three days! It was awesome all three times. My server was Niko the first time I went in. Nobody could top him but they were all well above average in customer service. Great atmosphere and it had the feel of an old tavern with a hint of modernization. I recommend the Devils Backbone on draft if you love a good strong beer with a hint of citrus and I recommend all the food. Will definitely be back! read more

Capital Ale House - Appetizer with beer cheese, grapes, sausage, pretzel bread, and awesome Dijon mustard. - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

The ABSOLUTE best hamburger I have had in the longest time: MUSHROOM FRENCH DIP BURGER $16.25 Caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, gruyere cheese, horseradish sauce, au jus. read more

Went here for the first time just after it opened over 20 years ago and made it a point to go back each time we travel to Richmond. There's still a good beer selection and decent food. Regrettably, we miss the ice strip that used to be on the bar to keep beers cold and friendly bar staff. At least one of those issues could be fixed easily. Here's hoping... read more

No idea how you could be any less prepared for actual customers on a concert night. 30 minute wait with 10-12 tables open. Bar tender who is cleaning glasses and not taking care of customers. Literally a case study for Bar Rescue, or some sort of rescue hopefully before it closes. read more

I went to Capital Ale for a concert next door at the Richmond Music Hall, and it was very good! The potatoes were well-seasoned and delicious, and the Krakow was filling. The baguette did make up for a lot of sharp bread, but taking the top bun off was a good combination of the fillings and the bread! The service was excellent as well. read more

Capital Ale House - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

ima regular but Mallory and Bailey make my night EVERY NIGHT. Biergarten is such a vibe.

A friend decided a late dinner here would be nice. We arrived around 8pm or so. There was a light crowd, mostly bar patrons. They appeared to have a large menu so it took me quite awhile to decide. I ordered a couple drinks while deciding and landed on the broccolini pasta and added chicken. Everything about the meal was dry. I took several gulps of water to get through the first bite. It was disappointing because the meal definitely had potential. The noodles were cooked well, but the chicken and pasta overall lacked flavor. My friend ordered the salmon and mushrooms entree. She expressed her fish was also dry but found satisfaction in the side of pilaf. I returned the meal and wasn't sure that I wanted to try anything else at that time. The cocktails were great. I left unsatisfied though. I was able to eat a couple of the fried pickles we ordered for the table. Just ok. read more

Capital Ale House - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Come here regularly prior to shows at the ajoining music hall. Food is fantastic and the beer selection is amazing. Staff is always attentive and even on busy nights they seem to have enough staff, which has been an issue at other establishments. read more

Worst New York strip I ever had. Denny's or Golden Corral was better. It was dry and over-cooked. Showed it to the server and she agreed. She didn't offer to take it off the bill and I didn't ask. I just got out of there never to return. read more

It was conveniently near the race's starting line and seconds from my hotel after first landing in Virginia. The nachos had a little kick from the cheese dip and jalapenos. I never had chunks of steak before, was expecting them to be shredded and evenly spread on the nachos. I enjoyed my Black and Bleu burger. The only gripe would be the huge circle of onion used. Would have loved ketchup for my fries, but I think my waitress' factory settings were reset. We were at at the far end because my aunt has bad hearing. After I asked for ketchup, I saw her look in a drawer, other tables and then ask a coworker. Then, she just went back to serving other tables. By then, I managed to finish my fries. Finished off the night with the Brownie Rockslide, which was beautifully presented on the menu, but the rockslide already happened when it arrived. read more