An absolutely amazing place for great beer and great service. A beer selection to die for, with 40+ beers on tap, and 200+ bottled beer. A service staff with an extensive knowledge of all things beer, polite, and always willing to make you comfortable and happy. The first time I went to CAH, I actually was able to speak to the owner, who was a perfect host. A must see if in Richmond! They are opening a new resturaunt in early April! Check the home website for details.

I was in Richmond to visit friends and got them to take me to the Capital Ale House. We were there on a Saturday afternoon so the bar was very quiet, mostly people in for lunch. 30 taps, and an excellent micro beer selection including local, and beers from all over the country. Draft selections included Stone, Three Floyds, Victory and Legend. Day bartender was a timid young girl, who was not a service oriented bartender. We sat in a near empty bar with empty glasses a few times during our session there. We left after the night barstaff came on and they seemed more like the 'A-Team' noticing immeadiately that our group were beer geeks who tipped. No televisions in the bar, but there was a frozen rail on the bar to keep your drink ice cold. I did not order from the food menu it looked diverse but a bit pricey.

This place has great potential but my visit was fraught with frustration, frustration due it seems to having visited on the day after St Patrick’s Day. First the good, they have an enormous tap and bottle selection. The beer I was served was fresh and served in clean glassware. The food was very good (excellent salad), but a little bit pricier than average bar food (quality was far better also so the prices are not unexpected). As for the bad, it seems that since I visited on the day after St Patrick’s Day their beer menu was out of date. This caused me great frustration in that many beers that excited me were not available. It seemed I had a penchant for picking beers off of the menu that were not available. Our waitress was very understanding and helpful throughout. The other complaint, which is also St Patrick’s day related, was the preponderance of Irish beers (not the most exciting lot but I guess they made sense given that it was the day after St Paddy’s).

By far the best beer bar in Richmond located in the heart of downtown Richmond. Easily accessible from I-95/I-64 for those travelling from other cities. Food is excellent and ranges from typical bar fare (great burgers and sandwiches) to upscale (several dishes incoporating the beers they offer). This place is busy EVERY night of the week, especially on Mondays ($1.25 burger night) and Wednesdays (Steal the Glass night). 2 recently installed handpumps, roughly 30 taps, and around 300 bottles. They ALWAYS have something that is difficult to find in Virginia and they generally "rotate" a few of their taps every few weeks. Parking can be a problem, but there is an open parking lot 1/2 block up 7th Street from the bar. Wait staff is generally knowledgable and a few have outstanding beer knowledge. Don't come to Richmond without going here.

What TBG said. Should note that they now have two casks going as well. Enjoyed a nice V-Day meal there with the spouse, prix-fixe menu with a beer matched for each course. Soon to have a second location opening up in the Innsbrook area of Richmond.

WOW! Nice place here. Best beer bar in Richmond, IMHO. The interior itself is almost all wood, while the bar is wooden with a "cooling strip" running parallel through the middle of the bar. Designed to keep your drink cold, should desire it that way. The beer selection is generally phenomenal, although the prices can be somewhat high. They do get some very special beers in at times, especially on draft, like SN Harvest Ale, and DFH 120Min IPA. The food is standard bar fare, like burgers, sandwiches and pizza along with other more upscale meals. However, there is nothing standard about the food. The Special Events make this even better. Though there are several events each week, the "Steal The Glass Night" on Wednesday allows a person to bring home up to 4 glasses, I believe, of whatever brewery is sponsoring that evening. Recent breweries have been: Smuttynose, Anchor, SN, North Coast, and Weyerbacher. No one should miss this. Folks from the DC area should come down at least once - it's only a 2 hour drive!