Capitol City Brewing

Brewery, Bar, Eatery

1100 New York Ave NW #710W
Washington, District of Columbia, 20005
United States

(202) 628-2222 | map
capcitybrew.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.64
Beers:
49
Ratings:
245
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.62
Reviews:
28
Ratings:
55
pDev:
11.33%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by sarahspat:
Photo of sarahspat
Reviewed by sarahspat from Illinois

3.34/5  rDev -7.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
The vibe of Capitol City Brewing more closely resembles an upscale restaurant than a brewpub. The brewing equipment is in plain sight. Almost everywhere you look, you are reminded that you are at a location where beer is brewed. However, to me it seems that for this particular establishment, brewing is more of a gimmick to attract patrons than a passion that drives them.

I just wanted to stop in for one beer to check this place out. They did not list beer prices anywhere on the menu or on any of the numerous chalk board tap lists around the restaurant. I didn't ask the waiter because I wanted to just get a beer anyway. I was a little shocked when our check came to see that my pint cost $5.55. To me that just seems like an exorbitant amount of money for an average quality beer, but maybe it's normal for the DC area. All I know is, I have a bit of a problem paying that much for a beer unless it's something I really like.

However, this place did have some great features. They gave us free soft pretzels with horseradish dip (my favorite thing ever to eat with pretzels). How awesome is that?? I asked for a sample (the waiter called it a "taste"), which was free.

My "taste" was of the Organic Saison. I don't pretend to know anything about this style, but this beer tasted like a clone of Hoegaarden White to me. I ordered a pint of their rye beer, Rye Baby. I love rye beers, so I was excited to see they had one on tap... and disappointed at the first sip. It was just okay.

They had 8 beers: Kolsch, Hefeweizen, Organic Saison, Pale Rider, Rye Baby, Amber Waves, Porter, and on cask: Nut Brown.

The waiter seemed like he was reciting a speech from memory. It was actually kind of weird. He prattled off basic descriptions of the flavors of the beers, but I didn't get the impression that he could have provided any information beyond his speech.

This is not my favorite brewpub, but I would consider going back during happy hour if they have good deals.
May 14, 2009
More User Ratings:
Photo of edthehead
Reviewed by edthehead from Maryland

3.96/5  rDev +9.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4 | food: 4.25
Large, loud, and crowded restaurant / brewery in the heart of DC, with plenty of seating, ok selection of pales, lagers, and IPAs, and a full menu. Little too crowded and noisy for my liking.
Mar 23, 2023
Photo of Tsar_Riga
Reviewed by Tsar_Riga from Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
Convenient location near the convention center, I stumbled upon this spot walking from the Metro to my hotel. The brews were decent but not spectacular. The food was good, solid brewpub fare, tasty if not particularly creative. Glad to have tried this spot, and might go there again when I am in town.
Apr 09, 2022
 
Rated: 3.68 by KMcGrath from Massachusetts

Nov 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.98 by Brian1357 from Virginia

Nov 19, 2017
Photo of dbrauneis
Reviewed by dbrauneis from North Carolina

3.86/5  rDev +6.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75
Located in the vibrant trendy neighborhood of Shirlington Village, this spot was very busy on a Saturday afternoon with a wide variety of patrons - ranging from youngish hipsters to elderly couples. There is a fairly large bar area in the center with dining seating around it. This spot also has a couple of small rooms for private functions. The decor is what I think of as standard American Brewpub - lots of wood with visible brewing equipment behind glass. It was noisy, due to the size of the crowd and the higher ceilings/acoustics but the music was played reasonably and you could still carry on a conversation pretty easily.

The couple of beers that I had were well poured, served at a reasonable temperature, with a decent amount of head, and in appropriate glassware for the style. I had beers served in a snifter (imperial stout) and nonic (IPA).

Service was friendly and fairly attentive - though probably not quite as good as you would get in the restaurant or bar section (as we were in the private event space). The servers were knowledgeable about the beers and offered recommendations to those who asked.

There was a decent selection to chose from - a couple IPA/APAs, porter, stout, amber, and kolsch.

The food that I tried were appetizers served buffet style, and I tried them near the end of the event so I am not going to rate them - they were pretty good though some items seemed a little overdone (likely due to being under heat for a 3 hour event).
Feb 04, 2017
 
Rated: 4.06 by JeffSK from Wisconsin

Aug 03, 2016
 
Rated: 3.63 by TheBlueJerzzzz from Virginia

Jun 09, 2016
 
Rated: 3.83 by rbarrett86 from Maryland

May 31, 2016
 
Rated: 3.36 by tjcamm from Oregon

Feb 08, 2016
 
Rated: 4.2 by Tomkob11 from Maryland

Feb 02, 2016
 
Rated: 3.84 by Boone757 from Virginia

Jan 16, 2016
 
Rated: 3.14 by dexterk1 from Illinois

Jan 10, 2016
 
Rated: 3.63 by Sludgeman from District of Columbia

Jan 05, 2016
 
Rated: 3 by ECsurfattic from Virginia

Dec 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.39 by SunDevilBeer from Massachusetts

Aug 26, 2015
Photo of VABA
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

3.73/5  rDev +3%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.5
Capitol City is located in a very nice area with plenty of food options around (I did not try their food). The place is a fairly good sized brewpub with a lot of selection on tap.
Aug 25, 2015
 
Rated: 3.59 by Lucular from Maryland

Aug 09, 2015
Photo of lordofthemark
Reviewed by lordofthemark from Virginia

3.99/5  rDev +10.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.75
Good but noisy indoors with beer making equipment well displayed at this brewpub. Also outdoors tables in lovely Shirlington. I have experienced great service especially at bicycle group happy hour events. Food is less memorable but decent. Beer is solid - I ave tried Fuel stout and Amber Waves ale.
Feb 01, 2015
Photo of Seneca
Rated by Seneca from Virginia

4.56/5  rDev +26%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4 | food: 4.75
The service the food the atmosphere were great. The food was perfect. It came out quickly
Jan 31, 2015
Photo of ksolekjr
Rated by ksolekjr from Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +17.4%
Great Happy Hour, decent beers
Dec 05, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Brewlinson from Virginia

Nov 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by TheSevenDuffs from Canada (ON)

Sep 29, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by John_Beeryman from Virginia

Aug 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by LukeRfour from West Virginia

Aug 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by siege06nd from Virginia

Aug 12, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by JonAdams from Arizona

Aug 09, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by Shandycan from Pennsylvania

Aug 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by reidjoshua from Florida

Jun 15, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by DubCo21 from Virginia

Apr 16, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Wattie from Virginia

Mar 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Storning from Virginia

Mar 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by billab914 from Virginia

Oct 24, 2013
Photo of mta00007272
Reviewed by mta00007272 from Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.25
To me the beers tend to taste the same... Many have what I call the microbrew aftertaste which has gotten old...

Good atmosphere and the food is above average with a good selection.

Never had bad service - most of the staff know about the beers so it is not a guessing game.
Sep 19, 2013
Photo of mcellis
Reviewed by mcellis from Georgia

3.59/5  rDev -0.8%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3.5
I visited Capitol City Brewing Company on a family vacation to D.C. for the 4th. I had the Capitol Kloch with a Rueben sandwich. I was impressed with my beer and pleased, if not impressed, with my sandwich. The food is standard bar fare with a D.C. price tag, but the beers were worth the trip. We did have to wait a good while for service, but keep in mind that this was July 4th in D.C. I'm sure the service would have been better on a normal day. Overall, it was good enough for 2 trips in the same day - one for beer and sandwiches and the next for mojitos and dessert.
May 29, 2013
Photo of John_M
Reviewed by John_M from Washington

3.53/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3
Located in ultra trendy Shirlington village, there's no way I would have ever visited this place but for a work related judicial conference.

The CCB shelington edition looks very much like a TGIF meets brewpub location, with a number of brewing kettles along the window as you walk by, and then a moderately sized dining area and wrap around bar area as you walk in from Campbell street. There are a couple of decent size flat screen TV's overhead, and the place has fairly high ceilings, which adds to the minimalist vibe. Atmosphere is otherwise pretty low key, and this is a pretty relaxed spot to hang with a beer or three.

As for the selection, I believe they have 4 or so core beers, and then a couple of seasonals or limited release beers (which this day consisted of a hefe and the fuel). I went with the pale ale, which was surprisingly tasty and well crafted. Service was OK, with the bartender friendly, though a bit hard to understand (sort of a lispy Italian accent). I didn't get the impression he knew a whole lot about beer or the selection, but he was pleasant enough.

Shrug. Nothing wrong with this place, but there was nothing about it that stood out either. I'd stop by here again any time I'm in Shirlington, but as I tend to doubt that will happen again any time soon, I'm not sure when I'll ever be back again.
Aug 10, 2011
Photo of jayhawk73
Reviewed by jayhawk73 from Maryland

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Atmosphere is pretty good, w/ a big open area for seating. It can get pretty crazy on the weekends, as this seems to be a 'pre-going out' hang for a lot of younger adults. The quality of brews ranges from passable to pretty good. Nothing world class here, but nothing horrible either. The service has been hit or miss with me. Sometimes it's been great, other times horrible- depends on who you get I guess. The selection of beers is usually pretty good- 5-8 beers on tap at any given time, with some standards always on draft. Food is usually pretty good, and standard bar food. Nothing outstanding. Cap City used to be a good place for me, but as my tastes evolved, this is a fairly mediocre beer place now. Still, if you're looking for a place to hang, and you're in the neighborhood... It's probably worth a trip.
Jul 22, 2011
Photo of Chaney
Reviewed by Chaney from District of Columbia

3.68/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
A: This totally used to be my go to place before the Dogfish Head Alehouses opened. For my taste, the atmosphere is my favorite part about this place: Very clean, and the tables are well spaced, creating an intimate atmosphere which is perfect for a date night.

Q: The beer ranges from average to pretty good... and I think that is what they're going for anyway. My experience with the food has always been very good. I especially like the pre-meal pretzels that the wait staff brings to your table to munch on until your main dish(es) arrive.

Ser: The night we went, the waiter didn't give us the time of day.... not much conversation, no info or opinion on the beers.... nada! However, perhaps he was new and didn't know much?

Sel: Standard bar fare for sure, but done in a slight upscale way. For example, the hummus is not just your average run of the mill, mashed chickpeas. They actually coat it with tomatoes, cucumber, and diced olives. Additionally, the make their own pita bread. As for the beer, they seem to always have about 7-8 different styles available which cover all the most popular ones (ex. Pale Ale, Lager, Porter, Stout, etc.)

F: I think I've ordered about everything on the menu now, and tend to gravitate towards their sandwiches, rather than the entrees. I've always though their food was tasty.

V: Very reasonably priced considering the upscale location.
Feb 20, 2011
Photo of drabmuh
Reviewed by drabmuh from Maryland

3.68/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
The DC metro area is in dire need of brewpubs and local breweries, until this happens we have three Cap City brewpubs. This is a big place with a big bar on the inside decorated with serving tanks. There is both indoor and outdoor seating, it looks about like any middle class feedbag of a restaurant. Slightly nicer than an Applebee's.

The beer is decent, a nice wide selection with quick tap rotation and growler fills, not very pissed about that. Overall its a nice experience.

Our waiter was nice and attentive. Brought us our food quickly and with a smile. Inquired about our experience at the right frequency.

Food is OK, nothing great. The dishes are big so when my wife and I go we end up splitting something. It is an overeating and drinking establishment. Becareful when its not happy hour, it can get more expensive than you think.
Oct 20, 2010
Photo of mobud
Reviewed by mobud from Delaware

3.13/5  rDev -13.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
Stopped in to have lunch while visiting friends in Alexandria. Place is pretty slick, but for the most part, it looks like a millon other brewpubs. The reserve tanks are in the center, with a brew area off to the left; they were cleaning when I was there for lunch. The service was so/so; I noticed 5 servers moving around covering 10-15 tables but it took about 10 minutes before our approached. My friend asked for the pretzels that they offer gratis, but the server said they were "working" and after the third inquiry near the end of the meal, they appeared. The beers were fine, but a little pricey. I had a Pale Rider Ale and the Prohibition Porter. Nothing to seek out, but hundreds time better than most restaurant offerings. They appeared to have 8-10 different beers available. Hard to tell from the menu on the table and some of the chalk boards they had hanging up.

The food was overpriced. I had the BBQ Pulled Pork sammy and the roll was the size of a slider (Could of had 2-3 and been full) for 10 dollars. Not cool!

I have been to several other Capital City pubs and this fell inline with the others. Nothing overwhelming, good beers, fair food, and a little pricey. It looked like the best choice for me in the neighborhood, so they got my money that day.
Oct 21, 2009
Capitol City Brewing in Washington, DC
Brewery rating: 3.64 out of 5 with 245 ratings