Capital Ale House

Great food! We tried the Loaded Nachos, Calamari, burger and the NY Strip Steak. I am absolutely in love with the steak and the tap brewed beers.
Great experience!

Capital Ale House is a great place to hang out and catch a game or catch up with friends. Full disclosure up front, a friend of mine is the GM and my husband and I came out to support her in this new adventure, but my review is based on our experience and not influenced by any known favoritism since we never made our friendship known to any of the staff. That said, let's get into it. We were greeted as soon as we walked in and I asked to sit at the bar, since my favorite football team was playing. We were quickly seated and given menus. The bartender was a nice young gentleman who immediately asked what he could get us, but also very understanding when we asked for a moment to look at all the beer options on tap. You can sample any beer you want and they have a very large and diverse variety. I tried a German bock, but ended up sticking with what I know I love, porters and stouts. I ordered the peanut butter stout and my husband ordered the speedway stout. Both were really good local craft brews. The speedway stout is imperial; so just be aware of that distinction. My husband loves imperial stouts; so he was very happy. I think my favorite was the maple porter...perfect level of maple flavor for my palette preference. Next we moved on to an appetizer; the pretzel, sausage and cheese plate. This is a fairly large appetizer and the flavor combinations are awesome. Definitely recommend adding the beer cheese as well. For entrees we ordered the smokehouse burger and virginia beef ribs with a side of German mashed potatoes. The ribs were fall of the bone delicious and paired well with the warm German mashed potatoes; and my husband really enjoyed the burger. The only thing I should have done was ask for a side of bbq sauce because the sauce on the ribs did not quite get me through all the meat; though the meat was good without the sauce as well. Portions are fairly large; so come hungry. This location opened during the pandemic and has a ton of potential with the three separate dining areas. The pool tables in one of the two bar rooms is a fun touch too. The menu is very large and I'm pretty sure anyone who comes here could find something on the menu they would enjoy. They also have a fair number of wines and even craft cocktails. I would definitely come back again. Thank you for a great experience!
Update 1/14/2023:
My husband and I came back to see how the restaurant operations are progressing and support our friend, the GM. We had a great time, which is not surprising because the food and service are fantastic. They had the fireplaces roaring...a nice contrast to the freezing temperatures outside that night. We do love the giant Bavarian pretzel....you need to get the beer cheese to fully enjoy this appetizer; trust me, it is tasty. We also tried the crab/corn chowder, which was a January special. I thought it was good, not overwhelming in crab, so if you like corn chowder, you will like this spin on a classic winter soup. We also ordered the smokehouse burger and braised beef short rib. We complimented the food with our favorite styles of beer....stouts and porters. The Aleworks Coffeehouse stout and Blue Mountain Dark Hollow imperial stout to start. Later ordered the Port City Porter and Legend Winterbock. Everything was delicious.
This restaurant is a great space to host parties or other large group gatherings.
Thanks again to the whole team at Captal Ale House! :-)

I absolutely loved this place located in the heart of Fairfax. Service was exceptional! The food was simply amazing. Cake cake was moist and delicious. Sangria was definitely refreshing on a warm summer day.

If you park in the back, enter through the back door. I loved how it was directly across from Fairfax County Courthouse. I was told by a server that Ben Chew and his team ordered take out one day for Johnny Depp.
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Really enjoyed our visit. We'll go back! Small parking lot on the front side of Hwy 123, but huge parking lot entering from University Drive behind the building. Very elegant dark oak ambience divided into several rooms. One dining room has a nice fireplace. One bar has a lot of TVs and dozens of draft beet taps. Another bar has dual pool tables and a couple of TVs. Good Happy Hour deals and a both-ends Happy Hour style deal for late evenings! Food was good and provided in generous portions.

Imad and Kristin were amazing! Their service was phenomenal, they had knowledge of the menu, great recommendations and very personable characters. My group and I did have 2 cold dishes that were sent back, but were brought again to our liking and it was delicious. I will definitely be back, their impressions made up for the food. 9.5/10!

We really enjoyed our lunch here. My husband and I both got burgers and shared the fried pickle appetizer. We agreed it’s the best food we’ve had in the area. The burgers were each cooked exactly to our preferences and had great flavor. We will definitely be back.

My boyfriend and I went to the Fairfax Capital Ale House on Saturday night. Our server Imad was amazing! He was full of energy, knew the menu very well, and had great suggestions. The last time we were at the Fairfax location we had a long wait time and didn’t receive our appetizer. We were truly impressed by the service and the quality of the food. The spicy peach bbq sauce is mouth watering. My boyfriends burger and my southern Mac and cheese were delicious.10 out of 10 would recommend!

Tonight I grabbed a late dinner at Capital Ale House in Fairfax City with a friend. The food was fantastic & the service was top notch. Our waiter Imad was super personable and our bartender Alex made really great drinks. We definitely will be back!!

Great service and overall atmosphere. Came in with a group for a celebration and had a good time. One thing that was weary was that we realized that were overcharge after the transaction was made. Called up the restaurant the day after and had a gentlemen, Imad, fix the problem in quite a quick and efficient manner

Emily was our bartender for a private JMU Alumni event on 1/13/24. She was INCREDIBLE! We had over 50 people attending, and she was fast, friendly and inviting! Thank you so much for a wonderful experience!

Such a fun place with multiple bars, indoor and patio seating. The building comes with a lot of history. It was built in the early 20th century and has been at the epicenter of Fairfax growth since. The place has more beers on tap that you can think of and offers an assorted menu of food that when you are eating it makes you want to meet the Chef. The staff is quality, the beer list offers something for everyone and the food well the food will keep you coming back if the challenge of trying all the beers they offer does not. Come enjoy some amazing beers and food in a piece of history that would only be better if the walls could talk. This place if given the support of the community will be one of the best spots in Fairfax. Also ask them about the beer festival they are hosting in the fall. It's definitely an event you want to mark on your calendar!

My friend and I stopped by this place after dinner to grab a beer and some fries. We were seated outside to enjoy the cooler weather and night atmosphere. Our server Imad was awesome! He recommended us some beer selections that fit each of our tastes and was attentive to check if we needed anything from time to time, making sure we were being taken care of :) loved the atmosphere for sure, great service, and would love to visit again during the day too!

Here from London with my cousin (from Fairfax) for Christmas. Kristin and Imad are both amazing bartender. We were introduced to some great local beer, and got a free glass to celebrate Christmas. Would definitely recommend if you’re in town!

Imad had great hospitality and treated us so well! Vivian also made sure she found us a drink that made our meal even better. You guys were great, thank you. Servers like this is what keeps customers coming back!!

Get out of the house and visit this new-ish addition to Downtown / old Town Fairfax is all I can say! Great inside with fireplaces, Edison lights, and a classy bar area. Lots of space inside

Service was prompt and food was delicious. As you would image, they have a large beer menu. Wings were large and saucy, the French dip and Cuban were spot on, and the kids menu items were generously sized.

Will be adding this place to the dinner / lunch / happy hour rotation. Also as other reviewers said, ask for the spicy ketchup.

Great place! Pretty new right off of 123, entrance is on the Main Street. Incredible beer selection. At least 5 of each type (ie. IPAs, Stouts, Sours etc.) got the chicken tostada appetizer INCREDIBLE flavor. Absolutely PACKED with toppings!! Then I got the grilled flatbread sandwich which was perfect. Not too heavy, very tasty. Husband got the supremo flatbread. Very airy with crisp bottom and the sauce was PERFECT!!

Cozy little Capital Ale House in downtown Fairfax. Service was beyond great. Had a table of 7, and she never missed a refill or an order! They were out of potatoes, so we ended up with a lot of fries during late night. Getting the food took a little bit of time, but we were a big group. All in all, it's a pretty good place to hang after 9 in downtown. Prices were good and service was the top notch.

Just went for my first time ever, if you aren’t eating here you’re messed up in the head. $21 for all of these beautiful, extravagantly tasting, and filling appetizers. Got a big family and a budget? Go here. Got the munchies? Go here. Got into the gym and started bulking? Go here. Got the need to fill your stomach for cheap and quality? Go here. Grow up, and get your life on track by heading straight to this place. I’ll be there every Sunday for football and fatness, however in 4 months when i’m 21 i’ll be there 4 nights a week. The bar was beautiful with tv’s, stacked stone, and a fire pit that made my girlfriend think watching football was romantic. Go here now.

Always have a good time here. Food is good and lots of beer options.

First time dining at Capital Ale House. Excellent beer selection and diverse menu. Beautiful evening, sitting outside on the patio was a great option. The giant pretzel was outstanding. The burgers were great and the fries are delicious with multiple dipping sauces. The schnitzel had a ton of potential, but they were a little over cooked, to the point they were hard. The sauerkraut was so good. Finally, dessert didn't disappoint, the apple pie with ice cream... Warm, sweet and delicious!!