Went here with a couple of friends that live in Bellingham/surrounding area at their suggestion for some cheap drinks before going to JD McPherson this past Friday night. It was stated that the drinks were cheap, and pretty much has been a "working man's bar" for decades. This place has character. Sure it's divey, yep, the vinyl on the seats are ripped, but who cares? They're comfy, and the service is good, and the drinks were indeed strong. We only stayed for one drink, but I'd have been happy to stay there longer.
Review Source:I liked this bar. It was filled with a comfortable mix of people - mostly regulars. Drinks were good, bartenders were nice, polite and the people came from all walks. No cliques that I saw. No pretentious snobs -- just regular people who happened to be there.
A pleasant surprise! I'll be back!!
It seems like the few times I've stopped in there wearing jeans and my normal clothes on the off nights, I've been treated humanely. I even went in to drop off my resume at one point because I was looking for a part-time bar-tending job. However, when I'm out dancing with my friends and happen to be wearing not-so-hipsterish clothes, but rather a skirt, make-up, and nice shoes, I get treated like dirt.
The first time I said I'd never go back was when my I.D. was not accepted. It was about 10 p.m. on a Friday night, not too busy yet. My friend had just turned 21, and she still had a vertical license. She was let in before me, but then mine was "studied" by the door guy and three bartenders. They told me it was "too thin," and I couldn't come into the bar. I showed them my old Nebraska state license that I had kept in my wallet. He did not accept it, because there was a hole punched through it. (Of course there was a hole punched through it because I don't live in Nebraska anymore). He simply said "Sorry, you aren't getting in tonight." I laughed at first because of how ridiculous the situation was. The girls standing behind me had their I.D.s out ready to go, so I asked them if I could look at theirs. The thinness of all the I.D.s were exactly the same, and I showed it to the door guy. I said "if you let them in, and not me, then this is wrong." Of course, to prove a point, he let them right in. Then, this girl who works there obnoxiously pops out from behind and said "Sorry, we can't help it that you stole your big sister's license." (This made no sense, because they were using the argument that my I.D. was fake, not an issue of it being someone else's). I was outraged. After only having one beer beforehand, I was perfectly able to see the unfairness. My I.D. was legal, and I even had a second one to show him, and still nothing. The dude was on a power trip that I had to end. I walked back to my apartment, got my passport and a legal copy of my birth certificate, and showed him. Before even looking inside to see that I was in fact 23 years old, he began apologizing profusely. I told him I wasn't giving them my business, I just wanted to prove I was of age. He said "I'll remember this."
A month passes, and I was out with friends having a great time at the Underground. It was a little after 1 a.m. and I was waiting outside for my friends. I was cold so I thought I'd give Cap's another chance. I told my friends to meet me there and I went in for a beer to end the night. The guy at the door remembered me. I got a beer and found a seat near the door. My friend came over and told me her coat was stolen. She was standing outside the door, so I went over to talk to her. I guess the door guy thought I was going to leave with the beer in my hand, and pulls me back. They immediately take my beer away and shove me out the door. I asked why I was being kicked out, and they just ignored me. I was pissed! I was starting to walk home, then I turned back. There was no reason for them to treat me like that. I had paid for that beer, and I hadn't done anything wrong. They had just closed the doors, so I knocked on the window and asked to speak to a manager. The same girl who accused me of stealing my big sister's license comes out and deliberately gets in my face. I thought to myself, "This is the manager of Cap's?" She starts talking down to me, calling me "blondie" and "honey." I said "All I'm asking is to know why I was kicked out and my drink was ripped out of my hand." She said I only tipped the bartender 75 cents. The beer was something like $3.25, and I left $4, big whoop. I'm a bar-tender too, and that's a completely acceptable tip. It's not a great one, but it's not like he made me a complicated martini, he just poured me a beer. She then proceeds to call me a "drunk fucking cunt" who "grabbed at the door guy's coat." Maybe I grabbed at his coat to keep from losing my balance while I was being shoved out the door. I have NEVER been someone to get violent and cause problems when I've been drinking. I told her "I know what it's like dealing with drunk people, I'm in the business too." She says "Oh really? Where?" When I told her where I work, she cuts me off saying "I don't give a fuck where you work." The name-calling didn't end there. This joke of a manager also called me a "stupid bitch" in the midst of her yelling at me. I couldn't get a word in. Every time I tried to defend myself, she cut me off saying "Nope, you're done bitch. You're done." I had to walk away because tears were welling up in my eyes and I couldn't do anything more. I can't believe how nasty and unprofessional this girl was. Several of my friends saw what happened, and they can all attest that I did nothing wrong. I deserve to be treated like every other scenester hipster who goes there. Yes, I was drunk, sue me. But unfortunately for her, I remember everything she said.
Great place, awesome food [if you get there at or before dinner time] and great staff. Mondays at about 5:30 they have Spanish bingo with dorky prizes.. and it doesn't cost  a thing. I have made that my regular spot and would suggest it to anyone that would prefer great drinks and service at a great price without the club atmosphere. Because that is getting old!
Review Source:Cap's was last stop before home. I think it seemed a-okay because I had had a few . The inside matches it's reputation of being a bit of a dive. Â People there are really nice though. We shared a table with a few other attendees who chatted it up like we knew each other.
The atmosphere was buzzing and got really crowded a bit after we got there. Definitely a few people's last stop of the night. I don't think it really accommodates bigger groups trying to all be able to sit next to each other.
I think it'd be a nice place to go during off-hours to get a pitcher and sit back and keep it low key.
Seems like a pretty standard shade of bar, I don't know why some fawn over it and others lose sleep over it; get out a little. Â I would recommend going during the off hours so you don't have to deal with the afore-mentioned hipsters, they can be a bit annoying. Â But it's always fun to see them squirm if you decide to stay and go on a real bender. Â The staff is fine if you get to know them, don't go in expecting them to fall all over you because you're old enough to buy beer. Â Beam costs as much as the rail, $1.50 Pabst cans, random old guy on bender, you do the math.
Review Source:Small and crowded, like every good dive bar should be, Cap's has, in my humble opinion, THE best jukebox in town. Lots of Tom Waits, Pixies, and Willie Nelson... They have a good selection of beer on tap, including the essential PBR. The tall cans of Oly are a nice bonus... They have occasional live music, but the place is so small that the bands take up most of the room. Cap's is a great place to warm up before a show at the Nightelight, located next door.
Review Source:This is the worst experience I have ever had in a bar. Â My friends and I went there to get a couple of shots before heading over to the nightlight because we had heard that they pour them strong. Â The bartender not only deliberately ignored us for 15 minutes, but when we ordered golden apple shots she gave us shots of apple pucker and apple juice. Â She didn't even try to hide the fact that there was no crown royal involved. Â She then proceeded to charge us $5 per shot. Â For apple pucker. Â I asked her how that shot constituted a golden apple when it was nothing like a washington apple and she scoffed at me and said "well there's apple juice, that's what makes it golden." Â What a terrible experience. Â I would never treat someone like that because they had tatoos and scenester clothes on in my bar, therefore if I am wearing high heels and have my hair curled I deserve to be given what I ordered instead of some stuck up bartender thinking she's pulling a fast one on a ditzy airhead.
If the readers of this review take anything from this entry, let it be that Cap's employs stuck up scenesters with an undeserving sense of superiority. Â Don't support this bar they don't deserve your business.
I LoVe Caps! Best bar in town, i would say! i use to go into caps alot a couple of years ago( I quit drinking now ). But anyways, caps is a wicked bar great people come and go in that bar. Back in 2007 a Punk show got shut down by the cops at our house, And the friendly kats at Cap Hansen's HELPED us out and let us move the show to the Bar that night!! and they got wicked cheap beer and popcorn! great jukebox  ( the dandelion junk queens is in there! ). If you haven't been into this little bar check it out for sure. Cheers.
Review Source:This place is the BOMB! I love it here and if I lived in B'ham, I would frequent it often. It's like that cool place in Philly that's been there forever... or the joint in Denver, or that dive in Little Havana Miami, or that place I don't remember in NYC, Annapolis, Kansas City, Atlanta, the Haight, Santa Fe and Missoula. Know what I mean? All time, classic college town dive bar with shit loads of character! Rock on!
Review Source:I walked in one Sunday night two years ago to the most awesome Karaoke show ever. I try to go on Sundays but I can never remember which Sundays they have it. Poops is Mr Entertainment himself but there are lots of regulars who can put on a show. The drinks are cheap and strong. For inexpensive fun, check out Cap's on karaoke night.
Review Source:The last time I was in Cap's my friend called this crazy girl Koo-Koo and her boyfriend wanted to start a fight. Â It was hilarious; especially considering the fight-starter was an idiot undergrad boy who would have gotten smashed in the face by an actual man. Â What this anecdote tells you is, this bar is hipster chic on the surface, but surly drunken regulars on the deep, chewy inside. Â
The place is dump, the chairs are uncomfortable, the juke box is great, the bartenders are awesome, and I've never touched the food. Â I like bourbon and bottled beer, and this place delivers stiff drinks and cheap prices. Â Plus, there is a totally awesome shark drawing on the wall by the urinal trough.
Cap Hansens is a HOT MESS. I don't really agree with the clique comments---but rather it does have a very regular and repeat clientele of loyal drinkers...so I suppose I could see that. The tiny bar is very divey and home to some of bellinghams BEST barkeeps. I love how  bitchy they can be....which, most times is warranted....the drinks are giant, cheap and strong.
The food is steamed to perfection. And actually amazing.
I love this place and I can always go there when in need of a friendly face...and the occassional gay makeout!!!
One secret about caps....SUNDAY brunch...Michelle makes it from scratch...and it is amazing and something like three bucks.
Stop by....you wont remember you did the next day...but your credit card will remind you.....
Love Caps.
The drinks are strong + cheap, and the place is often full of lively folks. There are the general cliques, but I've found everyone to be friendly that I've talked to there. Their sandwiches are suprisingly yummy; I recommend "Reuben's Sister", served cold topped with coleslaw, with a green salad and their homemade Bleu Cheese.. They also serve free popcorn, which is nice but runs on the salty side. One drawback is the horde of smokers out front -- I've come home stinking just from walking through their cloud.
Definitely agree that it's a great place to pre-funk before spending a lot on drinks at the Nightlight.
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