Food ranges from average to mediocre, although I like the pulled pork sandwich. Wash it down with a beer flight or a boot. I mainly go out of convenience (it's located right by the Square) - and for the trivia, which is great when you can actually get a table. If you get there after 8:00 on a Monday or Thursday, be prepared to stand.
Review Source:Got the tour from guide Alan. Â What a great tour he gave! Â Really enjoyed it. Â We had a pitcher of the blonde dopplebock which was terrific too. Â Nice place, a little older than some of the older breweries in Madison area but it certainly had character. Â Would definitely return for the patio in the warmer months!
Review Source:When I go to Madison's Capital area, I tend to prefer dive bars, but this brew-pub featuring the beers of Capital Brewing is worth a visit. The food was your typical pub grub, with a little more flair when it comes to the specials, and an ample selection of local food options as well. All in all, for a strip where there are not a lot of great choices, this is a place for the beer lover to go try some brews.
The servers are very friendly and helpful.
My friends and I stopped by here for the first time when the wait was too long at the Old Fashioned. I mean, if you're looking for some pub food, this is a nice choice. The menu isn't large, but there are the classics you need on it. Burgers, fries, grilled cheese, cheese curds, salads, etc. They do make a pretty mean Friday fish fry and the servings are generous. This is a good place to go on hockey game days because it is far enough down State that it isn't too crowded.
The beer is great as always. I've had a few of their seasonals here including the Hop Cream Ale, Capital Dark and Oktoberfest.
Inside the restaurant it can get crowded. During the summer, you can eat outside on State Street. Always a treat!
When coming back to visit my alma matter is is always tough to narrow down where we want to eat. Â After a game at Camp Randall we wandered to state street away from the crowds and decided some good beer and dinner would be in order. Â We were a group of 6 and were told half hour for a table - no problem we can wait at the bar. Â Well after waiting at the bar for an hour we just decided to order up there. Â Only problem the bartender missed half our group and didnt come back for quite some time. Â She also gave us quite the look when we ordered two cheese curd plates and two deep fried pickle plates in addition to dinner. Â Hey I come back to Wisconsin very rarely let me have my deep fried goodness.
Of course the curds, beer, and beer cheese soup were amazing. Â With so much to pick from in Madison they may want to up the service if they want to last.
Today Date: 9/29/2012, Time: 12:31:18 PM, Server Name: Lilli, Check Number: 128449
We had the Mussels and Frites, an Annual Tap/Octoberfest and a Tap Haus Bloody Mary. Sat at the bar. Servers inattentive, watching the football game , on TV. Chatting with each other at the other end of the bar.
See menu:
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.capitaltaphaus.com%2Fmenu.php&s=b8e5c64272893876db44c3aefb2c2f9ed7d28372ee05260afd65cfde4a88f3f1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.capitaltaphau…</a>
Told the wait staff that the quoted 'One pound of Prince Edward Island mussels' was about a half pound shy. They said the told the cook/ chef....okay and what did he have to say?
The Frites were good fries... 'Served with a"Chef sauce", a combination of half Dark Capital BBQ sauce and half mayonnaise'....a squirt of BBQ sauce in a plastic cup with some mayo, not even mixed.
Average quantity is 20-25 mussels per lb
there were 11 on our plate-
the MENU stated we were getting 1 LB PEI Mussels...
We missed a half lb somewhere.
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tourismpei.com%2Fpei-mussels&s=c06f3564a3a59b928ec021ba6d3b99df6f70163ef6d6631525c7cc7b8aa2dca1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.tourismpei.co…</a>
Note the last Paragraph
It states 20-25 mussels per pound.
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.simplyseafood.com%2Fnewsletters%2F1007%2Fmussels.html&s=697c2a28eaa6ff324ca114d6f14dbd9223ee00c169e45f72738a2f0374815513" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.simplyseafood…</a>
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwiki.answers.com%2FQ%2FHow_many_mussels_are_in_a_pound&s=005277e0136595b6259e1cf0bb513786d0d88f88cebb8522b599673082c7d5a8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://wiki.answers.com/…</a>
Total bill: Â Sub Total: Â 26.90
            Tax:   0.82
          TOTAL: 27.72
Tip:(by NO mistake): Â 1.00
PRICELESS!
I know this might cause a huge war but I'm just going to throw this out there... "This place has the best cheese curds in Madison, period!" If you forget to order them, just do yourself a favor and immediately return to the restaurant and demand you get a serving of the delicate morsels.
They certainly have an advantage as they have the best beer batter mix AND they are an extension of the Capital Brewery in Middleton. Which for a previous yelper to complain why they don't have any other beer brands is beyond me. Why would you WANT anything else??? Capital Brews rock!!
Their simple menu does them well, as they can execute it well. The sandwiches come with a standard side salad and a much more healthy choice after needing a triple bypass with their curds.
Capital Tap Haus, don't you go changing a thing!
The food was OK. The beers were OK. The atmosphere was OK. The place was OK. I guess because there are close (better)alternatives like the Great Dane and the Old fashioned I'd give this spot an OK. I would go back and give it another try but only if with a lively bunch to help me through.
Review Source:I visited here with my boyfriend during the week of July 4th. Â The bar was not full, but the bartender took about 20 minutes to get our drinks. Â On top of that, she ended up dropping a TON of glasses on the floor which shattered and FLEW UP AND ONTO ME and the immediate area. Â I spent the next 30 minutes looking and picking glass out of my scalp and my body. Â After mentioning to get a new soda because THERE MIGHT BE GLASS IN IT, she got another soda, never apologized that I had a small glass factory in my hair (and yes, it cut a bunch of hair out), and charged me for the soda. Â Lame. Â She was more concerned with her toe hurting than the fact that her guests might be bleeding or ingesting broken glass. Â I'm not talking about maybe either, I'm talking about huge pieces that landed all over.
Review Source:We stopped here during a mini impromptu bar crawl that my bf and I went on last Sunday in Madison. This was newly built since we were last here so we decided to check it out. The decor is ok but pretty standard. I had their speciality bloody Mary which was infused with garlic, peppers, and onions. I am a sucker for infused vodkas but this one was a little overpowering with the garlic. I would give this place another shot and try out the food next time.
Review Source:The food here is very average to meh. I had a salmon salad, beer cheese soup, and half a grilled veggie sandwich.
I think I liked the grilled veggie sandwich the best. It was packed with veggies and the toast had the right amount of butter/oil. The salmon salad came in a strange form--all of the lettuce was shredded pretty finely. The salmon was chopped up and thrown on the salad... and it was not very plentiful. The beer cheese soup was overwhelming and way too cheesy (though the flavor of the beer was distinct/good). I could only finish half before giving it to my friend. I guess it doesn't help that I am lactose intolerant.
We also sat at the big booth in the back. It was very awkwardly shaped and made our conversation really hard to hear / be involved in.
I came here for just some drinks. We sat outside... it was okay but nothing special. The inside was pretty empty except for a few people watching the playoffs. I was a bit disappointed with the beers... I got a flight and did not care for any of them. I guess I was hoping that I'd find something I would love... not here.
Review Source:we wound up here last night after finding 40+ minute wait times at every dining establishment on the square. the host said 10-15 and we were starving, so we got beers and waited.
I am not a fan of capital beers, but decided to try a dark anyway... and it was a letdown, just like every other capital brewery beer I've had. I will never understand why people love these mediocre beers so much, but I digress.
we were seated and our waitress was great- fast and friendly, and the only reason this review is getting two stars instead of one. we ordered some cheese curds to share and they looked normal, but tasted burned. and my blue cheese burger, the one that sounded so delicious on the menu? the pretzel roll was burned, and the burger itself was devoid of flavor.
as if all that weren't bad enough, they were playing some awful new country the entire time. yuck.
if you aren't picky about your beer, food or music, this might be your place.
This place has quietly earned a solid reputation as a bar-restaurant which attempts to fulfill all patrons' needs. Â While the competition among the restaurants on the other side of State St. has resulted in something of an escalating price war, this place seems to hold it's value. Â The wide array of Capital beer choices are paired with a menu which includes a variety of the "usual suspects" including sandwiches, salads and entrees. Â While it's compact size may be a little claustrophobic for some, the staff are generally helpful and engaging. Â The few times I have been in, I chose to sit at the bar and received prompt service.
Review Source:Do not sit in the big booth in the back of the restaurant!! I sat there with my friends for my birthday celebration and the staff kept going in and out of the back door. Â IT WAS FREEZING and they did not apologize. Â
When ordering drinks, the waitress knew nothing about the different types of beers. Â She also made no effort to find out information about beers. Â She was VERY unprofessional.
When finishing up our meal, their system "went down" when trying to come up with our bill. Â We waited for 20 minutes and then the waitress came back saying she would write out and try doing some math to figure out people's bills and that they would accept cash or write down credit card numbers and charge them once the system was up. Â She was clearly not able to calculate the tabs. Â I then approached the bar after another 20 minutes saying we don't have cash (what college students do these days?) and we do not feel comfortable writing down our credit card numbers (isn't that absurd that was their solution!). Â The waitress threw a fit and walked away from me- she wouldn't even talk to me. Â Then another waitress very rudely said their system would be up in 5 minutes.
After another 10 minutes they brought 1 bill for all the meals. Â I then asked if we could split up the charges. Â The waitress could not understand how or why we wanted to split the bills. Â I was so annoyed at this point I put everything on my credit card.
I then tried to speak with the manager. Â She was even more unprofessional and did not apologize for anything. Â Nothing was compensated for us and overall she was just as rude. Â
If you want horrible service and some subpar food, go to Capitol Tap Haus!
I had a gift certificate for the Capital Tap Haus and thought I'd give it a try for lunch. Â I ordered the chicken breasts with mixed seasonal vegetables and mashed potatoes and Californian side salad. Â The salad was great, albeit quite small for the $6 price tag. Â I was quite disappointed with the entree though. Â The chicken breast was dry and cold. Â The seasonal vegetables consisting of yellow and green zucchini and spinach were soaked in olive oil, not seasoned at all and cold as well. Â To top it off, I felt sick 20 minutes after eating the meal, which may or may not be related to the food but does not bode well for the establishment. Â The only redeeming quality of the experience was the service; the waitress was really nice. Â Perhaps try the place out for a drink but from this experience, I'll be staying away from the food.
Review Source:I was craving a burger on my walk up to the Capitol, so I figured I would try this place out since it has been around for a while now and had, presumably, ironed out any wrinkles.
The atmosphere is very nice, plenty of TV's if you want to watch sports (no subtitles were on though) and it really feels like a comfortable place to hang out. Â The place was relatively empty when I was in, but it was only 6:30pm when I walked in the door.
I sat myself at the bar and was promptly greeted by the bartender. Â She brought me the menus that I asked for, explained what was on tap, and as soon as I heard "Hop Cream" I knew what I was drinking.
The beer also arrived quickly, which was nice seeing as the place wasn't busy. Â Some places seem to lag when it's slow and when it's packed, but this place was great so far.
I ordered the Tap Haus Burger with Gorgonzola and I asked to add pub chips to my order. Â Now, the burger is $6.75 on its own, but the menu says that it is served with a salad. Â I added Gorgonzola for $1 more. Â $3 to add pub chips
The food didn't take long, but I was surprised that instead of "adding" pub chips to my order, the pub chips took the place of the salad. Â There was some pitiful coleslaw thrown on there, and maybe that's their salad for the sandwiches...but I hope not. Â Anyway, I was surprised that for $2 less than an actual side order, I basically lost my side salad with my burger and got less chips and no garlic aioli. Â In other words, what showed up on my plate was not worth the $10.25 I paid for it.
The burger itself was well cooked, medium-well even though I wasn't asked how I wanted my burger cooked. Â The meat was well seasoned as well. Â A lot of places miss that part for some reason. Â The garnish (lettuce, red onion, tomato) was ok, but it seemed like they took the time to painstakingly cut it all as thin as possible so that they could make their onions and tomatoes go further. Â Granted, I'm sure it's a deli slicer because their pub chips are just as (paper) thin. Â In any case, they were present on the burger but didn't really show up on the palate other than the onion. Â They might do better with a lightly pickled red onion because uncooked red onions basically dominate everything on the plate when you eat it. Â Speaking of pickles, there was a pickle spear and it was standard as pickles go. Â The pretzel bun was good, though once you actually grab your burger the bun basically compresses to the thickness of a dime. Â There is integrity to the bun though, so that's a plus I guess. Â I didn't taste anything pretzel-like, but it looked like a pretzel bun with the very dark and glossy shell. Â If they could give it a hard roll sort of texture and throw on a couple pieces of salt...it would be more of a pretzel I think. Â
The pub chips are ok, but they are too thin to fit what I think of as 'pub' anything. Â I know I'm being picky, but I was thinking of something thicker than what I got. Â Seeing as I paid $3 for the small handful of these thin-cut fries...there may be some bitterness tainting my review here. Â Actually, I think a lot of it could have been avoided had I been given the garlic aioli that comes with the pub chips regularly and, as I assumed, when you ADD them to your order (not SUB). Â Even my receipt said I added the pub chips, not substituted them.
The coleslaw was a lame throwaway on the plate. Â It serves no real purpose other than to be a bland garnish, which it was. Â So, if that's what they're going for...mission accomplished. Â I ate it because I was pretty hungry.
The Hop Cream was ok. Â Not very creamy for a cream ale though. Â Not very hoppy either, but that may just be the recipe they're going for. Â If you like really creamy cream ales or hoppy ales, don't get this one. Â If you want something that won't assault your palate like a lot of hoppy beers will...then this is your beer. Â It was a lot like bubblegum though; good when I was drinking it, but I won't remember it (or order it again). Â The pint was $4.25, which is pretty normal as pints go.
Total for a burger, a few chips and a pint: $15.31 Â *ouch* Â I regularly tip 20% and the bartender deserved it seeing as most of her checks were not customers so much as people who work at the bar (she said it, I overheard it). Â Anyway, all told I was $18.31 in the hole after a semi-satiating meal that left me wanting more in a lot of ways. Â
Moral of the story? Don't get a burger & fries. Â You're going to pay just about the same for most entrees and, based on what I read anyway, you're probably going to get more bang for your buck. Â I did think it was cool that they had a roasted 1/2 duck on special, but $18.99 is a bit steep seeing as it's coming out of a pub kitchen. Â I should also say that they use Hereford beef which is a very nice touch.
I couldn't tell if they use anything local. Â If they do, they should mention it on the menu. Â You can get better food for the same price or a tad more up on the square. Â I might go back
I popped in for a late lunch by the Capital after running some errands. Service was prompt and very cordial. It's your typical brew-pub with dark wood tables, chairs and bar. Clean, dimly lit with some inviting oldies music playing through the mounted Bose system.
As usual, I ordered my customary Fish and Chips entree. This is their Fish Fry Friday Every Day which is a whole fileted haddock beer battered. Ok. The fish was the star of this plate. Great size for a $13 meal, fried to a perfect crisp without being heavy, and the meat flakes like nobody's business. Served with salt and peppered real potato fries and coleslaw. Fries were  good, but I would have liked to see them be more creative with the tartar and coleslaw. Just a bit dry and bland on the slaw.
I need to come back for their beer flights and other meals. Solid experience.
Love the beer, but the food... not so much. Â To be fair, I have only been there once and was the only one eating. Â Fries were pretty good, but the po boy sandwich was really not good.
Great place for really good Capital beer and probably some snacks. Â Wouldn't recommend it for a full meal.
Service was horrible. Food and beer was good, but were ruined by a waitress trying to hurry us out the door and clear plates and glasses before we were finished. Don't go here if you actually want to be able to enjoy your meal and drinks... there are many many better places to eat and get a good beer around the capital.
Review Source:The Capital Tap Haus is a small bar with a couple of TV screens. They brew all their beers locally with the brewery just on the outskirts of Madison. This is an extension of the other main location they have. They have several different beers on tap which makes it nice to try new ones. I tried their Oktoberfest and wasn't a huge fan because it was a little bit bitter, but everyone was ordering it and it seemed to be well received. The size of the bar is fairly small seating about 40 people tops. It was fairly empty on a rainy Wednesday evening but I could see it being a bit more busy on a weekend evening.
Review Source:I'm a big fan of Capital beers - I'm just WAITING for my Winter Skal to hit the shelves this winter!
Stopped in for a beer or two before hitting up the Overture center, which is just a few steps away. Friendly, quick service at the bar and a cozy, warm atmosphere with low lighting. I like it.
We didn't get the chance to eat - but the food looked suuuuper appetizing and well crafted. Made me wish I didn't grab a bite to eat at another popular brewpub and instead had my meal here. Alas, there will always be another time...
I think if you're looking for a place to have some fries and a beer with a decent atmosphere then this is the place to go. However, if you're looking for a restaurant then you should probably try somewhere else.
The menu looks pretty impressive, however, the food that comes out tends to be lukewarm and to be honest it's not anything special. I have been here 4 times now and this has been the case each time. The food is overpriced for what it is - which, like I said, is nothing to write home about and the waitstaff don't really want you to be there.
I'm not usually a fan of pubs - they mostly seem to have generic interiors, bored staff and awful food (well the ones I've been to, anyway). But this place is different.
Nothing about the menu is boring - lots of options, including healthy ones. The Californian salad is my favorite. It's huge, and IMO salad goes great with beer. This was also the location for the worst meal I've ever enjoyed. We came in for their Sunday brunch on our way to go camping one weekend... and I decided it was a good idea to try their french toast cinnamon roll. Terrible idea! But delicious! It was saturated in syrup and coated in cream cheese. It was the best thing that I will never consume again.
The service has always been terrific. We never wait long and the servers always have good recommendations.
Nice outdoor seating. Â Very comfortable setting. Â Beer selection is from the Capital Brewery. Â Good stuff, pretty come though. Â I had the Wisconsin Amber and the burger. Â
Both were good, beer was better than the burger. Â I did really like the pretzel bun though. Â
The interior is nice, definitely a place to hang and drink.
I will be back for a brew this weekend.
I like this little classy place. It is pretty nice with LOTS of great brews. I got here pretty late a couple times but it is awesome! It has a gorgeous bar with some very classy items behind the bar such as their brass taps. They have beautiful booths that let you settle in and relax. Their staff? fantastic! really nice and really fast with drink orders. It isn't the biggest place on state but it has an awesome relaxing feel. It is one of those places to grab an afterwork drink with friends and co-workers! Their beers are crafted expertly yet they aren't too expensive!
Review Source:Went here just to grab a drink with friends. There's not a ton to say - they only serve Capital Brewery beers - which is fine for one night. In general though, I feel the need for more variety. We ended up getting frites, but I was severely disappointed. Smallish portion and you can definitely get better ones elsewhere in Madison.
Environment: Small and dark. Nice decor for a place on State St. Hard to tell if it wanted to be a restaurant or a bar though.
Service: It's a weird place. There are waitresses but it's hard to tell whether you should seat yourself and just order at the bar or not.
I hit up the Capital Tap Haus a couple weeks ago on a particularly frigid evening, and it was just the place to warm me up. I love the interior, they did a great job transforming the cheese shop that was previously there. Cozy booths, warm lighting, and an extremely welcoming bartender (proprietor?) made for a great stop. We were too late for food, but they've got fried pickles so I assume they're doing it right.
Review Source:My significant other loved it because he's a giant Capital Brewery junkie and I could not be less impressed. There's a lot better offerings on State St, I'll say that; but if you love Capital Brewery, this is the place.
My beef with this place is that the menus are wonky: the food offerings are slim-pickings and kind of awkward choices. It's like it wants to be taken seriously as a restaurant, but really only caters to it's pub-clientele and straddles a really weird fence.
The menu offers pairings for dishes to go with its beer, which is nice and all, but I'm not a huge beer drinker. They don't put any alternative beverages on their menus so it's kind of irritating. (Though, they do have a wine and liquor list, if I recall correctly.) I wound up getting their root beer, but I wasn't aware that they'd charge you for every additional refill because it's their own blend--which, again, isn't on their menu. Ugh.
They do offer samplings of their beers, though, which is kind of nice, I guess.
I wound-up getting the Argentinian flank steak and frites. It was all right; the pesto was probably the best I've ever had in my life, but everything else was "meh," at best. It's a sign of weakness in taste when a customer has to ask for A1 Steak Sauce to have flavor with their meat.
My partner loved his chicken spiedis or whatever the hell it's called, but admitted there was a lack of flavoring there too in which neither of the two mustard offerings on the table (no ketchup, for you tomato-lovers) really helped to salvage.
When this place gets its very basic menu issues sorted out, I'd be more OK with coming back here.
Nice addition to the local pub scene. Â The decor is perfect with exposed stone walls and tin ceiling, only wish the building was bigger to showcase it better. Wait staff was attentive and friendly. Â The $4 pints of beer couldn't be any fresher. The cheese curds are very good, beer and cheese soup was rich and tasty, Â served with a good size sprinkling of popcorn. Â Californian chopped salad wasn't much more than a very large plate of lettuce with a few sunflower seeds and an overdose of alfalfa sprouts, couldn't locate the promised avocado. Â We will be back to try out the rest of the menu especially the fried pickles and french frites.
Review Source:The Restaurant Biz is tough. Â You only get one chance to make a first impression. Â My first impression of this place is not so good. Â My incredibly simple order was a bowl of soup and a small salad. Â Nearly 30 minutes later, my meal arrived. Â The place was not busy, about 1/3 full. Â There was no indication that the person waiting on me was concerned at all. Â She represents me in the kitchen. Â She should be on them to get the simple order out. Â Again, soup and salad. Â Should have taken 5 minutes. Â Lunch needs to be pretty quick. Â There was no apology, no explanation for the long delay. Â The salad was above average and the soup was quite good. Â Service must improve or customers like me will travel to one of the dozen other places near the square where I can get good food without a half hour wait.
*** UPDATE Â I returned to give them another chance. Â Today's lunch was served much quicker and the waitstaff apologized for my last visit. Â The salad was delicious: Â The Continental and the Beer and Cheese soup was hot and good. Â my only slight complaint today was that I was asked if i wanted a refill, then was charged for that. Â I didn't expect that, but it may be on the menu. Â not sure. Â 12-2-10
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