I must admit Capital City Tavern is doing some things right! As far a ascetics and storefront appeal, they knocked it out of the park. They took over the old Isaac Hunters and completely transformed the space. With plenty of tables outside to accommodate guests as well as a beautiful brickwork lining the walls, private tables, mood lighting and old black and white photos of Raleigh posted around the bar. That, my friends, is the good. Capital is a new bar so there's a lot of things that just don't quite flow yet. While the atmosphere seems classy they also turn the space into a dance club when the evening gets late--DJ included! The space didn't really seem to merit the dance club feel. In addition, while the bar is huge (literally huge. It's practically two separate bars with all the same liquors and beers side by side--I think the owners are trying to make sure the excuse "I couldn't make it to the bar" is never uttered at Capital!)--however with all new bars, the bartenders are a major part of making customers feel welcome and comfortable. It's obvious the bartenders are new to the space and possibly some might even be brand new bartenders, I only say this because of recommendations that were made, or were lacking for some. They also did not have any type of beer/cocktail menu yet or prices listed (this was two weeks after opening night in the beginning of July). Another unfortunate incident was finding someone's dinner in the corner of the bathroom, I don't think we were there late enough for it to be from that evening and the place wasn't very crowded. Either way, that's never a pleasant situation to run into (literally). I'd be happy to give Capital another chance in a couple months once they've ironed out all the kinks. read more

Capital City Tavern - The liquor selection-- well stocked! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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I'm a fan of this place. Honestly, the only thing I don't like is they get sooo insanely packed on Saturday night (which is obviously a good thing for them but makes getting to the restroom an obstacle) ;) The bar is pretty clean and I love the "porch" area. Also, word from an expert, go to the bar right at the front of the place. I've always been able to get a drink within 2 mins (less packed as more people want to be at the back). Good wine pours and shots as well. read more

Capital City Tavern - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

It was a beautiful early autumn night in Raleigh and the quintessential night to sit outside. Where, you ask? Right at Capital City Tavern. This venue certainly got a facelift! It looks absolutely nothing like Isaac Hunter's. No trace. I described Isaac's as divey, dark, and depressed. But I would describe Capital City Tavern as sexy, sophisticated, and swanky. Is this really the same space??? I enjoy the exposed brick, the classic photography of historical Raleigh, and the polished woodwork. Great job on throwing some love and care into this place! Bartenders are friendly. Drinks are good. Location is superb. Your identity shift from Isaac to Capital went quite well. Kudos to your plastic surgeon. read more

Five stars for Joseph! Super nice guy and made us some of the best drinks I've ever tasted!

Short Version: CCT has a great space, atmosphere, and vibe. Like the look and feel of this very long narrow bar, great accents. Solid drink menu and nice, positive bartenders/staff. It can get a bit crazy and crowded late night Friday/Saturday nights but other than that, I like the flow of this place as a bar to grab a drink and chill out with some good music. The Deets: I've been hearing about Capital City Tavern from some of my friends, so I've been by a few times to check this bar out on Fayetteville St. It sits up on the northern end near the State Capitol building. It has an inviting facade and nice chairs with stone heater tables outside so it's easy to pick out along this strip. Inside, they've done a nice job. Nice brick and slate look with great black and white pictures of old Raleigh on the walls that are backlit. Other accents such as a wall "waterfall" are present. Although it's not a very wide bar, it is VERY long in that the bar is deep enough to hold a good amount of people with an area for dancing in the back. Dimly lit with Edison bulb action, it has a pretty nice atmosphere. The bartenders and staff have been very positive, friendly, and helpful on my visits. The drink menu is pretty good, I am partial to the Twisted Whiskey Sour there. This tavern is a bar only situation, no food offerings. It has the vibe of a pretty nice place for drinks with some solid music selections in the background. However it gets pretty packed and crowded later on at night just before 11pm on Fri/Sat, and this crowd seems to be a younger and crazier crowd than would be expected for this type of place. It certainly doesn't come across in look and feel as a party bar, but maybe the dance floor element draws the younger and yes, sometimes a bit rowdier crowd. I really am surprised by this late night change, to be honest, looking at the bar itself and how it it is styled. Have at it, guys, enjoy. I usually leave by 11p those nights, but I enjoy CCT all other times and think it is a great spot to hang for a drink. read more

Great pub, service good, drinks not bad.....but! Very overpriced, be prepared to pay. Bought a cosmopolitan......11.00. It was an experience, art deco cool! read more

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Checking out potential spaces to host a happy hour for work....I like that this place has two outdoor spaces and a separate space near the front that would be good for a group. The down side is that they don't serve food; drinks only. read more

Capital City Tavern - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Nice atmosphere, drinks are priced well and not too bad for being downtown Raleigh. Always enjoy the music, the staff are friendly as well. I love that the front of the building is completely open to let in the fresh air. Stop in and check it out! Just a quick edit to note that we have been here several times, and it's always a pleasant experience. When my sister in law and brother in law come into town we always go here as it's turned into one of their favorites. It does get extremely busy on the weekend when all the college kids are out and it becomes a tight squeeze, so just keep that in mind when you are out and about. read more

My group came here to order drinks during the beer fest. We decided to sit under the heat lamps and that was great except there weren't any servers around. We ended up taking turns going to the bar to grab drinks. I think the bar is nice from a aesthetic perspective but the bathrooms were completely gross. One toilet had flooded and the entire floor was wet. There wasn't any hand soap and even after reported it remained this way for over an hour. I'd definitely go,back but I'd avoid the bathroom. read more

We had a great night until my friend got her phone stolen. Normally we would take the loss in stride, but FOUR other girls had their phones stolen tonight as well. When we asked the bartenders/ bouncers if they found a phone, they said many phones get stolen EVERY NIGHT and this wasn't a surprise. No warning at the door or any sort of notice. Very very disappointed in how this was handled. read more

I am really conflicted on how to review Capital City. I've been in there when it's not crowded, and loved it. The place is newly renovated, and they did a really great job. The drinks are good. There's even a place in the back for dancing. BUT, the problem is this place is always a zoo on the weekends. I guess that's not their fault, and it just proves that they are doing something right, but it's not really my thing to wait in a VERY long line to get into a place that is packed like sardines. And don't even think of going to the bathroom when it's crowded, if you somehow manage to fight through the throngs of people, you will more than likely be greeted with a line to get in. I definitely would recommend this place, but I'd also recommend getting there early if your idea of fun isn't being elbow to elbow with a bunch of college kids. read more

DO NOT GO HERE! This is by far the WORST bar/club in all of raleigh. The bouncers are ridiculously aggressive and constantly shine those damn flashlights in customers faces. That's not even the worst part. I was there this past Saturday, 1/13, went to the girls bathroom and there was a bouncer INSIDE the girls bathroom monitoring the usage of the stalls and telling girls when they can use the toilet. All of us girls inside were extremely uncomfortable. There was absolutely NO REASON for him to be in there. So if you're trying to go out in raleigh, do not waste your time or money here because most likely you'll have a terrible time. Just read all of the other reviews, this place is a shithole. read more

Love this place..the guy bartender that works towards the door is amazing..my boyfriend and I will only ask him to make our drinks.. He's friendly and knowledgeable about yalls bar. Great atmosphere!! Always come twice a month!! read more

Wow so I really enjoy coming here. Service is usually decent and customer service, if you need to call management is great. Why only 3 stars instead of 5? Well it seems they have now places carpets down and added extra restrooms so people don't fall and slip anymore, I've slipped one too many times when there was no carpet, only to have staff waiting by the restroom laugh at you because the floor was wet. Other than that it seems to be getting better. Prices are ok, bartenders seem to be able to handle the load. Unfortunately what used to be a fun and safe place to go has been changing in the past months, similar to another bar on Glenwood. The demographic coming into this place is very unsavory, aggressive, and geared toward the hip hop culture. I was accosted multiple times the past few weekends I have gone by people of this type of crowd and it is just becoming no longer safe to go here. It really used to be a classy establishment, but at the rate it is going, you might as well go out in downtown Durham. Perhaps a dress code and different music would help? I really was enjoying this place for a while, but it isn't safe at all. It's rather distressing when you are accosted by aggressive males and you can't enjoy a good time. Other than that, service, drinks, and added restrooms make it a enjoyable place to go. Get rid of the new crowd or change the music! Please! read more

I would give this place zero stars if I could. The bouncers literally yelled at me when I was just trying to close my tab. Another bouncer (that was a lot larger than me considering I'm a female) physically pushed me hard for no reason when I was just trying to leave the bar. read more

Came across this bar our first time roaming around Raleigh. Didn't seem like there was much going on inside but we hard some great music and had to check it out. The atmosphere was inviting and we had no problem ordering drinks ... our bar tender was quick and efficient. We went to the party in the back and had a great time . The music was on point and the volume was loud enough to have a good time but not too loud to have your ears ringing . The only downside was how packed it got within a few hours.... would have stayed if it was a smaller crowd . Overall great experience read more

Wore my NCSU beanie in after they defeated duke. Was told to remove it even though the bouncer was wearing a VT beanie. To hell with this place. Find somewhere that embraces NCSU read more

This bar does not even deserve a star. The bouncers are incredibly rude and aggressive. My boyfriend and I were looking for our friends, apparently standing in the way, when one of the bouncers continued to push and shove us in the opposite direction all the way out the door. We couldn't even explain that we needed to go the other way because this guy kept shoving. It was excessive. Bottom line, this bar sucks. If you're looking to have a good night don't go to this shit hole. Oh and for the love of god do not get this place mixed up with Capital Club 16. When you end up here, you will be disappointed with the staff, atmosphere, crowd, and drink prices. read more

Last time I was there me and my girlfriend were disrespected by a staff member. Apparently your date should not dance with her friends near a staff memebr walking by. He will insult your group and threaten to kick you out in a demonstrative way, if you ever so much as get in their way.... Go elsewhere with your date. I also wrote a nice email to the owners explaining the situation. I wonder why I got no response.... : )) read more

Don't Go Here. Bouncers are jerks. I went outside for some fresh air and wasn't allowed to re enter. When I calmly asked why, the bouncers wouldn't say anything to me except "back up" trying to be real intimidating in my face. Ruined my night for no reason. I do not plan I returning and will advise my friends to do the same. read more

This place isn't anything incredible, but its not a bad club. The layout here isn't really conducive for a club; the bar area/walkway is really long and the dance-floor is very small and cramped. Once you walk past the dance-floor there is a larger bar area in the back that is usually more spacious, but the music is just as loud there as it is on the dance-floor so it can be kind of difficult to talk to people. The music here is fine, usually hip hop or r&b with some old school rock thrown in for good measure (Livin on a Prayer, Don't Stop Believing, etc.). The drinks here are either overpriced or priced pretty well depending on what you get. Basic beers your standard college party beers (Bud Light, Coors Light, etc.) cost $4 which is a bit much imo, but they also have a pretty diverse selection of higher quality beers made by breweries like Lagunitas and Sierra Nevada for only $5, so you can definitely get pretty good bang for your buck. Shots and mixed drinks are kind of pricey; I think a shot of Fireball is more than $7, which should be against the law. The bartenders here are honestly really good, I don't think I have ever had to wait more than 3 or 4 minutes for a drink, and the bar is usually pretty crowded so that's saying something. The bouncers here are way too touchy and aggressive at times. This place has no cover charge, so I'd say its worth checking out. read more

Why do people like this bar? It is literally nothing special. The staff were rude to me too. I hope I never see the inside of this establishment again. read more

To start off the bouncers are racist and sexist. Myself, my girlfriend and her friend(also a female) were in line to go into the bar on a Friday night. One of the bouncers notice my girlfriend holding her friends ID while she was searching through her purse and he commented "hey that's not going to work", like she was trying to use her friends ID as a fake. All of us are 5+ years over the age of 21. He told us no form of identification plus debit card etc. was acceptable to prove the age of both girls. Once we ha stepped out of line to leave the bouncer continued to jaw at us and after we had left he continued to deny a group of black people despite their age, like us, based upon their race. This absolutely astonished me and everyone I was with. I highly recommend not going to capital city tavern. read more

The bouncers are rude and inconsiderate. They will physically throw people out and wear gloves to do so. They yell at patrons and believe they are of a higher power. Completely ridiculous. If you are 25+, do not waste your time at this bar. After many, many chances of receiving terrible bouncing service, I will not return. read more

I went here on New Year's Eve with my girlfriend and while we waited in line the bouncer told us there was a $4 cover charge. When we got up to the front of the line to pay the woman working there I handed her a $20 bill, which she quickly stuffed into the register. I asked for my change and she said the cover was $20 and refused to give me my money back. My girlfriend handed her $5 and she didn't give her any change either. I didn't want to get into a big arguement since there were multiple bouncers hovering around us so I let it go and we sat at the bar. We had such a bad taste in our mouth from that transaction that we decided to forget about the wasted money and leave to go to our favorite bar, Hibernian (which had no cover charge by the way and handed out free champagne at midnight). That was the best desicion we could've made and it really turned our night around. I don't know how they manage to stay in business with that kind of dishonest BS, and we will definitely avoid this place at all costs in the future. read more

Management has zero professionalism. I pay over$100 a weekend here because close friends o mine insisting going there and more importantly the drink prices are outrageous. I recently went there and, reasonably sober, went outside to smoke a cigarette (which I have a goal of quitting but fu I was drinking) and was told to stand back in line when I attempted to walk inside. Okay, fine. No argument to the bouncer doing his job. But when I spend money (correction: exorbitant sums of money) on drinks at your [classy] establishment, why do I have to waste another 20 minutes waiting in line to get back in because Idmoke cigarettes, an unhealthy yet ultimate right I have. I asked to speak to a manager to calm ask this question and was subsequently, and unreasonably roughly, thrown out. I was not a drunk 20 year old. I spend an excessive amount of my hard earned money there for 3 Rounds a weekend. You can't treat a patron this way. Point made. Bad business. read more

Capital City Tavern - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I've had the misfortune of attempting to have a drink at this bar twice. Both times the quality of service has been abysmal. On my first visit, despite a very small crowd, I was able to get one drink at the bar after a considerable wait. However, it took approximately 15 minutes of being ignored by the bartenders before I was able to close my tab. Despite this, experience, I tried again - on my second visit, I waited approximately 10 minutes despite the small size of the crowd, and was never able to order. The incomparably awful service provided by Capitol City Tavern stands alone. I should have listened to the old saying: fool me once... read more

What a great bar, I just visited last Saturday. The space is large, the bar is long, there is a good area for dancing. There are tables, different places to sit, even a beautiful sitting area outside. My most favorite thing, the lighting. Just perfect lighting, with that downtown city feel. Our bartenders were great, singing and dancing as well as quick service. read more

This might be the worst bar in raleigh. The bouncers here are crazy. I went to the bathroom and instinctively closed the door and apparently they have an open door policy for there bathroom which I was not aware of and one bouncer came and opened the door and yelled at me for closing it. I then walked out of the bathroom after using it and leaned on the wall for literally two seconds to send a text message and that same bouncer came rushing over grabbed my arm and pushed me telling me I was not allowed to lean on the wall which I also did not know. He could of just calmly told me this and I would of moved right away. I don't know why his first inclination was to use force read more

We really like coming here early in the night before the crowd comes. However, we struggled getting the bartenders attention to get drinks this past Saturday night because she kept fixing her hair and makeup up the bar mirror. Her back was turned to us for 2 mins straight while she fluffed her long blonde hair. Her text messages were also a priority before serving customers. Our group of 5 all looked at each other like "reallyyyy??!" But overall, we like coming here and hope this was a one time thing. So I won't bump the star level down unless it happens again. read more

This place is packed on weekends so don't expect to go for casual drinks, but it's a really fun time nevertheless! The music is usually really great and generally service is pretty fast. read more

This bar is awesome! Better set-up inside especially with the bigger/longer bar, extended back, waterfalls on the walls and front seating. The DJ and music is awesome and plays a good mix of music! It gets really hot inside but they have vents so just find a place on the dance floor below a vent go stay cool! Bathroom situation still kind of sucks so be ready for a long wait read more

I love this new bar! The decor is awesome & although it seems small inside, there's a lot of room to dance in the back unlike a lot of the other bars downtown. The DJ was great last night and my friends and I finished off the night here. Definitely coming back ASAP! read more

I am a fan of this place for nightlife. I've never personally had any problems with the bouncers except one time I took my shoes of for a second because my feet were hurting and they asked me to put them back on for safety reasons. Bartenders are friendly and drinks are reasonable. I saw in the comments that someone said bouncers are racist, which I find farther from the truth. I will say though, on the many occasions I have been there, the only times there was fighting or overly aggressive behavior, it was from African Americans. I'm mixed so I'm not biased but part of the reason I enjoy coming here is because it IS safer than the other night clubs and the bouncers do a good job about keeping it that way. Bouncers are pretty strict but I think because they have a stressful job of keeping the peace? I like this place a lot, it plays good music and not just one type. read more

Drink prices and the bar staff are super friendly. On Saturday Nights they have a very live bar and dance scene. I was very impressed with all of the bartenders attitude. read more

Only been here once. Good variety of music, unlike a lot of other places who stick to one style. The wait at the bar to get a drink isn't terrible. The security doesn't mess around, so don't get in their way. It does get crowded around midnight like many places, so be ready for that! read more

An employee tried to start a fight with me for no reason. He shoved me from behind while I was waiting for a friend to pay for a drink at the cash register. He then yelled, "I'm gonna f*** you up!" and paced back and forth fuming and wanting to fight while I waited calmly for my friend. I was completely sober and standing still so he had absolutely no reason to try to fight me. Also, the drinks are horribly overpriced. Awful bar. Lots of other reviews talk about bouncers fighting with and assaulting patrons for no reason. Don't go to this bar. read more

STAY AWAY! A bouncer assaulted me causing neck and spine damage, dragging me 100 feet outside, striking from behind as I was trying to close out my bill for a single beer. Bouncers were also inappropriately touching girls in the hallway. When walking to and from the bathroom, bouncers physically shove you out of the hallway while yelling. Like another poster mentioned, they wear "special gloves" to manhandle patrons. We saw one bouncer PUNCH A PERSON in the face, knocking him out. A police officer should have arrested this bouncer on the spot! The bouncer assaulted me and carried me out of the bar by clenching my entire body to the point it aggravated my previous neck injuries. My friend has a video of the assault and a lawsuit will be filed immediately on the aggressor. AVOID THIS PLACE for your own safety. It is NEVER okay to pick up and physically damage a calm person. STAY away unless you want to be filing a lawsuit yourself and deal with unwarranted spinal injury read more

ALWAYS over crowded! I'm pretty sure they're breaking a fire code. Inclusively, someone is forever dropping their drink. Thus, there is always broken glass on the floor. read more

I stepped out to the roped off patio area to make a phone call for a cab, but when I tried to step back in and tell my friends goodbye, he grasped my arm and told me I had to wait in the 30 person line. When I tried to explain, he grabbed my arm harder and tried to pull me to the back of the line. Needless to say, I will not be returning ever again; I have never been treated that way in downtown Raleigh, and I hate that this experience will tarnish my time in Raleigh (6 years and counting). I will never return to this bar. The white bouncer with the scraggly beard was aggressive and rude; I am less than impressed. Had he used his words instead of his hands, I might have a different opinion. read more