Capital Ale House - 4024-A Cox Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060

Last night my husband and I ventured out for a casual Friday night dinner. After seeing the Mekong's packed parking lot and diners waiting on the sidewalk, we decided to keep driving down West Broad (I suppose that review will have to wait). A chill in the Richmond air, we Northeasterners were finally starting to feel a bit Autumnal so we pulled in to grab a beer and bar food at the Capital Ale House.

The hostess told us there would be a 15 minute wait. Being a Friday night, we had finally resigned to the fact that we would have a wait wherever we went. Why not go to the bar and grab a beer in the meantime? As the restaurant's name suggests, the Ale House's beer menu is extensive. Their wall of glass door coolers display the bottled selections with taps in the middle. I was tempted by the Dogfish Head (60 Minute IPA is one of my favorites) or one of the bitter or triple choices. Instead, I went seasonal and tried the Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale- side review: good but not particularly Pumpkin-y, in my opinion-. While placing our order, my little table buzzer went off. 15 minutes.. more like 5!

Our server greeted us and she was very pleasant. I ordered the half-rack of ribs and the hubby got a burger. While my entree came with a salad, he added one to his order. The greens were fresh and the dressings had a little twist, which was nice (blue cheese with dill and a smokey ranch). As for the main course, I was slightly disappointed with my ribs. I do prefer a well-sauced rib and they hit the mark there. However, the meat seemed kind of tough for ribs... they certainly didn't fall off the bone. I usually don't expect ribs to be a knife and fork meal (even being from Connecticut). The accompanying fries were fine, but I really did not care for the cole slaw. I have extremely fond memories of vinegar-based cole slaw from my childhood, but, while it was not mayonnaise-y, it had some very odd flavors. My husband's mushroom-gruyere burger was delicious. The beef was almost buttery, complemented by the toppings and bun.

Now, the restaurant could definitely benefit from a bit of a facelift. The wood dividing the restaurant is topped with dated glass blocks lined with electric blue lights that just scream 1980's fab. The decor seems somewhat thrown together- Oktoberfest pennant banners hanging from the ceiling, contemporary asymmetrical salad bowls. Just a little updating and a touch more lighting would go a long way.

All in all, Capital Ale House is a good place to grab a burger and a [craft] beer in the 'burbs. But, some improvements could definitely make it great.