Capone's Restaurant

tmp155

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +10.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

As a BA living in Philly, it's easy to get into a pattern of sticking to the downtown area for great food and beer (Monk's, Eulogy, Nodding Head, Ten Stone, For Pete's Sake, newbies like Zot and Triumph, etc.). However, having heard so many good things about Capone's my fellow BA girlfriend (I know...I'm lucky!) and I decided to take a hike out to Norristown for something a little different. Wow! What a great decision!

Having never met him before, I emailed Matt to ask what was on tap and get any tips for making our experience even better than what we expected. Matt promptly emailed us back to tell us what was on tap (nice selection including some Pittsburgh beers like Church Brew Works, Penn, and East End that you'd be hard pressed to find in elsewhere in Philly), that there was a sampler (not on the beer menu, so ask if you go!) and to say that he'd try to stop by our table. We hadn't been there more than 10 minutes before Matt stopped by and brought us a special sampler from their recent PA Brewers event, and to just chat a bit.

It's easy to tell why Matt and his family have been so successful. They clearly understand the lifetime value of a customer and go to lengths to bring hospitality and service to the next level so that folks will come back. As BAs we all love good beer and as humans we all love good food, but the desire of Matt and his staff to deliver those two pleasures in a way that makes you feel extremely welcome ranks Capone's tops in my book. As Bogey said in Casablanca, "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Oh yeah, like everybody else points out, the bottle shop selection is awesome. Do yourself a favor and get some food too. Very underrated/underreported in the reviews in my opinion. I had the best baked potatosoup I've ever had, and the crab cakes and mussels were excellent too.

I could go on and on, but instead, I'll just say do yourself a favor and check out Capone's (maybe on the 19th for the Allagash event...that will be our second trip there)!

06-02-2007 19:58:11 | More by tmp155

alyankus

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +10.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$$

I drove over two and a half hours today to visit this place and I must say walking in the door I was disappointed...that I didn't have a larger car and more $$$.

I was immediately greeted by Matt the buyer as I walked in. As someone who has been in retail for a while it's always nice to be greeted with a nice word and a smile.

For those who haven't been there the bottleshop is fairly small. That's why I rated the selection so highly as it is indeed a selection. You won't find everything there but what you will find is the best of the best of what's available in PA. In this haul I got:
RR consecration, Stone 9/9/09, 3 different Lost Abbey's, Port Brewing 3rd (they had others I have a budget) Bullfrog Edgar IPA, 3 beers from GLBC, a pair of Duck Rabbits, Beer Here dark hops, a 1st ed Mikkeler Black, Founder's Blushing Monk (22oz Founders?) Nogne O Tyttaebier and Hair of the Dog Fred from the wood and Stoudt's Black eye PA which was a nice touch.

They had some brewery only releases for sale there from PA breweries as well as a 5l min-ikeg of Oberon which was too cool for words.

The prices are higher than what I'm used to but NJ is one of the most competitive markets for alcohol in the USA so it might just be me.

Definitely worth the trip and next time I'm going to have to try the food. Strong recommend this to all BA's in the mid-Atlantic to visit. This is a destination store that all must see.

09-08-2009 22:01:45 | More by alyankus

mgbickel

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +10.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

I was very excited about the prospects of visiting this place on my recent trip through eastern PA. Lots of hype on BA...

I slowly walked around the beer room, which is located behind the restaurant and has its own entrance. They have a ton of beer here!! There is beer in every conceivable place...little nooks in the walls...everywhere!

The quality of their selection is great...the best you can hope for in PA. The best thing is that everything is priced...no questions about how much something is.

But the real gem of this place is Matt the beer guy! He is super helpful and is oozing beer knowledge. I spent an extra 20 minutes there talking to him about the beer scene. Even though I only spent ~20 bucks there, Matt gave me a glass and promised to send me e-mail updates on Capone's new arrivals and events.

I hope you eastern PA BAs know how lucky you are to have a place like this in your own back yard. I will make it a point to stop by here anytime I am remotely close to Norristown!

01-25-2010 21:40:12 | More by mgbickel

rwinzing

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +10.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

I drove from NJ to check this out because a lot of my BA friends said it was a must and i was glad I did.

A - went early in the day but it was clean a neat was smaller than I thought but great
Q - The bottles they were great. A lot of which I can not get in NJ so nice to be able to pick up some Cigar City and Lost Abbey
S - Very helpful gave me a free [int glass when found out I was first time in and took my beer to the car for me because I had my son with me
S - Great selection

I will make the 45 drive again soon

08-16-2010 23:26:46 | More by rwinzing

potteryboy

Alabama

5/5  rDev +10.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

Attended a Pliny event here yesterday, and had a great time. Had a couple Elders on tap, and a Daisy Cutter. I also got a growler of Daisy Cutter to go. This place was packed, and the staff was extremely gracious and helpful despite impatience from some Of the customers. In particular, Irene took impeccable care of us, filling our growler then storing it for us while we had some pints. I can't thank her enough for her hospitality. I stopped here on the way to downtown Philly for a couple nights, and frankly wish I had booked a room closer to this place. Great beers on tap, a great selection in the bottle store, and very friendly service. One of the best craft beer experiences I've ever had.

03-04-2012 10:55:51 | More by potteryboy

DocLock

5/5  rDev +10.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

I've known Matt Capone going on 7 years now, have eaten at Capone's monthly for the same time span, and have grown to love this place like a second home.

I fondly recall the first time I walked in circa October 2005ish. Matt was as down to earth as ever, showed me around the bar area and beer area, brought me a sample of Triumph Imperial stout and half a dozen honeybee wings, and that was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.

The food here is great, from my favorite chicken marsala ever to the great burgers, aforementioned wings, soups, and salads. The prices are in line with what I've seen elsewhere, and the pure volume of rare beer and brewers Matt brings in is absolutely astounding.

As I've told Matt and Angel many times, Capone's is like the North Pole of beer to me, with Matt being Santa. You owe it to yourself to visit this place as soon as you can, and tell Matt Doc Lock sent you.

04-10-2012 02:18:02 | More by DocLock

dafla67

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +10.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

I live/work in Center City Philadelphia and Capone's is a good 30 minute drive but i'm constantly heading out to talk beer with Matt. Philadelphia is lucky to have a great craft beer scene with lots of opportunities but Capone's is one if our best assests. There's always an impressive variety (20+) of beers on tap and the constant flow of brewers (both local, regional and even West Coast) coming through with events at Capone's is impressive. Equally amazing is the bottle shop. Matt maintains an amazing selection including many hard to find bottles. The bottle shop offers instant access to variety of brewers and beer styles.

04-26-2012 18:27:31 | More by dafla67

aforbes10

Iowa

4.95/5  rDev +9.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

edited for freshness: 11-23-07. Took the family out to Capones today. Picked up another huge an amazing load of beers in the bottle shop, then went for lunch and had Pliny and Breakfast Stout on tap! wow. Ran into WarriorSoul, who gave shared some delicious beer from a growler he'd brought down from MA, and then met Matt Capone who was great and fun to talk to. Definitely a great place to go for ANY beer person in the area. Ham and Brie sandwiches are a must.

previous review:12-2-06: We just got back from Capone's, and i am happy. I took my sister and wife there for lunch and had a fantastic meal in the restaurant area (actually, most of the place is a restaurant). I had a great reuben, but the crab cake sandwich and the ham and brie sandwiches my sister and wife had looked even better. I forgot to look at the taps, which i regret. The bottle shop attached is the star of the show here. They had tons of stuff, including some St. Bernardus 60th, Thomas Hooker Dopplebock, RR Temptation, 3 Floyds, Bells, Victory, Southern Tier, Middle Ages, Alesmith (alesmith was too expensive for me though). The guy at the counter (who, i'll add, was just filling in for a couple of hours) was not too knowledgeable about the beer, but he was helpful. Highly recommended and a diamond in the rough for PA, especially considering the ridiculous case laws. I spent around $100 on a ton of great beer and smiled all the way home.

edit: after i was in there, Matt Capone got in touch (via BA) and we had a nice exchange about his place and how good his beer was. Capone's is a must-visit location for all beer people.

12-22-2006 19:51:43 | More by aforbes10

trev1179

North Carolina

4.95/5  rDev +9.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

Capone's is one of my favorite places both as a bar and as a shop. Matt has hooked me up so many times. He is such a great guy and is very knowledgeable when it comes to various craft styles. They are always good about holding something for you if you cannot make it there on time. The draft selection is always a plus and they usually will have a great beer on nitro. With Firestone hitting the PA market, things have just gotten better at this place. The tap selection ranges from limited sours to those specialty seasonal stouts. The best time to visit is the day after Thanksgiving. They have a huge event with lots specialty drafts such as Gratitude or Pliney. This is definitely my go to place on the East coast when it comes to acquiring those special West coast beers we all love. Looking forward to my next trip up there.

05-04-2011 15:28:39 | More by trev1179

Geuzedad

Arizona

4.95/5  rDev +9.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Finally got to Capones and WOW! what a great experience! I had been introduced to Matt the owner through Beer Advocate and had been having him reserve me rare beers (Cantillons among others) that I cannot get here in Virginia. Went first to the bottle shop and met Matt and picked up our beer. Matt treated us like family making sure we got our order and were happy with it. He also hooked us up with some other really good Belgian Sours. Then it was into the restaurant to sample the taps. Man what a great selection! Matt again was there making sure our experience was above par. The waitress was very friendly and even though the restaurant was very busy (Friday night)she made sure our glasses never ran dry and our food order was quick! The food was delicious and the servings huge! And all throughout our gracious host Matt Capone was making sure we were good. Without a doubt it was one of the most enjoyable and memorable evenings I have ever had in a restaurant. Philly is very lucky to have such a fantastic place. I envy everyone who gets to experience it on a regular basis. I am already back at it laying away beers with Matt in anticipation of the return trip!

09-23-2011 16:30:29 | More by Geuzedad