Doug G.
Yelp
First experience at Bottle Cap and I can assure you that it will not be our last!
Bottle Cap is a small but mighty local neighborhood eatery and sports bar that has been sitting in the heart of 12 South since fall of 2020! Per staff, they celebrated their 1st birthday in mid-November 2021! Before we get too far, I want to expound on "small"...it isn't small in the coffee shop or food stall kind of way, but it is smaller than your average sports bar, and while it isn't the largest in size it is laid out well with all the space being used expertly to ensure as many folks as possible can enjoy this spot on those busy game days!
Bottle Cap is essentially just one big dining room with a good sized bar on one end and garage doors that open to 12th Avenue on the other...and in between those two things you have a healthy mix of booths and high-tops, neon signs, cartoon caricature portraits, Route 66 style artwork, sports memorabilia and 14 TV's! The TV to table ratio is here is the best I have ever seen as there are only about 22 tables in the place and again, 14 TV's! This makes this spot the perfect sports bar as there is no way you will miss the game you are after!
Food wise they serve up a lot of sports bar classics from sandwiches, burgers, wraps, wings, nachos and salads. In addition though, you will also find things like chicken and waffles, cheesesteak and one of my favorites, loaded fries! They also have a small brunch menu on Friday - Sunday from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM - you will find waffles, pancakes, burritos, omelets and even steak and eggs on this menu!
We decided on some good ole fried food to help us deal with the cold and rainy day! I opted for the Buffalo Chicken Loaded Fries and my partner got the (3) Tenders tossed in Lemon Pepper sided with fries. The Buffalo Chicken Fries were simple and perfect! The fries and chicken were fried perfectly and crispy, the blue cheese dressing and crumbles were perfectly portioned and scattered as to not overwhelm the dish and the buffalo sauce coated everything wonderfully! Keeping this same energy, the tenders were absolute perfection! First off, they were the LARGEST tenders I have ever seen. They were meaty, crispy and coated expertly in that delicious lemon pepper seasoning/sauce!
They offer a full bar with all the staples of a good bar with a decent selection of beers, wine and spirits. They did work hard on the signature cocktail list as it features 10+ house drinks and they even have a few house shots if you are in the mood to really party...or celebrate your teams victory or ease their loss!
Service was phenomenal from entry to exit. The host was super welcoming and got us sat immediately. He also made sure to wish us a good day on our way out. Our server was excellent, as she was friendly, efficient, attentive and helpful!
There is not much outdoor space, but on those good weather days you can sit on the entry patio which has a few bar stools or right out front where they have a couple of picnic tables that sit directly on 12 South.
Only things that were a miss for us was the parking and single use bathrooms. I get space is of the essence, but for a busy sports bar, single stall/use restrooms is a killer. There was someone waiting for the restroom at every moment of our visit. And I understand parking is limited in the 12 South area, but that doesn't mean I am not annoyed by it! lol Luckily, the experience and food made us forget about these two little things!
Overall, Bottle Cap is a cool spot that I can definitely see being a solid neighborhood bar for locals near and far! We may not be living in the 12 South area, but this place is certainly going to be on heavy rotation for us!