The Capital Grille

My recent visit to The Capital Grille was honestly disappointing, especially given the restaurant’s reputation and prices. I came in with high expectations for a true fine-dining experience, but it simply didn’t deliver. The service felt cold and unfriendly at first, and the sudden change in attitude only when the check arrived felt insincere and uncomfortable. As for the food, it was very average at best. The clam chowder tasted like it came straight from a can, the French onion soup was overly salty, and the miso butter sea bass — while expensive — lacked anything special in flavor. Charging $6 per shrimp on top of that felt excessive for what we received. What concerned me most was the restroom. There was no soap in some of the sink available and no running water from some of the faucet, and it smelled unpleasant. For a restaurant that claims to be upscale, basic cleanliness and sanitation should be a priority. That alone really affected the overall experience. I don’t mind paying premium prices when the quality matches, but this meal just wasn’t satisfying. For a place that markets itself as fine dining, everything felt ordinary and overpriced. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the hype.

I ordered the salmon with a green salad. Excellent flavor and portion size at a reasonable price. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was comfortable and welcoming. I highly recommend this place.

The food was so good I think I’ve genuinely fallen in love with the chef. I’m not a steak person but I think whoever made it has flipped my perspective on not only food but also life itself, I’ve experienced nirvana after this. The lobster transcended me into another realm and the mashed potatoes made me cry. Whoever made this has my heart and if you see this I love you and Jesus does too

Me and my mom went for happy hour . Food and service was top tier as usual. My dirty martini was on point. I love the dinning service.

This place has been on my radar for quite some time. My work anniversary lunch was coming up and I knew I wanted to treat myself to a nice steak since I wasn’t paying for it (DUH!) My manager booked us a reservation for around 12 PM on a Wednesday and we were seated promptly. I’m not a fine dining frequenter whatsoever, so walking into this place felt kind of surreal to me. Every staff member was at the top of their game and even the air felt fancy. My manager and I were seated at a booth and instantly the bread and butter was set in front of us. The bread rolls were quite good. I do wish the bread was a little warmer, since it was quite cold in the restaurant and I only had a light summery dress on. Our waiter came over to us quickly after that. He asked us if we’d dined there before (my manager has but I hadn’t). He then began talking about the quality the restaurant upholds and how they prepare their meat/fish. Everything sounded exquisite to me! Since it was only lunch and a work lunch on top of that, I ordered a Diet Coke and water to start while my manager ordered an iced tea. No cocktails this time. Drinks came out quickly and then it was on to appetizers. I hadn’t looked that far at the menu but my manager ordered the lobster bisque. When it came to the table, it was in a teeny tiny bowl and the waiter asked if my manager would like this wine/liquid poured into it. After a couple drops were poured into it and the waiter left, my manager said to me, “I didn’t know what he said so I just said ‘yes’ and I can’t even taste what he did pour it in.” Now on to the main part of the meal. I knew I wanted to get the 8 oz filet mignon since I’d never had that before and it was the most expensive thing of meat on the lunch menu. I ordered it medium rare (cause go big or go home) with my side being the creamed spinach. My manager ordered the chef’s special for that time period which was a surf and turf caesar salad. The food came out in an impressive time and it was kind of comical how massive my plate was for how much space the steak and bowl of creamed spinach took up. However, I quickly stopped laughing once I took my first bite. Can I just say… I didn’t know meat could taste that good. I have only had steak maybe a handful of times throughout my life, so anything could impress me, but the way it truly did cut like butter and the flavor of it…. Truly mind-blowing. Medium rare definitely was the way to go with this cut of meat. I almost wish I was alone or with other company while eating it because I was wish my manager and we were still technically at work so I felt I couldn’t express my full appreciation over it lol. But I’m still dreaming about it days later. The creamed spinach was also another highlight. It was like a less thick, hot version of spinach artichoke dip (minus the artichoke lol) and that’s my favorite dip! Everything was so buttery and delicious! My manager also really liked his salad. He especially liked the style of croutons. Another thing I loved was the abundant Diet Coke refills! I had taken my last sip of the first glass and not even a minute later, I had a fresh glass! This repeated throughout the meal, which was highly appreciated. We didn’t get dessert. I was quite full and decided to get my spinach and a couple bites left of my steak bagged for me. They bag it themselves and even had a nice paper bag to carry the take out containers in (which I’ll be reusing for my Trader Joe’s runs, thank you very much). Overall, this was a great first fine-dining experience and I truly am a changed woman after that filet mignon. I may never be a cheap date ever again.