12 Things Every First-Timer Should Know Before Eating At The Capital Grille

The first Capital Grille opened its doors in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1990. Nearly two decades later, in 2007, the restaurant became a part of Darden Restaurants — the name behind other chains like Eddie V's, Olive Garden, and LongHorn Steakhouse. Despite economic ups and downs, The Capital Grille has continued to thrive, expanding to more than 70 locations in 30 states and territories.

Famous for its high-quality, dry-aged steaks – unusual among steakhouse chains — The Capital Grille offers white-tablecloth service in an elegant atmosphere. The experience is rounded out by a sommelier-curated wine list (which tells you a lot about the quality of a steakhouse), fresh seafood, and attentive service. It's these minute details that make The Capital Grille a popular spot for romantic dinners, birthday celebrations, and business meetings.

While The Capital Grille has been around for a while, not all of us have had the opportunity to experience the restaurant firsthand. Whether you are a complete newbie planning your first Capital Grille dinner — or even a regular, looking for new insights — here is our list of tips bound to elevate your next visit.

The Capital Grille offers an upscale atmosphere with a modern edge. This elegant yet comfortable style is encapsulated in decorative elements such as dark wood paneling, Art Deco chandeliers, and vintage photos. Considering the refined surroundings, it's no surprise that The Capital Grille maintains a dress code. 

As a rule of thumb, the restaurant doesn't look too kindly on revealing clothing like bra-style tops, exposed sports bras, and athletic shorts. In addition, sleeveless shirts are not permitted for men. Finally, guests should steer clear of clothing with offensive language or images.

A self-proclaimed former employee of The Capital Grille and Yelp user believes that Capital Grille guests can never be overdressed, advising to err on the side of caution: "I would rather come in a tuxedo rather than shorts," they suggested. "If you are in doubt, always dress up. If 50 people wear jeans, and 1 person wears dress pants, it's the 50 people who would look out of place. Trust me." One Redditor is a little more relaxed about the restaurant's level of formality, saying, "You will see some people in jeans but usually with a blazer or sport coat with them. Most just do business casual so a sweater/khaki/black pant combo is totally fine."

There is nothing worse than dressing up, making plans, and showing up at a restaurant, only to be turned away. Yet this is precisely what diners are risking if they show up to The Capital Grille without a booking. During busy periods, most fine dining steakhouses don't operate on a first-come, first-served basis. As such, always try to make a reservation, particularly on weekends or holidays. Diners can make a reservation by phone or through The Capital Grille's website.

Patron experiences vary, but most recommend making reservations during busy periods. One Yelp member who has been lucky enough to get a table without making a booking said: "I go there for lunch all the time. Never needed a reservation. I've gone through a couple of times for dinner and just walked in as well. But I'm sure one of those times at least going for dinner I'm going to wish I had the reservations. Nothing wrong with making them if you have the time." Another Yelp user also recommends making a booking for the restaurant's bar area, noting, "Capital Grille wants [you] to also call for a bar reservation. We felt really uncomfortable sitting without one last time we were there because the bartender was not happy with us taking someone else's seat."

Beef quality depends on several factors, including the age of the animal, the feed, and the level of marbling — the small streaks of fat within the muscle. In the U.S., beef quality is graded by the USDA, which groups them into three categories. The top designation is USDA Prime, which is praised for its plentiful marbling and its tenderness. USDA Choice beef, the next in line after Prime, features moderate marbling but is still tender and juicy. Finally, USDA Select has the least marbling of the three, making it the leanest and least tender of the trio.

The Capital Grille doesn't specify the grade of the beef on the menu. However, the chain's Capital Butcher (more on this below) sells Bone-In Prime Ribeye for cooking at home. It follows that the ribeye on the restaurant's menu is also likely to be USDA Prime. Another clue comes from chef Michael LaDuke, Vice President and Corporate Executive Chef at The Capital Grille, who told Mashed in a 2024 interview that the restaurant uses only USDA Prime and Certified Angus beef. "We spend countless hours ensuring that only the highest quality beef gets to our restaurants so that everyone starts with great steaks," he added.

A great steak doesn't just happen overnight. For The Capital Grille, the process starts long before the cut is plated. After the beef is sourced, it's dry-aged on-site in temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms for between 18 and 24 days. Once the aging process is complete, the beef is carved by the chain's in-house butchers to bring out the best in each cut. The steaks are then prepared in infrared broilers to create a flavorful crust while keeping the interior perfectly tender and juicy.

Once upon a time, before refrigeration, dry aging was one of the few methods of preserving meat. Beyond maintaining freshness, the process of aging beef offers several benefits. It removes moisture from the meat, concentrating its rich, umami flavor. In addition, it gives the enzymes in the beef time to break down the meat's connective tissue, making it more tender. While the aging process forms an outer crust, the meat actually reabsorbs the juices, resulting in tender and juicy meat.

Many modern steakhouse chains serve a surprising amount of seafood, and The Capital Grille is no exception. Capitalizing on the versatility of a broader menu, the restaurant caters to both carnivores and seafood enthusiasts. In fact, the variety of Capital Grille's seafood dishes is nothing short of surprising.

There is little doubt that seafood dominates Capital Grille's appetizer options. Out of approximately 10 dishes, the restaurant offers only a couple of non-seafood choices. Some of its seafood appetizers include Lobster and Crab Cake with Lemon Basil Aioli, Tuna Tartare with Avocado, Mango, and Sriracha, and Pan-Fried Calamari with Hot Cherry Peppers. For those who can't make up their mind, there is also the Grand Plateau with jumbo lump crab, North Atlantic lobster, fancy shrimp cocktail, and oysters on the half shell.

The Capital Grille also delivers when it comes to seafood entrées. Take, for instance, the Sushi-Grade Seared Sesame Tuna, served with gingered rice, white soy, and sambal vinaigrette. The chain's other attention-grabbing seafood mains include Seared Citrus-Glazed Salmon, Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Miso Butter, and Seared Sea Scallops with Maine Lobster and Asparagus Risotto.

While many casual steakhouse chains normally serve their entrées with a choice of at least one side dish, this isn't as common among fine dining establishments. The Capital Grille is a case in point, serving its sides à la carte as standalone menu items. This, of course, also means that diners have to shell out more for any accompaniments.

The Capital Grille's "For the Table" menu section is varied and designed for sharing. Patrons can choose from starchy appetizers, such as Parmesan Truffle Fries, Au Gratin Potatoes, and Sam's Mashed Potatoes. For seafood enthusiasts, the chain offers Lobster Mac 'N' Cheese with an impressive lineup of cheeses, including cream cheese, mascarpone, parmesan, havarti, white cheddar, and grana padano. The accompaniment menu also offers plenty of veg options to balance out the richer mains, including Sautéed Spinach, Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Mosto, and Soy-Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon.

The Capital Grille's elevated prices reflect the restaurant's focus on high-end dining and the expectations of its clientele. Sure, there are plenty of cheaper steakhouse chain options out there, but those restaurants typically don't dry age their steaks on-site, don't offer carefully curated wine lists, and don't provide the same level of detail-oriented elegance.

So what can you expect to pay at The Capital Grille? The appetizers are priced at between $17 for Nueske's Cherrywood Smoked Bacon with Korean BBQ and $130 for the Grand Plateau of fresh seafood. The chain's steaks range from $57 for a 10-ounce filet mignon to $88 for a 24-ounce dry-aged porterhouse. Diners can also expect to pay between $45 and $60 for seafood entrées. Finally, the chain's side dishes range between $11 and $25, and the desserts are priced at either $12 or $13.

Patrons discussed the restaurant's prices online about a year ago, with several guests saying that a dinner for two set them back roughly $150. While some diners have said that there are better restaurant options out there for the price, one Redditor made the case for The Capital Grille, noting, "If you have your heart set on steak, CG is a pretty good deal for the money. It doesn't take much effort to drop $200 in any nice restaurant."

Many casual steakhouses these days offer children's menus with options specifically aimed at young diners. These typically feature smaller portions and more straightforward choices. The Capital Grille isn't one of these steakhouses. As a fine dining establishment, the chain caters to adults seeking a polished dining experience. That said, The Capital Grille can accommodate kids.

According to one TripAdvisor reviewer, The Capital Grille has no issue seating children, as long as they are well behaved. "It depends on your kids!" they posted. "The restaurant definitely trends towards conservative upscale steakhouse, but I have brought my kids and they love it. The atmosphere is one where the kids will need to be able to maintain some calmness for a while." 

As far as the menu goes, another TripAdvisor reviewer says that while The Capital Grille doesn't have an official children's menu, it's worth asking the servers about kid-friendly dishes. "If you ask one of the waiters, they will give you options like chicken tenders or pasta and I'm sure other food the kids would like," they noted.

It's no secret that a well-paired food and wine combo can add balance to the overall meal. Whether it's red, white, or even rosé, the right tipple can elevate the flavor of any dish, including a perfectly seared, restaurant-quality steak.

The wine list at The Capital Grille is overseen by Brian Philips, Director of Wine Strategy at Darden, the chain's parent company. Philips recently described his wine selection strategy in an interview with the Beverage Trade Network: "You want to deliver wines that people know and have confidence in, wines that have an established history and a well known story," he said. "[Nevertheless,] we still go out and find discoveries, things that maybe aren't what people would always expect. And we do encourage some experimentation and some different wines."

To cater to a variety of palates, each Capital Grille location boasts more than 350 different wines from a wide range of wine regions around the globe. Each Capital Grille location also has its own sommelier wine director who ensures that the tipples at the restaurant stay in step with what its patrons' preferences. Philips explained this, saying, "How people drink in New York is very different to how people drink in Miami or in southern California. You don't want every restaurant to have the same wine program."

While there is nothing quite like having a steak prepared in a high-temperature infrared broiler by a professional chef, The Capital Butcher offers the next best thing. An online retail extension of The Capital Grille, The Capital Butcher sells a range of steak cuts that diners can prepare in the comfort of their own kitchens. Each cut is dry-aged from 18 to 24 days and hand-cut daily by the chain's butcher, just like the beef served at the restaurant.

The Capital Butcher offers a range of Steak Grille Boxes that contain a selection of dry-aged bone-in New York strips and bone-in prime ribeyes. Each box comes with four steaks, a signature steak sauce, and a proprietary steak seasoning, so you can enjoy the same beef quality and flavors that you would at one of The Capital Grille restaurants. The online store also sells individual steaks, burger patties, and accompaniments, including lobster mac and cheese, grilled asparagus, mashed potatoes, and creamed spinach.

The Capital Grille is an ideal spot for celebrating special occasions. Whether it's a romantic dinner for two or an evening gathering with a larger group, the restaurant is ready to set the scene. Sizable groups looking for a little privacy can even reserve one of the chain's private dining rooms. Ideal for meetings or special events, the private rooms typically accommodate eight to 30 guests.

Instead of having to organize everything themselves, diners can leave the event preparation in the capable hands of the restaurant's planners. This includes customized à la carte menus and wine pairings served by dedicated staff. In addition, many of the private rooms come fitted with state-of-the-art media equipment, including high-speed, wired and wireless internet connections and webcasting. Guests can reserve a dining room via The Capital Grille website, specifying the date and time of the event, and whether it's personal or business-related.

Valet parking can be a lifesaver. It's convenient, saves time, and can enhance the overall dining experience — especially in cold or rainy weather. Luckily, many Capital Grille locations offer this parking service. However, this isn't a given, so it's best to check with the specific restaurant before your visit. The chain doesn't appear to have a set fee structure for the service, but valet parking is likely to be complimentary for diners who book one of the restaurant's private rooms.

According to online posts, the cost of valet parking varies depending on location. While at some Capital Grille restaurants the service is complimentary, at other locations a valet parking fee applies. This has been highlighted by one TripAdvisor reviewer who says: "I know for dinner there is valet parking and the cost is $10 plus tip if [you] choose to do so." In addition, some Capital Grille restaurants only offer valet parking in the evenings, as noted by another TripAdvisor user: "Valet parking is $8. No valet parking during the day."