Restaurant Finder

The Capital Grille

Cuisine: Steaks Neighborhoods: Chinatown Downtown

Based on 8 reviews.

Address	601 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, DC 20004
Phone	(202) 737-6200
Fax	(202) 637-8821

Rater Comments

These comments express the opinions of individual Restaurant Raters, not those of Washington City Paper.

Review by ems on March 11, 2007

Nice meal, but seemed over priced for what we received. 2 entrees, 2 sides, 2 cups of soup, 2 glasses of wine and tip: $180. I got the Filet Oscar with lobster bisque soup and creamed spinach, all were very good.

Review by Good Eats on September 21, 2005

Porcini rubbed, 15 day dry-aged Delmonico cooked to perfection rendered me speechless as I melted into my seat. The side items were fantastic, including wild mushrooms, mashed potatoes, etc. Dessert was delicious. The prices can add up when there's no expense account to fall back on, but for the quality of food and service it is well worth the visit.

Review by maudi on November 23, 2004

This is more of a place for Washington buraucrats after work, I saw senator Feinstein and all the "Washington-type" people negotiationg, more of a place to do after work business...business dinners. But very good. the apetizers of all sorts of seafood was excellent and very luxorious. I had the veal and it was to die for.. The waiters are very good and helpful. But the ambience is very dark and almost smoky, even at times loud. But a good place to conduct business or a little birthday celebration since you can be loud. But you're not allowed to take pictures since many famous politicians eat there.

Review by barkalow on November 9, 2004

Review by bermanmatt on May 15, 2004

Past trips to the Capital Grille have left me feeling that this steakhouse was amongst the very good, but not amongst the great. My last trip there, however, mentally pushed it up a notch. Capital Grille does what a great steakhouse is supposed to: it serves fantastic slabs of meat perfectly. My sirloin could have been used to illustrate exactly what "medium rare" means, and had exactly the right amount of fat along one side that the steak positively burst with flavor. The sides were decadent (the mashed potatos must have been one part potato to two parts butter and cream) and the starters, particularly my tomato and onion salad (with blue cheese... of course) also very tasty. The Caiptal Grille has always claimed to be a level above the areas other steakhouses; now I think they may be right.

Review by yellowdog on May 14, 2004

It's one of the few Power Steak houses that delivers. Not a bargain, but worth the fee.

As always with almost every restaurant I visit, the wine prices are exorbitant.

Review by dcmp on April 23, 2004

When you walk into the Capital Grille, you are struck first by the presence of taxidermy and then by the sense that the place is trying very, very hard to be an old-school steak house.

The plus side: We loved our steak. All four of us had a 10-oz. sirloin, and each found hers to be lean, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. We also loved the creamed spinach. I'm usually not a creamed spinach devotee, but this one actually tasted like spinach.

The minus side: The service was good, but I felt conscious of the fact that we were a party of 4 women. The waiter treated us a bit like we had never been to a fancy restaurant before, not to mention a steak house. Also, the mozarella and tomato appetizer was fine -- and salads are allowed to be just fine at a steak house -- but at nearly $11, it was a very poor value. The mashed potatoes, however, are not allowed to be just fine at steak house, and they were no better than fine. The restaurant needs to develop a less gummy version.

Finally, even though one expects a pricey dinner at a steak house, Capital Grille is overpriced. We did not drink anything but bottled water (which, thankfully, was reasonably priced) and had just one dessert, and yet the tab came to more than $40 / person.

It was a good steak, and a good experience, but I am not looking for the opportunity to run over there and do it all again.

Review by alaaro on November 30, 2003

Best restaurant for steak in DC, period. Everything is the best. Appetizers, steaks, seafood, sides, dessert. Knowledgeable servers, excellent atmosphere. Don't even waste time with Morton's, Sam and Harry's, or the rest.