Capital Grille

801 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55402
612-692-9000
http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/

Category: Steakhouse

Rating (Scale 1-10, with 10 being the highest):
Food: 9
Service: 8
Ambience: 9

Recommendation: Excellent. You won’t leave disappointed (or hungry), and you’ll be back – Guaranteed!

Capital Grille (CG) is a classic American steakhouse located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis (Hennepin Theater District). The restaurant definitely exudes classic old school elegance with the rich mahogany wood, dim lighting, dark leather, and white linen tablecloths. The décor is reminiscent of an exclusive club with large portraits on the walls and our favorite – the head of a large bison, just off the kitchen.

You go to CG for steak but what makes this restaurant unique is that they do more than just steak and they do it very well. We would highly recommend the Fresh Oysters (Blue Point) on the Half Shell – they were fresh, flavorful, and meaty and served with a nice shallot vinaigrette that just added a hint of acidity to the oyster. We’ve also sampled their Cold Shellfish Platter in the past – a combination of fresh oysters, shrimp and lobster. The list of steaks contains the usual (sirloin, filet, Delmonico) but also has a section for chef’s suggestions (the best cuts of meat with a twist). We ordered all three of the chef’s suggestions and were duly impressed – mostly because the subtle flavors of the contributing ingredients didn’t take away from the meaty flavor of the Certified Black Angus beef. Our favorite was the Porcini Rubbed Delmonico with 8-Year Aged Balsamic – a bone-in rib eye trimmed and cooked to perfection and as juicy and rich as they come. Both the Sliced Filet Mignon with Cippolini Onions and Wild Mushrooms and the Kona Crusted Dry Aged Sirloin with Caramelized Shallot Butter were excellent - the onions and wild mushroom sauté was a great complement to the former. You should be prepared that the steaks are broiled to a char and even if you like your steak cooked medium on the inside, the outside will have a nice crusty feel to it. For the side dish, we would highly recommend the Potatoes Au Gratin – potatoes layered in cream and cheese, topped with fried onions and potato bits and baked till brown. The crunchy onions and potato bit topping worked perfectly with the creamy soft potatoes – Wow. For dessert, we highly recommend the tart and sweet Key Lime Pie with a delicious graham cracker crust. The Chocolate Hazelnut Cake was large and looked appetizing, but unfortunately didn’t satisfy us. Nothing at this restaurant is moderate in size – your non-American friends/customers are surely in for a surprise. We weren’t embarrassed to share 3 steaks amongst 4 people; there was plenty to go around.

The service was good – we were promptly seated and well taken care of. And although we were the last patrons to leave, we never felt unattended or rushed (even as the kitchen was closing). By the way, make sure you notice the classy server uniforms – they match the aura of this place.

$$$$. Steaks are around $40. The four of us spent a total of $250 for dinner.