Ned Grace envisioned an upscale steak restaurant that business persons and top politicians would flock to for meetings, dinners, and drinks. He opened his first restaurant in Providence, Rhoad Island, in 1990. Some thought this was a strange time and place since the nation was experiencing a recession and Providence was too far from D.C. for dinner.
Grace was correct, however. Within 7 years, the business had more than $4 million in annual sales. By 1996, the company had expanded to 3 locations, with the other two being located in D.C. and Boston. 
The company was acquired by Darden Restaurant Group in 2007 for $1.19 billion. The Capital Grille now operates as a subsidiary of Darden Restaurant Group.
The company is best known for its upscale decor which simulates an American country club, along with very large, top quality steaks, seafood dishes, and desserts.
The company has been known to overtake the competition by winning numerous awards, including being named one of the top 50 American restaurants in Open Table’s Diners’ Choice Awards, along with winning a number of “Best of Awards of Excellence” from Wine Spectator magazine. The chain also has received top marks on the Consumer Reports Restaurant Satisfactory Survey for the past few years.
In 2013, the Capital Grille location in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, opened for the first time on Thanksgiving day. Both Capital Grille employees and members of the Resturant Opportunities Center protested having to work on Thanksgiving without receiving holiday pay or any other type of extra compensation. In addition, the Pittsburgh City Council passed a Will of Council, opposing Capital Grille’s decision to force employees to work on Thanksgiving without additional compensation or holiday pay.
The Capital Grille has headquarters located in Orlando, Florida. As of the end of 2017, the company has 57 locations in twenty states, as well as the District of Columbia. 
Ned Grace envisioned an upscale steak restaurant that business persons and top politicians would flock to for meetings, dinners, and drinks. He opened his first restaurant in Providence, Rhoad Island, in 1990. Some thought this was a strange time and place since the nation was experiencing a recession and Providence was too far from D.C. for dinner.
Grace was correct, however. Within 7 years, the business had more than $4 million in annual sales. By 1996, the company had expanded to 3 locations, with the other two being located in D.C. and Boston.
History
The company was acquired by Darden Restaurant Group in 2007 for $1.19 billion. The Capital Grille now operates as a subsidiary of Darden Restaurant Group.
The company is best known for its upscale decor which simulates an American country club, along with very large, top quality steaks, seafood dishes, and desserts.
The company has been known to overtake the competition by winning numerous awards, including being named one of the top 50 American restaurants in Open Table’s Diners’ Choice Awards, along with winning a number of “Best of Awards of Excellence” from Wine Spectator magazine. The chain also has received top marks on the Consumer Reports Restaurant Satisfactory Survey for the past few years.
In 2013, the Capital Grille location in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, opened for the first time on Thanksgiving day. Both Capital Grille employees and members of the Resturant Opportunities Center protested having to work on Thanksgiving without receiving holiday pay or any other type of extra compensation. In addition, the Pittsburgh City Council passed a Will of Council, opposing Capital Grille’s decision to force employees to work on Thanksgiving without additional compensation or holiday pay.
The Capital Grille has headquarters located in Orlando, Florida. As of the end of 2017, the company has 57 locations in twenty states, as well as the District of Columbia.
I have been a diner at Capital Grill for years, reserved for special occasions as the service, the environment, and food was always special and above expectations.
A recent experience at the Rosemont Illinois location, was disappointing as the service was below expectations and frankly poor from the moment we walked in the door, to our departure.
Customer service 101 – the patron in standing front of you is priority over the all else.
Upon entering the restaurant, for a 5:00 reservation, and standing at the front desk, a well dressed gentleman delayed a greeting as he was occupied and appeared to be reading something on the desk. We were clearly not as important.
He did finally greet us, as I finally spoke up to tell him that we were here for our reservation, gave him my name, at which point the phone rang. He raised his hand with the index finger sign for hold on one minute, he answer the phone, and proceeded to converse with the caller, as we stood there waiting for him to finish. He then tapped a hostess and handed them menus and pointed to our table, while still on the phone!
I’m sorry but, the first thing I learned was to politely excuse yourself momentarily to answer the phone, and graciously put the caller on hold, while you focus your present guests in front of you.
The wait staff was acceptable, but not to the level of attentiveness I have experienced and have come to expect. The meal was as usual, excellent. However, my reasons for dining at Capital Grill is for superior service, gracious, knowledgeable, attentive wait staff, and decadent meal, experience.
Upon our departure we waited for the valet to deliver my vehicle, which was timely. However, as the next valet delivered the next car, they beeped the horn behind me in an effort to either have me move my vehicle or hurry up, Outrageous!
This experience was very disappointing and has lowered my opinion of the restaurant, just subpar and might I say below the expectations of even a moderate chain restaurant experience.
Sadly I will not return or recommend. Good luck, as I can say after sharing this with friends and family, similar below expectations have been experienced by many of them as well.
I welcome a corporate response, as I would hope this is not a systematic and corporate service direction.
Polly Schultz
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I have enjoyed the Capital Grille in Stamford, CT on multiple occasions (before COVID lockdowns) with family and friends for special dinners. For this reason, I was very surprised by the quality of the food and service on a recent visit. Our cocktails arrived after a long wait and without the usual garnishes of olives and cherries. I can understand how busy a restaurant can be around the holidays, so I would say that this was not a huge issue. Rather, I had a big issue with the quality of the ribeye steaks. Three people in my party ordered them and they were not even one-half inch thick. I have seen better cuts in my local discount supermarket. Furthermore, our waiter apparently could not properly judge how to pour our wine. He would fill the first few glasses too much while leaving only a miniscule amount for the other guests. I was so embarrassed that I switched my glass with another guest, so they could have a decent pour. I ordered a NY strip, which was better than the ribeye, but it arrived cold from the first bite. This is not the experience that I expect when paying $60 for a steak. This experience has left me to consider other options when deciding on a special dinner for my family.
My daughter made reservations outside at the Capitol Grill Tampa for Christmas Eve. Parker came with water and bread. He had his mask under his chin; being in my 70’s I ask him to wear his mask appropriately. He pulled his mask up leaving his nose exposed and was belligerent and argumentative.My daughter asked him to absent himself from our table. I asked to speak with a manager who came to our table without a mask for 30 seconds with a weak apology. Had it not been for Beverly the server we would have left. In addition, I ordered a filet medium rare which came to the table after a long wait overcooked. This was far from a first class experience.
We purchase your steak knives some years ago ad are really enjoying them Could you tell me who the manufacturer is – I was guessing Wusthof but please clarify.
We have been frequent guests of Capital Grille in Sarasota for the past five years. We experience an issue every single time we are there. We are a fan of the infashion cocktail. The past two times we have been there, they run out of the ice globe sphere which totally makes the drink. If you keep running out, why not make more?!? We ordered a bake potato which never arrived with the meal only to find out they ran out of baked potatoes after we have finished our meal and my husband was still hungry so settled for mashed. My creamed spinach came out cold and the Wagu mushroom burger had literally two mushrooms on it. So basically it was a cheese burger. I requested tabasco three times once with my oysters, with my meal and with the return of reheated spinach, I never received it. How does one ask for tabasco three times and never received it. Meanwhile, the restaurant was not busy. The GM is very friendly to my husband shakes his hand but never does he even acknowledge me and I am sitting right there, weird. He is always walking around talking to customers but not aware of the issues in the restaurant or the need for assistance by the servers. He basically is there to just talk to customers. We have had burnt steaks delivered, under-cooked lobster, and cold food delivered. While we love the atmosphere and the food when done correctly at Cap Grill, we will never return to the Sarasota location. We will be driving the extra 20 minutes now to go to Ruth Chris in Sarasota. We enjoy a nice steak house frequently. We have given this location multiple chances but get burned every visit. Something is always off and nothing is ever done to remedy it because the GM is walking around taking selfies with customers. We will now have to drive past Cap Grill to go to a steakhouse. No wonder this location is never full or on a wait for a table. It is really a shame.
On Friday, August 16, we had dinner at Capital Grill, City Center, Houston. This is our favorite restaurant especially for special occasions and we always enjoy it very much. It was our anniversary and the evening was spoiled by one of the managers. My steak was very rare and I told the waiter, Doug, who was a very good waiter. A manager named John came out and proceeded to argue with me about the cook of the steak and that it was properly cooked. My husband was half finished with his meal at this point. After I asked this manager if he was going to stand there and argue with me all night he took my meal and replaced it. Another manager who was very gracious brought it out and it was better. I have never seen a manager in any restaurant be so disrespectful to a customer. The upset of the incident ruined the point of the evening. I think maybe we need to start looking for another favorite restaurant. This was very upsetting and extremely disappointing.
We recently celebrated Valentine’s Day at capital grille ft lauderdale. The entire experience was delightful. Our server whom we requested adds that additional touch of elegance to compliment our meal. Aundrea Bayne. What an asset she is to your organization.
We had a very bad experience at Capital Grille Providence RI. Please do not go there. Horrible. I made a reservation in two months advance but we had to wait 20 minutes to be seated. They seated us at the the worst table in the hallway. My food was burned like charcoal. They do not disclose the prices of the food on the menu which may be a violation of laws. They did not itemized our check.
My recent Capital Grille visit was a Halloween experience it was HORRIBLE and FRIGHTENING! My husband and I decided to wait and celebrate Sweetie’s Day on Sunday 10/21/18 at The Capital Grille in Troy , MI. when he came back in from out of town. The unpleasant greeter Violeta seated us at a table for two, but the table was in a very busy path so we asked could we sit at the table next to it. Violeta said no that table is for a party of four and walked away. So as we went back to the counter. Voileta was sitting another party of two at the same table she just told us was only for four. We complained to the manager. The manager apologized and then we were seated at a tiny table in the lounge near the door. We were cold all night, we literally had to eat with our coats on and our dinner couldn’t even fit on our table we had to put some of our food and drinks on the window seals. and we were never offered another table. Shame on YOU Capital Grille. Although the manager gave us complimentary wine there was No room on the table for it, we had to keep it on the window seal. The food was a treat! the tiny table a MEAN trick. We were very disappointed, this was a horrible evening.
To whom it may concern. I am a regular customer at capital grille plano celebrating my birthday this weekend at 22 Guest. Were asked to leave because we were being too loud. We totally understand we might have been loud but the incident was not handled correctly the manager never introduced herself to me by her 1st name or nothing the manager Addressed my table by saying other parties are complaining that you are being too loud please keep it down I am a customer in I have been there many times from customers are being loud but we understand that people are there to enjoy themselves there are ways to handle issues she was not professional amateur lack of management skills there’s many ways how to Adrestus I am very unhappy was this incident if this does not get Resolve correctly you’ll ruin my birthday very unhappy