Ok, so usually Capital Grille is a great place to go with your significant other or family for a nice dinner. Eric and I were hungry one night and since everything in Pittsburgh closes at 10pm, it was hard to find something opened at 11pm. We drove around and found that Capital Grille-although the kitchen was closed- was willing to seat us (and had valet parking). So there we were!
Located on Fifth Avenue right in the heart of downtown, I've been to Capital Grille on several occasions and even went to a few outside of Pittsburgh! A nice chain steakhouse (oxymoron?) Capital Grille is perfect for an intimate date and has so many yummy things on the menu! Although Eric is a huge steak enthusiast, I personally am not a big steak fan- but I was still able to stuff myself with delicious items! I also took my dad here for his birthday- also a huge steak fan and he loved it!
First off, lets start with the appetizer. The Pan Fried Calamari is delicious. As an asian, I eat fried calamari very often- I eat it all the time when I am in New York. I got this with my parents and they too were pleased with this dish. Tossed with hot cherry peppers, the calamari definitely had a tangy and spicy kick that is not for the spice adverse! Being very comfortable with high heat, I found the calamari very spicy as did my (burmese) parents. According to my parents, the spicier the food the better, so they loved it.
As for our main entrees/side dishes the parmesean truffle fries were by far the best side dish ever. Everytime I've been to the Capital Grille, this is the one thing that I never fail to order. If you are a big truffle fan, you will absolutely love this side dish- the aroma of the truffle oil on the fries is the most wonderful thing you can ever experience, seriously. The lobster mac and cheese is creamy and rich but id nothing to out of the ordinary and didn't have a lot of lobster.
Usually, you can find steakhouses that also have good seafood in addition to their steaks but I think Capital Grille lacks in that area. The lobster is good but the steaks are better (obviously). The lobster seemed to be very overpriced for what you get, the cedar planked salmon lacked flavor and was overcooked. The steaks that I got on a few occasions were a lot better than any of the seafood entree. Eric/my dad enjoyed the steaks but they did say that they have had better. Basically- its the side dishes and appetizers that won me over- the main entrees were lackluster.
Capital Grille is great if you are a huge wine enthusiast as their wine room is as big as the restaurant and their wine list is longer than their actual menu. I personally didn't try the wine- but that is something I would definitely do when/if I return.
If I did go to Capital Grille again, I think I'd stick with the appetizers (definitely the truffle fries) and side dishes to be honest and stuff myself on various dishes rather than on an expensive entree.
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