[HOU] Experience at Capital Grille

[danhole]

We went to Capital Grille on 2/15. Reservations for 5:30. I had asked around for recommendations, and we decided on this place mainly because my husband had always wanted to try it and I was particularly interested in the dry aged porterhouse. We were seated promptly, and the restaurant is very nice inside. Our server was Jill and she was very good. I wanted a glass of wine, but the list was overwhelming, so she helped me make a choice, and even brought 2 samples to make a decision. He had a margarita.

Started off with a variety of delicious bread. Then I got a wedge salad, which was enormous. It is really something that 2 people should share, but my DH doesn't eat that, so I took it home, which was a waste. Big chunks of bacon, more like pork belly, and a great blue cheese dressing. He ordered the delmonico, which is a prime cut of meat (the only one they serve, and I got the PH. Both of us wanted them cooked medium rare, closer to rare, but she said the chef recommends that the delmonico be cooked a bit more, so whatever. We also wanted the au jus on the side, because we want to taste the meat. As sides he got the Sam's potatoes, and I got the parmesan truffle fries.

When the steak came out mine was over cooked to medium, and I sent it back. His was fine, but did not have any flavor. When mine came out I had the same reaction - no flavor at all. It didn't taste like beef, no melt in your mouth, no seasoning, salt, nothing. Both of us tried the au jus on our steaks and it tasted watery, not beefy. I even tasted a spoonful of it and it was diluted. We were both so desperate for some flavor that we even put some butter on them. They were just something to chew on. The sam's potatoes were good, the fries were so-so, not much parmesan, and hardly any truffle flavor.

We were very disappointed. As I said, the service could not have been any better, and we brought the steaks home and doctored them up the next night, and they were passable, but not worth what we paid for them. And yes we did complain the next morning. I got a phone call within hours of sending the email to the website, and he was very apologetic, and said he would make it up to us and guaranteed we would have a great steak next time. After waiting 2 weeks, I sent another email and finally got 2 $50 voucher to come back, but make the reservation through this person. I guess we will go back and get the same thing, because he said it was highly unusual and we must have gotten a bad batch (WTF?) Really sad because today I read a review of the same place by a person who went the day before we did and talked about how the PH literally melted in his mouth like butter! Don't know when we will do it again. At least it wasn't all bad. And mind you, we do not often splurge like this!