The Capital Grille — Restaurant in Burbank

Latest update after our second visit, having been invited back by the Managing Partner…

Service was greatly improved and we were looked after very very well. Cocktails were top notch and the atmosphere was excellent. I can’t say I’m a big fan of the food, but it was certainly prepared without any obvious faults this time around. The staff are super friendly, accommodating and the bar booths are very comfortable. One of the young ladies in our party noted that, “this place feels very fancy.” Kudos to management for making the necessary corrections and getting it right. My only suggestion would be for the corporate executive chef to take a serious look at how the menu could be improved. Overall, thank you to The Capital Grille Burbank for a very nice evening.

I’m updating this review to note I have since heard from the managing partner of this location, and they have invited us back for an opportunity to show what they are truly capable of. I am certainly open to giving them a second chance, and adjusting this review accordingly. Everyone deserves the opportunity to make amends for an outlier experience. Stay tuned…

We’ve been eagerly anticipating the opening of this Capital Grille for years now, as we live right around the corner, and have watched their lengthy construction preparations unfold. Our hopes were for a fine-dining experience, only steps from our front door, that we could enjoy easily and regularly. Last night we stopped in for what amounted to an over-priced disappointment. Granted, the decor is top-notch, and it really feels like a special place the moment you walk in the door. That feeling evaporated almost immediately, when, having been told there weren’t any tables immediately available, we were walked past dozens of empty booths in the bar area and told we could wait at the bar. After what felt like an impossibly long time for our cocktails to be prepared, and the bartender forgetting what one of us had ordered, we enjoyed the only memorable experience of the evening: very well crafted cocktails. The rest of the evening was about as below-average as you might expect from a glorified Applebees. Our service was slow, our waiter struggled with opening a bottle of lukewarm Albariño, and our cutlery was removed from the table and not replaced. It seemed we were visited every 5 minutes by a different staff member, who didn’t seem to have communicated at all with any other staff member as to what was going on at our table. The revered caviar dip isn’t much more than a Lipton’s onion soup mix with the tiniest dollop of low-grade caviar on top. The worst moment of the night was finding some lump of unprocessed god-knows-what in the dip itself. Our server apologized, and said the manager would stop by our table to discuss. The manager never came by and the nasty dip remained a line item on our bill. Our steaks arrived overcooked, somewhat stringy; one of them with a Cabernet reduction that tasted like the life boiled out of a 2 Buck Chuck. And although the strangely uncomfortable Sommelier (with various pins of Master Court certifications upon his lapel) did a decent job of decanting the bottle of old Vino Nobile we brought with us, he somehow failed to bring the bottle itself to our table, so we could see what we were drinking, nor did he bring any appropriate stemware. And they charged a $50 corkage fee for the pleasure. We felt fleeced. When we first sat down to our table, our server (who really was quite lovely and trying her best, despite her obvious lack of experience) told us, “The Capital Grille trainers just left this morning.” We left the restaurant wondering if they had ever been there at all. All in all, The Crapital Grille might be a nice spot to grab a quick drink, but do yourself a favor and have dinner somewhere else. There’s a great smash burger place just down the street...

This was our second visit to CG Burbank. Our first was extraordinary, this time it was a bit lesser at Excellent (maybe Excellent minus if I was honest). Our reservation was perfect visavis table and server (Matt S was great). The Manhattans were superb. My follow up bourbon shot was fine but not nearly as ample as last time – so a bit disappointing. The wine Fernando shared with us was delightful. Appetizers excellent French Onion soup came out a mess and was sent back, the turnaround for new cup was too quick and s0 presentation was better (not a mess) the cheese was tacky and not roasted on top and edges I we have enjoyed at other high end places (but by no means a deal breaker.) Our steaks were literally perfect (otherwise that would be a potential deal breaker). The superb steaks were paired with a Checkerboard Kings Row which Fernando was especially adept at helping us select. And he wonderfully and timely decanted the wine in this magnificent decanter! Desert was one part AMAZING and one part meh. The Coconut Cream Pie deserves to be in the “to die for” category. The crème brulee not so much. Nicely caramelized on top but the insides were not firm but somewhat soupy and so less enjoyable then other places we have indulged. Lastly, although we appreciated and loved the booth we were at (helpful due to my vision and other disabilities) we hope to try another location that has less foot traffic congestion but still allows a booth that allows for my vision and leg impediments. Overall still a grand experience and we intend to come back as we continue weighing whether to become Club...

Our first time dining at The Capital Grille last night, and the food and service were incredible! Our server, Adrianna, was perfect for our first visit. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and she did an excellent job making sure our courses were spread out and not all brought out rushed. She was a very happy, sweet waitress. She made our experience memorable. And the food was AMAZING! We ordered the bacon appetizer, which was phenomenal! I ordered the 10oz filet medium with a kona crust and shallot butter; oh my, it was the best steak I have ever had! Way better than Mastros/Mortons/Ruth Chris. My husband ordered the sliced filet with onions and mushrooms. For our sides, we ordered the creamed corn with bacon and the au gratin potatoes. Amazing as well! The bread basket served was good; I loved the bread with the onion topping. We also ordered a lemonade, which was really good. For dessert, they brought us a complimentary espresso flourless cake and their cheesecake. Both delicious! We ordered their famous coconut cream pie, and it was so good! It was a different spin on a coconut pie, but whatever they did to it made it amazing! I can't believe we had never dined here before. We are definitely looking forward to coming...