The Capital Grille — Restaurant in Elk Grove Township

TL;DR - Tasty food but I felt like we were paying for the refit of the building, more than the experience. Head to somewhere like weber grill for comparable food at half the price. We won't return and unfortunately can't recommend it.

Really sorry to say but we were disappointed with our visit.

My main issue is that nothing about the experience warranted the price (with tax and tip, our meal for two came to $303 dollars). The food wasn't next-level enough to be priced at that point.

Aesthetics were generally good, I guess they're going for a 1950s Mad Men style vibe. Tables are nicely laid. The coats they make the waiters wear are weird, don't fit well and end up making them look scruffy rather than - as I assume they intended - upscale. Making the other serving staff walk around with one hand behind their back is also weird. It doesn't look classy, it just makes me think that you're prioritizing the wrong things. The iPad-as-a-drinks-menu is unnecessary. They have a laminated paper menu for the food, they should stick with that. Everything else seemed to be aimed at creating a retro feel, so not sure why they opted for a high-tech drinks menu.

The service was great, although I think three different people came and asked us how we/the food were. I'm guessing that's because it hasn't been open long and they're trying to be extra courteous. I'm not a fan of that, but that's probably just me.

All three courses came in good time, nothing was cold or had the appearance that it had been sat for any amount of time.

We had the crab cake appetizer. They claim it serves two but I would argue otherwise. The tartar sauce served with it was a little bland although the crabcake itself was very nice, there just wasn't enough of it between the two of us.

For the main course my wife ordered the NY strip au poivre. She ordered medium rare and we both agreed it was a little on the rarer side (it was identical to the rare steak I ordered). Happily, she was surprised to find she liked that and thinks she'll probably order her next steak rare. The crust on her steak was a little too much, they should perhaps write the description in the menu as Steak AU POIVRE. I ordered the bone-in filet (a special not usually on the menu). It came cooked exactly as I like it and tasted delicious, no complaints.

For sides (the menu is a la carte), we ordered the potato au gratin and the brussel sprouts with bacon and soy glaze. Both of these were excellent. I particularly recommend the brussel sprouts - trust me, you'll thank me later. Note to the serving staff though: if you serve potato gratin in a dish that's just been in the oven, it might be worth mentioning that before I burn myself trying to serve it.

For dessert my wife opted for an Irish coffee and I had the creme brulee. It's tough to screw up a creme brulee and they didn't disappoint. The fresh berries on top were a nice touch.

For drinks, my wife had two dirty martinis that she enjoyed, although at $13.50 each I should hope so. I had a gin & tonic that was a little too light on the tonic for my taste and, again, $12 is a little steep. There are bars in the loop that charge less. For my second drink I opted for a blue moon beer at $7.50 for a bottle. If you include my wife's Irish coffee, that's $50 for six drinks - I'm not sure what we're getting for the extra money.

In summary, the food itself was great, service was fine, it's just no better than a weber grill or cooper's hawk level of restaurant and yet you pay twice as much. I struggled to...

My overall grade for The Capital Grille in Schaumburg is: A

I had a business lunch there yesterday. Since it was lunch - I didn't want a giant steak (I don't know why I chose a steakhouse for lunch - and that's on me).

Anyway, to that end, I ordered the Capital Grille chopped salad with tenderloin - medium rare. You know steakhouse chefs hate when you order your prime steaks well done, right? Especially, fillets.

Anyway, I started with the lobster bisque (accompanied with sherry of course). The bisque was really great. Just enough lobster to keep you engaged, but the flavor and texture of the bisque was really nice. I could have a giant bowl of this and their very good bread and butter and be super satisfied.

But since I was on a business expense activity, I ordered the fillet chopped salad - which I must admit was my 1st try at this salad. I almost never order salads for meals. Sorry.

What can I say, the salad exceeded my expectations. The dressing was fabulous with some crumbles of blue cheese. Decent sized bacon pieces along with the salad, all topped with a succulent portion of fillet mignon done perfectly - nice job chef...

I would've loved a nice cabernet to go with this meal, but since it was lunch, just an Arnold Palmer for me.

The service was great and the food quality was superb.

Yes, it's a little expensive, but I don't know many people that go on a super-frequent basis to a steakhouse for lunch or dinner - well, I know 1 person - Hey Chuck!!

Anyway - I would say that the next time I go to The Capital Grille, I am going to seek out a different location - not that the Schaumburg location isn't super convenient for myself and my clients, but it happens to sit inside of Cook County.

Sorry for the off-food feedback, but Cook County requires masks to enter their facility as does many places in IL, but you must also provide proof of vaccination. And some of my friends and clients are not vaccinated, so this in the end, will not be a place that I can take "all" of the folks I know because some of them cannot meet the entry requirements - too bad - I guess we'll go to Oakbrook in DuPage county where there is no such mandate.

Good lesson learned.

But after this whole mandate chenanigans are over, I will gladly return to the Schaumburg location - until then, DuPage County wins!

You'll love this place -business, personal, celebrations, great place for great food & a...

Went here for our Valentine’s Day celebration, and it was our first time at The Capital Grille. From the moment we called to make the reservations, they took the initiative asking beforehand if our visit was for a special occasion. For them to ask was a new for me, I can’t recall other establishments taking the initiative like that. It left a good impression on me and this is just from making reservations.

When we arrived for dinner, the place just screams classy, you definitely feel special from the attentiveness and friendliness from hosts. When we arrived to our table their was all these flower hearts and glitter on our table and we were served complimentary champagne, that was so cool, I mean who does that? Especially complimentary champagne.

We ordered the lobster bisque soup and oysters in a half shell for appetizers. Both was very good, the cup size for the lobster bisque is actually a generous portion. Other places would label the portion a bowl size. The oysters as you can see in our photos was a generous size and it was so delicious.

My fiancé ordered the rib eye with the 15 year aged balsamic vinegar rub, she enjoyed it very much. She let me have a taste and the balsamic added so much extra flavor to this flavorful steak. I ordered the bone in fillet that was featured on the specials for this evening with the kona rub and shallot butter. Now this was how a steak should taste. Very flavorful, and the steak practically melts in your mouth. The main courses are ala carte. I recommend trying the truffle fries with your steak (thumbs up!) For dessert we recommend the coconut cream pie. It was just so good that words can’t explain. Just try it!

To top off this wonderful night we had a wonderful server named Anali. She was attentive, knowledgeable, and you can tell that she sincerely wanted you to enjoy your dining experience. She was awesome. So guys, definitely bring your significant other here or friends, you’ll definitely enjoy...