The Capital Grille — Restaurant in Jacksonville

Would have given it one star but the waitress tried somewhat. We were a party of seven and made reservations for New Years Eve. They were only able to accommodate us with outside seating which was fine the weather was nice. What they forgot to tell us was that there was two outside areas. One off the center of the square and the other facing the car drop off. Of course we were seated next to the car drop off. They should have at least told us that when we made the reservations. It was disgusting to be smelling the exhaust of the cars as they drove by.

We arrived and the hostess told us one minute just checking on the table. I went back 10 minutes later to check again and he said who are you? Then the other hostess asked what time was our reservation. I told her 7:00PM and she said it is only 7:05PM what is the rush. Really?

Then we get seated outside and no one paid attention to us at all. It was like we were never even though. I had to continually ask for more ice tea, the waitress finally caught on when we were almost done with our meal. I had asked her to stop by more often but it seemed, being outside and not in the mainstream part of the restaurant, we only received attention when we made a fuss.

Once the bread came I had asked for Salt, there was no condiments on the table. I had to ask three separate people and when I finally grabbed our waitress and told her I have been asking and waiting on salt for about 15 minutes.

The same thing happened after our appetizers arrived. We asked for some additional bread. Nothing ever came even though the waitress walked by our table numerous times. The buss boy was the worst I have ever seen. After the appetizers were done we asked him to clear off the table to make some room. He picked up one bread plate and we were handing him the other plates and he looked at us and walked away and never returned. I asked the waitress what was up and she said he is new and not that good. WOW! Again a product of not being in the main dining room and getting below par service because of where we were seated.

The steaks were mediocre that is what the are known for. The lamb was much better then the steaks. The steaks really had no true flavor. I get a better steak and half the price at Millers Steak House out by the airport.

Then on top of it all I got sick from the lobster mac and cheese. I wasn't feeling well and headed home after dinner. Another guest who also had the lobster mac and cheese also got sick a few hours later. We were the only two to have the side and we both got sick.

Finally, we were a table of 7 so we expected to tip to be included. We politely asked the waitress if the tip was included. No one was able to tell us if it was or wasn't. So we tipped the waitress above average and hopefully someone from the restaurant will someday be able to tell us if we tipped the waitress 20% or 38%.

I would not patronize this restaurant again. I can get better service, better food at other area restaurant at half the price and be treated as they actually care about us. For instance Firebirds down the street has an extremely better Rib Eye at half the price. What a waste of $700, I would of rather stayed home and...

We celebrated our 35th Wedding Anniversary at The Capital Grille on a Sunday evening. We were greeted right away and taken to our seats. Immediately we were offered drink choices. Alan chose an In-Fashion a modern version of the vintage drink Old-Fashion. It was served in a high bar glass with one large round ice ball, and long thin orange rind. He really enjoyed it, saying the taste actually improved as he stirred. I took a sip and found it strong but delicious! Our server created Riesling Sangria for me that was lightly sweet with pineapple, orange slices. 😁 We loved our server! He was so friendly and helpful. We were told about the specials which all sounded so amazing. I decided on the African Lobster, and lobster bisque soup as a starter. I love lobster! Alan chose the 22 oz. bone-in ribeye and also an African Lobster tail. As a side we shared the lobster Mac and Cheese. A basket of various breads and butter arrived along with the large bowl of soup which we shared. It was more than enough to share. The bisque was loaded with huge chunks of sweet lobster! So delicious that it could have been my entire meal and I would have been happy. But we were celebrating, so next came the dinner plates with the humongous lobster tails, that were so sweet!! They said it was only available for a limited time. If they have it you must get one. We shared the steak, and I couldn't believe how tender the steak was!! It was so tender and full of flavor. Seasoned just right. I'm very picky about my steaks and we've eaten steak at a lot of highly rated restaurants. This is definitely a "top of my list" steak! We liked it better than Cowford's steak. We have had tomahawk steak that was about as good. The lobster Mac and Cheese was full of large chunks of lobster, of course. It was made with what looked like penne and cheese with a butter cracker topping. It had a nice rich flavor to it. I would go back just to order it! As a nice surprise they presented us with a dessert for our anniversary, a combination of cheesecake and creme brulee which was so delicious that I wish it was bigger and that I had more room to eat it. The Happy Anniversary in chocolate on the plate was a very nice touch. All in all a 5 star meal for sure and one we will remember. The price was a lot more than we usually pay when we go out to eat, but we usually eat at home and when we go out to celebrate we always splurge. We deserve it. ♥️ If you're wondering it was about $300. But hey, 35 years of marriage...that's a nice meal and well worth it. I highly recommend The Capital Grille, especially if you're celebrating a...

Excellent service, as is to be expected in a place like this. If you’re ready to spend $60 on a simple steak and another $15 for a side dish, then you’re gonna expect experienced, personalized, knowledgeable, and attentive service. I’m happy to say that is the case. I’ve eaten here probably 10 times in the last 12 months, and the service has always been impeccable. I like some servers more than others, personality-wise, but the core service is never lacking. The servers seem to do very well here financially, and some have been working here for many, many years. That long-term experience is crucial. The food is always tasty and always very well cooked. Our steaks have always been spot-on in terms of done-ness ordered. I like mine medium-rare, but others at the table have ordered it medium-well, and they all come out perfectly. I’ve had the sea bass a few times, and it too is always perfectly well cooked. The menu is not large, but big enough. The menu is not bold, and the dishes are not innovative, but there are enough selections of classics to please everyone. Steak, fish, lobster, chicken, great appetizers, separately-ordered side dishes, and wonderful desserts. Two always-orders for me is the lobster bisque. It may not be on the menu, but fear not, it’s almost always available, and it’s excellent. Some places top their bisque with tiny, minced pieces of lobster, but in this bisque you can find chunks of lobster. There can never be enough lobster in a lobster bisque, in my opinion, and there never is. The other always-get is the cheesecake. It’s delicious and pleasantly fluffy - not so dense that it’s hard to chew, and not too light like a meringue, but just right. I take mine with a dry cappuccino. One of our favorite appetizers is the calamari. Served firm but not rubbery, and well-flavored. Good wine selection, and the staff are also well-versed in wines, so ask for a recommendation/pairing. We took advantage of their wine tasting special with dinner, which included 7 different glasses of wine, 4 whites and 3 reds, and a flute of champagne/prosecco to kick things off. The wine selections are served over the course of the dinner, not all at once. For $45 per person, I thought it was well worth it. I’m not really a wine guy, so I imagine there could be intense discussion on the types/brands of wines served in that deal, but that could be part of your dinner conversation as well. I’ve never had a bad experience at the Capital Grille, they are the complete package in service, food, and wine, and I’m looking forward to...