The Capital Grille — Restaurant in Lyndhurst

First off, it’s important to note that my wife and I have ate at Capital Grille dozens of times (probably over 30) in the past 5 years. We had our first date here, have come back many times on our own, and entertained friends and family here. We’re on a first name basis with many of the staff. Normally the food and the service are excellent. However, what we experienced on 9/20 was a disaster and there was no excuse for it. It wasn’t one or two honest mistakes; it was conscious decisions made by management that led to this review.

We had a party of 5 to celebrate some family birthdays. Everything started off fine and was great through the appetizers. After all five of us ordered our entrees, our waiter came back to double check my order. Totally fine and I’ve always said that I’d rather they ask than get my order wrong. When our food comes out, they had my uncle’s order wrong. He was too polite to send it back and said he was happy with it. Three of us including him ordered the 10oz filet and they brought him out some type of sliced steak with mushrooms. As soon as I cut into my steak, I realized it was near bloody rare. MAYBE leaning towards medium-rare at best. I always order medium-well knowing that it will usually come out closer to medium which is fine. As soon as our waiter saw my steak cut in half he said “oh, that’s REALLY red.” He took it back. At least 20 minutes passed and I still didn’t have my steak back. Meanwhile, I never got the second cocktail I ordered when we ordered our entrees, my wife sat with a completely empty beverage and water glass, and everyone else finished their meals. The Executive Chef brings back my steak and puts it in front of me. IT’S THE SAME PIECE OF MEAT THAT I HAD CUT IN HALF AND THEY THREW BACK ON THE GRILL. The one end was completely dried up and the entire steak had lost its juiciness. With a bit of an attitude, the chef agrees to cook me a fresh steak. Keep in mind, everyone else at the table is already done eating. Our waiter is nowhere to be found so my wife gets up, walks over to the waiter station, and grabs a pitcher of water for our table. Finally, my second cocktail comes out about the same time as I get my replacement steak roughly a half hour or more after everyone else got their entrees. A manager (who we didn’t recognize and wasn’t one of the regulars) came over to check in and somewhat apologize. It didn’t come off a genuine and he kind of seemed like he didn’t want to be bothered. The service we received this past weekend was what I’d expect from Applebee's or Outback. NOT when you’re paying hundreds of dollars for a group of five and over $50 for each a la carte steak. Undercooking a steak and mixing up an order is an honest mistake. Throwing someone’s steak back on the grill, management having an attitude about it, and letting multiple people sit with no drinks or empty glasses for their entire meal were poorly...

My family dined at Capital Grille for my brother’s birthday and upon reflection, there was much left to be desired. The fine dining experience, post pandemic, has lost its luster at this location and outside of our kind and diligent server, Lisa, there were several disappointing moments during our experience.

I am a strong proponent of setting a standard and consistently executing it. This location once was a popular haunt for me and a client so I was deeply devastated with the lack of hospitality, polish, and professionalism from the staff this visit. There were 6 of us dining and when my Mother’s appetizer arrived she expressed a desire to share it with the entire table. Not only did the server (not Lisa) refuse to speak to us, she used her hands to rudely motion at 2 plates, at the end of the table, before coldly walking away—she never greeted us, verbally replied, or offered additional plates for the entirety of the table.

We were provided with incorrect drinking glasses and dish-ware throughout our entire meal—the details matter and this wasn’t lost on me. I was also deeply dissatisfied with several selections I requested for my meal. After sending back a dish the chef agreed was “too rubbery”, I opted to simply take the remnants of my tasteless meal home, to throw it away there. My sister’s salmon was additionally dry and overcooked; Lisa was wonderfully attuned enough to catch wind of our private conversations and rectified the matter by removing the dish from the bill. My husband’s steak was the one delicious delight! Lisa’s recommendation was phenomenal and I resolved to eating a few bites of his meal.

Overall, my biggest portion of feedback is around quality of service—taking responsibility for creating an outstanding level of presentation, hospitality, food and dining excellence. When I searched for this location to leave a review on Google, I was startled to find one of its listed specifications is “fine dining”. With the upmost sincerity, I need the corporate team to know that absolutely nothing was refined about the quality of food and the varying levels of poise in your serving staff at this location. Coaching and training supports realignment on foundational expectations of presentation. I genuinely feel the Lyndhurst team would benefit from a...

My niece wanted to celebrate her birthday at The Capital Grille located in Lyndhurst, OH. There were five guest. We arrived about 15 minutes before our 5 o'clock reservation. The hostess was very nice and immediately seated us. The wait staff was professional and pleasant as well. The ambiance of the restaurant is very nice, calm, and inviting. The restaurant was clean and the tables were dressed well! Our dinner consisted of: One person ordered the Crock of Caramelized French Crock ($12), (For the Table) Parmesan Truffle Fries ($11), Roasted Chicken Breast with Mushrooms and Parmesan Risotto ($35)

Two people ordered the Sliced Filet Mignon with Cipollini Onions, Wild Mushrooms and Fig Essence, both medium well. ($54 each) Another person ordered, (For the Table) Roasted Wild Mushrooms ($12), Bone-In Lina Crusted Dry Aged NY Strip with Shallot Butter, medium rare. ($57) Another ordered the Seared Salmon with Heirloom Tomatoes, White Wine Butter and Lemon Basil Mosto ($41). Three people ordered cocktails, the others had lemonade and a Shirley Temple. The service was slow, even though the restaurant wasn't terribly busy. When the food did arrive, the plates nor the food weren't hot; everyone said their food was just warm. The person that ordered the medium well sliced filet mignon stated it lacked seasoning and it was well, well done. It was very dry. I tried it for myself and it was just as they said. The Bone-In Lina Crusted Dry Aged NY Strip with Shallot Butter, medium rare was excellent but was just warm according to the person. They enjoyed the taste, texture and flavor. The seared salmon was ok. The Onion Soup was great! I truly enjoyed the soup. I would order it for take out! My chicken was juicy, seasoned well and large. Again, the food was just warm. The truffle fries and the roasted wild mushrooms were good. To end the meal, they presented my niece with a bitesize serving of Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake & The Capital Grille Cheesecake with fresh berries. On the plate were the words, “Happy Birthday” along with a candle They also gave my niece a handwritten card with the same sentiments.

While it was nice, I won't be back. The menu, for me, didn't have a wide selection to choose from. I didn't mind it being à la carte, I just wish they...