The Capital Grille — Restaurant in Town of Hempstead

We went here to celebrate my niece's birthday. She had been here before. It was my first time dining here and most likely the last. When I called to make the reservation, the woman who answered the phone was very quick to stress that there was a strictly enforced dress code because it is a fine dining establishment. I didn't have a problem with that and thanked her for help with the reservation. We arrived a few minutes late but called to let them know ahead of time. When we got there, there was no parking and there was a long line for valet. It was also 11 degrees outside.

When we finally got inside the restaurant, the hostesses greeted us but one in particular seemed annoyed, which I just shrugged off because who knows what her day was like. We were seated at a table in between two other tables, towards the very front of the restaurant which also is in front of the bar. To our left was a table of women that were completely inebriated. To our right were four girls in jeans dancing around. Their mother who was on a video call with her boyfriend completely oblivious to everything going on. I was flabbergasted and could not believe this was a fine dining establishment. If the entrees were not $50 a pop, I might have been more tolerant but alas, this was not your local Applebees. So, I decided to give it a shot and ask the hostess if they could move us. I asked nicely and she said that because we were not on time, she would not. So, I said to her, are we being punished for something we had no control of?? We did call as soon as we knew we would not be on time. She was firm. The answer was no. I decided that this was not going to work and we needed to leave. Just as I returned to my table, the manager walked by and asked me if everything was ok. I told her what happened and she told me she would move us. A few minutes later, we were moved to the front of the restaurant. As I walked through, I noticed that many people were dressed in tee shirts and jeans. So, why exactly did they bust my chops about enforcing their dress code? Did the other patrons get the same warning? Who knows!

So, we ordered dinner. They brought out a bread basket that consisted of 3 whopping pieces of brown bread with raisins. It was actually fairly good. There was also a large matzo type cracker in the basket which no one ate. They didn't bring out anymore because they said they ran out even though we could see them bringing more to other tables.

I ordered the clam chowder. It was ok but had a lot of potatoes and no sign of clams. It wasn't bad but nothing worth ordering again. For the main entree, we all ordered filet mignon. It was not bad but not the best I have had. It was mediocre, at best. Part of it was well seasoned by the other half of it for some reason had a gamey taste. We also ordered for the table, creamed spinach and mashed potatoes. The creamed spinach had a lot of garlic in it. I didn't mind but if you don't process garlic well, this is not a good choice. The mashed potatoes were over mixed to the point where they were glutonous. I didn't care for them at all.

For dessert, the waiter brought out two mini cakes, one was the flourless torte and the other a mini creme brulee with the words happy birthday spelled out in chocolate. They also left a card at the table when we got the with a cute birthday wish that was hand signed. I thought that was nice. Bottom line, for the prices they charge, it was not worth it. This place is basically an overpriced Applebees. I will not come here again. I also didn't appreciate the snotty hostess's attitude. I did appreciate the excellent waiter we had who was tipped handsomely. The manager was a doll, too. She really deserves a raise! I gave this place a 3 star review because of the disappointment in service from the snotty hostess, the spiel about the dress code which evidently is not adhered to and lastly because they are overpriced for...

My fiancé and I went to The Capital Grille restaurant in Garden City on Long Island for her birthday dinner. She didn't want to travel to Manhattan, which we usually do to enjoy top-tier steakhouses, Michelin-starred restaurants, or hidden gems. We noticed that this restaurant was top-rated and recommended. I made a reservation, which was easy to do online. When I arrived, parking was tough, especially on busy nights and weekends, but they offer valet parking for about $8. I got lucky and found a parking spot nearby without valet. When we entered the establishment, we were greeted by a host who asked if we had reservations. They then took us to our table, which was a lovely booth. It took about seven minutes for our waiter, Demaxia, to come by after we were seated with menus. In the meantime, a gentleman came to our table and asked if we wanted house water or bottled water. We opted for the house water. Our server, Demaxia, came by and greeted us with a warm welcome. She was amazing, attentive, polite, and honest. We ordered a Caesar salad, a passionfruit mojito, and a virgin strawberry margarita to start. Those came out in a timely fashion. The salad was, honestly, the worst salad I've had at a restaurant. It was dry with no dressing, and the greens were wet and soggy. However, the Parmesan cheese was there. We couldn't enjoy the salad. The drinks were good, and we both enjoyed them. When we wanted to take a sip of the house water, we noticed a funny smell coming from either the cup or the water itself. At this point, we were not happy with the experience, as this was supposed to be a birthday dinner at a top-rated restaurant on Long Island. Demaxia came by and asked if everything was okay and if we were enjoying everything. We were honest and complained about the water and salad. We ordered our main courses, which included the chef-recommended bone-in Kona medium rare, miso butter seabass, mac and cheese without lobster, creamed spinach, and Sam's mashed potatoes. We also ordered a glass of Routestock Cab wine, which I was able to sample and try. Demaxia put the order into the kitchen and then came back and said the salad was comped off our bill. She also brought a new cup of ice water and two straws. Within four to five minutes, our food came to the table with gorgeous plating. The bone-in Kona paired perfectly with the Routestock wine. My fiancé said the seabass was good. During our time dining, Manager Richard came over and asked how our dinner was going and if we had any complaints. I was honest with him and let him know that the steak, seabass, drinks, and sides were phenomenal and the best steak I've had at a restaurant in NYC for the past year. The bone-in Kona is to die for. The mac and cheese was mediocre, but each restaurant has its own style, flavor, and texture when it comes to mac and cheese. Demaxia welcomed my fiancé with a dessert on the house for her birthday. We enjoyed our stay, minus the earlier hiccups. I would recommend this place to everyone and also recommend getting...

Not at all a pleasant experience. We made a reservation for Saturday evening, as we frequented this place for about 2 years now. So, it wasn't our 1st time, but it will be our final. As we entered the establishment, we were ignored or unnoticed by the tall Asian manager. He addressed another guest who was not ready to be assisted, and still my husband & I were just standing in front of the hosts station- unnoticed for a considerable time. Was that the color of our skin - he didn't like? I could not help but to feel this way. In comparison, the other guest that received quick attention was of a different race. Finally, the tall manager has addressed our presence. Just the way he asked if we had a reservation, and the name- just wasn't sounding friendly or even polite. We followed him inside, however. We requested a booth in a corner, good enough for 3. Instead, he brought us to the table , not booth. And, it had 2 chairs by it. We understand about social distancing & having a limited number of booths, but why 2 stools & not 3? The Asian manager very coldly replied that my service animal may not be sitting on the stool, even though he is in his bag and would remain in it. We were very dissapointed with the entire short experience and headed for the exit. We will never return to this place. We were there many times prior with my service animal in his bag. We were always welcomed and the staff adored my well- behaved pomaranian. Looking back, our Saturday night experience went south right from the start. In these trying times, such an unwelcoming disregard for a customer- is not acceptable. We felt invisible, like we did not really matter. My advice to the potential customers of the Capital Grille- take your business elsewhere. They don't value customers, not even repeat ones. The managers make up new rules as they wish. If you want to be respected- do not go there! I know,...