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601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
(202) 737-6200
Hours of Operation and Prices
Lunch: M-F 11:30-3; Entrees: $9-$20
Dinner: Sun-Th 5-10, F-Sat 5-11; Entrees: $16-$29
Other Information
• All major credit cards
• Reservations recommended
• Dress: Jacket & tie
• Nearest Metro: Archives-Navy Memorial
• Complimentary valet parking at dinner
• Handicapped accessible
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The Capital Grille, the third branch of a Providence, R.I.-based chain, shows its dry-aged steaks not only in the raw but in the throes of molding - part of the aging process. The aging room is in full view of the street. From a distance the rows of uncut porterhouses look richly abundant. But look too closely and you'll probably order fish. Inside, the dining room has clubby dark wood and money-green window shades, hunters' prize heads on the walls and big tables set with steak knives. This is a he-man environment.
If you can overcome your introduction at the aging room window, the overriding reason for dining at the Capital Grille is the steaks -sirloin and porterhouse. Don't look for butter-tender steaks. These have some bite and a full meaty flavor. The portions are gigantic - baked potatoes a pound each, mashed potatoes family size, and cottage fries portioned for a tableful, then piled with french-fried onions.
Light eaters will zero in on the seafood: swordfish and salmon, grilled just past rare, or large grilled shrimp on linguine. Lobsters can be steamed or broiled and generally come in giant sizes. All the seafood looks impressive, whether inch-thick fish steaks (even two inches on occasion) or the monster-sized shrimp and lobsters. And they are cooked so gently that undercooking is a far greater likelihood than overcooking. But none of the seafood has much taste; it's just nice, bland stuff. And the pasta under the shrimp is limp and soggy.
Wisdom might dictate that you start a meat-heavy meal with a salad, and there is a properly zesty Caesar. Even so, passion might direct you to the fine smoked salmon, greaseless pan-fried calamari with hot pickled peppers or baked Oysters Capital Grille, which are such spicy, grassy-spinach-topped oysters as oysters Rockefeller might aspire to be. Should you find room for dessert, you can top off your fatty escapade with - what else? - creme brulee.
© Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company
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