Capital Idea

Despite a touch of pretension here and there (one night the maitre d'hotel remarked to me, "You know, this place isn't for everyone. There are lots of people who cannot afford to eat here. Besides, they wouldn't feel comfortable here, and neither would we." As he said this, I wondered, is he perhaps referring to me?), service is an important part of the overall experience at Capital Grille, and it's apparently more than just a marketing gimmick. They really do practice what they preach. For the first time in my restaurant experience, at the end of the meal our server gave us his business card and suggested that, if we liked his service, we ask for him by name next time. And at the conclusion of one meal, I asked a busboy to box up some remaining cheesecake, which was simply too good to waste. After we had waited a few minutes, our waiter came over to see if there was anything else he could help us with. Granted, his attention wasn't purely altruistic; we had long since paid and the crowd in the lobby was anxiously eyeing our table. But once I explained the situation to him, he went off to see what was causing the delay. He returned moments later to explain that the busboy had misunderstood my request and had thrown my leftovers away. On the waiter's lips was an apology; in his hands was a fresh whole slice of the cake, boxed and ready to go. It's this kind of commitment to quality service that will almost definitely ensure my return -- if the maitre d'hotel will have me.

Capital Grille, 5365 Westheimer, 623-4600.

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The Capital Grille

5365 Westheimer
Houston, TX 77056

Category: Restaurant > Seafood

Region: Galleria

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Capital Grille: crab and lobster cakes, $12.95; French onion soup, $4.50; dry-aged sirloin (14 oz.), $21.95; Delmonico steak (20 oz.), $21.95; veal chop, $26.95; creamed spinach, $4.25; roasted mushrooms, $8.95; cottage fries and onion strings, $4.50; Sam's mashed potatoes, $4.25; key lime pie, $5.25; white chocolate mousse, $5.25; cheesecake, $5.50.