Ruth Chris or Capitol Grille

[nurse wac]

New hound to the post! Celebration dinner being planned for hubby and I, wondering ,go with Ruths Chris, Pikesville (fav steak house) or try Capitol Grille? Thooughts?

[beachmouse]

So we got a totally random $50 gift card from Ruth's Chris in the mail today. (Husband's on someone weird mailing list where he gets free offers from chain restaurants every so often) We don't eat red meat, and we're not alcoholic beverages people either.

Any suggestions on non-beef menu options, and what are we talking price-wise? I'm trying to figure out if the GC is something we feel like we'd get value out if it if we used it.

[treb]

RC's usualy has some good seafood offerings and maybe one chicken thing. They also has lobsters. Last month they had a 5 lb. lobster dinner for 2 @ $100.

[smartie]

they have a garlic/cheese stuffed chicken at RC - that and their creamed spinach and I am in heaven along with blocked arteries.

[River19]

Around here (New England) I would say the CG is hands down better than RC. I despise the hot plate from RC………I order my steak medium rare, but the time I get to the second half of my steak it is medium to well due to all the additional heating going on from the “sizzle plate”. Butter on my steak just covers up the flavor of the steak. If I wanted to rush through a piece of beef I’d grab a burger and save my money.

CG around here does a great job, at least we have never been disappointed.

[starbucksbrew]

Ruths Chris is my favorite steak place, hands down. I personally love the butter on my steak, but you can ask them to leave it off. They also have the best calamari I've ever had, drizzled with a sweet chili sauce. To die for.

[oldbaycupcake]

Capitol Grille over Ruth's Chris any day imo. Best CG in the area is the one in DC near the Verizon Center but Inner Harbor is still better than the local RCs. If you want to get away from the chains, I would recommend Lewnes in Annapolis.

[Alfred G]

Sorry to disagree with the majority but I would choose RC over CG simply because they serve Prime beef and CG does not. Just tell them to hold the butter.

[cstr]

Not so fast, you really need to consider that CG dry ages their beef, creating a more flavorful and tender steak.

[jes]

I'd say either go to Flemings in Harbor East or the Prime Rib on N. Calvert St.

[ipsedixit]

Capitol Grille ... simply because I cannot stand butter on my beef.

[treb]

Capital Grille dry ages their steaks giving them a more intense beef flavor and also making the meat very tender. I also like Capital Grille's sides better than RC's. Although it's a chain, as is Ruths Chris, that doesn't mean they sell bad steaks. Del Frisco's, for example, serves a great steaks and is also owned by the same co. that owns Longhorn's which serves low end steaks, it doesn't mean that Del Frisco's sell the same as Longhorn as others would imply.

Ruth's Chris serves a good steak on a scorching plate, I usually tell them to hold the butter.

[steakman55]

Sorry to pick a t-bone with you, Treb, but a couple of clarifications:
Cap Grille does dry age some of their steaks, but you should be aware that they are Choice and not USDA Prime. That being said, I would always perfer Cap Grille over Ruth's Chris.
And while I, too, admire Del Frisco, they are owned by Lone Star, not Longhorn.

[cstr]

I think CG is better because of the DA steaks.

[treb]

You're not picking on me, I didn't state that CG serves prime but thanks for jogging my memory about Lone Star, I must have had Texas on my mind, guess were one-for-one!

[swsidejim]

both are pretty bad, do you not have any non-chain steakhouse options in your area?

Capitol Grill - a Darden retaurant, the same folks who have provided the general public with such fine dining establishments as Red Lobster, & Olive Garden

Ruths Chris - probably the better of the two, but not very good, I am not a fan of the sizzling platter, and the steak being drowned in butter.

good luck with your choice.

[orlwine]

Capital Grill wasn't created by Darden, it was bought by them.

[swsidejim]

not a big difference in my book, Capitol Grill is under the Darden umbrella, as is Red Lobster, and Olive Garden. I guess Applebees or Chili's wasnt for sale, or they would really have something. ;-)

[mddletown]

I will stress to the original poster that The Capital Grille is much better than Joe's Steak and Stone Crab in Chicago which seems to be your top pick. Maybe the CG Chicago location isn't up to par...I have not been to that one. I have been to Joe's in Chicago and Vegas though and they are average at best. I thought that as a former "cook" you had better taste in steaks bro.

[swsidejim]

I actually prefer David Burke's and Saloon Steakhouse to Joes when choosing just for steak in Chicago, however when stone crab claws are in season Joe's gets the nod.... "bro".
.. I think I last used that term when I was about 20. ;-)

[mddletown]

Lol ok ok. And I apologize that you are old :)

[swsidejim]

38 is hardly old.., its just comes up fast.. :-)

[meb903]

definitely capital grille - avoid ruth chris!

[animal57]

I don't know which Ruth's Chris you frequent, if any at all, but the one in Boston had the very best steak I have ever had. I should add that I have dined in some of the very best restaurants in the world including many 5 diamond / 5 star and Ruth's Chris's steak tops them all.