Fresh Connection

We love coming to Capital Grille when we come into town. We know we can count on consistency in having delicious food cooked to perfection. Thanks for making our anniversary special this week. We appreciate the extra touches. Extra Kudos to our server Paul!

Update: we’ve returned with our friends and were able to try its dry aging steaks. They were decent, but I believe other items were better. Even the filet sandwiches (steak sliders) were better. The oyster were very good, but the lamb chops remained our favorite. Only one dish that was below this eatery’s standard: the Caesar Salad Bites. The sauce was way too heavy and basically you couldn’t taste anything other than the extra-creamy sauce. That plate didn’t belong with other dishes that we’d ordered. The service was friendly and attentive (so many amazing servers at this place). The Greyhound Martini was a bit sweet, but very good still. We stopped by to check out its newly created happy hour (Capital Hours) menu before heading to see a show. Its dry aged NY strip was highly touted, unfortunately they sold out during the holiday season. Instead we had its lamb chops, garlic shrimps, fried risotto (arancini) and a carbless expression cake. The lamb chops were tiny, but very well prepared. The garlic shrimps were fresh and a bit different than your normal Oahu garlic shrimps, but better. Finally, I normally not a fan of risotto, but when deep fried and creamy garlic sauce added, I am now a fan of arancini. The peach bourbon was pretty good as well as its house Chardonnay. The carb-less cake was very sweet, but it ran out of our favorite-crème brûlée, so we settled for its espresso cake. Other may like it, but it was way too rich and heavy for me. The service was excellent and friendly. For happy hour menu, you have to be seated at the bar or the lounge area, which was bright and comfortable, and you get to people watch on the street outside while enjoying our drinks. No reservation was needed for the bar area, but it was full as soon as the door was opened. We’ve been to other Capital Grills before (in So Cal) and this one seemed to be better than I can remember.

Conveniently valet parked on side of building. Greeted by friendly hostess who quickly sat us at a nice table in front of the open kitchen. Atmosphere was busy and upbeat. Keola introduced himself, went through the specials and fulfilled all our suggestions and inquiries. Started off with cocktails, doli martini was excellent, took the edge right off. Next came the appetizers. Nueske bacon, generous portions was tender and moist. Calamari was lightly battered and fried perfectly. French onion soup was scrumptious. Porcini ribeye was cooked to medium rare, perfectly seasoned and very tender. All the sides were on point. Lobster mac was flavorful, truffle fries was crisp, mash potatoes was creamy and the Brussel sprouts was caramelized with nutty flavor. We were so full so we passed on dessert. Left at 9:20pm. Overall, a great experience. Everyone we encountered was friendly and professional. We will be back!

Located on the corner of Kuhio and Kanekapolei street. We walked over from our work place and dined here for happy hour. Know that they don’t take reservations for happy hour and that it’s only walk-in for the bar area only. It started off a little rocky, when you first walk into the establishment, there’s an interesting smell to the place, to which at first, smelled like a mix of onion and body odor. Not sure if it was from the woodsy elements of the wine lockers or the welcome mat but luckily it was only in the immediate doorway when walking in. We quickly got seated at a high-top near the bar, to which Mike was our server. There was a huge horse fly buzzing around on the window nearest us when we sat and we kindly asked for it to be taken care of, to which it didn’t quite happen. Though eventually the fly, flew elsewhere by the time our food was placed on the table, thank goodness. As for the food, the lamb was by far my favorite item on the happy hour menu. It was prepared well and didn’t have a gamey taste. The oysters were yummy, as well as the house bread. The sliders’ buns were a little too dry for my liking, but overall the food was good. When utilizing the restrooms, I realized there was a whole different dining section with booths and private rooms. I’ll definitely have to come back to try it once more, to see how their dinner menu pans out.

Had a fantastic experience at The the Capital Grille Waikiki last night. Our server Alan was wonderful. Great recommendations, awesome personality and attentive service. We started with the Oysters and lobster crab cakes. The Oyster were fresh and their house sauce was absolutely delicious while the lobster crab cakes were the best shellfish cakes I’ve ever had. We shared a 22oz ribeye on the bone with porcini crust. The steak was cooked perfectly and the flavors were even better than expected. For sides we went with the asparagus, mashed potatoes and asked for them to add truffle which leveled up from great to perfect, and the mushrooms. They gave a great wine selection and dessert was off the charts. Thanks Alan and Capital Grille. I’ll be back soon!