This Steakhouse Chain Has Ultra Tender Ribeye, According To Reviews

When you want to treat yourself to a really good steak, you can buy one and cook it at home, but more often than not, you probably go to a steakhouse, where it always seems to taste so much better. One of the most popular cuts is the ribeye, which is rich and luscious thanks to the abundant marbling that also makes the meat tender. While it's on the menu at most, if not all, steakhouse chains, one that we've rated as among the best in the U.S., The Capital Grille, has earned praise from customers for its incredibly tender and delicious ribeye.

Its signature steak, the porcini-rubbed bone-in ribeye with 15-year-aged balsamic vinegar, has gotten raves on Yelp and Tripadvisor, called, among other things, "incredible," "delectable," and "out of this world." Several reviews describe it as "melt in your mouth" tender, with one on Tripadvisor saying, "People talk about steak melting in your mouth, but I never actually experienced nor thought it could happen." Multiple people declared it the best steak they'd ever had, with one Yelper proclaiming that "before you die on this earth[,] you must try [it]."

The 22-ounce USDA Prime ribeye (which it also calls a Delmonico) is seasoned with Capital Grille's own porcini mushroom rub. One of its chefs shared at the 2020 Fort Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival that it's made from dried porcini powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and sugar (via YouTube). It's refrigerated for three to four hours after being coated with the rub, and then once cooked, the seared steak is finished with drizzles of the aged balsamic and extra virgin olive oil.

Unlike casual dining chain steakhouses such as Texas Roadhouse or Outback, The Capital Grille calls itself fine dining, and the prices reflect that. Although they vary across the country, a representative price for the celebrated signature steak is $79 at its restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island, the city where the first restaurant opened in 1990. It also asks patrons to dress appropriately, suggesting business casual or resort evening wear.

There are more than 70 Capital Grilles in 30 states and Washington, D.C., as well as one in Costa Rica and another in Mexico City. The chain was bought in 2007 by its current owner, Darden Restaurant Group, whose other properties include Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.

The Capital Grille is also known for its dry-aged steaks (which the porcini bone-in ribeye isn't), which are aged on site for 18 to 24 days, and include two of the best you can order from a chain steakhouse: its NY strip and porterhouse. A couple of its other popular items are the battered and pan-fried calamari with hot cherry peppers, its signature appetizer that's a traditional dish in its founding state of Rhode Island, and the lobster mac 'n' cheese, mixed with mascarpone, parmesan, and cream cheese, and covered with a crust of cheddar and Grana Padano. It also has a signature martini called The Doli, which is Wheatley brand American craft vodka infused with fresh Dole pineapple.