The Capital Grille

"Eating a giant steak drenched in a pool of buttery jus at lunch may mean an afternoon of Tums, but if you get one from The Capital Grille, it’s worth it. The Center City steakhouse has wood fixtures, white tablecloths, and is an easy place to kill time until your clients have to catch a train at 30th Street Station. The best thing the old-school spot has is a rich dry-aged NY strip that you can get on their lunch menu for $37 (cheaper than the $55 at dinner). This atmosphere is the right amount of laid-back, while still being nice enough to feel like a stiff, work thing." - candis mclean

"The Capital Grille is as traditional as they come, and it’s always a good choice for a classic steakhouse experience. This Center City chain has been around since the ‘90s, so it feels like stepping into a time capsule (albeit a charming one). It’s covered in red carpet, busts of rams and eagles, and gold-framed oil paintings. It draws everyone from corporate types and couples celebrating their anniversaries to cargo-short wearing tourists and kids of all ages who occasionally run amok. Don’t get it twisted—you’re not here for an intimate, fine dining experience. You’re here for the steaks. photo credit: The Capital Grille photo credit: The Capital Grille photo credit: The Capital Grille Whatever you order—from the dry-aged NY strip and the bone-in ribeye to the Tomahawk veal chop with sage butter and crispy prosciutto—will be cooked perfectly, and served alongside generous, faultless sides (you can’t go wrong with the parmesan truffle fries or potatoes gratin). Steer clear of the overdressed salads and non-traditional starters, especially the soggy fried calamari. But the dishes that pop up in a top search result for “Steakhouse,” like the icy shellfish tower, creamy lobster bisque, and the enormous mound of cheesecake, are all standouts. Kona-Crusted NY Stripphoto credit: The Capital Grille Filetphoto credit: The Capital Grille Lobster Mac and Cheesephoto credit: The Capital Grille Cheesecakephoto credit: The Capital Grille You’ll never have an earth-shattering meal at The Capital Grille, but you’ll never have a bad meal here, either. It’s friendly, familiar, and works for (almost) any occasion—even if it’s just popping in for a dirty martini, another relic that they’ve perfected." - Alison B. Kessler