The Capital Grille "Plates" Lunch Menu

The Food Baby Bottom Line:

• The Capital Grill “Plates” lunch menu is fantastic: App, main, and side for $18 – and you’re in and out in 45 minutes.
• Each round has a clear winner, but the runner-ups were also impressive.
• The mini tenderloin sandos haunt my dreams.

Capital Grill gets the Uptown Charlotte lunch crowd. The business-ey types want it quick and delicious, and The Capital Grille “Plates” menus is just that. It changes seasonally, and The Food Babies were graciously invited in to try the newly-updated Winter spread.


Capital Grille is a stately, sophisticated, classic prime steakhouse. I have amazing memories of celebrating there when my husband and I closed on our first condo uptown. I’ve also enjoyed birthday dinners there, and more than a few happy hours at the bar. Allow me to show you the sexy ambiance:

We were escorted to our table by the extremely polite and accommodating Managing Partner, Armin, who graced us with several thoughtful visits during our meal. Our server, Sherry, was super bubbly with an infection Southern charm.

Okay, on to the dank bites:

The Roasted Red Pepper Soup was somehow hearty without being heavy. You could really taste the vegetables, as opposed to being drowned in cream like so many other RRPS’s. The butternut squash and poblano relish was a perfect addition, adding sweetness and smoke in just the right measure.



Roasted red pepper soup with butternut squash relish, vidalia onions and poblano peppers



The salad was ALL about the dressing - it literally jumped in the mouth. Sherry informed us that this salad is fabulous with a scoop of lobster salad.

Field greens salad with champagne shallot dressing

The clam chowder was a classic, very respectable version – we both have a preference for lighter first courses, but I could see portly banker dudes making sweet love to it.

Clam chowda

Next up: The main courses.  

Mini-Tenderloin Sandwiches. LIFE-CHANGING. I mean it. Indulge me in some food porn:

Tenderloin medallions, cooked to perfection atop a brioche mini-bun, adorned with three types of sautéed mushrooms and house-made soft spreadable cheese in the style of something that rhymes with “schmoursin." (our lawyers advised us on that one) Seriously – my paltry words do not do these happiness-bombs a bit of justice. Clear winner – not just of this round, but of the day.

Wagyu Burger with a Fried Egg and Caramelized Onions:  Brianna and I gravitated toward this menu item – hard. We are both notorious egg sluts. A runny egg yolk could booty call me at 3:00 AM and I’d show (this has actually happened, I think). This burger rocked...the caramelized onions were heaven!

Wagyu burger with fried egg and caramelized onions on brioche

The lobster roll was a good version, but not as exciting as our two other red-meat lunch lovers.

Lobster roll

Onto the sides: roasted root vegetables, truffle fries, and french green beans. Brianna and I debated on the favorite, between the veggies and truffle fries - both were excellent. I think the veggies emerged as the winner - buttery and herb-y and cooked to perfection.

Veggies (tri-color carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, squash), truffle fries, and french green beans.

As if this were not enough food to satiate a Japanese hot dog eating contestant...we were surprised with an assortment of ah-mazing deserts. New years resolutions be damned, we indulged in all of them and were not disappointed. The fourless chocolate cake with raspberry and whipped cream was just insane, and the coconut cake was surprisingly perfect.

I can't think of a better way to spend $18 and 45 minutes - seriously. Take your clients here, take your parents here, take yourself here for the egg burger after a Thursday night "happy hour" that lasted until midnight. The Capital Grill just got it right with this one. If only I could stop fantasizing about those tenderloin sandwiches all day....

- Lauren