$90 steak? Coming to Meridian, huge chain restaurant is ‘expensive but worth it’
Getting bored paying under six bucks for an In-N-Out quarter-pounder at The Village at Meridian?
Pull up a chair for a $26 gourmet burger instead.
Armed with dry-aged meats and white-linen tablecloths, fine-dining chain The Capital Grille is coming to 3300 E. Longwing Lane. Planned as part of expansion underway at The Village, the elegant restaurant will be large, if not borderline huge — 9,236 square feet on a roughly half-acre pad, according to plans filed with the city.
The hope is to begin construction in spring and be open by holiday season, said Hugh Crawford, general manager of The Village.
With “African mahogany paneling and Art Deco chandeliers,” as its website declares, Capital Grille is an established upscale dining competitor. With dozens of locations nationwide, it is owned by Darden, which operates Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Yard House, Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden and other brands.
Browsing entrees at The Capital Grille’s closest location to Boise — in Salt Lake City — you’ll find everything from that fancy “signature” hamburger at lunch to hedonistic steaks and seafood at dinner.
“Expensive but worth it,” proclaimed a Google reviewer. The Capital Grille’s pricing shouldn’t raise the eyebrows of anyone familiar with upper-end steakhouses. For sticker-shocked Boiseans staggering out of their newer options downtown, it might even feel thrifty in some cases.
In the mood for filet mignon? The in-house butcher has you covered. Customers can dig into an 8-ounce classic cut for $40 at the Salt Lake City restaurant, according to its online menu.
But they also can drop $90 on the 8-ounce Snake River Farms Gold Wagyu version. (Hey, it does come with a crispy potato stuffed with Cabernet onion jam.) Or knife into a 22-ounce bone-in rib-eye for $77. Or a hefty 24-ounce dry-aged porterhouse for $90.
There are lots of seafood temptations, too. On the lower-cost end, seared citrus-glazed salmon with marcona almonds and brown butter might do the trick ($48). If you want to impress, consider the Grand Plateau ($130): jumbo lump crab, North Atlantic lobster, shrimp cocktail and oysters on the half shell.
The Capital Grille’s presence will add to a steady influx of steakhouses flowing into the Treasure Valley. In Boise over the past year, locally operated Hemlock and Corso Italian Steak have opened, along with regional chain El Gaucho. With The Capital Grille joining the party, Meridian residents will have one less reason to travel east on Interstate 84 for a special-occasion splurge.
Even with food prices trending skyward in the United States, a ravenous market for upscale dining appears to exist — and not just in Idaho’s capital city. The Capital Grille opened in Salt Lake City in 2022 and has racked up a Google rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
“From the moment we walked in,” wrote another reviewer, “The Capital Grille made it clear why it’s more than just a restaurant, it’s a full-on experience.”
From the perspective of a shopping and dining complex, isn’t that what The Village strives to offer? The Capital Grille should add an affluent arrow to its wide-ranging entertainment quiver.
Besides, there’s always In-N-Out-Burger. Grab a milkshake at the drive-thru for dessert.