The Capital Grille Steakhouse Has Secret Sides If You Know How To Ask

Steakhouses are typically all about the meat, but side dishes truly make a meal. Whether that means an ooey-gooey mac and cheese or crispy truffle fries, side dishes complete the meal. The Capital Grille, an American steakhouse chain with locations throughout the country, certainly knows this. In addition to the bevy of hearty steaks, the chain has 10 vegetable side dishes that'll help fill you up without overshadowing the meat. Potatoes are a classic steak pairing, and Capital Grille has a selection of four potato-centered sides, from parmesan truffle fries to au gratin layered potatoes.

However, that's not all — at some locations, there are secret side dishes not listed on the menu. At certain Texas locations, customers can ask for onion rings, while in some Wisconsin locations, customers can order white cheddar tater tots as a homage to the state's love of cheese. Capital Grille is far from the only steakhouse to offer off-menu side dishes. Outback Steakhouse has an entire secret menu, complete with two chili cheese potato side dishes. While a secret menu may seem like it's just for fun, restaurants serving exclusive, off-menu items, can actually help encourage customer loyalty by making diners feel special and "in the know."

Capital Grille will sometimes let its customers in on a little secret on the company's official Facebook page. One past December, the chain let customers know about its special holiday dish: A 30-ounce bone-in Tomahawk ribeye that had to be specially requested. Another one of the chain's steakhouse sides that is not a secret, but was announced via social media is the cauliflower gratin. At one point, the chain had experimented with roasted cauliflower, but in the end, the cheesy gratin made its triumphant return as the sole cauliflower dish.

Sometimes certain steakhouse menu items disappear altogether from the menus. Luckily, Capital Grille has several mainstays that have been around since the chain's opening in 1990. While not a secret, in years past, the chain has offered special Thanksgiving menus, complete with turkey, sides, and of course, dessert. The special menu was announced on the chain's social media and was only available on Thanksgiving day. When it comes to trying a secret or off-menu item, the best thing to do is ask. The worst thing they can say is no, and who knows? Maybe you'll be offered something even better.