The High-End Seafood Chain That's More Expensive Than Eddie V's Or The Capital Grille

When it comes to high-end restaurant chains, there are a lot of names that come to mind. Places like The Capital Grille and Eddie V's stir up images of massive portions of steak and seafood, white table cloths, and hefty price tags. However, there's a smart seafood chain that has managed to rack up a higher approximate cost per diner: Truluck's. With 12 locations around the United States, Truluck's may not be at the top of list when it comes to name recognition, but it's certainly one to keep an eye on when it comes to splurge-worthy seafood chains.

To get to the approximate cost per person, we looked at the prices of seven similar popular items that would create a complete meal across the menus of Truluck's, The Capital Grille, and Eddie V's, and all from the same city (Houston, Texas). These items were a raw shellfish platter, an appetizer, a soup, a meat course, a fish course, a side dish, and a dessert. We then added up the cost for each meal and split it between two people as we love a shareable meal.

Using this formula, we determined that the approximate cost of a meal per person at Eddie V's is $129 per person, The Capital Grille is $141 per person, and Truluck's comes in at $150 per person. We didn't include alcohol, so if you're adding a glass of wine or a cocktail to your meal at any of these places, the per person cost will increase by a fair amount depending on your tipple.

The approximate cost per meal is one data point to consider, but it's not the only point. We took a deeper look into specific item prices to compare Truluck's, The Capital Grille, and Eddie V's. Let's dive in.

Starting with chilled seafood, a jumbo shrimp cocktail at Eddie V's is $20, while at The Capital Grille you'll pay $22. At Truluck's, however, a jumbo shrimp cocktail sets you back $25. Each restaurant has a crab cake starter, with Eddie V's and The Capital Grille actually charging more than Truluck's, at $28, while Truluck's is 2 dollars less. The lobster bisque at Truluck's costs $19 against Eddie V's and The Capital Grille's $17. Then there's the wedge salad, a beloved steak and seafood house starter: Eddie V's and The Capital Grille charge $14 and $15 respectively, while Truluck's wedge is slightly more at $16. Eddie V's and The Capital Grille charge more for ribeye steaks at $74 and $79, but mostly because they serve 22-ounce bone-in ribeye steaks versus Truluck's $69 16-ounce bone-in ribeye.

When it comes to seafood, Truluck's salmon costs the most, but it charges less than the other two for seared tuna, sea bass, and scallops. As for a decadent mac and cheese side, Truluck's charges $29 for crab mac and cheese, whereas The Capital Grille's is $26. Eddie V's is the best bargain, at $16 for a side of its truffle mac. In the dessert department, a crème brûlée at Eddie V's and The Capital Grille costs $13, while Truluck's is $14. Overall there isn't a huge difference between the three, but you're likely to pay at least a few dollars more at Truluck's.