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Acorn Eatery & Bar
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Ballard
9041 Holman Rd NW
Seattle, WA 98117
(206) 297-0700
9041 Holman Rd NW
Seattle, WA 98117
(206) 297-0700
- Hours:
Mon-Thu. 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 4:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
19 reviews for Acorn Eatery & Bar
My husband and I went here for dinner last night. I had a simple salad w/ vinegarette and walnuts... basically a waldorf salad. It was Ok, but I have had better elsewhere.
My husband had the spicy italian sausage/pasta dish.. and he really, really enjoyed it. In fact, he happily brought home the left over sauce and I made him noodles and tossed that sauce in for lunch today. He liked it.
Currently, though, their liquor license is suspended by a snafoo in paper work, but that wasn't a deal breaker for us, as we don't drink much.
The prices were a bit extreme for our tastes, but we will probably return another time.
I've been meaning to update my review for quite some time now...Acorn, what happened? The last time we went, my husband and I both ordered pasta dishes, and they only had enough pasta for one of our meals. At an ITALIAN restaurant. The service plunged from excellent on our first trip to just plain bad.
We had also given the brunch a try when they first launched it -- not sure if they worked out the kinks by now, but my breakfast burrito was cold (literally) and lonely looking on its giant plate, and all around unimpressive.
I'm sad.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/20/2008
My husband and I tried out the Acorn for an impromptu dinner the other night. At first glance (and… Read more »
I had meant to come here for ages, and then last summer, a friend suggested we meet there. I was glad to have a chance to check it out, and I got the impression that our friend liked it, so I was looking forward to going.
I guess I got the wrong impression, or maybe our friend's taste in restaurants is just really different than mine, because I wasn't that impressed. I almost always give everything a second chance though, so we went back. I don't think there will be a third chance.
It wasn't the worst experience ever, but I agree with everyone else, the food is not that great, especially for what it costs. The food here might be "worth it" for half the price, but I'd honestly rather go somewhere else and spend more for better food.
The service also was lacking, as many others have noted. I seem to remember waiting a good long while for our food to arrive, and in fact, it wasn't very crowded in there, but it seemed like we were there for hours.
As I've noted before, I'm easy going and I like all kinds of places, including dive bars, but I was also not entirely thrilled by the company we had for dinner that night either.
I'm sure the really loud drunks at that other table were just having a good time, but they also destroyed any sort of ambiance that there may have been otherwise. I guess that's not the restaurant's fault, but then again, it actually is, as they could have asked them to stfu or leave. I've seen it happen in nicer places, and in divey bars, so why not here?
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The food is way overpriced for what it is. Spaghetti and Meatballs- $16, Chicken Marsala- $18!!!
It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great. Actually, I've had better at Olive Garden. Yeah, I know.
Also, it was very cold in there (albeit the middle of January) and the ambiance/ decor is very bad.
It all adds up to a rather unpleasant experience.
Do yourself a favor, don't spend your money here!!! My wife and I live in the Crown Hill neighborhood within walking distance of the Acorn and will never return under the current ownership / management due to lack of service and over priced, not very good food.
We've heard from our neighbors that the place is for sale, that's great news! Can't wait for someone who knows how to run a restaurant with a quality staff take over, hope they clean house and change the name, that's what it's going to take before us and a lot of our neighbors return. The Acorn has NEVER recovered from those two gals that quit and started the Kiss Cafe.
Boo. What a terrible experience.
My true rating is negative 5 stars. I can't even talk about the food, because no one ever brought us any. Or asked us if we wanted any. Or offered us drinks.
I saw our waitress outside smoking a cigarette, then watched her smoke another. Plenty of staff, not many customers. If we hadn't gotten up and left 20 minutes later, we may well have sat there all night while the staff tended to more important things.
Shame on you Acorn, I want my 20 minutes refunded.
p.s. I hated the metal fish sculpture.
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So, hate to add another negative review, but I really am disappointed in this place. It's so close to my home and I really wanted to love it. That said, after eating here numerous times, I definitely won't be going back. Come on already: where's the service? Who hired the waitresses here? Why do they seem so disinterested in their guests? Why is the food so expensive for what you get? After eating here several times, I'll not be going back.
I've grown to like this place- the stars are actually 3 1/2.
This place suffers from identity crisis- which I can relate.
Should we be upscale? Wait, we're on Holman. Should we serve a fancy appetizer plate? Wait, those olives are from a can. Should we have a fancy NW decor? Wait, the front half looks like a converted Shari's.
However, the staff is Uber friendly- especially the waitress/ bartender lady who's always there...there for me...thanks Acorn.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
3/27/2008
I'm not sure I would ever eat here- the food didn't look that great...someone at my table ordered an… Read more »
Great brunch on the weekends! French toast is delicious and the Bloody Mary's are spicy good. I have also had the Butternut Squash Soup, which is fantastic and their Smoked Salmon Salad is quite decent as well. I have eaten here a couple of times and my service is always pleasant and prompt. I think they are OK and I will return when I am hungry.
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'Eatery', I get. The 'Acorn' part is throwing me, and Ian, too it seems. But they have good food and it's really casual - I felt fine in my jeans n fleece and usually I hate to leave the house like that. My only real complaint is that it was a little spendy for what we got: caprese salad was five roma tomato/mozzarella/basil stacks, not really outstanding for $8.50. I liked the balsamico salad - deliciously dressed greens and a little goat cheese for (not bad for $5.50).
I had steamed clams and mussels as an entree, and they were good. The meatballs are like the size of oranges, my husband loved them. The garlic bread was $7 and not worth it, also I think we misunderstood the menu and had expected it to be $3 with our entrees, either that or the waitress screwed up. Our pours of wine were really small, too. That's about the fastest way to make me sad.
I'm going to give their happy hour a whirl soon and hopefully that will bring me up to 3 stars here!
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Went here tonight for dinner with my family. My bro and sister-in-law had been here pretty often in the past and were big fans.
Unfortunately, our meal was significantly less than stellar. We started off our meal with artichoke dip. It was OK.
After our dip, our server brought out warm bread with oil and vinegar. The bread was good, and warm bread always makes me happy.
I chose their prix fixe option ($19.95) with their balsamico salad (mixed baby green, a sliver of a roasted red pepper, goat cheese), butternut squash ravioli, and bread pudding.
The salad was good. The butternut squash was weird. Kinda bland. But it had roasted cloves of garlic. Yum. The bread pudding was delicious, but a small portion. I guess this is a good thing, though.
I also sampled my bro's chicken picatta. This was the best entree any of us got. Tangy and savory. My sister-in-law's Cajun chicken alfredo. She's had this in the past and loved it, but tonight's version was so bland that she had to ask for salt. How can *cajun* *alfredo* be bland?! I also sampled one of my dad's meatballs. Way too fennel-y. My mom got a veggie pizza, which I didn't try, but she liked it (although she said it didn't really taste like pizza... just roasted veggies).
The service was pleasant, though. Our server was new, but attentive without being overbearing.
My bro and his wife posited that either management had changed or maybe their weekend chef was substantially better than their weeknight chef (they'd previously only been there on weekends).
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The most frustrating part of the Acorn is that it could be an awesome neighborhood joint. What a wasted opportunity.
Mediocre food with a big price-tag. Terrible, awful, insulting service.
Wow, what a great dining experience. It felt like my wife and I were celebrating our anniversary, because the service was extraordinary and the food was mouth watering & gourmet quality.
I've often driven by this restaurant thinking it would be a nice place for lunch (after all it calls it's self an eatery), but they were only open for dinner. We didn't start off on the best foot, because they were running behind due to a party of sixteen that had just been seated. However, the staff was super attentive and constantly checking in with us to see if we needed drinks and bread to hold us over. Maybe it was the alcohol taking effect, but we were treated well considering the busy night.
My wife ordered a tender pork fillet that was in a creamy Mediterranean sauce of some sort. The chief, CJ, introduced himself to us later in the evening and explain that he has been trying some new culinary secrets on the menu items. Well please hang on to that recipe, it really hit the spot. I ordered the NY Strip steak, I know boring but I wanted red meat. GRrrrrrrr! The streak was cooked with a skilled hand, not cooked too fast and dry, but instead on a slow burn and perfectly flavored.
Here is a place you can have an affordable classy dinner and witty conversation you can hear over the rooms company . Don't miss the desert menu for the night cap or you'll be sorry. My wife gets credit for being great company and adding to a perfect night, sorry boys she's taken!
Overpriced. Not nearly as friendly as a neighborhood spot should be... and dammit they don't take the Entertainment Book coupon that they subscribed for!
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We had been eating at this place the last few years as it's in our neighborhood and WAS in the entertainment book but no more if things continue the way they're going.
While the server we get there tends to be really nice the prices at this place continue to rise. $7.50 for a kids pizza and $17.50 for an adult pizza and although they still have a coupon in the entertainment book they stopped accepting it.
This place could be a great value/local/family restaurant if they rethought their pricing structure but instead they are matching prices with fine downtown restaurants (or even more expensive). It's definitely not great atmosphere or gourmet or fine service. It doesn't seem like we're the only people that think this either as it's become increasingly vacant.
For their sake and for the sake of the neighborhood I hope they figure it out.
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I'll give this place 3 stars for convenience alone, since its within easy stumbling distance of where I live. Also, the bartenders are generally a friendly bunch. As some people have commented, the food is so-so. However, they do have a seafood fettuccine dish that I really like. I've had a few fun evenings in here having drinks and watching the Mariners.
Bottom line: good place for drinks and watching sports and maybe a bite to eat (if you're not too picky). Probably not a good place to bring a date that you really want to impress.
when the temperature drops and the air gets crisp and cold. the leaves begin to fall, coats come out of storage, and cheeks turn pink. Your destination should be the acorn eatery. its warm ambiance is paired with a thing of true beauty...the butternut squash soup. it will help you through the chill of winter.
I liked this place. The building has personality, the decor is nice. It is family friendly but also a place that you could go on a quiet dinner date. Their pizzas are hand tossed and are pretty gourmet. Drinks were good and came in cool looking glasses. The waitress we had the first time didn't quiet have a grasp on the whole customer service part of her job. However the next time around was better.
Acorn eatery... I think you may have an identity crisis. Acorns... I think squirrels, nuts, natural kind of food (multi grain pancakes for example... even though pancakes and I aren't really friends). So it's Mother's Day and this motherless girl and her sister and nephew needed some food before we hit the zoo to ensure no meltdowns would occur. Choice A was closed, so driving down the road we saw this place and thought... why not. The building itself is a bit kattywompus on the corner, and seeing a sign with Northern Italian cuisine, I wasn't sure what to expect. It took about five minutes of staring at the staff...(and my sister and I can give DIRTY looks) to get some help. Menus arrived... looked promising, however I did laugh at the notion that they were trying to boast a 24 dollar Mother's Day Brunch. I could go to Ray's for ten bucks more and eat like a queen... with a view. So the kid's menu, had no breakfast choices which was odd, so he got a side of French Toast. I got a Philly Steak scramble which was ok, but needed to salt it several times. My sister got a Mexican style one which she enjoyed. The food wasn't terrible, but I really wasn't wowed. The decor looks tired and I really wanted to see a squirrel.
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