On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Loading...
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Happy hour is from four to six with four dollar appetizers.
I'll start out with the music - which was perfect, both for volume and genre. Bennett's has figured out the right balance on how loud to have the music so you can hear and enjoy it, but not so loud it drowns out your talk. Music was a mellow electronica.
I really like the look of the restaurant's design. It's modern, but more Northwesty, with forest-like colors.
I like the huge painted mural on one wall. In the center of the mural is a snow-covered volcano. Maybe it's the painter's style, but I couldn't liken this volcano to any I mountain I know (it's not Hood and it's not Rainier). Beneath the volcano in the mural is a lake or river with boats. Near the water is a wheat field, a barn and a couple of American Gothic-type farmers with blanked-out faces. On other walls are advertisement labels for fruit packers. I loved the landscape painting on the wall outside the restrooms. I want to steal it.
Finally, I really liked the black snakeskin frame for the mirror in the "M" room. The tables also had the snakeskin pattern. Looks good! Above the full bar is a T.V. that rules silently.
Oh, the food you ask? Bennett's heart and soul seems to be local produce and ingredients.
I hadn't thought about ordering off the happy hour menu when I arrived tonight, but since it was available I took advantage. I ordered a "Seasonal Salad" and "Bennett's Slider."
My seasonal salad was the best part of the night. On a good lettuce came a very nice vinagarette with a pleasing garlic punch. It came with a generous helping of toasted pine nuts. And I loved the two tiny crostini that came with the salad. Each crostini was topped with a smudge of goat cheese blended with oregano. That is an excellent flavor combination!
Now, on to the Bennett Slider. The menu reads "house burger with spicy chipotle slaw." Generally, I think of a burger as beef. I'm about 70% sure my two beef sliders were pork. So maybe they were beef, but it didn't seem so. One of my sliders was too salty, the other okay. They were spiced like sausage. I did like its spice, which was chili-like and fairly hot. So the sliders were rather okay, but not great.
Service was very good.
This wouldn't be a Jens J. review unless I mentioned it...the spicy Chipotle slaw that came with the Bennett Slider was loaded with cilantro.
Had a very tasty brunch here today. If you're not already aware, Bennett's subscribes to a natural food philosophy. Their menu and website state that their food doesn't have additives and preservatives. Same goes for beverages--no diet sodas here, but they do have an extensive wine list. It was mildly amusing to listen to our waiter tell another party that no, they don't serve Diet Cokes in keeping with their "pure food" mindset.
Various parties in our group ordered the French toast, Eggs Bennett (fun variation on Eggs Benedict) with a crab cake, the NW Scramble, and the turkey burger. Bites of each dish were shared.
-French toast was divine. Not too sweet, a thick hearty slice of bread, and served with sliced strawberries on top.
-Eggs Bennett, also very tasty. I wasn't a big fan of the potato latkes that it came with, and also didn't like the fact that they were barely lukewarm. A piping hot English muffin or toast would have been better. Crab cake was hearty, tasted fresh, not overly greasy, and not completely covered in breading.
-NW Scramble, 4 out of 5 stars. Good mix of flavors.
-Turkey burger had a great balance of flavors (I believe the menu stated it was a mix of turkey and chicken sausage) and I thought it was really good. The person who ordered it, in typical fashion for her, couldn't resist pointing out that she was upset that it didn't come with tomatoes, pickles, onions, etc.
Convenient parking, great location, and attentive service that wasn't obtrusive. A solid 4 stars.
Great food from fresh, Northwest ingredients - all with no preservatives. Inspired menu that changes with the seasons, from the same crew that own Pasta & Co., Beecher's Handmade Cheese, and Maximus/Minimus. Tomato soup is the best around. Superb wine list. Lively atmosphere. Best restaurant on Mercer Island. Period.
We go to Bennett's once every couple months (my folks live on the island) and we've always enjoyed it. I absolutely LOVE the salmon poke - yum!! And the iceburg/crab curry salad is another favorite. Our service has always been good. I like that they are always trying new wines and come around before you order to let you try a little taste. Their wine prices started out good, then for awhile were ridiculous, but I guess they had so many complaints they've since lowered them to a more reasonable level. They have a pretty good selection of Washington red wines - they need to add more Chardonnay. My only complaint is some of the hostesses and/or servers wear perfume - that should not be allowed in a restaurant in my opinion.
I decided to use a free Southwest ticket to hop from Oakland into Seattle to visit a kindred spirited friend : my first boxing partner, spiritual and intellectual girlfriend and romantic peer, the lovely Z, who has settled in Mercer Island with her beautiful boys - her husband and Wonderboy prince my little love - Sebastian (with an IQ of 144 at age 4.5 yrs).
Sebastian and mommy picked up Auntie A in SeaTac and we drove back to Mercer Island to settle. For brunch we decided to enjoy a cozy noontime hour at Bennett's. It was amazing. My lovely Z and I enjoyed the crab benedict while our little prince indulged in a full plate of scrambled eggs with bacon and hash browns. Our young and beautiful waitress served us with love and compassion as she enjoyed the flirtatious winks of our little Sebastian. The place was not too crowded as we opted to brunch early in order to enjoy a few hours of hiking through the Mercer forestry.
This place is very hip, modern, minimalist and quite cosmopolitan, given that it is situated in the shopping-mall area of Mercer Island.
The experience, great tasting organic-based food, and ambiance was a welcoming treat for me.
Less one star as my kindred sister's dish lacked the same abundance of crab as in mine.
Overall, it was the best of times.
Bennett's is great because:
*The food they serve really is very, very good. And fresh.
*Servers are friendly and attentive.
Bennett's is not-so-great because:
*It's a bit on the expensive side.
*They took away the lunch menu, which happened to have the most delicious caprese sandwich I'd ever eaten.
*It's sort of snobby. Not food-snobby, really. Just real-housewives-of-orange-county snobby.
*Oh, and their iceburg salad is deconstructed and impossible to eat.
Expensive, sometimes delicious food which seems to have declined in quality the last six months or so. I live right next to this restaurant, so I have been here many times. The service is spotty at best, if you don't look rich and/or are ordering lots of wine I think they wish you were dead. But what do you expect for a restaurant that mostly caters to 50-something Island residents with too much money?
The dishes I have had myself have always been really good, I like their tender bbq pork and the salmon or halibut are usually high quality and cooked properly. The biggest letdowns are their side dishes, their "world famous" mac and cheese is most definitely not and they usually have some mediocre potato as the other choice. They are owned by Beecher's cheese so I think they are forced into making these side dishes, even though they suck, as the company sells frozen versions of them.
Now for the really bad, my wife has twice received severely undercooked food. Once was a pork chop which was half totally raw and half medium-well, like it was not fully on the heat. The other was shrimp in pasta, so basically the two worst meats possible to undercook. The service at those times seemed to be unapologetic, her shrimp were literally uncooked (still translucent and grey/cold), like they threw them in raw and sent out the plate, and the waiter seemed to be exasperated we were sending it back and wanted a refund. Needless to say, we do not go here anymore, as its obvious the kitchen has no quality control.
I was torn and still gave it three stars because when it was good, it was really good. We have had a lot of really solid meals here, just not recently unfortunately. I might go back and try again, hopefully they have improved their kitchen processes by now.
Tomato soup was fantastic (5 stars!). Vege pasta was okay (3.5 stars). Service was average and sometimes lacking. They were busy, I'll give them that - but here are my issues:
1) When you say you are going to refill the pitcher - do it. Don't wait 10 minutes.
2) When you say you are going to get us silverware after giving us our meal, don't wait 10 minutes and get other people's drinks before giving us a fork and a knive to eat our meal. Yes, our meal was getting cold and it was luke warm thanks to your tardiness.
Other than that, the soup is reason enough to come back.
This place is not the same anymore. Sad.....
I used to dine here often when they first opened. I though it was a great concept, and food tasted good.....
I went back there this week, after not being there for a long time, and now I really don't think I would make myself to go back.
The host stand was empty, we stood there and no one came by.
(servers were running around, and one of them ended up seating us after us stepping into the restaurant thinking we had to seat ourselves)
The juice tasted off. We needed to ask for our scones after neighboring tables got their second baskets (which came cold), the smoke salmon was cooked though and very salty.
Server never came back to check on the table after dropping off the food, though he was walking by our table MANY times.
He walked right by our table with coffee while our table had almost empty cups, didn't even notice.
OK food+ bad service. They charge pretty good $$$ . Not worth it. Sadly dissapointed.
The food is good, but expensive. The service was terrible.
Kids need not apply.
Had family in town and wanted to take them to Bennett's. Five adults and a baby. I'll admit its the first time I've tried to take a baby to Bennetts but the icy cold way the hostess said we don't have high chairs said 'Get the F*** Out of here'. Had a great dinner in Seattle instead.
I've enjoyed a couple of meals at Bennetts, so the one star is not based on food quality but the shitty attitude toward family diners. Too many good restaurants accommodate families (with kids) to spend any more money here. See ya in a thousand years Bennett's.
Well, i don't know what to say they make the "worlds best mac and cheese" and the best top notch burgers. The service is nice but a tad slow around dinner time, but perfectly pleasant for lunch. Bennett's is a great place to pig out and have a great time.
I've been to Bennett's twice for dinner and once for Sunday brunch, and each time it has been a fabulous experience. The food takes the center stage here, and the products are delicious. If you require tuxedoed, obsequious waitstaff or uber trendy decor, this place may not suit your needs; but, if you want tasty, organic - and where reasonable locally sourced - food, cooked well, in a relaxed atmosphere, this is your place.
As for prices, it's not cheap to eat here, but the price-to-quality ratio is quite good. The wine list is also well priced for Seattle.
I went to Bennett's for dinner this past week and thoroughly enjoyed it. From the tomato soup that was quite creamy and bisque like with cheese in the middle, all the way to the bread pudding, it was all quite good.
Their whole deal is the "pure food" angle, obviously, and they do a good job of it.
I had a pomegranate cocktail which was quite good. Made with fresh squeezed pomegranate juice, mmm. For an appetizer, we had the Salmon Poke (i believe thats what its called) but basically its a a crustini type bread, with sashimi grade salmon, and avocado. So fresh and good.
As a main course I went with the braised pork shoulder w/ mac and cheese. Both were quite good. The pork was so tender it fell apart with very little pressure from my fork. That mac and cheese was top notch as well, with some tasty pasta and nicely cooked mix of cheese. Not to mention the fresh asparagus, spinach, broccoli, and peppers that lined the plate.
All five of us at the table were very happy with everything. It was a nice atmosphere with the open windows, and the staff were all friendly. It wasn't cheap, but it worthed and I will definitely go again to try more things on the menu, which all looked delicious.
I read about Bennett's in the Times shortly after it opened. It sounded so good that I knew it was a place to try out. Lots of other people felt the same way, because I couldn't get in (with a reasonable wait with hungry kids) on a Thursday night!
We had a swim team meeting on Mercer Island, so I made advance reservations. I was going to eat at Bennett's one way or the other. The restaurant is located in the downtown shopping area on Mercer Island, in the street level of a condominium building. I think that is a really neat way to mix commercial and residential properties.
As I walked in from the free and plentiful parking garage, I knew I was going to be impressed. There is outside seating around a small fountain, even with heating lamps for the cool Northwest evenings. Inside, there is a walk up deli counter (the chalk board sign says they do lunch), a small bar and several tables of varying sizes (there was one that seated 12 or maybe they do the communal thing). We sat inside, but they have doors along the entire patio, so we got that outside feel.
The server introduced himself, the restaurant (everything is organic or all natural), the good sized menu and poured tastings of the featured wine. As I looked over the menu, I came to the conclusion that just about everything fit my fancy. The starter menu was large enough that you could do the small plate thing for a full meal or go the route of great sounding entrees.
We started with a Beet'rese salad, their take on a capresse salad with red and golden beets in lieu of tomatoes and a mozzarella made from Buffalo milk. It didn't take long to clean that plate up.
The kids ordered Caesar salad and while they weren't all that pleased with the capers in the dressing (they're still in the single digits), I thought the dressing was excellent. I felt bad destroying the presentation while I cut the whole romaine leaves into bite sized pieces for my daughter. There were also several add-on meats to make the salad into more of a meal.
I had the burger, a blend beef and pork roast, which gave the burger a unique taste and my wife had the sun choke ravioli. We were both quite pleased.
The dessert menu rotates, but my wife supposed that this was the kind of place that would have a great bread pudding, her favorite. And she was right - she loved it - no raisins and an excellent sauce. I had a vanilla bean cheese cake, which did meet up to my exacting standards and the kids shared a chocolate cake which I thought was really good too.
With all the time we'll be spending on Mercer Island at swim practice this summer, my stomach says I could eat at Bennett's every night. It is a little pricey for nightly dining, but it is worth it. This is the kind of food you find in California's wine country.
SOMEHOW, Bennett's manages to make a la carte classy. You walk in and choose from a wide array of dishes -- beans, salads, healthy entrees, desserts, and more -- pay at the counter, find a seat and they bring you your meal when it's ready.
Tomato soup: unbelievable. And I don't like soup.
Grilled chicken panini: delicious and not greasy. Highly recommended.
I would describe Bennett's as classy casual. It's not unusual to see a jogger in shorts and a track jacket sitting a couple tables over from a group of suits on a business lunch.
They had me at free wine.... And it just went up hill from there.
The food here was great. I had a delicious and beautifully executed beet and buffalo mozzarella cheese salad and a sun choke ravioli which was divine. The kids had a really amazing cesaer salad. My husband had a burger with the smashed potaoes. It was so reasurring to know that everything we ate was organic, seasonal, and hormone free, and yet still tasty. And did I mention we were offered a free and generous tasting of a local wine which was awesome. Yum!
The weather was gorgeous so the floor to ceiling windows were open. We were there at 5:30 and the sun mixed with a cool breeze was incredibly enjoyable. We did not experience any traffic sounds or fumes. It was just a gorgeous day to sip wine on the Island.
The service was shockingly good, especially since we showed up at this hipster restaurant with two young kids. They mostly behaved, and the waiter was super friendly to them as well as very informative with our questions with the wine.
Oh, the clincher was the Hazelnut bread pudding. I am a real fan of that dessert and it can go terribly wrong. This was not the case. It was one of the most amazing warm bread puddings outside of the South. Super scrumptious.
We'll definitely be back.
Love love the salmon with blueberry sauce and lemon risotto. The salmon was so fresh, the sauce was really yum and went with it really well. You've just got to try this one.
I also enjoyed poking at my co-worker's "World's Best" mac and cheese enough to order it the next time we went there. It's a good side to get but consider sharing it - it's interesting enough to fire up your appetite and not too heavy for a mac and cheese but it gets too much if you eat the whole thing. My friend said it couldn't be the world's best because it just wasn't like traditional mac and cheese, but that's usually too cheesy/bland for me, so I liked that this was made with pepper-jack cheese and, I think, even a touch of some mild spices.
Other things I wasn't crazy about:
- The rich tomato soup was more rich than tomato soup: too oily/cheesy, specially for an organic restaurant with "pure food" in their name.
- Bennett's seems to have won the misfortune of being the only good restaurant in Mercer Island - it took forever to get a table and we had to wait outside in the cold on a Tuesday night: make a reservation
Also good to know: there's free parking for Bennett's patrons in the building's garage
I should start out by saying I've only eaten here for lunch. I've had both take-out and have dined in.
Their famous tomato soup? I don't know...I tried it, thinking maybe I'd find a tomato soup that I liked. I didn't.
Their paninis are very good as are their deli pasta salads.
The drinks are limited and expensive.
I was very unimpressed with their take away foods (the pre-packaged foods kept in a cooler to the left as you enter the building). The lasagne was not great...not even good. My son sad I made better. And for $40, it should have been fantastic.
All in all, I'll probably eat here again when I'm in the mood for a panini. But as far as I'm concerned that's all it's good for. If I should be stuck on the Island during dinner time I may try it then since it seems like it has rave reviews for that. We'll see. But on an island full of so-so dining choices, it fits right in.
Bennett's is one of those rare places that has ambiance, warmth, fantastic organic food, an attentive, knowledgeable staff - and all without being stuffy or pretentious. They can tell you from which local farm the perfectly cooked vegetables on your plate come from, which Washington wine to pair with your entree, and just about anything else you'd want to know about your food. I love that they are so supportive of local farmers and producers; the care they take in selecting the freshest food translates into a delicious meal.
We stopped here for brunch on our way to the dog park. This one had been on a friend's "to try" list and was conveniently on our way.
We were not dissapointed. Everyone at the table tried something different and everyone was pleased with thier selection. My choice of the french toast was a definite show stealer.
I approach french toast the same way I approach creme brulee... with some hesitation. When done right- it's heavenly. When done wrong, it's a trainwreck. The fact that it's brioche toast made me even more nervous but I decided to follow the waiter's reco and was not dissapointed. It was sublime.
Others at my table were a bit dissapointed that the eggs bennet (in all its varieties) came perched on a latke rather than an english muffin. Scrambles also come sans toast. Something to be aware of.
The tab came to about $18 each for modest portions of delicious food. Add $8 if you want a mimosa or bloody mary.
I look forward to my next brunch here and will perhaps even venture into the dinner menu some day.
I came here for dinner and it was pretty good, but you are paying for it and then some. I didn't understand why they had some many things on the menu with Beecher's Cheese (which is awesome). Turns out they have the same owners!! My advice...unless you want some good eats on the island head over to Bellevue or Seattle.
Based on the mixed reviews wasn't quite sure what to expect at Bennett's when we went last night to have dinner in the bf's hometown with his mom, but wow, the food was fantastic! So I will start with the pluses:
Table Service: Our server was great! She allowed us to try a sample of their featured pinot noir but that's not why I am raving... my bf ordered the lamb shank redemption and she informed him she had just sold the last one (apparently the chef only braises so many per day and it's one of their most popular dishes). The bf was disappointed since this was at least the second time he had tried to order this dish, so our server said hold on, let me see if the chef with braise a couple more shanks....and she came back to the table with good news (although my guess is that they were setting a couple aside for regulars since as Tiffany S. pointed out you just can't braise and serve!) Either way, thanks for going the extra step and asking...now that's good service!
Food: Wow! Everything from the Adventurer cheese plate to our entrees were outstanding. The cheese plate featured 3 different cheeses (can't recall specifically what they were, but yes the one listed as stinky is just that...but ooh so good!), they are served with three spreads: chili, and two fruit along w/ Beecher crackers and a dusting of trail mix in the center. The bf's lamb fell off the bone, it was so good! I had the pan roasted chicken and it was incredible (and I normally don't ooo and aaah over chicken). The herb rub was excellent and the chicken just melted in your mouth. It was served with some bok choy (yum), carrots and peppers and what I deem to NOT be the world's best mac and cheese, it was acceptable but not close to the world's best. The bf's mom ordered the mussels (which are an appetizer but large enough to serve as an entree), the broth was light with the right amount of spice and kick to it and you can't beat soaking up the remaining broth with Macrina bread!
We had a bottle of Cabernet from Walla Walla that was solid. We didn't have room for dessert but they have about 5-6 selections on their dessert menu.
The minuses:
Front of the house service: The hostess seemed a bit spacey, we arrived after the bf's mom and the hostess was trying to recall where she sat her. Lucky for us when saw her upon entering the dining room.
Ambiance: nothing spectacular about the interior and it was incredibly loud for having a conversation. I am not sure if that is simply due to the fact we were seated near the bar or if the whole restaurant is acoustically challenged.
Bathrooms: The women's room hadn't been tended to in at least a few hours, I had to change out the toilet paper myself (this isn't my house!) and the lighting is really poor. I am not a big primper but I would like some light to at least reapply my lipstick after dinner.
Wine List: After having viewed the wine list they have on line I was disappointed to see they have a VERY small wine list at the restaurant and not overly impressive (beware: their on line wine list is a tease!). They do offer some regional wines which is in sync with the keeping it local theme, but I would have liked a few more to choose from.
Overall, truly solid food for a suburban location. I would definitely go back. There is parking in a garage right behind the restaurant and they also have an outdoor patio that looks like it would be fun in the summer. If you are looking to get out of Seattle this is worth the quick drive to go someplace different.
If you are a vegetarian, skip this place. Neither the soups nor the mac and cheese are vegetarian! What a shame because my husband enjoyed his meal (thus the 2 stars)
AMAZING! They hit all the marks necessary to create the perfect dining experience. The food is absolutely 'to die for', the service is great, atmosphere is very comfortable/classy. If I had to choose one place to recommend in the entire puget sound area - this would be it! (That is a very big deal for me to say btw) You will do doubt feel the same way I do once you try it! There is no way anyone could be diappointed at all. Hope you enjoy!
I just went to Bennett's for the first and only time last Sunday for breakfast! I was very impressed with the place and already want to go back for lunch and/or dinner. My friend had some of their tomato soup, which was delicious and I don't even like tomato soup. I also really liked their Bennett's juice and suggest that you try this when there. I can't wait to go back and trying something else!
I love this restaurant! They are dedicated to purchasing the food from local farms in the region. Everything is sourced with pure, and all natural standards, with very stringent definitions of pure and all natural. I have even seen the chef at the Bellevue Farmers Market on Thursday getting food for dinner. I love how often the menu changes. There are so many choices on the menu that it is hard to choose! I would recommend trying it! Great drinks as well, and save room for dessert!
If you live on Mercer Island, you'll know that in order to have true bistro-esque food, and a good wine list, you'll need to leave the Island to go to destinations east or west (the Eastside or Seattle). Bennett's hits the spot for good solid comfort food. My roast chicken breast was cooked perfectly (nice crispy exterior, moist meat) and the mac n' cheese was not greasy at all, it was the yummy kind of adult mac n' cheese that I dig. Fantastic for it's locale and a great neighborhood restaurant as well. A little sophistication in the burbs never hurts.
Eaten here a few times....the food is consistenly too salty, and the service can be slow. Lighten up on the salt and this is much better. The wine list is great and you should take the waiter's suggestions as the vineyards are often off the beaten track.
please do venture out to the island for some good fresh nw food.. but be aware the island closes usually really early so check the hours.... the food tastes fresh.. but it better taste good it's on the island and rich people need food too you know hahahhaah
GOOD IDEA, BAD EXECUTION! This is the owner's first restaurant and the chef came from a brew pub. It shows. If you want greasy mac 'n cheese or a pork-burger, get it at a brew pub instead of this place. You'll save a money and the food will probably be better. The only people who will dine here more than once are Island residents who don't like to leave the Island for anything or those who aren't aware that Seattle (and even Bellevue) has at least 50 bistros that are much better than Bennett's. Also, the wine list is embarrassingly short, with no quality wines on offer. It is hard to imagine how the best intentions went so far wrong. If you want to try it, don't do it on a warm day when they open the large front windows that front onto a busy street. Fumes and noise from the street traffic and from cars at the next door Starbucks drive through are a terrible nuisance and the polluted air more than negates any supposed benefit you might get from so-called "pure" food. If you don't mind car noise and fumes, grab some food at the adjoining Qdoba Grill and eat at the sidewalk tables. You'll save money , might get better food and you will be exposed to the fumes for a much shorter period. Although this is not Mercer Island's worst restaurant (that honor goes to the Phoenix Palace), it is not in the top ten either. The Seattle P-I recently trashed Bennett's, giving it a rating of just 1.5 stars for both food and ambiance (service also got a very low rating), but we think that terrible review is actually too kind. Hopefully, the owners will respond to the P-I's criticism by starting over again.
10 FREE Buffalo Wings! *
Neighborhood: First Hill
Half Doz FREE Coconut Corn…
Neighborhood: Columbia City
Mercer Island, WA
Category: Restaurants
Bellevue, WA
Category: French
Bellevue, WA
Category: Restaurants
Kirkland, WA
Category: Restaurants
Bellevue, WA
Category: American (New)
