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Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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It's almost been a year since I've lost three hundred pounds and the inability to consume dairy products. And along came the Icon Grill with that Mac and Cheese that makes you moan and say, "oh sweet Jesus." (Three hundred pound, lactose intolerant ass take that!)
First, this place just says sex, sex, sex. I want to find a kick ass little black dress that oozes the same appeal. A hot date willing to drool over me and then the food would be nice too.
So now there is plenty of moaning, oozing, and drooling; the food arrives. Yes, the mac and cheese was ordered. Glorious.
Then the meatloaf wrapped in... wait for it.... BACON! Served with a side of mashed potatoes and a teriyake gravy and perfectly cooked green beans.
The salad of greens and pears and cheese.
And my cocktail was some sort of blueberry wonderfulness.
I was so making an 'O' face through this dinner.
People thought this was:
I love the Icon's caesar salad with lemon rosemary chicken and the mashed potatoes are sooo tasty! I also love the 3 different butters they give you with your bread. I would give them 5 stars, but the service is generally pretty shitty. I can think of one girl and one guy that used to work in the bar area.. it's like you're asking them to make you a 22 course meal from scratch when you ask for something simple like more water (because trust me, sometimes you have to ask.. since you probably didn't even get any water in the first place). The bartender, can't remember his name.. I think he's 50 something, is really nice, but he's pretty much the only one. Service is especially bad during happy hour, so I would not recommend it! They also close for a little bit in between lunch and dinner, so watch out for that. It is totally overpriced, but I'm addicted to the spuds so.. oh well!
Also... veggies beware! My mom is a vegetarian. I found out from a friend that used to work there that they use chicken broth in the mac and cheese. My mom was pretty upset.. Kind of sucks, avoid it or make sure to ask!!
People thought this was:
Sometimes, dining clichés are all too real, and I am formally apologizing to my inner voice for not listening to its "you should keep looking" warning: when a restaurant is barely at 60% capacity at 8pm on a Friday and all the other restaurants around it are packed with lines out the door - there is always a reason.
Our waiter literally snatched us from the plastic hostess at the front door within a minute of our entering. I use the term "waiter" very loosely here as he was more akin to a furniture salesman on commission. Having been a waiter for many years, I know most of the tricks commonly employed in establishments that are staffed by people who care only about making tips and little about the restaurant, and this guy pulled most of them. Take for example fake recommendations based on price: Recommend one dish from each major section that costs slightly less than the most expensive item - that way the customer doesn't think you're just suggesting the high priced selections and is very likely to focus and order what you've pointed out. Of course, it would have helped him greatly if he had known how to pronounce all the menu items, as just about every listed thing on the Oktoberfest insert was a complete linguistic mystery to him (even when we said the names) and thus a lot of pointing and "Marco Polo" game play was needed to complete the menu discussion and subsequent ordering.
Which brings me to the menu: The only thing missing from this laminated monstrosity are pictures. If the 35 or so food selections weren't crowding enough, add in the dinner specials (also laminated), seasonal specials menu, the main menu wine card, the separate wine menu, and (inexplicably) the separate wine by the glass menu and you too will joke about your table looking like a collapsed house of cards. By the way - only 4 beer selections?
The food - sucked. I tried to find a nicer way to put it, but nothing else does it justice. Besides being way overpriced, it flew out of the kitchen. Less than 7 minutes from ordering, our entrées were delivered, lukewarm. Here is a good translation guide for you: "slow roasted" means cheap, flavorless cuts of meat cooked fast and dry, then barely covered in bland sauce. "Vegetables" (at least last night) mean 5 (count them) old green beans. The meaning of "breaded" and/or "pan fried" is that you should expect leather and grease. Neither of us made it thru even a quarter of the dishes, and when it was obvious that we weren't going to eat it, our waiter's only comment was to ask if we wanted them boxed up.
People thought this was:
Excellent service, amazing food and portions! Personaly loved the mac and cheese, John and I had to split it! The desserts are great and I love the lemonaides...
My favorite restaurant in downtown Seattle. Upscale comfort food. Mac & cheese (the best ever), meatloaf, chops, spaghetti & meatballs. The Texas funeral fudge cake is to die. I love going there during the holidays when they play Christmas cartoons in the bathroom and offer sugar cookies & milk on their dessert menu. Funky interior that makes you look around and smile. Fabulous martinis and staff is great with groups (we usually do birthday dinners here). Great happy hour but if you are doing dinner on the weekend MAKE A RESERVATION.
Beautiful looking space and I guess I lucked out having good service as I just read that that is not always the case. I had the Cesar lemon rosemary chicken salad which was kind of bland, a cup of beef barely soup which was ok and a nice glass of Merlot wine. My meal came to $32.00 which seems pricey. I will say I liked the bread they served with 3 different butters.
People thought this was:
It was my 42nd bday. My two sisters and I were going to dinner at a neighboring restaurant and had an hour wait. Why not try out Icon Grill and have some drinks while we wait? That just might have been the worst decision of the night.
When we walked in, two hostesses looked at us and looked back down into their book. After an awkward hesitation we just walked into the bar and took a seat. We had a nice, young couple to my left and two couples on my right. Our waitress came to greet us. I asked if they had blended drinks. She told me no. I said no problem. She came back after a few minutes and asked for our drink order. I asked for a coke and her smile went straight. My sisters each had a glass of wine. I asked if we could start with the fried macaroni and cheese and then I would like a Cesar salad. As I pointed to the one under Appetizers, I looked back up and our server was no where to be found. I find that very odd to leave without a closing remark. About three minutes later (literally) the fried mac n'cheese was placed in the middle and the runner mentioned the Cesar. I piped up, "That's mine!" She looked at me strangely and placed the wooden bowl in front of me. As the other two tables got a basket of bread and drink refills, we were still waiting on our drinks. I eagerly picked up the mac n'cheese and bit in. Wait! Where is the cheese? This is homemade people. Where is the cheese??? The macaroni n'cheese tasted like Kraft from the tall, rectangle box (powered cheese!) and was quite dry. For $12 I expect much better quality. Finally she comes with our drinks. We all say thank you. She asks, "Would like to order from the dinner menu now?" My sister responded, "We are just having drinks and appetizers." The server literally (to my shock) said, "Oh." Picked up the menus and walked away. We all looked at each other like that was rude. The two top beside us was served a bowl of Macaroni and cheese. Even as they took the scrumptious looking bowl and dug in, there was still no sticky, oozy cheese. A very odd detail when they are known for this dish. The server then went to the four-top on my other side and asked how their food was. All was good. She turned and walked by us. Hm. For $3 I would expect at least one Coke refill. She came back to the two-top and refiled the woman's coke and as she started to leave I said quite loudly, "EXCUSE ME." She turned from where she was and said, "Yes?" We asked for a refill, bread and the artichoke dip. The dip came up quite quickly. It was surrounded by white bread, crisp up under a broiler perhaps? It was definitely the wrong accompany for this dip. Once again, where was the cheese. The description makes it sound that the cheese was oozing out of the bowl. Not so. We also noticed both dishes were Luke warm at best. We finally got our bread but I went without the refill. The four-top complained that there was too much lettuce on their salads, too much dressing and not enough ingredients. She apologized that they had a new pantry person that just started so he doesn't know how to make the food. Excuse me? You have someone in the pantry that doesn't know how to cook? No wonder my food was Luke warm. The four top left, the two top asked for boxes as the server brought the woman a third refill and we sat there finished with food, I was thirsty and our table was ready at our other restaurant. She came back to the two top for the bill and turned and ran off. No joke. She came back to say thank you to the two top and I said, "EXCUSE ME?" and she walked off AGAIN. Finally I stood up and waved to her. She came back, "Yes?" sounding annoyed as ever. We asked for more bread, my REFILL and the check. She returned promptly with the check. The two top said loudly to "each other" how rude we were and I told my sister to hand on because I was about to show them rude. But, alas, I kept my cool. The server came back and asked if our money was ready. I told her, "Well, before I pay I would still like more bread and my one refill." My sister left to go get our table and when our server returned she gave us 5 bread loaf ends, and one butter. We sat for another 4 1/2 minutes (good thing I had my timer app on my iPhone) and finally our bill was ran and I had to track her down again for boxes; to wit she seemed shocked that we would want to take our food home that we barely touch. On the bill, sure enough, she charged me for the Large, dinner Cesar Salad and not the appetizer one. $3 difference. It was fabulous but I think it was meant to go in the middle of the table to be shared by all. I ate it as my meal. It was delicious!
I had heard mediocre reviews about the Icon and had always wanted to try it. With samples of their appetizers and the discourtesy I received from my server I would not be willing to go back and try the food in the dining room--for dinner or desert. Shame on them. Happy Bday to me :-( (pics on profile)
People thought this was:
The only reason they are receiving 2 stars instead of 1 is because of the ambiance. I was so disappointed with the food and especially the service.
Dinner ranges from the 20-40 dollar range so I expected a nice meal. Let's just say it is one step up from Red Robin food and frankly Red Robin tastes better. According to menu and rep, the serve comfort food with a twist. Eh. The country fried steak was okay. Hubby loved it, I disliked it. The size was small for the price that you pay and the fact that it didn't even taste very good. Ugh...
The server was polite but never refilled our water, never refilled our lemonade, walked by quickly and asked how our dinner was not even waiting to hear what we said.
Not at all what I expected and maybe will be back to try the mac and cheese but otherwise, will not be back.
YUMMY! this place is so scrumptious. And the waiters are excellent, kind, and very charming.
Although this place is real upbeat and expensive I love the art and the colors of the place. All around you there are blown glass, candles, and creative art. I was lucky enough to take a tour of the upstairs VIP lounge area and it was gorgeous. The owner designed each chair himself and chose the art fitting for the room. IN the men's bathroom you can hear waterfalls and music which I thought was hilarious (don't ask how i know). I've tried the Cesar salad which was excellent even though the price was around 14$.
The down part was the slow service after drinks though I understand it being a busy day I just want to be a bit honest. The place is loud on weekends a lot of the time (if you don't mind) and the lighting is pretty dark. We asked for a bar candle. I don't mind dark though on birthdays it's nice to be centered with some light.
People thought this was:
Upon coming to Seattle I was really looking forward to coming here and especially trying their mac and cheese since a lot of people have given such rave reviews, including several years back, former NFL QB and UW Huskie Warren Moon . Can you say....OVER-RATED ( CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP ) Oh yeah, for what may pass as an upscale restaurant what's with the use of Velveeta ? ( I should have asked myself this upon entering here ) I had better mac and cheese at Beecher's across the street from Pike Market. If not for the glass blown decor, I may have given this one star instead. What a disappointment
People thought this was:
Style over substance. What a shame.
We had been looking forward to going there.... especially for the mac-and-cheese...The Icon Grill has a wonderful style, lots of Dale Chilhulie blown sculpture and interesting knick-knacks. The menu sounds delicious. But when we got down to it, the service was so-so, and the food really wasn't that good. The so-called world's best mac-and-cheese... so nowhere near as good as the one they used to serve at Crave. The molasses meatloaf was all right, but not write-home-worthy.
I've been to the Icon a handful of times, and each time I hope that it's going to be better than the last. So far....no. It's pretty overpriced - $20 for two salmon cakes and some rice with virtually no sauce on the plate, and sometimes the service can be a problem - this time we waited about twenty minutes just to get water and then we were virtually ignored for the rest of the night, but I still think I'll go back because I once had a perfect night here and I feel like they might be able to pull it off again. But, for everyone else, I think a good bet is to go to HH, sit in the bar (their martinis are fantastic) order the mac and cheese, and then go elsewhere for dinner. Sorry, Icon!
People thought this was:
My boyfriend and I went here for Sunday Brunch since Lola was slammed.
This restaurant suffers from an appalling lack of service training. We walked into the near-empty space and said, "Hello, two for brunch please." The hostess looked at her monitor and said, "okaaaaaaayyyy... do you want, like, a booth? Or...." I said that a booth was fine and she led us through the restaurant to our table.
As we waited for our menus we had a chance to look around at the truly, TRULY, remarkably tacky dining room. It looks like Graceland-slash-Versailles-slash-AntiqueMart. Which would not be offensive if the knick knacks had been dusted. But no, everything we saw was covered in dust, and shelf next to our booth even had a smattering of crumbs on it. It's not enough that the interior looks like it was thrown together by a band of gypsies, but nobody even bothers to keep it clean.
Our server was a perfectly nice girl - I would have preferred her without the tongue ring, but she obviously has potential. The problem was that she has not been trained at all. "So... we have brunch. And lunch. Do you know if you're going to want brunch... or lunch?" When we said brunch, she awkwardly pitched a fruit plate starter, selling it hard with such points as, "sometimes it comes with apples. Sometimes it comes with grapes." I could practically hear the owner at that day's pre-shift meeting, bellowing, "Now let's get out there and sell some fruit plates!"
Ultimately, my boyfriend and I decided that if the food had been better, we would have complained about the service. Fortunately for the servers, the food was really pretty awful. My pancakes were essentially tasteless, and relied on small dishes of walnuts and dried cherries to spice them up. I could practically still taste the cellophane on those cherries.
My boyfriend's breakfast contained no salt at all. The bacon drooped flaccidly in his hand, and when he bit into it, the silence (where there should have been the fatty crackle) was deafening.
If Icon Grill puts their front-of-house staff through a service boot camp, razes the fourteen tons of crap catching dust and bread crumbs on the walls, and produces food that tastes like food, and not like something I took home from Denny's last night and reheated in the microwave this morning, then I will return. Until then, I'm waiting for a free table at Lola.
People thought this was:
I didn't Yelp this place before wandering in while hoofing around the city, and I'm glad. I trust others' opinions, but our experience was quite opposite from the many negative reviews. Maybe we just got lucky and ordered the right things.
From the outside, it looks pretty dumpy, but has a rich decor inside. I know it's over the top kitschy, but it's cute and fun. Our server was very nice and helpful (wish she'd lose the tongue ring, but that's just me) and we have nothing negative to say about her service. Bonus points for the hostess dressing like a lady instead of a tramp.
Hubby had the appetizer Caesar salad and the meatloaf entree. I had the mac 'n cheese. The salad was delicious--perfectly balanced from start to finish and very fresh; was a huge portion (we ended up sharing). Meatloaf portion was not as generous, but still ample and very tasty according to hubby (I didn't get to taste any). My mac 'n cheese was a huge portion of deliciousness. I can't say it's the best I've ever had, but it was darn good. I loved the tomato and basil that they add to it--gives a nice fresh contrast to the creamy pasta. The pasta was cooked well, sauce was flavorful, and texture was great. I only made it about 1/2 way before giving it to hubby--I wanted to hoard it all, but just couldn't do it.
Prices are high, but about what I expect from a downtown restaurant that seems to cater to the business lunch and tourist crowd, and we left very full and totally satisfied.
People thought this was:
This place drips with cool, as it should because they are trying REALLY hard. They pack it full of junk, and twist up comfort food. I'm almost offended by it's kitch. Normally I wouldn't mind so much, but the kitch and the proximity to the Westin, and other downtown hotels makes me fear the impression we are giving to outsiders. Will they return to their native land and tell of how crazy, comfortable and kitchy, Seattle cuisine is?
Aside from my qualms about Icon trying harder than necessary to carve out a place in Seattle's restaurant scene the food isn't all bad. The Ultimate Macaroni and cheese is no lie. I was excited when it came out, and that was before I knew our server was about to pour a little pitcher with three more melted cheeses on top. It was perhaps the best mac I've had.
The molasses meatloaf wasn't quite as exciting. It was a little mushy, like they took a log of meat wrapped in bacon, then cooked in a crock pot with some off-the-shelf BBQ sauce. I could have gone for just a little crust, or crisp.
**This is a review of their famous Mac & Cheese and general experience**
Walking into the restaurant, there's so much to look at (Read: Too much) you can't fix your eyes on anything... it's a lot of kitschy stuff which overshadows the beautiful, large glass pieces. It gives it a more fun atmosphere but it's often dusty which disturbs me. Once you get past that, it gets a WHOLE LOT BETTER! The tablecloths and such give it a formal feel while the decor gives it a more casual, whimsical feel.
I've been here 4 or 5 times and get the Mac and Cheese every time. It's an indulgent, sinfully rich dish that isn't your ordinary boxed mac. The elbow macaroni noodles are cooked to tender perfection then bathed in rich cheeses and topped with a fresh, flavorful tomato-breadcrumb herbed concoction that is in such a thin layer, it marries with the richness of noodles and cheese sauce beautifully. It's served with a sprig of fresh basil and the waiter will break a little river channel in your dish and pour the molten cheese into the river, adding to the rich, creaminess. It's a dense, filling dish that makes taste buds dance in a grown up version of a childhood joy. And the portion is generous enough to have leftovers for a snack later on.
The service has been pretty good here over all not great but not disappointing either.
There are a lot of restaurants in the area where you're really best off to order the dish or two that they're most famous for.. and the Mac & Cheese is it! It's Cheese-tastic!
People thought this was:
The place is fun and festive, with crazy lights and pretty decorations (look out for the lit up toaster; it's cute!).
There is a beautiful staircase that leads to the bathrooms, which are apparently very cool (I haven't gone to the bathrooms there, but people tell me it's awesome)
The food is alright. Nothing too special. You can find better steaks and seafood entrees elsewhere.
Skip the dessert, unless you are ordering Icon's famous sundae (amazing presentation by the way) where they drizzle rich melted chocolate over your ice cream and let you pick from an array of toppings presented to you. The creme brulee is mediocre, and the Texas Funeral Fudge Cake is DRY! They give you milk, but you'll be washing the cake down because of how dry it is, not because of how rich it is.
This place reminds me of a higher class Cheesecake Factory.
This place is crap....i felt like I was in some weird chain restaurant that resembled a circus/glass museum/i dont even know. Something about the decor just wasn't right....don't get me wrong I love gaudy crap but this just wasn't done right. The food was not good. It seemed overpriced for what it was/prepared. My friend had the spaghetti and meatballs...the presentation was poor...like heres a huge f"in slab of your dinner with some crusty nasty tasting potato garlic bread on the side....i had a ceaser cuz I was pobre and it was one of the cheapest things on the menu ($16)....it was standard. My bf had the salmon cakes and said they tasted like they were frozen. My other friend had the linguine and alfredo that came with weird salsas on the side. Nothing looked good. Oh and the birthday dessert was a hostess cupcake! WTF?! Im not stoned and your clientele probably isnt either so why is this even served? gross.
Im not giving them one star because we had a party of 12 and the server was very nice and attentive....and she even split the bill like 5 different ways.
People thought this was:
We came here on our first night in Seattle and just happened upon it while walking the streets near our hotel. Dinner service was closed but the bar was still open. It was a very comfortable restaurant and we hopped onto bar stools and had our first night out in Seattle.
The bartender here was SO nice! I couldn't find anything I could drink so I ordered a key lime pie drink that was in a martini glass and had crushed ginger snaps along the rim of the glass! IT WAS DELICIOUS! It definitely tasted like dessert! When I couldn't find what to drink next, he made his own blueberry chocolate drink for me which was also very good! He joked around with us and was really nice, that always makes the night more fun. My friend even ordered a wine tasting trio which comes in a little tiered glass holder, very cute!
This looks like a swanky down home place that's laid back and comfortable, I enjoyed our night here! The food looks so good, it reminds me of Jerry's Famous Deli in LA!
People thought this was:
We ate here late one night after we had just gotten into Seattle (and were staying across the street at the Westin). It wasn't very crowded (it was 9pm on a Tuesday). The server was really friendly and helped recommend beers and food. The Mac-and Cheese was amazing! I wished we could have gone back again while in Seattle but we ran out of time--I would definitely go back though!
People thought this was:
*sigh*
I've driven past this place at least three times a week for six years or better and always peeked in, thinking it MUST be great, since it's almost ALWAYS hoppin'.
Well... no. Turns out, it's within walking distance to a lot of hotels (Read: Tourists who don't know better).
Maybe their regular meals are great, but "Blunch" sucked pretty bad. I got the crab cake benedict and was Totally underwhelming. Next time I'll either make it myself or go to Portage Bay Cafe. The service was pretty bad also. We were seated in this little out-of-the way corner pocket booth that isn't really that visible... which meant, for us, that we didn't get to see our bumbling waitress more than three times. It was just an awkward experience.
Yes, I see the napkin folded in the glass... No, I don't need you to put it in my lap FOR me. I have a major issue with personal-space invaders...maybe it's because I *am* one... maybe? At any rate, in a city like Seattle with a notorious aversion to physical contact and human interaction (Passive aggression FTW!) maybe touching patron's laps should be a case-by-case situation. Maybe.
The decor was a mix of Miami Vice and Vegas.
Applicable Clueless Quote: She's a total Monet, Cher. It looks great from far away, but ugly up close.
This rang true. From outside the big windows, the dim lighting and blown glass light fixtures (mounted in chicken wire, btw) sparkle with a certain something. It seems pretty cool. However, once you get inside, it's a whole 'nother game. This place is jam packed tighter than bubbe's knick-knack table full of chipped precious moments figurines and ceramic kittens. No space went un-touched by lord knows who.
All I know is that the interior designer deep down inside of me threw up in my mouth a little when I saw this place. I won't go back.
People thought this was:
HOT TIP: Pricey, ain't it?
Go inside the bar area during Happy Hour. Cheap eats! The huge place of Ultimate Mac n Cheese is like 5 bucks. AND IT"S AMAZING! It comes with a little mini-pitcher of extra melty cheese to pour over it. Yeah!
People thought this was:
Apparently I'm a big fan of happy hours.
This place is a fun place to go for happy hour downtown.
First of all, delicious $5 martinis (the zephrytini with champagne and citrus vodka is probably one of my favorite drinks of all time). And fried mac and cheese? Might sound a little odd to some, and definitely not an indulgence one should partake in too often, but with a cold martini, it's a true mouthgasm. Great deals on good food, amazing drink deals too. Who could ask for better?!
People thought this was:
Was it me? This place felt so '80s to me. And I was a fully cognizant, young adult in the '80s, so I well remember the art glass and the geegaws and the peach-colored decor. Maybe the '80s is just old enough to be cool again, though.
The food though...I was left feeling unimpressed. I ordered a pasta dish with shrimp and a bell pepper sauce and it was incredibly bland. As is my review. Sorry.
People thought this was:
Had a massive soupgasm here. Lobster and halibut chowder/bisque with bits of corn...Oh mah gawd.
The place is lovely, shiny and happy. Best collection of glass in a restaurant I have ever seen.
I could live here.
People thought this was:
Their meat loaf is good, mac and cheese is good, their pasghetti is good and their shrimp penne is good. Their desserts are a little too much and not very... good. The ambience is warm with fun glasswares hanging from the ceilings. great place for a big party or a date.
People thought this was:
OMG! so yummy! Two of my friends headed here for Happy Hour for dinner. We sat in the bar area in a lil table in the corner.
Each of us had a glass of wine...don't remember what we had.
We shared the
Fried Macaroni and Cheese: soooooo goood! MMM sounds really fattening, but it's macaroni and cheese! You wouldn't be eating it if you were on a diet anyways right? Little bites that melt in your mouth...crunchy outside. YUM.
Chicken Fried Meatloaf??? I can't remember...but it was tasty! We also had the spareribs...YUMMMM big pieces too.
For dessert we had the Candy Cane Cake..recommended by another friend. When we had asked the waiter if it's big enough to share between the three of us girls, he replied with "oh yeahhhh no doubt, at least three bites each." We agreed. They bring it to our table, I BIG slice of cake that has five or six layers? served with glasses of milk. Okay, the guy must have been smoking or something, cuz between the three of us girls...unless we're sugar freaks, we could not even finish the slice. :) although, it that was all we had...then it's a different story. The cake is seasonal... but when you have the chance, I would definitely recommend it!!
People thought this was:
I dont' know where else sells this particular wine, Stella Maris. I love this wine and want to get my folks a bottle for when I go home for Christmas. I called today and asked the woman on the phone to speak to the bar, I had a few questions about a wine.
I didn't need to speak to the bar, she knew all the answers. It is $60, but on Wed is 1/2 price WA wines. That's good to know. I also wanted to know if there were other places that sold it, so I'll go and check out a few retailers. She was very pleasant and really informative.
People thought this was:
2.5 stars.
This place is ok. The cocktails are pretty good. If you go on a good night, the drinks…
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I've been to the Icon Grill a few times for various reasons. It has a great atmosphere and a private room available up on a mezzanine you can reserve for occasions. So let's get right into it, shall we?
-Location: A great stop to take your friends or relatives from out of town. It's close to the City Center (Space Needle, EMP, Science Center ect.) and it is actually located right under the monorail track. Parking can be a bit of a pain and it will cost you on a weekday. On the weekends you can park on the street for free but if it's full you have to pay for a space in a lot or garage.
-Food: The food is good. It's "comfort food" which includes things like meatloaf, mac n' cheese, fried chicken, and many others. It is a little on the pricey side (this from the view of a single dude working a 30hr/week job). There is a full bar which I haven't been to, but you can check other reviews for that.
-Misc.: The service is decent and it's loud enough you don't have to worry about disturbing other guests.
-Z
I feel bad about reviewing the Icon Grill at two stars. I've had some great memories here over the years, but my last two experiences here (or was it three?) suggest to me that this place has gone downhill. My most recent experience had my date and I getting the vaunted macaroni and cheese, and we were both underwhelmed by the execution from the service to the food. Our server was extremely slow, but it may have been due to them being understaffed on a Sunday. Not her fault, but it is what it is. It took entirely too long to get our drinks, and then later with the food arrived, the mac had already mostly cooled off and the cheese on the side had a serious skin on it. Based off of my last few experiences, I'd recommend you skip this place, you're not likely to impress anyone with the mediocre meal and slow service. Again, this pains me, I like what the Icon was, but it doesn't seem to be the same place any more.
Dear Yelp,
Why do you not have a "Zero Star" option? It would be extremely helpful (and accurate) to give Icon Grill a zero star rating. To wit:
The roasted fingerling potatoes tasted like burnt plastic. I spat them out as soon as they touched my tongue. And it wasn't just me. My date did the same thing. And we were both embarrassed. After all, our mothers told us not to spit things out at the table. In public. On dates.
But it doesn't stop there.
The bread in the bread basket was stale and the "chili butter" tasted like vomit.
The spinach came out of a can. Popeye would have gagged.
The halibut was overcooked. Flaky is one thing. Atomized is another.
My date's meatloaf, wrapped in bacon, was smothered in Heinz BBQ sauce. That's just plain weird. Especially for $19.
We ordered the "wine tasting flight" and the thimble-sized tasting glasses arrived in---how can I even describe this?---a cascading wire flight cozy. Like my date said, all that was missing was the macrame and myrtle wood beads.
Speaking of accoutrements, the decor looked as if it had been decorated by eBay and the QVC channel. Fabulous, baby.
I never complain. This time I complained and refused to pay. Icon Grill can be summed up in one word: Blech.
So, please, Yelp, please consider a zero star option.
Best regards,
Joel
People thought this was:
Being that it's so close to work, I've eaten here many times but not because it's good....you can always get a seat here on a Saturday night. It's not very good food and the blah quality plus large portion size screams chain eatery. The fried chicken is overrated, the fish and chips pretty uninspiring, the bacon wrapped meatloaf was also nothing special. The desserts are Red Robin-predictable but huge.
I'd put it on par with the Cheesecake Factory so don't go here unless you've found yourself needing a place to eat on the weekend with no reservations.
A couple of weeks ago, I was with Linn H and she asked me if I had ever gone to Icon Grill in Seattle. Well, of course I have. I've been everywhere. Ha, no, not really but I've definitely been to Icon Grill.
I was visiting my dear Kylene A and she mentioned this "little place that does great mac and cheese." To be honest, I don't remember much about it other than it was really gooey and cheesy. And my pasta was fairly good.
No, what this place has and I've never seen it before since was an outrageous sundae.
We were just not prepared to receive the massive sundae nor the "show" from our server who kept throwing on toppings. A shower of M&Ms. A handful of nuts. More candy. Whipped cream galore. It was madness. There were toppings all over our table and they didn't care! It was fun! It was crazy and definitely way too much for us to eat.
We still talk about that sundae to this day. I might have to check out this place in a couple of weeks when I'm back in Seattle! Mainly so I can have a definitive answer on the "best mac and cheese."
Oh, and this place does have good martinis. THAT I remember.
People thought this was:
Meh.
Outside of the fact that this is a beautiful space, I found the food to be...ok. Not great, but ok. Which is surprising, b/c the same people own Palomino, and their food is good.
And that's all I have to say about this place.
People thought this was:
I don't want to wander the path of "is it me?" or "did I order the wrong thing?" because really... this was their chance to *impress* me and gain me as a regular customer.
They clearly didn't.
There were positive aspects of the experience. The waiter/bartender was incredibly friendly, relief and happiness evident on his face when he informed my friends and I that we were the first party he's waited on the entire day--at 3 in the afternoon.
However, the well, "negatives" is too harsh a word.... Let's just say I expect a lot from restaurants, especially if they want to be competitive and not purely there to be "gimmicky".
I ordered the chicken fried calamari and gravy fries. The calamari were incredibly tough and old, and the ratio of breading to calamari seemed close to 3:1. The dipping sauces that it came with, a cocktail sauce, tartar and bbq, were all just blah, not anything to write home about, except perhaps to say... wow, I just had some really blah food.
Sigh, the gravy fries. [Note: it was not a sigh of satisfaction]. I would have thought there would be no way to mess up something that combined gravy and fries, it should be something that sells itself, and not only that, tittilates the senses of the eater to such extent any bite must be preceded by an oversupply of salivation. As it were, there were these fries, thin, shoestring fries that were liberally coated with whatever the "fries" spices were. The gravy, safe in its stainless steel gravy bowl, wallowed entirely in its own undefinable blandless.
Thinking about the gravy fries makes me sad. :(
People thought this was:
Where do I begin? I used to love this place. One of the most important celebrations I've ever hosted I had in the private room upstairs. However, I brought a couple friends here for a nice dinner and received *literally* the worst service I have ever gotten in my life. It took us 45 minutes from the time we ordered our first beverages to receive them, even though I politely informed the server when we arrived that we had a show in about an hour and a half. It took another 45 minutes to get our food (thus ensuring that we missed our show), half of which was totally cold. I was so disappointed that I asked for the manager and complained about our service and experience there. She said "what do you want me to do about it?", rudely. None of us ate our meals and we went on our way, hungry, dressed up for a show we never attended and with no intention of ever heading back to the Icon Grill ever again. DO NOT GO!
Had plenty of good experiences in the past, but one visit left me with the experience of the worst… Read more »
The ambiance is fun and lively but cozy, with an oddly complimentary mix of blown glass art chandeliers, vintage art prints and Seattle rock show posters. The music was a KEXP-influenced mix of appropriate current indie and alt-rock at just the right volume. The vodka martini I had in the Zephyr while waiting for our table was top notch, and priced as such, but worth it. The service in the lounge was friendly and attentive - just right for cocktails, and the tables being serviced for dinner seemed to be taken care of with the same level of attention.
Once seated in the Icon, the service was still very friendly but a little sparse, and we had to flag our waiter down a couple of times throughout the meal, including to order our entrees after we had already finished the appetizer.
The wine list features a large selection of reasonably-priced Washington wines by the bottle, which are half price on Wednesday, which is a hell of a deal for wine that already seemed to be priced under typical restaurant rates.
The crabcake potato wedge appetizer was very good, with a light sauce that didn't overpower the delicate crab. For the entrees, the portions were hearty but not wastefully so. My hardwood grilled New York steak was prepared properly but a little bland, and the single broccoli stalk that accompanied it was limp and unappealing. It looked more like a garnish than a side, and went untouched, even though I loves me some broccoli. My wife's potato-wrapped halibut was "just okay," and the extra side of grilled asparagus we ordered was cooked properly, but came with too much of the chewy, fibrous stalk left on the spears.
The overall experience, averaged out between the fantastic service and atmosphere in the lounge, the comfortable ambiance of the main dining room, okay service and underwhelming food in the restaurant (especially for the price), made it a so-so dinner experience. I'd probably give the Icon a 2.5 if it was available, but can't quite justify bumping it to "A-ok" status. I would probably go back for happy hour or cocktails in the Zephyr, but am unlikely to give dinner another shot.
People thought this was:
We enjoyed our dinner here but it seems very overpriced for comfort food, no matter how gourmet it may be.
We came in for dinner on a Sunday and were quickly seated in the bar. However, the service for the rest of the night was pretty slow. It wasn't packed in there so I don't know what was going on...maybe it was an off night?
The ice cream sundae is ridiculous. Absolutely delicious, but obscene. Unless you're ok with gluttony, you have to share that thing with at LEAST two people...probably four.
If you live in Seattle or are just visiting, this is a must-dine experience!
FOOD: Take your favorite comfort food, throw in a dash of Southern flair, a heaping pile of Seattle panache, and all Northwest ingredients and you've got the Icon Grill. One of my favorite entrees (that's not a permanent resident of the menu) is their Peppercorn Flat Iron Steak w/ Roquefort Cheese Sauce. This flavor explosion of a hunk of meat is served over a bed of horseradish potato cakes. Another classic that's always around is their Molasses-Glazed, Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf. *drool* Fabulous cocktails and other unusual items (such as their famous Mac & Cheese) make this a frequent night out for many Seattlites.
LOCATION: North-central downtown shopping district, across the street from the Westin Hotel.
ATMOSPHERE: Also very Seattle. Lots of glass art adorns the tables, walls, and is even hanging in large mesh nets from the ceiling. Some might say you have to go just to see the decor!
PROS: Prompt seating, great bar, tasty food, decent service
CONS: Parking, loud at times
People thought this was:
The decor and the atmosphere in this place alone was awesomely amazing. They start with 5 stars for that reason alone!!! The blown glass chandeliers - If I married rich, I'd employ their designer...
The joint was hoping when we got in and our waiter was seriously super super busy and clearly busting his ass ...so, we'll let him slide if we had to wait a few more minutes for service than would be the norm in a classy establishment. Usually this would be a major star deduction, but because it was so busy I'll only deduct 1/2 a star.
The food and drink was delicious. I ordered the fried chicken. It was scrumptious, but I think that they took the skin off of the chicken before battering it, which makes it more healthy, but a little less flavorful, so I have to take another 1/2 star away.
I mean, I'm a fat chick - flavor always wins over health, but thanks for looking out Icon!!
The sides, the booze, both excellent.
My favorite part? The elegant sweeping staircase that started above the center chandelier and ended at the waterfall base. I felt like royalty going to and fro the ladies room. Well done.
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