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Category: Steakhouses [Edit]
Neighborhood: Queen AnneMon-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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I honestly wasn't sure what to think about this place; it seemed rather fancy, but the classy quality seemed more like an uncomfortable illusion than reality. We ate in the restaurant, and the food was very good, except for the vegetable side which was cooked as if it were thrown into a pot just long enough to get it wet and make the broccoli taste extremely bitter, the bitter broccoli taste was so pungent I had to wait a few minutes to eat anything else for fear of spoiling the taste. Also the bread basket before the meal was a nice touch, but it was the tiniest amount of bread I have ever seen! It was such a half-assed attempt I felt like Oliver Twist after eating my two tiny bites of bread. Include it, or don't. Don't go half-way.
I was impressed with the wine selection, the place looked very clean, and I wish we had been there during the daytime to see what I imagine must have been a great view of Lake Union.
Just an extra thought: playing Lady Gaga throughout the restaurant and having the toilet paper dispensers mounted on the back-side of the stall door is not classy. I think this is what broke the illusion for met. That is standard, grungy club/sports bar style, not fancy seafood restaurant.
Overall, there was nothing spectacular about this place, everything was just "ok" (except for the dessert brownie which was amazing, but, it's chocolate, you can't screw that up). I think I'd return if I was in the area and famished, but it would definitely be for Happy Hour in the bar.
I can only comment on the weekday happy hour (3-9? crazy) since that's the only time i've ever been to Rock Salt. My friends and I were looking to get some cheap drinks/eats one wednesday and I suggested rock salt because their happy hour is soooo long. We got there and the places was COMPLETELY empty. In a creepy way. In the bar, the tables were moved off the "dance floor" and the bartender and waitreses were watching a show on Bravo on the giant TV.
The food was similar McCormicks (about 100 feet away), and the drinks were reasonable ($4-5). I think this place could really have a leg up on McCormicks since they have cheap decent food AND drink specials...but no one was here...
The only reason we probably won't go back is the creepy emptiness. But if it was this place or McCormicks, we'd choose this place for sure.
We went for Sunday brunch for the Bridal Shower. :)
It was a beautiful location, and the staff we worked with was awesome. They were extremely nice to us, courteous at all times and providing for us what we lacked with our party stuff - like doubling the number of our plates after we brought in our own desserts. *cough* As we were celebrating a special occasion, the bartender also mixed and served each of us a special drink (which wasn't necessary in loosening up the guests for the party games, but were much appreciated! haha).
The food was delicious (all of them!: tilapia, ratatouille, crab cakes, etc.), the portions generous, and, according to the Maid of Honor, very affordable. (She quoted them to be way under what I see on the Banquet Menu on the page today - but I will not discount the possibility that she could be masking, as I wasn't allowed to see the receipt.)
My mother, who loathes going out for breakfast (unless she's staying across the street from it), is now waiting for people to visit her just so she can take them there.
We went for Miami Nights.
Cover is free before Midnight? (Or maybe before 11?) for women, then goes to 10.00$. Guys pay 10.00$ at the start of the night, 15.00$ later. So it is pretty expensive just to get into the place. The upper bar has top 40 style Latin music, while the bottom floor has salsa music. This place gets pretty packed.
They serve no food after 9pm, so that sucks. The Drinks are crazy overpriced. They do pour a strong hand, but it makes the drinks almost undrinkable. But I suppose you get your money's worth in booze.
But if you want to salsa the night away, this place is pretty good at it.
I LOVE ROCK SALT!
BEAUTIFUL VIEW AND AWESOME FOOD! AND ON TOP OF GREAT SERVICE!
*side note....there is NO gang violence or shootings, they can't help it that people decided to fight around they're resturant that ONE night.
best happy hour in town!!! 3-9pm
best steaks in town! good prices! beautiful view!
and the drinks are…
Read more »
Went in for a football game.
The service was slow, the place smelled like a fraternity house basement, and no one there (including the employees) seemed to be having a good time.
I guess the attitude of the staff is reflected in their health inspections, as the one on 11/05/2009 showed critters present and unclean surfaces:
http://www.decadeonlin...
I waited WAY too long to make reservations for Valentine's Day (also my anniversary) and was stuck with limited options.
The steaks were mediocre. We've had better, way better.
The service was minimal. This was emphasized by the many empty tables.
The view, which would have been the saving grace of Rock Salt, was nonexistent. Despite the many empty tables, we were seated in the center of the restaurant, as far away from the view as humanly possible.
The bathrooms were in desperate need of an overhaul.
The decor was unfortunate.
I've learned my lesson the hard way. Reserve early.
I still love Rock Salt. The food is always great, the service is impeccable, the water view is gorgeous at any time of day (or night)...and they have a great happy hour!
I can't believe I just right now discovered this. Sunday through Thursday happy hour is 3-9. 3-9! Three to nine! That's 6 - read: SIX - very happy hours of $5 cocktails, $4 wines and $3 micros! No I will not shut up! Friday and Saturday happy hour is 3-6:30, which is perfectly acceptable since many places don't even do Saturday happy hour. They have a happy hour menu as well but I can't speak for the portions as I never order food because I'm too busy begging the bartender not to wake me up.
I came here for dinner recently and was pleasantly surprised by the surroundings, the food and the… Read more »
Overrated for what you get on top of mediocre service. Nearly $26 bux for a rib-eye, garlic mash and too raw snap peas. The steak was cooked perfectly to order--medium rare. Our waiter, while very nice and great at conversation, was mostly MIA and totally forgot the crimini mushrooms.
I think Rock Salt has one of the best and sleepiest happy hour menus around. Maybe the do it to compete with that "other" famous happy hour place -- ok I'll say it McCormick and Shmicks -- just down the parking lot. Regardless, the hh menu is cheap, and you get a LOT of food for what you pay -- generally twice as much as a typical M&S appetizer.
Rock Salt is a good, solid place to eat and drink. The food is quite predictably regular -- it will fill you up, and basically it is what you would come to expect, with few surprises (except for the solid hh menu). Service is "pretty good." Drinks are "pretty good." Food is "pretty good." Yawn.
Oh, but the view certainly IS outstanding.
I don't know -- I guess I just don't feel too engaged with Rock Salt -- nothing about it makes me want to care too much -- as opposed to M&S. Why? I don't really understand it myself, but that's just the way it is.
PROS: GREAT VIEW! RELIABLE, GOOD FOOD. GREAT VALUE ON THE LITTLE TALKED ABOUT HAPPY HOUR.
CONS: THEY DON'T GIVE ME A REASON TO CARE. FEEL A BIT DISENGAGED.
This place is amazing. I had their scallops and I felt like it was sex in my mouth. Absolutely delicious. My boyfriend ordered the 16oz steak and I've NEVER seen him more pleased with food. Everything was delectable.
The service was quite accomadating and the view was beautiful. I wish I could have gone in the early afternoon before the sun went down to get a better look on the water! That's yet another (of the many) reason I will come back here.
Love. Always will.
This is quite simply the best steak I've EVER had.
I wanted to stop and leave it at that, but I decided to elaborate. My girlfriend and I came here for our anniversary based on recommendations here and the fact that it takes the Prime Card. Well, the food and service were both AMAZING.
I had the New York Steak with Gorgonzola Cheese, Mushrooms and Grileld Onions. It was delectable. It was served with vegetables which were also very good.
My girlfriend had the Scallops and they were also delicious (I snuck a bite). They were very large and in an amazing lemon butter type sauce. Definitely a winner.
The server was very nice and kept us very happy.
I could barely walk out of the place after my 16oz steak with fixings!
I'm definitely going back!
Made reservation for a large party (10+ people) on a Saturday night, no problem except;
The 1st warning sign - all the times from 5 PM to 9 PM were available, every other restaurant around Lake Union and downtown were basically booked.
2nd warning sign - Walked in at 6:15 PM and the place only had one group of people at one table and they were finished eating and were in the process of leaving.
3rd warning sign - A band was playing downstairs (wedding party???) and we could hear AND feel the music in the waiting area, and then at our table.
From here on, there was one miscue after another; drinks (which were ordered before the meals) arrived after the salads & soups arrived. The server kept apologizing for just about everything except for the lack of service, and we were the only group in the place until after 7:30 PM.
The food was so-so, on par with the Keg Restaurant, only the price was about $10 more expensive. The Clam Chowder was made with what I suspect, sour cream. There was a strong vinegar-like taste to it.
My steak was just okay ... it came just how I ordered it, rare, which is a feat some restaurants can't seem to master. But alas, it did not appear to be grilled and it was tasteless, absolutely no seasoning was used. The server was kind enough to throw in the cheese/mushroom/onion side when I mentioned it. But then again everybody's vegetable that night was half of a corn on the cob - what a weird select from the chef - Santa Cruz Scampi with a corn on the cob; the Jambalaya with corn on the cob; etc.
Only positive experience - they actually carried Bacardi Gold Rum, not many restaurants and lounges do.
The real bummer though, because we were a large party, the 20% tip was automatically charge on our bill ...
What a joke...
Went here with a friend one weeknight to try something different. Rock salt looks very inviting from the street. They have a cool sign I think.
We walked in and the place was empty, I mean empty. No one was in the dining room, so we opted for the lounge. Two bartenders and two or more servers for MAYBE 5 tables.
I was asked if I knew what I wanted before I had menus, I had a happy hour dilema because The bartender wanted to serve me the happy hour special beer, which was draft, and I had prefered the bottled version, and wasn't worried about the .50 difference in price.
I ended up ordering food off of the happy hour menu because frankly, the main menu had little to offer and the prices were a little steep for the ambiance that this place had. The interior is extremely dated. And judging by the service I didn't expect much from the food. I wasn't paying them a premium for crap. The table next to us ordered Nachos, they looked really good until I got them on my plate. Everything was straight out of a can, I think the chips came out of a can too I'm not kidding. The salsa tasted just like spaghetti sauce. It was disgusting. Service was lame, the server tried to make up for it with a little chit chat, he sucked at making a good impression.
I got my lifetime fix of rock salt, and don't ever plan on returning.
Excuse me, I have a very important announcement to make: Happy Hour 3 to 9 pm!! Three. To. Nine. Do I even have to say anything else?
OK, I will anyway. They had a wide range of appetizers, from nachos to clams and mussels, and all were really well-priced. The draft beers we had were $3 and fancy-shmancy drinks like margaritas and mojitos were $5. I can't comment on the regular menu, but the place itself was pretty classy. (I didn't fit in there.)
Plus, just a hint: go on their website and request a free coupon!
Great service. I mean fabulous. I usually don't extend that sort of a compliment having been a waitress for several years, myself. The food was pretty good. Not amazing. Decent. Maybe it was just what we ordered. Giant Prawn Cocktail was good, but a little bland. I like mine with a punch, not a tickle of flavour. My hubby's fish & chips was pretty good. Again, not amazing, but decent. Edible.
Easy to get into the restaurant after 8pm, as they cater (so it seems) to an older crowd who likes to have dinner between 5 & 7. Prices are reasonable for a steakhouse. You could spend a lot or a little, depending on what you order. They have a great selection of seafood & at a fair market price. I'll have to go back for happy hour to sample some cheap nibbles & libation. I'll definitely be back, though.
Based on the previous reviews, I assumed that this place would be a hit or miss. It was a hit for me.
I haven't tried the Met, Mortons, or any of the more pricier steak houses in Seattle but honestly, you definitely get quality for cheaper. I would have easily paid 40 bucks for the $26 14 ounce prime rib I had. It was juicy and cooked to perfection. I warn you, the horseradish they use is STRONG. I thought I was eating Wasabi but it complimented the prime rib very well.
I'm a 22 year old girl and I devoured this 14 ounce prime rib in 7 minutes. Either I'm a beast or it truly was delicious. Maybe a bit a both =)
Also, I recommend the clam chowder! One of the best I've had.
Service was awesome. View was pretty. Ambiance was casual with an upscale vibe. Perfect for people who want to experience fine dining for half the price!
I went here for lunch last week with a former co-worker to catch up on dirt. I have to say, I was not too excited when she chose Rock Salt as our meeting place... I mean... of all the places we could go (she had a car and no job to get back to, and well, everybody knew who I was having lunch with and didn't expect me back anytime soon), she wants to have lunch across the street from where I work??!?!? Gaaahhh!!
Anyhoo... she already knew what she wanted (Dungeness Crab Louie), and I opted for the prime rib dip sandwich. Her salad looked delightful and not remotely healthy... just the way I like it! My sammich was meh... served with sauteed red onions and Gouda cheese on a french roll (for maximum jus soakage). It is unlike me to complain about things being too salty (kinda like me saying there's too much butter or cream in something), but there you go... the jus was like a salt lick in a cup. Bravely, I pressed on sans jus... but the problem now was that without the jus... the sandwich was just too bready. Harrumph! I wound up just eating the meat (not overcooked = yay!) and onions. And my fries were cold. So basically, I wound up paying $10.50 for a little pile of meat and onions.
...and the water guy was wearing buckets of cologne... aren't there rules about that in a restaurant?
The best thing about this experience was the fact that we were seated at the window overlooking the water and it was a gorgeous sunny day.
Admittedly, I was well on my way to disliking this place before I even set foot in it. I guess I'd try it again... if someone else is paying. It's a shame since it IS so close to work...but them's the breaks... next time: Dim Sum YUMMMM!!! (It's been a whole 4 days!)
I work next door to Rock Salt so it's a convenient place for lunch. The interior is a blast from the '80's - including the disco ball in the lounge. The restaurant is equally dated but the food is decent and well priced and there is a nice view of Lake Union. Today I had a French Dip with a salad. One thing I like is you can opt for fries, salad, or soup with no upcharge; pretty nice. I suspect they have a new chef because the French Dip used to come with smoke gouda and grilled red onion - YUM-E. No more. Now it's a traditional French Dip just like any other place with a French Dip on the menu. However, you can request the old version and they are happy to accomodate. The sevice is very good and the staff is typically very friendly.
The lounge has a nice Happy Hour from 4:00 - 7:00 M-F! $4 wells and a nice, if not creative, cheap appetizer menu. If you go ask for Preston, he's very fun and you'll get great service.
Spent most of the day here for a planning retreat. As far as conference rooms go, it was adequate. The lighting was good and they kept us stocked with plenty of drinks and snacks, but I thought the temperature was a little on the brisk side.
I've been to several similar catered business events and I have to say they did a good job with the lunch. They had a nice salad with 3 options for dressing, a tray of veggies (including roasted red pepper), a basket of bread (rolls, baguettes, slices), a pile of assorted lunch meats, a fruit platter and a vegetable pasta with cream sauce.
Everything I had was fresh and I was impressed with how good the fruit was. Usually at these kinds of places they use hard and tasteless melons and call it good. The pasta was surprisingly good: firm, not mushy, with a nice assortment of well-cooked veggies. Also, they had cookies and brownies in the afternoon that were warm and fresh-baked.
I didn't have high expectations for catered lunch, but I would go back here.
I've been to Rock Salt several times and always had a great time there, until this last weekend. So, I'm a little disappointed to have to give it such a mixed review.
Rock Salt has always been a great place to catch a happy hour. Good food, good beer selection and a great view from the bar.
However, this time was much different. We arrived late Saturday night to find about a half dozen bouncers & security guards outside. Now, I have no problem with security, but let's just say the bouncers comments were inappropriate and not appreciated by our party.
Got inside and they were charging a $23 cover for my wife & I. We had another couple with us, so that's $46 just to get in the door. I have no problem paying a cover to help out a local band, but $46 just to sit down at Rock Salt is definately not worth it.
Sorry Rock Salt, but we took our business down to McCormick & Schmick's, had a couple drinks and some food for half the price we would have paid just to enter your establishment.
So, lesson learned. Rock Salt, great for a Happy Hour, but definately not my scene for a Saturday night.
Normally, I wouldn't eat at a place like this. I'm a poet and work at a non-profit (Read: Broke.). I live on Vietnamese sandwiches and frozen pizza, but it was the Fourth of July, and my cousin Lauren was in town, so we decided to hit Rock Salt because we'd heard it has a nice view of the fireworks at Gasworks. Did it ever. We sat on the north side of the restaurant and could see right across the lake. Worth the prices alone. But maybe not worth the $20 we had to pay for valet parking because there was no street parking for miles. Ehhhh... maybe it was worth that too.
The food was great. I had the seafood fettuccine; Lauren had the Crab Louie; Jaime had the salmon. We were all impressed. I didn't try any of theirs, but the fettuccine was Cheesecake Factory-sized. I couldn't even finish it, and I usually clear my own plate and everyone else's. I'm like the family dog. I wasn't impressed with the calamari appetizer though. It was rubbery, oddly moist, and the breading came off like frozen chicken nuggets in the microwave. I wouldn't recommend it at all.
If I had the cash, I'd eat at Rock Salt all the time. A great place for special occasions or somewhere to take your lady when you've done something stupid and you need to make up for it. Tell her to order one of the $50 steaks. You might even get some.
Nice location, good food, great service.
I went here with my boyfriend's sisters and mom for a girls' night out. I had clam chowder soup and their crab louis salad, which were both pretty darn good (especially after the one I had at Weird Fish in SF). My only gripe about the salad was that they put black olives on it. Honestly, I didn't know that restaurants (beyond pizzerias) used black olives.
I also sampled their prime rib. I think I don't love prime rib. What part of the cow is it? I'm much more of a tenderloin girl, I realized.
For desserts, I tried their creme brulee (not the best I've ever had, but I'd order it from them) and their marion crisp (kinda bleh).
Also, had a sidecar. Very well made. My boyfriend's sisters also seemed satisfied with their cocktails.
Our server was fantastic and the manager popped by a couple times to check on our meal.
Again, good food, great service, good location. I probably wouldn't crave anything I had here, but it's a solid destination to begin a night out.
Oh, the Yelp descriptor says attire is dressy. Sooo not the case. Dress however you want. You can stroll in in shorts or you can be all dressed up for a night on the town.
I really like this place. The slightly dated interior is comfy (hey...I am an 80s child), and the view from the main area is great.
The service in the lounge for happy hour is not super-speedy (at least on Saturdays), but it's not awful. The happy hour menu is pretty good -- *and* 3-9PM, which, can't complain. ;) I'd recommend the beer -- the mixed drinks were poured with a pretty light hand. The happy hour food is super cheap -- and pretty good.
As for entrees, I've only had the fish & chips, which are very tasty, if a little pricey. (The Microsoft Prime discount definitely helps).
I'd definitely recommend this place for an easy dinner, or a lazy happy hour.
I've eaten here twice in the past year. Had I written a review back in December when I first went (before I knew about yelp), the place probably would have received 4.5 stars. However, my experience yesterday would receive a 2, so I'm compromising with myself at a 3.
December: Went with the BF for his birthday dinner. We made reservations and ended up showing a bit early so had some HH in the lounge. Service was decent and the food was pretty good. Portions were so large that we were a bit full by the time we made it to our seats for dinner. Overall, the dinner itself was quite delicious and the service was great. Our waitress was extremely friendly and attentive. Our food was cooked just the way we ordered it. The visit only gets 4 stars because I think the food is a bit overpriced and my steak wasn't as flavorful as I would have expected from their menu description (read bland).
Yesterday: Two friends from school and I decided to meet up there for HH. We sat in the lounge. We ordered beers and it turns out their tap had suddenly stopped working and the only beers we could get were the gross ones (such as Miller Lite, etc.). The waiter was fairly quick in bringing out other drinks though once he informed us of the mishap. When our food came it was ehhhh. I had a quesadilla and the bottom tortilla was probably more grease than anything else. The salsa was decent to put on it, which covered the taste of grease nicely. My friend had a Caesar salad and some chicken wings. She loved her salad but it turns out her chicken wings were also ridiculously greasy (more than they normally should be). My other friend had a cheeseburger and a salad, with no real complaints. However, during the entire meal we had fabulous service (possibly because they were only a few other people there) and we only left when the men at the bar started getting a little drunk and ornery. Prices during HH are cheap and maybe even worth the amount of grease I ended up ingesting.
A wonderfuly classy steak and seafood place. Right on Lake Union, this is a super place for a fancy evening out or a cool place to dine and relax. Get some drinks and watch the boats go by. They have a really cool decor... lighting that is pointed up at the walls to backlight silohuettes of different horizons. A little bit of a southwestern feel, but basically a classy, low-light atmosphere. They close a little early on weekends (10pm or so) so they can have a live band or club thing.
The first time my girlfriend and I came here for dinner, we had the best food ever. She ordered the swordfish and I ordered the sea bass. The portion and taste were superb. We've also been back for lunch, and the view and atmosphere is great on a sunny day. This place is romantic but not stuffy.
Free Gift Certificate
Neighborhood: Belltown
$25 Gift Card Bonus
Bellevue, WA
Neighborhood: Queen Anne
Category: Seafood
Seattle, WA
Category: Steakhouses
Seattle, WA
Category: Lounges
Seattle, WA
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Queen Anne
Category: Sandwiches
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