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given that i walked in with a SF giants hat and the chef had a dodgers hat on. this experience was very very good.
our server was great, she thought we had ordered enough food and didnt push us into ordering more even though we would have. i had the crab benedict which was SO good. very delicate but with great texture from the muffin. the coffee was excellent as well and the wait staff very very nice.
Serviceable food, but in an area where the tourist is king, it's better than others in the area. It's one of those places where there's something for everyone, and even the pickiest eater will find something to make him happy.
The two times I've been to this restaurant, I've ordered seafood. Both times the fish has been done perfectly -- no dry, overcooked fishy fish here! You can't go wrong with seafood here. Also really enjoyed the roasted broccoli side dish I had on my last visit. It's large, so there was plenty to share with my two fellow diners.
The only really avoidable thing here is the poutine. Very light on with the gravy and cheese curds. And the cheese curds are TINY little flecks, sprinkled carelessly on semi-dry fries aching for gravy. SAD FACE.
But other than the MASSIVE POUTINE FAIL, it's not bad. Not memorable, but not horrible. You could do worse.
You know...Beecher's cheese curds usually make everything better...but not poutine. Not so much. Poutine should not have cheese curds all over it. This is a first for me! Take note of this! I love cheese! And I love Beecher's! But the curds on my poutine was...weird to me.
Not to mention the dish was gigantic. I guess I was envisioning a smaller bowl w/ the fries in them, drowning in gravy, but it was more like gravy drowning in fries.
This doesn't mean they were bad b/c really, they were quite good, but I had to push aside a lot of the curd action b/c there was simply just too much.
We also ordered the veggie chili - which was good...but I think there was either too much cumin/coriander/cinnamon (?) or some other spice that starts w/ a c in there.
Bloody mary was very good - and our service was prompt and friendly. I like the space itself - esp the bar.
We'll prolly come back for a normal meal - but we'll prolly order something other than the poutine & veg chili.
Probably the best casual dining spot downtown.
I ordered the fried smelt appetizer and Heirloom beet tartare salad. both very good in their own way. The smelt order was large enough for a meal. and it all looked to pretty....
I got the wyugu flat iron steak with a gorgonzola steak butter. done perfectly. My wife's souther fried half chicken with brown gravy was to die for. You sure will not leave this place hungry.
The service was top notch and the casual feel was very comfortable.
We came back once again two weekends ago, and were promptly greeted with a complimentary slice of the caviar slice appetizer. It was beautiful: 4 different kinds of caviar, from yellow gradiating to black, thickly laid on top of seasoned cream cheese, on a bed of capers, other accompaniments and bread crustinis. Delicious!
I had a "Rich Boy" sandwich for dinner (which unfortunately is NOT spicy), and my girlfriend had a vegetarian stew. Though their beer selection was running low by 9pm, I managed to have a local Scotch ale (not Kilt Lifter, I forget by who) and a blonde to match my meal quite nicely. My girlfriend chose from their nice and often affordable wine list. In all, we got out of there for about $70 including 3 drinks and tip... awesome!
There's little innovation in food today. There's bistros, there's crappy Chinese, there's sushi,… Read more »
I worried that this place was going to be a tourist trap with cruddy food whose sole success is based on amazing real estate.
I was WRONG. Totally wrong. Except for the amazing real estate part - that I was right on about. The bar is an energetic, lovely place to sit for a couple hours. And there is a small and charming back patio, albeit with no real view. But whatevs! It's still a patio.
The chicken and andouille sausage gumbo is reason enough to go. Spicy, and with an amazing, silky, nutty roux. I've got roots in the south, and this gumbo was a happy place for me to go.
Went on a Monday night and the place was absolutely hopping. Real estate might have something to do with it, but the overall quality of every course is probably the deciding factor.
OH and the wine list is AWESOME and not expensive! Our server was also a great help - he knew his way around the list and pointed us to a great bottle for under $50. Yahoo!
Hands down the best crab cakes I've ever had anywhere in the world!
Fun location and friendly staff. Lots of interesting and good options, vegetarian or otherwise. This place seems to specialize in seafood in particular. Anyway, I ordered their steamed cauliflower w/capers and orange, and corn w/chili and vinegar, and both were delicious. The cauliflower was, as expected, a bit on the bland side, but hot chili sauce was readily available.
For those who are interested, they also have quite a few fancy desserts, a full bar and an extensive drink (alcohol) menu, along with non-alcoholic drinks. (By the way, this place may not be a great place to take young children, what with the full bar right in full view upon entering the restaurant).
Parking can be sort of painful around this area, and the restaurant was packed when we came. Still, we didn't have much waiting time, and I think everyone in my group enjoyed the experience. I might not go out of my way to eat here, but it was nonetheless a satisfying experience.
This place was absoutely packed on a thursday night but there were some seats at the chefs counter to take without an hour wait so we did. We had a nice view of the chaos in the kitchen, kinda like watching Top Chef in real life, and the waiter was very nice. We ended up getting an appetizer "compliments of the chef" which I thought was so nice, but some fish was skin on it so I passed and let my boyfriend dig in. I ordered the Vegetarian Chili which was so full of fresh ingredients and so full of flavor I could have ordered 2 or 3. My boyfriend got the Wagyu Beef Burger and it looked juicy and delicious. This was a great find, great food, and great service!
We take most of our out of town guests here because this unpretentious place boosts a pretty nice menu with lots of seasonal varieties. They have both sandwiches/salads/soups, as well as, entrees so you can really chose how much you'd like to spend. The chef is from Louisiana so the menu has a somewhat southern flare. You must get the collard greens. They are wonderful!
Sit by the window or out on the patio for a beautiful view of the sound!
I met Kevin Davies, the Chef and owner at Lamb Jam a couple of weeks ago where his recipe for Braised Lamb Shanks with Balsamic-Mission Fig Conserva and Truffled Hominy Polenta won for best dish. We were looking for a restaurant to go to before going to a concert at McCaw Hall and decided on the spot that Steelhead Diner was definitely going to be the place to take our friends from out of town.
I talked to the Chef about his vegetarian dishes as I was going to bring my daughter and her friend who are both vegetarians. He has several dishes on the menu that are vegetarian and fabulous, especially his Ribollita Soup which had amazing flavor!
I had a steak that was delicious and perfectly cooked, my friends tried the pork chop on sweet potato hash and it was incredibly moist and full of flavor.
There wasn't one thing that 7 of us ordered that wasn't amazing! This staff is great, the location fun and we will definitely be returning soon as we want to make Steelhead Diner our first choice when dining anywhere near Pike Place Market!
I've always been a fan of Kevin's cause he's so nice. I have to say the food here is definitely worth the price... In fact I'd pay more. I don't quite have a favorite item. I love the fried chicken sandwich, and I love the fish and chips. Really, it's all good... Even the Poutine (which is not quite as good as at Union). The service is friendly and they don't do the checking in on you 3 minutes into your meal. The one downside though was that the pipes above the table were sweaty which led to the occasional drip. But yeah, this is a great place and it's not really a touristy place, so don't fear. And the prices aren't as high as you'd think.
As others have said, the space and atmosphere are great, and the drink menu goes on for many pages. What I liked about the drinks was the variety of non-alchoholic ones, and I had a minty creation that was quite refreshing. The fall menu had just come out and it was quite creative. I had a beet (no, not beef) tartar with yucca chips and that was quite good. The bean stew had yummy bread crusts in it and a spicy flavor...until five minutes later when all the bread got soggy. I told me that they should be served on the side, but that was my only complaint. I saved room for the chocolate pecan pie, which was a good idea!
No pressure to leave, a nice big booth just for the one of me, and a nice view of the harbor.
OMG! Even if I'm roaming about a semi-unfamiliar city alone for the day, nothing will get in the way of my dining options. When a girl is hungry, a girl is hungry. I have no qualms about dining alone. With all that said, this is my first solo food endeavor (take out doesn't count). Yeah, a whole lot of experience I'm spewing from. But I'm so glad Steelhead was my de-virginizer for this very occasion.
As I stepped into this very modern feel, yet comfy place, I was quickly greeted by a few of the staff. One of the fine dining attendants asked if I would like a table or the bar. I quickly responded: "The seat with the bestest view in the hizzle my bro." He politely, but enthusiastically mentioned: "For rizzle my nizzle gurl. I have the right seatizzle for you." Okay, he didn't say that nor did i say "hizzle". I said house. But the seat for my party of one was available for me to park my tush and daydream away my time before the food gets to me and takes up my full attention. The bartender/dining attendant was super friendly and nice to offer up the best choice of beer from their fine tap selection (bottled brews available too).
As much as I heard about all the hype about the wagyu, I felt like chicken. Food came out pretty quick, so it quelled the hunger pains. The buttermilk fried chicken sandwich topped w/tangy slaw and speared w/a pickled pepper was satisfying. I almost felt like I was eating healthy despite the "fried" appeal to the sandwich. It was neither greasy nor heavy filling except for the heap of crispy golden brown fries that accompanied the dish that I couldn't stop shoving into my pie hole. Each chicken chunk was thick and juicy of white meat. So after every few scrumptious bite I took, I took a quick glance over to the lovely, calming landscape/water view. Sigh, this is the life.
Too filled and slightly disappointed that I didn't plan ahead to make room for dessert (so that's why I eat w/people...so I can share...dang it). The lady next to me had the black velvet cake. It was topped with almond slivers, coconut shavings and ice cream. Lookin' fine...yum om nom nom.
It wasn't a bad experience. Food - good: check. View - awesome: check. Staff - friendly: check. As for eating a la solo, here's my thought: Han Solo is cool, so therefore "Solo" dining is cool (unless I want to try a lot, then uncool). yes, i know...corny and makes no sense...whatever...good food...
How lucky am I to grab lunch at Steelhead Diner during their "3 courses for $15" special? I opted for a late afternoon lunch and took a seat at a table on my own.
Starting me off was some bread and butter with olive oil. Talk about getting into the indulgence right away.
Appetizer:
* Cup of Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo "With Hempler's Andouille Sausage" - It was cold out and this was warm to the soul. It had a dark rue with a sprinkling of white rice and scallions on top. The sausage had a good flavor, and the chicken, green and red peppers all contributed to a hearty meal. I was already getting full off the first course!
Entree:
* Lemon Crusted Neah Bay Coho Salmon "With Olsen Farms Potatoes & Nettle Pesto" - I don't usually like to order cooked fish, but I figure I'm in Seattle and better order salmon at some point. It was a generous portion of fish, and the potatoes were sitting on a lovely bed of pesto. It was definitely a hearty entree. The lemon crust was great, not overly lemony and the salmon was cooked perfectly. My stomach told me to stop eating since I had dessert coming, but I think I still took a few more bites.
* Theo's Chocolate Pecan Pie "With Cocoa Nibs & Bourbon Chantilly Creme" - I'm not one for pecan pie usually, but after visiting Theo's Factory the other day, I was intrigued. The whipped cream was lightly sweetened, the nibs decorated the plate, and the pie was sweet and creamy. The crust was a bit too hard though, as in unbreakable. Once I got a bite of the cream, nibs, and pie all together, it was pretty good.
Overall, service was good and food was good. I'm so glad I had a chance to check out the Steelhead Diner on my visit to Seattle. It was such a hearty lunch for such a fabulous price!
I was hoping for a better experience in customer service and food presentation, but was not fulfilled.
The atmosphere is excellent! Nice view of the Sound, great colors and furniture throughout. This is the best feature of the restaurant. The food was blah and uninspired. The service was poor at best. Maybe the most important is that I wasn't comfortable! We had coats and no one offered to take them. I can get that treatment at Denny's where I can purchase heartburn and a Grand Slam for 1/10th the cost.
If I've got $50 burning a hole through my pocket and a woman at my side, I wouldn't make the Steelhead Diner my first choice.
The food here was very very good. It would get 5 stars from me if it were a little less expensive. Their admittedly phenomenal crabcake costs $16. A comparatively small cup of gumbo costs $8. I will definitely go back.
In A Nutshell:
*One of my best friend's from highschool always takes me out when I come to visit the Emerald City. This go around was to Steelhead Diner.
*The prices were steep for proportions you get, but hey I guess we're paying for the real estate this restaurant sits on (Pike Place Market).
*The service was extremely SLOW.
*The two fish dishes we ordered were A-OK, nothing special. I figured they would be better since we were next to Pike Place Market.
Overall, I wouldn't come here again. The IPA on draft was SUPER GOOD though, so I might come back for a glass and pass on the food!
1. buttermilk fried chicken sandwich....check
2. raspberry hanger vodka on the rock....check
3. beautiful view of pike place market....check
4. watching all the tourist come in and out of the restaurant asking to use the bathroom...check
5. seeing the bum pee in front of the restaurant while dining here ...double check!!!
The food was decent for touristy type food, and the drink was strong but the view was of the bum peeing while the sun was setting was magnificent.
Is it the fact that I don't look like a career women? Is it the pink headband? Is it the boyfriend in the flannel? What ever it is I am often given shitty service at nice places. This place being one of the wost experiences I've had in that department.
My first time to Seattle I wanted to enjoy a nice lunch. I choose Steelhead because they had a beautiful outdoor patio that overlooked Pike Market. As soon as I was seated and had a chance to look over the menu I was hit with regret. The menu is very limited. It's the same for both lunch and dinner which was a bust. I settled on a pulled pork sandwich. The highlight of my meal ended up being the French fries. Like any red blooded American I've eaten a lot of French fries but these were fantastic. My sandwich was eh, It had a few disgusting chucks of fat that left me scared to take additional bites.
Both my boyfriend and I had empty drinks that were never filled for the majority of the time we were there. Our waitress pretty much labeled us at younger people who don't tip and neglected us. The fact of the matter is that I am a great tipper but it's a self fulfilling prophecy on there part because I give them a bad tip because they give me horrible service.
screw them in there bourgeouis assholes, to bad there menu sucks and there food is meh.
I've been here 2 or 3 times now and I have not been let down. This restaurant is unique for may reasons.
One being that it has a diner/upscale restaurant feel to it. The menu is of course primarily comprised of seafood, but there is a nice selection of vegetable dishes as well. The food is VERY tasty and the portions are just right. It is a little pricey but not outrageously so.
I don't normally eat seafood since I am a vegetarian, but when I come to Seattle I indulge myself and when I do think of this place to go to because of how fresh the the fish is.
Lastly, I think its wonderful that a husband and wife own this place and their story is very charming. You can tell a lot of love goes into this place.
Wow, this was one of my better dinner experiences in Seattle. We went on a Saturday night, without a reservation and got seated in about 30 minutes. It was packed and a bit noisy, but the food was out of this world.
We got the Jumbo Dungeness Crab Cake with Crispy Parsley & Sauce Louis to start, it was great! Mark got a Flash Fried Pacific Oyster Po-Boy and I got Pulled Pork with Tangy Cole Slaw Dressing. We got a Watermelon Salad for dessert that was infused with chili powder and lime. Sounds weird, tasted amazing.
Stopped by for lunch after Matt's in the Market couldn't seat us until 1:45 and totally glad that Matt's was full because Steelhead Diner was definitely solid! There wasn't anything really diner-ish about the place except for some comfort food items on the menu. But the dining room itself was modern and spacious, and they also have a small outdoor section which was a plus on a summer day and really let's you experience the Market.
The menu has many selections from appetizers, soups, and salads, to sandwiches to entrees. With a group of four, we had to try quite a few dishes and most were delicious! We started off with some raw oysters. They only had one variety (kumamoto), but they were very fresh and tasted very good, even in July. I've noticed a slip in the quality at some of the other local restaurant with their bivalves but certainly not here. We also tried the mussels in "purgatory" which was served with garlic, chile, chorizo, and orange zest. These were some of the plumpest mussels I have seen and perfectly cooked. The appetizer was $14, but was easily a meal in itself. The crab cake was also solid, with a bonus piece of lump crab meat on the top and served with Louis sauce. We also tried a couple sandwiches including a fried chicken (a little bland) and a pulled pork sandwich (definitely more flavorful).
The one thing I really appreciated about Steelhead Diner is the quality of the food and preparation. Food tasted like the ingredients and was not masked by excessive spices or seasonings. The wine/beer list offers some interesting options and is very heavy on local faves. Our selections included a Sauvignon Blanc from Cedergreen and a variety of brews including Deschutes Obsidian Stout, Pike Place Monk Tripel, and MacTarnahan's IPA. We also tried a few desserts including a giant sundae, sorbet (almost as big), and simple berries drizzled with local honey, which was the simplest yet most enjoyable dessert.
Overall, I would definitely go back and try a few other items on the menu. With most of the items under $20 and with generous portions and a great location, it's a place I'll definitely return to in the near future.
Both the service and the food at this place were mediocre. My sister and I visited last year after being interested in their menu on Dine Around Seattle. We were promptly seated when we entered, however, we were the ONLY table in our area that did not receive any bread (there were about 3-4 others around us). What was that about?! Asians do eat bread, yanno.
Starter: Organic Spring Mix Salad = Okay, nothing special, but did not like the cherries.
Entree: Blackened Idaho Stream Raised Catfish with Creole Meuniere & Tangy Cabbage Salad = Salt-Fest!
Dessert: Chocolate Mousse = Nothing special. They ran out of what we wanted, so we settled with that.
I will never come back to this place ever again because of the bread incident and our waiter was nowhere to be found during our meal! We had to flag someone down to refill our waters. Also, when we were finished, we had to wait an eternity for him to come back to us so we could ask for the bill! He was off chatting with other staff and polishing glasses out in front!
I have this conflicted memory of the name of the place - it invokes fish, like perhaps northwest fare, but in truth, this is a southern-inspired american restaurant with some serious soul!
First, I'll say that the fried chicken and the gumbo are as good as I've had in New Orleans, if not better. This makes sense, as the chef is supposedly from New Orleans, so at least there's some credibility here.
There are a number of reviews already, so I'll keep it short. I find this place authentic, delicious, and with a great atmosphere among pike place market mediocrity. Prices are not pleasant, but they're not unreasonable either.
I strongly recommend this place, especially for a long lunch. Come check it out!
The sweet lord has answered my prayers... another good option for Southern inspired fixin's.
The fried catfish here was amazing. Goat cheese salad is great. Drinks have made me a believer! I wasn't super impressed with the oyster po-boy, but I was reaching beyond my normal tastes for that one.
This place is so unassuming, yet delivers almost every time we go. The sidecars here are sweet--made me consider it my goto drink.
Oh, did I mention the pound cake melted my brain with it's awesomeness? That's right, I'm writing this review from the hospital recovering from Delicioucampus Overload!
Not that this place needs another review, but I had to reiterate just how good the gumbo is at Steelhead.
I have wandered past Steelhead countless times while in the Market looking for brunch/lunch/dinner, but for various reasons had never elected to eat here. I finally had the opportunity on Friday when a friend had his rehearsal dinner here.
The meal started with the fried Beecher's cheese curds and the fried chicken spring rolls - both of which were fantastic. The soup and salad course included a cup of gumbo.
Now, I spent a good deal of my childhood in SE Texas and SW Louisiana. My mother's family is straight-up coon ass from New Iberia and Hammond, LA. I mastered the art of making gumbo from various relatives including some who don't speak what most would identify as "English." I know just how dark I can get a roux without burning it (a delicately and time-critical sense). I have tasted many variations of "gumbo" , most of which are simply vegetable soup with "Cajun" seasoning. So trust me when I tell you that the gumbo here is among the richest, most flavourful, and most authentic you'll find anywhere. The only improvement I can imagine is substituting the chicken with fresh wild duck, but alas, we're a few months too late for duck season.
In addition to the gumbo, the Kasu marinated black cod really stood out as well. Of the three entrees offered (family style) this dish garnered the most attention from the guests. Perfectly cooked and teeming with flavor, it is not to be missed.
As the other 155 reviews assert, the desserts, staff, and views were also top notch, so I won't bore you with redundancy. I will strongly urge you to go try the gumbo now though, because I'm going to eat it all soon.
A co-worker has been recommending Steelhead Diner for a while now, and we've finally gotten around to trying it (thanks to a 1.5 hour brunch wait at our favorite spot, Cafe Campagne).... and we're glad we did! Brunch was amazing (Eggs Jeremy omlette is the only way to go!). The atmosphere was laid back and the service was friendly. But the food, mmm... so delicious! They even have some gourmet salt and pepper on the table that was just to die for when we added it to our menu items. There are great views if you reserve one of the tables by the window or sit on the patio.
One of the best lunch spots at the market (nice atmosphere, great view, yummy food). Slightly expensive however. We tried the pulled pork sandwich...$12 but definitely worth it. the meat was not too dry and it was not too saucy (could be bad for those who like 'em wet). We also tried the rich boy sandwich which i didn't like as much b/c it was too salty ($13).
Not too many dishes to choose from for $15 and under (entree-wise) . There were about 10 dishes ranging from $18-30ish however for fresh seafood and whatnot. A bit out of my range.
Dessert menu looked great but we didn't try any. Creme brulee. Pecan pie. Black velvet oh my! (around $9)
This evening began with the best of intentions...just got some good news at work and wanted to take my partner out for a nice, out of the ordinary dinner. Looked on Open Table and it appeared that Steelhead had a lot of availability, so made a same-day reservation for 730 pm. Arrived on-time, seated in the back room (where others were also being seated) fairly quickly.
A female server brought the drink menu/wine list and told us that another server would be taking our order but that they would be working out table as a team. That was the last time we saw her until we were finally leaving at 930 pm.
The high point of the evening was that our water glass was kept full by the server assigned that task. The food was good, but the overall experience was flawed.
The service was slow, and I felt alternately ignored and rushed...must take real effort to send that kind of mixed signal. After waiting for our entrees for over an hour, the steak and the halibut arrived, but without the side (and without a steak knife for the steak). At least 10 minutes after the main dishes arrive, a side-order of Yukon potatoes arrived. Kinda late....
We really wanted to like Steelhead, choosing to drive downtown after work from West Seattle for a nice dinner. Please, get your servers oriented around what good service looks like, and get your kitchen on point to send dishes out with appropriate timing. I HATE to spend over $100 on a decent meal accompanied by mediocre service.
There's so much to choose from on SD's menu (w/o being overwhelming), and everything I've ever ordered has been delicious. the caviar pie is a must each time I come here - the vibrant colors, the flavors that literally pop in your mouth, the decadence of eating good-quality fish eggs by the spoonful.
at the other end of the luxury spectrum is poutine. fries covered in gravy and cheese curds. but it's just as satisfying (if not more) and utterly yummy. Try it for $2 off during HH and pair it with any type of booze. i like whiskey on the rocks.
Steelhead always participates in the "30 for $30" program that happens a couple times a year, and serves both lunch and dinner at prix fixe prices. I had the pleasure of having lunch here on my bday this year, which consisted of beet tartare, blackened catfish, and chocolate pecan pie (made w/ Theo chocolate, no less). It was one of the best lunches ever. and for $15, one of the least expensive for the quality of ingredients.
The service has been consistently great, HH specials are decent, and the small deck in the back provides nice alternative seating in the summer (although there isn't much of a view). I really, really like SD. Love hasn't happened yet, but with one more bite of caviar pie, i have a feeling it just might.
It's springtime, and I've been missing the market, so heading back for adventures there recently. Tis the season.
Somehow I missed Steelhead diner all this time. I don't know how. It's a little bit hidden, I suppose, kind of in a half-block. But there is a patio in the back area, too, so I don't know how it happened.
This place is cool. And it has good food. And service.
But I guess I could be a LITTLE more specific. How about a compare/contrast example? I had Sunday brunch at Bacco, and it was ok, but unremarkable. It was cramped, the crab benedict they feature on the menu had shredded crab (not lump), the service was ok but preoccupied by everyone, and the smoothie was good, but again, just ok.
Then I tried Steelhead on another Sunday. They feature a crab benedict that had tons of mixed lump and shredded crabmeat, but it was way fresher. You know how you can just tell that kind of thing. The Hollandaise was delicious, and loaded on two toasted pieces of bread. The eggs were perfectly poached, a miracle! They ran all over the dish in a gooey mess, nice and easy, exactly like I like it on Sunday morn.
The waiter was super friendly, and interesting with knowledge of all kinds of subjects, and you can tell he really takes pride in his work. He made a mimosa with grapefruit, and remembered that that drink is great with a splansh of Cointreau, and he was right. Excellent.
On another occasion I tried their caviar pie -- a gorgeous dish with colorful rows of caviar atop a creamy cheese base, surrounded by freshly diced red onion, capers, and bits of egg, aside pieces of melba toast. It's really beautiful, and delicious, too. Apparently the chef designed this dish, so it is also unique -- well done. Very rich and decadent, but at $15 for all that caviar, what a deal.
Also, the chairs are lined up along the bar at an angle, making it easy to cozy up -- a small detail but that they even thought of that says a lot. The inside is spacious and classy, and there's also a patio out back.
Also, they feature foods you can buy within a few block in the market -- like Uli's sausage, and Beechers cheese.
Can't get much better than all that. There's so much more on the interesting menu I want to check out, too, and now that I've been broken in, I'll be sure to be back.
PROS: Interesting, unique dishes that are generous in portions, and cooked great. Cool interior and comfortable space. Fresh, local food! Reasonably priced for what you get.
CONS: I haven't found any yet. Nice place!
You ever get really excited for a meal? Or trying a new restaurant? Well, I do. I totally dork out. I research menus, wine lists, and of course, check yelp before I go. That it what I did for Steelhead.
Reservations were made for several of us lovely ladies a few days in advance for Easter brunch. Coincidentally, a couple of my customers at the winery raved about it the day before Easter... I was excited.
Our server Keri, was as patient as could be. We took our time trying to decide what to order, everything looked sooo good. There were some cheese curds to start. Basically, fried cheese. Yum. Came with a delicious mustard sauce and a tarter sauce, both which paired well with cheese. Also, yummy bread and oil and butter as well. Great way to start.
Everyone except for me ordered the crab eggs Benedict (which has a funny name like the "sequimble" or something like that) and I think I may get it next time. There were huge chunks of lump crab meat. Delicious. I ordered the bubble and squeak which was potatoes topped with brisket, cabbage, and two perfectly poached eggs. Something to note: the shaker that looks like pepper is actually salt. Cici discovered that after the fact.
Now lets move on to the.... SWEET NOTHINGS (whisper it, it sounds sexy) aka dessert. I was told upon my arrival I was to order the lemon cake. (apparently Heather, Kat and Cici had planned dessert before my arrival). Well, I am GLAD I did. Lemon cake, with a lemon sauce, and marscapone cream on top. Yum. Very lemony, not too heavy, and tasty. Heather got the pecan pie with chantilly cream and cocoa nibs. I tried it, and it wasn't too sweet, which often can be the demise of pecan pie. Kat and Cici tried the quadruple Chocolate layer cake that had toasted coconut and coconut ice cream. Now that is some serious yummyness.
We all left very full and satisfied, and I wistfully hoped someone would continue to whisper "sweet nothings" in my ear.
Loved this place. Walked by and checked out the menu after a not so exciting lunch somewhere else in the market. Wished we had eaten there that day!!! Anyway, went back the next night for dinner my last night in town. I was on a fun date and wanted to go somewhere not to fancy or romantic.
The menu is amazing. So many choices
All wines are from the northwest which is very cool.
Our waiter was very nice. Forget his name but he'd been there 3 yrs. He was very knowledgeable and picked out a great bottle of wine for us. i trusted his choices all the way and let him surprise me with an entree. He chose the wagu beef tri tip with arugula salad. Very good. Also had oysters as an appetizer. Ordered the potato pancakes as a side. they were pretty good. not the best. my date had the halibut and he liked it very much.
Overall the service was excellent and i felt like our waiter did a wonderful job of reading the table and not interrupting us as we were talking a LOT and never felt rushed.
Can't wait to go back . Awesome cute place with great ambience
My sister, visiting from out of town suggested we go somewhere in Seattle with a "view." Having a temporary brain freeze and memory-lapse all I could recollect was Pike Place Market.
Upon arrival we narrowed down our locales to Steelhead Diner, which fit our criteria thanks to a lovely corner view - check! My mom, sister, and I were only mildly hungry so we decided to indulge in some heavy hor d'ourves. We attempted to order calamari but the waiter shook his head sadly. Seriously, what kind of seafood restaurant doesn't have calamari??
Off the starter menu we ordered the flash fried Beecher's cheese curds, chicken spring rolls, and the crabcake. All were plentiful portions, the cheese curds were served with tangy tartar and spicy mustard, the crabcake was decent, but the chicken spring rolls were easily my favorite of the 3. We split a bottle of Pinot Grigio and enjoy the sunset through the corner view. After a second hunger rush, we ordered the cobb salad which arrived in a lettuce bowl (think bread bowl but instead of bread it was lettuce w/salad + dressing inside)
While I wish we'd been order the appetizers at happy hour prices, this place did serve good food, though it's priced are on the high side. Each appetizer was between $10-$14, and the soup I contemplated ordering was $15. While I'm not a big spender, I'm a bit curious about the $23 macadamia nut-encrusted mahi mahi, I might just have to venture a return trip simply to try it. I couldn't see this restaurant becoming a personal favorite or a regular haunt, it's catered more toward the destination you bring out-of-town friends and relatives. A little slice of Pike Place - with a view.
I went here yesterday with my husband and was greatly disappointed. We have an 8 month old, so we are always careful to go to "nicer" establishments at off hours or call ahead. We also make it clear that we are fine being seated in the back, near the kitchen, wherever they want. We went in at about two. Our waitress seemed friendly enough, but after she brought our food she never spoke to us again. A different server brought us our check (no one ever came back to ask if our food was prepared correctly or to our liking) while our first waitress continued to walk around us. It was quite awkward.
The food was equally poor. I ordered the tomato and mozzarella salad. I was excited to try some local heirloom tomatoes and looked forward to seeing how it would be presented. This was BY FAR the worst food presentation I have ever seen. It was swimming in a pool of black and green goo, I don't know if it was tomato juice? Only once I got to the bottom of the "salad" did I see the pesto that was listed on the menu. The "hand-pulled" mozzarella looked to be a generous portion, until I cut into it and the entire center was a baby tomato! Talk about misleading. In all I had about a gumball size ball of cheese and an entire large tomato. The cheese was tough and flavorless. I would have enjoyed a stick of string cheese more, it was about the same texture.
The most obnoxious part was the salt. For a caprese, I use a lot of salt. But when I finally figured out that the black stuff was not pepper, I realized it was smoked salt. It just seemed overly pretentious and unnecessary. I didn't want all my food to taste like liquid smoke.
I got the pulled pork sandwich, which was over-sauced, too spicy, and came with a coleslaw on it which was not listed on the menu. The "baguette" that it came on got soggy very quickly.
My husband got the Wagyu burger that was served on the same bread. I don't believe a burger should ever come on a baguette.
I had been anticipating ordering a dessert, but after two disappointing courses, I wasn't anxious to try anything more.
Good diner food with great service!
I think there must have been about 15 servers or so here at lunchtime yesterday when we were in... and this was a good thing b/c the place was hoppin'! We were seated, brought menus and water almost immediately... and all with a smile.
We started with the fried chicken spring rolls, which were a nice change of pace from a usual spring roll. They were quite good.
I went with the Brutus Salad- a rendition of a Caesar with tasty homemade croutons and a citrus vinaigrette. It was tangy and fresh. My guy had the Rich Boy with Uli's sausage. He thought it was decent, but not amazing.
Though we had some fantastic service here, the food was just good, but not spectacular. With that said, we didn't have the seafood, which is probably what really shines at the Steelhead.
I definitely want to come back here for dinner sometime. It's got an unpretentious feel to it and everyone we with interacted here was sweet as pie.
PS- the bread n' butter & olive oil they start you with is fab!
Funny story that makes this place so memorable.... It was Halloween night and my parents were in town to visit from the East coast.
The "Lady K" and I had a special Halloween treat planned for them that would make this Halloween one to remember.
Knock, knock! It was my parents at the door. Knock, knock again! We couldn't stop giggling as we unlocked the door! The "Lady K" had made a chicken outfit with 15 feather boas for herself and I was dressed up as a giant parrot. We ran around the house squawking as they walked in. On the kitchen table was a cow and farmer John outfit for them to get in to. After we all stopped laughing, we called and cab and went to the Steelhead Diner. Such a fancy place for three animals and a framer to be in. We were the only ones in the place dressed up! What's up Seattle?!?!?!?
The waitress cheered and smiled as she took our order. We ate and drank and took in all the stares we could before we left to catch the El Vez show down the street. Enjoy!
First place I've ever eaten in Seattle and it was only "okay". The service was fairly good, I didn't enjoy the fact that my non-free-refill drink was taken away without an offer/explanation to get another because I did in fact, want more yummy Strawberry Lemonade.
Sadly, the good tastes pretty much end there. For being a place that appeared to be a bit more upscale than any other diner I've been, most of the food seemed just as boring and bland.
While the people I had with seemed to really enjoy the food, none of it really inspired me. I had ordered two dishes and both I ended up just leaving. Not really my style as I enjoy leftovers, but this food just made me feel like it just wasn't worth the trouble in the end.
Summing up, it wasn't horrible, but its not really a place I would ever tell anyone about with a smile on my face, more like a sense of disappointment and regret.
I am forever puzzled when trying to order. I would love to have the oyster po' boy every time, but there's also the crab cake.
And the caviar pie, and the pork that falls apart at the wave of your fork!
And the salmon!
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