Swingside Cafe
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
30 Reviews for Swingside Cafe
We went there for dinner tonight after reading good reviews here. Very disappointed. We didn't have to wait to seat but we had to wait for our dinner at least 40 minutes to come.
Caesar salad was good but our entree (pasta with bolognese and another entree with pasta with marinara sauce) were really salty. Chocolate mousse was our dessert and we couldn't finish it because it wasn't good at all. Overall, really disappointed.
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DELICIOUS! I love this place; one of my favorite places in Seattle. The food is always incredible (the Aglio Olio is amazing), and the owner and staff are wonderful. Very down to earth and very friendly, they make you feel at home. Very good Italian, and very unique. The entire restaurant has a terrific vibe (very homey and warming), and you'll find yourself just hanging out for a few hours having a wonderful meal and friendly conversation with the staff.
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I would like some more please!
Went on the perfect night- a sunny warm Seattle Friday. Did my research ahead of time and attempted to get right in at 7pm and it worked. We were seated at a 2 top on the porch. The porch is not separate from the dining where we were seated- the walls just seemed to disappear.
We were greeted right away and glasses of wine, that were a fab suggestion, came soon after. We were going to order two entrees (the seafood offerings looked amazing) and share- but went for one entree and a large salad instead. When we tried to order the salad we were told that the small would be just fine for splitting... great honesty on their part.
We had the agioli olio(sp?) and it was as wonderful as everyone says. I don't see myself ordering this dish at any other restaurant. Their version was tart, spicy, and plentiful. The noodles were a little on the large side and that is not a negative. We had ordered the Caesar salad and found it full of anchovies flavor(YUM!) and more of a thinner oil based dressing. It was delicious and full of great parm. We were both stuffed even with the entree splitting- trust me- I can eat alot...
This restaurant is very small and they only take reservations for large groups. With the hustle and bustle sometimes things get forgotten- like bread baskets (ones we would have never known were an option until our server said it was on it's way) and water is not always full- but this were little things that happened in a great lovely experience. Brad's is very much a neighborhood Italian restaurant- and also a must try for the above average bordering on fabulous inventive and flavorful pastas. Most prices are on the mid high side- think $15-25.
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Went back to the Brad's for the first time in a few years (didn't see Henry the cat - is he still around??) ... and although it wasn't as amazing as I remembered, it was still an excellent experience.
The service was friendly (without being cloying), informal (without being slacker-ish) and helpful ... in other words, perfect!
There were three of us at dinner and we gorged ourselves on a seafood platter appetizer with amazing salsas (rosso and verde), smoked tuna and ceviche. The freshness and abundance of that appetizer kind of destroyed our appetites for our entrees. I ordered the bolognese, my husband had one of the special pastas off the fresh sheet (bowties w/ four different kinds of cheeses and fresh veggies), and our friend ordered another special pasta involving venison. While everything was good, it was kind of overwhelming. I like rich food, but our pastas were clobber-you-over-the-head rich - there was no subtlety. We shared our dishes and everything just seemed to taste the same after awhile. So it was tasty, but not sublime.
Great wine selection, and lots available at good prices for cheapskates like us.
Come early - we arrived at 5:30, and they were almost full by 6.
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First time diners here on July 5.
Every once in a while you run across the meal that hits the spot perfectly. We can all appreciate a finely-prepared meal, but this is different. This went beyond that to the point where the taste of the food was so good that it just.... well, resonates.
I ordered the ravioli and my wife had the sardine pasta dish. We started with the soup special and a side salad. The salad was your typical "weed" salad, but not a stitch of it was bitter. The dressing was sublime.
The soup was a crab summer chowder that left both of us wishing we got individual cups or the bowl as a dinner. I'm a really picky chowder eater, and this was among the top I've ever tasted.
The ravioli comes in a marinara, but there's more olive oil than marinara. I was a little wary at first thinking that the sauce had separated, but that wasn't it at all. Great taste combo. The veggies in it were really great, too. It was beyond fabulous. I managed to save some for lunch the next day, and it reheated better than I was expecting in the microwave.
My wife's sardine pasta was similarly good. The sardines were large, though, and she had to work through many bones. She said the dish was great aside from that one complaint.
Dessert was mousse and gelatto. The orange-chocolate mousse was good, but my wife's caramel gelatto was better.
The pace was a little slower than we're used to, but that is not to say it was slow. It was actually nice not ever feeling like we were rushing through the courses. Service was very cheerful. This is obviously a neighborhood joint, where the locals are greeted by name. Reservations are only for parties of 6 or more.
Dessert, dinner, salad, soup, and one iced tea came to $60 including a good tip an dnot including tax. I've paid a ton more for food that wasn't half as good.
We'll be back for sure.
A few weeks ago, I finally got around to having dinner at Brad's Swingside Cafe - which had been enthusiastically recommended by more than a few friends - and I can't figure out what I haven't been back there yet!
Eating inside this cozy little house feels more like dining with friends
than having dinner at a restaurant that serves this caliber of food. Our waiter was super-friendly, everyone was smiling, and the food = OMG. I had the Hazelnut Pesto Pasta, and I *think* he had the Aglio Olio. Both were incredibly delish, and went perfectly with our suggested bottle of white wine. Of course, we finished off with dessert! He went for some kind of death-by-chocolate combo, and I had some hazelnut gelato rolled in cocoa (apparently I can't get enough of HAZELNUTS). We both took home leftovers due to some very generous portioning, and my cold portion was so good, I was sad it was gone the next day.
Verdict: The Swingside (or WIN SIDE as the sign above the door currently says) is good stuff.
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To me, the really surprising thing about Brad's Swingside was the menu.
Not your typical Italian grilled food/pasta. A lot of people mention how "quaint" and "homey" the dishes are. Yeah, that might be true, but the ingredients remain exotic compared to their preparation.
Anyway, sampled two braised dishes, one seafood pasta, and one antipasto plate. All were delicious, wine was good and you gotta love the warmed-by-kitchen atmosphere.
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Quaint and unique, Swingside serves up some delicious, comforting dishes reminiscent of a nice, home-cooked meal. There's no restaurant pretense; it's very casual with attentive and friendly service. Portions are a bit hefty, but the prices are very reasonable. And the leftovers you bring home will be just as good the next day. You won't find your plain ol' pasta here; the star of the dish will be the seafood or meat and the sauce, paired with anything from pappardelle to farfalle- whatever is fresh that day. If you save room for dessert, they have a 'tiramisu for one' which is a perfect way to round out your satisfying meal. It arrives in a small cup and will disappear before you know it.
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Tucked away in a little red bungalow on Fremont Ave., the Swingside was a lovely and unexpected surprise. The restaurant is not very big, which only serves to keep the entire place smelling like a rich and decadent sauce. Henry the cat acts old and decrepit. That is, until your seafood dish arrives. Friendly service and very, very good Italian food.
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Brad's Swingside is small, unlike their portions. Add some prawns to the Carlton salad and you have a meal for two.
I had the Aglio Olio, droooool, and it was frickin' amazing. Slightly spicy with all the right ingredients - garlic, crushed red peppers, anchovies, olive oil, etc. The only thing better than aglio olio for dinner is having the left overs the next day. It gets better with age.
Wine list is very approachable - nice bottle selection and some by-the-glass too.
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We just moved to the neighborhood and decided to try Brads recently. I have heard and read good things in the past about it, and although it seemed a bit random...the italian mixed with the whole baseball and jazz theme, it was definitely cozy inside...and packed at 530! We did wait a while for our entrees and were only mildly impressed. they were good, but not excellent. I have to agree with another reviewer that there was alot going on on my plate, and the side of out of season veggies could have been left off completley, as they were mushy and actually took away from the main pasta. I will say that the skagit valley sausage was quite good though... not sure whether we will be running back...but, there were lots of enticing things on the menu, so maybe we should give the cafe another chance!
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Decided to try this as it's just down the street and often touted as "the best in Seattle" along with atleast 10 other italian places. I don't know if I'd agree. While everything was good, my ravioli with marinara and vegetables just had too much going on to really appreciate any of the ingredients. When I'm craving Italian, I'm either looking for something traditional and heavy - like a classic penne with vodka sauce, or something delicate and richly flavored like butternut squash ravioli with sage and hazlenuts, and this failed to hit either. The service was good, it was reasonably priced and quite cute inside. While I'd recomend it for good food and quaintness, I think Seattle has better Italian.
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I went there there on a last night at 7pm for dinner. It was an interesting evening. Despite it being a Friday, we only waited 10 min or so to be seated. However, we waited more than an hour from the time we were seated to the time we got our entrees. All the while, we were forced to listen to the people at the table next to us (median age 50, discussing their bowel movements, imbibing way too much wine, and one of the men unabashedly leering at me).
The waitstaff was very polite and repeatedly apologized for us having to wait to order and we appreciated that. My husband wasn't sure that the waiter got his food order correct because said waiter commented that he is deaf in one ear. Low and behold, the wrong entree came. But after having waited that long, my hubby just took the food and didn't say anything to the waiter about how it was incorrect.
What saved this place for me was the quality of the food. The meals we finally got were extremely tasty.
I think you can get food to-go. I'm not sure whether or not I'd go back.
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Delightful. The food, as evidenced by all the other reviews, is amazing. (I am addicted to the hazelnut pesto...I can't seem to order anything else.) Service is great, too; attentive but not overly, just perfect.
I love the ambiance, and if ever you have occasion to sit in the annex (outside of the main house, behind it), I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did. It's decorated in a fishing/aquarium motif, in the most adorable place possible. I felt like I was in a submarine in "The Little Mermaid"'s world.
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Order the butternut squash & sugar pumpkin soup. OH MY GOD. I felt orgasms in my mouth, seriously. Next time I'm not even bothering with a pasta entree, I'm getting a bowl of soup with a salad.
Update: I changed my review to 5 stars after I ate my pasta leftovers tonight- it was 2 days old and still better than a lot of places' fresh!
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While others seemed disappointed by the intimate setting of Brad's as opposed bland ambiances of many of the chain restaurants, I appreciate the close almost communal feel of the cafe (Americans need at least 20 feet of personal space to eat a meal apparently). I might also add that I'd happily wait an hour for my entrees rather than go somewhere like the Cheesedick factory where it takes them two minutes to defrost mass produced Sysco "food".
Enough negativity, whew, I love Swingside because they exude a charm that is hard to find in a cold metropolis sometimes and the food cannot even be described by mere words, just go eat it now!
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Perfection! I came here once over ten years ago - it was perfect then, too. Not sure why I never returned (always meant to)...but I did last night with my friend D and it was PERFECT!
She had the hazelnut ravioli and I the four cheese farfarelle. We both had the Swingside dinner salad. We had the 1/2 bottle (really a mini bottle) of the Merlot ($16) - when we wanted more, our server suggested a few things not on the menu (we chose a mini bottle of a Zinfandel).
The Swingside is TINY. They take reservations for larger groups. Our wait for two on a Friday night at 7pm was supposed to be about 15 minutes but it was more like 1/2 hour. That was fine (we sat on the front porch and chatted). Other menu items included lots of fresh seafood and meat choices (including boar), pastas, salads, appetizers and desserts. Something for everyone (except vegans) and not TOO many choices. Perfect.
Our service was very good. The wine thoughtfully chosen. Our food was perfect.
I definitely won't let ten years pass before I return again!
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I would have never stopped into Swingside Cafe had it not been highly recommended, but I'm so glad I did. This is a great, small, casual place to go for excellent Italian food.
We went on a Friday night at 7:30p and were able to get a table for 3 outside on the patio. The servers were attentive and quickly brought our bottle of wine and a tin of bread. The bread was really fresh, and I became hooked on the flatbread with its magic herbs. OK, I don't know what was in the flatbread/crackers, but they were really yummy.
I ordered the chicken dish which was outstanding. The vegetables were steamed perfectly and the sauce was unique...in a good way! My friends both ordered the ravioli which disappeared on their plates so I know it was good too. We finished the meal with some homemade pomegranate gelato. It was very sweet and yummy and the perfect ending to the evening.
While the ambience in the place is nothing special, the food sure is. Check it out!
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OH MY MY This has got to be the best Italian Restaurant EVER! From the street you would not expect such good food to come out since it's a little small, hard to find and definately not pishy posh. Like many have said before, this place is full of so much character and a great place to take a date. Some evenings they have live music. Dress is a mix of casual to some dressed for a date.
Everything I've ordered on their menu is delicious, wonderful, yummy etc.. etc.. My favorite (unfortunately I forgot the name) was this garlicy, peppery, pasta dish with wild boar and pancetta - oh my heavenly goodness!
Prices are a bit high at around 15-20 dollars per plate with of course bread/crackers at your table. Well worth it though - you can't always say that about many places who charge the same prices.
Parking is tough since it's on a busy road but doable on the side streets.
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Small but cozy place hence the tag line "Seattle's best little Italian restaurant". Brad the owner is very friendly and generous. The food is excellent albeit a little expensive. It's more exotic than your standard Italian fare. They have a lot of bands come in to play as well which is nice. Since there aren't many tables I would make reservations first especially on the weekends. In conclusion it is a great place to take a date, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
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The food is amazing. The atmosphere is great. It is quaint and cozy and perfect for couples. Their is a cat about that is probably about 80 years old. No wonder, all it eats is excellent Italian by begging for scraps from customers. Since when do cats beg at the table...when they are at the Swingside. If I were a cat a would too.
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There's a reason Brad's Swingside Cafe is consistently rated the top Italian in Seattle. Great for me, they're right in the neighborhood! We enjoy dinner at Brad's a couple of times a month, and while on occasion I will try one of their specials, I am completely in love with two of their standard pasta entrees: the Bolognese and the Aglio Olio.
The Bolognese is served over farfalle and features a gorgeous, seductive classic Bolognese sauce highlighted with wild boar and venison. The addition of these rather exotic meats adds a wonderful depth to the sauce that just makes you want to dive in and wallow in it.
The Aglio Olio is a Brad's specialty and takes a hodge-podge of ingredients such as garlic, olive oil, crushed red pepper, and hazelnuts and masterfully incorporates them all into a one-of-a-kind sauce that will make your taste-buds sing! Served over linguine, you can't go wrong with this dish.
Most entrees are good not only for dinner but for lunch the next day - make sure you don't fill up on bread before dinner hits the table! The wine list is a little small but very good and reasonably priced.
The restaurant is housed in an old house, and thus has all the requisite charm. The main dining area is charmingly cramped, and can get a little loud on weekend evenings...but the food makes it entirely worth a little noise. There is also a smaller back room which has been transformed into an underwater grotto - the space is smaller and quieter, but they need to change the current very-uncomfortable wood folding chairs.
We love coming to Brad's, and will continue to do so because the food is truly amazing.
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I want to fall in love with this place like all my friends who who recommend it, but I cant quite. At their price range, they should have a tasting menu/prie fixe. I dont want 2 pounds of pasta because I paid $25 for it... I want a 2 course experience with less food. I am not going there for quantity, but quality.
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This place serves Sicilian soul food and it fed my soul. This folks, is the best damned Italian food in the city of Seattle. My life, is all about the food ... and the Swingside cafe has a serious hold on me. My mind, body and soul, has since been being pulled back to that little cafe in Fremont. Oh yeah, if you order the aglio olio, be sure to have it topped with fresh dungeness crab. It'll be the best $4. you have ever spent. This place is the F/N bomb! JR
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For a small intimate itilianesque joint, I think the Swingside Cafe gets many things right. The ground harvested nutmeat ravioli's where delicious. The sauce is oily, but really works with the veggies and it makes you crazy-crave the next bite.
Saturday night had a jazz duo that was fun. The back room is hte "fish bowl" which is separated from the main dining area. The staff is great and they smoothly play tag team without any break in flow.
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I completely agree with CS. It's my favorite place in Seattle. Brad cooks with LOVE and you can taste it in every dish. The dishes are rich and intensely flavored. There isn't a bad bottle of wine in the place. I almost always go with their house recommendation. Eat slow, one bite, sip wine, talk, one bite, sip wine, talk, repeat. Every neighborhood in the world should have such a place.
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Brad's portions are too large for one meal, but you will eat it anyway because it's so good you can't stop. The wine pairings were great, and it's good for a romantic dinner for 2 or a small group.
Someone recently asked me what my favorite two restaurants in Seattle are. I said "The Swingside Cafe, and, uh, well, that's it. The Swingside." The food is spectacular - always incredibly fresh and interesting. It's very romantic so it's a great date place, but be forewarned that you can't make a reservation unless your party has 6 or more peeps. Also, it's VERY tiny, so expect a little bit of a wait, or get there early to get a table quickly. Brad is the owner and every time I've been there (about 50 times), he's the one doing all the cooking. You just can't get any closer to the source than that! Try the hazelnut pesto, the Carlton salad, or whatever amazing seafood item Brad's using in his fresh sheet specials. They also have wonderful folk music some nights.
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For a special evening out, definately reserve a place here! Even though small and homey, they will treat you like royalty. And for special occasions, they will seat you in their "secret" room, which I'm not sure if the decor in there changes, but when I was there it was like an underwater adventure. As far as the food, well, I took a chance on the lamb stew... who knew lamb could be THIS good! Delicious meal, wonderful service, go there with your special someone for a great night out. FYI, it was a little spendy, but hey, treat yourself and splurge here!
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i had dinner here earlier this evening and I can't believe it got such good reviews. I had the Agilo Olio and it was absolutely horrid bordering on inedible. and it wasnt even cheap.
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