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Testy Chef Cafe
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- None
8 reviews for Testy Chef Cafe
The trek into the outer reaches of Covington purposefully included a stop here after a funeral at that big military cemetary out there. Nothing's more grim than a funeral but our meal at the Testy Chef Cafe was truly a delightful highlight on an otherwise downer kind of roadtrip.
It was late in the day (they close at 3 or 4) and in spite of the nip in the air, we chose to sit on the big, covered deck overlooking the river. It was a great choice but just a bit of landscape management on the bushes back there could make the view 100% awesome.
We all ordered burgers. The bun was toasty, the toppings crispy fresh and the combination of whatever spreads they put on the burger made it old-school fabulous. The price was right too. The service was friendly and quick and the fries crispy and SUPER HOT! (There is nothing worse than a cold french fry)
We were the last group in the place, all dressed in BLACK on a sunny day, looking like Amish coming in there and while it took a few minutes to get a menu, after we got going, the staff there never made us feel like we had to go, even though they were probably close to closing when we walked in the door.
I will absolutely be back (If I'm ever going to another military funeral out there in the backwoods of Maple Valley.....)
Super friendly, made while you wait, great river side outdoor seating with a pickle happy burger.
I packed up the puppies and decided to hit the road to beat the afternoon heat and this was a great drive through option!
I foolishly skipped on the cheap iced latte thinking that I would share the wealth with one of the small drive through stands down the road... only to find out they had closed due to the heat... but I digress...
The burger comes with a choice of 2 kinds of fries, potato salad or cottage cheese! What better creamy way to beat the heat than iced cold cottage cheese!!
The burger broke down like this:
Bun - Franz commercial toasted on a grill
Meat - Thin large patty well cooked but not much char
Veggies - cold iceburg, tomato, onion, dill pickle slices AND sweet pickle relish.
Cheese - Lots of tangy cheddar.
cost - $8.75 - well worth it!
If this review were taking place six years ago, when I lived in Maple Valley, then a five star rating would be given. However, based on the events that took place last Saturday, June 16th, 2009, I must give it two stars. I'd like to give it one throwing star, though.
If Yelp supported an interactive ven-diagram that would allow us to compare the Testy Chef of the then, and the Testy Chef of the now (in my opinions) then by god, I would use the Ven-Diagram.
But there is no ven -diagram.
I used to order the Testy Mess. (I used to as of Saturday). It was well known around Maple Valley for being as big as an MLB hitter (on steroids). It took 45 minutes to get our food. No apology, no anything, no nothing, no. The waitress just acted kind of pissed off. If it weren't for the calm of the cedar river below the outdoor seating, I would have charged up one of those lame trivia cards and pulled a Gambit. You know what I mean.
When my Testy Mess arrived (and quite frankly, I was the one who was the "testy mess") it was meager (yes like the rations in the Oregon Trail).
I ate late and left with hate.
We have driven by the Testy Chef a number of times and decided to check it out one Saturday afternoon. We sat outside overlooking the river which was neat; would have been neater if we didn't have to look through and around the bushes to see. After looking over the menu and my son making the waitress go through every possible milkshake flavor we saw the little sign on the wall that reads "Cash or Checks Only". After a little panic we confirmed that in fact THEY DO NOT TAKE CREDIT OR DEBIT CARDS. My husband had to drive to the store across the street to get cash. Needless to say when he got back he was very irritated. The burgers were okay; nothing extra special. The fries were crispy and the vegetables were fresh. Being we normally don't carry cash and no longer use checks we probably wont be back.
Biggest uh-oh...not knowing they don't take credit/debit cards! They have a small sign posted on the door, but it's usually propped open, and therefore you can't see it.
Food is always good. There can be a long wait, but isn't that usually a good sign? Despite the "testy" name, the service has always been friendly.
I've only eaten the burgers here twice. The prices were a bit steep but the burgers are pretty good. The reason I decided not to go back was the service. The two people working there acted as if they were doing us a favor selling us burgers. They were friendly to the obvious regulars but they were not friendly to us or another group that was there for the first time. It's really too bad since this is the closest place to my house. The breakfast must be good though judging by the packed parking lot every weekend.
Love it! Its surprising, you walk in and the kitchen is right there, with a bar to sit at if you like or there's a few other tables inside and the best is sitting out on the patio! The food is great every time! The service is great as well! Love it so try it!!
I am a bargain shopper, and when I needed to get two wheels for my car I decided I would save some dough by buying them used from a wrecking yard. After a little research, I found exactly what I needed at a wrecking yard in Black Diamond and decided that since I get free gas I would save myself a few more bucks by driving over to pick them up instead of having them shipped to me. Since BD is about 30 miles southeast of Seattle, I waited for the weekend and decided to make a mini excursion out of it. I finagled a ride out of my ever so helpful Ma and since we were heading out in the morning we figured we'd find some place on the way for breakfast.
Enter: Testy Chef Cafe
Located in rural Maple Valley, the TCC seems to be a popular fixture with the locals and rightly so. It isn't big, it isn't fancy, but it is a quintessential Greasy Spoon. Their menu has a decent selection for breakfast, lunch or dinner and they also serve wine and beer (and mimosas, but I didn't realize that until we were on our way out). They don't allow substitutions, but it makes for very quick service. I had a traditional breakfast (The Regular) and my bacon, eggs and toast were done just the way one would expect. The hashbrowns weren't my favorite ever, but by no means were they unappetizing. The biscuits and gravy come with real sausage gravy and Ma said they were better than at a lot of other places she had tried.
True to it's name (sort of), our server was a little grumpy, but I overheard her mention to another table that she was having a rough day, and she wasn't unpleasant so it didn't make the experience any less enjoyable.
They lose one star for running the espresso and beverage counter/window open to the seating area, which made for a occasionally noisy meal time with all the coffee and milkshake preparation.
They also have a drive thru, which would definitely be helpful when their small space is busy. Don't be fooled though, there is another room for dining off the back of the building.
So, by no means would I drive 30 miles just to eat there, but if I'm ever in the area again, I won't hesitate to stop back by Testy Chef Cafe.