Luis A.
Yelp
I don't enjoy sharing negative experiences because they may be anecdotal vs indicative, but when they feel like the latter I want to write.
Starting with cocktails, I can categorically say they were atrociously bad. Our server, who also made our drinks, took the first 5+ minutes after taking our order (more? Felt like a lot more but time is weird) to stand around talking to the other server. When there are only two other tables occupied on a weekend evening, maybe there's less pressure to perform but it should be the opposite. They made one drink, then spent more time talking, then made the other. They weakly shook the drink with what sounded like five ice cubes in it for about two seconds. I watched them casually grab my straw by the mouth end to both insert it in the drink and to move around the jumble of bits of stuff they added to it, which made me lose my appetite. By the time we got our drinks the ice cubes were about half their size, leaving the drinks starkly under-iced and overwatered. And yet, my drink was also still absurdly salty. I had to ask for more ice (they gave me a measly seven of those thin rectangular hollow cubes) and another straw. I normally don't use a straw but the salted rim was not appealing given the saltiness of the drink, plus the edge of the glass I used to sip without a straw (recall the fingers on the business end part) had a chip in it, which was not pleasant and I was not about to clear yet more salt by trying again. My wife's drink was equally weird tasting and under-iced. Not good in any way, except they were like $14 instead of the usual $18-20 Seattle price, which is good considering I couldn't taste any alcohol either, but hey, it could have been the salt blocking all other sensation.
Staying on the drink tip, the wine list is weird. I actually am not a wine snob so seeing they serve from boxes is fine with me and ecologically preferable. And yet, ordering a Chardonnay got us a glass of orange syrupy stuff which tasted like a liqueur, which our server insisted was the Chardonnay despite its color, consistency, and tasting nothing like one.
The kale Caesar was outstanding and very large. Props to the kitchen.
The banh you sandwich was good, but paying $16 for what's commonly a $5 sandwich is odd. You have to do something extra with one of these if you're charging extra.
The portobello dip was also good. Both sandwiches were adequately sized and well-made. The supplied knives would not cut through the bread without smushing the sandwich.
There's something awkward about a near-empty restaurant but even more so when the ambience is off. The design choices, the ultra quiet playlist on one speaker (couldn't hear anything out of the one closer to the booths), the layout, just not a place for my tastes. You can have the same number of tables in 1/2 the space and it would feel much more comfortable. That part is entirely subjective, obviously.
The servers were nice but the casual kind that are doing their own thing vs the kind of servers who were trained in the discipline. Some people prefer it, I don't, but it is more the norm than not. Still notable to me.
In summary, the drinks were terrible, the food was good, the space was awkward. Overall it's a place that will work for some people just fine, where others like me will not enjoy it. I won't seek it out again but I won't not go if asked to meet there. That's why it gets the middle 3-star review.
I should also add that they have an overall kind vibe - the kitchen staff seem happy, too - where some places treat you bad or have weird vibes, and I do wish them well. We need nice places that do good for their neighbors. I just wish they knew what the f they were doing with their bar and that it felt good to be there.
