Grillbird Phinney

I was really excited about this place as a seasonal health food restaurant, but once inside I found that their menu doesn’t quite match the concept. Unfortunately protein options like teriyaki and katsu aren’t that healthy; the sauces are on the sugary side. They also sell sugary drinks like Hawaiian Sun and Sangaria Royal Milk Tea. Okay, so the restaurant isn’t as health-forward as advertised. That’s okay, but the real issue I have is with the taste, quality, and value. I’d say my food was no better than Americanized “Asian fusion” cafeteria food. A plate with sides is $24, which sets the bar high for a no frills to-go restaurant catering toward the lunch crowd. I ordered a build-your-own plate with half five spice beef and half katsu over cabbage, with edamame and sesame noodles as sides. First, the katsu is dark brown, over-fried, with no flavor. It’s crunchy, yes, but the sweet katsu sauce is the only thing giving it flavor. Second, the five spice beef is traditionally a Chinese dish that braises or stir fries slices of beef. This one was made more like shredded beef Texas bbq, and it’s bland to boot. If there’s five spice powder in here, I certainly couldn’t tell. The cabbage is green and red cabbage dressed with vinaigrette, so expect a typical American salad with a hint of sesame and citrus. The sides are unremarkable. I really don’t get the EDAMAME. The taste is confusing because the edamame is seasoned with a ton of spice, so they’re unreasonably spicy on the outside but super bland on the inside. The beans haven’t been shelled so you’re supposed to, what, pick up these cold, moist, seasoned beans up with your fingers? In Japanese cuisine, they are served hot and salted lightly so you don’t get Doritos fingers. In American salad, they’re served cold but shelled so you can eat them with a fork. Unfortunately Grillbird is just another fusion place trying to make a buck off the mainstreaming of Asian cuisine, but they haven’t done their homework.

This is my second time dining at Grillbird, first for the (new) Phinney location. This is mainly a take out spot, with limited seating outside. Pro tip: while the wait isn’t terribly long, it’s best to order ahead of time. I had the chicken katsu plate lunch highly recommend. The mac salad is the best, because they use the right mayo - Best Foods! Being from Hawaii, I can say this is one of the best in town! Will have to try Salad Party next time.

Good teriyaki and very nice meat to rice ratio. I had the teriyaki and the bam-bam mix supper at the recommendation of staff. Bam-bam is slightly spicy but not overly so. Good, fast place to get a meal.

21 minutes for single burger. Order status update screen kept putting later orders ahead of mine, which was very frustrating for such a simple order. No ‘sorry for the wait’ or anything offered. The burger itself was decent. Cucumber salad side was extremely sour pickles, not terrible but so sour that I wouldn’t consider it a salad and very one note. Mac salad was pretty neutral tasting and nothing special. Might give it another shot for the teriyaki but wow ordering way ahead is necessary here.

The tofu + cauliflower combo is fire. I don’t know any other teriyaki-style place that puts this much thought and effort into a vegetarian / vegan protein. It’s so good. The healthy version of me loves the shaved cabbage base, but also.. bring back the lo mein noodles please! ❤️

I have eaten at Grillbird and Salad Party at least 7 times since it opened on Phinney Ridge. Today I had a salad with Salmon. The salmon was cooked perfectly (just like last time). Usually I eat the entire salad but today I decided to save some to bring in for lunch tomorrow. My teenage son had Chicken Katsu which he loved. I love this place.

Clean, efficient counter service with friendly staff. Generous portions and multiple ways to customize your order. Very tender 5 spice beef, great char on the chicken. Sauces are flavorful but not cloyingly sweet or sticky. Our new favorite, hands down the best Seattle teriyaki

First time at Grillbird...it was special :) We had the chicken and the beef (we wanted salmon but it was sold out). We loved them. And we also loved the sides especially the cucumbers. The serving size was too big for us so we will probably ordered one meal for two people...but that's a positive, we will have great leftovers tomorrow for lunch..

Delicious food! We got takeout and portions were generous and food was tasty! I got the chicken teriyaki with the beet salad and cucumbers! Loved it! I also added their spicy teriyaki sauce on the side and it was a nice touch! Overall, love their food and will definitely return to try their other items!

If you have ever read any of my reviews before, you would know that I have a deep appreciation for yaki, and I'm a sauce boi 'til the death of me. I've heard from many of my most trustworthy yaki-obsessed comrades that the Grillbird in West Seattle is the place to go for that good meat. I was ecstatic when I heard that there was opening in Phinney. I think it's cool that they have this whole ghost kitchen set up going on. It's easy to order something for takeout once you get there, but I'd recommend ordering ahead to grab it so you don't have to wait. I was thrown off not seeing a spicy yaki option, but you can add that on the side before you check out. Adding that extra spice is critical in my opinion, it minimizes the potential for bland chicken. However, this chicken is NOT BLAND! It's some of the most flavorful I've had in Seattle. And they do not go light on the sauce, even before giving you an extra side of it for free. That's what we love to see as sauce bois. Everything here is intensely flavorful (I see you complaining about too much salt, miss, you should not be going to a teriyaki establishment in the first place. Do you think they're using low-sodium versions of everything?). The chicken has an incredibly powerful peppery taste, which is unique to Grillbird. It tastes like they may be Szechuan peppercorns, because they have a slightly numbing effect. It's not that hot though, so don't be scared. My spicy sauce wasn't that hot either, so I was wondering if I accidentally got the regular type. But either way, the sauce has the consistency that you want - thick and sweet. My only knock is that the chicken is sliiiiightly dry, but the sauce more than makes up for that. The char on the chicken itself is very nice, and adds an excellent textural contrast on every bite. I will for sure be back to have more teriyaki, and to try some other things.

I was really excited to try Grillbird while I happened to be in the area. I ordered the chicken teriyaki base with white rice and a spicy chicken teriyaki plate with the cucumber salad and mac salad as the sides. To be honest, I was a bit let down by our meal. Both meals had chicken that was dry, which is disappointing when the chicken is supposed to be the star of the show. The spicy chicken teriyaki (which I checked the "make it spicy" option) was barely spicy at all, and while the chicken had a good smoky charred flavor, it fell flat in terms of marinade flavor and of course, the dryness. The cucumber salad was nice, and mac salad was enjoyable enough. The spot was also spotless and very organized and timely in terms of order/pickup management. While I'm not against returning to Grillbird in the future, I won't be ordering teriyaki and will be exclusively trying other items on the menu.

Poke bowl and salad were good. Did takeout. Friendly staff. A few seats for dine in but we did take out. Prices are a bit higher but would come back to try again.

Looking for a more satisfying and nourishing fast food option? Grillbird is a fairly new addition to the Phinney Ridge neighborhood. It's so convenient to place your order online and in almost no time at all the food is ready to be picked up, They have great choices and options. Try them out soon if you haven't had a chance to yet.

Delicious experience at the new Grillbird on Phinney Ridge. I ordered the Build Your Own Plate including grilled and bang bang chicken, mac and cucumber salads. Everything was freshly made - the grilled chicken thigh had a nice char and cooked perfectly. The bang bang was flavorful and had a nice kick to it. Both salads were good! Orders are placed on the kiosk upon entry. My order was ready in about 14 minutes on a Monday afternoon at 2:30 pm. There were 3 tables for seating outside, no seating inside. I plan to order online next time.

How I heard of this place: Friends were eagerly anticipating the opening of this new spot in Phinneywood. With their rave reviews of the restaurant in West Seattle, I, too, began following their long-awaiting opening. Type of cuisine: Teriyaki chicken, miso salmon, Katsu, beef, and sesame tofu & cauliflower are among the main dishes, along with sides of rice, noodles, cabbage, and a plethora of others; from Mac salad to beet salad, cucumber salad to egg rolls, there's a little something for everyone. Additionally, in the same space/kitchen and order counters side-by-side, Salad Party offers entree sized fresh salads to accompany or create a meal on their own. Ambiance: Simple, nothing much to speak of. Clean and minimalist. Bright orange barquette in a sparse lobby available for patrons awaiting their orders. What I ordered: On this first visit, and having heard the portions are large, we selected two plates (mains and two sides each). Teriyaki chicken with shredded cabbage, beet salad, and cucumber salad, as well as Bang Bang Chicken with white rice, mac salad, and 2 mini egg rolls. What I loved: The freshness of the cabbage soaked in teriyaki sauce under the beautifully grilled chicken. The cucumber and beet salads were full of flavor and robust in portions. The bang bang chicken had a nice kick of spice, especially good when the sauces soaked into the rice beneath. The egg rolls and mac salad, which was too peppery, I think we will skip on future orders. Why I loved it: It's a quick and easy spot to stop for a take away lunch during the week. Though, as they continue with their soft opening, having opened early this week, there are still some kinks to work through and speed to establish. Cost: average to high

Food: The ebi katsu sandwich was so good!!! Crunchy shrimp sando that hit the spot. Can't wait to come back for it. Fries were also SO good. So crunchy. Not mushy or soggy. The strawberry and pog lemonade were good as well! Wait: We went on a Sunday around 12:30 and waited about 15-20 min for our food. They were super busy with online orders but they were so nice and the food was delish. Definitely want to go back to try some of their salads! Seating: There are a 2 seats inside and a 6 outside. It's mostly a takeout spot.

Automated ordering system a little confusing (split between salad party and grill bird). Friendly people working. Sat outside. Seems to be limited seeking. Cucumber sides, rice, Mac salad were a hit. The sauce, smoky, sweet and spicy was very good. $18 for a plate lunch, little pricey but portion enough for two. Ok. The primary reason for the lower rating. The chicken was absolutely dry. You can somewhat see the dry surface texture from the photo. I heard they are using a special oven to cook the chicken, I miss a proper grill. Not sure if I will eat again if chicken is that dry.

Great Japanese take out, and a great addition to the phinney neighborhood ! I got the teriyaki chicken, chicken katsu, rice, greens (baby bok choy), and spring rolls. All were great, though I wish there was a little more rice for an adequate ratio of meat to rice. One "plate" was big enough for me to split into 2 meals so I was very satisfied.

This isn't a food review, as I never got there. I've been really wanting to try Grillbird out for a while, as I've passed it by in West Seattle many times while working over there. Kenji Lopez-Alt also co signs it, so you know the food is good. Went into the Phinney location and was bummed that it's more of a take out spot than a dine in location. Other customers were fumbling with the gigantic iPad and prompt screens to figure out how to place the order. After all that I got up to bat and fumbled my way through, only to realize that you get to either pick rice, or cabbage salad. After that slog, and desire to have a classic Seattle teriyaki combo of chicken rice and salad, I decided to cut my losses and peace out. I'm sure it's tasty, but it's not for me. Vibe is a huge part of a dining experience.

I've been a huge fan of the West Seattle Grillbird location for a couple years, and was so excited to see a new location closer to me so I decided to check it out and get some takeout. Got the plate with rice, bang bang chicken, noodles, and egg rolls. These guys always serve you hot, fresh food and tons of it. I feel like for the price, the food is really solid and great portions. My bf and I split this and it served us both with some leftovers. Just great as always, I really recommend getting a side of the nori ranch for dipping! Love you, Grillbird

So glad Grillbird opened up near me! I've had the one in West Seattle and always wished there was a closer location to me. The space itself is super cute and is joint grillbird and salad party! There's no seating so it is take out only. We ordered some takeout online, and the food was ready exactly when it said it would be. We ordered two build your own plates - one with spicy garlic chicken and sesame chicken and another with chicken teriyaki and bang bang chicken. They were great! Portions of chicken were large but I do wish there was more rice to go with the large meat portions. The rice was also covered in sauce from the chicken, and I prefer not as much sauce on my rice but that's a personal preference! I think our favorite was the chicken teriyaki and spicy garlic chicken! The spicy garlic chicken actually had a little bit of a kick, and the chicken teriyaki was cooked really well. We also got the fried cauliflower as a side, and that was great! Definitely will be coming back and will have to try salad party as well!

Run, don't walk to this new Grillbird location with added bonus of Salad Party! Food is beyond delicious, generous portions and an amazing addition to the neighborhood! Not your typical teriyaki joint or salad shop and for that, I thank you! Definitely will be a regular guest and supporting this killer biz.

Amazing chicken teriyaki, tender with perfectly textured and thickened sauce. And amazing sides to boot including bok choy greens and yellow beet salad. Two huge thumbs up.

If you have hypertension, you might not want to eat here. Seriously, some of the dishes were so salty that I had to guzzle water after each bite. First off were the waffle fries which were beautiful: crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. It's too bad they were coated in salt. Next up was the shrimp sandwich. It was a good size with a nicely crisp coating, but the inside was weirdly mushy. It was also very, very salty. It had me wishing for the seasonal shrimp sandwich from Grand Central which is fresh and delicious. The other dish we had was the Build Your Own Plate. We chose chicken teriyaki, bang bang chicken, cucumber salad, and beet salad. The bang bang chicken had a nice crunch and a flavorful spicy sauce, but the teriyaki sauce on the chicken was again too salty. Like, are all the people in the kitchen heavy smokers with diminished taste buds? Why is everything so salty?? The beet salad was a nice reprieve from the overseasoning on the other dishes. I was also hoping for some relief with the cucumber salad but it was very tart from too much vinegar. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be coming back. GTG, I have to go chug a gallon of water now.

Ordered online and brought it home. Delicious teriyaki chicken and all sides. They made our orders fresh so made it extra tasty. I live on the same block as this Grillbird and it smells so good all day!! I'll be trying their Katsu next!

Might have ordered 3x in the first week. Ohana meal with some sides was perfect to feed a crowd during a Seahawks pre-season game at home. Love this addition to the neighborhood! Delicious, easy ordering, wide range of options for the whole family.

The customer service is outstanding. Even when they made a small error that they could have brushed off, they instead made it right! Plus the food is incredible!!