Jennifer H.
Google
TL;DR - We booked Mother’s Day brunch at STELLA expecting something special—what we got was a pricey ($55/person), fixed menu with barely any brunch items, no allergy accommodations, tiny portions, and poorly prepared food. Service felt indifferent, and the food was so disappointing we left halfway through and went to Denny’s instead. The manager was kind and didn’t charge us, but we won’t be going back.
My husband made a reservation at STELLA for Mother’s Day brunch a month in advance, hoping to take me somewhere special. The restaurant required a credit card to hold the reservation and stated that no-shows would be charged the full $55 per person—which, frankly, is wild.
When we arrived, we learned it was a fixed menu with no à la carte options, and the selections weren’t remotely brunch-like. I also overheard the host turn away a hotel guest (STELLA is inside the Hotel Monaco) because they were only seating reservations. The guest seemed surprised and disappointed, and honestly, I would’ve been too.
The host didn’t acknowledge the occasion at all—no “Happy Mother’s Day,” no warm welcome. The first course was a plate of thaw-and-serve pastries, only two of which were savory, despite there being four of us (my husband, our two daughters, and me). The sweet pastries all contained nuts, which is a big problem because our younger daughter has a nut allergy. No one asked about dietary restrictions in advance, and the only nut-free substitute they could offer was a couple of hard, flavorless coconut macaroons—clearly meant as a gluten-free option.
The second course choices were clam chowder or salad. Not exactly brunch staples. My older daughter and I had the salad, which was mostly bitter radicchio and barely dressed. It clashed terribly with my coffee. My husband tried the chowder and said it was “not that great.” It was also tiny—maybe 3.5 oz.
The third course included a few attempts at brunch food, but none of them hit the mark: savory crepes with asparagus and mushrooms, poached eggs with tomato sauce and pecorino, beef stew, or a seafood lasagna. My egg dish came out with fully cooked yolks—definitely not poached—because the entire plate had clearly been baked to melt the cheese. It tasted like store-brand tomato sauce with garlic and cheese dumped on top. My husband’s crepes were soggy, poorly seasoned, and skimpy (just one crepe). Our older daughter’s stew was okay but also a tiny portion, served with an aggressively hard piece of toast. Our 12-year-old daughter found nothing on the menu appealing and barely touched the macaroons.
Dessert options were strawberry shortcake or tiramisu for adults and vanilla gelato for kids—but we didn’t make it that far. After trying the entrées, my husband got up to talk to the manager while the kids and I waited in the car. He offered to pay for what we’d eaten, but the manager kindly waived the charges and apologized. To her credit, she handled the situation with grace—though I imagine we weren’t the only family to leave disappointed that day.
We ended up going to Denny’s in SODO, which was not only a relief but honestly better food. We live here in Seattle, and after this experience, I doubt we’ll return to STELLA.
