Christine R.
Yelp
Five Point Café - Downtown Seattle
Not really sure where to start here, but unfortunately this was not a good experience.
We were on our way to see the Space Needle and wanted something light to eat before continuing our walk through the city. We came across the Five Point Café, which is across the street from an Italian pizzeria, and decided to give it a try. The place definitely has a nostalgic, old-school feel--almost like stepping back into the 1970s, or maybe even earlier. The walls are covered with memorabilia, and while it initially felt like it could be quirky and fun, I didn't have a great feeling when we walked in. Still, we decided to give it a fair shot.
I ordered a pastrami sandwich with a cup of tomato bisque soup. At first, the sandwich tasted okay, but very quickly the flavor turned unpleasant and I couldn't finish it. Ray ordered the beef stroganoff and only managed two bites--the meat was extremely tough and basically unchewable. He also ordered hash browns and ate some of those, but overall the food was just not good and honestly not very edible.
As we sat there longer, we started noticing cleanliness issues. There was a fan above and to the right of us that was absolutely covered in thick dust and dirt--so much that it was really gross to look at and clearly hadn't been cleaned in a very long time. That alone made it hard to enjoy anything.
We also noticed some odd signage. On the back wall near the restrooms, there was a sign asking people not to do cocaine in the bathroom. Then, when I later took photos to post with this review, I noticed the front of the menu says "Alcoholic serving alcoholics since 1929." I understand humor and edgy branding, but combined with the food quality and cleanliness, it just added to the overall uncomfortable feeling.
When you're visiting a new city, you rely heavily on reviews to help guide your choices, and that's exactly why I write reviews myself--to help others know what they might be walking into. Unfortunately, this is not a place I would return to, and I would recommend passing it up.
I genuinely feel bad for the staff and owners, and I hope they consider improving cleanliness and food quality, because this could potentially be a cool, nostalgic stop for tourists if it were better cared for.