In short
Great deals on great drinks, food is really solid, and the setting is nice and friendly. Only drawback is that the hours are limited.
In long
Lately we've been seeking out places that are literally quieter--less volume on the music, more space between the tables, and so on. I'd been wanting to check out 5x5, anyway, since it's the only spot around with an exactly perfect rating score. It looked like it'd fit the bill for a low-key place, and off we went.
We came in shortly after they opened on a Saturday (4:00 PM). You're in a larger business-traveler hotel here, aimed at Boeing and Boeing-sub folks traveling for work. The building looks kinda generic from outside, but there's plenty of parking, and the lobby has a high-ceilinged atrium vibe for sure.
Nice floor tiles, nice carpet, tasteful furniture. Everything's in perfect shape. You don't feel the lounge vibe right away, but there's a gigantic fireplace ahead of you, warming both sides of the room from the middle. Around that, there are lots of sturdy, shiny tables under the lofty ceilings.
Off to the side, there's a little lounge area, then another one. Everything in the lounge is bar-height seating, and there are a few flatscreens, probably showing the game. Most folks are in here, sitting around the bar in the middle of the room. We posted up at a table just outside the lounge.
Lindsey was behind the bar, and cheerfully answered every single question we had about food and all their cocktails. She's super friendly and makes a great drink for sure. She seems to have a bunch of regulars who aren't staying at the hotel, which is a great sign, no doubt.
We checked out the warm pretzel--such a decadent treat. The waffle fries (and especially the aioli that came with them) were awesome. The pizza was a great choice; we added pickled onions to the Speedway. The crust could be a little crisper but we took home what we didn't finish and it's great here, too. Service on food and drinks was really quick.
The cocktails here can be really creative, and there are lots of classics with house twists on the recipe. They even have a pisco sour they've tweaked--that's a fair bit of work for a bartender to make mid-shift.
We got 5 great drinks and 3 nice plates of food for $96, and I don't think we even ordered anything from the HH menu. This is a very easy place to add to the rotation. read more