El Gaucho is consistently some of the best steak in Seattle. I've eaten here twice, and both experiences were delicious and memorable. I especially like the mood lighting, and the several table side food presentations, such as scratch made Caesar salad, and the flaming sword steak. All the steaks are insanely good. Still $400 is barely enough to pay for a meal for 2 with a basic bottle of wine, so if you want a nicer bottle and/or some cocktails too, you should expect closer to the $500 range. Not exactly value-priced. Finally, I found the included 20% auto-gratuity distasteful. As if they thought we weren't going to tip... read more

SWANKY! Dining at El Gaucho is such a great experience. The first time I went I was totally impressed with the service, the menu, and the ambiance. I told a guy I was dating about how much fun I'd had while I was out with friends and he sneakily reserved a dinner for us for my birthday. Definitely the best birthday EVER! The prices are steep, so be prepared, but they are well worth it. -Best steak I've ever had -Best dessert I've ever had! (Try the banana bread pudding) -Great wine -Great cocktails -Great music -Ambiance is impeccable -Service was fantastic I hardly ever ask for something off the menu but they didn't offer their NYC peppercorn steak in the size I wanted. When I asked the server about getting my steak customized he said "of course we'll do that!". Really impressive. Everything was divine and I can't wait to go back. read more

I don't eat meat. What the hell am I doing going to El Gaucho you might ask? I wondered the same thing when my mom presented me with a gift certificate she won for this meat laden establishment. I looked online and found something I could eat. We can go! I had always heard El Gaucho was a very upscale rich person's restaurant. How exciting! I get to eat with rich folk. We decided to go on a Saturday evening. We got ourselves in our best dressed attire and made our way to Belltown. I was so excited when we entered the huge black bubble doors. Its so fancy already! We walk through a second set of doors and gasp...why is everyone in jeans? I thought this was supposed to be a place you get in your Sunday best for? Oh well. I overlooked the usual laid back Seattle folks, and continued to admire the place. It was dark and full of plush seating with waiters and waitresses hustling about. The bar was lit up a bit more and somewhat small. The hostess who greeted us was all smiles. We were quickly whisked away to our table and handed our menus. I feel like a VIP already! The waiter, who was gracious and friendly, took our drink order. I went with a whiskey sour and my mom a beer. Our drinks came and my whiskey sour was the best whiskey sour in the history of whiskey sours. No shit. It was sweet and had just the right amount of whiskey. I'm in love. We browse the menu and are blown away by the prices. We are cheap people by nature and these prices were making our heads spin. Just breathe, we have a gift card. I passed by the meat and seafood section and settled on the side order menu. Corn and mushroom risotto sounds good. Oooo...and there is even a caprese salad! Those were my choices and my mom got some kind of meat. Our server takes our order and shortly after our food arrives. The corn was southwestern inspired and delicious. The mushroom risotto was palatable nothing to really write home about and the catcher was the caprese salad. The mozzarella melted in my mouth, the balsamic vinegar was the perfect compliment to the olive oil, and my tomatoes were like buttah. I looked like Homer Simpson eating trying to stuff all the goodness in my mouth as fast as I could. I ate so much I felt as if I was going to burst but this was a special occasion and dessert was going to be ordered damn it. My mom and I decided on a chocolate item. Soon after our dessert order went in our waiter showed up with a massive silver bowl filled with fruit and nuts and a side plate of cheese and crackers. Are they trying to kill me? I dug in not being able to resist cheese and fruit. Our dessert arrived and I could barely lift my hand to put my fork in it for a bite. Food coma had set in. Although I ate my weight in food El Gaucho is a terrific establishment even for those non--meat eaters such as myself. The ambiance is relaxing and calming and the waitstaff is attentive and gregarious. If you can save up some dough visit El Gaucho to celebrate and leave with a new experience and a bloated, yet happy, belly. read more

People, people, people. Here is how to enjoy your El Gaucho experience. DON'T: 1. Wear jeans and fleece. Please wear a jacket and tie, or at least some nice pants. I know it's Seattle, but c'mon! Leave the Patagonia at home. 2. Forget to start with a drink at the bar. You're gonna drop a wad on a fine meal. Show up before your friends, sit at the bar, and enjoy a fine cocktail. 3. Face a wall. The people watching in this place can be worth the price of admission. Face the room. DO: 1. Learn a bit about steak before you come here. Then ask questions when you are there. What's the difference between a filet and the New York? Wikipedia has an excellent page on chateaubriand. My love of steak was born in this place. 2. Dress up! That's part of it. 3. Tip well! That's not part of it but still very important. 4. Someday, when you have a special occasion, go with a big group and reserve the wine-room. 5. Get on the mailing list. You just might get a birthday greeting. CeasarCrabcakesNewYorkForTwoBakedPotatoWithEverythingApplePie My friend Dustin said it best - one of his best all time meals, and the best steak he's ever had. I couldn't agree more. read more

Amazing food! Beautiful location very dim lighting but a nice place for any occasion. Order something table-side for a nice convo starter. Also order some craft beer on tap. Big portions of food. Pricey but worth it . Plus you get a nice after dinner tray or grapes and crackers. If you are in the area make sure you stop by read more

El Gaucho - Steakhouses Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Throwing a lot of love around for this steakhouse when I don't partake on steak. Every drop of money you spend here is always worth it, and after about 5x eating here, I feel the same. In Vegas, I was sent to another space and time at a fantastic steakhouse there and made reference to [our] El Gaucho in it, so was I surprised to see that I had not already reviewed it. If you want to feel/look/think like a baller, then head to El Gaucho. It's old-school glamour that I never tire of. Order the caesar salad made tableside. Have the tenderloin dripping with flames carved straight from a sword at your table (always fun, and I always worry about the poor server). Shoot, while you're at it, have your ENTIRE meal cooked tableside and order the Bananas Foster for dessert. More flames. More fun for everybody (except the server, I'm sure lol) The Mr. usually orders the Chauteabriand beef here, and the last item I had was the chicken with lobster in a cream sauce. Gurgle/coo. It was fantastic. If you can, sit at the bar for a drink or two. It's just DIFFERENT having a drink at the bar here than one of my neighborhood joints. I have a too-impossible-to-believe story about El Gaucho, and their very helpful bartender from many years ago. *fist bump* wherever you are, man. You saved a girl that night ;) read more

Was such a great experience! The food was really good, staff was amazing and we would return in a second!

So, I finally had my El Gaucho "experience" tonight... We had been saving our visit to this fine establishment for a special occasion, being it that even the happy hour prices are a little steep for our budget, much less the Chateaubriand and lobster... yikes! Regardless, being offered a stellar job convinced us that the occasion had come. I know this place has fab reviews, saying it's all swanky and what have you, but I found it to be more like, pretentious in an unsuspecting sort of way, like a little sleazy or something. I know they're going for the old school mobster vibe, but I totally wasn't buying it. The live jazz piano was nice, but everything just feels snobbish. I'm comfortable in classy places, but I didn't find El Gaucho to be so much classy as.... mmm... prickish? I know... that's not a word. Maybe some people find it swanky to have someone in a tux serve them a burger, I'm thinking, north pole burger, made of penguins... mmmm, penguins... Still, we were excited about the food, having previewed the happy hour menu.... mmmm... crab cakes. Too bad we didn't make it that far. We made the mistake of coming at 6:00 on a Friday night... oops. I forgot, we never go out on Friday nights, do we honey? The place was packed. Full bar. I figured that we'd put our names on the list, see if we make it in by the end of happy hour, and if not, hightail it. The hostesses seemed like they were glaring down their noses at us or something. Whatever. Crab cakes. Rock on. I'm not easily swayed from a good crab cake. After waiting about a half hour without any progress on the "waiting list", we were getting a little frustrated, due to hunger pangs more than the wait. I've waited longer for less. Guaranteed. But this here is what burns my biscuits, the hostess warmly greets two folks who enter with a hug, apparently close friends, and they are instantly seated at a table that just opened at the bar. Well, I guess that's how it works at nice places? We figured maybe not everyone who came in was on the "waiting list". Kinda ticked off, but again... crab cakes... we stay a few more minutes. Then I overhear the same hostess talking about how pissed she is at these people (patrons?) who talk incessantly. WTF?? If you have a problem with your job, take it home like everyone else and start drinking. Just kidding. Really. Don't do that. Take a vitamin. At this point, we decide we're not gonna make the happy hour in time, so we'd better bolt. And we did. Promptly. Honestly, I'll might come back to El Gaucho, just to see if the experience is repeated. Hey, maybe I can have another awesome moment to celebrate that they can try to rain on!!! Enthusiasm for crab cakes is my raincoat, bitches! If I do, I'll write the 281st review of it. Like, who cares, right? Are you still reading? Ha! But seriously, I want to try the crab cakes. Thanks (a ton) for listening to this one. read more

I can't think of a classier restaurant in Seattle. From the moment you walk through the tufted leather doors and into the dark, elegant dining room, you feel like you've been invited into an exclusive club. The ambience is sophisticated and romantic. All the staff are dressed to the nines. The food is good as well. On my initial visit, I came during resturant week and had the dry aged sirloin for my main course. I had never had dry aged steak, and don't usually order sirloin. To my surprise, the sirloin was amazingly tender. I honestly would not be able to tell the difference from their dry-aged sirloin from fillet mignon. It is that tender. Actually, I think it has more flavor than fillet despite being cheaper. On my second visit, I opted for the tasting menu which is a pretty good value in my opinion ($70) and one which you should consider if you've never been to El Gaucho. It is 4 courses: soup, salad, steak trio sampler, and dessert. The soup is the "Insane Truffle Soup," and is that good. My girlfriend says this was her favorite part of the meal. My second course was the beet salad. It was a good salad, as much as a salad could be. Both the salad and soup were substantial enough that my girlfriend and I could share without having to order separate appetizers for her. My favorite part of the the steak trio by far was the aged sirloin with lobster and bernaise sauce. Again the sirloin was lean, flavorful, and tender. The richness of the lobster and cream sauce was the perfect accompaniment to the lean steak. The fillet mignon part of the trio was tender, but nowhere near as good as the sirloin with lobster. I really was not a fan of the peppercorn ny steak. It was a little too peppery for my tastes. My girlfriend ordered the halibut. I generally like halibut, but was not a huge fan of this one. It was very tender and flaky, but the herb mixture on the top was slightly bitter and almost tasted like dried herbs from a bottle. For dessert I had some sort of toffee cookie with ice cream on top. I can't remember the specific name. The dessert was good but not especially memorable. Again, it was big enough to share with my dining companion. But the overall dining experience was a good one. read more

As my sister so eloquently put it, "El Gaucho is not a restaurant, it is a dining experience." The restaurant has the feel of an exclusive supper club out of the 1920s or 30s. The dining room is decked out in mahogany and dark leather with mood lighting to match. While this means it can occasionally be hard to see your food, it also means you don't have to look at the ridiculous gaucho jackets they make the servers wear. Seriously, the name is enough. We get it. While the servers attire is a bit eccentric, the food is absolutely top-notch. Granted, the top-notch quality comes with top-notch prices. I paid $60 for my steak, but what a steak it was! El Gaucho does not suffer from the presentation over substance curse of other upscale dining establishments. Their food is straightforward like a slab of beef to the face. I started my meal with the Gaucho salad, which was ample and covered in juicy cocktail shrimp. The salad was basic, high quality greens, dressing and shrimp piled high. I ordered the New York peppercorn steak as my main course. Many of the steaks at El Gaucho can be ordered in a variety of sizes. The peppercorn however comes only as a massive 16 oz cut encrusted in black pepper and served in nothing but its juices. Side dishes are served family style at El Gaucho. We ordered two helpings of asparagus, an order of mashed potatoes and the mushroom risotto. The asparagus was delicate and steamed to perfection with just the right amount of crunch. The mashed potatoes were unremarkable, but they were the cheapest side on the menu at only $5. The risotto drop kicked the Flying Fish's risotto in the face and ran off with its girlfriend. It was flavorful and rich without being overbearing and the grains of rice retained their firm texture while still blending nicely with the sauce. For desert, my mother and sister ordered Bananas Foster, which came with a flaming floor show (meaning fire, not geigh). I had the chocolate bourbon cake. The cake was fluffy and moist... like the inside of a baby bunny if it were made of chocolate cake. In the end, our meal came to a little over $100 per person, but every once in a while you just need to blow a wad on a giant hunk of meaty goodness. P.S. I ate about half of the peppercorn steak at the restaurant and had the BEST grilled steak and cheese sandwich today with the leftovers. read more

This place came recommended by someone, we made reservations for the night off and WOW. the food AMAZING, the drink AMAZING, the service AMAZING. Filet Mignon cooked to perfection, lobster mashed potatoes AMAZING! read more

Spending an evening at El Gaucho is the perfect escape from everyday life. The restaurant is beautiful, classy, and saturates your senses with the shiny, the soft, the delicious and the inspired. I haven't yet visited this location for dinner but as is true with the other El Gaucho restaurants, the happy hour experience is one of the best in our Emerald City. The seating is comfortable, plentiful and appropriately spacious and the service is equally attentive and informed as any top shelf main dining room. The happy hour prices are equivalent to standard dinner prices at your average restaurant, but the quality of the dishes will leave you feeling like you got away with robbery. If you're looking for indulgent decadence (and redundant wording), the macaroni and cheese or truffle soup are 'insane'. Something a bit more traditional? Both the burger and steak sandwich are so perfect they make you wish you were a master chef - not to mention the amazing fries that are always made with duck fat. My absolute favorite bar bites, however, are the wicked shrimp and ahi tartare'. The seafood itself is fresh and prepared to perfection but the flavors are the real stars of these small in stature monuments to cuisine. El Gaucho sits in my top twenty restaurants and the fact that they are consistently amazing between locations is all the more impressive. read more

This was a special joint to me for many years, but I must say those days are long gone. A few weeks ago my fiance and I decided to go to this establishment. When we arrived we both felt like the staff in front was unhappy to have us there and that seating us would be a hassle (well over half the restaurant was empty, and only slightly increased by the time we left). They made us wait a rather long time to be seated, and also sat others that came in after us, who also didn't have reservations, it was a Tuesday anyways, not the busiest day in the biz. Once we sat, we ordered some wine and ultimately a NY steak, the Lamb, some Mac and cheese dish, and mushrooms. I must admit the bread they delivered was excellent and this is a time I wish I would have filled up on bread. My fiance ordered the lamb medium rare to medium; when the lamb arrived it was BLUE and the manager agreed it didn't look to good. They took the dish back and when it returned, it was still blue, just scorched on the outside. Needless to say, I don't blame her for deciding to not eat anything after the second attempt. The mac and cheese dish looked like a french onion soup had arrived and was like a rock. The mushrooms tasted okay. Since I wouldn't eat the steak while she sat there waiting and then when she did get her terrible replacement, I decided I had had enough and was done being treated like a second rate customer. The manager noticed that the replacement wasn't being touched and did take the plate away and offered to get her something else. We declined and said we wanted the check. They then brought out some huge bowl of fruit and olives, too much too late. Couldn't wait to get out of there. Do yourself a favor, go to the met instead. I have walked in the Met in a suit and in a baseball jersey and cap. No matter what my attire, I was always treated with a great deal of respect and the steaks are top notch. From the moment the rude hostess said that my hat must be off while in the dining area, the entire experience was terrible. Get over yourselves, it's 2015 already. I will never again spend a single dime in this dump of a steak joint. I did tip the usual 20 percent because the waiter was a nice fellow and the other service help kept out water full. I don't believe in zero tips, even though the cook staff produced garbage food at a high premium price. What a huge disappointing experience. I am sorry we stank up your swanky joint. read more

Over three years have elapsed since my last foray into the dimly-lit, otherworldly destination that is El Gaucho. And, in that time I've sampled many an unbelievable dinner, memorable tasting menu, or tear-inducing (in a good way!) dessert. But at the recent suggestion of our dear Yelper to whom no one says no and for good reason, we-the-foursome ended up at happy hour at El Gaucho for a most amazing evening. Because, let's face it: sometimes a lady wants to be treated like one, and relax in the sexy dark with almost-over-the-top-but-not-quite indulgent service to the soundtrack of a little lounge piano and the menu that's just a bit dated for trendy Seattle but after all who gives a f**k when it's happy hour and someone's setting Bananas Foster on fire like they did back in the 1950s and you need a flashlight to read the menu but not really since you can simply have a long conversation with Chaz and he'll just tell you what you want anyway and be right. And. A handwritten thank-you from any restaurant regarding my perhaps slightly scribbled cocktail-influenced (lovely and fierce Manhattan or two) gratitude for said evening goes straight to the memorable moment file, a throwback in only a good way. Are there joints in Seattle where you might have a more culinarily exciting version of a steak or dessert or fancy feast? Sure. But magic ain't made only in the kitchen; occasions aren't only about what's on the plate, but the delight that surrounds it from a table near the bar.... read more

Swank, snazzy and sophisticated, this is the definitive "big night out" restaurant. Hearkening to the grand supper clubs of the 1940's, the space drips Sinatra , with big steaks, big drinks, dulcet music and posh stylish surroundings. The service has always been impeccable. And then there is the food. Top flight steaks take center stage, but the famous seafood appetizer is a column of crustaceans that is awe inspiring. I like the blu cheese and fruit plate served almost as an aperitif and the lavish desserts could bring Atlas to his knees in a withering curl of infancy. The wine list might have been written by Bacchus himself, and the bar features first rate happy hours with taunting tastings from a shortened menu that only goad you into doing an entire dinner affair. While the Metropolitan Grill is a close runner up, I believe El Gaucho is the paragon of "big beef eateries" in Seattle. read more

Heck, it's been a year. I'll give them another well-deserved update. El Gaucho really has it down when it comes to service, ambiance, experience, and quality. In every way that matters, they shine! We came here for Valentine's Day and had a wonderful meal. We started with the Wicked Shrimp and the tenderloin bites. Both were absolutely delectable. Loved them. Then we had the tableside Caesar. It's very fun to watch your server prepare the salad for your entertainment. For entrees we had the Steak El Gaucho- filet mignon, lobster medallions, and asparagus and the Anderson rack of lamb with risotto. The lamb was one of the best lamb dishes I have ever had, if not the very best. Melt in your mouth tender. You barely had to chew. At the end, they brought us a complimentary fruit, cheese, and nut plate. It was entirely too much food as there was enough on the platter for a table of 6. However, the gesture and experience was very nice. When we got the car, the valet gave us cookies to take home with us that were baked by the pastry chef. They were wonderful. I could list the prices of each item but you might cry. It's a special occasion spot. El Gaucho is one of my top choices for a nice dinner. Love it! read more

This restaurant isn't cheap but food and drinks are out of this world, live music, sofisticase ambiance, beautiful decoration, fantastic attention from crews and delicious food read more

Cool place for a little jazz, drinks, and perhaps dinner. The band wasn't playing much and took a lot of long breaks on the Saturday night we crashed their party with our party. They were fairly chill and groovalicious when they were playing though. No cover, no problems with seating a large group of people, but the way they run a tab for a larger group is a little difficult. I'd advise just having people get their drinks at the bar instead of trying to split up a large bill at the table. read more

Wow. Swanky is definitely the word to describe it. With the dim lighting, even *I* felt classy! We went here for my boyfriend's company's holiday party... [they rented the entire place out on a Saturday night] and were treated to the best combination of amazing food, amazing service and delicious drinks. The highlights of the night for me were the macaroni bar with crab, pancetta, chorizo and more, and the melt in your mouth medium rare meat... The quality was far beyond a lot of steak I've eaten in restaurants... and this was on a buffet line. Combined with servers who always had impeccable timing when it came to getting me another pomegranate martini, El Gaucho could do no wrong. And that's before the bananas foster and the mini dessert assortment, which added even more awesome to this awesome package. Thanks to the open bar there isn't too much more I can remember or say beyond I'm looking forward to next Christmas because apparently they have the holiday party here every year. read more

Running out of luck at the iconic steakhouses lately apparently! I brought a friend here for her birthday dinner, with the expectations that El Gaucho would wow her as they did me on past visits. But each course came delayed, and there had to have been a total of 50 minutes where we were sitting there just waiting, waiting, and waiting some more for the next course to come out. To be clear: we ordered everything in one swoop with the exception of dessert. I anticipated that the timing for delivering each course would have been superb as it has been and should be - after all, at these restaurants, 40% of the price is for the quality of food and 60% is for the service (arbitrary numbers!). Complimentary bread was delivered and too much of it was eaten during the lengthy wait times between each courses. Ahi Tuna Tartare (3 stars) followed by french onion soup (5 stars) along with the New York Strip (5 stars), mashed potatoes (4 stars) and roasted corn (3 stars). We waited a good 20 minutes before being asked about dessert - which we were hoping to eat in the restaurant but by this point, we were over 2 hours in and had places to go so we asked to have the dessert To-Go. 20 more minutes later, they had forgotten about it and we had to question it to which an apology was issued as they went to grab the desserts. 5 minutes later, they served them on our table on plates instead of to-go containers. There was clearly some miscommunication going on. One thing that was very odd to me is we didn't really see our server at all... I don't remember this being the case on prior visits. We had six or seven different people come to our table throughout the meal instead of our initial server that introduced himself (who did end up coming by to bring our check). I would rate this experience as a "2 star", but with the food quality that wouldn't be fair. I'm betting that this experience put a bad taste in my friend's mouth though... and it was her first EG visit :( read more

Always wanted to check these guys out for their table side banana flambe service. They were more than happy to seat 6 of us in the back room and give us all the time we needed. The bread pudding and chocolate ganache were delicious as well. read more

El Gaucho - Steakhouses Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Our waiter, Oka, was a wonderful host. Engaging, with thoughtful recommendations, he made our evening lovely. We loved sharing this storied restaurant of Seattle with our son. read more

Actual email I got from my brother after I gave him and my sister-in-law an El Gaucho gift card for their anniversary: "We went to El Gaucho yesterday. Holy crap it was phenomenal. I don't want to poop because I don't want it to leave my body. Thank you very much." A+++, would cause my brother constipation again! read more

I think there was a giant confusion in the universe of el Gaucho dining and perhaps, while they might offer great dining experience every other day and hour, we happened to dine there in the hour, when Everything Went Wrong. This, or el Gaucho does some sort of face control and as a result, some people get great cow's meat and others get just cow's manure (metaphorically speaking, of course, but not too far from truth). Okay, the filet mignon we ordered was on the borderline from being bad to disgusting. I've never had a chewy filet mignon in my entire life. That cow certainly did not prance in the meadows in any recent time. Perhaps, it died very organically by its own death - from old age. Our waiter looked very annoyed and unhappy serving us. I'm at loss finding an explanation for that. Maybe his hamster died that morning or something. The sides were very generic and boring. Dessert menu. Oh my! We really felt like dessert before we looked at the menu. Root beer float?! Really? And to put the cherry on top, I really did not dig the "brothel" look of the décor. And who would? read more

More like El Gouge-o. I'll be happy if I never revisit this pretentious eatery. The dive is left intentionally dark so penlights are necessary for reading the menu. What are they trying to hide, anyway? My glass went empty for 45 minutes. It took two hours for the entrées to arrive on a slow Sunday night. A mysterious gravy boat was dropped of at our table. What was in it, au jus? What was more troubling was what was on the OUTSIDE of it. The stainless steel vessel was covered chunks of food or something. After sending it back, the manager informed us he told the sous-chef that this "was not El Gaucho". How was my steak? I could not tell you. By the time it arrived, I had lost my appetite. Nothing upsets my stomach more than undeserved pretension. I won't be back. read more

To get an invitation to dinner at El Gaucho is quite an amazing feeling. I'm not what you would call a "girly" girl but such an invitation makes me feel pretty special. At El Gaucho, the food is definitely good but it's the experience that makes the night memorable. Upon walking up to the front door, not one, but two nice gentlemen scramble to open the doors for me as I enter. Who said chivalry is dead? The coat check is a must for anyone hanging out in the Seattle mist. We are seated and I am warned that the gentleman will be "helping" me with my chair. I appreciated the warning. Before leaving, he lightly sprawls my napkin on my lap. At one point, I'm wondering why there are three staff members fussing over us. One is pouring our selection of water, another is pouring standard water, and a server is telling us about specials. I feel like I'm somewhere else. In my world, I do all the work, definitely do all the cooking, and never get spoiled. I feel like I'm in a parallel universe. To start, we are brought a basket of garlic bread while we wait for our appetizer. The wicked shrimp comes and I am disappointed. The sauce is right on point, just the amount of spice and savory goodness, exhibiting such complexity of flavors that I literally have to take a moment to deconstruct it. However, the shrimp is overcooked. I expected more for an $18 appetizer, but hey, that's just me. That was my first and last disappointment of the night. For dinner, we have chateaubriand with lobster carved tableside. It was served with our choice of potato (and we each got to choose our own), asparagus, and a broiled tomato topped with yummy cheese. Now, one of the reasons I didn't have any garlic bread is because I often have trouble finishing my food. I wanted to enjoy my dinner. When the meal came out, I looked it over and thought, hmmm...that doesn't really look like a lot of food. For each of us: two slices of meat, a piece of lobster, a bunch of asparagus, a tomato, and potatoes. I'm so silly sometimes. It was more than enough food and I was actually embarrassed that I couldn't eat more of it. The meat was so tender that it broke apart as it was cut. It was cooked medium rare and the béarnaise sauce perfectly accentuated the meat. You should ask for horseradish when you are there - you won't be sorry. Fresh, spicy, and amazing! As I sit and "try" to finish my food, I realized that I won't be able to and it would be a shame to pass up dessert. I ask for my food to be boxed and we move on to the bananas foster. I'm not sure there is anything more spectacular than an open flame next to your table as you watch the majesty of all that is dessert being prepared. As we looked on, people all around the restaurant watched and very quiet "ooohs" and "ahhhs" could be heard nearby. I'm not a big bananas foster fan and it's certainly not at the top of my list. That being said, the presentation and flavors were fantastic. As it was prepared tableside, we got many tidbits of information that made for an entertaining experience. Suffice to say that I was completely stuffed. Before leaving, I get up to visit the ladies room. As I walk down the slope, I am greeted by a smiling gentleman that holds out the crook of his arm and walks me to my destination. From the tiny flashlights that are used to view the menu, to replacing the silverware seamlessly while I'm in conversation, to the fruit and nut bowl, it's just too much! It's those little touches that add up over the night that make a visit to El Gaucho special. read more

El Gaucho - Chateaubriand + lobster + asparagus + tomato - Steakhouses Near Me - Seattle, Washington

A group of us went to El Gaucho tonight for happy hour after work. We were all really excited about the experience and were looking for a good time getting to know each other. While we had a great time overall, this place is not worth the trip. First, I was a little surprised to know that you need to make reservations during their happy hour. Reservations at happy hour? Hummmm... Secondly, the hostesses were all pretty rude. They told us we needed to be out two hours after we sat down because the entire bar was reserved. Again - reservations at happy hour?? When we sat down we ended up having about three (all at different times so we had no idea who we should be asking for things from) so-so servers who did not seem very attentive nor excited that we were about to drop at least $250 in their bar in the next two hours. Staff were constantly walking around our table seeing where we were at with our drinks and apps to make sure that we would be out of there in time for their reservation party. Then, when we tried to pay with a gift card and handed them a card for the remainder, they came back to the table and told the person paying that while they did not accept gift cards for happy hour they went ahead and charged her card for the entire bill! Don't you think they should have come back to the table first and asked?! Very awkward. While the food is good and the ambiance is nice, I would say pick a different place in Belltown for dinner and especially for happy hour! There are so many wonderful places in Seattle to eat - why go to an expensive place where the service sucks and you do not feel like you are worthy to be there! read more

For the price i had super high expectations. Food was average nothing special, service was great. parking valet not so efficient.

Come for the steak, try all the sides, stay for the service. Seattle Restaurant Week is a hotly debated affair. On one hand it allows everyone a chance to dine at fantastic restaurants they might not be able to afford. On the other its tough for restaurants to provide the full experience within the constraints of the menu and price. El Gaucho manages to break the mold and provide phenomenal food and their exemplary service at a price point that Applebee's would struggle to meet. This was the best Seattle Restaurant Week meal I've had in almost 3 years and they have gained a repeat customer without a doubt. The decor, ambiance, and service here are all from another time. A time when fine dining was designed to be a multiple hour experience that allowed you to forget about everything else in your life other than the food, wine, and people at your table. I don't need to say too much about the food here, its fantastic and I'm sure it always will be. And if it's not I bet they will go to the ends of the earth to fix it for you. The mac and cheese and the tenderloin medallions were the best part of my meal. Until I had the bread pudding. It was the best thing I've eaten at restaurant week. With the wonderful over the top service it was nice to end the meal with something simple in appearance yet shockingly delicious. read more

We celebrated our 30th anniversary with dinner here. What a wonderful experience. The food was fantastic, the floral petals on our table and signed anniversary card was a nice touch. Our waitress, Sarah, was exceptional. read more

I love this place. We didn't even have a full meal and I was blown away. Great service! the waiter was very attentive and friendly. My friend and I ordered clam chowder, which he raved was the best in town. The waiter also gave us fresh garlic bread. We started with an appetizer the Tenderloin Diablo. Everything was just great. Oh and yes this place is super dark and swanky. Also, during the month of August the valet parking is free! and they give you fresh made cookies to go home with. I look forward to going back and checking out the awesome happy hour specials. read more

Down you go the dark stairwell... you notice the soft carpet underneath your feet, the polished wood. You hear the first brassy notes of the trumpet as the door shuts behind and you emerge into a dimly lit, underground secret. Right here all this time was a jazz club preserved from the 1950's . This is not the 1950's jazz club as it actually was... I suspect the real thing might have been gritty, even a little sweaty. No, this is the club as we always imagined it. The romantic notion we have created in our collective consciousness from Hollywood movies and pulp fiction novels. Where everyone on the dance floor twirls and turns with professional flourish, elegantly dressed waiters prepare your flaming Bananas Foster tableside, the patrons in their subdued colors speak in hushed tones, and the menu comes from the four-star restaurant upstairs. There are no flaws in this illusion... the food, the music, the atmosphere. And isn't that what we really want? read more

Hands down favorite steakhouse in Seattle! Always a classic move with a filet. Chaz has to be hands down the best waiter experience. He is fun, informative, and he loves el gaucho. We ordered red bull/vodkas... And they were out so Chaz ran across the street to pick up the supplies. Top notch guy for top notch service. Recommend Chaz by name and the filet! read more

El Gaucho in Seattle has been one of of our favorite places for many years. We visited their new location this past weekend to celebrate my birthday with two other couples and I must say it is not the same experience. When we made it our table, our waiter took our drink order. One of the couples ordered a bottle of champagne which arrived within 5 minutes, the rest of us had to wait another 20 - 25 minutes to get our drinks. One couple order Caesar salad for 2, which it was prepared table side as usual; however the salad was placed in one plate. When asked if it was for 2, the person preparing the salad said yes which was odd because again it was in one plate. The same person decided to bring another plate and tongues and ask my friend to 'serve' it as they wanted it. We felt like we were at one of those chain restaurants. The steak was well prepared. Then came time for dessert. This place is famous for their bananas foster prepared table side which all of us ordered. When we all took our first bites, we noticed that the bananas did not taste well, they were green. I ordered a cappuccino and it came in a regular coffee cup and instead of being a cappuccino it was a shot of expresso. I mentioned it to the waiter and he said he would fix it. Came back 5 min later with the same cup, except that he had added a little bit of milk. The waiter did notice that we were not eating the bananas foster and asked for feedback. He did the right thing and removed it from our bill. Their traditional fruit and nut service at the end of the meal is gone.  The new service is 'Roquefort butter' and a few slices of fruit with crackers.   Based on this experience, I am not sure we will be coming back. There are other steak houses in the Seattle area in the same price range but with better service. read more

The BEST dining experience? No. It was good - but not the greatest. We had an 8:15 reservation for Saturday night, we strolled in and were told to wait 20 minutes - which was fine...we were seated at a nice 2 person booth around the top section of the restaurant. A gentleman came by and asked for our drink order, which we gave him - but we felt like we were slowing him down. This guy was running! We got our drinks another 15 minutes later, and then nothing.. No server, no "Welcome to El Gaucho". But we did see the water guy about 5 times who seemed to come by our table every time he saw us pick up our water glasses! He gets 5 stars! A woman came by and asked if I would like my wine opened to breathe, we said yes and asked her for different stemware. The stemware they put on the tables is thick glass (Think Applebee's Wine Glass) and I was looking for something a bit better....she brought out some nice hand blown glasses for us and I was happy. I got excited thinking she was our waitress....but she wasn't. We sat at our table for about 30 minutes total before the man who took our bar order came to see us again and asked if we'd ever been to El Gaucho. We told him no, so he gave us a quick rundown of the menu. We told him we had figured out what we were ordering and he seemed impressed (gee we had forever with our menu at that point, I could have almost done the run-down myself.) We ordered: Crab & Prawn Cocktail (to share) Caesar Salad for two Petite Filet Mignon Med-Rare Baseball Sirloin & Lobster Medallions Roasted Corn El Gaucho Potato Linguine Alfredo The crab and prawn cocktail was GREAT. We were starving and ate it all pretty quickly, we almost ate the garnish ;) The caesar salad was pretty good to me, however my husband said it didn't do anything for him. If I had to nit-pick, I would say MORE GARLIC PLEASE! Our entrees came and my filet was perfect! It was flavorful, juicy and generally AWESOME! (but oddly it came on a plate just by itself with no garnish. Just meat, on a plate.) My husband's meal was great as well - we both enjoyed the roasted corn - the linguine was very bland, we only ate about 2 bites, and the potato - while "good" was dressed "El Gaucho" style" which meant 1/2 a stick of butter, watery cheese sauce and green onions. We did the best we could with our meals - I polished off my 8 ounce filet and Romeo did a pretty good job on his 12 ounce sirloin. They came by with a large platter of fruit and nuts and some REALLY BLUE cheese and melba toast. I cracked a walnut, ate a few grapes, I thought about eating some pear but I didn't feel like cutting it. We ordered the Chocolate Ganache for dessert - Romeo was too full for the Bananas Foster (probably a good idea we didn't eat more than we did). The dessert was pretty good - great bittersweet chocolate and it went well with our Napa Valley Cab. I offered our waiter a taste of our wine, which he ran over at the end of dinner to collect on - he was clearly in a rush - but said he thought it was great. The damage? $227. Here's my rundown of the good: -Cool place, very dark - I think the Pampas Room would be fun to visit downstairs - I hear they have live jazz there nightly. -Food was slightly above average - steaks were fantastic! -Drinks were great - my husband's Silver Patron Margarita was the best he ever had. The not so good: -Rushed service. Get in then wait to see who your waiter is going to be for 30 minutes - then order, eat, eat, eat, and seeee ya later! I thought about my favorite Seattle restaurant for comparison - Canlis. Everyone there is truly happy to see you when you come in, and you are pampered with fantastic service - your server takes time to help you choose your meal, asks about you in general (what you do, where you are from, etc.) and seems to take a personal interest in each of their patrons. Not here, not at all. Its just not "personal". -Bathrooms could have used some repairs and updating - 2 of the restroom doors were broken and didn't have locks. 2 of the 3 toilets were also backed up.. I chose the toilet that looked the cleanest but didn't have a locking door. (Process of elimination ;)) Soap dispensers didn't work. And there were no attendants working that night (i've read here that they have them usually?) Maybe if they had them, things would be running more smoothly in the restrooms that night. -I think the place could be out of this world with some updating. The faux plants were old and dusty, and the uniforms for the servers were el-cheesy. Wow, don't I sound picky? Its because I am. When you are looking for a great evening out and you are willing to pay the price of a great evening out - I think everything should be up to par. There were some hits here and some clear misses. With that said - I will not be back (if we are paying)...for my money I will go to Canlis and have a fantastic time every time. read more

If you read nothing else in this review, I need you to know that El Gaucho's Insane Truffle Soup is easily the best soup of my life. My L I F E. I cannot stress this enough. If you like mushrooms, your taste buds are gonna freak out. My friends and I went on a Sunday evening, and since El Gaucho is apparently into being awesome, happy hour lasts from 5:00 pm till closing time on Sundays. Over the course of the evening, the four of us ordered two drinks each, six Bar Bites items, Gaucho Bread, and the Forbidden Sundae (bourbon caramel - eep!), and the total (after tax + tip) came to about $30 per person. Worth all the pennies! Overall, 'twas a wonderful time. Complete with delicious food, fantastic service, swanky ambiance, live piano, and free (surplus) cookies from the valet guy. read more

I would actually really love to be able to give this place five stars, because they do so many things as well as anybody in town, and they deserve a lot of credit for what they get right. But it doesn't quite work out that they're spectacular across the board, and at the prices they charge, you can't really let them wiggle out with full marks. First off, the service is amazing. Easy-going, friendly, cool people across the board in the front of the house. They tolerated eight knuckleheads in my group last night having a knucklehead college reunion in the middle of their busy Friday night, and they handled without so much as lifting an eyebrow. We took forever to make up our minds, we made them come back a million times, we made lots of smart assed comments, we asked lots of silly questions, and they still acted like they were glad to have us the whole time. Plus, they clearly know the menus inside and out and happily do everything they can to make sure you have a great time. Maybe the best service I've ever had in a restaurant. Second, the dining room, as has been mentioned countless times, is really pretty gorgeous. High ceilings, spacious, dark, well appointed throughout. Not quite sumptuous, but tasteful enough, and always comfortable. Very much in the mode of mob chic, as has also been mentioned. They even have the little electric shoeshine things on the floor in the men's room. You feel like you have been teleported back to the 50s or 60s in Vegas or some other mob town. Unless you're completely preoccupied with contemporary style, there's everything to like about the way the place is set up. The bar is great--the bar itself is attractive without being too showy. It's lit to be the centerpiece of the room, which is fine. It's well stocked, and the servers know how to take cocktail orders, for sure. The wine list is pretty great and the prices weren't overly ridiculous. The "Captain's List' is pretty obscene but some of the bottles on it looked like they were probably pretty exciting for oenophiles. The bad news about the bar is the beer program. I get that it's hard to sell most people genuinely interesting beer, and it's not like all they have is Bud and Bud Light. But their tap handles were meaningless for a hardcore beer fan. You can safely say that most Red Robins have a beer selection at least as good as El Gaucho's and, even if that's the only model that's profitable for them, well, it's still frustrating for a beer fan. Granted, steaks do generally pair better with red wines, so this is not exactly unforgivable. Appetizers and sides were awesome. The salads didn't look like an awful lot, but the kamimotos on the half shell were fantastic, the wild mushroom risotto was perfectly cooked and delicious, and the roasted brussels sprouts with almonds were fantastic next to the steak. Now we get to the frustrating part. The steaks. Probably every single steak out of the 8 we ordered was overcooked. Now, I know I said earlier that this was a "busy" Friday night, and the kitchen looked steady, but, truly, half the tables were empty. And they still managed to overcook....every single frickin steak on the table. OK, stuff like this happens, but our steaks ranged from $40 to $62, and prices like that imply perfection at every step of the way from in the door to the out the door. Secondly, still on the steaks here, they proudly trumpet their selection of USDA Prime beer everywhere. I realize their approach to decor emphasizes the nostalgia trip, but patting yourself on the back for serving Prime really reeks of the old days. They even have plaques saying Proudly Serving USDA Prime, or whatever, on the wall in the hall outside the men's room. Come on. You see the same badges at the meat counter at Fred Meyer. Fred Meyer is better than it used to be, but they charge a lot less than $62 for their steaks there. If you charge as much as anyone in town for your steaks, people expect to be hearing about grass-fed, certified organic beef, maybe some wagyu. Prime should be an option, and probably pleases the expense account jacket and tie crowd a good deal. But it's hard to jump up and down about overcooked Prime steaks at $56. I ordered the Peppercorn New York steak--16 oz., $56. They went a little crazy with the peppercorns, almost overpowered the steak. I really have no black pepper threshold, so I could forgive that, even at these prices. Most irritating were the multiple bites of gristle in some corners. Plus, as mentioned, it was supposed to be rare, and was barely pink in the middle, thoroughly charred in many spots outside. I order charred rare sometimes, and I am sure they are equipped to cook that way, but that's not exactly what was expected--given how every steak was overcooked, it's not hard to imagine there were a lot of flareups on the grill last night that the cooks simply didn't bother to control. In the end, it was great, but not $150 a head great. And that's what it cost. read more

Came here for a staff dinner and was very pleasantly surprised. Upon entering the restaurant the live entertainment and dim lights set the ambiance of it all, luckily there were flashlights to use with our menus. As we were seated we started off appetizers with the seafood tower and everything was very fresh, particularly the tuna tartar and lobster tail. The crab cakes were amazing as well especially for a crab lover like me. For my entree I ordered the Flaming Sword which is prepared table side. The steak was served with portobello mushrooms in a white sauce, I also ordered a side of mashed potatoes which complimented the meat very well. Though a little more rare than I had wanted, the beef was delicious nonetheless. (And they will cook it again to your satisfaction if requested!) The service here was excellent and there was never a moment my water glass was empty. In addition to that I was even escorted to the restrooms. I would definitely come again on a special occasion or when I'd splurge a bit more for a quality meal. read more

El Gaucho.... If I could marry a restaurant, it might be this one. Unfortunately, that would be weird...so I will have to settle for eating there as much as my pocket book will allow. So...My friend and I went to El Gaucho because we were running late for Zoe, and decided to go somewhere else. As soon as we walked in, they were able to seat us. When we sat down, the hostess put our napkins in our laps and they gave us water and most importantly garlic bread. I will admit there are times it seems I am easy to please, but when it comes to bread I am picky. The fact that they gave us this super yummy bread as soon as we sat down...was super pluses for them!!! I had the filet, and we shared some penne pasta in a cream sauce that was delicious! To drink I had an Orange drop which was stiff for sure (but yummy)...should have just had some wine, but I wanted to try something new. The service was impecable. The food delicious... the ambiance reminded me of an old mobster movie...This place seemed like it would have hosted some of the baddest in history, from Al Capone to Tony Soprano, all decked out in their tuxedos and bling. The guests the night we went were not so formal, which made me feel comfortable since I was in jeans. I will go back...for sure. read more

New to the Happy Hour game; El Gaucho does it right. Half priced bar food $3 select cocktails, draft beer, wine and piano made my tummy, liver and ears feel so good. My lady friend and I dropped in after work. We split the diver scallops, crab cakes, burger, beefsteak tomato salad. I've had better crab cakes but everything else was great. The bartender was friendly and attentive. The two of us filled our bellies and got a healthy buzz all for about 50 bucks. Yes, at the Gaucho! read more