Just reviewing the dance floor/casino. On a recent Saturday, my wife and I decided to listen to some well-reviewed local cover bands. First off, the charge to park anywhere reasonably close to the venue is outrageous. The security guards were cordial, I'll give them that. The venue itself is connected to the casino area, so there is some disconnect between those who are there for the band and those that are here for the gambling. In other words, IT'S NOISY! Unfortunately, this drives all those that are here to see the band onto the dance floor so they can see and hear them, so dancing is out of the question. The bar is woefully understaffed, so expect to stand in line a good half hour for a drink. Limited seating, no "dancing" allowed, sparse (and expensive) drinks? No thanks; I won't be back. read more

June 3rd, met up with high school friends spent the day. Had a great time. Met a very nice horse owner. Bet, lost bet and won. Food from the grill, burgers meh, fries were very good. Groupon helps keep costs reasonable, used valet parking, also fun. Haven't been in years, planning on a few more trips this summer. read more

It was fun... and I went for my first time there on 9/12/2010. There are a couple of things everyone should know before heading there. Especially if you've been to racing venues in other parts of the country before and expect them to be the same at Emerald Downs... First off, fun and good times! What's not fun about watching skilled jockeys riding fast horses. It really is a thrill! Parking: The free parking is almost 1/2 mile away from the gate and the advertised shuttle doesn't actually run at all. Pay parking is available for $10/valet, and $7/preffered lot. The preferred lot is 1/4 mile from the entrance. If you want to find the free parking, ignore all the signs designed to herd you into pay parking. Continue to the end of the road. There is a handicapped parking lot, but it was full. Entry and seating prices: The entry price per person for adults was $7 each. After paying the entry price we found out that the only free seating is on the track level, and that seating is very limited. Track level seating is exposed to the weather. Everything else that else that has a view of the field costs money. There is some indoor seating on the second level for people who want to eat and gamble, but it is cafeteria style and offers no view of the track. It would've been nice to know about this hidden cost going in, rather than finding out after arriving. Every other racing venue I'd been to in the past had an entry fee, then free seating. Not a charge for both. IMHO, it should be one or the other. Concessions and drinks: Very expensive. They are competing with Safeco Field on pricing. The one Mikes Hard Lemonade I had was $6. The concession prices were too high as well. I don't know what they serve on the higher floors, but I'm guessing it is equally overpriced. Betting: The betting is exactly what you'd expect if you've done it before. They have manned booths and automated machines for convenience. There is an A-B-C's of horse racing area just after you walk in, so if it is your first time, check it out. Bathroom Facilities: I didn't have to use them, but judging from the rest of the place I would guess they are fairly clean. Other stuff: There are pony rides and a bouncy house for small kids. Be sure to check out the horse walk where you can get an up close look at the horses being shown before each race. read more

As a first timer here i have to say I had a great time! I really didn't know what to expect but I had a blast. First of all, buy the $10 dollar deal on Groupon you won't regret it. It includes a $10 voucher for food and beverage (no alcohol) so you can't beat it. Also included in our entry was a slip to get a free T-shirt which is great because if you where it on Fridays you get free entry. My friends then showed me how to bet on the horses and after that I was ready to play! We had a great time and as a first timer I definitely had first timer luck in which everyone was pissed at me lol The food and beer lines can get very long during the dinner hour but they move fast. I had a chili cheese dog and honestly it was pretty good. I expected worse from a big event space like this but no it was tasty. Most people in our group thoroughly enjoyed the food they ordered. Another random plus is they also have a live band playing as you wait between races which was a fun touch. Honestly I had a great time and i will be back more during the summer! read more

Beautiful weather, great view and great races. Always a great place to spend a beautiful day. The only downfall is that beers are to damn expensive. read more

Emerald Downs is a lovely facility with LIVE HORSE RACING for a five month spring, summer, fall season on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Terrific view from many areas with a pretty paddock and a sophisticated, new fifth floor bar, dining, gaming area. A wonderful way to spend the day and well worth the 30-40 minute drive from downtown Seattle. For locals interested in learning all about owning a real race horse, check out the Emerald Racing Club offered at this track! Super cool. read more

Had an amazing time here!!!! Got in for free to general admission for being a military dependent and my friend got in free for having his veterans card. The lines were never too long because there were so many people working and the guys that we bet with were super friendly even though we had no idea what we were doing and really helped us out without making us feel like idiots. Super fun time!!!! read more

This is a great track. I have been to a few race tracks on both sides of the border and this place rates up there with the best. Sure it doesn't have the ambiance of Santa Anita but it is the cleanest race track I have ever been to. If you like it, they have cheap beer on Fridays and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. The food in the grandstand is pretty good and I like the fact that they have Odoul's here. the real secret is the Quarter Chute Cafeé. It is in the backside which is a behind the scenes area of the track. This place is a gem. I am not sure I have met a nicer woman than owner Sally and for a small cafe it really puts out great food. I am not sure I have a favorite meal here but the Mexican food is always good and the Country Fried Steak & Eggs with country gravy is delicious. You also must try a piece of Joe's famous chicken. Im not sure he is going to put Colonel Sanders out of business but its very crunchy and tastey. Many mornings one of the winning trainers or owners will buy coffee for everyone. If you every thought you wanted to see horse racing, this is where you should do it. As they put it, you can come and watch the horses train and get to know the jockeys, trainers, owners and everyone else that puts on the "Sport of King's". It's no charge to get in and you can go right into the backside of the track and watch the horses train or race. read more

Great race track, fun full day activity. Able to walk around and see the horses up close. Only bad experience I had was with ticketing. I purchased seating tickets in advance online through the emerald downs website and was told at the gate that only seats were purchased, NOT admission. Note that admission is an additional charge if you buy reserved seats. Not obvious on the website and was disappointed and surprised at the additional charges. read more

Came last Friday with a group to watch the ponies run. Use the valet service if you can (and don't forget to tip your valet when you get you car back). It was free T-shirt night, so I got one. We arrived early and had no problem getting a table inside on the third floor. Had to wait in a long line to get a program, but it moved pretty quickly. Got some betting help at the wagering booth so I knew what all my options were. Great group of guys and very helpful info. Got some help from friends on how to use the betting machines. Decided I liked the human route better, even if I did have to stand in line. Wish I had brought a bottle of water with me as I got a little hoarse from yelling at the ponies. Unfortunately, I can't pick a winning horse to save my life. Luckily I'm smart enough to know this and only placed minimal bets. The facilities are clean and well cared for. The food is typical and overpriced like most sport venues. All in all, it was a fun outing and I love to watch the horses race. Thumbs up! read more

Had the greatest time today at the track! They did a phenomenal job on the fireworks show and the staffs are friendly and personable. One that's definitely going down in the book! read more

Never been to live racing so came for a new experience. Surprised at the number of families that were attending because I didn't expect children to be interested since there is a lot of waiting and when you can see the horses, they flash by. It wasn't terribly crowded when we were there so we had a lot of freedom to wander around pretty much everywhere. It was also a really beautiful day so Mt. Rainier was out. Also surprised that there were charges for admission and programs. I guess I was expecting it to be more like a casino. read more

I've been coming here for years and actually I'm surprised I never reviewed this place. I usually come on Sat or Sunday, depending on if there is any event going on. I think its a very pretty place since it has such a wonderful view of Mt. Rainer and all. I like to just come and hang out, place a couple bets and eat some garlic fries. My Boyfriend is the more serious better between the two of us. $40 can actually get you alot of fun if your placing small bets and just there for the thrill of it. I'll defiantly be coming back here more. read more

Don't waste your money like I said before it's a waste of money it is a mid level track that doesn't really cater to the needs. Of the horse people I was in the biz for years and emerald downs was not a thought when I was training the horses are low caliber the purses don't match conditions and the riders are a bit over weight not like the riders in Fla some of them wouldn't make it at a track like gulf stream park they fit for quarters and the fair circuit but forget tracks like Santa Anita or las alomitas read more

While this is a farily nice establishment, the quality of races is HORRIBLE. Low quality horses, favorites always win. There is no parody here. Boring, and dull. Ripoff to charge 7.00 for admission.. And of course this place is always packed. The fact that people actually will pay to park, get ripped off on admission and think watching these turds of horses run is exciting, really shows that the locals here in the seattle area are REALLY REALLY stupid. You west coasters have no taste, and no clue as to what a good time actually is. read more

Super fun for a weekend day out and perfect for families! Waging on winning horses is exciting and watching them win is even better! Very nice environment, plenty of different seating options, and lots of food! Highly recommend if you want something to do that's relaxing and fun all at once! read more

I have been coming to Emerald Downs since I was in 7th grade, I am now pushing 60. We decided we would attend your July 3, 2016 races with fireworks. I gotta say the fireworks were by far the most spectacular show I've ever seen. With that being said I do have a couple of gripes with attending this one specific function. #1 The handicap parking is VERY minimal considering the amount of people this venue holds. #2 The concession areas had lines of probably 30 minutes minimum which is RIDICULOUS! The line for ice cream cones, which are delicious, but you stand in one line to pay then have to go stand in another line to get your ice cream, so this process could take an hour! So one of us stood in the pay line and then another took the receipt to stand in the line for ice cream. Lucky for me an employee came out and asked people if they had prepaid for their ice cream, which many hadn't, so many in front of me had to leave and get in the order/pay line and start the line process all over, but it still took me 20 minutes in line to get my ice cream. And I'd like to add at some points there was only one person scooping ice cream, when clearly they should have had at least 3. #3 Lastly I'd like to comment on the lack of traffic control when exiting the venue. Obviously this specific event is VERY popular as the place was packed! LITERALLY it took us 1 1/2 to get out of the parking lot (we were in section 5). FINALLY about 45 minutes after we got to our vehicle traffic directors arrived and vehicles started moving, slowly. The traffic controllers should have been in place as soon as the festivities were over. Lesson learned: arrive SUPER DUPER early for handicap parking and to taste the deliciousness of the concession stations w/o all the waiting and missing the races. read more

Very nice place! Clean, big, friendly staff and lots of handicap parking. The little casino only had card games but it was nice and neat. The gift shop even has some lady Kentucky Derby style hats for sale! I came by to late so I didn't eat and wished I had, deserts looked great! Need to come back one of these days. read more

This is a great way to spend a weekend afternoon, or for a corporate morale event. I've gone with friends twice and have enjoyed myself each time. The races are pretty good, and there are few places in this region that are better suited for people watching - you get a lot of interesting characters here! I mean that in a good way - Seattle is so stuffy and you get a good helping of "regular joes" here. I've sat in the box seats and they're worth it. You get your own TV, waitress service, and padded chairs for an extra $10 a head. These seats are also under and overhang and provide good protection from occasional sprinkles and the sun. We also reserved one of the Triple Crown Suites for a corporate morale event. The staff went out of their way to make it a special event - they helped us plan vegetarian meal options and even let us bring our own cake. Facilities were great, with a dinner buffet, bar, and wagering facilities that were for suiteholders' exclusive use. The view of the track is exceptional, though it can feel a bit far away, particularly compared to the regular grandstand and box seating areas. The food was a lot better than I was expecting - it was very good. Spend a day at Emerald downs - you won't regret it! read more

Emerald Downs was a fun time. The atmosphere was unique and fun but the food was mediocre a d the drinks were really pricy. Overall a good time though! read more

Great place to spend an afternoon. Even if your not a gambler it fun for all ages. Check out Quarter Chute cafe by the barns.

Free to get in thanks to KISW Men's Room. spent less than 40 bucks and had a great time!

Great breakfast speacials plus horse gambling sooo fun!!! Bet on a horse named Delaware Crossing for Golden Gate Racing. A 100% win everytime!!! read more

We had an amazing time. We came as a part of a large group to celebrate Irish Day last week and there were special tents set up for us, and our own bar and betting person (don't know what the official term is -- bookie??) read more

Boo! The valley was rude that we were in his way because the will call line was backed up because they couldn't figure out how to process the huge amount of groupons they sold. We had box seats and saw the waitress two times the whole race and she never came near our box. French fries I went and bought were good. read more

I'll be honest, I'm really not into horse races (or even gambling for that matter) but I come here with family because I know they enjoy it. The last couple times I've been here have been for Father's Day, so I found it to be pretty crowded, but not annoyingly crowded. There seems to be a decent amount of food options there (can't go wrong with some garlic fries I tell ya! ;) ) and drinks are a little costly but comparable in cost if you were going to the stadium for a game. If you do the free parking lot, they have shuttles that take you to and from the entrance of the grounds, so that's helpful. It's a fun place to check out if it's your thing to do :) read more

We had a reserved table for 7bas we were celebrating my mother's birthday. We were seated 3 people at one table and 4 of us at the other. The excuse, the tables for 8 that were reserved would need to be used later in the day. Then the waitress came over and with our water. She knocked one full glass over. It happens. Then after almost 2 hours of waiting we finally flagged her down and said we'd like to order. We said several times 1 check. It was two. The table of three's food came out and mom's got dropped on the floor. Then our table came out, dad got his chicken Cesar salad while they had 3 other dishes that were not for our table. About 15 minutes later our food came out. I have ordered the king salmon that was supposed to be cedar plank grilled. The mashed potatoes were cold, the salmon was cold, the fish was mushy and inedible as it wasn't cooked all the way through, the only edible part of my meal was the 2 stalks of asparagus. We had a similar experience about a year ago but said ya know it was late in the day then. We got there at 12:30pm. My mom and sister both had fish and chips and the fish looked super dark as if it was cooked in old grease. The waitress came back finally and we told her wed like the check and had to ask several times for more ice water. When we got the check they gave us ours and a different table as well. A different waitress sat a neighboring tables food on our so she could then put their food on their table. By the way when we left after the 9th race 2 of the reserved tables for 8 that we asked about were still pristine and empty. Never again! We go to Emerald Downs several times a year, but we'll stick to the concession stands and then spend our money at a real restaurant! read more

There are so many reasons to head to Emerald Downs. If you're a college student there are great drink specials here on Thurs and Fri nights and the horse racing isn't too bad if you like that sort of thing. The facility is pretty nice but it's usually packed to the brim. Come and check it out, have a beer or two, and throw down some cold hard cash on some horses! read more

Always good times at the track especially for the derby! Two years in a row betting on the winner. You know I will be back next year!

We went here with a Groupon we bought and it was really fun! Yummy food and exciting races. Just wish parking was a little better.

I came here with my Uncle and Grandpa. I really loved reading the statistics to tell my uncle and grandpa who to bet on. I had free admission and the racing is actaully more intense than you think. I recomend people to come here and bet on horses. The statistics really help making the winner clearer. We didn't really like betting on the favorite because you get less money for the win, and they don't win 1st that much. read more

My husband gifted me with the "ultimate fan package" at emerald downs. We just went yesterday and had a wonderful time! Thank you to Kathy Coffee for arranging our day and a special thank you to Kate Barton for being our guide for the day. She was so sweet and informative as we went though each of our backstage tours. It was so fun to see behind the scenes! Each portion from Debbie in the stables, Al and Danny in the jockeys room, the stewards, Tom and Aiden in the announcers room, everyone was so kind and happy to share with us. Lunch at the restaurant was great and an even better view! Sadly, we missed out on the most anticipated part, the chase car, but that was due to the weather. It was still a fun day and great experience. read more

Clean establishment, racing is always exciting (even with out betting), food is acceptable for the price, $7 isn't that much for several hours worth of entertainment. To all of the cry babies about payed parking, there is a free parking lot just past the track and they even provide buses so really is that worth a 1 star rating? read more

Had a great time the for the Mother's Day brunch. Great brunch, prime rib to die for. Joe was awesome, he came by and gave our group of 7 such a nice welcome and answered our betting questions (which, by the way, helped us win one trifecta). I would do it again. read more

My family and I had two goals: 1) Sit at a table and eat, then; 2) Move to good seats and watch the races. We said this to the woman at the ticket booth, who kept telling us there were no tables in the seating area. We said that was fine, but we wanted good seats. She said there were no seats with tables. We just chalked this up to miscommunication, as perhaps we weren't clear on what we were looking for. Inside, we asked Customer Assistance where the restaurant was, and she pointed us to the 5th floor. On the 5th floor, the woman at the service desk pointed us to the hot dog concession stand. That wasn't what we wanted, so we looked around and took a table by the window that looked over the track and began looking at the menus. A waiter said we couldn't sit there because it was reserved. There were no identifiers of such but, okay, where can we sit? He didn't know. He just pointed up the stairs. We sat at a table at the top of the stairs, and were soon told we couldn't sit there either. At Emerald Downs, no one knows where you can sit or where you can't if you ask them, but they are happy to chase you away if you get it wrong. Similarly, in the smoking area outside is a sign that says you can only smoke behind the yellow line. However, the yellow line is perpendicular to the wall. Does "behind the yellow line" mean on the left side or the right side of the yellow line? After eating, we got in the elevator to go back to the 3rd floor, but the elevator didn't have a 3rd floor button, so we ended up taking the elevator to the ground floor, going outside, coming back in, then taking an escalator back up to the 3rd floor. Emerald Downs is not designed according to any recognizable human standard. The rigatoni bolognese was inedible, but that is my fault for ordering pasta at a racetrack. The steak sandwich and fries are fine. The ponies are fun, despite management's best efforts to make it hard on their customers. read more

My experience was good until after the last race. June 29, 10th race. $2 on #1 to place, $2 on #5 to show, $2 on #6 to show paid back $11.80. I had another set of bets exactly the same when I went back and put more on it. $2 on #1 to place, $3 on #5 to show, $3 on #6 to show paid back exactly $10.00. It didn't make sense to me so I asked and the guy said he paid what the computer said to pay. It seems to me when all 3 of your horses come in and your bets combined are $8, I should get more the $2 profit back. I don't care about the money but its the principal of the thing. Another thing is if its true about the computer then how can we depend on true fairness? read more

My wife and I had a great time at Emerald Downs last weekend! We reserved a table in the Rainier Restaurant, 5th floor, on the glass, at the finish line and it was incredible! We had the table for the whole evening and could come and go as we pleased to head down and see the horses at the rail or over in the Paddock. Service and food was excellent! It was the perfect date! Won some races, lost some races and had a great time! read more

The worse service at the grill....SO RUDE....waited 15 min for hotdog and pretzel....

One of the must visit places around Seattle Area. Sad that the summer is short and we have only 5-6 months of activity.

And they're off!! This is a great place to go in the summer... it's great for families and for dates. The food is good but can be a bit pricey. I recommend trying the restaurant upstairs... you can sit by the huge glass windows and watch the races while you eat! I ordered champagne with friends by the glass window one evening this past summer and really enjoyed the excitement of the race, the delicious champagne, and the good company of my friends! The appetizers we ordered were tasty!! It doesn't cost much to get in, and placing a bet can be as cheap as $2. I tend to like "exacta box" bets... if you don't know what that is you can purchase a racing program that will explain the bets and give you more info on each race. You can also walk down to the paddock to check out the horses. There are usually fun things for kids to do on weekends, and I definitely recommend going when they have the "weiner dog races." I love this place!! read more