Love this diner! It has the atmosphere of a southern country diner and the food to match. Best…read moresweet tea I've had since leaving north Florida. I had the Chicken Club and carrot cake. Best so far! Service was very friendly and funny! Matthew has the corniest jokes but made it a fun lunch all around. I don't mind a fancy dinner out now and then, but this will be my go-to when visiting Oly.

It's a rare event to go into a chain restaurant and find a gem! But that's exactly what happened…read moreat the Black Bear of Olympia. The host was very welcoming and seated us right away. Best part of this gem was our waitress: Jessie W. She was fantastic! My wife and I are very persnickity when it comes to ordering. California omlette with with tomatoes instead of mushrooms, well done toast -- split? No problem -- done correctly -- and with two hot plates boot! Jessie must have checked on our coffee at least five times, always with a smile and an "anything else I can do for you?" We really can't say enough good things about Jessie and Black Bear. No wonder the place is always packed!!

We had such an incredible meal at Uptown Grill! Everything we ordered was fresh, delicious, and…read morefull of flavor, and the service was exceptional. The beet salad with chicken was amazing. It had a beautiful mix of greens, beets, citrus, and nuts, with plenty of chicken. I loved the combination of flavors and textures... every bite had something delicious in it. This was definitely a salad worth getting excited about! We also had a rice bowl loaded with fresh vegetables, feta, and a creamy sauce. The cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions added so much freshness, and everything came together beautifully. Both dishes looked fantastic when they arrived and tasted every bit as good as they looked. We enjoyed beer and wine with our meal, which made for such a nice afternoon together. The exceptional service added to an already wonderful experience, and we left so happy with our visit. If you're looking for delicious food and great service, Uptown Grill is absolutely worth a visit. We'll definitely be back!

We dined here the other day for brunch. No wait time, and we got greeted immediately. My aunty…read moreordered a coffee, but we noticed there was a lipstick stain on it. The server apologized and quickly got us a new coffee! Accidents happen so we were just happy with the quick response to the issue. We ordered the chicken and waffles, Dungeness crab Benedict, and their classic sausage and eggs plate. Chicken and waffles were super good! Crispy chicken, and the waffle was nicely cooked. It also came with a piece of bacon which brought a good saltiness to the syrup. The Dungeness crab Benedict was also amazing! Instead of a crab cake patty, it was just Dungeness crab on top! Definitely prefer it this way because other restaurants tend to skimp on the crab when they do a patty version. The hollandaise sauce on top was nice and creamy and the eggs cooked perfectly. At the end of our meal, we did get the pie of the day. It's a rotating pie everyday. That day, the pie was a blackberry and peach pie. When the pie came out, it was well plated and the crust was flaky and hot. However, the blackberries were still a little frozen on the inside, so I don't think they allowed the pies to thaw out thoroughly before baking. In general, I would give this place a 4 out 5 stars just because service was good and the rest of the food was delicious. The restaurant itself is huge with lots of space for customers. They have a somewhat open kitchen concept, if you walk towards the bathroom you can see the cooks working hard in there. Cool environment and if you're looking for a place to have brunch and drinks I would recommend visiting.

25+years ago I had my first ballpark hotdog and it was amazing. I've been futilely chasing that…read morehigh, until today. The jalapeño dog was fantastic! We also had the Tokyo and the nori fries. The Tokyo burger was also very good. Such a unique place. Will definitely be back

I finally got to try Katsu Burger with my son earlier this week (weekday afternoon), and I can…read moreconfidently say it lived up to the hype! When I initially walked in, it wasn't too busy, but it filled up quickly while I was still figuring out how to order. They use a kiosk system where you choose dine-in or takeout, and it's nicr that each menu item had photos and ingredient descriptions so it made it way easier to decide, especially for our first visit. The space itself is small and quaint with a couple tables, but full of lovely art. There's lots of cute anime and Japanese-themed decor, including figurines, plushies, and artwork, giving the place such a cozy, cutesy aesthetic. I also noticed they might be hiring, based on the sign at the entrance. I came here because my cousin-in-law (who lives in upper Washington) mentioned the place, and I needed a redemption meal after being disappointed by another chicken spot recently. Katsu Burger definitely delivered! The burgers here aren't your typical American-style burgers. They don't taste as greasy and sub cabbage instead of lettuce, similar to garnish for a tonkatsu plate. And surprisingly, the photos on the kiosk actually match what you get (no false advertising here!). The employee behind the counter was super kind and helped guide us through the ordering process. I don't think they take cash so maybe that's why orders are placed through the kiosk. For food: My son ordered the Tokyo Tower burger as-is, and I tried the Umami Burger with light cabbage (not a huge fan of crunchy water veggies like lettuce/cabbage/etc.). Both were AMAZING. I have heard of tonkatsu but I had no idea what beef katsu was before this. Thought it was just a regular beef patty, but wow.. it was crispy, flavorful, and just overall delicious. We ordered takeout and didn't even get home for about 30 minutes, but the food was still warm enough to enjoy without reheating. Portion-wise, my burger was perfect: filling but manageable (i think i made the right choice with light cabbage). My son's Tokyo Tower was massive (almost too big for him to handle xD), but we both agreed everything tasted incredible. I was tempted to try a bento box, but I knew I wouldn't finish it if I was already ordering a katsu burger. Next time though! My son already has his eye on the enormous Mt. Fuji burger, so we'll definitely be back. Parking is decent, though it can get busy during the day since it's near a gym and other businesses. Overall, if you're in the Lacey area, you HAVE to try this Katsu Burger at least once. It looks like they have about 8 other locations too in the other towns so if you're not in Lacey, there still might be one nearby you. The burgers are absolutely the star of the show :) I'm already looking forward to our next visit!

We were in Olympia for a visit to The Evergreen State College and since we were in town, a stop at…read moreState & Central was mandatory. We've eaten here several times over the years, this was the first time we eat dinner here. Fam. Let me tell you, the very reasonable lunch size portions? They're significantly bigger on the dinner menu. Almost disturbingly so Being able to get a selection of interesting regional beers is always a draw, tonight was no exception. And the pretty good lunch menu is expanded for the dinner hour - as well as the portion sizes being expanded. I ordered the fish and chips, my partner ordered the bar steak (which was New York strip), and her daughter ordered the salmon burger with fries. Because it was a special, we also got a giant order of poutine. Despite being in almost at closing, the service was absolutely spectacular. We very nearly had the place to ourselves, so the overall vibe was very homey and welcoming. As noted, the portions were enormous. I opted to finish my fish at the expense of the chips. My partner wound up with a significant take home portion as did her daughter. Couldn't possibly have been happier about our decision to stop in. Since we seem to have a new Greener in the family, I'm sure that we will be in Olympia significantly more frequently. And frankly, I am pretty happy about that, just based on being able to stop in here on the regular again.

Nice staff, location, and ambiance. But prices seem pretty…read morehigh for diner food. (But I guess everything everywhere has gone up.)

Why did it take me 5 years to finally try this restaurant! It is a vibe and the food is incredible…read more We shared the poutine for starters and it was delicious! They have such a wide selection of food. I had the lemon chicken linguine for dinner and it was a huge portion and absolutely scrumptious. My husband had a steak sandwhich which was equally tasty. We didn't get to try dessert this time as i was too full but will definitely be back! The service was phenomenal, from the greeting at the door and being seated to every server we interacted with. Highly recommend.

Came here to try someplace new…read more I got the Cascadia burger, with blue cheese. It was good but very greasy. The burger was cooked well and had good flavor. My fries were OK - they were not super fresh when I got them. My wife got the Olydelphia Cheesesteak. The meat was cooked well enough, but the peppers were raw. It was also super soggy and greasy, to the point where the bottom bun was soaked through. The taste was good, but the bun was not great. My wife's friend got the hot Italian sandwich. It is a huge sandwich, and she said it tasted good. However, her bun was also a soggy mess when the food came. The server did bring a new roll for her. It did take a while to get our food, but once we got our food our wait staff was attentive. It's a little small inside, so not a lot of room, but that's just the nature of eating downtown.

5 STARS -- AND IF I COULD GIVE MORE, I WOULD‼…read more Okay, okay... I KNOW I'm late leaving this review, but LIFE HAPPENED‼ Some experiences are just TOO GOOD not to share! INSERT COIN in Lacey deserves ALL THE LOVE‼ This place has officially become our NUMBER ONE go-to for just about EVERYTHING! Teen birthdays? Date nights? My birthdays? Work gatherings? Escaping adulthood for a few hours? ABSOLUTELY‼ But our most recent visit? THIS ONE deserves its own little love story! A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary at Insert Coin! And can we talk about the cost of living?! Gas prices soaring, groceries costing a second mortgage, bills piling up, and taxes coming out of places I didn't even know existed! HOW THE HECK are people supposed to enjoy a night out without refinancing their house?! ‍ WELL, INSERT COIN UNDERSTANDS THE ASSIGNMENT‼ Funny enough, my husband had been there earlier that SAME DAY for an employee appreciation gathering. He raved about the food and couldn't wait to return for our anniversary! That evening, we headed into the adults-only area to enjoy their PHENOMENAL beer wall and ridiculously tasty Jell-O shots! And THAT'S where the magic happened! ENTER TWO ABSOLUTE ROCKSTARS... SEDGWICK AND ABBY‼ (Sedgwick, PLEASE forgive me if I'm butchering your name! ) I CANNOT say enough wonderful things about these two! They weren't just doing their jobs. They were creating an EXPERIENCE! Attentive, hilarious, welcoming, personable, and genuinely wonderful with EVERYONE around us! We laughed, joked, shared stories, and met fabulous locals. It was one of those nights when complete strangers become friends, laughter fills the room, and you forget about life's responsibilities for a while. THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS PRICELESS‼ And as if our evening wasn't already amazing, they surprised us with complimentary anniversary cocktails! We enjoyed delicious food, played games, made new friends, and had one of our BEST anniversary celebrations yet! After more than three decades together, TRUST ME, we've celebrated a few! TO INSERT COIN MANAGEMENT AND OWNERS: PLEASE recognize Sedgwick and Abby! Great food and entertainment bring customers through your doors, but employees like THESE TWO keep them coming back! They didn't just serve us. They made us feel welcomed, appreciated, and CELEBRATED! THAT is exceptional customer service! NOW, LET'S TALK FOOD‼ OH. MY. GOODNESS. We've visited numerous times, and I have NEVER had a bad meal! NOT. ONE. Their burgers and French fry platters?! Listen... I'm a creature of habit, and those burgers and fries have me in a COMMITTED RELATIONSHIP‼ I KNOW there's more on the menu. Eventually I'll branch out. MAYBE. No promises! And then there's the ICE CREAM PARLOR! We STILL haven't tried it! Either the lines are LONG or we've arrived too late! But when people willingly stand in lines THAT LONG for ice cream, SOMEBODY is doing something RIGHT‼ Friends and family rave about it, so clearly we're missing out! ICE CREAM PARLOR, I'M COMING FOR YOU‼ Here's what I REALLY love about Insert Coin. It's not just an arcade. It's not just a restaurant. It's not just a place to grab drinks. IT'S A PLACE TO MAKE MEMORIES! Whether you're bringing the family, celebrating something special, gathering with coworkers, enjoying date night, or just escaping the chaos of adulthood, there's something for EVERYONE! The games, food, cocktails, beer wall, atmosphere, and especially the EMPLOYEES make this place special! And let me mention something else... In ALL our visits, I have NEVER encountered a rude employee or had a bad experience! NOT ONCE! In today's world, where good customer service sometimes feels like an ENDANGERED SPECIES, that deserves some serious recognition! My birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, and GUESS WHAT?! I ALREADY KNOW WHERE I'M GOING‼ INSERT COIN, BABY‼ If you're looking for an affordable, entertaining, genuinely FUN place to spend time with family, friends, coworkers, or someone special, GIVE THIS PLACE A VISIT! You don't need to spend a fortune to make unforgettable memories. Sometimes all you need is delicious food, good drinks, great people, friendly competition, and a WHOLE LOT OF LAUGHTER! INSERT COIN DELIVERS ALL OF THAT‼ Sedgwick and Abby, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for making our anniversary unforgettable! And to the entire Insert Coin team... KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING‼ You've earned yourselves some VERY loyal customers! We'll see you again SOON! And this time... I'M GETTING THAT DANG ICE CREAM‼ Much love from one VERY HAPPY CUSTOMER!

This place was such a cool find! We came here to celebrate one of my kid's friend's birthdays and…read morethey all had such a blast. Perfect for all ages really, but our crew of ages 5+ loved it and we could've stayed much longer than we did. When we parked we didn't expect this place to be so big but it's absolutely massive. They have a full bar, a restaurant space, the arcade area, axe throwing lanes, and even party rooms. It's huge! There's a tonnnn of games to choose from. Modern day ones, old arcade machines, claw machines, you name it! My son who is the gamer of the family was in heaven here. We ended up grabbing a couple drinks from the bar and it was so cool! They have fun themed cocktails plus a you-pour-it tap wall. And they have a ROBOT BARTENDER! I got a drink made by the robot and it was pretty good albeit very sweet. I got the Princess Peach one. My husband used the you-pour-it wall for cider and they had awesome local selections. We ended up eating at the restaurant too and their menu is pretty extensive! We got a couple different types of pizzas and for an arcade, it was pretty dang solid. We got a chicken pesto pizza as well as a cheese pizza. The kids loved their cheese pizza (hard to mess that up) and we scarfed down the chicken pesto! Also, did I mention your food is also delivered by robots?! Such a fun touch for the kids! They also have tables with game consoles and tvs on the wall which is a great way to keep hungry kiddos distracted. Definitely suggest checking this spot out, with or without the kids!

I absolutely enjoyed the appetizer and wine I had here. I will be back for the a good quality…read morecheese, wine selection and amazing staff. I enjoyed wine tasting and a cheese platter in the garden on a sunny afternoon.

This is a cute space with great food and service. It would benefit from some cozier decor…read more We came in on a Sunday afternoon and were the only guests there. We tried the Sunday School Iris wine flight, which came with four 2oz pours ranging from white to red (I loved the chardonnay; my partner loved the Rogue Valley Pinot Noir). We also split the Filbert Sandwich +turkey, which I cannot recommend enough. It was delicious and even came with a side of beans. Despite splitting the wine flight and sandwich, we both left satisfied. It was the perfect amount of food for 2. We loved the dark decor but think it needs more. Some dark hanging curtains would go a long way. We think the hanging art should be lower, with shelves full of intentional books and accoutrement up top. Maybe more of a dog-theme to match the name.

Best ribeye I've ever eaten! Excellent flavor and perfect…read morecook. Impeccable, attentive service. Really lovely ambiance and comfortable environment.

We've been there several times now. Mike, our server was even willing to do a little dance for us…read more It was short but fun. Seriously, the food was excellent, the service, as always, was spot on. We started with the burrata and it was delicious. As an entree we had the Beef Stroganoff and it was better than my grandmother's. Excellent evening out. Don't skip the cheesecake. Light and fluffy. A perfect end to a fantastic meal.

We came back to Cooper's because I enjoyed my first visit so much, and this time we brought a…read morecouple of friends for dinner. It was Sean's first time, so I was curious to see what he thought...and he definitely enjoyed it! We sat at a high-top in the bar, which was a fun, relaxed atmosphere. Sean got the blue cheese and bacon burger, and I went with the Bolognese. Both were really good, and we all enjoyed our meals. The drinks were good, the service was attentive, and we had a great time hanging out together. And I have to mention it again...the bathroom is pretty impressive! Another really enjoyable visit to Cooper's, and we'll definitely be back....and I totally spaced it on taking a picture of the food because it was so good and I was so hungry, by the time I thought about it...it was basically gone

Service was fine, it's really the food that wasn't all that great. The restaurant has the look but…read morenot the flavor. To start I wanted to try a cup of the steak soup of the day. It came out mushy and salty, not bright or even like a stew. It was more like an over cooked beef stroganoff but it just wasn't good. I put that to the side and out came my taco salad in a stale fried tortilla shell. It wasn't freshly fried, I'm sure it's been sitting there. The beef wasn't seasoned well... idk it was just meh. It was like boiled not fried. Again, just couldn't enjoy it. The food was off. My friend had the flautas or taquitos appetizer. She didn't like hers either, It had a lot of guacamole on top of them and she said it had no flavor so she added salt, still didn't enjoy them. We should have listened when our friends told us it wasn't good and over priced at that. Lesson learned... What could improve is the menu. Maybe slim it down so you can make sure your dishes are quality. Get a chef that knows the difference between a soup = broth and over cooked stroganoff. And if Mexican food isn't your strong hold (cause this was definitely not authentic) then just don't bother trying. Don't pre fry your tortillas, they do pick up a stale flavor. Just don't make Mexican food, it's not your thing and that's ok.

Octapas Café was an outstanding dining experience and one of those places where every dish seemed…read moreto hit the mark. We started with the patatas bravas, gambas pil pil (butter garlic shrimp), oysters (both raw and cooked), and a hummus platter, and everything was excellent. The true standout, however, was the smoked salmon Alfredo--an absolutely incredible dish and one of the best pastas I've had in a long time. We added some chopped jalapeños for extra heat, but honestly, it was fantastic even on its own. The dessert was equally impressive, with a cake that was incredibly moist and the perfect way to end the meal. The wine selection deserves special mention as well. They offer a great variety of Spanish wines that pair beautifully with the menu. Service was fast, friendly, and attentive throughout our visit. The atmosphere is one of Octapas Café's biggest strengths. The restaurant features a beautiful, spacious dining room, plenty of outdoor seating, and even a private event space for larger gatherings and celebrations. Whether you're stopping by for tapas, seafood, pasta, or wine, Octapas Café delivers a memorable experience from start to finish.

Sat 11:30 am - no reservations. Restaurant not too busy. The…read moreolder female hostess was not welcoming to us or the party of 2 that walked in behind us. I've encountered her before -- she isn't rude, just not at all welcoming. She asked us to wait for a moment for'something' which turned out to be stocking water bottles and napkins. We felt like an intrusion to tasks she could've worked on after seating us. We asked to sit on the patio in the sun - she seemed annoyed by this but acquiesced. The patio was quaint and the weather helped make it enjoyable. We were greeted by our server (wish I had her name - older lady in tie-dye shirt) she was welcoming, helpful with the menu, and very friendly! We ordered cocktails and brunch and enjoyed both! Dishes (Smoked Salmon Lox & Goats do Roam Tart) & Drinks were all good - see photos for more info. So go -- get past the hostess and you'll enjoy the rest!!! PS - I do remember from a past visit, the Beignets were good!