This place is pretty bad ass! I can't say that I was terribly impressed with the liquor selection…read morebut for a small (and new?) bar - they're really doing a great job. Aside from the awesome food - which I'll get to in a second - and the live music, I was most impressed by the bartender. He was super charismatic, super friendly and very funny. When I popped in with a group of 6 or so friends, he swiftly tended to us, made sure to introduce himself and took everyone's drink order. When it came time to get food I actually decided to opt out. It was nearly midnight and I had already eaten dinner hours earlier. But my friend next to me got a basket of fries and that's when it got hard to ignore the menu... The fries were AWESOME! In fact, they were so tempting that not only did I sneak a few, I actually asked to see the whole menu. Comprised mostly of about a dozen varieties of slider, I was super happy to see the variety. Suddenly my stomach growled and though I didn't want two sliders, I knew I could share with a friend. The only issue then was deciding which to get. I recall a buffalo chicken slider but only got as far as the fried bologna. HELL. YES!!! I ordered one and my buddy ordered another. (They come two to a plate.) My little slider was DELICIOUS! In fact, it was so good that I could totally envision making a trip all the way back to this bar just to have them again. So yeah... I'm a fan. The food is great, the bartender was totally rad, the live music playing in the theater was piped into the bar and the selection of beer and booze was just enough to satisfy. What a great little addition to the hood!

4 is the average between 3 stars and 5 stars: Why 4?…read more 3 stars: Meh. It is a cool, cute and subtly(?) intimate space for a hole in the wall. I had no drinks and drinks are not my forte, so I have nothing to contribute to with drinks (although I did get a water, more on that later). An interestingly mixed group of folks here (including the supposedly "local favorite", more on her later). =P Late Wed night, a bum can be met outside the front asking for crap... I didn't think this downtown-phenomenom could reach this far and late into Columbia City. o_O Now for the 5 stars: ENTIRELY for my fond memory of rockin' the mic with Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight----and ALL fuc*ing 7 minutes of it! ----BAM! In addition to doing my thing up there, this "local favorite" chick asked me if she could join in---of course! Before I finish, let me fill you in on the intro deets. On occasion, one of the folks in our mini Yelp group asked me if I'd picked a song, yet. --No. --Nope. --Not, yet. --I'm kind of tied between between two... come almost-midnight, I'd finally settled on the one that's been bugging me all night, Rapper's Delight - Sugarhill Gang. Drop my card off and wait several songs until I'm called.... wait for it... ....dar-en ....dar-en ....dar-en ....dar-en ....dar-en--- (omg, ---WHAAAT?!). DUDE, both groups started *GASP* ---CHAN-TING & clapping(?)--- my name, when right then Kira *bowchikawowow!* took my hand and guided me up front. Rewinding back, the local favorite black lady joins me. I notice the screen.... someone says "wow, 7 minutes?!" I glance at the screen----hot diggity dam! Within 1 second, I thought of: why did I pick this song, 7 minutes seems long, I totally dig this song and the beat, I've heard it before but not the whole 7 min... and thankfully glad I asked for a glass of water prior to singing, because boy I tell ya, did I have a mouth drought in the minutes coming up to this (and slightly during, but I pressed on because, the more I sang/rapped it, the more I had tunnel vision on the lyrics screen and rippin' it in my own little world). I definitely heard the times the crowd join in during the good parts---most encouraging, hehe. All said and done.... wow (and phew!). Afterwards, the local lady came up to me and said something like, "Mmm Mm...that was ^fine^!..." I think I did come with my confidence, after all. 7 minutes... of rapping!? I think I just experienced a miracle... amazing. I think I want more karaoke (and drinking not even required! =P).

So good that I ordered two!! Fresh, juicy and flavorful. Service was swift and friendly.read more

Fabulous fresh artistic as experimental food Very fun,…read moreattentive detailed thorough service. lovely lowlit comfortable friendly ambiance. Staff appear to have fun being here. recommend for a nice time.

Sweetest bartenders, good drinks and I'm always happy when there's a hot dog on a bar menu. Such a…read moregood spot to meet up with friends or have a drink alone, my favorite cozy neighborhood bar! Also +5 points for having bottled Coors Light :)

TL;DR: Solid neighborhood standby - nothing flashy, just…read moredependable. It's the kind of spot you wander into when everything else is closed and end up staying longer than planned. Food: They've finally figured out who they are. The old menu was a mess, but now it's all about burgers, tacos, and nachos....and the burgers steal the show. Not gourmet, but hits the spot every time. Vibe: Unpretentious and comfortable, a true Columbia City fixture. You'll find locals, not tourists, and that's part of the appeal. It's got that familiar, slightly worn-in charm that doesn't need polishing. What could be better: Honestly, not much without killing what makes it work. It's not aiming for perfection, just consistency, and that's the point.

lets start with food Cuban Tofu Panini - didnt seem to have…read morebeen in a paining Press, was cold, wasn't good the skirt steak sandwich - cold steak.... didnt like it at all cooked veggies - surprisingly delicious Green smoothie was solid the restaurant was cute enough but the server wasn't serving. not a great attitude.

The food was quite good and the service was excellent! This place seems to be kind of a…read moreneighborhood spot with lots of regulars, which was kind of cool. There was little fall decor on all the tables and it felt pretty homey. I appreciated that they have several vegetarian items on the menu. Not so many vegan options for food but lots of great smoothies and juices!

My first time at Island Soul and I was blown away. The food is rich and flavorful without being…read moreheavy. The servers were attentive without being overbearing - thanks Natalie and Hector! The atmosphere is a little noisy just because people were having a good time. I look forward to going back.

This place is one of a kind and so delicious for Carribean and Jamaican cuisine! If you have not…read moretried -- you must! We were celebrating my colleagues birthday the day before and were going to see a show at the Royal Room! We got drinks and I had the caprihlana and the Carribean Star! The Carribean Star is a MUST- TRY, the flavors of that drink were amazing! Both the tostones and shrimp ceviche for appetizers was out of this world! The fried catfish was breaded and crisped perfectly and their sides, especially the collard greens are tasty, a bit tangy and phenomenal! I was able to sample my coworkers dishes (they offered of course and I did too) and the goat curry -- try this too if you like curry! Such amazing flavor and tender goat! They do not take reservations but it's peak around dinner time and weekends! We got lucky with the last big table! The menu is creative and colorful. Staff is amazing! They actually had a location in Kirkland but had to close it and this location remains and is a HIT!

Colombia City Sports Bar…read more Had a great time catching up with friends while in Seattle for the week! Lunch at 1pm, was not crowded which allowed the waitress to focus on us! Amy was the BEST waitress ever! Steak salad is what the are known for was delicious. Grilled parm wings were ok, just needed more parm and Amy was happy to oblige. Drinks were sooo good. Hibiscus margaritas with double shot of tequila...AWESOME!! I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. Until next time Seattle...

This is for a rainy Friday afternoon - we picked Rookies to the variety and the relaxed sports bar…read moreatmosphere- I got the cubano and I come here a lot but I wanted to say that I love this cubano- because it's so focused on just being a good Cuban sandwich. Some places add some weird stuff but Rookies is like "I wanna make something good"- anyway if you choose a potato side pick the Gorgonzola dip- or buffalo they are both good. Before my Cuban arrived I was like "I'm gonna take a picture cause it will help my Yelp review" but I ate it too fast so oh well

Everything about this dining experience was great! The food was amazing. We had the sausage…read morestuffed squid, cheese dumplings, and the parsnip/apple/kohlrabi and finish with pear pastry. The flavors wonderful and preparation beautiful. The service was fun and attentive. We plan to return as much as we can!

You gotta know what you're going to, otherwise you won't like it at all. It's a narrow place if…read moreyou're inside, you're at a counter staring at a wall. You'll be offered interesting things to eat - including kidney and liver. Music is not elevator style. You interact with staff - chitchat - and they're engaging. They wanna chat because they're excited about the food. And so am I. It was great! It was a fantastic experience! But you gotta know before you go. Otherwise, you're gonna be bitter

Asa is one of those places you walk into once and instantly think, Oh... this is going to become a…read moreproblem. A beloved, delicious, keep-me-coming-back kind of problem. Locally owned, beautifully run, and absolutely overflowing with craft, Asa is everything a Mercer Island bar should be. The cocktails? Thoughtful, balanced, and downright impressive. The food? Elevated without ever feeling fussy. The atmosphere hits that rare sweet spot between date-night polished and neighborhood familiar. And then there's Zeke--the bar manager, the legend, the mixology wizard, my personal hero. Whether he's crafting something off-menu or guiding you toward your new favorite drink, Zeke and the Asa team deliver hospitality that sticks with you long after the last sip. Asa has quickly earned a spot among the Island's must-visit spots, and if you're lucky enough to grab a seat at the bar, you'll understand why. Come for the cocktails, stay for the people, and leave wondering when you can justify coming back again (hint: the answer is probably tomorrow). Cheers to Asa, to local ownership done right, and to the hero behind the bar.

Upon entering it is clearly more of a liquor bar than a coffee bar. I was really hoping for some…read moregood coffee and maybe a pastry, since I was pulled in by the sign outside boasting about "organic coffee" and bakery items. It's a very small space, they made it cozy and the patio looked great. I had a lot of time to look around because I waited so long. The bakery items were on a plate on the counter right next to the contactless pay thing. There was no cover, or barrier between the pastries and the many people coming to the counter. I've seen buffets that have better distance and covering between people and food. There seemed to be only one barista and one bartender. More people kept coming in, At one point the bartender asked the barista if he could help her, though he wasn't trained. Seems unorganized and coffee was mediocre at best. If you want a cocktail you'd be in the right place, but a cafe this place is not.

I've been here twice now. The first time was on a Friday at 9 pm and it was crazy packed and didn't…read morehave a great experience. The second time was also on a Friday but right when they first opened and it was much nicer. The bartender was so friendly and hilarious which elevated our experience but we also really enjoyed our drinks. I love that there is a big selection of Asian inspired cocktails. Overall, I would recommend this place as a pre dinner cocktail joint otherwise, it gets a little busy after.

The shenron was awesome! So smooth--no burning after taste and you could really appreciate the…read morepandan and cononut aroma. The service was phenomenal The ambiance was chill

Overall: 4.5. Consistently excellent during all 6 of our experiences. As my fussy partner said:…read more"always good!" SERVICE: 5.0. From the moment we walked in the door every person who took care of us was efficient and friendly, and they cooperated well among themselves. AMBIANCE: 4.5. Floor-to-ceiling windows facing sidewalk. Homey atmosphere. Subdued noise level: easy to have a conversation. DRINKS: 4.5. Glasses of an Italian white wine. FOOD: 5.0. Pasta is house-made. - 5.0: Octopus salad appetizer. - 4.5: Carrot salad appetizer. - 5.0: Bread with olive oil. Lovely olive oil. - 5.0: Whole Branzino (Sea Bass). My partner loved it. A chef brought it to the table and separated the bones from the meat. Note that it is served without pasta. - 5.0: Pasta with Taleggio Fonduta. Chanterelle and ? mushrooms served in a melted cheese sauce with pine nuts and corn kernals. Wonderful taste and texture. - 4.5: Olive oil cake FOOD FROM OUR PREVIOUS VISITS: - 5.0: Grilled Sardines appetizer. Three large sardines. - 5.0: Cauliflower gratin. Outstanding - 4.5: Mafaldine with Pork Coppa. Very good. - 5.0: (from our previous visit) Mafaldine with Lamb Ragu. Even better than the very good Rigatoni with Lamb Ragu I had during a previous visit. - 5.0: Dessert of Chocolate Espresso Torte, with cream: moist chocolaty texture and perfectly not-to-sweet. Served with fig slices.

I came here with friends for girls night out, and the food was phenomenal! We tried the 4 pasta…read moredishes on the menu, and each dish had a unique favor profile. Honestly, pasta is never my first choice, but I had a hankering for a seafood pasta, and I'm so glad my friend had La Medusa on her list to try. I'm already planning on taking my husband back for a date night soon!