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Amazing place!! I'm so glad I was able to experience this lovely restaurant. It is so COOL inside this place!! Super lively and energetic. The food was absolutely amazing. Every single thing that was ordered was devoured. So GOOD! Staff were so friendly and helpful when it came to the menu. I will absolutely be coming back again!
I think it is really cool watching them cook the skewers. However, the skewers are just okay. They were tender, but I wish the tare flavor was more obvious one the ones we got in the sampler. The best on the sampler was the beef! We also ordered the mochi bacon and that was my favorite one overall. The mochi so soft and the bacon went well with the sauce. Skip the okonomoyaki it is not worth it. The sushi rolls were mostly rice with little fish. I would skip getting any of them. The carpaccios were interesting... not really what I was thinking when I order carpaccios at other restaurants but the fish was good quality and the sauces paired well. I liked the the yuzu sour! It was so tart and fizzy, whereas the lemon sour mostly tasted like water. They are really just known for their decor, which is indeed super cool. The ambiance is very fun. It can get super busy so make a reservation, especially if you have a bigger group coming. I think it would be a fine place to get drinks and maybe have a bite or two, but the food is not really worth it in my opinion.
Location is fun, it's a bit "hidden" thus secret fort. It's between Indigo Cow and Yoroshiku. The decor is super cute. Mix of anime, manga, Mario and 80/90s themed. We went for a birthday and made reservation on a week day. I'm glad I did because there was a wait. Food: we wanted to focus on the yakitori/skewered meats, so we ordered an assortment at first, and placed a second order of our favorites. The huge con tho is it takes forever. Had I know that it took this long, I would have just ordered everything all at once. It took over 30 mins for our first order to arrive. And we tried to order more but that took even longer. I understand that it is made to order and the cooking space (as pictured) for the skewered things are limited, but we were too hungry to wait. Come prepared to relax and eat. Food is good. Service is good, just that everything took a long time.
The service inside the restaurant is amazing. Very attentive and knowledgeable staff. I enjoyed all the yakitori selection that was tried. The bacon wrapped mochi was a tasty treat that we ended up ordering multiple of. The scallops were delicious and so was the eel and mackerel. I cannot wait to return to the restaurant. I also truly enjoyed the yuzu margarita. After waiting in line for the ice cream out front. The window closed abruptly and without any communication to the line of at least 15 people patiently waiting. Very strange and rude. Not sure it's worth waiting 30 min for ice cream to then have the line close without any notice.
We love Secret Fort. It has a cool retro Japanese pop decor, it's great to be able to see into the kitchen and watch them grilling the izakaya. Everything we've tried here has been delicious. The grilled skewers that are favorites include the bacon wrapped mochi, the pork wrapped dango, the salmon and the chicken. We've had both the Salmon carpaccio and a yellowtail carpaccio that were seasoned just right and so tasty. The quality of the fish has always been high. We always try to get one sushi dish. The staff is great and after a few visits remembers us even though we only go a once every few months. Pro tip: Make a reservation. It's very popular and there can sometimes be long waits otherwise. Especially Fridays and Saturdays.
My friend and I swung by on a Sunday night around 6 PM. We didn't have a reservation but thankfully we were still able to be seated. We walked past Secret Fort actually because the line to Indigo Cow slightly covered the entrance but Secret Fort is actually connected to Yoroshiku so even if you walk into Yoroshiku by accident just turn to the right as soon as you walk in! We were excited to try out the skewers after seeing videos and images online. We got the yakitori sampler with tare (sweet soy), mitarashi dango pork, and the okonomiyaki skewer. The tenderloin chicken was amazingly tender and juicy I couldn't resist but take a picture of the bite. Unfortunately the negima was pretty dry, the pork was chewy, and the dango was a bit too soft. The okonomiyaki also wasn't as crispy as I thought, more on the doughy side. The wagyu was great as well. You can definitely taste that they came off the grill since there is a nice smoky flavor to the skewers. On each table there is a sea salt grinder and togarashi (Japanese spicy flakes) so technically you can try all the flavors of the skewers as long as you order it with tare. It did take a while for a server to come to our table and take our order once we were seated however. A larger table had also arrived before us so there was a decent wait for our orders since there was only one person at the grill which was unfortunate. My friend and I were waiting for a while before we were told that it's because there was a large order ahead of us. Love the aesthetic of the store but overall wasn't super impressed. Since this is an Izakaya I'm sure the drinks may have convinced me otherwise but as someone who came here for the food I just wasn't blown away.
I had a feeling I was gonna eventually eat here with the number of times I keep coming back for Indigo Cow, which shares the same building as this place and Yoroshiku. My bestie and I came here on a Saturday night around 6:30pm and quickly got seated despite it almost being a full house and people in front of us coming in for reservations (which are highly recommended during peak hours based on other reviews). Overall atmosphere is noisy like a causal bar but lighting that reminds you of fine dining or late nights in Capitol Hill. Bar seating has several Super Mario Block lighting structures, and the walls are lined up with a bunch of retro posters and some figurines. Servers answered some of our questions, especially since this was both of our first times here. We didn't eat very heavy here, so we got the following: - Yakitori sampler: this came with five skewers - chicken thigh, chicken negima, chicken tenderloin, wagyu and pork belly. We chose to flavor each of them with tare. Our favorite was the wagyu; it had a smoky flavor that wasn't too much, and the meat was more tender and juicier than the rest. - City pop: about 8 pieces of sushi. Each consists of yellowtail, fish eggs (tobiko), herbs (shiso), green onions (negi) and sesame sauce as advertised. Yellowtail stood out to us in that it was a little sweet and not too fishy like tuna. - Matcha tiramisu: exactly as you'd expect, a tiramisu layering that's matcha-flavored instead. A very satisfying dessert to end the meal and came with a strawberry cut in half. The whole thing was nicely chewy and delectable. Honestly, this place is already secret-ish given it's between two eateries that have had traction long before, so the name of this place is fitting in that regard. Quality of the meats is better than that of places like Shinya Shokudo in my opinion, so I'd come back here even if it means dealing with the limited street parking situation up in Wallingford.
Great food and great service! This is my second time here. Ordered chicken thigh, negima, chicken tender with plum sauce, zabuton, mochi bacon for skewers, yuzu salsa and chips for an app, J-POP roll (aburi saba pressed Sushi. I love their skewers carefully crafted. The meat especially chicken are really tender. Definitely suggest tare for the sauce. Certain skewers such as mochi bacon, beef, chicken tender would be better with salt. Their chu-hi taste very good and this is the only place that serve authentic Chu-hi around Seattle that I know of. Yuzu sour was sweet with right amount of Shochu. Suggest everyone tries this place!
Secret Fort is one of my favorite places in Seattle to celebrate a birthday or other festive occasion! It's got super fun Japanese pop culture decor, good energy, nice, cool, and friendly staff, and delicious food. I actually like how the dishes and yakitori are a la carte and small so you can try lots of different things. Highly recommend the zangi (fried chicken) at happy hour, salmon tartare with chips, unagi don, mochi bacon yakitori, chicken thigh yakitori, salmon yakitori, and any of the special sashimi dishes (their sashimi is some of the best in Seattle IMHO). Also recommend getting their freshly-brewed iced green tea (sencha). It's served in a clear bottle and you can see all the pretty green tea leaves floating in it. Thanks to our server Gina for recommending it. We like to get it every time now.
This review is a bit late, but swung by Secret Fort for their Seattle Restaurant Week menu late October. Parking in this part of town is always a little bit of a challenge as you'll have to drive through the residential area for a spot on the street. We had a reservation, but they actually always had some available tables on a Sunday night; the crowded seating area was actually full of folks waiting for the ramen place next door. The ambiance is pretty fun and solid for a date night, but unfortunately, the food quality was a bit all over the place. The yakitori in particular wasn't stand out and the value for the $65 set just okay. The good: The appetizers were actually quite delicious, well balanced, and refreshing. Pumpkin salad was slightly sweet and tangy while the carpaccio was paired with earthy mushrooms and plenty of olive oil for some floral tones. As for the yakitori set, the chicken thigh was the only one that really stood out. We ordered the bacon mochi a la carte and that was actually quite solid pairing smoky, fatty bacon with the satisfying chew of mochi. The bad: The pork belly was insanely overcooked and the wagyu zabuton was pretty chewy as well. A5 wagyu was nice and smokey, but texture wise, it still felt overdone as typically you want A5 to be a melt in your mouth experience. The chirashi bowl is really tiny and neither the snow crab nor tuna felt very fresh; they were both very fishy, which is never what you want.
I've enjoyed yakitori for many years both here and in Japan. While I would describe this place as a faithful to Japan offering of yakitori, the menu is very limited. As a result I'd say this place is best suited for a light meal, drinks and conversation vs a more satisfying meal which can be had at the adjacent attached restaurant. The service was a little slow but if you are here for conversation and drinks it is acceptable. The atmosphere is fun and very faithful to the vibe you get in Japan, so I love that aspect. The Mochi Bacon Pork is phenomenal and a must! The yaki onigiri is phenomenal too! The spicy sauce is closer to a buffalo wings spicy flavor - more salty than sweet. I liked it but it was different than what I'm used to. They never offered rice as a side dish, so if you're expecting that then be sure to plan accordingly. Yuzunade was good but this is a sake and beer place if you can drink..
We missed happy hour but got lucky with a bar seating around 7pm :) the ambiance was so cute 80-90s Japanese lo-fi vintage vibes. Service was super sweet the gal who greeted us walked us through the menu and what was currently available. The menu has a good mix of larger dishes and small options. We ordered the skewer set, edamame, veggie salad, and sashimi bowl (small). The skewers were a good blend of juicy and charcoal flavor, only one of the meats was a bit harder to chew but it was good overall! The sashimi bowl was super clean and light, the daikon salad was actually my favorite!
Food - came with a big group and a few of us got the samplers. i really like that you can order a la carte because i can barely finish large meals so i like being able to order as many or as little as i want. i got the bacon wrapped mochi on the side and it was my fav one. Service - excellent. very friendly & helpful. reminded us about happy hour and checked in often enough. Ambiance - very cute inside. old school japanese toys. lots of jackie chan on the walls! we sat by the grill so it was pretty hot but cool to see the fire.
1 month ago
My brother had talked about how great secret fort was so we decided to check it out on a Saturday night. He did make a reservation earlier in the day for 8:15 so when we got there, we got seated right away. We ordered a few things. We got the City Pop Roll and it was yummy, very fresh. We got the pork belly skewers (salt and tare), we loved them!!! The BBQ eel was delicious too. We loved the harami skewers too. The one we didn't care for was the tofu one. Overall, very delicious and good service. They did not have a few options we wanted (shrimp and wagyu) as they had ran out, so just fyi if you go later in the day. read more
2 months ago
I wanted to love this place because the vibes are so cute, but the sashimi gave my partner food poisoning. It was fishy not fresh. The yakitori was alright, not outstanding, but satisfying. They seemed understaffed, and it was hard getting their attention sometimes, but the wait wasn't too long. We enjoyed the salt best out of the three options, with tare being second. We would not order spicy again because we found it too vinegary. The best thing here is definitely the drinks. The yuzu sour and N/A nectar were both very good, and with the happy hour yakitori/sashimi deal very worth it if the sashimi wasn't so fishy :( We rated everything out of 16: Drinks were 14.25/16 Chicken Thigh Yakitori 12.75/16 Pork Belly 11/16 Shrimp Soy Butter 13.5/16 Bacon Rice Cake 11/16 Wagyu 12/16 Shiitake 11.2/16 Okonomiyaki 11.5/16 Sashimi 6/16 read more
Visited this place for dinner on 7/15/2026. The place was clean, service was excellent, but it's the main part of the establishment fell short, the yakitori sticks. We started off with spicy chilled tofu, shishito peppers, Japanese Hayashi rice, all was okay, nothing special as far as flavoring. Ordered ika geso, yakitori sampler which were both just okay. We then ordered another ika geso and yakitori sampler, and a yaki onigiri, and the secret fort nectar, this time the ika geso came out in a fried ball, the yakitori sampler did not have any char to it so it was bland (a bit of char is needed to add flavor to the yakitori) and waited for my yaki onigiri. We asked the waitress about the onigiri, and she said the chef will be doing it right away. The "chef" works behind plexiglass over the burner, he did not seemed too enthused about cooking anything, like I said anything from the "grill" was done half heartedly, my onigiri finally came, it was cute and not even crunchy. My son enjoyed the Secret Fort nectar. Either they don't know the proper way to cook yakitori or it's a Seattle way, but it was below my expectations. read more
15 hours ago
Amazing place!! I'm so glad I was able to experience this lovely restaurant. It is so COOL inside this place!! Super lively and energetic. The food was absolutely amazing. Every single thing that was ordered was devoured. So GOOD! Staff were so friendly and helpful when it came to the menu. I will absolutely be coming back again! read more
4 months ago
I think it is really cool watching them cook the skewers. However, the skewers are just okay. They were tender, but I wish the tare flavor was more obvious one the ones we got in the sampler. The best on the sampler was the beef! We also ordered the mochi bacon and that was my favorite one overall. The mochi so soft and the bacon went well with the sauce. Skip the okonomoyaki it is not worth it. The sushi rolls were mostly rice with little fish. I would skip getting any of them. The carpaccios were interesting... not really what I was thinking when I order carpaccios at other restaurants but the fish was good quality and the sauces paired well. I liked the the yuzu sour! It was so tart and fizzy, whereas the lemon sour mostly tasted like water. They are really just known for their decor, which is indeed super cool. The ambiance is very fun. It can get super busy so make a reservation, especially if you have a bigger group coming. I think it would be a fine place to get drinks and maybe have a bite or two, but the food is not really worth it in my opinion. read more
Location is fun, it's a bit "hidden" thus secret fort. It's between Indigo Cow and Yoroshiku. The decor is super cute. Mix of anime, manga, Mario and 80/90s themed. We went for a birthday and made reservation on a week day. I'm glad I did because there was a wait. Food: we wanted to focus on the yakitori/skewered meats, so we ordered an assortment at first, and placed a second order of our favorites. The huge con tho is it takes forever. Had I know that it took this long, I would have just ordered everything all at once. It took over 30 mins for our first order to arrive. And we tried to order more but that took even longer. I understand that it is made to order and the cooking space (as pictured) for the skewered things are limited, but we were too hungry to wait. Come prepared to relax and eat. Food is good. Service is good, just that everything took a long time. read more
The service inside the restaurant is amazing. Very attentive and knowledgeable staff. I enjoyed all the yakitori selection that was tried. The bacon wrapped mochi was a tasty treat that we ended up ordering multiple of. The scallops were delicious and so was the eel and mackerel. I cannot wait to return to the restaurant. I also truly enjoyed the yuzu margarita. After waiting in line for the ice cream out front. The window closed abruptly and without any communication to the line of at least 15 people patiently waiting. Very strange and rude. Not sure it's worth waiting 30 min for ice cream to then have the line close without any notice. read more
We love Secret Fort. It has a cool retro Japanese pop decor, it's great to be able to see into the kitchen and watch them grilling the izakaya. Everything we've tried here has been delicious. The grilled skewers that are favorites include the bacon wrapped mochi, the pork wrapped dango, the salmon and the chicken. We've had both the Salmon carpaccio and a yellowtail carpaccio that were seasoned just right and so tasty. The quality of the fish has always been high. We always try to get one sushi dish. The staff is great and after a few visits remembers us even though we only go a once every few months. Pro tip: Make a reservation. It's very popular and there can sometimes be long waits otherwise. Especially Fridays and Saturdays. read more
My friend and I swung by on a Sunday night around 6 PM. We didn't have a reservation but thankfully we were still able to be seated. We walked past Secret Fort actually because the line to Indigo Cow slightly covered the entrance but Secret Fort is actually connected to Yoroshiku so even if you walk into Yoroshiku by accident just turn to the right as soon as you walk in! We were excited to try out the skewers after seeing videos and images online. We got the yakitori sampler with tare (sweet soy), mitarashi dango pork, and the okonomiyaki skewer. The tenderloin chicken was amazingly tender and juicy I couldn't resist but take a picture of the bite. Unfortunately the negima was pretty dry, the pork was chewy, and the dango was a bit too soft. The okonomiyaki also wasn't as crispy as I thought, more on the doughy side. The wagyu was great as well. You can definitely taste that they came off the grill since there is a nice smoky flavor to the skewers. On each table there is a sea salt grinder and togarashi (Japanese spicy flakes) so technically you can try all the flavors of the skewers as long as you order it with tare. It did take a while for a server to come to our table and take our order once we were seated however. A larger table had also arrived before us so there was a decent wait for our orders since there was only one person at the grill which was unfortunate. My friend and I were waiting for a while before we were told that it's because there was a large order ahead of us. Love the aesthetic of the store but overall wasn't super impressed. Since this is an Izakaya I'm sure the drinks may have convinced me otherwise but as someone who came here for the food I just wasn't blown away. read more
Business owner information
Keisuke K.
Thank you for your review and we really appreciate you taking the…
I had a feeling I was gonna eventually eat here with the number of times I keep coming back for Indigo Cow, which shares the same building as this place and Yoroshiku. My bestie and I came here on a Saturday night around 6:30pm and quickly got seated despite it almost being a full house and people in front of us coming in for reservations (which are highly recommended during peak hours based on other reviews). Overall atmosphere is noisy like a causal bar but lighting that reminds you of fine dining or late nights in Capitol Hill. Bar seating has several Super Mario Block lighting structures, and the walls are lined up with a bunch of retro posters and some figurines. Servers answered some of our questions, especially since this was both of our first times here. We didn't eat very heavy here, so we got the following: - Yakitori sampler: this came with five skewers - chicken thigh, chicken negima, chicken tenderloin, wagyu and pork belly. We chose to flavor each of them with tare. Our favorite was the wagyu; it had a smoky flavor that wasn't too much, and the meat was more tender and juicier than the rest. - City pop: about 8 pieces of sushi. Each consists of yellowtail, fish eggs (tobiko), herbs (shiso), green onions (negi) and sesame sauce as advertised. Yellowtail stood out to us in that it was a little sweet and not too fishy like tuna. - Matcha tiramisu: exactly as you'd expect, a tiramisu layering that's matcha-flavored instead. A very satisfying dessert to end the meal and came with a strawberry cut in half. The whole thing was nicely chewy and delectable. Honestly, this place is already secret-ish given it's between two eateries that have had traction long before, so the name of this place is fitting in that regard. Quality of the meats is better than that of places like Shinya Shokudo in my opinion, so I'd come back here even if it means dealing with the limited street parking situation up in Wallingford. read more
Business owner information
Keisuke K.
Thank you so much for your review and we are so happy to hear of your…
Great food and great service! This is my second time here. Ordered chicken thigh, negima, chicken tender with plum sauce, zabuton, mochi bacon for skewers, yuzu salsa and chips for an app, J-POP roll (aburi saba pressed Sushi. I love their skewers carefully crafted. The meat especially chicken are really tender. Definitely suggest tare for the sauce. Certain skewers such as mochi bacon, beef, chicken tender would be better with salt. Their chu-hi taste very good and this is the only place that serve authentic Chu-hi around Seattle that I know of. Yuzu sour was sweet with right amount of Shochu. Suggest everyone tries this place! read more
Secret Fort is one of my favorite places in Seattle to celebrate a birthday or other festive occasion! It's got super fun Japanese pop culture decor, good energy, nice, cool, and friendly staff, and delicious food. I actually like how the dishes and yakitori are a la carte and small so you can try lots of different things. Highly recommend the zangi (fried chicken) at happy hour, salmon tartare with chips, unagi don, mochi bacon yakitori, chicken thigh yakitori, salmon yakitori, and any of the special sashimi dishes (their sashimi is some of the best in Seattle IMHO). Also recommend getting their freshly-brewed iced green tea (sencha). It's served in a clear bottle and you can see all the pretty green tea leaves floating in it. Thanks to our server Gina for recommending it. We like to get it every time now. read more
This review is a bit late, but swung by Secret Fort for their Seattle Restaurant Week menu late October. Parking in this part of town is always a little bit of a challenge as you'll have to drive through the residential area for a spot on the street. We had a reservation, but they actually always had some available tables on a Sunday night; the crowded seating area was actually full of folks waiting for the ramen place next door. The ambiance is pretty fun and solid for a date night, but unfortunately, the food quality was a bit all over the place. The yakitori in particular wasn't stand out and the value for the $65 set just okay. The good: The appetizers were actually quite delicious, well balanced, and refreshing. Pumpkin salad was slightly sweet and tangy while the carpaccio was paired with earthy mushrooms and plenty of olive oil for some floral tones. As for the yakitori set, the chicken thigh was the only one that really stood out. We ordered the bacon mochi a la carte and that was actually quite solid pairing smoky, fatty bacon with the satisfying chew of mochi. The bad: The pork belly was insanely overcooked and the wagyu zabuton was pretty chewy as well. A5 wagyu was nice and smokey, but texture wise, it still felt overdone as typically you want A5 to be a melt in your mouth experience. The chirashi bowl is really tiny and neither the snow crab nor tuna felt very fresh; they were both very fishy, which is never what you want. read more
I've enjoyed yakitori for many years both here and in Japan. While I would describe this place as a faithful to Japan offering of yakitori, the menu is very limited. As a result I'd say this place is best suited for a light meal, drinks and conversation vs a more satisfying meal which can be had at the adjacent attached restaurant. The service was a little slow but if you are here for conversation and drinks it is acceptable. The atmosphere is fun and very faithful to the vibe you get in Japan, so I love that aspect. The Mochi Bacon Pork is phenomenal and a must! The yaki onigiri is phenomenal too! The spicy sauce is closer to a buffalo wings spicy flavor - more salty than sweet. I liked it but it was different than what I'm used to. They never offered rice as a side dish, so if you're expecting that then be sure to plan accordingly. Yuzunade was good but this is a sake and beer place if you can drink.. read more
We missed happy hour but got lucky with a bar seating around 7pm :) the ambiance was so cute 80-90s Japanese lo-fi vintage vibes. Service was super sweet the gal who greeted us walked us through the menu and what was currently available. The menu has a good mix of larger dishes and small options. We ordered the skewer set, edamame, veggie salad, and sashimi bowl (small). The skewers were a good blend of juicy and charcoal flavor, only one of the meats was a bit harder to chew but it was good overall! The sashimi bowl was super clean and light, the daikon salad was actually my favorite! read more
1 year ago
Food - came with a big group and a few of us got the samplers. i really like that you can order a la carte because i can barely finish large meals so i like being able to order as many or as little as i want. i got the bacon wrapped mochi on the side and it was my fav one. Service - excellent. very friendly & helpful. reminded us about happy hour and checked in often enough. Ambiance - very cute inside. old school japanese toys. lots of jackie chan on the walls! we sat by the grill so it was pretty hot but cool to see the fire. read more
Visited on a Friday night. Considering other places had 45min waits, I was really happy that we were able to get seated right away. The entrance is a little fun, you pass by the line of people outside waiting for indigo cow and wait for the host to show up in front of a small window of a display case filled with toys and figurines. Once they're ready to seat you're led into a restaurant that's decorated with toys and figurines all along the walls and got little hints of Mario in the lighting and in the skewer holders. The food was good. Goma kanpachi - my favorite. The fish melts in your mouth and the sweet soy sauce that it comes with has you reaching for the dish over and over again Chirashi don - it was good but I think for the price I was hoping for a bit more fish. The rice was well seasoned though, and the fish was fresh. The scallops especially were fresh & sweet Yakitori - The eel is sweet and buttery, I wanted to order more. The beef tongue has a nice texture without being chewy. The negima (chicken & scallion) was a surprisingly delicious combination of a juicy chicken and sweet yet smoky scallions. We also ordered a few more, the finger ribs which was tender and full of flavor. Yakitori we weren't a fan of - The tanshita felt super chewy and it was pretty unpalatable. I don't know if it was just over cooked or if that's how that cut is. But we didn't enjoy it. The gizzard was also alright, felt a little under seasoned. The futomaki was sizable as expected and contained a lot of different fish. But for some reason this one also fell a little flat for me. It felt lacking in flavor, maybe the rice seasoning was not quite there? All in all I thoroughly enjoyed our meal here, the ventilation is good too so you don't get the smokiness of a lot of Yakitori restaurants. I'd definitely visit again read more
Saw this place on social media and was excited to check it out. We made it a date night. Decided to try the omakase for the 2 of us and ordered some extra dishes. The most thing I was excited for was the yakitori. Yakitori was not as charred with flavor as expected. It was super light taste of the char- not impressed. Our favorite was the shredded vegetable salad. Service got us feeling down- ambiance was nice but the amount of times the older female server didn't come back for things we asked for put a damper on our whole experience. The service mixed with the taste of the food- probably wouldn't come back unless someone I know wants to go try it. The younger servers were nice and prompt. Asks for napkins(never got), ordered a yuzu margarita and asked what tequila they use. We were informed they were well tequila (we were thinking to upgrade from the well tequila) and that older female server would go check but never got back to us. The margarita was served as is. I will say though that the yuzu margarita was very nice and delicious. We were told that's one of their popular cocktails. The dessert given wasn't what was said on the omakase menu. It was alright. While the ice cream had a clean taste the apple wine compote was a bit odd. I was really looking forward for the white chocolate dessert that was stated on their omakase menu. We definitely went for Molly Moon's right after to get our sweet tooth satisfied. read more
Business owner information
Keisuke K.
Hi Erica, I’m truly sorry to hear about your experience. It’s…
1 year ago
Secret Fort is definitely a place you should check out! Better to book a reservation, because they can get busy! Happy hour is 4-6, and they have some good specials. The food is amazing, and everything we had hit the spot! I had the happy hour sashimi, the yakitori sampler, a high-ball cocktail, and a yuzu chu-hi cocktail. The sashimi was came with four pieces (two tuna and two salmon) and was perfect for the price! The sampler came with 5 different skewers - chicken thigh, chicken negima, chicken tenderloin, wagyu beef, and pork belly. I got mine with the spicy flavor. All of the meats were cooked to perfection and the spice was just the right amount. The skewers were super filling and left with my belly happy. The service was super friendly, attentive and definitely made sure were were well taken care of. The ambience is super casual but an awesome setting. Lots of cool stuff on the walls and older toys/memorabilia all around. You can see them cooking the skewers on the japanese bbqs too! It's definitely a place that I'll be trying again, and have to check out their omakase offering! read more
2 months ago
Such a surprising place!! Firstly, I loved how the place was decorated, caught our attention from the beginning but also made the vibes so casual and easygoing. Such a photogenic place Secondly, I'd recommend eating first (maybe from Yoroshiku next door (same owner haha)) as the skewers come with only one stick so my partner and I had to order x2 for each one, and it adds up. However, they were so so delicious! Each bite we took, we had to sit down and chew it slowly from how tasty and soft the meat was. Do not skip the chicken, it was the most surprising item of the list. It was so good and juicy we ordered it twice. Our favorite skewer was the wagyu for its rich flavor and tenderness. Although they are focused on grilled meat, their sashimi was a wonderful surprise too. Our favorite dish overall was the salmon carpaccio. The lime glaze and the onion + tomato salad paired so well with the socket salmon and gave a refreshing bite next to all the bbq meat. The chirashi was good but a bit small for the price. But still great quality fish! Finally, their drinks were delicious and they pour heavy! Cannot wait to go back here and eat everything again. Good place to eat with friends too since they open until 9:30p! read more
This place is worth the hype. Came here for a friend's birthday dinner and will definitely come back. Ordered the omakase for $58 and we were able to share it and both be full. I could definitely eat it on my own though. Skewers came out hot and salted to perfection. The pork ones were my absolute favorite. I was super excited to try their mochi bacon but ended up not being the biggest fan of it. Was thinking the bacon would be crispier and didn't love the light sweet sauce it was glazed with. Super busy on a Friday but still landed a table outside with enough room for all of us. Service was okay, the hostess was amazing and super accommodating. Will try to sit inside next time to get the full experience! Dessert at Indigo Cow is also an absolute 10/10. Will knock your darn socks off. read more
3 months ago
It is so cute in here! Attached to another Japanese restaurant and Hokkaido soft serve. Kitschy, Japanese decor. Drinks and food are really good. The prices are reasonable and they have a monthly cocktail menu. Lucked out with lychee-inspired cocktails- it's my favorite! read more
Fun izakaya spot in Wallingford, right next to Indigo Cow ice cream. Would recommend for happy hour because they have $2 off cocktails, $1 off beer, and some good deals on lite bites. My favorite skewers were the chicken wings, A5 wagyu, beef tongue, mochi bacon, mitarashi dango pork, and negima (green onions and chicken thigh). Cocktails were delicious and although we had to give up our table, we were able to line up for dessert Togo at Indigo Cow (highly recommend the Hokkaido ice cream). We tried the Hokkaido bowl, which was good, but the rice to sashimi ratio was waaay off. There was so much rice, I could not eat it. The happy hour sashimi plate was okay - had 2 pieces each of yellowtail and Atlantic salmon. Fried chicken was good, nothing special. read more
5.4.2025 Secret Fort in Seattle is a hidden gem for yakitori lovers!! This cozy spot, tucked away in Wallingford, offers a lively atmosphere and a menu packed with expertly grilled skewers. We ordered omakase yakitori set and tried different kind of meat. The restaurant has a nostalgic decor, with lamps resembling Super Mario question mark blocks, adding a playful touch to the ambiance. Service is friendly and attentive, and the reservation process is straightforward. If you're planning a visit, be prepared for a bustling crowd--this spot is popular for a reason. read more
While not exactly a secret (fairly popular place) and the only semblance of a fort was the half black curtain separating the lobby from the dining room (not very defensible!), this place is pretty cool and has great food. My son has been wanting to try this restaurant for awhile and last night we finally went there. The hours are only 5 pm- 10 pm and Wed thru Mon so you gotta plan your visit. Outside we saw a slow moving line and waited in it for a few minutes thinking it was for Secret Fort. After a few minutes, we discovered it was for Indigo Ice Cream! What? Sheepishly, we got out of the line and went into Secret Fort. The hostess seated us and explained the menu to us which was nice. We ended up getting a couple of drinks, a Yakitori Sampler and a few extra Yakitori specifically the Mochi Bacon an dthe Mitarashi Dango which both had sweet mochi and were by far our favorite. My son said he liked the fried chicken skin as well. We also shared an order of the pickled cucumbers (Asazuke). The walls are covered in a gigantic photo collage of Japanese pop culture references and there are collectible dolls, etc. in cases throughout the fort. I liked the Mario themed lights at the bar. There's a lot to look at when in here. Kind of reminds me of the Sisters and Brothers Hot Chicken place in Lower Queen Anne/Interbay in Seattle. You always notice something new. We had great service from the workers and really had a good time overall. It's a fun place to see and get some good Yakitori or other Japanese food. It's like playing in an adult-themed fort versus the ones we made in our living room when we were kids. I shall return! read more
We arrived around 6:30p on a Wednesday and was seated right away. We ordered yakitori sampler plus a few others including the shiitake mushroom, bacon mochi, and fried onigiri. My favorite ones were wagyu and chicken thigh as it was tender and juicy, the least favorite was the fried onigiri which was a bit hard. The rest were just okay The ambiance was nice, and the food came quickly. It's about $50 after tips and taxes. Overall, it was good but not as good as the ones I had in Japan. It's a nice place to hangout though! I enjoyed seeing all the posters on the wall. read more
Came here with a friend visiting who had looked up all the hot spots in Seattle. We made the mistake of coming around restaurant week (even though we were not here for restaurant week) without a reservation. Luckily because it was early (around 5:30 P.M.) we were able to get in after about a 45 minute wait. This place is really meant for only small groups (we squeezed 3 people at a 2 person table). The skewers came out fresh and hot and everything was tasty if not a little pricey. We tried many different things including a seafood don (came with a few slices of salmon and scallop), unagi (very tasty), some peppers, bacon wrapped mochi, pork wrapped dango, different meats. It was a very light meal (we left a little hungry afterwards) and was about $50 per person. Everything was tasty and it is definitely a special occasion spot for us. I also got a non-alcoholic drink that was pretty tasty. read more
I love the concept and theme of the restaurant. It's a retro video game and classic anime theme with Nintendo Mario coin boxes above the bar seating area. The restaurant dining area was very small and tight. You are at arms length with the tables next to you. I love izakaya and yakitori style food, but some of the meat were under seasoned and didn't have a good char color. They looked and tasted bland and under par. The drinks were also super sweet. The only dish that was good was the cucumber salad which had a nice crunch and acidity. read more
4 months ago
This place was fun and I enjoyed looking at all the toys and posters they used as decoration all over the restaurant. The service was friendly and efficient. We ordered a variety of skewers and sushi that I took photos of but couldn't tell you now what their names are, but they were all delicious. If you're looking for something different to try, check this restaurant out... and then get some ice cream at Indigo Cow next door for dessert. The line is often long, but it is worth the wait. read more
6 months ago
Business owner information
Keisuke K.
Dear Noel,…
2 years ago
Was able to grab a reservation for a table of four. I wasn't sure if they had high chairs but they do! We had three adults and a high chair. I'd recommend going with 4 people max because the space is quite small. We also caught the end of happy hour. There are a some rules to hh though. In order to get a 3 x $10 set, you had to get a drink. The set had to be less than $5 and all different. I really enjoyed the zangi, which came from next door. The yakitori that I really enjoyed was the shrimp, mochi bacon, and eel! Mochi bacon has a really great texture and definitely worth trying. The salmon was okay, not too dry. Overall, pretty good with unique things to try. Loved the decor! read more
1 year ago
We will definitely be back! It's hard to find good yakitori in Seattle. This place serves up moist skewers with great flavors. And there are other small dishes to choose from. The vibe took us right back to Japan. We loved the decor! Our favorites were the negima, waygu, Shisito, salmon carpaccio, and the rice side was sooo perfect as an add on! Don't skip on the yuzu highball either - just perfect. Our only recommendation is on the service. It was slow and the poor bartender was all alone. Regardless, we left happy, full, and excited for our next visit. read more
Delicious Asian-inspired drinks, high-quality yakitori, and sushi/sashimi items in a trendy atmosphere. The menu has lots of good variety - many types of beef, pork, and seafood items. We ordered a variety of skewers and sushi/sashimi items. Highlights for me were the bacon mochi skewer ($6) and the saba sashimi ($15). I also tried the mini chirashi don ($12) and the BBQ eel skewer ($9). My friends loved the sampler ($25), particularly the wagyu beef skewers. The portions are small, and the bill can add up quickly as the skewers accumulate (we paid almost $300 for 3 people). The staff is young and energetic. read more
2 years ago
Secret Fort is a yakitori place with fun decor! There is a pixelated fire sign above the entrance and a window for their Hokkaido soft serve business. Inside the walls are filled with anime and the shelves are lined with toys and action figures. Very fun and cool vibe. Their specialty is yakitori, Japanese skewers cooked on a charcoal grill. It's the perfect place for a date or a nice dinner. Depending on how hungry you are, I would probably get 3 to 5 or more skewers per person. For happy hour, it's 3 select skewers for $10. We tried a few different skewers, my favorite ones were the chicken negima, wing, pork belly and the mitarashi dango. The chicken especially had a great char! The kare sauce style was delicious. I also really enjoyed the spicy mentaiko potato salad. The service was kind and attentive. I recommend making a reservation online ahead of time, it's a busy spot. For dessert we had the Hokkaido soft serve from Indigo Cow. It was so creamy and delicious. They also have a ramen place next door Yoroshiku that I need to try next time. It has a different vibe from Secret Fort. Brighter lights and a more clean, minimalist aesthetic. It's pretty cool to see 3 different Japanese restaurant concepts in one place! read more
Wow - definitely deserves 5 stars!!! I just had dinner here with my husband and I have to say, food and service is phenomenal!!! We ordered the Christmas special $48 five course omakase and it is totally worth it. Basically get to try a lot of dishes on the menu and get $10 off! Omakase includes 3 small plates: cucumber, chili garlic edamame and the potato salad. THE POTATO SALAD IS TO DIE FOR. I love it so much. Also offered on the monthly special menu for $12. Next course of the omakase is hamachi sashimi then winter soup Oden followed by 5 selected yakitori skewers (beef, shishito, scallop, pork belly and chicken), Hokkaido chirashi mini bowl and the $5 add on for the Indigo Cow soft serve. You need to get the soft serve. We love it so much!! Wow. Omakase is perfect for sharing. We ordered the Fingered Ribs in addition and Mochi Bacon too. Dinner did not disappoint. Neither did the service. These 3 hard working ladies running around and making sure everyone had fill glasses of water, plates cleared off their table, next course of food coming. I'm so fascinated with the orchestrating between them. They were so friendly! I had a whisky highball that took 20 mins to get and the host took off $5 from the bill. Such a kind gesture and we truly appreciated it. Tipped 25% because these are great servers! If you haven't been to Secret Fort- I highly recommend coming and ordering the Omakase. Can't wait to go back!! Funny thing is, there was another party named Grant for 2, but they headed to the ramen side. I guess you can always go to either one! Yakitori then ramen? Sure! read more
I came here during Seattle restaurant week and opted for their prix fixe menu. We chose the 4 course meal with an option of dessert added, to make it 5 courses. All of the food here was great. The fish was very fresh and I like the addition of yuzu in some of their dishes. The yakitori were also very flavorful and I enjoyed the sauce on it. I enjoyed the matcha tiramisu to finish off my meal too. The service here was very friendly and I liked the vibe of the place. The restaurant itself transports you to Japan and video games. I can't wait for my next meal here. read more
Cool spot for kushiyaki and other bites. Loved the retro decor from the Showa era, and a menu that is a nice selection of mainly grilled items. we actually started off with a sashimi sampler, which was better than expected. Afterwards, we tried a number of kushiyaki including: - chicken - chicken with green onion - pork - beef - eel - mitarashi dango - shrimp The chicken and beef skewers were better than the seafood ones in general. You can have the skewers prepared in 3 different ways, and we stuck to just a simple salt (shio) prep which allowed the quality of the ingredients to shine. The beverage menu is a bit limited though with only a handful of sake selections but is priced fairly. we didn't get to dessert as we also wanted to try Indigo Cow which is also part of the restaurant and well worth a visit too! Overall, Secret Fort is definitely a good spot when craving kushiyaki and more. read more
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More info about Secret Fort
1911 N 45th St
Seattle, WA 98103
Wallingford
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(206) 420-1604
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https://www.secretfortseattle.com
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