This place is a hidden gem, for sure. The service and attentiveness were so appreciated. The food…read morewas delicious. This is not a sit-down restaurant, but for a busy person like me, it was just what I needed. The food came out piping hot and in a jiffy. I got the garlic jalapeño dipping sauce instead of plain old tartar, which the kind gentleman behind the counter recommended, and now I 10/10 it too. I am on crutches right now, and since I had a short wait for the food, they kindly suggested that I wait in the car comfortably and brought my food and drink that I ordered right out to me. What awesome, top-tier service!

This place was awesome when it opened!!!…read more What happened!!!!!? Was so nice to have a local burger joint, but wow! First Southbay Pub, and now Kozy's.... Wish we could get a local place that was good and would stay. It would actually go against the Geneva Convention rules regarding cruelty to recommend this place now to anyone.

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.

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.

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!!

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 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.

The three of us had a good meal there. Service was very good. I had the lamb burger that came…read morewith wedge fries. The burger was big so I had to cut it up to be able to eat it. the wedge fries were crisp and tasted great. The person that had the grilled cheese and tomato soup enjoyed it and the person that had the pasta really liked it. The desserts were really good also. I had the berry crisp was delicious and the one that had the chocolate pot de creme really liked it. It could be easy to eat too much as I did but I did enjoy everything I had and the whole family did as well.

The service was OK. Our server was attentive and quick and pleasant but just no enthusiasm. She…read morecomped the food my husband ordered because she saw he barely touched it which was very nice of her so we tipped well. The food was just alright, but I was disappointed with what I got and was expecting more quality for the price. I ordered the Chicken Cordon Who and I was given a plate with a small handful of still-crunchy sliced bell peppers and zucchini that seemed that they had been in contact with heat for all of 30 seconds next to a pile of potatoes that were cold from sitting. The chicken breast was just meh, not very thick, not very moist, not very seasoned, not very much of it. Small amount of sliced prosciutto on top. I just think for $30 this was a ripoff by at least 1/3 of the price; I would expect an actual chicken cordon bleu at that price instead of this quick-service deconstruction. The blackberry mojito I ordered for I think $15 tasted pretty good but was missing the presence and flavor of any alcohol so there was no complexity, just ended up being a $15 refreshing fruit drink. My husband ordered an appetizer (Sirloin Diablo) for $27 and got a small bowl of steak tips submerged in a barely spicy (Diablo?) cajun cream sauce like a soup surrounded by some painfully plain, thin, unseasoned, boring grilled bread. It's not bad or very good by any means and just wasn't his thing, but charging almost $30 for that? At their prices and the way they are presented I was expecting a really satisfying dinner but walked away feeling like I would've been just as happy eating some standard fare at a local diner for half the cost.

Stopped by next door to ACU and couldn't help myself and got some lunch. The person who took our…read moreorder was very nice and patient while I decided what I wanted to get. Super clean, organized and I'd say is kid friendly! They even allow pets out on the front patio. Restrooms were super clean. The food was served hot, freshly made to order and delish!!!! I'll most definitely be back again!

Been twice now and won't be back. It's expensive for what it is but that's not the issue. Waited…read moreover 40 mins for one burger and the young woman at the counter was dismissive and rude when approached about it. Never apologized for the extra wait time when she said 15 mins when we placed the order. The entire restaurant was waiting 30+ mins for orders and she just kept taking orders and giving short wait times. She just responded without any apology...we're backed up and said the cook was their prep cook not their main cook. I didn't see any manager type person on site and there should be someone in charge helping to mitigate when they are staffing issues that create these type of wait times. Customer service was lacking and after the enormous wait time the food was fine, but great. Wanted to support a new business but less than impressed during both visits. Sorry to say. Hopefully this can be addressed for future customers. I'm seeing some other reviews below that seem to be referencing negative experiences with the same person at the counter. Hopefully the owner reads these messages so this can be remedied.

We enjoyed lunch at Cynara a few days ago. My friend and I had the cauliflower pitas and they were…read morereally good - highly recommend and we are not vegetarians! My husband had the BLT and another friend had the chicken pita; both were very happy. All four meals came with fries and they were quite good also. My only complaint is that Cynara does not post the menu on their website which I find very helpful in advance. Otherwise, it was a great experience with friendly and competent staff who seated us immediately and were excellent.

BRING YOUR WALLET... 2 at 5pm no reservation. Hostess wasn't…read morepresent but a kitchen staff, taking a break, jumped up quickly and warmly greeted us - the hostess came right after. She was pleasant and sat us in the sunshine on the patio. I was sad to see so few patrons. I will review the best part first: THE COCKTAILS: The spirits and craft cocktail selection was huge / the beer & wine not so much. My Old Fashioned was perfect! Food: Seafood Rosé Pasta (bay scallops, shrimp, northwest manila clams, rosé prosecco cream sauce, grilled bread) -- inconsistent cook on the different seafoods & the sauce was meh. Not worth $42.00 Grilled Romaine Salad (white balsamic bleu cheese dressing, gorgonzola, cherry tomatoes, aleppo toasted hazelnuts) -- plenty of romaine, could've been grilled longer / not much quantity of tomatoes or toasted hazelnuts -- basically a "side salad" for $15.00 Lobster Bisque (house smoked tomatoes, roasted red pepper, cream, butter poached langoustine lobster) -- tasted more like roasted tomato / red pepper soup (no lobster or seafood flavors) - there were 4 small pieces of poached?? langoustine lobster on top - I question poached because the pieces definitely had a bite to them. Worth $15.00 -- no. Due to reviews we had the Baklava Crumble (pistachios, honey, vanilla ice cream) -- basically cut up (very chewy, not crispy) baklava tossed over ice cream for $14.00 -- maybe a bad night for this dessert? We like to support small Olympia businesses and will go back for cocktails but the food costs are too high - we don't mind high costs IF we come away satisfied - unfortunately the food didn't measure up to the cost. As we drove away, we saw the "Budd Bay Cafe" was very busy - I think next time we'll have cocktails at Cynara, then cross the street for food and wine. We were intrigued with the "Clam Chowder Entrée" which is served à la minute (Washington manila clams, bacon, cream, celery, roasted potatoes, grilled bread) -- is it a deconstructed chowder?? $33.00 Sorry no pics.

I'm a German-Mexican, heterosexual, 50 sometimes, cisgender male. I came in wearing light colored…read moreColumbia clothing. I came into the Cryptatropa Bar with my wife and had a GREAT TIME!!! Seems like the bad reviews are from haters. People who came in with a chip on their shoulders. I didn't. Why? I have been around the Goth and Dark Metal community for years. I know them. While they may look scary and mean to most "normies". They are actually some of the nicest and open minded people you could ever know. In all I felt welcomed here even though we were not dressed for the part. The staff here were very welcoming and friendly. The service was prompt and excellent. The drinks, especially the nonalcoholic drinks were good. We came in on a movie night. They were showing an art film whose name I can't remember. The film was very artsy and deeply interesting. I and my wife really enjoyed it. The BIGGEST kudos to the Cryptatropa Bar is actually showing an independent art film. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Growing up there were lots of theaters that showed art films. Then after the 90's they all went away. Leaving only a few mega theaters who they all show the same movies. This place is a RARE GEM for doing this. Independent film makers don't really have outlets to show their films anymore. THANK YOU!!!

DO NOT COME ON A THURSDAY! They do thirsty Thursday which…read moreis $5 well drinks but never paid $5 for ANY drink. The vibes are off as soon as you walk in. The door queen ( someone who doesn't like to mention their name) had off energy, not very welcoming energy even though they are the greeter... being from out of town, didn't feel very welcoming. The bartenders are begging for a tip... i had a bad drink that i didn't like, i paid the difference, which is fine and they asked "what about tip?" I tipped them when i ordered my original drink and the 3 times before that. At any other facility, they would have just traded out my drink but I didn't mind paying the difference. But the employees need to better there energy and this place could be better! Customer service is what keeps the business in business and this place has POOR customer service. Overall, the bar is cute, the DJ was good!