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The Reef

3.8 (43 reviews)
Updated over 3 months ago

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Fried chicken sandwich
Neechi M.

Still some service quirks to work out but very promising. The menu was heavy on fried foods but they were delicious which is what counts! The salad (Caesar) was also excellent. Loved the large portion sizes because everything was great. We had the Shrimp Tacos, Fried Mushrooms, and the Fried chicken sandwich and they were all good with first price going to the fried chicken sandwich and delicious salad

Pink Starfish  This was how it was served to me. $13 and like half a grandma's champagne full but it was SO good.
Vita L.

The Reef is back. The food is great. I was a little disappointed when initially not seeing a ton of vegan options, but the kitchen and server worked with us, made the kids' rice vegan and the magic mushroom burger was so good. I had one cocktail to celebrate their reopening and love every piece of the Reef to bits and pieces. They even had my girls get a treasure from the treasure chest at the end of our meal. Thank you!

Double shift
Katie A.

Made another visit back to The Reef since re-opening. Was a little less satisfied with our meal this time around. Service was pretty slow considering the number of other folks dining in. You'd think they would be packed on a Sunday AM! Not the case this Sunday. Took quite a while to get our order in the queue for no apparent reason. Ordered two Benedicts (veggie and pork). The hollandaise on both was watery and odd. The potatoes were so fried that there wasn't much substance left. We had more fried potato skins than anything. No more malasadas? Bummer.. I get it. I hope we can return but please, do better with the hollandaise. That consistency was very off.

Really good food. The place is very charming and cute like a vintage diner vibe. service was great from our server Araya, the music was good and the reef breakfast was sublime!!! (also pictured is the baby burrito which I'm told was excellent) the potatoes were delicious and crispy, bacon was some of the best I've had, coffee was amazing from a local coffeehouse, English muffin was buttery and tasty it was perfect

You're so-called chicken sandwich that's fried. Let's call it. An oil soaked raw  chicken sandwich
John F.

I had a fried chicken sandwich with fries, the fries were great. The chicken sandwich was the worst freaking chicken sandwich I've ever had. It was raw or undercooked. The bun fell apart. It was salted way beyond it should've been overall it just plain sucked never again if you were looking for a Fried chicken sandwich go somewhere else not here.

Spicy fried chicken sandwich. And Caesar salad.
Tyler G.

It is incredibly hard to find an authentic Caesar salad, where they use the anchovies to create the dressing and the egg yolk. This taste real and authentic and this is one of the most incredible fried chicken sandwiches I've ever had. It is a huge juicy piece of fried chicken and the crunch is incredible..

Shrimp   tacos

Delicious food and im told they make all of their sauces in-house. Yum! I'll be back to try more.

Breakfast Burrito

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10 months ago

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1 year ago

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11 months ago

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11 months ago

Omg their pork belly eggs Benedict is freaking phenomenal!!! They have this chorizo gravy too that's totally on point!! I highly recommend!!

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1 year ago

The chicken sandwich here is so unique. Like a modern diner. Friendly staff. Great cider selections.

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10 months ago

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11 months ago

I was happy with the menu options, the decor and the service. Prices weren't terrible.

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7 months ago

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

Good service, okay brunch, Salty Sea drink was the highlight! They sell Oly Malasadas which is a plus.

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2 years ago

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Ask the Community - The Reef

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Bits Cafe

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(141 reviews)

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I'm updating my review because I've tried this place under different circumstances. Crappy day when…read morethe weather makes everything depressing? Happy tummy. Solo? Happy tummy. Rumbly tummy? Happy tummy. Literally, every single time I come here, I leave with a happy and slightly over full stomach. The wait is getting a little longer these days because I think people are catching on that this is the place to make your tummy happy, but if you want a retro boho style atmosphere with some of the best breakfast/brunch/lunch you've EVER tasted, you NEED TO COME HERE AT LEAAT ONCE IN YOUR LIFE. And if the French bread is on the specials, get one piece to share with your dining companion. If you aren't fighting over the crumbs and syrup, you just aren't doing it right.

After reading about this place on "best of" lists, we finally remembered to drop by here for…read morebreakfast. Now that I've tried it I can say that this is hands down the best breakfast place I've tried in Olympia so far. Unless you're there when they open, you're gonna wait because this is a small restaurant with a lot of people who want in. They have a nice seating area, but it's small, so you might have to wait outside. As soon as you walk in, put your name on the list because even if you're okay with sitting as at the counter, you have to check in. After a 15 minute wait a table next to the window cleared up so lucky us. Sis got the poached eggs on toast and she loved it. She also got the lavendar latte and we both don't really like lavendar, but this drink was lovely. I got the traditional breakfast with eggs, chicken apple sausage, toast, and a side sald. My dudes, you have to get the side salad. The carrots are finely grated and flash fried so the topping is slightly crunchy. Put that with the pepitas and a lightly sweet, creamy dressing and you've got heaven in your mouth. Even the toast was buttered perfectly and the right amount of toasting so that it was delicious with butter and with or without the jam. As soon as we were eating was as soon as we were already making plans to return. This place is the best.

Medicine Creek Cafe - Double cheeseburger and fries

Medicine Creek Cafe

(216 reviews)

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I've been wanting to try this place every time I visit my daughter. Breakfast is my favorite meal…read moreand this place did not disappoint me. The food portions are good and you get what you pay for. The food is very good. I ordered my go-to, the Two egg breakfast with two sausage patties (big), hash brown, toast. I also got one buttermilk pancake to share with my wife. Everything was great. Serving size is worth the price, plus I won't be eating lunch today because I'll be full all day. My son-in-law got the Tacoma breakfast, it was huge and looked good. He said it was very good and he also will not be eating lunch today. The service was great. The waitress was friendly and came to our table often to check on us. I definitely highly recommend this place.

So glad I finally had the chance to try this little spot. It's tucked away right off the exit but…read moreit's got good parking. We were greeted promptly and the staff were genuinely friendly. Gave me that hospitable welcome , ya know. When you walk in, it's a small area but more on that ol' school cozy kinda joint where regulars come in. It's nice. Now for the food. My hubby got the Tahoma. Chicken fried steak on top of biscuits and hash browns and gravy on the side. Just because the portion is GINORMOUS!! our server suggested for us to get gravy on the side to eat later and keep from it getting soggy. Thanks Heather!! My Loco mock was okay. Just some plain burger patties on top of rice with eggs. The gravy was delish. If the patties were fat homemade patties and sticky calrose rose, it woulda been MWAH (chef's kiss)! Still, great experience. Great breakfast spot to try out!! Family friendly!!

Martin Way Diner - Mega Chicken Fried Steak, Hashbrowns, Three-Egg Breakfast

Martin Way Diner

(341 reviews)

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Martin Way Diner did not disappoint! We popped in for…read morebreakfast, and although the diner was busy, we did not have to wait to be seated. This was our first time at Martin Way Diner. When we first walked in, it felt like a classic diner. And it is! In all the good ways. The diner is clean, the coffee is hot and flavorful, and the portions are generous. My husband had the Build Your Own omelet, topped with Jack Cheese. And they did not skimp on the ingredients. The cheese was nice and gooey, and the flavors melded perfectly. I had the French Toast. Again, generous portions, and the slices were thick and perfectly battered. Not soggy, slightly crisp. And the syrup was warmed! Sometimes it is the little things. The bacon was crisp, just how I had ordered it, not limp, and the eggs were cooked to perfection. Our server was Shawna, and she was personable and perfectly attentive. We were seated where we could observe the cooks, and they functioned like a well-oiled machine. All in all it was a good experience, and I would highly recommend. An added bonus: there are glass partitions between the booths. It really helps keep the noise level down. This was much appreciated and I wish more restaurants would do this. The next time we are at this end of town, we will be back.

Simply put: home made food like eating at mom's. Great service, food arrives hot, and have had…read moreseveral wonderful experiences. This place is a gem!

The Reef - diners - Updated May 2026

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