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The Reef

3.8 (43 reviews)
Updated over 3 months ago

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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!

The katsu chicken fried steak with sausage gravy. You're welcome!
Simon R.

Had a great brunch over with the good people at Reef. I really appreciated their breakfast menu. Lots of different things to choose from. The maple donut with bacon topping was a nice surprise. They really know how cook pork belly. The katsu chicken fried steak was the star. The sausage gravy played so well with it. Seasoned to perfection lots of bold flavors. Definitely different than previous Chicken fried steaks. They also make their own jam for the English muffins or toast that was pretty impressive as well. If you're in the state capital I can't recommend reef enough. Also shout out to those late '60s early '70s retro coffee mugs.

Kimchi fried rice

Food, service and vibe!!! 10 10 10! I had the Katsu chicken with sausage gravy and my dining partner had the kimchi fried rice! It was so good, my only complaint- I couldn't finish the meal in one sitting but the air fryer is my best friend! Our waitstaff was super attentive and friendly! Really great vibe and setting inside. My salty sea cocktail, also amazing! I will be back and bringing friends and family. 10

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..

Breakfast Burrito
Luke M.

Took my parents out for brunch on a weekend. Service was friendly, coffee was good. We were seated immediately. Breakfast burrito and pork belly fried rice were outstanding. They were even able to accommodate some of my parents dietary restrictions that are unusual. Decorations were beautiful. Will definitely be back

Shrimp   tacos

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Havent been back in awhile but this place is still just as delicious as I remember! I ordered the…read moreBelgian waffle with eggs and bacon -- I like how the waffles had a malty flavor instead of the typical buttermilk flavor. The syrup wasn't too sweet, and the butter cubes are at the perfect temperature- soft enough to spread over your pancake/waffle and not straight from the refrigerator. This place serves big portions so you'll definitely leave with a full happy tummy! Enjoy!

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Recently had breakfast with my wife, for the first time, at the Shipwreck Cafe in Olympia. Only…read morehave two words to say - exceeded expectations! Our server was Josie and she was amazing! Anticipated our every need and delivered what I'd call 'over the top hospitality!' She's a keeper! Clean, friendly, great food, great service, amazing ambiance and they also serve a great drink too! Wife had Loco Moco Oly style and I had chicken fried steak & eggs. One of the best breakfast's we've ever had in the PNW. In particular note, the hash browns were cooked and served to perfection - just the right amount of delicious brown crispness without being soggy. We'll be back!

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Biscuit House- Tumwater

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I've recently had a trip to Toutle for 4th of July. Not many places were open for breakfast on the…read moreholiday. My friend was only able to find this place so we went for it. GETTING THERE At first, we didn't realize this place is inside of a Toyota dealership. It's maybe about 5 min from the I-5 exit. It's extremely easy to get to and easy to find. Literally find the dealership with 100 Toyota cars and trucks parked outside haha PARKING Parking availability is just like any dealership. There wasn't a designated spot for the restaurant, but there was a huge gravel/dirt lot just on the outskirts of the main lot. We parked there since we had a trailer with a car on it. Its maybe about a minute walk to the main building where the restaurant was at. AMBIANCE/SERVICE It was 4th of July and the front had maybe 8-10 salesmen all lined up to greet customers. It was a little intimidating when we walked up since we weren't looking to buy a car, but the one closest to us understood we weren't interested and he helped direct us to the restaurant. Not much for ambiance. It is just like any other dealership. No special decor. Just a few lounge chairs, massage chairs, TV, and a brand new 2026 Toyota Tacoma parked next to the dining area for you to look at. The counter where you order at is fairly small. You just walk up, order, they give you a number, then you just grab a seat somewhere. There have limited seating near the counter, but you can opt out to sit at the tables by the front window where the display vehicles are. The staff was friendly and the food didn't take long to arrive. FOOD I ordered the breakfast pizza. I've had breakfast pizzas before, but this one is a little different. It comes with a biscuit crust instead of a typical pizza dough. Then it's topped with normal breakfast toppings like bacon, sausage, ham, cheese, and 2 fried eggs. The eggs aren't scrambled and mixed into all the fixings like others I've had, but I didn't mind this. This also had sausage gravy which I don't typically see on a breakfast pizza, but I enjoyed it. The gravy and the eggs helped balance out the saltiness of everything else. I enjoyed this version of a breakfast pizza with the biscuit crust, but it was a little too heavy for one person. I ended up sharing about half of it. I can definitely finish it, but I won't be moving for a while. The coffee was pretty standard. I also wasn't wanting anything too fancy, so it was exactly what I needed. OVERALL I enjoyed this place and I would come back. At the time, I didn't realize it was the same business as the location in Lakewood, which I've ordered from in the past on DoorDash. I've been meaning to check it out in person. But despite it being in a dealership, I'd say this place is still a good place to check out if you need a quick stop off the freeway.

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Uptown Grill - Basque cheesecake

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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.

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The Reef - diners - Updated October 2026

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