We recently ate breakfast at the Elevation restaurant and lounge…read more Everything was fine except we fell into a trap. They add an 18% service charge to the bill. Our waiter didn't advise us about this and we didn't see it on the menu so we ended up tipping twice. Always ask for an itemized bill when dining here.

Elevation Lounge is located in the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Seattle. It's on the second floor…read moreof the hotel that serves breakfast during the day and is a restaurant/lounge in the evening. For drinks I ordered the old fashioned ($13.70) and the mai tai ($17). The old fashioned was standard and solid. The mai tai was definitely on the sweeter side but was decent. I ordered a side of fries ($5) that was a really good portion for the price. The bar had a chill vibe and the bartenders were very friendly.

The service was fantastic, the food was so good - there are sooo many delicious gluten free…read moreoptions! So glad we found this spot!

They had me a "dedicated gluten free fryer"…read more This place was excellent. We order calamari, fish and chips and the kids got spaghetti that is, and I quote, better than Noodles and Co which, coming from a year old is the highest of compliments. Another perk is it's off the beaten path so it was t chaotic or crowded à la World Cup crowds which we deeply appreciated for our 4pm dinner. Highly recommend!

Stopped in for a drink with my colleagues before dinner. The staff were all friendly and greeted us…read moreand. chatted with us while we were there. The bartender provided some recommendations and was quick to serve our drinks. The food menu looked good, I'd come back here to eat on a future visit. Enjoyed the visit, it was a nice stop on a night out with colleagues before a conference.

I visited Rider on October 31, 2026, for a 5:30 p.m. dinner reservation and came away with mixed…read morefeelings. ATMOSPHERE AND SEATING The atmosphere made a favorable first impression. The music was interesting and enjoyable, and the subdued lighting generally created a sense of privacy without making it difficult to see my food or surroundings. Unfortunately, my original bench seating was extremely uncomfortable. At 6'0" and 245 pounds, I found the bench positioned so close to the table that I felt as though I was being cut in half. To Rider's credit, I was offered the opportunity to move to another table with individual chairs, which was a considerable improvement. The second table, however, highlighted an odd lighting problem. A light was positioned directly above one seat at the four-person table. If all four seats were occupied, one diner would essentially be sitting in a spotlight while the other three remained in shadow. I also noticed that menus remained on the tables throughout the meal. Initially, I assumed mine had simply been overlooked, but I saw the same thing at other tables. This struck me as unprofessional. APPETIZER I began with the $20 golden calamari. It looked appealing when it arrived, with a nice presentation and accompaniments, but unfortunately the eating experience didn't match its appearance. The breading lacked the crispness I expect from fried calamari, while the calamari itself was chewy and rubbery. At that price, it was a disappointing start. MAIN COURSE Fortunately, the $34 salmon completely changed the direction of the meal. It was excellent: perfectly cooked, moist and tender, with outstanding seasoning and flavor. The presentation was beautiful, and the accompanying side salad was dressed very well. The fingerling potatoes were good, too. They were properly cooked, pleasantly textured, and nicely seasoned. I also ordered $13 truffle fries, and they were excellent. They had exactly the contrast I look for: a crispy exterior with a soft, fluffy interior. The seasoning was excellent, the portion was generous, and the truffle ranch dipping sauce was a welcome alternative to ordinary ketchup. One word of caution about portions: they are substantial. Between the salmon and sides, the amount of food was almost too much. DESSERT I finished with two scoops of plain vanilla gelato ($10). A simple dessert can still be satisfying when the quality feels special, but this one did not stand out. After such a strong entrée, dessert was underwhelming. It reminded me of ordinary store-bought ice cream, only at restaurant prices. The wait made matters worse. More than 10 minutes after placing the order, I still had no dessert. My waitress eventually came by, confirmed that it had not arrived, and went to check on it. It arrived afterward. SERVICE AND MANAGEMENT My waitress approached the table promptly at the beginning, so there was no initial wait to be greeted. During the meal, however, soda refills were not particularly attentive. I also noticed, as a separate observation, that she spent a considerable amount of time on her cell phone. On the positive side, she was genuinely pleasant to speak with. We ended up having a long conversation about everything and nothing in particular, and that was a surprisingly enjoyable part of the evening. Management left a different impression. The manager stopped to speak with guests at the tables around me, then walked away without speaking to or acknowledging me. WEBSITE AND MENU ACCURACY Rider's website advertised a "Local's 3-Course Dinner" for $55, but that option was unavailable during my visit. Although it did not influence my decision to dine here, advertised offerings should accurately reflect what guests can order. I also noticed conflicting information about service charges. Rider's dinner menu states that a 20% service charge will be added to each bill, while another section of the website specifies parties of six or more. As a solo diner, I was not charged an automatic service fee. I have included a screenshot of the website's wording. Clearer information would help guests understand what to expect. BILL AND OVERALL IMPRESSION My bill totaled $83 before tax and $91.76 after tax. I voluntarily added a 20% tip of $16.60, bringing my final total to $108.36. There is plenty to like about Rider: outstanding salmon, excellent fries, good fingerling potatoes, enjoyable music, and a genuinely pleasant conversation with my waitress. However, the disappointing calamari and dessert, uncomfortable initial seating, uneven lighting, inconsistent service, and lack of acknowledgment from management detracted from the experience. Rider's kitchen demonstrated that it can deliver an excellent main course. I would like to see that same attention to detail carried throughout the entire dining experience.

Happy hour until 6pm with appetizer fried calamari, hummus, chicken wings, and fried peppers. The…read morecomb salad is really good but with cold chicken. The chicken ceasear looked good, the burgers look real good. Our team went. 8 people. They have tables that can support 10 and some bigger tables for up to 14 and lots of smaller 4 person tables including a nice bar with lots of options. Price was $60 a person. Nice and clean place, I've gone there once before and in the summer the outdoor seating is a great place to hang out. This is one of our favorites downtown. Service is top notch. Our waiter was very professional fast and friendly. The menu fine print says they take 20% surcharge for the "house" and claim to pay the staff a good salary and that tipping is optional.

We were looking for a good place for lunch to sit down and relax after going to the SLU farmers…read moremarket and after looking at this place on yelp the pictures we decided to give it a try. The food wasn't terrible, but it also wasn't great? Really basic almost cafeteria level food. They must change out the menu often because a lot of the food in the pictures wasn't available (or maybe they do a limited menu some days)? When my soda came, it was flat. I went half the meal with no drink because it was hard getting staff to come close enough to flag down. (It was not crowded. There were maybe 3-4 other smaller parties). I swapped it for another drink but then never got a refill the entire meal. Service was basically non-existent. At one point it looked like there were no staff on floor...we were looking because we needed help. Water never got filled, we never got checked except when food was dropped off. We had to flag them down for the check. This place automatically adds a 20% fee so I guess that is adding to lack of urgency? Never again. In fact, I urge you NOT to go here. There are plenty of other places in the neighborhood to get a mid burger and some sad fries that will probably offer at least some service with the meal (which is what makes me willing to pay more). If you're looking for similar ambiance or food in the area try serious pie instead or quick service. This place isn't worth it.

Hours and hours walking around Seattle, we were hungry. Locals helped satisfy the hunger…read more People enjoying the bar side of the restaurant while our family of seven enjoyed the restaurant. By the time we had dinner, although hungry, it was past 8 and we needed to eat a little lighter and mostly had apps, so not sure how light that meal really was. Everyone enjoyed their dish. Because it was a bit cold, my younger sister got the fried chicken ramen. Fried chicken was not chicken katsu but fried chicken. The chicken was a bit salty while the ramen had a good amount of spice to it. Ramen broth was really good, especially on a cold night for me being from Hawaii. The only thing that was a bit disappointing was the cheese perogies. I enjoy perogies and haven't had any while on this trip to Seattle so a bit of a bummer. It was more like cheese ravioli. However best part of dinner was having the family together. And we ended the night on a good note. And the staff, so sweet. We appreciate you all for accommodating our family. See you all on our next family trip.

Food: 10/10. This is hands-down one of the best Caesar salads I've had in Seattle. The flavor was…read morecompletely mind blowing. I do wish there were more protein added on since you pay extra for the protein but overall, this was a great salad. Definitely filling and worth it. Service: service is great very attentive customer service. Ambiance: I did not expect this eatery to be so spacious. There were people working on their computer. They were folks hanging out with friends for drinks and then there was others just so like myself reading a book or people watching.

Great experience! The fish and chips were delicious. Our server was very tentative. The view from…read moreour window seat was beautiful.

It was Thursday and the last day of our trip. We had a late afternoon flight at Seattle-Tacoma…read moreInternational Airport so we stopped by Pike Place at 10:30 am. It got busy pretty quickly but we were able to get a table for six at 11 am at The Athenian, one of the oldest restaurants in town. The restaurant has two floors and it is artfully decorated with antique pieces. We were seated on the upper level with an ocean view. We shared the following: 1) Alaskan halibut fish and chips 2) Seafood sautee with fries* 3) Baked goat cheese 4) Three cheese scramble with potatoes 5) New England chowder 6) Raw oysters* The items marked with an asterisk are our favorites. Everything was delicious and fresh. We cleared it all!

This has been bookmarked for a while and the only regret I have is that I didn't get here sooner…read more This food is terrific, the vibe is hilarious, the servers are downright fantastic. Andrew (our server) introduced us to his sidekick, who was in training. Love that personal, hands on approach for a mew team member, and Sidekick did a great job in monitoring our table and replenishing water. Have to stop here and express my appreciation for Andrew and how he took the time to explain the philosophy and genuine team vibe of the restaurant. Oftentimes when a restaurant adds a flat 20% gratuity, you get the feeling this is not passed on to the servers. Not so here. He explained that it's shared among the servers, bar, and other staff, with only a bit retained by management, but even that finds its way into their wages. Terrific work environment and happy to see it. It definitely shows in the level of service. But we're here to eat. Didn't take a picture, but one of my dining companions ordered the burrito with red chili sauce and it was very good. Just the right amount of heat in the sauce. The Cantina celebrates Taco Tuesday, so I took advantage of this. You get the opportunity to try 5 different street tacos for the low price of $15. For another $4 you order it fully loaded which is a steal (guac, pickled onions, lettuce, giardano, crema, and another lovely sauce). Each of the tacos were really delicious and packed full of flavor. I especially enjoyed the cauliflower and the beef. Was surprised how much I liked the popcorn chicken - still juicy and not greasy in the least. Andrew treated us to a round of the hatch green chili. I was delighted because it was a dish I wanted to try. He described it perfectly: a little kick, but you can't stop eating it. He was right. A bowl of this in the winter with their cornbread (which I'm confident will be delicious) will preempt a winter cold. The sauces on the table are not to be ignored either. The green chili sauce was fruity with a little heat, the scorpion chili brings the heat, but their homemade chili oil is phenomenal. I could put this on everything. In short, the Cantina delivers. Excellent food, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and fun staff, and a cool vibe. I'll bet the cocktails will also be good. Definitely adding to the regular rotation!

Solid cocktails. The happy hour specials rule…read more Green chilli cheese fries with pork are a vibe. Owner is nice. You get airline miles here with a linked card (extra bonus). They do catering (had them for a work event and they knocked it out of the park). Convenient location, but keep that head on a swivel for the bell street fenty zombies.

During my visit to Seattle I visited The Fisherman's Restaurant as a part of my experience walking…read morethe pier and exploring Pike Place Market. It's located right by the Great Wheel in an easy to spot location which is how I stumbled upon it. The ambience was great: like walking onto a tastefully decorated fishing boat/ ship. The staff were friendly, communicative, and generous in their recommendations. I tried the Salmon BLT with a Fisherman's Iced Tea cocktail - both were AMAZING. The salmon was cooked thoroughly and I loved the flavorful spices used on the bread. I look forward to visiting again on a future trip!

Wowza is this an awesome place! Everything about this place is outstanding including the service,…read morelocation, ambience and view. Situated on Miner's Landing on Pier 57 since 1976 nothing beats this view! Ask for outside seating or in the patio area where you can have front row seats to watch all the water craft activity. The farris wheel is located on the pier. There's so much going on you will find yourself mesmerized by the food, ambiance, crisp breeze coming off the water and the many sounds of life. The place speaks for itself! Whether you are out for a nice romantic lunch or dinner or with a large group this place has the perfect space. The clam chowder in the sour dough bowl is the ultimate meal. Whatever you get off the menu it will be delicious. Drinks are also great. Enjoy! We did! This will be our go to spot every time. Parking is very spendy so look for that street parking. An hour and half will run you almost one hundred dollars. So much to do on the Pier so street parking will be ideal if you will be spending the day here.