Decor - 4
Value - 7
Taste - 6
Cuisine: American barbecue
There's two parts to Frontier Room: one part barbecue restaurant, one part crowded college dance party.
As a restaurant, Frontier Room is a decent pick for happy hour. I recommend the mini BBQ sandwiches. It's also a good place to have a drink on a weekday. As for the barbecue, I wasn't really impressed. I give credit that the meat was cooked well, but the taste didn't strike me as authentic barbecue. This is pretty much standard for most barbecue places in Seattle (Seattle is too far from the Midwest and South). I don't like restaurants with absolutely no lighting, and Frontier Room is one of those places.
On weekend nights, Frontier Room transforms into a college dance party. With a small dance floor, Frontier Room gets very crowded, hot, and muggy quickly (smells like a locker room!). There's also usually a small cover charge, like $5 bucks. If you're a college student stranded in Belltown and don't want to drive to Fremont, Frontier Room is a good pick.
Monday, January 18, 2010
The Buffalo Deli Review
Decor - 4
Value - 8
Taste - 8
Boasting a "New York style" deli, The Buffalo Deli is a small sandwich shop on the border of Belltown. Only open during lunch, I finally got an opportunity to grab a sandwich on an off day at work. I ordered the barbecue pulled pork sandwich, and it was very tasty! With a great sauce and tender meat (the bun could have been better), it was a close reminder of my pulled pork sandwich days in Kansas City.
The Buffalo Deli is pretty much a lunch sandwich place with a fairly standard, small selection of New York deli sandwiches. There's not much seating, so it's a good place for a quick sandwich or take out. I will definitely have to try the pastrami next time!
Value - 8
Taste - 8
Boasting a "New York style" deli, The Buffalo Deli is a small sandwich shop on the border of Belltown. Only open during lunch, I finally got an opportunity to grab a sandwich on an off day at work. I ordered the barbecue pulled pork sandwich, and it was very tasty! With a great sauce and tender meat (the bun could have been better), it was a close reminder of my pulled pork sandwich days in Kansas City.
The Buffalo Deli is pretty much a lunch sandwich place with a fairly standard, small selection of New York deli sandwiches. There's not much seating, so it's a good place for a quick sandwich or take out. I will definitely have to try the pastrami next time!
Tandoori Hut Review
Decor - 7
Value - 7
Taste - 7
If you want Indian food and you're in Belltown, this is pretty much the only option you have. Luckily, Tandoori Hut is pretty decent Indian food. It's a bit pricey, but my dinner portions were large.
The decor is basic, clean, and there's plenty of seating. There's also a lunch buffet (I have yet to try). The dinner menu is pretty small.
I recommend Tandoori Hut if you have a craving for Indian and you're in Belltown. It's also a good place for take out Indian.
Value - 7
Taste - 7
If you want Indian food and you're in Belltown, this is pretty much the only option you have. Luckily, Tandoori Hut is pretty decent Indian food. It's a bit pricey, but my dinner portions were large.
The decor is basic, clean, and there's plenty of seating. There's also a lunch buffet (I have yet to try). The dinner menu is pretty small.
I recommend Tandoori Hut if you have a craving for Indian and you're in Belltown. It's also a good place for take out Indian.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Amber Review
Decor - 8
Value - 6
Taste - 7
Cuisine: American
More known as a lounge than a restaurant, Amber is a large venue with a full bar downstairs and a smaller bar upstairs. The dinner menu is pretty standard American and the happy hour menu doesn't offer a great deal. Although the happy hour burger is quite tasty.
I think Amber as a good place to bring friends for drinks on the weekday, and a happening lounge to meet people on the weekend, as it gets packed on the weekend. It's also a decent place for a formal dinner party.
If you want to drink, lounge, hang out, and see people, Amber is a good pick.
Value - 6
Taste - 7
Cuisine: American
More known as a lounge than a restaurant, Amber is a large venue with a full bar downstairs and a smaller bar upstairs. The dinner menu is pretty standard American and the happy hour menu doesn't offer a great deal. Although the happy hour burger is quite tasty.
I think Amber as a good place to bring friends for drinks on the weekday, and a happening lounge to meet people on the weekend, as it gets packed on the weekend. It's also a decent place for a formal dinner party.
If you want to drink, lounge, hang out, and see people, Amber is a good pick.
Ohana Review
Decor - 5
Value - 8
Taste - 7
Cuisine - Japanese/Hawaiian
Ohana is a Japanese/Hawaiian restaurant which I think is more Japanese than Hawaiian. There's a sushi bar with a decent sushi selection, and some decent Hawaiian dishes like curry and kauhlua pork. I'm not a big fan of the decor, which is kind of tacky Hawaiian, although the food is worth checking out.
I highly recommend happy hour, which offers cheap rolls, hot sake, and decent beer deals. Ohana also has various themed nights, such as karaoke, trivia night, and a DJ, although the music can get pretty loud on the DJ nights.
Ohana is a festive place to entertain casual guests and a great pick for dropping by for happy hour. The dinner prices are pretty decent also.
Value - 8
Taste - 7
Cuisine - Japanese/Hawaiian
Ohana is a Japanese/Hawaiian restaurant which I think is more Japanese than Hawaiian. There's a sushi bar with a decent sushi selection, and some decent Hawaiian dishes like curry and kauhlua pork. I'm not a big fan of the decor, which is kind of tacky Hawaiian, although the food is worth checking out.
I highly recommend happy hour, which offers cheap rolls, hot sake, and decent beer deals. Ohana also has various themed nights, such as karaoke, trivia night, and a DJ, although the music can get pretty loud on the DJ nights.
Ohana is a festive place to entertain casual guests and a great pick for dropping by for happy hour. The dinner prices are pretty decent also.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Twist Review
Decor - 9
Value - 8
Taste - 6
I like this place as a lounge, the happy hour is decent, but the food is average American fare. For happy hour, the mac and cheese and the pizza is a decent selection. The hummus and pita is good to snack on for a late night. The happy hour house wine is decent and the happy hour margaritas are good also.
I really like the layout of this place. In the front there's a small bar, and in the back there's a bar, large tables for dinner, and a great view of the water. Although not a sports bar, you can catch a game on a few of the TVs in the place. As a lounge, this place works well, as it gets packed on the weekend full of people having drinks. There's no dance floor and not much for music, but the crowd is young and professional.
I highly recommend Twist for a light happy hour snack, or late night drinks on the weekend. It's also a great place to grab drinks with friends and enjoy the view!
Value - 8
Taste - 6
I like this place as a lounge, the happy hour is decent, but the food is average American fare. For happy hour, the mac and cheese and the pizza is a decent selection. The hummus and pita is good to snack on for a late night. The happy hour house wine is decent and the happy hour margaritas are good also.
I really like the layout of this place. In the front there's a small bar, and in the back there's a bar, large tables for dinner, and a great view of the water. Although not a sports bar, you can catch a game on a few of the TVs in the place. As a lounge, this place works well, as it gets packed on the weekend full of people having drinks. There's no dance floor and not much for music, but the crowd is young and professional.
I highly recommend Twist for a light happy hour snack, or late night drinks on the weekend. It's also a great place to grab drinks with friends and enjoy the view!
Shiro's Review
Decor - 5
Value - 9
Taste - 9
One of the best sushi restaurants in town. The sushi is always fresh and the craftsmanship is excellent. You can't go wrong with ordering any type of sushi and there's a lot of variety. Shiro's seeks to serve what's in season.
I also highly recommend the black cod. With an excellent miso sauce, the black cod is the best in Seattle. Also try the sea urchin served in its shell when in season. The sake selection is decent also.
The venue is small and nothing fancy, but be sure to make a reservation on the weekend. If you want a very solid recommendation for sushi, go to Shiro's.
Value - 9
Taste - 9
One of the best sushi restaurants in town. The sushi is always fresh and the craftsmanship is excellent. You can't go wrong with ordering any type of sushi and there's a lot of variety. Shiro's seeks to serve what's in season.
I also highly recommend the black cod. With an excellent miso sauce, the black cod is the best in Seattle. Also try the sea urchin served in its shell when in season. The sake selection is decent also.
The venue is small and nothing fancy, but be sure to make a reservation on the weekend. If you want a very solid recommendation for sushi, go to Shiro's.
Taberna del Alabardero Review
Decor - 7
Value - 8
Taste - 8
Cuisine- Tapas (Spanish)
Taberna del Alabardero, what's with the long name (and the signage sucks too!)? I'm not a huge fan of tapas either. Off the bat, Taberna scored two strikes for being pretentious. The crowd is a little older too.
Now that I got all the negatives out of the way, Taberna has a great happy hour menu and the Sangria is the best deal in Seattle. Like I said, I don't like tapas, but the happy hour selection and pricing won me over. Because of this, I give Taberna high ratings for value. You can't go wrong with any pick from the tapas menu either.
As for dinner, the pricing is a lot higher. There's a lot of selection for paella dishes, and it offers a good value, although Taberna requires two people to order paella. I tried the suckling pig, which was dry and not very tasty or filling.
There's a lot of seating and the decor is nice, standard. Getting a seat for happy hour may be an issue though.
I highly recommend Taberna for happy hour tapas. The bar is pretty decent too. Definitely order a pitcher of sangria!
Value - 8
Taste - 8
Cuisine- Tapas (Spanish)
Taberna del Alabardero, what's with the long name (and the signage sucks too!)? I'm not a huge fan of tapas either. Off the bat, Taberna scored two strikes for being pretentious. The crowd is a little older too.
Now that I got all the negatives out of the way, Taberna has a great happy hour menu and the Sangria is the best deal in Seattle. Like I said, I don't like tapas, but the happy hour selection and pricing won me over. Because of this, I give Taberna high ratings for value. You can't go wrong with any pick from the tapas menu either.
As for dinner, the pricing is a lot higher. There's a lot of selection for paella dishes, and it offers a good value, although Taberna requires two people to order paella. I tried the suckling pig, which was dry and not very tasty or filling.
There's a lot of seating and the decor is nice, standard. Getting a seat for happy hour may be an issue though.
I highly recommend Taberna for happy hour tapas. The bar is pretty decent too. Definitely order a pitcher of sangria!
Black Bottle Review
Decor - 7
Value - 5
Taste - 6
Black Bottle is a wine bar with a modern American food menu. The food is trendy and not completely filling. Other than the flatbread (basically a pizza), the food doesn't really stand out. There isn't a happy hour either, so value is slim pickings.
As a wine bar, I'm not fully convinced either. The wine selection does not stand out, and the per glass choices are not of high quality.
Black Bottle is usually very busy. Either I'm missing something, or maybe there's not a lot of capacity in the restaurant.
I recommend Black Bottle if you want to reserve a private room (one of which includes a private bar). Otherwise, it's a good place if you're in Belltown and want to grab a glass of wine or if you're on a date. There's not a lot of other wine bars in Belltown, so it's good for that.
Value - 5
Taste - 6
Black Bottle is a wine bar with a modern American food menu. The food is trendy and not completely filling. Other than the flatbread (basically a pizza), the food doesn't really stand out. There isn't a happy hour either, so value is slim pickings.
As a wine bar, I'm not fully convinced either. The wine selection does not stand out, and the per glass choices are not of high quality.
Black Bottle is usually very busy. Either I'm missing something, or maybe there's not a lot of capacity in the restaurant.
I recommend Black Bottle if you want to reserve a private room (one of which includes a private bar). Otherwise, it's a good place if you're in Belltown and want to grab a glass of wine or if you're on a date. There's not a lot of other wine bars in Belltown, so it's good for that.
Umi Review
Decor - 8
Value - 7
Taste - 7
Umi has a great location in the heart of Belltown and a solid, fairly standard Japanese menu. The decor is original and trendy and the hours are late. With all these factors combined, it makes Umi a very busy place. If you plan on going for dinner, make a reservation, and if you plan on dropping in for a drink, you will have to fight for a seat at the bar.
As for the food, it's pretty standard Japanese fare. There's a lot of variety in the sushi selection, but I don't consider the sushi as being traditionally excellent. Otherwise, it's a solid pick for ordinary sushi in Seattle. The udon is pretty good too.
Umi is a great place for drinks. This is the best place for saketinis in Seattle. I recommend the Mango or Lychee saketini. There's also a large selection of sake (Umi is marketed as a sake house). Otherwise, you can tap into their Japanese beer selection or fully stocked bar.
I recommend Umi if you want to entertain a large group of people looking for a standard sushi selection. It's also a great place to stop by for drinks. Be sure to make a reservation or expect a crowded restaurant. Also, if you need to go to the bathroom, it's hidden in the walls near the restaurant entrance!
Value - 7
Taste - 7
Umi has a great location in the heart of Belltown and a solid, fairly standard Japanese menu. The decor is original and trendy and the hours are late. With all these factors combined, it makes Umi a very busy place. If you plan on going for dinner, make a reservation, and if you plan on dropping in for a drink, you will have to fight for a seat at the bar.
As for the food, it's pretty standard Japanese fare. There's a lot of variety in the sushi selection, but I don't consider the sushi as being traditionally excellent. Otherwise, it's a solid pick for ordinary sushi in Seattle. The udon is pretty good too.
Umi is a great place for drinks. This is the best place for saketinis in Seattle. I recommend the Mango or Lychee saketini. There's also a large selection of sake (Umi is marketed as a sake house). Otherwise, you can tap into their Japanese beer selection or fully stocked bar.
I recommend Umi if you want to entertain a large group of people looking for a standard sushi selection. It's also a great place to stop by for drinks. Be sure to make a reservation or expect a crowded restaurant. Also, if you need to go to the bathroom, it's hidden in the walls near the restaurant entrance!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Brasa Happy Hour Review
Decor - 8
Taste - 9
Value - 9
Service - Pretty good. Didn't ask me for a drink after I sat down, even though my friend hadn't arrived yet. Plenty of seating on a Tuesday night.
2007 Torres Sangre de Toro Catalunya $4 (white wine)
Paella $8
Happy Hour 5-7pm
Brasa is probably one of the best happy hours in Belltown. It ends at a reasonable time for the working folks, and has great food. The atmosphere is dimly lit with light music. The crowd was older, but sophisticated. My favorite dish on the Happy Hour menu is the paella, but I also like the fries.
The glass of white wine was solid, esp. for $4. Very crisp and light, which went well with the paella. The happy hour paella is a mini-version of the entree, but still a decent size for dinner. Probably best to get one other side dish to be filled up. This time there was a large scallop included with the traditional rice, chicken, clams, mussels, chorizo, onions, cilantro and lemon. I like that the paella here is a little Americanized and has big chunks of meat. Comes out on a hot pan.
Also had a bite of the spanish doughnut. It was okay.
Taste - 9
Value - 9
Service - Pretty good. Didn't ask me for a drink after I sat down, even though my friend hadn't arrived yet. Plenty of seating on a Tuesday night.
2007 Torres Sangre de Toro Catalunya $4 (white wine)
Paella $8
Happy Hour 5-7pm
Brasa is probably one of the best happy hours in Belltown. It ends at a reasonable time for the working folks, and has great food. The atmosphere is dimly lit with light music. The crowd was older, but sophisticated. My favorite dish on the Happy Hour menu is the paella, but I also like the fries.
The glass of white wine was solid, esp. for $4. Very crisp and light, which went well with the paella. The happy hour paella is a mini-version of the entree, but still a decent size for dinner. Probably best to get one other side dish to be filled up. This time there was a large scallop included with the traditional rice, chicken, clams, mussels, chorizo, onions, cilantro and lemon. I like that the paella here is a little Americanized and has big chunks of meat. Comes out on a hot pan.
Also had a bite of the spanish doughnut. It was okay.
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