Bada Bistro

Truffle potato eggs nest – disgusting! Don’t bill yourself as an upscale restaurant when your really just a greasy spoon. Over priced, over hyped, and disgusting. I couldn’t even get past just one bite.

Not much in the way of real choice in this area, not if you are looking for food a few cuts above the average or dining establishments that have a bit of flare to them. But Bada Bistro was a step beyond decent; pretty good actually. Perhaps the best thing is the view of the beach, but the overall vibe is comfortable with upscale pretensions. It was empty when we got there so service was attentive. Funny, when I first sat down it felt as if it were a place that was going out of business due to not enough patrons. A few days later I heard that it was closing.

We decided to try out this new place on a nice weekend night. Since being on Alki we thought it might be packed (like Cactus) but there was only one other group there.
The atmosphere and décor is very nice. The wait staff was attentive and friendly.
We enjoyed the food, got a little carried away ordering too many small plates. We got the truffle fries, duck spring rolls, bread plate, and another dish that escapes me. I like that there is as Asian influence.
Good beer and wine selection. They had some interesting sounding drinks, although a lot of them had at least one ingredient that I had never heard of before. In those cases I seem to be disappointed in the drink, this was the case but not enough to not like the restaurant.

The rating could go up. . eventually.
I went here when it first opened and my favorite part of the meal was the bread.
The menu is pretty all over the place but tends to linger in that Pan-​Asian realm. Also the prices are a little on the high side. I can’t remembered everything that we tried but I know the Tuna Tartare definitely did not taste very fresh, it did look good though. The Duck spring rolls had a weird flavor profile that didn’t work either. Since the appetizers didn’t taste all that good, we ended the experience there. No point in paying $ 17-​$ 21 for a main course when the appetizers didn’t hold up.

Living on Alki we watched the remodel and then waited letting staff get their sea legs and the kitchen find port. The bartender (craft drinks) was ship shape before coming aboard. With the reputation of the chef we had high expectations and used the small plates and happy hour appetizers to test it out. We had mussels, calamari, Asian noodles and chicken satay. Bravo, can’t wait to go back. Would give 5 stars but the décor does not warrant a big WoW. Bravo to the chef and staff.

What’s to love about Bada bistro?
Location: right smack across of alki beach with vielws towards the sound
Drinks: I had the bada old fashion and my friend had lemon ginger martini. They both were fabulous. The bartender sure knows how to make them
Service: Our server Ryan was wonderful.
Food: We ordered small plates. not the best but not the worst. Average
Dessert: to die for
Price: Pricey but I was celebrating a friends birthday so was worth it.
Ambience: Great for intimate dinning/​date or if you want to hang out with a small group of friends

Been there 5 times already. The food is great, you can tell the chef knows what he is doing and the beach really needed something other than heated up Sysco food.
The layout and remodeled restaurant look great. The bar is the best part. The views of the beach are ok and it always feels great to be on Alki.
Why the low rating. The staff other than this bartender named Jason (who really tries and makes incredible drinks!) are just weird. They seem into themselves, never ask your name or remember your drink. The manager especially just sits at the bar and holds court to gain her staff’s favor however has a total disregard to the patrons and she doesn’t even don a professional/​welcoming smile. Their attitudes must soon take a 180 or I will again need to seek a new local hang. Hmm it may be back to Circa.

The food was good. The view was nice. Its blocked often by buses waiting though. there is a bus stop right outside. The wait staff was really good and welcoming. We got seated and served almost immediately and had a good time last evening.

I’d say this place is a hidden Asian fusion gem, only because I rarely go to Alki and when I do I usually go to Cactus or some other more well-​known establishment. I asked the waitress what she’d recommend and, of all things, she said the bada bang burger. I asked for a little pink and it was perfectly juicy and would’ve been tasty just by itself. The burger came with a small salad and the most amazingly skinny shoestring fries I’ve ever seen. Not my fave type of fries, but there was a LOT of it. I mean a LOT. Oh, and definitely try the ginger lemonade. It’s fresh-​squeezed and not too sweet. Just right.

Ate here two times. Probably not again. We had a bad server the first time and my husband’s burger did not come with the sauce it was supposed to have. The steak appetizer was dry both times I ordered it. The flavor was also lacking.
When I went the second time I did mention what happened with my husbands burger to the waitress, she brought out a sample of the sauce that was supposed to be served with the burger. The sauce was good but I expect something far more tasty for my $$.
We live close to the beach and eat out down on Alki often. There are other restaurants on Alki that have lines and long waits, there is a good reason for that.
Before the owners changed the space to the new bistro the clam chowder they served was awesome. I miss that chowder.

Welcome to the neighborhood!
We are walking distance from here and are happy to have another option of places to eat.
My husband had the burger/​shoe string fries and loved it!
I had the clams, nothing special with the broth and flavors but I had no problem chowing them down!
We will be back to try happy hour, so far so good!

Since serving brunch is new for this fairly new restaurant it wasn’t packed yet at 11am on a Sunday. We felt like we had just discovered an amazing little known about brunch menu that we hope won’t get to crazy in the future. As much as i would love to keep this to myself I decided to share this gem. I had the breakfast burger, which you may need to ask for a fork and knife to get your mouth around this delicious gooey sinful treat. Hamburger patty, pork belly, mushrooms, Gruyère cheese, and a sunny side up egg. This is a hangover must have! Ohh and the fried onion strings on top were a perfect touch. I subbed a salad instead of fries.
Husband had the open faced pork sandwich and he had the biggest smile on his face with every bite. We shared his crispy shoestring fries. Those are always my favorite type of fries bc I love my fries super crispy all the way around.
The buses that are parked outside don’t cover all of the view. We chose one of the ten or more tables that had a unobstructed view. Then the bus moved and all tables had a view. Voila!
The waitstaff was nice and accommodating with my request for subbing a salad, getting little dishes of ketchup and stone ground mustard for my husband’s fries (he’s a dipping sauce freak), then my request for a fork and knife for the burger. They didn’t make us feel like we were being needy. I noticed one of the waitresses being so patient with a child with special needs and who was a picky eater. She helped the parent find something the child would like on the menu and explained it to the child so they would understand what they would be getting. Since its not your typical pancake and waffle brunch menu I’m sure some kids might have trouble finding something that would agree with their palate. That melted my heart and we will for sure be back again to try the dinner menu.
Welcome to West Seattle!

by far the best place on alki beach. we tried the tuna togarashi and indo chicken which were both awesome. combined with the service and view, it can’t be beat!

Absolutely delicious food, awesome craft cocktails, and great service!

I live nearby in the direction of Alki Point and was excited to visit this scratch restaurant! I understand the place is new and is in the process of fine tuning and tweaking. The interior is clean could use some warmth, perhaps warmer colors for starters. We experimented with their new happy hour and ended up ordering off the main menu due to the limited fare. The duck confit rolls were hearty, the tempura green beans were by far the most delicious surprise. The Bada ramen was a disappointment, since I know ramen I should’ve known better to attempt it at a fusion restaurant. It was weak, period. The broth was tasteless, the wrong noodle, the pork (shredded pieces ugh should be sliced portioned) no kamaboku, no green onion, major disappointment esp for the price. The drinks were well portioned and the ginger martini although delicious did not measure up to freshly grated minced ginger as one would find at Buddha Ruksa or any other high end Thai restaurant. I did like the sauces including the aioli which accompanied the green beans. I will definitely return, this was a first impression, looking forward to a more comprehensive review after a dinner there.
The staff appeared attentive, I understand happy hour can be a cold experience when you’re the only two in the place…

The menu and pricing may make you think you’ve walked into a decent restaurant, but the food will convince you you’ve wandered into a third-​rate junior high school cafeteria instead, as it only occasionally rises to the level of mediocrity. The Indonesian chicken and sautéed noodle dish I was served featured tough, tasteless chicken and spaghetti in a cloying sauce, with a side of overly-​sugared green vegetables. My dining companion’s fish and chips featured soggy fish and so-​so fries, accompanied by the thinnest, most watery tartar sauce I’ve ever encountered. The steamed mussels appetizer was okay — except for the several dead mussels that never opened, and one or two that tasted well past their prime, though they did manage to summon enough strength to open in reaction to the steam. The sauce that accompanied the mussels was okay, but nothing to get excited about. Granted, all of it was edible, but some of it just.
Oddly, the only utensils offered by default were chopsticks, but none of the food itself was particularly suitable for eating with chopsticks. The fish was so overly-​steamed, it was nearly impossible to eat with either fingers or chopsticks — it just kept falling apart into smaller and smaller soggy chunks every time you tried to pick up a piece. The dry, not-​particularly-​tasty chicken was cut into big slabs. Luckily, my chopstick-​kung-​fu is pretty good, so I was able to eat it, but this food is really more suitable for knife and fork. If you’re only going to put chopsticks on the table, then prepare all the dishes in a way that is suitable for eating with chopsticks. Otherwise, keep the chopsticks if you must, but put out silverware as well. (Though addressing the mediocre food should be the first priority.)
One might think the waterfront location on Alki would at least afford diners a nice water view. Alas, there’s a bus stop right in front of the restaurant, which appears to be where most bus drivers on these routes take their breaks, so the view was blocked about 90% of the time during our meal.
There’s better food at better prices (and some with better views) to be had in West Seattle. My advice is to give this place a pass.
On the plus side, the wait staff was pleasant. But unfortunately, that’s not enough to make up for the sub-​standard food and other problems.

Great and unique addition to Alki.
Very happy this place opened up in the neighborhood. Only been once in the first week they opened but will be back frequently to explore the menu.
First impressions; great Asian fusion bistro menu, mix of small plates and more substantial fare. Flank steak was cooked perfectly, very tender and excellent taste. Accompanying truffle fries were satisfying.
Excellent wine and cocktail list, I had a glass of the Shiraz, solid, and the Zin, outstanding. Good, unconventional beer selection that needs investigating.
Great service from Chris at the bar.
Would expect to see some teething problems in any new restaurant but none were evident. Good job, looking forward to becoming a regular!

I can’t say how happy I was to stumble upon opening night of this restaurant in our neighborhood! The food was awesome… Tuna, beef carpaccio and everything else was amazing and tasty! So much so that out out of town guests ate here twice to try more of the food. This place is amazing… so so good! The service was wonderful too… YUM!

My lady and I made our first trip to the Bada Bistro a few nights ago and the reason I am only giving it three stars is because of the Front Of House staff.
First, the man who acted as host (he was a server, but not ours) and sat us was unwelcoming and short. Okay, lame but no big deal.
Once sat, I ordered a Delirium Nocturnum (a dark Belgian strong ale) to go with my duck and pork dishes. Not only was it the wrong beer — contrary to their menu, they were serving Delirium Tremens — but the bar tender served it in a skinny water glass! The proper glassware for such a beer (either of the Deliriums) is a tulip. This is something I wouldn’t have guessed the establishment could overlook given the accolades of the chef that they have posted on the front door.
Our server was very pleasant but when pressed to describe some of the dishes or elements of dishes he was at a loss. He either hadn’t tried them, or simply did not know the answers to our questions (i.e.: «what is this seemingly ubiquitous ingredient in your soups?»).
The food was fantastic! It is the sole reason that I am willing to try this restaurant again and I believe it will be Bada Bistro’s saving grace until they cut the fat of the FOH staff and find some real talent.

3 stars for customer service.
The price of the food wasn’t worth it.
They need to kick it up a notch with the flavor.