Dot’s Charcuterie and Bistrot

Dot’s was one of my favorite food places in the world… hands down. The fresh meats were world-​class and the steak sandwich was an emotional experience. I cannot believe this place closed. I am literally overwhelmed with sadness…

Oops, this was a review i forgot to post over a year ago… I guess it has closed since then?!
I’ve got to go back and try some more of their offerings to see if the rest of the food is as decadent, gloriously indulgent, and over-​the-​top as their poutine. First impressions ARE important and I want some more!

Absolutely heartbreaking to see this place close. This was a neighborhood favorite. Loved stopping by for the highest quality sandwiches or sausages for the grill. Since seeing the sign, I have heaviness in my heart. Thanks to Miles and Robin for your thoughtful, special and always tasty DOTS.
I will remember the spicy pork sandwich!

Sammy & charcuterie heaven!
I was happy when I discovers Dot’s deli few years ago. Overjoyed when they turned it into a charcuterie & bistro. Simple sandwiches situ exploding flavors? And stunning cured meat and salads? Sign me up!
Love–
** Reuben — a good simple tasty, crunchy, salty Sammy.
**Merguez — spicy lamb and pork sausage Sammy!
**Escargot — pesto escargot! Oh so good!
Cote de beouf– 32 oz ribeye for 2! That’s like half a cow.
**Half roasted chicken– I love me a good simple roasted chicken but to find a rather delicious one is hard. This one was pretty good and left a smile on my face! Mainly because it was tasty but also because it came with gnocchi! Yummmm!
**Steak tartare salad — I’m a kid that hates veggies. I get full fast with a few bites so salads are never my thing. But this one though, this one i really like.
They also have interesting cocktails and tasty dry sodas! If food alone isn’t enough, you can come for the atmosphere. I love that minimalist, clean, crisp bistros. It’s almost upscale but not quite. Cute enough for a date, comfortable enough for business meetings and casual enough for lazy lunches. Bright windows make you feel like you’re somewhere far more exotic. One can sip a champagne or espresso and people watch the evening away. After all, who doesn’t love a cute little spot with really good food! So sad that they have closed their doors for good this past weekend. I will miss this place sorely! :/

Despite being a slightly upscale (ish) place, they were very accommodating of our two kids (3 and 5). Food was tasty and interesting. The charcuterie platter had a good mix of meaty things beyond your standard salami-​like objects (which are plenty fine), but variety is nice. Steak tartare was good, too. Between the two adults and two children, we split the cote de boeuf, which also turned out to be dinner the next evening as well as 32 oz. of cow is a lot. Very flavorful and cooked to order. Sides were also quite good. Some interesting cocktail options (was curious and tried the celery one… it didn’t taste that celery-​ish to me, so the waitress came back and increased the celery dose). Food was tasty, service was good. Clean, simple restaurant.
They didn’t seem too busy for a Saturday night, so for their sake (and my future stomach’s sake) I hope it was just a slow weekend (Mother’s Day… mom doesn’t want a gigantic ribeye?).

Went to Dot’s last night for dinner with the GF. Things started off on the right foot, the brussel sprouts with bacon where good, or so the GF said. I opted to wait for the Steak Frites which materialized after what seemed like an eternity.
The steak was the least tender and pleasant chunk of cow I have had in recent memory. Eating it was real work, so much so that I left half of it behind. The fries were ok; heavily salted. The fries also seemed marginally burned so despite being the high point of the meal they weren’t very good either.
I have to say that despite the good reviews Dot’s didn’t pan out for me. My advice, if you can’t provide an edible, much less a delicious cut of meat you ought raise prices so you can. As it stands that steak goes down as being remarkably bad.

Frites are amazing! Truly deep fried twice. Cripsy outside and for fatter fries, you get a tasty meaty inside. We got the poutine, I was rather doubtful since they only added the cheese curd at the end. But surprisingly, it was even better than ones I had in Toronto. The cheese curds were slightly melted from the heat of the frites and gravy. The gravy was not overwhelming so the frites remained crispy. PERFECT.
I love the atmosphere here. for lunch, you seat yourself and make your order up at the register. There is wait service for water, and food is brought to you as well. Small cozy cute little bistro. Feels very European!
We also got the sausage platter. Polish sausage, spicy italian sausage and brat. The brat is AMAZING. very flavorful, just done perfectly right. All the sausage has a nice grilled outside, but sadly, the polish sausage and spicy italian sausage were comparatively lacking in flavor.
I would be back definitely visit again. The sandwiches look tempting!

Great meet and awesome menu.
Come enjoy this hidden gem (i hate that phrase but it really is).

Masterwizard Miles and his genius staff make this the best bistrot in the Pacific NW.
If not the West Coast. His pork skills are incalculable as is his beef.
I will not ramble on anymore. Dot’s does it better than anyone.

*Try the steak sandwich, Porchetta, the Cassoulet, or anything from the case!”
I’ve been coming to Dot’s since I moved into the neighborhood over 2 years ago. It is without a doubt my favorite place in Fremont. I have been privileged to see this place evolve from a humble deli to the gorgeous new full service restaurant.
The new layout is all about maximizing seating space. They have added a new counter space that lets you watch the chef’s work. Gone is the bar against the wall and the fridges. Replaced by more seating options. Including two cute new tables in the windows! I was extremely relieved to see that they managed to save one of the Deli cases.
The service here is now counter service at lunch and full service at dinner. They are still getting used to their new schedule and the new challenges that accompany a larger place. So there will be some kinks to work out. The owner Miles has always been ridiculously helpful and never hesitated to take time to give me advice with my own culinary endeavors.
The food here has always been fabulous. At lunch I’m a fan of the steak sandwich, the spicy pork, and the porchetta. The BLT hits the spot but I don’t like paying for one, when I can do the same thing with their bacon at home. Their french onion soup is fantastic, it tends toward the sweet side but for some reason I don’t mind. Their Cassoulet is the best I’ve had in Seattle. Huge chunks of duck confit and a large portion of Toulouse sausage both made in house! It’s always served warm and bubbly daring me to burn my mouth.
Stop in and try this place out. Grab some sausages for your next party!

Horry morry!
We came up to Seattle for a weekend and our friends took us to their new favorite that they knew would be a match made in heaven for us. Dot’s Delicatessen, you did not disappoint.
Excellent service: The two owners are one of the nicest people and clearly have put a lot of thoughts in to their business. Not to mention the generous portions of samples they let us indulge in. I wanted to order a charcuterie plate but since they don’t serve it during lunch, Miles just gave us a bunch to taste instead. Pâté was to die for. Yes, to die for.
Charcuterie program — What can I say that everyone else has not said about their food — it’s the real deal! Not trying to start a war or anything, but It’s clear to me that there is much more to this street block than Paeso’s. Among the four of us we shared a BLT, roast beef, Ruben and porchetta, potato salad, and coleslaw.
BLT — Gloriously thick cut, house smoked bacon paired with perfectly ripe heirloom tomato, its pretty much the only type of tomato that will compliment the superior bacon. Truly a summer delight.
Beautifully cut roast beef sandwich on a herbed baguette, dripping with au jus and perfect amount of creamy horseradish aioli. The meat packed flavor, it was beefy! Worthy of the daily special.
Reuben is one of my absolute favorite and a standard measuring stick for me as far as sandwich joints go. I make my own corned beef at home so I am not the most easiest to please either. Dot’s Reuben has nice balance with a big helping of corned beef, a bit of cheese, and heaps of sauerkraut, all toasted warm with the nutty cheese melty and the dressing oozing out as we took bites out of this master piece.
Porchetta — Granted I am no porchetta expert, this might be one of the best I have had! Moist, tender meat, juicy fat, and crispy, crackling skin. The saltiness was just perfect and flavor of herbs and aioli oozing out of the crusty delicious bread was a perfect compliment to the piggy flavor explosion in my mouth. This sandwich is out of control, really. I am converted and will be seeking one, where ever I go.
It’s true I am giving a 5 star review on a place that I have only been to once. I am torn, because one half of me knows I have no self control and it’s probably good that I live out of state. The other half is depressed that it will be an entire year till I get to revisit the glorious addition to Seattle’s Best list, the Dot’s Delicatessen.

Finally tried Dot’s after all the positive reviews from my Unilocal friends! Stopped in for lunch while taking a break from moving. We got the butternut squash soup (YUM), and the steak sandwich. The sandwich was simple, but delicious, although a little bit on the salty side. The bread was the perfect combo of crispness to softness. The food was fresh and fast and the prices were doable. I am excited to go back and try some more dishes at Dot’s!

An absolute gem. Came here per the recommendation of a coworker and was surprised I hadn’t heard of it sooner.
Charcuterie platter — By all means, be sure to order this. My first experience with head cheese has made me crave it from now on.
French onion soup — Rivals Café Presse’s.
Porchetta and Spicy Pork sandwiches — I enjoed the spicy pork a bit more than the porchetta, but they’re both delicious in their own ways.
Reuben — No idea, as it was sold out — supposedly their best item, so no surprises there.
I can’t wait to come back to try both the Reuben and the burger. Be mindful that when visiting for dinner seating can be tricky due to limited space.

I went on Sunday and had their special sandwich, «Hot Bronson» and I kid you not – it was honestly the best sandwich I’ve had in years.
I’ve been eating sandwiches since I was just a boy. This sandwich with its fresh ingredients brought me back to snacking on my grandpapa’s knee. It’s amazing that food can have such an effect on the psyche.
Thank you so much for this sandwich. I will definitely be back.

I had a half sandwich at Michou based on its Unilocal rating: no comment. I was still hungry and drove over to Dot’s based on a recommendation from my chef friend in Boston. It was awesome! The delicatessen has a beautiful counter with quality meats on display, and a killer signature piece of taxidermy. I called in my order for encased meat and it was ready when I arrived. The sausage had snap, chew, and was filled with richly marbled beef: one of the best bites I had in the Northwest.
I would definitely come back for a full meal. On a side note, I was under the mistaken impression that pot tourism was in effect in Washington state following last year’s vote: it turns out that December 2013 would be the earliest implementation of any kind of legal, regulated sales. I was disappointed, as that was one of the reasons for the trip, but still really happy and proud that Washington state is taking that step forward for the whole country. Thankfully they do have a stopgap system in place for out-​of-​towners and residents without a MMJ card called craigslist.

Wow!!! wow!!! wow!!! What an amazing deli place! I finally got a chance to stop by!!! The reason I waited so long is because Paseo is right across the street.
My friend and I ordered the steam clams, fries, and porchetta sandwich. The clams and fries were to die for! I really enjoyed the clams because the size of the clams were big and the broth was unique (a onion/​garlic/​sausage broth).
The porchetta sandwich was a little bit disappointing because the cole slaw favor overpowered the rest of the sandwich. =[
Overall, a very good experience and would come back! The service was great! We sat at the back of the restaurant and got the opportunity to watch how Dot’s makes their sausages.

Outstanding deli — beautiful charcuterie window. Very well-​made reuben, quality corned beef, good rye and sauerkraut, not overly dressed and not greasy at all. Friendly, courteous staff. Look forward to returning to try the spicy pork. Coworker loves the sweetbread and mourns the removal of Dot’s sardines dish (former menu item).
⁵⁄₂₁: Newly launched dinner service announced today :)

Do many/​any of you like beef tartare? I sometimes wonder if people do. It seems like I often order it when I’m dining with vegetarians or people who like their meat well-​done. In any case… I love good beef tartare and am picky about where I order it, and I’m very very very happy that a friend told me to try the one at Dot’s.
I hear their beef tartare is cheaper during happy hour, but… I’ve never been able to catch their happy hour. I’m pretty sure it changed recently because my most recent was during «happy hour,» but I saw no mention of it anywhere in the store and I was charged full price. I was a little sad.
Anyway… I’ve ordered their beef tartare twice now, and it was delicious each time. The old side options were fries and bread, and I chose bread. I’m just not sure if I’d enjoy eating beef tartare with fries. The serving of beef was kind of big, however, so the one downside is that I ran out of bread before I ran out of beef. When I visited a week or two ago, I noticed that a side of salad is now an option. I was very happy to see that and really enjoyed their salad.
I ordered the steak frites on my second visit and the plate was fine, but… not really my style. The steak seemed to be over-​cooked (important to note that I order my steak «rare» when asked) and looked small. The huge serving of fries made me want to take a nap after dinner. I’m sure plenty of people love the steak frites at Dot’s and I’m just that weirdo who likes rare steak and salad or tiny serving of fries… so… others may think their steak frites are great, but… it’s hard for me to say that because I didn’t enjoy dinner that day.
To drink, I like getting a glass of Fremont’s Wandering Wheat or a bottle of DRY Soda. The one kind of annoying thing is that you have to pay for everything right after you order and before you get your food, so you’ll have to run your card again if you decide to get another beverage or order something else. (Didn’t spot the bottles of DRY until after I paid the first time I visited, so I didn’t get any drinks that time…)
My wish list includes the charcuterie platter, cheese plate, and grilled sardines. Not sure if I’ll ever get to them, though… that tartare is very tasty!

1. Dot’s is out-​of-​control delicious.
2. The people are cool
3. The space is rad
I came here once upon a time on my quest to find the best Reuben in Seattle, and I think I found it. I now take my parents out to lunch here a couple times a month (we are all big sandwich fans) and we always have the best time.
The Reuben is so, so good. The pastrami meat is incredibly flavorful. I mean, how is that meat SO GOOD?! Seriously. We will never go to Dot’s and not get the Reuben, but that’s just the beginning. We’ve had the Porchetta, the Steak Sandwich, the Foot Long Frank, the Brat, the Spicy Italian, soups, some specials here and there; all have delighted us with every bite. Naturally, this delicatessen pumps out some amazing meats, but their breads and fixings pull each unique sandwich and sausage together just right.
The guys and gals working the joint are fun to chat with and are really helpful. I love how every time we come in, they encourage us to try something new, and every time we thank them for doing so!
Tips: Check out the cool shirts they have for sale. I got a «Seattle Supersausage» shirt, and it’s one of my favs. They also sell my friend’s locally made BBQ sauce — Dock Street. Pick some up on your way out. You won’t be disappointed!
One complaint: not open on Sunday. It’s hard to find a great sandwich in Seattle on Sunday!

Now that was one fine hot dog.
It’s almost embarassing to call it a hot dog. I mean, that item was on a whole other level than the lowly thing that slides out of a plastic wrap and gets boiled.
It’d be like calling some 50 year old fine champagne ‘some wine’
The place is small, and because the menu is also super limited, it’s totally on me, I was unprepared. The website does little to explain the options as well, but in short, there’s about 5 menu items available for lunch. All of them looked amazing but that’s not what I was expecting.
If I go back knowing what’s up, I think I’d upgrade this to 5 stars.
They had some fine looking items in that case so for a deli, that’s again with the ‘not even in that realm’ SO much better than that.
Now, again, my food was really REALLY good– those fries are fresh and delicious. I watched them being hand cut actually.
But as aforementioned, they were out of the one sandwich on special, offering two others or the hot dog or soup for lunch.
So, go for the deli, stay for a bite of food, 5 stars. Go for lunch not knowing the limited menu and have them out of the star of the day? Sadly only 3.
They seemed to have some mid-​day happy hour (3 – 7) where steak frites could be had for some ridiculously low price. If I had wandered in then, again with the 5 stars most likely. And don’t think I won’t, because I soooo will.
Loved the service, love the atmosphere, just wanted more lunch options for my lunch date.