Steelhead Diner

The truth!!! What I ate…
1. The cioppino is an amazing seafood stew complete with EVERYTHING from the ocean. OMG!
2. The Fish and Chips — well I didn’t have the chips cuz I got a half order and I’ve NEVER tasted Cod so good!
3. Fried Chicken. FRIED CHICKEN at a seafood house??? Well the waitress told me the owner is from NOLA and that it is a must try, so I did. Wow!!!
4. Tater Tots. GET THE PUCK OUTTA HERE! Crazy good. Unbelievable!!!

Food is amazing! Sit at the bar facing the kitchen. The chefs are super nice and made some amazing food!

Decided to eat here on a nice day at Pike Place for the windows and quietness. Only giving it 3 stars because the food was good, nothing special but enjoyable. The service was disappointing. So bad that it made the experience awful. This was my second time here and most definitely my last. The host took forever to greet us which she didn’t even. She needs to be fired. The service is slow. I’m pretty sure they don’t care about good service nowadays since they automatically charge the tip to your bill.

The gumbo here is amazing!
A friend and I went, friendly service, and in the heart of Seattle

Obligatory 20% service fee with little «service» ensures that we won’t be back, despite coming here for years.
Our party of 2 arrived for a time after the lunch rush (2 pm, Sunday afternoon), which was my aim. The restaurant looked ²⁄₃ full. Though the hostess saw that one of us was a kid, no kids menu was offered. I had to ask three times (twice to our server) for a kids menu. Ordered a chowder, the king salmon (which was delicious but plated on an incredibly greasy brown butter sauce), and a kid’s fisherman’s fry. Our drinks were served in kid’s sized glasses. Tiny.
Our chowder came out not before our main meals, but with our meals (not what I anticipated). We had to ask for silverware since they set the table without. Waited at least 5 minutes for a fork because they said that there were none to be found. Bread plates were there but again we had to ask for bread. This was the theme, having to ask for refills our our drinks (iced tea, lemonade). Gradually the server caught up with water refills without our having to ask.
Perhaps because it was nearing 3 pm and the end of her shift, the server left our check while we were still eating. We went to use the restroom (children’s bathroom needs can be unpredictable!) before I had settled the bill. I left several personal items on the table while in the restroom. As we were washing our hands, the server *came in* to check on us! The look on her face.. . priceless. A cross between somewhat guilty and relieved that we hadn’t skipped out on a $ 60+ meal and obligatory 20% service charge.
Once back at the table, all of dishes and glasses were cleared away, minus our personal belongings. Maybe I should have left a note — «Not skipping out on the bill! Not comfortable leaving my credit card on the table while I’m in the bathroom! Please leave our tiny but full glasses of drinks!»
Needless to say, we won’t be back to entertain out-​of-​town guests or family get-​togethers as we have had in the past. So many other restaurants in the downtown core are more worthy.

Impressive spot in a prime location. We had a group of 30+ with our reservation made ~1 week in advance and the menu determined ahead of time. The curtained off back room accommodated all of us, but I think that 24 people would be about the right fit (3 of their 8-​person tables). With 30+, it was cozy but still doable. Good job to the waitstaff for getting all the meals out quickly and nearly simultaneously for such a big group.
The food (Brutus salad to start; choice of king salmon, flank steak, or vegetarian dish; and then cake for dessert) exceeded expectations. All 3 courses were great, especially the salad, which could easily be turned into an entrée in itself or would make a good lunch. The flank steak, not one of may favorites cuts on one of the rare days I eat red meat, was both well-​prepared and plated with couscous and potatoes. (Salmon was not Copper River, even during peak season, probably to keep the cost of the dinner reasonable. Had it been, that would have been the clear choice.)
The Snake in the Grass drink (gin with cilantro) was fine, if expensive. It tasted like a more margarita without the sweetness, but h/​t for trying new things and seeing how they fare with customers. I’d explore elsewhere on the menu next time.
The décor is a bit dated and not in a «grandparents would like this» way. A Big deal? No, but seems like a few dollars could be thrown in that direction.
Recommend and will come again.

Totally recommend!
We were overlooked for a short while and were getting frustrated. Just when we were about to say something — our waitress (Sarah) approached very apologetically and comped us clam chowder (DE-​LI-​cious, btw). Then, the hostess came by along with another waiter and very apologetically took ½ the cost of the dinner and told us she called the boss. Furthermore, 2 more approached and helped set the friendly mood and delicious food! We felt like royalty. Total redemption! Sarah, you ROCK!

I went in on a whim for a weekday lunch and sat at the bar. The door was open and a couple flies came buzzing in, not into that.
I had a pasta dish with delicious creamy cheese and spinach, with mushrooms, and I ate every bit of it. It was heavy food, but that’s what I was in the mood for that day.
Service was fine, nothing particularly stood out.
I’d go back for a special dish or another business lunch.

Talk about a huge disappointment. We had been here twice before 4 years ago and had an awesome experience. This time it was horrid. Bad service, meh food, and an overall lack of attention.
When you need to ask for silverware and the waitress rolls her eyes, that should have clued us in and we should have left. Instead my wife got luke warm clam chowder, as did I. Except I asked for gumbo. When I finally got it, it was 75% white rice and a little bit of soup.
My wife’s salad was OK, according to her, but my BBQ sandwich was served on a rock hard roll along with barely warm fries.
For these prices I expect MUCH better.

We got the Baby Field Green & Navel Orange Salad with Salmon and the Steelhead Diner House Salad with Blackened Rockfish. The Salmon was amazing! It had a perfect blend of meat and fat, and paired with the seasoning it was delicious. The Steelhead Diner salad with Blackened Rockfish was great. It was similar to a Cobb Salad with Rockfish. The staff was very nice, and it has a great view!

Great service. I came back for an Elysian Superfuzz and shared an appetizer with my wife. The appetizer was the crispy chicken spring rolls. These were good. Crispy chicken wrapped in rice paper, papaya salad with whirred ginger vinaigrette.

We came to this restaurant on the recommendation of our guide, Patrick, from the Savor Seattle Food Tours at Pike Public Market and we very happy we did. It is a little on the pricier side, but a fun and lively atmosphere. The servers were professional, friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable about the menu.
For appetizers, we shared the tater tots and prosciutto. The tater tots came stuffed with shrimp and crab and a fabulous dipping sauce. Two of us had the grilled Alaskan Troll King Salmon, cooked med rare, moist, seasoned perfectly, and served on creamy polenta; we both agreed it was exceptional. My wife ordered the halibut and was happy with her choice as well. For dessert, we had crème brûlée and the chocolate brownie both of which were wonderful.
Make sure you look at the bill carefully because they have already added a 20% gratuity.

What a wonderful and delightful restaurant. Such amazing food and drinks. Just amazing, fun all around great!
Ask for Tai, funny and adorable and very knowledgeable about the food.
Fresh fresh fish and veggies.

The owner told us to try the gumbo. She told us she married her husband for it. I lived a couple of years in Louisiana, so I know what proper gumbo tastes like. Before I tell you the verdict, I need to explain that there are generally two types of gumbo: the fancy kind, and what normal people eat. Steelhead serves the fancy kind, and for that it was very, very good. Bonus: it has okra in it. That said, I prefer what I think of as the poor folks gumbo which you can find a superb version over at The Quarters in Kent.
While we were at Steelhead, they had multiple very large groups, and this caused the quality of the service to suffer pretty badly. I think had there not been 2 or 3 HUGE groups of people our service would have been fantastic. This is why Steelhead is getting 4 stars instead of 5. We’ll be back before long to see if we get better service.
We both had the cod soaked in miso, and it was delicious. Surprisingly, Steelhead has AWESOME bread. Really, really good.
All of Steelhead’s wines are from Washington, and the red blend that I chose was fantastic. If you can, find a 2012 vintage as those were excellent in WA.
I definitely want to go again, and I think if we can get a table at the window, overlooking the market we’ll be super happy!

This is a strong 3-​and-​a-​half-​star place, but doesn’t make the cut to 4* because of the expensive cost. I’d gone here after a really long time with some coworkers for lunch.
Turned out it was Restaurant week, but only some of us got the specials, since they weren’t great.
Décor: 4* — The restaurant is decorated in a very PNW style, half modern, half industrial. It is pretty small compared to how it looks from the outside. It is well decorated and has high ceilings and feels airy. The ambiance is more touristy than classy. This makes sense since it’s right by pike place.
The restaurant is sort of an L shaped area, with the bar lining one wall as your enter, and tables and booths along the other side. The bar and a few tables are strategically placed, so you can see the water from there.
They also have an outdoor patio seating option. It was too warm so we opted to sit in, but it’s a nice place and you can see the water if you’re standing up.
Service: 3* — The service was pretty okay, but by no means great. The restaurant was only half occupied, but the service still seemed slow, maybe they were understaffed. Our server was very professional, but did not feel very friendly.
They also add a 20% service charge to the bill instead of tip, which seemed a little steep for the quality of service we received.
Food: 3.5* — There were mixed opinions in our group about the food. I got a primavera pasta and celery soup from the restaurant week menu. The soup was creamy and pretty good. However, the pasta was very lackluster and did not have a lot of flavor, which disappointed me. I also tried a bit of their chili, which was decent, but nothing special.
My coworkers who got burgers or sandwiches really enjoyed their food.
Value: 3* — The place is on the expensive side, with entrees ranging around $ 15 to $ 25 for the general fare, with $ 40+ for signature dishes. This would be fine if the service and food were actually really good, but I didn’t find that. I feel that this overpriced due to the proximity to the tourist zone.
Overall, the place is decent, but overpriced. It’s good for tourists and has a cool vibe, but locals would not be awed by it.
If you’re intrigued, I’d recommending checking it out once, but keep your expectations not too high. Could be fun for a weekend brunch.

Came here for lunch a couple of Mondays ago (3÷28÷2016) with my sister and bro-​in-​law for Dine Around Seattle. My sister and I both had the day off, and BIL’s office is a short walk away. For first course, I got the Dungeness Crab & Artichoke Fritters & sis got the Roasted Carrot Vichissoise. Both were delicious. For main, I got the Pan-​roasted Idaho Rainbow Trout Filet and sis the Fettuccini Primavera. Also both tasty. Desserts were equally good– mine was the Theo Chocolate Pecan Pie sis the kiwi-​lime sorbet. A couple of glasses of wine (a sparkly rose and a crisp chardonnay) to round out my first two courses, and all was well!
I would definitely return, perhaps for a dinner. Ambiance is quite nice– Northwest casual in a space overlooking Pike Place Market.

Good place, small unique and doing it right.
Sushi is fresh, well prepared and not crazy pricing.
It is difficult to find look for the Starbucks on Stewart and 6^th.
Worth the visit!

The good:
— Delicious, inventive food
— Friendly staff
The bad:
— Seems a little understaffed
On our last night in Seattle, the wife and I decided to grab dinner at Steelhead Diner. It was still Restaurant Week 2015, so we decided to just chance it and walk in. All the seats were filled, but we were offered to sit at the Chef’s counter, which we gladly accepted. Soon after being seated, our server greeted us and talked to us about the menu.
The wife and I opted for the Restaurant Week menu, which was 3 courses for $ 30. After we placed our orders, we were provided a bread basket with some awesome butter in a pool of pesto and olive oil. Soon after that, we were offered a complimentary La Quercia Prosciutto & Shaved Pecorino Toscano by the chef. Not sure why, perhaps it’s because we sat at the Chef’s counter? Either way, I’m not complaining! It was delicious. As the name suggests, this dish was prosciutto and pecorino, which was served with Black Mission Figs, baby arugula, toasted walnuts, and Tuscan olive oil, which normally goes for about $ 12.
For her starter, the wife ordered the healthy option, the Red Oak Lettuce Salad with Shaved Fennel, Shallots, Toasted Pecans and Lemon Vinaigrette. It was a fine salad for sure, but nothing compared to my amazing starter… Crispy Pork Belly with Apple Sauce, Crispy Sage, Whole Grain Mustard, and a Honey Drizzle. This was an amazing dish that was crunchy on the outside, melty + meaty on the inside, briny, salty, sweet. I totally won the best decision showdown .
For my entrée, I ended up choosing the Coriander Crusted Coho Salmon with Cauliflower Purée, Watercress and Red Grape Salad. I had high hopes for this one, but it was a bit of a miss… It was a bit bland and the flavors didn’t really meld well… Nothing compared to what the wife ordered.
For her entrée, the wife settled on the Homemade Potato Gnocchi with Delicata Squash, Roasted Ricotta Salata, Crispy Sage, Toasted Walnuts and Brown Butter. The wife’s dish was rich for sure, but it was incredibly flavorful. For the entrée round, the win for best selection went to her making the score an even ¹⁄₁!
By this point we were pretty full, but we still had our desserts to order. For her’s, the wife ordered the Butterscotch Crème Brûlée with Cocoa Nib Tuile, while I ordered Apple Spice Cake with Streusel, Cinnamon Anglaise & Nutmeg Ice Cream. So who’s dessert won and ultimately the entire dinner selection showdown? The wife’s crème brûlée!
So would we return to the Steelhead Diner? Yes. I’d like to try their standard menu some day, as there were some interesting options on it. Yes the items we ordered were a bit hit or miss, but what was good was really good!

Place is above average would give solid three stars adding service and the value will bump it to four stars ;)
Service was prompt, no wait, decent fairly priced food.
Would go back.

This is the first (of many) reviews I will do on restaurants in Seattle. Primarily because, well, this is the first place that my boyfriend and I ate at.
Pike Place Market was the first place we visited, and we wanted to be typical tourists and eat here. We didn’t want something too heavy because of dinner reservations a few hours later, but nothing was that appealing (in that moment), so we decided to eat here. At first, I was kind of hesitant because of limited food options and a higher price point than I wanted, but we walked around the market to find food for 45 minutes and decided to settle.
The location is pretty, which is why the food is a little pricey, I’m sure. It’s a nicely modeled restaurant with a view of Pike Place and the water. The food is just okay, though. I think the Grass Fed Burger was better than the Margarita Sandwich. The chicken in the sandwich seemed a little dry, or undercooked, with not much taste. My favorite part of the meal were the fries and the Jones cola – pretty classic. Our server was lagging a little, as well. I felt like we had to ask him for obvious things, such as: refills and a bag for our leftovers. I didn’t want to walk around holding two boxes of food.

Das steelhead diner ist mir schon vor einiger Zeit wegen des kühl modernen Designs und der großen Bar an den Fenstern zur Straße aufgefallen. Mein Weg führte mich aber immer wieder daran vorbei, zumal es ja mit dem Café Campagne, dem Le Pichet oder Elliott’s genug gute Alternativen in der Gegend um den Pikes Place Market gibt.
Ich möchte offen dazusagen, dass mich die Bar des steelhead mich eher abgeschreckt hat: Eine solch prominent inszenierte Bar erzählt doch sonst, dass es entweder eine Bar/​Lounge mit kleiner Küche — oder ein Highend Restaurant ist.
Aber nein, es ist im Grunde ein ganz normales Restaurant. Schon nachmittags war ich dort und fragte, ob ich für abends für einen Platz an der Bar zum essen eine Reservierung bäuchte. Nein, wurde mir weitergeholfen, unter der Woche am frühen abend sollte ohne weiteres etwas zu bekommen sein — es sei denn, ich würde einen Tisch haben wollen, den sollte ich besser reservieren.
Als ich abends hereinkam, erkannte mich der Herr, der mir schon Auskunft gegeben hatte, gleich wieder — es war der Barkeeper.
Ein Blick auf die Karte zeigt schnell, dass die Einstufung als reines Fisch&Meeresfrüchte Restaurant im Grunde falsch ist: Natürlich gibt es hier jede Menge Fisch aber eben nicht nur. Das soll mich aber nicht davon abhalten, «fisch-​orientiert» zu essen.
Meine Auswahl: 6 Austern (es gibt drei Sorten, also nehme ich je zwei) und anschließend die «Alaska Razor Clam Chowder», dazu ein leichtes Bier vom Fass. Fangen wir beim Bier an: Microbrewerie! Och nö! Wie von mir schon an anderer Stelle geschrieben: Ich bin kein Freund der amerikanischen Microbreweries, da das meist geschmacklich überhaupt nicht so mein Fall ist. Da sind mir die amerikanischen Mainstream-​Lightbiere deutlich lieber, die es aus der Flasche gegeben hätte, wie ich nachher erfuhr.
Aber die Austern: Ein Traum! Selten habe ich so großartige Austern gegessen. Meiner Meinung nach auch deutlich besser als die bei Elliott’s, auch wenn es eben nur drei Sorten sind und nicht unzählige.
Die Alaska Razor Clam Chowder hingegen war ein deutlicher Kontrast. Mit dem ersten Löffel habe ich verstanden, wofür das «razor» im Namen steht: Die Suppe war richtig scharf! Tja, und wenn die Schärfe überhand nimmt, ist der Rest der Zutaten nur noch als Unterschied in der Konsistenz wahrnehmbar. In meinen Augen: Schade, da hatte ich mir mehr versprochen. Vielleicht mag es aber für den ausgebufften Clam Chowder Freund eine interessante Abwechslung sein.
Nachtisch? Hm, da mir die Nachtische auf der Karte eh etwas zu massiv waren gab es nur eine Option: Nochmal 6 Austern! :D
Die Preise waren allesamt o.k.: Die Austern kosten bis 2,50 USD, Vorspeisen allgemein um 6 – 12 USD, Hauptgerichte 16 – 27 USD.
Die Bewertung ist nicht einfach: Das Bier ist eine sehr persönliche Geschmackssache, die Austern herausragend, die Suppe eher naja, der Service freundlich, aufmerksam und gut. Ich gebe vier Sterne — inkl. eines Vorschusssterns für die nicht probierten Hauptgerichte, die aber alle recht gut aussahen!