Redmond Bar and Grill Review

Jason here. While looking for more places to try in downtown Redmond we discovered the aptly named Redmond Bar and Grill.

Be aware that parking can be a bit hard to find depending on what hour of the day you are heading there. You can check out their website which lists some nearby lot which are open to the public after certain hours.

The first time we went with friends and it was late at night so we got a nice booth to ourselves. While it was busy, there was still no wait time. Also despite the crowd I could always hear the conversation going on at my table. In contrast, the second time we went was closer to dinner and there was more people. This time it was just Kayleigh and I, and we were placed at a small table near the bar which was not really large enough for two people ordering a full dinner. There was still no wait, so that was nice.

On both visits our waiter was kind and helped us figure out which items were gluten free. Note, that while they list items that are gluten free on their menu, they do not take into account items which go into the same deep fryer. This eliminated quite a few options off the appetizer menu.

I ordered the Redmond’s Burger and swapped the French fries with the soup of the day, clam chowder. I could tell the burger was cooked at a high temperature, with the outside a bit charcoaled, but the inside still pink. I ordered medium, so this was fine by me and it tasted fantastic. The Chef’s secrete spices tasted like a buffalo sauce mixed with the garlic mayo. I wasn’t expecting anything spicy, so it was a bit of a surprise. The sauce was heaped on the burger, so it really carried a flavor punch.

The clam chowder my favorite part of the whole meal. It was thick, but still creamy and had plenty of clams in it. The taste was like the clam chowders you get walking along a shore front, as opposed to the overly salty stuff you find in canned soups. I often ask about the soup of the day and places we go, but it’s usually not carried that day or not gluten free. Indeed when we went back, our waiter told us they do not serve soups on Sundays.

Speaking of our second visit, I also ordered a Redmond’s Burger but this time with just a small Redmond’s House salad. While all of the veggies were fresh, the salad just tasted bland. It might have to do with me picking out all the cucumbers though. It was essentially just some lettuce, carrots, and few grapes and sprinkling of feta. The first time we went, I love my burger so I was excited to dig into that. Unfortunately, this time around it was burnt to a crisp which was pretty much all I tasted. This was not helped by the fact that they went really light on the sauce, which also made the burger dry.

Redmond’s Bar and Grill is an interesting one. On one hand we had an excellent meal the first time, and I felt safe eating there with my allergy. On the other hand the second time we went was less then fantastic and there are plenty of other options nearby. I have a feeling I’d be willing to give them a shot again on a weekday where I could hopefully get that clam chowder again.

Kayleigh here. One quick thing- I appreciated the salad using feta and grapes for added flavor, instead of just piling on a strong dressing. To conclude the review, I think the server’s knowledge of food allergies and the quieter hour made a much better visit on our first try, so I would recommend that you avoid the busier mealtimes when you visit here. The food was prepared with more attention paid to details, and the atmosphere was much more conducive to talking and socializing when it was less crowded. And when you’re looking for a wholly gluten free experience, the last thing you want is rushed cooks and frazzled serving staff.

McMenamin's Six Arms Bar Review

After some searching, Kayleigh found McMenamin's Six Arms bar. It’s close to the Paramount and by extension the bus depot. Of course this means it is also close by the convention center, which is going to be super convenient if we head back to Emerald City Comic Con, or PAX this year.     

Rumor was they had simply amazing tater tots. I was also informed they had gluten free wings, although they were Hogshad-habanero sauce and not buffalo. To start us off I ordered some Cajun tater tots with ranch, and for my meal I of course ordered the wings.

To be blunt, the wings were simply not good. They tasted overcooked which made the chicken a bit tough, and the flavor cooked out. Enough said.

The tater tots however, were one of the single best appetizers I have ever had. If I could do my meal over again, I would just order 2 orders of tater tots and gorge myself on their super crunch shell, and fluffy insides. If they were shaped differently, I would consider them the perfect hash browns. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. If you even remotely like hashbrowns, tater tots, French fries, or any other potato based foot item you must absolutely try McMenamin’s tater tots. I only tried the Cajun, but next time I’ll mix it up.

Kayleigh here. I'll go ahead and second the tater tots- perfectly crispy, heavily seasoned, and addictive with that ranch dip!

I know it's a bit odd to walk into a brewpub and expect gluten free fare, but it's incredibly useful for Seattleites to have somewhere to go when out-of-towners come to visit and ask about the fabulous Pacific Northwest craft brew scene. Now that I fear for the life of my old standby, I think we'll be hitting up a few more bars in the near future- stay tuned for more reviews!

Local 360 Review

Jason here. Recently we were downtown in Seattle, showing my good friend Lee around. Well, downtown has no shortage of places to eat, but this time another friend convinced us to check out the Local 360.

The Local 360 Café and Bar caters to being local and eco-friendly, having all of its food locally sourced within 360 miles. Additionally, they even had a chalk board in the back which shows which local farmers they have ordered from recently (The one I remember was a poultry farm called The Mad Hatcher!).

We knew ahead of time that the Local 360 had gluten free labels on their main menu, which you can view online. I was excited to eat here, as their dinner menu had a few options I was interested in trying. However, we ended up getting there a bit early and only had the brunch menu. Lucky for our non-gluten free guests, their special is fried chicken and waffles, which I have been told was quite good.

For brunch gluten free items, there wasn’t much to choose from, consisting of mostly breakfast staple foods like eggs, sausage, bacon, fries, etc. I ordered the Farmers Breakfast, which came with eggs, bacon, and home fries. If you are gluten intolerant, make sure you really emphasize that you need the item gluten free as many items require substitutions. In my case, removing the biscuit which usually comes with the meal.

The meal was pretty standard as far as breakfasts go. The bacon cooked medium, so it wasn’t too crunchy or too chewy. The eggs I got over easy, and the home fries were potatoes. They all tasted fine, but the eggs tasted like eggs, the bacon like bacon, and the potatoes like potatoes. Nothing really stood out to me.

Kayleigh here. As I’m not particularly a meat and potatoes type of person, the gluten free brunch options were not hugely appealing to me, so I ordered a gluten-containing meal. Staying relevant to the blog here, the atmosphere was uniquely homey, with a strong farm-to-table vibe in the wooden furniture and water jars at every table. It was rather nice to step out of the hustle and bustle of the Pike Place Market area, considering they are only a few blocks away from the main marketplace, but due to the proximity and the smaller size of the restaurant, I would bet it gets pretty busy during the dinner hour. Try to come early!

All in all, the restaurant was okay. To be fair, locally sourced food doesn’t really mean much to me and I should have realized it was their brunch menu at the time we went. Next we go, I will be sure to stop by during dinner, when they have a more varied gluten free menu.