Working in Bellevue, and looking around to see what's near for lunch.. Â Spotted! the Keg! Right below my office! But wait...pay $20 for an overpriced, mediocre quality steak at the Keg? Tricks are for kids, you silly rabbit! I'm heading over to downtown Bellevue to check out John Howie's Lunch special for some quality grub a dub dub at the same, if not cheaper price than the Keg!
I couldn't decide on a few lunch items.. thankfully I'm very convincing to some. Â I decided to opt for choice 1) Juicy Lucy Burger- 60% ground chuck, 40% kurobata bacon stuffed with 2 cheese, fixins' all on a nice buttery brioche bun! After some negotiation, I convinced a colleague to get my option 2) Duck Confit BLT... no explanation necessary!
Each of these sandwiches were $15 and $16 bucks... why would anyone NOT try John Howie, especially at lunch?! The time is now people!! Run, go, grab your wallets (or your boyfriend's) and eat something tasty from JH today!
My wife took me to John Howie for my birthday and from beginning to end they made it a special night. Â Top notch service, perfectly prepared food, a lovely wine flight and a complimentary dessert of our choice (bananas foster prepared tableside, natch). Â I'll include my "who wears baseball caps indoors" rant but that is not the restaurant's fault. Â Well, I guess they COULD insist patrons take them off but....
Review Source:Rejoice fellow apex predators! The very best steakhouse in the metro Seattle area. Period. I've been to them all and Chef Howie's venue tops the list. Yes, there are better places in Texas and Alberta but, not by much. I do have to wonder about reviewers who go to a steakhouse and order vegetarian .. WTF?
Keep it simple, steak and potatoes. The sides are good, but not great (creamed spinach is a heart-attack) so, I'd suggest adding an appetizer instead of a second side.
Tempura bacon.
Wilted spinach salad.
Filet with either Oscar or French onion style.
Potato pancakes with caviar.
Bananas Foster.
Desserts are a bit hit and miss. The Boston cream pie is elegantly presented but, the substance doesn't quite match the style. However, the Bananas Foster rival anything I've had in New Orleans, including Commander's Palace.
The thing I love about happy hour is the fact I can try a new restaurant out for the fraction of the price of a normal dinner. Â Happy hour gives me a good idea of they type of service to expect and whether or not the food is worth paying full price for. Â After visiting John Howie's Happy Hour this past Saturday, I hands down would not hesitate to return!
Our experience was pretty amazing. The food was so delicious, we tried four different things, and I loved them all equally. Â I typically don't do late night happy hour, but we went out with another couple and didn't arrive til 9 pm. It ended up being perfect though as there was an open table and we sat down right away. Â Our waitress was excellent and our drinks were brought out fast. Â I am not consuming alcohol due to being pregnant and was extremely pleased with the large selection of non-alcoholic choices they had. Â This is something I've come to appreciate at restaurants lately, and John Howie had the best selection I've seen thus far.
The menu items we settled on were the chicken liver mousse, prime tenderloin bites, fried gnocchi, and fried brussel sprouts. Â All were equally delicious, which is usually not the case when I try 4 different things. Â The brussel sprouts were perfectly seasoned, tangy and lemony, and just so flavorful. Â The fried gnocchi was fluffy and tender. The truffle dipping sauce was rich not too overpowering on the truffle.
The chicken liver mousse topped with a wine aspic was my choice, mainly because I love this type of thing, and don't get it often. Â The waiter explained the three different accompaniments on the plate, which were a raisin jam, pickled onions, and a beer mustard. Â The raisin jam and onions were my favorite. Â Probably the best part though, was the sea salt on the plate, that when dabbed on top, made it all come together perfectly. Â Probably my only complaint of the night would be that there was too much mousse for the amount of crostini provided. Â I am sure they would have provided me with more, had I asked, but I was too full to finish it anyway. Â My husband even loved this, and he is not a liver fan.
Lastly the fllet bites were tender and perfect. The teriyaki type sauce they were in was not thick and sticky, but thin and flavorful, and the orange supremes were a yummy and light addition.
I really wanted to try dessert because it really sounded delicious, but I was extremely full. Â I would love to come back for HH, as there were so many things on the menu that I would like to try. Â Normally I have a hard time picking a couple things, but with this HH menu, everything sounded so good. Â I definitely want to come back to treat my husband to a good steak dinner though, as our HH experience proved that it would definitely be worth the splurge!
Best steakhouse in Seattle. Â Great menu! Â The dining room as a great atmosphere. Â The drink selection is great and the bartenders do a nice job with the drinks. Â
I usually opt for the Japanese Kobe. Â the caesar salads and steak tartar are made tableside which is a nice treat.
Happy hour is a hidden gem. Â It is an unbelievable deal for a great selection of food.
The food here is delicious, the seats are very plush, and the views are nice. However, I only give it three stars because even the lunch prices are very high ($17 for soup and sandwich plus 3.75 for a strawberry lemonade), the atmosphere is pretentious, and I don't recognize most of the items on the menu because they are so high-brow. Â At least for the price you pay the portions are generous. Â The staff are professional and friendly, but overly formal for my taste. Â It's worth trying this place once or twice, but I wouldn't make this a regular lunch spot as the food is decadent and pricey.
Review Source:We were here for dinner and I must say this place is pretty good for fine dining.
The service is extremely friendly and the staff is very attentive. They also carry a vegetarian menu - though I felt it needed some more attention.
We ordered sea scallops and carrot soup as starters. The scallops were very good but I found the soup to be very sweet.
For the mains we ordered lamb and ravioli. The ravioli was very nice but the lamb needed some more flavor. The roasted veggies along with the lamb were awesome :D... They have a good collection of cocktails. The best one yet is the love letter.
I will totally recommend this place !!!
Place was great! pricey for sure! It was really loud during dinner, could barely hear ourselves talking. Â Took FOREVER to get our food. Got there at 730 PM for dinner and had to rush through our dessert as it was already 1010 PM by the time we got it.
Things that are amazing to order:
The burger - their classic burger is amazing - bacon burger - must try! if you don't like bacon, ask them not to include it. Their caesar salad was amazing - I asked them not to put in the anchovies as I am picky with the meat I eat. I liked the cheese ravioli however the folks I went with did not like it so I would say it is an acquired taste.
Other dish that was great, the crab cakes - amazing! a must order - also got the lobster mash potatoes - pretty good - a bit creamy for my taste, but definitely a very hearty dish.
Desserts- not a fan of the gnash chocolate tart, too sweet, but their salted caramel ice cream or any ice cream at that was AMAZING.
Overall love this place - great dishes, great options for seafood too! wish they had one in downtown Seattle. Ambiance is very orange county like as it's located in bellevue and service took FOREVER to get our food out.
Definitely would return as the food was delic!
Came here for their late night happy hour. Totally worth it. We had their duck confit, pickled chanterelle and caramelized pear flatbread, the cheeseburger, pork sausage and rapini sliders and the Fried Ricotta Gnocchi. Everything were fine, the pork sliders not worth ordering, but OMG...their Fried Gnocchi......AMAZING. it was really good...can't stop thinking about the truffle sweet onion creme that came with it!!
Review Source:WOW! Where do I begin?
This place is amazing :) This is a higher priced steakhouse and I have to say it was all worth it!The two hosts were beautifully mannered especially Laura, which definitely made the experience very pleasant. Overall, the staff provided great service and were always happy. The server was very knowledgeable about everything on the menu.
This restaurant is located in the Bravern which holds a high luxurious reputation, and a luxury experience you shall get! Parking is validated of course. I have been here a few times for dinner and every time was a knock out! The iceberg wedge salad was a delicious starter. But mainly,you must have the 42 day old aged rib eye steak!!! Again, this place is higher priced but it is for a reason. John Howie does not disappoint, I definitely left full and completely satisfied.
Best steak I ever had. Â The quality definitely warrants the ridiculously high price
PROs:
* Incredible customer service. Â Kind, helpful, and best of all, KNOWLEDGEABLE about all facets of the menu. Â
* I'm sure some people aren't fans of the typical bougie people you find at the Bravern, and the clientele here is certainly made up of said people. Â However the customer service here will make you feel welcome!
* Décor is upscale and classy.  I love that!
* Located in the Bravern. Â Parking garage located below. Â John Howie validates your parking... not the guy, the restaurant :p
* Food is incredible! Â It's not often that I come to a restaurant I've never been to and love EVERY item I order. Â See my pictures to see everything I shoveled into my face!
CONs:
* Pricey! Â Yah there are four "$" up there for a reason. Â $100+ easy for 2 people for dinner
* I wasn't a huge fan of the complimentary bread. Â I did enjoy the small medallion-esque bread.. but the other bread items in the basket were forgettable.
OTHER COMMENTs:
* I'm not sure if there is a dress code, (I was wearing cargo shorts and a button up :p) but people certainly come dressed to impressed here. Â Some people were all out in in dresses or suit and tie (no not JTimberlake).. while others looked a bit more casual.. but still a clean look. Â What I'm trying to say is... if you walk in here with PJs and your college hoodie, you're go to stand out haha
RECOMMENDATION:
* If you're getting steak, I HIGHLY recommend going with the Japanese Wagyu Beef. Â I tried USDA, Australian, and Japanese Wagyu.... By far the Japanese Wagyu was the best in terms of flavor and texture. Â Australian was my least favorite.
* If things are too pricey for you, the HAPPY HOUR menu is very affordable. Â However the only real STEAK item for happy hour is the Tenderloin Bites. Â You can still get a great burger as well as the tempura bacon everyone loves, but if you came here for DAT STEAK, you're going to have to open up your wallet and check the lunch/dinner menu
FINAL THOUGHTs:
Is it worth the price? YES IT IS. Â I will be back, without a doubt!
Very very good steak IF you order the "eye of the ribeye".
Other cuts are fine but not special.
Black hawaiian salt is a great touch for the steak. Smaratly done.
Low veggie options unfortunately, esp if you are on Paleo.
Bacon appetizer is a must try once. Bit too dry for most though.
Now desserts...the salted caramel tart thing....OOTW....out of this world.
Service is just average. But great meal if you order above.
LOVED this place. Â Loved the ambiance, the people and the food. Â Started with oysters on the half shell and crab cakes. Â Both were phenomenal. Â We also got the table side Caesar salad which was AMAZING. Â A flavor like no other, but still caesar-y. Â This is when we noticed how awesome all the staff is. Â They go out of their way to help each other out, take dishes that are empty but aren't theirs, etc. Â It was really nice. Â We even talked to Thomas about it and he agreed that he couldn't do his job without them, and they couldn't do theirs without him. Â Very refreshing.
The only reason I gave it 4 stars was because of the steak. Â It was delicious and I am SURE highest quality, but seemed a little dry and the rib-eye was very thick. Â Seemed more like a filet but less tender. Â I would still absolutely go back again and again if I could and just be more specific about what I am looking for in my steak. Â
Highlight (aside from Thomas and the rest of the staff) was the king crab legs. Â I usually use crab as a vehicle for the butter sauce, but this particular crab was so good and so fresh, it stood alone. Â
Twice baked potatoes and brussel sprouts were spot-on as well. Â Great meal and they even leave you with little take-home truffels. Â
Excited to visit for Happy Hour sometime.
This place is amazing. Â They have six tiers of prime beef. Â I didn't know there was 6 tiers of prime beef but I can't wait to try them all. Â They have an excellent cocktail selection that can be made table side. Â Any where the food can be local and organic you get it. Â The service has a style known as "Everything in its place at its time" Â and it is wonderful. Â I can't get enough of this place.
Review Source:First things first, I could never afford to eat dinner here. With that being said, we had happy hour in the bar and were very well served. The drinks/beers specials for happy hour are limited but the food options are where it's at. It's a little more than what you expect for happy hour prices but worth it from my limited perspective. I had the burger and OMG, yeah I don't usually say/write that, it was the best burger I can ever remember having. I can't remember all that was on it but it was definitely not regular old ground beef and the uniqueness of flavors made it an explosion of awesomeness with every bite. It also was huge, I was going to order more but the bartender told me that most people don't finish it. I did however and it was worth every penny of the $10.00 I paid for it.
Review Source:I had been wanting to go to John Howie's for happy hour for a while, my boo finally took me on Memorial Day. That being said this review is for Happy Hour only (;. They have HH daily 3-6pm and a Late HH Mon-Thurs 9-11pm and Fri-Sun 9-12 pm.
From reading a few reviews, I got the idea that parking was confusing and a mess but it really wasn't too bad. The website tells you where to park so that helps. We parked at the Amber Parking lot in level 2 and took the elevator up and the restaurant was right in the East corner. Parking is free up to 6 hours with retail validation.
We arrived at the restaurant at around 4pm and it wasn't very busy at all, we were able to get seats right away. The restaurant itself is gorgeous; high ceilings, beautiful lighting, modern yet classy. We picked a seat and sat down and looked through the menu that was on the table. It took a minute for our server to come over but when she did she was efficient and friendly.
The happy hour menu is quite extensive and you have to be careful not to let your eyes get bigger than your tummy. Also you can take your hh leftovers home which is nice, some places do not let you take leftovers home during hh (ex:Epulo, Azuls, etc). We ordered; Tempura Fried Kurobuta Bacon, the famous Bacon Cheeseburger, Country Pate, Beechers Mac and Cheese, and Kurobuta Pork Sausage and Rapini Sliders.
The Tempura Bacon IMO does not live up to the hype. You couldn't really taste that great smoky bacon flavor and the sauce made it too sweet. It was okay but I would have rather eaten regular fried bacon.
I LOVE sliders... One of my favorite things to eat but the Pork Sliders at JH were disappointing. The sausage patty was a little dry and the overall slider lacked flavor. I felt like I was eating a confused breakfast sandwich.
The Country Pate was had good flavor but was a little on the dry side and hard to spread. It was still good though and the onion, cornichons and Guinness mustard were great accompaniments.
The Beechers Mac and Cheese was delicious. The pasta was al dente and it was nice and cheesy. The crunchy little breadcrumbs on top were a nice textural contrast. A little greasy but other than that no complaints.
The Bacon Cheeseburger was amazing and the best thing we ordered that day. It's on par with the Prime Burger at Wolfgang Puck in LV. The burger was juicy and full of beefy flavor. The toppings it came with went perfectly together and the bun was awesome. If you read my reviews you know I love a good bun that can hold a burger together. The buns at JH are perfect! Soft and buttery and sturdy enough to hold all that burger goodness together, I noticed that the slider buns were good too even though the slider itself wasn't.
Overall we had a great time. The ambiance was nice, service was good and the food (though a little overhyped) was good. I definitely want to come back to to try other HH goodies or dinner service.
I came here about couple of months ago with my frieds for happy hour around 9PM. The food was excellent. The burger was good. The meat was high quality. I wish they didn't put so much stuff on the burger so you can taste the meat better. Just blue cheese and some grilled onions would do. I should've asked. That was my bad. Their tenderloin bites were really delish. This is a must have. Â Butter shrimp was good too.
Best happy hour in the Eastside!
I thought this place was over-rated. I'm glad I tried it, but I don't have to go back. Also, I tried to discretely take care of the bill by passing my credit card off to the hostess to had off to my waiter. Later, my waiter started talking about bill while in front of the people I was with...something I was trying to avoid. Not very smooth, dude.
Review Source:I tried John Howie for the first time recently over lunch and was not impressed. Â The service and atmosphere were fine, but if you have "steak restaurant" in your name and can't make a decent steak to order, you don't get more than 2 stars in my book. Â I ordered steak medium rare and what I received was a bit more than medium; chewy and overcooked. Â I can spend half as much to buy a better cut of meat at Safeway and grill it myself to a perfect medium rare, so I probably won't bother going back to JH.
Review Source:I suggested this place for happy hour with my buddy. I got here a bit early so had time to peruse the happy hour options.
Before my friend arrived, I ordered the fried Brussels sprouts. These were nicely flavored, with a good amount of citrus in the marinade. However, it was swimming in a mixture of oil, grease, and dressing, making it aesthetically unappealing.
When my friend arrived, we ordered the shrimp, tempura bacon, and duck flat bread. Other than the bacon, which was completely gross and I thought my heart might stop, the other dishes were just okay. I won't be back for happy hour.
Their full menu looks good (more variety, ie not just fried foods) and possibly worth trying, so I will be back to check that out. I'll update this review then.
This place blows Daniels out of the water! Â
Took my husband here for his birthday. Â He loves steak and I am a pescatarian, but since it was his birthday I wasn't too worried about what I was going to eat, just wanted to make sure he had a great experience. Â Neither of us had ever been here for dinner before and we both walked away raving about how we can't wait to go back!
The beef entrée selection is mind-boggling.  The wait staff are impeccably trained and polished and I can't imagine any question would stump them.  Since it's a steak house, I wasn't expecting much by way of non-beef options, but I was pleasantly surprised to see there were 2 fish options and a vegetarian option available. Â
The bourbon selection was equally impressive: Â pages and pages of hard to find bourbons. Â My hubby was ecstatic to see Pappy Van Winkle on the menu since he has been on a waiting list at our local spirits store for a bottle. Â When it came out he said it was a "healthy pour" and he was so glad he splurged. Â Since I was pregnant and couldn't enjoy any cocktails the waiter offered up some fresh lemonades - pomegranate or strawberry. Â When I had trouble deciding, he brought both. Â Talk about making your guest feel special.
I started with a salad with avocado and grapefruit that was just scrumptious. Â I cleaned my plate. Â The waiter offered my hubby the tempura bacon and he was just in heaven. Â He also enjoyed an oyster sampler plate.
For dinner, hubby ordered some kind of beef from Australia and declared it the best steak he's ever eaten.  I ordered the halibut with risotto.  The risotto was out of this world.  The halibut was a touch overdone but I was so enamored with this place by the time I got to the entrée I didn't really care.  They offered to remake it, but I had already eaten a good portion of it and would have felt silly sending it back.
The asparagus side was fantastic. Â The meyer lemon hollandaise was perfection. Â Not too thick, not to lemony - perfectly balanced. Â I have to agree with the previous poster about the potato cakes. Â When they came out I had to chuckle. Â They look exactly like diner hashbrowns. Â Do not order. Â Those definitely need an overhaul. Â Completely out of place at such a fine dining establishment.
Bottom line: Â when you think fine dining steak house - this should be your GO-TO restaurant, every time. Â Perfect for celebrations, impressing a potential client, or just really treating yourself to an incredible dining experience. Â Can't wait to go back!
Quite frankly, I am not a steak connoisseur. However, if I could eat at John Howie every day I might be. Their Steakhouse Salad is insane as is the Tempura Bacon. Delish! I have also enjoyed their American Wagyu on a couple occasions and I am in love with their Seafood Bisque! The other half doesn't do seafood so it means more for me, which I will never turn down. Have I mentioned the bread basket? I really don't know what to say about it except that it puts every other bread basket in existence to shame.
In addition to incredible food, service here is impeccable. The servers are wonderfully kind, attentive, and everything else you wish every server were. Plus, they also make good wine suggestions. Love it!
I've tried several places in Seattle for steak (eg. Met Grill, Daniel's, Mortons, Capital Grille, Ruth Chris, etc.) and I have to say this is hands down my favorite steak restaurant in the city. Â Their steak selection is massive with your traditional 28 day aged beef up to 48+ days. Â They also offer beef from around the world such as Japan and Australia. Â While pricey, its definitely something worth trying if you're willing to splurge. Â
I recommend anything tableside for the show and it's all really tasty too. Â We had the charcuterie plate most recently and I just LOVED everything on the plate. Â My favorite was the pate with the toasted bread. Â For the sides, the Beecher's mac and cheese is simply classic and you can't go wrong with that. Â Gnocchi was also a great side, but not many to share for more than 2-3 people. Â Mushrooms, asparagus, and cream spinach were also really good.
They always send you home with a complementary truffle made in house which is my favorite part of the night. Â I always go home here stuffed and with a huge smile on my face!
The service was incredible! Â The steaks were amazing! Â The tempura bacon was awesome! Â The sides were...OK, I guess? Â Unfortunately the only blemish on an otherwise perfect meal was the quality of the side-dishes.
I ordered the Mesquite Roasted Corn and my wife had the Yukon Gold Potato Cakes. Â The corn was obviously fresh, but unfortunately the honey-chipotle butter didn't really add anything and actually detracted from the natural flavor of the corn. Â The potato cakes were forgettable at best. Â They were very greasy and lacked flavor. Â They would not have been out of place had they been served as hash browns at Denny's. Â It was disappointing.
The desserts were also nothing to write home about. Â Two of the sorbets on my Sorbet Sampler were extremely icy, as if they had been melted and re-frozen. Â The flavors of the sorbet were also lackluster. Â My wife had the Chocolate Ganache Tart, which was also unimaginative. Â
I will probably go there again, but I'll steer clear of those sides and most likely go somewhere else afterward for dessert
Celebrated my husband's birthday here. Great food, amazing service!
I ordered American Wagyu ribeye cap after asking what it was (the answer is amazing). Our table also ordered the New York strip in American, Australian, and true Japanese Wagyu variants, which was really fun since we could compare the same cut of beef from different countries. If you order Australian/Japanese Wagyu, you get special shun steak knives for ordering the 100% Wagyu steaks (so you can feel just that much more special). In any case, all of our steaks were amazing in different ways. The Japanese Wagyu just disintegrated in my mouth -- it was incredibly rich and well-marbled. The Australian Wagyu was really juicy and had a unique taste. The American Wagyu was no disappointment either.
We also ordered steak tartare, mac n' cheese, creamed spinach, and mushrooms. For dessert we had bananas foster, creme brulee, and bread pudding. Everything was great -- but everything we had was also extremely rich, so it was not too easy on the stomach. Next time, we'll try to order lighter side dishes!
Had another 5 star experience last night. Â We came for my husbands birthday and were a bit early but were seated by the window as requested. Â We had an excellent server who took good care of us.
We both ordered the Zabuton which was cooked to perfection. Â Such amazing meat and the side dishes never fail. Â Mushrooms are excellent, mac and cheese is rich and creamy, wedge salad is the best salad I have had, the seafood chowder is a treat. Â The lava cake with fresh whipped cream is just beyond. Â
Another amazing night with my best friend/husband and we wouldn't have chosen any other place but John Howie to bring it to fruition.
Was here for dinner with my parents for my dad's birthday celebration last night. Unbelievable experience. The staff treated my dad like royalty. Our waiter was fantastic -- I wish I would have gotten his name.
The food was impeccable. We all started with salads (Iceberg, Beet and Caesar), which were presented beautifully. All were delicious. Our main course then came. We all got steaks (Porterhouse and Filet Mignon), vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes. There just really aren't words for how good everything was.
Oh, and for dessert? The restaurant treated the table to the volcano cake. Oh. My. Goodness. You know when you just want to close your eyes and shut out the world when you taste something unbelievable? Yeah, I wanted to do that. For about 10 minutes. But I have a sense of pride, so I didn't. But I wanted to...
Anyway, phenomenal. 5 stars. Go here.
Went back again to John Howie since last time I went for the seafood this time we went for the steak. We had a 10oz filet mignon and the lobster mashed potatoes!!!
Thier steak THE BOMB!!!!!!!!! The potatoes are great!!!!!!!!!
Try the little round cheese rolls they give you they are so good. We also ordered a shot of soup and it was also great.
Overall another 10 our of 5 stars!!! Great place for appetizers - great place for dinner, it is expensive but I think it is really good!
Steaks were cooked perfectly but nothing special. The highlight of the meal was the fried brussel sprouts.
The service was excruciatingly slow/delayed.
My father in law had made reservations far in advanced for our sister's 21st birthday at 8:45pm. We were not seated until 9:30 at a table meant for 7 when we were a party of 5. Once they noticed the awkward seating, they moved us to a more appropriate table. We were starving by the time our food was served at 11pm. No apology was ever spoken of for the delay. I was expecting better service at such an establishment. I would definitely rather visit The Met for a fancy steak meal.
Let me start out by saying I love steaks, so this was a no brainer for me to try out. I've been here or lunch and happy hour and I loved it! But the dinner by far, is the most amazing meal I have had in a while.
I got the appetizers to start out with, which was the maple bacon. OMG DELICIOUS!! If you are a fan of bacon, this is a must try. They batter their bacon to perfection, and the sauce that comes with it is to die for.
For my entree I got the 8oz filet mingon American Waygu. I've tried the japanese and that was really good as well. The meat is tender and it LITERALLY MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH. ORGASMIC. I also got the sautéed mushrooms which was delcious as always. But the one thing that threw me off was this thing called golden yukon potatoes or something like that. It came out and it was literally just hashbrowns. Given that it was good...I wasn't expecting hashbrowns. Funny thing is that I asked what the crispy potatoes were and asked them if it was like french fries. The waiter told me yes it is, so I wanted to go with something else. He suggested the yukon potato thing...and it turned out to be hashbrowns. Would be nice to have known ahead of time. Sigh.
Overall awesome experience and loved the food as always.
P.S. if you eat lunch go for the Juicy Lucy! Most awesome burger.
First part - a review of the happy hour.
Go. Â Period.
GREAT food.. the pizza, the fried bacon, the gnocchi, the sliders.. everything.
The cocktails are great and reduced in price too.
Just go.. I can rave on and on, but ALL DAY Sunday? where else is better on a sunday afternoon for a bite/drink?
Do it.
Second part - a review of the dining room.
Well i really do think 'overall' the best steak place in seattle is the Metropolitan Grill. Â However, the best 'cut' of meat served anywhere in the seattle area is here.
The Rib Cap. Â there's nothing on a cow, when cooked properly (gotta get medium b/c u NEED the fat to integrate - i normally get med rare for other cuts), taste as good as this piece of meat.
The other place that i've found the rib cap served is in Vegas, at Strip steak..
This is really the only steak house i still pay to eat at b/c i can't buy the rib cap anywhere in a market.. Google rib cap and you know what i'm talking about. it's hard to find (i.e u can order from Bryan Flannery but that's pricey!).
Cooked well.. wine service is excellent (i bring my own, but they decant/good stems)..
Very friendly servers, nice ambience.. really the go to steakhouse now if i need to go out to one..
We stopped by on a Friday night at 9 PM, and within a few minutes, the place was packed for happy hour. I have been to the main dining room for dinner, but this was the first time for happy hour. We got:
Happy hour cheeseburger ($9): this tasty burger was huge, and came with cheese, bacon, and french fries. If you are getting other dishes, this burger is big enough to share.
Crab and shrimp chowder $8 for a generous cup): this soup was pretty good, although it was served in a very large bowl (luckily we finished it before the other food arrived: our table was pretty small).
Charcuterie flatbread ($11): this was my least favorite: too salty.
Habenero shrimp ($12): this was good, and came with bread for dipping into the sauce (not too spicy), although this app is on the pricey side.
The service at John Howie is great, and the good service extends into the bar as well. Whether for dinner or for happy hour, John Howie is a good choice in the Bellevue area (free validated parking at The Bravern).
I ended up coming back here with a friend to celebrate good work done. Â I had always come to the happy hour portion of the restaurant, but not the dine in section. Â John Howie has a nice atmosphere to it, and is dimly lit to create a classy atmosphere. Â I ended up getting American Waygu Rib eye, which was really delicious. Â Instead of using any steak sauce, the steak was served with 3 different types of sea salt. Â If you have high blood pressure, i would recommend going light on the salt because it's so flavorful. Â
Our service was great as well. Â The service took care of about 8 people and did a great job of putting his best foot forward. Â I look forward to being able to come back again and trying other food from this restaurant.
I came with my husband, midweek for dinner. Atmosphere was okay, had that hip trendy thing going on, it was after all downtown Bellevue.
However, it was my dish that is dictating my rating. I ordered the ravioli. The dough was undercooked, I could still see the whiteness of the flour used. I sent it back to the kitchen, but whatever they did, did not work. It was still undercooked. Not wanting to send it back the second time, I'll make a note not to come back. It was clearly too pricey for what I experienced, undercooked food.
We started out with a couple glasses of prosecco and shared a bottle of red wine. Â The assortment of bread was delicious, especially the crackers and bread sticks.
Prior to dinner we received a couple of "spoonful" of shrimp with a cilantro pure which was refreshing.
Table side Caesar salad has got to be one of the best Caesars I've experienced. Â Nice show and delicious flavor. Â For dinner we shared a huge table-side porterhouse, side of grilled vegetables and side of mushrooms. For dessert we had bourbon bread pudding, 30 year old Tawny and cappuccino.
Service was impeccable and expected for this type of restaurant. Â The one complaint I have which is not due to the restaurant though... I noticed a lot of kids dining at this fine establishment! Â I don't think I'll be returning again soon for this reason. Â Granted most of the kids were well behaved I don't want to go to a fine steakhouse establishment and pay a significant amount for good food and be surrounded by children. Â It pretty much ruins the whole dining experience. Â I don't know if the restaurant can do anything about it unfortunately. Â I think all the table side cooking is an attraction.
GROAN, JOHN HOWIE.
These were the exact words that punched their way into my thoughts after taking a bite of the Australian Waygu Roast Beef sandwich. Seriously. What in the actual fuck, my dude? Why has every other time I've eaten here been an absolute delight to the flavor palate (I come here often as I work in the building), then this bready monstrosity has to go and wreck the whole portrait?
Why was this sandwich so saddening?
- Bread to insides ratio: waaaay off. Do I want to eat a sponge with lunch meat? No.
- Bizarre flavor to the grilled onion that did not taste sweet. More like onion soaked in Wesson, then thrown in a microwave
- Competing flavors from the rosemary, garlic, onion, horseradish and cheddar were a confusing oral deathmatch. Hashtag hold me.
The good news about John Howie is that "steak" is in the name for a reason - they do them incredibly well and in an atmosphere that makes you feel as if you've just settled into a nice Vegas establishment. The service is always stellar, the drinks are lovely and the majority of the items will not disappoint. Just stay away from the RB. Not good.
P.S. Don't skip the Deviled Eggs with Truffled Bacon, Crispy Fried Ricotta Gnocchi or Steak Frites. All a one way ticket to Flavor Town. I mean, come on, Deviled Eggs with Bacon. Why am I selling you on this?
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