Tandem Dinner & Wine Bar

I can't believe I never knew this place was here.  Hidden off Main street you have to know it is there to find it.  We went late on a Friday night and sat on the patio.  The staff is super friendly and helpful as far as helping decide on both wine and food choices.  We split a steak medium rare.  It was perfectly cooked, first I thought it odd that there was not a steak knife with the meal but soon found out we didn't need one.  Tender, perfectly seasoned.  We also had the chopped salad, it was nicely prepared as well.  The table next to us ordered seafood pasta and I could not believe how much salmon and crab was in that dish (that is my pick for next time).  There was a live guitar music playing, nice touch.

If you have leftovers they put saran wrap on your plate and you take it home, as is.  I thought that was very cool.  Nice touch =)

Our food came fast and prepared well, I can see how if it was really busy you might have to wait as some people have commented.  This is not the type of fast food dining experience you want to rush.  Bring someone you like to eat with and spend some time enjoying your time there.

Great food, great wine choices and nice comfortable setting.  Easy access in downtown Bothell.

Like many reviews recently on here I too had the living social deal but I experienced something totally different, maybe I just have more patience and actually enjoy the experience. It is a very small place with a very small staff and a very small kitchen with that being said I think that they do well for how busy it was. Since the first time I used the living social deal my husband and I have been back for a second round because the food was literally some of the BEST food I have ever had and I've dined at many exclusive fine dining restaurants. The risotto was the best I've ever had in fact I ate it both times and the filet and the pork chop are just as equally mouthwatering!
We were lucky enough to meet some great people there as with only two of us at a larger table they asked if they could seat people with us. My husband and I are pretty go with flow so we said it was perfectly okay. I'm glad we did we met a great older couple and it was great conversation the entire dinner.
I have had two great experiences one on a Tuesday and one on a Sunday and I will for sure be returning in fact we are planning our next date night there.

My experience at Tandem was weird. Not bad, not abysmal, not amazing... just weird.

My friend had a living social voucher that expired soon, so we decided to have an impromptu girls night. Count me in! After seeing the suggestion to make a reservation on their website, my friend called to make sure they were a)open and b)if we even needed a reservation. Upon calling, she was informed very abruptly that they were extremely busy and that we needed a reservation. Ok, can we make a reservation? Sure but "just to let you know, our food takes a little bit longer here, we're not like other places." Ok... that's fine. Strange to mention it over the phone in an abrupt manner, but ok.

We arrive to a delightful, shabby-chic country looking restaurant, spotted with bits and bobbles. Interestingly enough, they did not appear to be that busy to me. There were a fair amount of empty tables, and an upstairs area I could not see, so I do not know how full it was. We were greeted by an energetic, friendly woman. Upon learning we had a reservation, she seated us quickly and seemed genuinely excited we were there. She asked if we'd ever been before, and told us all about the live music they do, etc. Everything was off to a great start. We decided on a wine and ordered our food promptly after that. This is where things started to get weird.

Suddenly, a total of four different people were serving our table. That seems fine, but it also gets confusing about who our actual server is. And then we started to see what they meant by them being busy. One server was running around like a chicken with her head cut off (but I don't know why, since it seemed like only two more small parties entered the restaurant after us) and the employees were barking at each other. At one point, the music stopped playing and one woman walked back to the kitchen area (which we were sitting right by) and started yelling about how she needed music and she couldn't handle the quiet. It's fine to be a bit frustrated or overwhelmed by being busy, but for goodness sakes, when your customers can see you all yelling at each other because you're so overwhelmingly busy, it becomes extremely uncomfortable. Take a breath, go slowly, be nice to each other. It's not curing cancer.

We split the bill four ways, which was very considerate that they asked us about this beforehand, but they did not tell us they charge for using a credit card. A bill arrived at the table, and after our cards were run, we receive a receipt with a different amount run. I understand small businesses charging their customers for credit card usage, because they get slapped with a lot of fees to have that credit card machine, but you should at least inform your customers that this is your policy.

The food was good, albeit a bit expensive for the offerings and the portions, and the wine we chose (a sparkling rose) was delicious. I didn't even feel like our wait for our food was that long. Unfortunately, I would choose a place like Purple over Tandem because there is a level of service I have received at Purple that is outstanding, and their expensive prices accurately reflect their portions and offerings. As Bothell is very out of my way, I would probably not try Tandem again, but maybe worth a second look for locals.