Duke’s Seafood Bellevue — Restaurant in Bellevue

I’m gonna be really honest here… (a bit graphic)

I was here on 12/12/2024 celebrating both of my brother’s birthdays at this neighborhood spot since they both came back from college for the holidays. There weren’t very many people at the restaurant as it was nearing closing time and the workers were cleaning the bathrooms and doing EOD work like counting cash at the side booths.

I was on the third day of going through a pregnancy miscarriage and am bleeding to the point of exhaustion. I went to use the restroom and freaked out at how much blood was coming out of me, getting it everywhere and having to clean up. I proceeded to wash my hands and took off the ring I was wearing - my leather rose gold Olympe Hermes large ring and placed it next to the soap dispenser on the right side of the sink. I then left, forgetting about it. Three minutes later when I remembered, I frantically went back to retrieve it and it was gone. I noticed the garbage was taken out and the bathroom was cleaned in between the time I left. The person who took out the trash looked at me straight in the eyes and said he didn’t see anything as I was anxiously running around, sticking my hands in the garbage and crawling on the floor for any trace - he didn’t help.

I don’t know if anyone else went into that exact bathroom stall after me - possible, and there are no cameras by the restrooms as the manager explained. But I have a gut feeling that the bathroom attendant stole it. The manager and my server were all very helpful in trying to help me find it. The individual who cleaned the bathroom ran away.

It is the holidays and Bellevue is a ritzy area. And I believe that humans can be less than noble when they, themselves are struggling and others around them are able to afford such nice things. When I finally gave up on the search, everyone who helped me search were very kind - expressing their sorrow and that they hope I get it back. But when I ran into that bathroom attendant as I was walking out of the restaurant with my family, he just once again stared at me in the eyes and didn’t say a word - I’ve lived long enough to notice clear signs of a person who’s GUILTY of his actions.

On a side note, I acknowledge that it’s my fault I left my ring on the sink - any other restaurant I had done this at, it was kindly returned to me. I think it’s the time of the year and the stresses of life that rears its ugly head during this time. All I can say, is that I hope that ring and whoever you give it to (or sell it to), brings you more warmth and love during this holiday season. I hope that your life gets better where you don’t have to steal a customers item that was left and that we all strive to have better morals and character of being. I bought that ring as a gift to myself on a trip to Paris for my 40th birthday.

Also, I encourage that management will be better at hiring non-thieves.

Regardless, Happy Holidays. I’ll never be...

Another great experience here. Duke's is always so good and so consistent. We arrived later in the evening without a reservation and were seated promptly.

We were served by Eric who was courteous, efficient, and kind. He got our pace and delivered everything we needed with a smile. He nicely gave me half loaf of their delicious sourdough bread to go! Perfect for making french toast the next morning.

All of the food was excellent as usual. Crab cake was lightly browned and full of sweet crab, also accompanied by a delicious small salad of avocado and celery. We tried both of the chowders (lobster and classic clam) and preferred the clam this time. The lobster pernod chowder was a bit too salty. I really appreciate that the soups were served perfectly hot.

We also had 6 oysters to start and these were wonderfully fresh and delicious, California Kumamotos and Washington Takaras. I must say the price of $3.50 per oyster is a little bit steep. I wish they had more reasonable pricing by the dozen or half-dozen.

For mains we had two of their specials. I love how Duke's always has interesting specials. Their regular menu is great with something for everyone but the specials are almost always excellent and a good way to try new things if you come here frequently. We tried the seafood pasta in a pesto cream sauce ($37) and this was really delicious. Totally chocked full of salmon (wild of course), a white fish (can't remember if it was cod or halibut), shrimp, and crab. Really delicious and a huge serving size. For our other entree we had the stuffed lobster tail ($43) which was a Canadian cold water lobster tail stuffed with shrimp and crab, and broiled with cheesy breadcrumbs on top. Overall this was delicious although the topping was a bit too salty. The sides of fresh pea pods and fingerling potatoes were fresh and delicious. The specials were not cheap but for the quantity and quality of ingredients and the excellent preparation, it felt fair. The kids meals at around $10 or less with a drink and side are really nicely priced.

Overall we had a great experience with excellent food and kind and prompt service. We come to Duke's whenever we're in the area and it never disappoints. We'll keep...

We had a waiter in training and he was confident. If he didn’t know the answer to our question he had a seasoned wait staff with him. She was excellent!

Ordered the Prawn, Scallop & Crab Uncaked Mixed Grill. The scallops is what I went to Duke for. Although the didn’t come with large scallops (they were 3 small ones on a pretty wooden skewer) but it was worth every bite. It was soft, but not undercooked. Tasty!

Also ordered a small bowl of clam chowder. It wasn’t salty. It’s was just right. I prefer large potatoes chunky clam chowder but theirs had tiny potatoes (it was a little too chopped for my preference) but still really good. I think it’s overpriced for the amount though. We ordered a small bowl and shared it as an appetizer, which was okay because they also gave complimentary sourdough bread and butter. That was warm and also the inside was fluffy! The waitress told us they get the sourdough made from a local bakery and then Dukes bakes it fresh.

The rest of my meal for the Prawn, Scallop & Crab… Grill was good. Nothing to complain about. It came with some homemade sauce. A red one (a little on the sweet side) and a green pesto one (I asked for extra pesto because it was delicious). I used it mostly to dip my organic baby roasted red potatoes in it.

The crab cake that it came with was also really good. Not oily. Just enough crisp breading. And they didn’t skimp on putting actual crab meat in it. It wasn’t chunky crab though. It was more on the shredded side.

My husband ordered the Duke Cheeseburger (grass fed beef) and it was perfect because it wasn’t salty. The cheese was Tilamook extra sharp white cheddar and they make their own mayo! The bun is a locally made brioche bun that was soft but with a touch of toasty-ness to it.

Bonus for cleanliness: The restroom was clean and I love the modern design. I also love their paper towels. As well as it being...