Water Grill - Bellevue — Restaurant in Bellevue

Bit of an odd/special case one here. We, 2 adults and 2 kids (9yo & 6yo), ate here on Thanksgiving w/all but the 6yo picking the curated Thanksgiving turkey 3 course menu option. We had never been there before, and in looking over the main menu briefly, I noted the curated menu started with clam chowder. I'm such a sucker for that stuff, my standing rule is if a new place offers it, I get it. And I like the traditional Thanksgiving turkey meal, sans cranberry sauce and giblets, anyway. The clam chowder was quite delicious. I think the cooks or kitchen order/plate finisher wrecked things. The I saw this person doing some general after-the-fact "pinch"(es) of salt before servers took custody of the plates to get to customers. Seems an area where over-salting could occur. This is part of the issue we experienced. Some turkey not exposed to the gravy or on top where the over salting occurred was edible and nice. The gravy had an endemic SAGE saturation. I mean you gotta love sage...like you jump out of bed and the first think on your mind is a steaming cup of pure SAGE broth/tea-level of love for the stuff. That sort of person would have have feedback ~= "Hey, how about relaxing a bit on the sage level." Too salty and "Over 9000!" on the sage made the whole thing inedible. The 9yo and even my wife could not eat much but thought maybe taking it home would somehow make theirs better. (Spoiler: it did not; both were trashed day after, after trying again later Thanksgiving evening.) I just declined a box at the outset and gave my opinion (way oversalted and comical level of sage). The 6yo had the kid menu cheeseburger and fries. He ate too much of the sourdough rolls and fries beforehand and took most of the cheeseburger home. He devoured the cheeseburger at home later that evening. The finisher course arrived, I and the 9yo had the Pumpkin cheesecake w/the wife having the bread pudding. She indicated the bread pudding was good. The cheesecake was very good. So that should be that right? Not quite.

Turned out the server spoke to his manager and she/they felt bad about the main course so comp'd the entire thing from the bill and asked if there was anything I'd like from the main menu so "... don't go home hungry." While there was no possible way I was hungry, the steak and potatoes were what I had toyed with in lieu of the Thanksgiving menu before being swayed by the Siren song of the clam chowder. I opted to get the smaller fillet and mashed potatoes. I am so very glad I did. That is one of the best steaks I've every tried! The potatoes were excellent as well. The chimichurri, perfectly cooked and seasoned medium rare steak, and thick slice of "beefsteak" tomato...just phenomenal. Final meal contender right there! I have not done any net:net cost analysis wrt if the fillet/potatoes was more or less than the curated, comp'd/removed, Thanksgiving menu, but I don't even care if it ended up being less it was so good. I suspect they ended up losing a bit on the deal, all told, they charged me the price of the Thanksgiving curated meal for the fillet + potatoes ala carte thing; $72. Noted that I also had the clam chowder and pumpkin cheesecake. Again, I don't know and still don't care if I ended up on the lower side of the deal. The fillet plate and everything else was worth it.

The manager came by after the fillet arrived to check in and see that all was better. She brought up my issue with the turkey plate and corroborated it being very sagey. I suspect the sage aspect was a know issue and oversalting just an accident. Maybe next year that recipe will be tweaked or they'll have found some way to avoid the sage cartel strong-arming them so egregiously. I have like phantom limb syndrome but with sage aftertaste; phantom sage palate/taste syndrome or something.

tl;dr - Regular menu fare seems tremendous. At least the ones I sampled. If you are generally meh" on clam chowder, have a bowl of theirs. If you like a proper steak, get the fillet. The potatoes are a worthy...

A Seafood Experience Worth Celebrating

Every once in a while, you find a place that doesn’t just serve dinner—it serves an experience. Water Grill Bellevue is that place, and after just one visit, I’m already planning my return. I sat at the bar where Shien and Jessica took exceptional care of me, turning a great meal into an unforgettable evening. Friendly, knowledgeable, and just the right amount of fun, these two are bar-side royalty.

I kicked things off with the Mescalero, a smoky blend of Del Maguey Vida mezcal, silver tequila, lime, passion fruit, and pineapple. This drink was rich, complex, and delicious. The kind of cocktail that makes you want to slow down and savor every sip.

Then came the star of the show. The First of Season Wild Columbia River King Salmon. This fish comes with a story, and honestly, it lives up to the legend. Served with farro risotto, lovage, and black garlic, this dish was pure magic. The salmon was the most flavorful and tender I’ve ever had, no exaggeration. The black garlic added a savory depth that pushed this plate into best meal of the year territory.

Not ready to stop there, I followed up with a Crossed Signals. Rittenhouse rye whiskey, grapefruit liqueur, fresh citrus, and a kiss of maple syrup. As a whiskey guy, this drink hit all the right notes. Bold, slightly sweet, and incredibly well balanced. This one is going in my personal cocktail hall of fame.

And dessert? Oh yes. Jessica swore by the Key Lime Pie with graham oatmeal crust, toasted meringue, and a tangerine coulis. She told me her regulars from Florida love it. As someone born and raised in the Sunshine State, I took that challenge seriously. And she delivered. That pie was refreshing, perfectly tart, and creamy beyond belief. She even promised it would be on her if I didn’t like it. But let’s just say, my wallet and my taste buds were both happy to pay for that heavenly slice.

The atmosphere, from the warm lighting to the copper-lined bar, oozes sophistication without ever feeling stuffy. Whether you’re on a solo culinary adventure or bringing the family for something special, Water Grill Bellevue is the kind of place you keep coming back to.

Next time, I’m bringing my wife, because something this good needs...

Spectacular. We celebrated our anniversary here and could not have picked a better spot. I am not easily impressed, but Water Grill sure impressed me!

The atmosphere is lovely. The cocktails were top notch. Everything we ordered was delicious. The service was excellent. KC our waiter was great. Reviewed the menu with us and provided prompt service. They had our table decorated and a signed card by all their staff for our anniversary.

Cocktails: We started with a Southern Fix. It was light and fresh. A perfect summer cocktail. So much so I ordered 2. My husband additionally ordered a Campfire Sling that was just as good, but a different flair.

Appetizers: Wild Spanish Octopus-Wow! Beautiful presentation. Amazing flavor and texture-charred just right. The potatoes and olives that accompanied it were very tasty.

Trojan Roll- We really enjoyed this roll. It was fresh, the yuzu tobiko (the roe on top) was so good. I loved the crunch and hint of citrus from it!

Main: Wild Maryland Soft Shell Crab- Very flavorful. My husband thought the breading was a bit heavy. He is used to a panko crust on soft shell crab and this was maybe more of a tempura batter or something?

Wild Ross Sea Chilean Sea Bass- Chilean Sea Bass is such a rich and indulgent fish. I appreciated that they didn't over dress the fish, but I think I would have appreciated a sauce of some kind to accompany it. The gnudi was something new to me it so good, crusty in the outside but gooey in the inside.

Sides: I feel like this is the only area where Water Grill may need to step up their game. We had the Brussel Sprouts and Street Corn. Both were lackluster. I kind of scratched my head when my husband ordered the street corn. It doesn't really fit the flair of the restaurant. And the Brussel sprouts were just mediocre. I've definitely had better.

Dessert: Key Lime Pie- We are key lime fanatics and this was really good Key Lime Pie. Tangy yet sweet, crust was great.

Cookie & Ice Cream- classic fresh baked cookie trio (super rich chocolate, sugar, oatmeal raisin) with the cutest sea horse cookie on top.

Thank you Wager Grill for an excellent experience! We can't wait...