Whiskey by John Howie — Restaurant in Bellevue

I enjoy John Howie so I definitely wanted to try Whiskey. I loved the food, the drinks, and the fact this is a small cozy restaurant.

Family friendly: No Parking: Yes (shared at the Braven) Pet friendly: No

FOOD: HH Parmesan Truffle Fries (Parmigiano Reggiano, black truffle salt, truffle aioli) $14: 5 STARS - Some places dont provide enough parm or truffle but this is on point! Also usually most place reduce the size/quality between the HH and regular price menu. They give you a VERY good size with so much Parmigiano ! It made me super happy.

HH Wagyu Steak Flatbread (Monterrey Jack and gouda cheeses, white sauce, tomato confit, caramelized onion, roasted garlic, Maker's Mark BBQ sauce, arugula) $18: 3 STARS - I really wanted to love this because its pretty much a pizza and wagyu but I was kind of disappointed. They had a decent amount of the wagyu, cooked just right, and spread out enough that you get a piece of beef with every other bite. The problem is there was too much BBQ sauce. That it was all I tasted. I may get this again but had them omit the sauce.

HH Cheeseburger (2 prime chuck burger patties, American cheese, double thick bacon, drive-in sauce, caramelized onion, dill pickle, house baked buns, French fries) $18: 5 STARS - I think this is actually better than the burger at John Howie. It was super tasty, very moist so good fat ratio in the burger. I normally LOVE Sauce but I will say they probably went a tad overboard.

DRINK: HH Manhattan $10: Not sure if its was the price but the Manhattan was really good. The cherry inside was very sweet and didnt really taste like alcohol so may its not the ones they are pre-soaked in alochol. HH Dealer's Choice, Whiskey neat or rocks $10: Honestly I cant remember what brand they provide but it was not great. I will say between rocks or neat, rocks was the way to go. HH Lemon Drop $9: Normally not my drink of choice but it was made well.

RESTAURANT: I really like that it was a small restaurant. The customer area (again small restaurant so its kind of everywhere is the customer area) was done nicely. There are a few booth that I would say hold 4 people comfortably and 4 tops that can expand to 6-8.

The did an amazing job on the bar but a lot of the things seem very make shift, like they just opened even though its been a while. The kitchen was very small, like there was a couple of flat top and prep space but they didnt have a lot of room since they had a portable heating cabinet. They also had folks carrying extra items through the restaurant from John Howie.

SERVICE: Service, like John Howie, was great with the exception that they seemed short staff. With every table filled, they only had two wait staff. It took probably longer to either put drink or food order and receiving. I'm sure someone will say thats the normal ratio but when you start questioning where the waiter is so you can order drinks or food, you know its been longer than...

here’s another rare review. This location is the peak high end area of Bellevue. You won’t find a better steak restaurant in the state. Believe me I travel every week for work from Texas and try out as much as I can.

Anyway, the bar (whiskey by John howie) is in a secluded lounge and their whiskey collection serves 1000+ bottle. John (the main bartender) is going to take really good care of you by offering private barrel whiskey that can’t be found anywhere in the country.

Go between 5-6:30pm for happy hour. Bartender gave me 6 free flights of top shelf , a crash course on whiskey, amazing service and solid food preparation (get the Nashville chicken and the cheese burger) hands down some of the best I’ve had surprisingly. Not to mention I had 3 old fashions on top of this after a long day at work.

My bill somehow came out to 90$ for food and drinks , but I was there for 3 hours and felt included and respected. Conversation was great with the other travelers and locals who come there for dinner or happy hour. If you ever see John or the main chef there, make sure you take care of them on the tip, and they will make you feel like Bellevue is the best city in the USA.

I’m 100% going back next week...

I love this place. First visited during Seattle Restaurant Week (SRW) last year and went again this year. They do not disappoint. Food is tasty, if a bit spicy (that chicken! 🔥), but all good. Portions are generous and two appetizers can serve as dinner.

The Manhattans and choice of red wine for SRW - very nice. Atmosphere is upscale but not pretentious. Just the right amount of lighting.

If you can, get one of the booths (I prefer the one at the end by the windows), or sit at the bar if you're alone.

They also have a happy hour and a half which I've yet to try.

Staff are pleasant, knowledgeable and professional, the bartender's got skills, and the cooks do a great job with the food.

What more do you need? My only gripe is that the wagyu nachos need a bit more wagyu. Otherwise,...