Hound + Bottle — Restaurant in Bremerton

October 4th, 2024 Hubby and I have a "shared" birthday dinner every year. The dinner falls right after my birthday and right before his. After hearing some glowing reviews about Hound and Bottle, we felt a personal connection. The restaurant's commitment to using locally sourced ingredients and their cozy, neighborhood vibe resonated with us, and we decided to make it our destination for our shared birthday dinner. Stepping into Hound and Bottle, we were enveloped in a contemporary casual, almost pub-style atmosphere, setting the perfect tone for our evening.

We were seated with menus and water and greeted by Cat, our server. She was personable and very charming.

We both ordered drinks, although being a full bar, there were a couple of items they didn't have. A full-service bar should have Kahluaha or at least some sort of coffee liquor. If any patron wanted a Cosmopolitan drink, a proper Cosmopolitan is made with cranberry juice, which they did not have. My drink was a made-up Cosmopolitan; it was a good drink, a little strong for me but tasty overall. My hubby had a Martini and seemed to enjoy it.

Onward to our dinners. We split a Caesar salad, it was unbelievably good, it really was! Although the menu was a little more limited, it was clear that each dish was carefully curated and executed. Sometimes, a smaller menu can mean that the kitchen can focus on perfecting a few dishes rather than spreading themselves too thin. More isn't always better; it's just more, and often, restaurants cut corners to keep costs down.

I decided to have their dinner special. It was a tough choice, with a veggie burger and crab cakes staring me down, but butternut squash risotto won me over. And I was thrilled to have it. It was so flavorful, and the flavor just popped.

Hubby saw the words griddled pork chop and was set on that. Although I wish we had caught this and inquired about the discrepancy in the menu, it was a little confusing why it states griddled pork chop with sweet potato bread pudding, creamed savoy cabbage, and warm marmalade glaze. Aside from the pork chop, it had regular grilled sweet potatoes, which were delicious, but the dinner did NOT have sweet potato bread pudding, creamed savoy cabbage, or any type of glaze. His dinner came with corn on the cob. That's on us; it's too late now to say something. I can only hope that other patrons who may be interested in this but receive something else inquire about this discrepancy. That said, although he stated the dinner was really good, thirty-seven dollars was a tad high for this meal.

Overall, our evening went well. Hound and Bottles is located in the Manette area at 2109 E. 11th St., Bremerton, WA. Hound and Bottle is across the street from Saboteur Bakery and within walking distance of The Manette Bridge and the Boat Shed Restaurant.

Parking can be dicey. As far as I know, street parking is the only option. Since I don't frequent that area, I cannot give my opinion on when are good and bad times to get parking.

Here is another excellent way to support a locally owned small business. Aside from the confusion of the menu, I hope the owner corrects the menu or tells customers that the menu has changed. Our server was great!

Please don't forget, Be kind to ALL living things 🌲🐾 Happy Fall and Happy...

This is going to be a long review, so bear with me. My roommates and I decided to try something new on a whim and this place had some pretty decent reviews.

Between the three of us, we ordered 2 ciders, a glass of whiskey, Deviled Eggs, 2 Honor Dogs, a Meatloaf Sandwich, and "Wing Wednesday".

There's not much to say about the alcohol other than it was served with a smile. The service at this small place was pleasant and the staff was very honest about any of the menu items we asked about.

Deviled Eggs: 2 Eggs, split in half, the yolks whipped up with a sprinkling of course paprika. The eggs were small and had absolutely no flavor. Those 4 half-eggs were $6.00.

Honor Dogs: Standard 6 inch hot dogs, on brioche buns, mustard and sauerkraut. The only real complaint I have about this, is the sauerkraut which was literally sliced cabbage with vinegar on it. I would've expected it to be stewed or properly fermented for some time to give it that softness versus the crunch I received as I ate. They were $6.00 each, $12.00 for the pair.

Meatloaf Sandwich: While it was a semi-filling meal, it lacked...everything. The meatloaf itself was cold (Which was expected but ordered despite the fact) but in the most literal terms, it was a loaf of meat. Nothing more, no extra ingredients, little to no seasoning. The mustard and ketchup were there to mask the lack of flavor. That was $14.00

"Wing Wednesday": This was apparently a special since it deserved it's own day, but I'm not sure I see how special 6 wings are for a $14.00 price tag. They were properly cooked and coated in a "Vietnamese sauce". The strange part, was that somehow these wings smelled...foul. Unpleasant. The flavor was pretty good, so aside from offending the olfactory senses, they weren't bad.

Overall, the bill totaled $66.00 before tax for three people dining with drinks.

I really appreciated the servers pleasant nature and honesty about their menu items, it really helped me not to order the 6oz $32.00 tri tip steak. They were also very quick to bring us water, our drinks and our food as soon as it was ready.

Before I would eat there again, the chefs would need to do some brushing up on basic spices and simple recipes. The lack of flavor on many of the items coupled with a gourmet price makes a dissatisfying experience. The lack of sides on most of the items they serve, also leaves you hungry. Something as simple as french fries would've...

I’m vegan, and I’ve been to Hound & Bottle several times, and it’s been fine. None of the food has been exceptionally good or bad. And to me, the price is too high for the food to just be “fine.”

The mocktails are always delicious, and one time they made me a Pimm’s cup. I’ve also sipped a few of my family’s cocktails and they’re quite good.

The best thing I had was a vegan sloppy Joe with chickpeas a few years ago. The vegan Caesar salad is good. They seem to have a housemade veggie burger on the menu year round, but it’s on a brioche bun so if you want to get it vegan it just comes without a bun… I had it once with the bun and even then I found it pretty dry and underwhelming, especially for the price. ($18 with a pickle and a handful of their thick fries [the fries are tasty and vegan]).

We went yesterday and I got a squash appetizer without the crème fresh, and half the squash was undercooked (like so hard I couldn’t put a fork through it). I told the server and they comped the dish, but even the part that was edible wasn’t that great, so I didn’t really want a replacement.

My sister likes the steak, she’s had it twice and the steak is cooked well, the sauce is good, but the carrots have been undercooked both times. She agrees that the drinks are better than the food. She also says the desserts are good.

My mom thought the crab cakes were delicious, her Brussels sprouts were not undercooked.

The people who work there are lovely, and it’s a good vibe, but it might just be a drinks & desserts...