Front Street Grill — Restaurant in Coupeville

Food: Our evening commenced with a serving of calamari, which, whilst accompanied by a delightfully tasteful sauce, proved rather underwhelming in both flavor and portion. At the princely sum of $23, one might expect more than twelve middling strips, each no more robust than a middle finger. Sadly, they lacked the culinary vivacity one anticipates from such a fare.

My date selected the seafood pasta, a dish that, regrettably, bore little resemblance to its titular promise. What was presented could best be described as a disconcerting amalgam of spaghetti and curry, draped in an unsettling coconut-flavored sauce. The imposition of such a flavor upon what one might expect to be Italian pasta was nothing short of gastronomic heresy. At $32, the dish was an affront not merely to the palate but to the wallet as well.

I, ever the enthusiast for traditional delights, opted for the white wine mussels, heralded on the menu as a choice "for the die-hard traditionalists." However, the dish that arrived was a grievous letdown, tasting predominantly of overcooked white wine tinged with what one could only describe as the essence of sea bile, overwhelmed by an excess of garlic. The only respite was found in the provided bread, which, ironically devoid of garlic itself, became somewhat palatable when used to sop the garlicky broth.

Service: While my date discovered an un-debearded mussel amidst her meal—a clear oversight in culinary preparation—the response to such a faux pas was nonexistent, a clear dereliction of the service one might expect at a dining establishment of repute. Given that, the young ladies were attentive to our needs in refreshment, and providing the check.

Atmosphere: Despite the culinary misadventures, the ambiance of the establishment carried a whisper of charm, sadly overshadowed by the disheartening fare.

In summation, while one may venture to a dining establishment in pursuit of culinary delight, our experience was marred by dishes that seemed to mock the very essence of haute cuisine. The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the 2021 Clean Slate Riesling, a testament to the vintner's craft, and a crisp contrast to the evening's less palatable offerings. One hopes for a return to form, where the promise of excellence is not only met but exceeded.

We deliberated the prospect of revisiting the establishment in future times to sample additional culinary offerings. Whilst the vista provided by the restaurant is indeed splendid, it regrettably does not compensate for the extravagant cost nor the dissatisfaction wrought by the meals served. With such underwhelming fare, we might find better use in boiling the seawater upon which the restaurant sits, using the $32 as mere garnish to enhance the flavor.

Frustration, is a mere understatement to how I feel about this location. We will not...

The one star review is for the manager working on Saturday Oct. 21. Why are you working in the service industry if you are so incredibly self centered and short sighted? If the restaurant was mine, I would not want someone like you working there because you are very disrespectful. My family of 4 (including 2 young children) came to eat here on Saturday afternoon around 3:30. We ordered drinks, appetizers and main meals - clearly there with willingness to spend and have a nice time. The appetizer (calamari) was described by my son as “processed” but we stayed open minded. We watched tables left and right get served while we waited. I was initially told that one of the less than 5 white wines by the glass on the menu was not available; then I was told the manager miraculously found it. Finally, food was served minus my daughters; the server said they were surprised to learn that the only chowder was pesto. We ordered fish and chips as a replacement and proceeded to wait another 15 min while the rest of us let our food cook as we waited for her food to arrive.couldn’t they have thought about this before serving us? Our glasses emptied and no one checked in. At one point we were asked if we wanted dessert comped on the house and I said no and that we expected the restaurant to do better based on what we already ordered. In the end, we were offered a comped appetizer and a $160 check. I rolled my eyes but my husband who has worked in the service industry in the past gave a generous 20% tip nonetheless. On our way out I pulled the manager to the side discreetly to share some feedback. I politely shared the feedback that our server was good but our overall experience due to multiple long wait times and confusions with the menu was poor. The manager asked me to move to the side, did not apologize and insisted that a comped appetizer was all they were willing to do to make up for the bad experience. Whidbey Island has all sorts of lovely restaurants. If I were you, I wouldn’t waste my time...

We were down in the area and asked for a good place to eat, specifically seafood. This was recommended. The area of town is very quaint but parking is a bit interesting.

We were there on a very busy day, but they have a system to TxT you when your table is ready. They said it was 45-60 min wait, but it was way less, maybe 25. Just enough to buy a book from a store down the street.

The staff was very friendly, efficient and helpful with the menu questions I had. Describing the food clearly and Accurately.

I started out with a cup of their clam chowder. It was outstanding and I wish I had ordered a bowl. My apologies for not taking a photo of the presentation,as it was very nice, but I dove right in. I was purring all the to the last of it. Very VERY good.

We had the crab cakes, one order with the Caesar salad, mine with the house salad. Both were excellent. As for the crab cakes, they are a mix of 2 types of crab meat - and the 2nd best I have ever had.. And I use crab cakes all the time to judge a seafood restaurant if they offer them.

We both had drinks, and I did an enjoyable interesting Porter.

My desert was the Banana and Strawberry creme brulee. The crust was spot on, even colored with no burning, at the right thickness and very flavorful. The creme was extremely well balanced in flavor, consistency was excellent, although it could have been a tiny bit more firm. Overall it was a great experience.

The other desert was a Apple Crisp. The top was perfectly good with even color and not burnt. The filling was very tasty and balanced, but it was not set up as much as I prefer to see.

The atmosphere in the place and the views are excellent. Bottom line, I plan to drive down there again for this restaurant many times and eat my way through the menu.

Definitely a place you should try...