Bar Dojo — Restaurant in Edmonds

My friend and I meet for Happy Hour about once a month and she suggested Bar Dojo saying that the place doesn't look like much but the food is great. I'm glad I looked at the menu online before I got there. She had 3 glasses of Pinot Grigio, a plate of green bean fries, and the egg roll plate (2 hand-made rolls with a small bowl of consume to dip them in). I ordered a gin & 7 over ice which came in an 8-ounce glass, a side order of white rice that is served with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds on top that came in an 8-ounce bowl, and a 'small plate' of edamame with toasted garlic that came in an 8-ounce bowl. The toasted garlic was a nice touch with the edamame along with the large crystals of salt. I shelled the edamame and put it and the garlic on a plate with the rice. The food was prepared well and was very tasty - though I'd like less of the coarse salt. We always request separate checks. I snuck a peek at her check and it was $78. My check was $18 - for a short cocktail with bottom shelf gin and a small plate and a side dish. I picked those items when I looked at the menu online because the prices at this restaurant are insane. I am not paying $25 for a bowl of ramen. About the atmosphere in the restaurant? The tables are so close to each other that it is difficult to walk between them; and you can hear every word of the conversation at the table beside you, behind you, across from you. The servers were very nice and kind enough to pick up my hat that kept falling off the corner of my chair. After the second time I stuffed it in my bag. My recommendation: if money is not a barrier for you eat here because the food is very tasty. If you want to have a private or semi-private conversation don't go here because...

Bar Dojo is the type of restaurant that likes to leave its doors unlocked ten minutes before they open, and act 'surprised Pikachu' when people walk into their restaurant.

My partner and I arrived to the restaurant ten minutes before opening, and politely stood outside until 4 PM assuming that the front door was locked. An elderly white woman got out of her car and barged into the restaurant and we both looked at each other confused, wondering if she would be told to wait.

Again, wanting to be polite, we waited outside until two more people walked into the restaurant. It was 3:58 PM so we went inside, thinking we were good to go.

We immediately felt that wasn't the case when a white gentleman with blue eyes and a goatee huffed past us to turn on the open sign, while mumbling "how can I help you". He didn't look at us once but his blatant frustration to our presence was SUPER off-putting.

So three white people walk in no problem, but the second a Latino couple come in we are treated with annoyance? I told him I didn't like how his attitude was setting the tone for a bad meal and we left.

I do not recommend this restaurant for how rude the staff is. Lock your doors if you don't want guests walking in, and don't be surprised that a couple who was trying to be polite and wait decide to walk in to the restaurant two minutes before open when you already let in three other guests. This place...

Maybe I went on an off night but I was not very impressed... and rather annoyed when you take the price of this place into account. Didn't like the drinks (and there were not many to choose from) and I wasn't crazy about the food. Service was professional and efficient... but not friendly at all either.

We ordered the fried chicken ramen, another noodle dish, and the pork nachos. The fried chicken on the ramen was good, and the broth was alright (I think they added some citrus to zest it up), but the noodles were overcooked and soggy (same for the other noodle dish). As for the nachos, they were pretty good, and I appreciated the house made chips, spices, and fresh avocado, but in the end, the cheese wasn't even fully melted and it was so greasy that we couldn't even finish it and I was left with a stomach ache. And we're not ones to shy away from greasy nachos or pork dishes.

Lastly, the bar tender did not offer to replace my drink when he saw that I was not drinking it. I took maybe 2 sips of it and then just pushed it away. I got one of their featured cocktails (the Geisha) but I honestly couldn't stand it... It was described as containing several interesting flavors including cucumber, but it tasted like pure cucumber juice (with booze) and it had...