Epulo Bistro — Restaurant in Edmonds

We chose Epulo for the first dinner of our annual family trip and, unfortunately, it was an experience I would rather forget. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a friendly hostess who quickly seated us. Our server, Meghan M., took our order: two beers, a Little Gem Salad, Fig and Bleu Pizza, Local Manila Clams, and Rigatoni Fromaggio with chicken.

Everything seemed fine at first. The salad came out, followed by the mains. We were really enjoying the food and having a great time until we realized that the fregola pasta was missing from the clam dish. We asked the hostess, who was filling our water nearby, if the dish was supposed to have pasta, but she wasn’t sure. She called over our server, Meghan M. When we asked her if there was supposed to be pasta in the clam dish, she simply said, "Oh, usually there is," and walked away without further explanation. We were left confused, unsure if we should continue eating the dish or wait for her to return.

About 10 minutes later, a server assistant brought a small bowl of soup to our table, even though we hadn’t ordered any. He told us that our server had sent it, but again, there was no explanation. We figured it was the missing pasta, so I added it to the clams. What really upset me was the lack of an apology or explanation for the mistake. It made the situation feel uncomfortable and unprofessional.

We finished eating and asked for the bill. My boyfriend was paying with his Canadian debit card (not Visa Debit), which doesn’t have an expiration date or CVC code. We weren’t sure if it would work, but decided to try it anyway. When the server returned with the bill, I asked if they used machines for payments. She responded, "We don't use those here, it’s tacky," and walked away with the debit card. When she came back, she said, "We only use REAL cards here," in a condescending manner. It was incredibly unprofessional. I explained that it is a real card and typically works with most machines, but she continued to insist they only accept REAL cards with an expiry and CVC code. By this point, my boyfriend had already pulled out a different card, but the entire exchange left a bad taste in my mouth.

As I was on my phone, the server came back and saw that i was on my phone and said, "Here comes the Yelp review," in a sarcastic tone. That was the final straw for me. I asked her why she was being so rude, but she showed no interest in resolving the situation and instead argued back. I then asked to see the manager.

The assistant general manager Matthew Martin was very polite and genuinely tried to make things right. He apologized repeatedly and even offered us a tiramisu to go as a gesture of goodwill. While I appreciated his efforts, unfortunately, the damage was already done.

As someone whose family has worked in the customer service industry, I know what the bare minimum of decent service looks like. Sadly, this server couldn’t even meet that standard. This experience left a sour impression, and We won’t be...

I rarely write reviews but we had such a disappointing experience for a restaurant with such high price points I decided to share. My husband and I usually have a date night once a week and we enjoy supporting local restaurants (favorite is still Amoro in Bothell). We had reservations last evening, were greeted promptly and seated early, which was great. (while we were waiting at the front, a manager/owner type approached the hostesses, asked if everyone had been greeted, glanced around and even made eye contact with, then stomped away. It would have been a perfect opportunity for him to personally greet his guests in the lobby, but as our evening progressed it was obvious hospitality details were not important). Our server greeted us promptly and answered questions about wines ($10/glass for house chardonnay). Asked if we were ready to order, didn't point out specials, merchandise the menu, offer an app, and kept calling me a "guy", which is my restaurant pet peeve. ie, "Are you guys ready to order?". I'm a 50 year old woman, I'm not a guy. Anyway, I was surprised at the menu price points, especially for an Edmonds strip mall restaurant. ($53 for a salmon fillet, $22 for a bowl of pasta). I chose the lamb chops ($29) and ordered medium rare. An expeditor brought out entrees out promptly, asked who had what (another pet peeve), plopped down our plates and wandered off. I had about a pile of sauce, another pile of greens, and a 4 ounce portion of lamb, blood rare, slightly warm in the middle. Waiter took it back for a re-fire, and it came out again completely charred and well done. Either the chef was mad I didn't like his food or they were trying to quickly turn their tables (I've read a few reviews from guests who were told to leave at 90 minutes). Anyway, super unprofessional and amateur move, obviously a lack of training. Waiter apologized, took it off our check, and we left. (ended up at Kahlo with personal and friendly service and delicious fresh seafood for about half the price of Epulo.) Anyway, quick timings and turning table seem to be the priority in Epulo at the expense of quality and hospitality. And watch out with those menu prices - your guests might not complain but they won't return, especially with the competition in the Edmonds restaurant market. We...

We came here for a birthday dinner. The food was fine. It was nothing to rave about and honestly not something I would come back for. I got the sausage flatbread (entree size) and would rate it a 3/5 on taste, but closer to a 2/5 for value since it wasn't filling. Other members of my party rated their food lower and mentioned that it was not worth the price (most notably the small portion of not well seasoned steak).

The major contributor to the low rating has to do with the lack of customer service shown by the manager and staff. For this dinner, we brought an outside cake into the restaurant. One member of our party was charged $20 for "set up," which consisted of them placing a handful of candles into the cake. We were not aware of the added charge until the bill came (although multiple staff members saw the cake when we came in). A member from our party asked for the manager to be called over to discuss the charge. From the moment he approached the table, his body language screamed that he did not care. As they are explaining to him the situation and the suggestion that in the future staff should alert customers to added fees (not demanding a refund but just voicing concerns), everything he is saying and doing are conveying that he could not be bothered to care. He was dismissive with his comments, and it was only after the mention of a review that he tried to explain the restaurant's policy and tried to rectify the issue. By this point, the member of our party that had the added charge put on their bill interrupts and let's him know that he doesn't need to do anything, because we can all tell based on his first responses and body language that he does not actually care. I understand it can be restaurant policy, but for you as a manager to not care about a customer's comments or concerns, speaks volumes on the establishment.

It was already a place I was likely to not be in a rush to revisit, but the lack of respect and civility showed by the manager was all I needed to know not to come back.

TLDR; food is average 2/5 - 3/5. Manager and staff are 1/5. Not worth...