Tenth House — Restaurant in Friday Harbor

Let me save you time, money, and frustration: skip the Tenth House if you’re visiting the San Juan Islands. This place may advertise itself as “elevated Italian,” but the only thing elevated here is the owner’s ego — and maybe their contempt for their own customers.

From the moment we arrived, we were treated like we were inconveniencing them just by showing up. We waited over 15 minutes at our table without so much as a hello or water. When we politely asked a staff member if we could be helped soon, we were called rude by the owner.

When the food finally began to arrive, it got worse. Plates we didn’t order were dropped at our table without explanation. No apology. No correction. Just a confusing moment with the owner who approached us without us requesting a consult with her. She made no attempt to make anything right, instead she showed a megalomaniac demeanor and looked down on us with contempt, defending and justifying the wrong food, a completely forgotten order and was clearly mad that we offered feedback per her request because it didn’t tickle her fancy. I can’t wait to see how she attempts to rebut this review like past bad reviews about service she’s chimed in on.

No empathy, no offer to expedite it, no comp, no ownership. Just blank stares and a general vibe of “not our problem.”

Hospitality is supposed to be about care, grace, and a bit of joy. Tenth House is about power-tripping, corner-cutting, and gaslighting customers into thinking they’re the problem. It’s the kind of place that makes you walk out asking yourself: Did that really just happen?

There are too many warm, welcoming, and truly excellent spots in the San Juans to waste your time and money here. Do yourself a favor and support literally any other restaurant that remembers what...

I wanted to like this restaurant. I did. I/we even attempted several times within the last few months. It just looks so inviting from the outside! But between the (lack of) casual service and the unreasonable prices… the aesthetic vibe feel and the nice wine selection isn’t enough to make it worth the visit. Having previously worked in the restaurant industry, I tend to give restaurants a lot more grace and patience than most patrons… however, waiting 10-15 minutes to get acknowledged and have watered poured into your empty glasses for the first time feels like you’re an inconvenience to them. Actually, that’s exactly how we’ve felt each time… an inconvenience. And ordering counter service if you didn’t have a reservation is fine, if you want that type of dining experience. I do have to say, I did have a few nice dishes. But others fell short. For how much the bill ends up being, I’d prefer some consistency in good food & service. I lived in Italy and so I never try to compare my first hand experiences with Italian restaurants elsewhere… therefore, the best way to describe this is place is: American Italian restaurant with a...

An absolute gem of a spot in Friday Harbor. My husband and I were visiting the PNW (we live in Brooklyn, NY) and one of the nights was a stay in Friday Harbor. As we had one dinner here, I wanted to pick a place with great food, but also had a unique vibe. Tenth House was exactly that. The atmosphere was so cozy and welcoming, you truly feel like you are hanging out in a friends backyard. The appetizers we got (beet salad and arancini) were fantastic and so fresh. We then got the potato pizza and it was absolutely delicious, the flavor and texture were incredible, and we enjoyed watching the pizzas get made right in front of us. Lastly, the wine!! The selection was so thoughtful and everything we tried was delicious. I wanted to extend our trip to come for another dinner, but sadly we didn't have the time. As folks from Brooklyn, we have had our fair share of good pizza and wine, and Tenth House is the best place I have been to in a very long time. Just go if you are in...