Formula Brewing — Restaurant in Issaquah

Very interesting place, but seems to be on a downward trend lately.

This was one of our favorite spots to stop by after a trail run or cycle; outdoor seating is fantastic, large tables indoors, and conveniently located. The staff here are also exceptional, which is the only reason why this review is 3 stars instead of 2. They're truly efficient, super nice, and all around awesome (far better than what you'd expect).

The downsides here are strange, and seem to be easily fixable but over the past 5-6 months they've persisted.

First, the wings are either terrible or "good", but never great. Not sure what is going on, but the old Habanero is now gone (previously their best option), and Ghost Pepper is barely more flavorful or spicy than a dive bar happy hour wing. They are still fall-off-the-bone soft, but too much so; never thought I'd be saying this, but they taste old and mushy. You can't dip one without losing half of it in the sauce. There is very little to no flavor, they're just slow cooked to pudding viscosity and lightly drizzled with something that resembles a sauce, but doesn't taste like a sauce. The wings here used to be epic, I believe they even won an award at one point.

Second, the parking is a bit hit or miss. There is plenty of parking out back, and a small lot out front. A few months back, we parked our motorcycle in front, but in the gravel (so as to not take up a spot that cars could occupy). Was told by an older gent, very politely, to move our bike so that it wasn't on the gravel. He mentioned that a food truck would be coming, and that would place us in the way for the line of people waiting to order at the food truck (the truck did arrive, but there was never more than one person in line. We occupied a car spot, which seemed silly). On another occasion, I again rode a motorcycle and parked, this time in a car spot. Another (different) older gent walked over and told me I should be parking in the gravel/off to the side, to save the spots for cars/trucks etc. I let him know that we previously were told NOT to do this, and his response was "No, they never said that". I told him that we were asked to move because of a food truck, and all of a sudden he went from a complete jerk to nearly-apologetic, and mentioned that food trucks only showed up every few months, and I should continue parking in the gravel. Aside from the inconsistency of the parking directions, it's just weird having some dude in an old Ford sit and stare at people the entire time you're sitting outside. I understand there are probably issues with parking (given the 4-5 very clear signs of the next door business that state "no brewery parking"), but it also doesn't have to be creepy and at odds with previous directions.

The pizzas here are excellent, and aside from some pricing inconsistencies (charged slightly more for a pizza than the menu stated), they're well proportioned and definitely worth the cost. Each whole pizza can feed 2-4, depending on appetites. I saw a few complaints about too much cheese in the reviews, and if that's the number 1 issue I think it's a pretty good issue to have. They're wood fired, and overall very, very good.

Overall, this place is worth a visit (or repeat visits, in our case). Not sure about the odd downsides, but perhaps they can be attributed to growing pains or post-COVID return to normal. In any case, the staff alone are reason enough to come back, they really...

Poor customer service and ethics from the owner/management.

We visited on a Friday night as we were leaving Seattle (18/02/2022). We ordered two beers and a pizza, and paid by credit card at the counter (including a tip!). Unfortunately the receipt printer didn't send our order to the kitchen, so we sat there for over an hour as multiple other parties came and went while we waited for a pizza that was never coming. Staff were cleaning tables around us, but nobody seemed to wonder why there were two people with a number on their table staring longingly at the kitchen for so long.

My girlfriend inquired at the bar, and was told 'it's on the way' by an employee who clearly didn't check it was on the way, because when she checked again later with a different employee, they realized the mistake. The kitchen was not making a pizza for us.

The manager on duty claimed that he didn't have the power to issue a refund. I gave him my phone number, and he assured me that the owner would call within 2-3 days. The owner never called. I then disputed the credit card transaction, because we were not provided with the merchandise that we paid for. Today I just got a notification that the bank is not crediting me because Formula Brewing sent my bank the receipt for the transaction that we made at the counter, and that's good enough for the bank! So now Formula Brewing even gets to keep my tip!

My advice for others is to not trust Formula Brewing ownership and management, and to never, ever tip them until AFTER...

"Trying but not quite succeeding" pretty much sums up the overall review. Some of the folks in our group pretty consistently like some of their IPAs; if that's your primary focus you'd probably find beer you'd like. The rest of the beer seems to miss a bit more than hit, and their tap list leans heavily into their strength, with usually just a couple beers that aren't IPAs or pilsners. They've got some cocktails on the menu now.

Both the indoor and outdoor spaces are large. Inside the music is a bit loud and really all over the place (swung from techno to 40's to country within about half an hour last time). It's kid friendly enough with older kids, and while they have high chairs, they're so much taller than the tables that they're not actually functional. Outside has a large covered area and they sometimes have propane heaters out there.

The pizzas are decent but overpriced and the menu prices are wrong; we paid over $30 (before tax) for a single pizza listed for $28. They've got specific pizzas on the menu, but not really an option to divert from that set. They're kind of particular and the chance of encountering a common allergen/spiciness level/dislike are high, so if you're sharing them with a group expect to both need a substitution and be charged for it on top of the ~$30 base. Our group likes their wings. The online menus for both food and beer are often wrong; last time they were 3 weeks out of date. They're not on Untappd or Digital Pour...