Vue Prime Mexican Steakhouse — Restaurant in Kent

Vue Steakhouse offers good food, but our recent experience revealed a glaring lack of transparency and professionalism that soured what should have been a celebratory evening.

To start, a service charge was imposed—yet this charge was not disclosed anywhere on the menu, the receipt, or at the table. According to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries:

“If a business imposes a service charge, it must clearly disclose on the receipt and menu how much, if any, an employee who provides services will receive from the service charge.”

When I politely raised this issue with the manager, she curtly stated the policy is available on the website and on a small 5x7 placard near the entrance—neither of which meets the legal requirement for disclosure at the point of service.

The situation only escalated from there. Although our party consisted of four adults and one infant, the service charge was calculated for five people simply because the reservation had been made for five. When I referenced the law and calmly expressed concern, the manager berated me, going so far as to say I was “the reason businesses are failing” and suggesting I should leave the restaurant.

She also accused me of holding up the table due to tardiness. For clarity, the reservation was for 4:30 p.m., and I arrived at 4:36 p.m.—a six-minute delay that hardly seems egregious for a fine dining establishment.

I want to acknowledge that opening and running a new restaurant is no easy feat. Rising costs and labor challenges are real, and service charges have become a common solution. But mandatory fees do not excuse a lack of transparency—or disrespect toward paying customers. L&I guidelines exist to ensure fairness, and Vue Steakhouse is currently falling short.

As someone with years of experience in management, I would have used this moment as an opportunity to build trust. A sincere, “I’m sorry if our service didn’t meet your expectations. Would you like to adjust your tip or provide feedback?” would have changed the entire tone of the interaction.

We spent over $400 on dinner for four, and naturally expected an experience that matched the price point. Unfortunately, the lack of accountability and professionalism overshadowed the meal itself.

Until Vue Steakhouse revisits both its policies and approach to customer care, I would recommend dining elsewhere—Asadero Prime, for example, where the service is as thoughtfully executed...

Whatever you do if you need a manager don’t speak with Maria she is extremely rude. I have been here multiple times. The last time I went I had a party of 5 so they charged me a 20% service fee which is fine it was a bigger party. I went there on Sunday as a party of 2 & when I looked at the receipt my total was 133 and down below it shows suggested gratuity & they automatically added 18% to the bill. I was going to leave a tip in cash but seeing they tip themselves automatically why would I. I asked the server why that’s automatically on there she said that’s just how they do it. I called to speak with a manager regarding this as the service I received wasn’t worth 18% as the server dropped the food and later came to give us the check never stopped to ask if we needed refills or anything at all & it wasn’t busy either for her to be swamped and not have time to do so, and when I spoke with her she was telling me the website shows they charge the the 18% automatically. The website does not have that anywhere it shows that for parties or 5 or more there is a 20% service fee but that’s it. When I asked her why I’m being forced to leave 18% if the service wasn’t worth that much she (Maria) wanted to argue with me saying “that’s what you think” no ma’am that’s what I know as I was the one receiving the service first hand. She was very argumentative saying “this is her restaurant and that’s how it’s done as they split the fee between all the employees and they have to pay the IRS” & blah blah blah. First of all it’s not her restaurant she is a manager not the owner, second of all why would I be responsible for paying your fees to the IRS? To make matters worst I left almost 30 dollars in fees for subpar service and for my husband to have food poisoning that night & all the next day from the 30 day dry aged rib eye steak. It’s unfortunate that they treat customers this badly and have such an attitude. If you want to be robbed of your money sneakily & have subpar service this is the place to go otherwise there is much better steakhouses to go to with nicer management, better food, & better...

I was extremely disappointed with this restaurant, especially given it’s marketed as a high-end Mexican steakhouse. The quality of the food, service, and management did not live up to the reputation.

We ordered the steak and lobster for two, and both were overcooked—the steak kept cooking on the sizzling skillet until it was basically beef jerky, and the lobster was so overdone it turned brown and was rubbery. There was a lack of flavor from everything ordered. The appetizers were also underwhelming. The bone marrow, for example, barely had any marrow and was mostly just coated in cheese.

Service was average at best. Our server did discount our lobster tail after I complained it was inedible, which I appreciated, but overall the experience was slow. We had a large party (15 people), but the appetizers came out at the same time as the entrées, which made them pointless, and we waited so long for our checks that we eventually had to go up front to pay ourselves.

On top of that, management was extremely rude. A few guests who hadn’t RSVP’d arrived, so I politely asked if they could be accommodated. The host told us “of course” and even asked if we’d prefer extra chairs or an additional table in the private room. When we chose the table option, the manager came in shortly after with an attitude saying, “This room only accommodates 14, we can NOT add another table in here, there is no way.” Not only was it unprofessional (especially since the option was offered to us), but her tone was completely unnecessary. We ended up squeezing the extra guests in without issue, but the way it was handled left a very bad impression.

And for a restaurant that positions itself as upscale, I was shocked to see dollar-store stickers still stuck to the bottom of the place settings. Details like that really cheapen the entire experience.

Overall, the majority of our party left disappointed with both the food and the service. Definitely not the quality, professionalism, or experience you’d expect from a...