Basecamp Books and Bites — Restaurant in Roslyn

We enjoyed eating on the outdoor patio that you can reach through the downstairs restaurant area. It was fairly well shaded - not all tables were in full shade but many were.

The food was quite good with a variety of interesting options. We split two starters: the ahi tacos which were tasty and a touch spicy and the carnitas potato skins which were tasty and a touch messy. 4 of us split two cookies (chocolate chip and snicker doodle) and a piece of nice light cheesecake with strawberry compote and coconut. All quite good! We also got drinks and the blueberry huckleberry mule that we got was probably the highlight of the meal. So good!

We also spent some time in the bookstore. In addition to books, they had various goods, including socks which one friend had needed and had been planning to go elsewhere to find. The book selection was good although fairly standard until you got to the more locally oriented books where there were some hidden gems. We picked up a couple things, including coffee and a beautiful Washington State ABC...

Our experience here was close to being a total disappointment.

The service was good even though we disagree with the servers opinion on the quality and quantity of the food.

Long story short:

I wanted to try the $18.00 gumbo. I hate to assume so I clearly asked the server if it was a small or big portion. The server assured me it was a large serving and that it was amazing.

I was served a small shallow dish of 70% white rice and a small portion of gumbo on top of the rice.

My wife laughed when it was served and said I should have ordered 2.

No rolls or bread or side salad included. Just a small shallow dish of white rice and gumbo for $18.00!!!

On top of getting what I consider to be an over priced dish... it lacked any real flavor. I even had them add jalapenos and it still lacked flavor. :(

My wife ordered the BLT and wanted fries but she was told that the deep fryer was too much of a hassle so she had a choice of potato chips. She did like the turkey on the BLT but there was only 2 small...

My husband and I eat here most weeks, often for Trivia night (which is a hoot, I was reluctant at first, but am now hooked). My first experience was for breakfast, a memorable sandwich, succulent and full flavored, not your run of the mill rendition. Coffee misses the mark, but I'm a snob, and believe I make the best espresso available at home, so ignore my gripe. Dinner in the bar is tasty, ranging from a delightful bean soup to steak (which I've not been impressed by, tough, lacking flavor and overpriced)to exceptional mac n cheese (just try not to flinch too much at the price). The bartender serves up some tasty concoctions, and participates in the fun of Trivia night, by attempting to taunt the crowd with verbal distractions. A very fun place to spend an evening. Upstairs; books, maps, treats, revolving art shows, talks, local...