Ciudad — Restaurant in Seattle

I/We have been here many times and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience majority of the time. However, the past 3-4 times have been extremely disappointing. The service has been dismal at best and absolutely atrocious at worst. The food is consistently decent however not knockout wonderful as it has been previously. My partner and I went tonight and we had the worst dining experience that we have ever shared together. From the moment we arrived we felt like a bother and a nuance. We approached the host around 7pm and asked to be seated for two. The gentleman told us it would be 30 minutes and we agreed. We went back into the front corridor to wait after first placing a drink order. About 25 mins went by and we never received our drinks. I went back to the main dining room and inquired. The individual in a gray T-shirt approached me. I told him that we were waiting for drinks and he responded by telling me that he didn’t take my order so he doesn’t know anything. While I understand that, it also doesn’t excuse the lack of customer service. About ten minutes later we received our glasses of wine and continued to wait for a table. About another ten minutes later we were finally taken to our seats. We waited about forty minutes or so (which is fine). Upon being seated, our waitress approached the table and greeted us by asking, “you know what you want since you’ve had the chance to look at the menu while you waited?” I thanked her and then informed that we were never given a menu so we needed a moment to look it over. She just walked away without a response to what I said. It was rude. About 5-10 mins later she approached us again asking what we wanted. She was rather abrasive. We ordered a large flatbread and asked about the smoked yogurt and Chimichurri sauces. She told us that those were sides to main entrees. We said okay and then ordered some meats and included the yogurt, Chimichurri and harissa sauces. Never once did we mention or ask for hummus. (We both don’t care for it). I also ordered a cocktail. The drink arrived and it was awful. It was basically a smoothie with gin added. It was far too thick and not enjoyable at all. Our server never came to ask how the drink was. Flatbread arrived and it was only a single piece. We were confused as there was only hummus accompanied by it when we had ordered other dips and a three piece flatbread. Again, there was no check ins so we didn’t get a chance to express our concerns. Our server brought our meat entrees to the table at which point we finally inquired about the missing flatbread and sauces. A few mins later the missing dishes arrived. I had not taken more than one sip of my drink as it was not for me. I would have ordered something else if given the chance however that never came. Not one person that came to our table ever asked how our food/drinks were. We finished our meal and were ready for the check. Our waitress dropped the bill. Upon review, we waited for her to come back to discuss it. When she approached us I explained that I hadn’t enjoyed or consumed my drink as it was not desirable. She responded by telling me that I should’ve told her that I didn’t like it so she could’ve gotten me something else. It wasn’t a customer service driven remark it felt defensive. I shared that I didn’t get that chance since she never returned to our table to check on drinks. My partner then explained that we were disappointed in the service and respectfully requested to speak to a manager. She told us that the manager left for the night. We persisted that there must be someone we could talk to. She continued that the manger had left and walked away! The other issue with our bill was we were charged for an appetizer flatbread then charged for “extra” flatbread. It should’ve been the three piece order price since that’s what we ordered. That is basically the end of our encounter. Waitress took the drink off the tab along with the “extra flatbread” and called it day. The bill was not fair and the service was dreadful. We will not be coming back for a long while....

I honestly didn't know what I was in for as Ciudad was a second option for dinner (the place we had in mind happened to be closed). I was not disappointed and you will not either! Upon walking in the front doors, you walk past their grilling area so you get to smell the wonderful things they are cooking up. Their interior is very cute - wall decor and set up was unique, color sheme was lovely, and has a modern and homey vibe. Ambience was on point! We came here on a Tuesday around 5:30pm as a party of two and were seated immediately.

Their waiter was very knowledgable about the menu and was very friendly and helpful as we struggled to figure out what to get (everything just sounded very good). He was confident in his suggestions and I am so glad we trusted him because our meal was perfect.

-Brussel sprouts and crispy carrot: I am not a fan of vegetables but I eat them cuz I know they are good for me. We got this dish and if someone can make me brussel sprouts like this I will eat my veggies HAPPILY for the rest of my life. These were so well done! I believe they were also grilled and it had some crunch to it from the crispy sweet carrots. This is must get! -1/4 lb of cider brined pork shoulder and 1/4 lb of herb marinated hanger steak: for two people, we got a total of 1/2 lb of meat. when this came, it didn't seem like a lot. but when we were done eating, we were perfectly filled. Their meat is done perfectly and sliced up for you into perfect portions. The steak was beautifully done to medium rare. We weren't blown out of the water by the pork shoulder. The steak was our favorite! Their meats come with these special salt on the side that you can sprinkle onto the slices of meat - i thought the meat was flavorful enough but my boyfriend loved the extra flavor their special salt added! -Flatbread with lebneh dip: their flatbread was fresh and homemade and the lebneh dip is yogurty and tangy! PROTIP: ask them to serve with the meat or order sides of flatbread. It is delicious and I ate most of it before the meat came and I wished i had saved more to eat with my meat! -Tomato sambal sauce: this is an extra order and I do not regret the $ spent on this. The sauces are recommended to eat with your meat. This had a good kick of heat to it. The tomato and sweetness also cuts through really well. It was AMAZING with the meat. I liked to mix it with the extra lebneh dip (it helped cool down the spiciness of it for me)!

Had a fantastic experience eating here and would love to come back to try some of their other veggies and eat more flatbread and steak! They give you these lovely coffee meringues with your bill too (so....

I really think Ciudad is hidden gem in Seattle mostly because it's hidden in Georgetown. Their food is phenomenal, their staff are incredibly helpful (great attitude even when answering our dumb questions), and the restaurant has a hip street vibe to it. Street parking only.

The first thing you notice when you get there is the outdoor patio seating, an outdoor kitchen grill, and basically the lack of people. Don't worry, you're at the right place. The main dining area is being a steel door. Go through it and it'll feel like you're entering into a concrete greenhouse but without the humidity and greenery. Please wait to be seated.

Once seated, take your time to look over all that they offer. It's a fairly simple menu but that's how they can ensure it all tastes great!!

Here are my thoughts of what we had, in no particular order:

Fried sweet corn: this is some roasted, sweet goodness that are corn ribs. This isn't individual corn kernels but rather some of the cob is still attached to the corn. It all tastes naturally sweet! .... To the point where I even ate the cob (kinda tough and chewy but it still tasted sweet, and I don't mean like sugar sweet but genuinely sweet like how sweet corn should be). Apparently it's a popular choice and for good reason! The plating looks so inviting too! Great for sharing... Or all for yourself. I'm not judging.

Lamb ribs: wow, the ribs were tender. They pulled away from the bone fairly easy. Still juicy. Still yummy. The salad that sits on top of the ribs is refreshing and looks beautiful!

Grilled lamb and beef kofta: I thought it was ok but mostly because it has the consistency of a ground meat pattie. If that works for you then absolutely go for it!! They sit on a slightly tangy sauce and topped with a slightly vinegary salad. Presentation is great. Taste is even better.

Grilled prawns: the prawns were neutral in the sense that they're lightly spiced grilled prawns with lemon and mint. Can't go wrong!

Fao 34 octopus: I tend to want my seafood to do the flavor talking. In this case, the Moroccan chermoula (marinade/sauce) was overpowering (though to be fair, octopus and seafood flavors in general are naturally very subtle). But I'm not complaining; each person has their own preferences. The marinade was slightly spicy, slightly salty, and still great!

And the flat bread with dip: let me put it this way, we ordered it more than once and each time, the flat bread was warm and fluffy and still yummy. 'nough said.

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