COMMUNION Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Seattle

As someone who is from the south and coming from Tx to WA . This place is disappointing/ kinda nasty and overpriced! For starters, keep in mind my husband paid $200 for our dinner. So I went to this place for my birthday like I said I am a southern girl from the south so I’ve been begging my husband to take me to a soul food place . Yes, there is different places around here but for a lot of these places, it was mixed reviews. like the main dish might be good but the side dishes are dry. But this was the only place that seem to have it put together in photos. They kinda had a little bit mixed reviews, but the TikTok videos were good so I told him let’s go here. We got there we got seated outside, which was the only thing that they had available, which was fine by me. I think this day was a Saturday so it wasn’t a shocker how packed it was. Plus on top of that our waiter was able to get us inside eventually before our food came, which was nice and thoughtful because he didn’t have to do that . now mind you like I said before I’ve been craving soul food so my main thing Im tryna get is fried catfish deep down in the south where I’m from no matter what location you go to fried catfish is always gonna be the same FRIED CATFISH . Cause idk wtf ts was .And another thing that intrigued me to really go to this place is because they had greens with turkey neck and I wasn’t seeing other places that had tht so I said OK that’s real southern. I’m a need that too. So we’re sitting next to some people it was a guy and a girl look like they were on a date and they were brought their food first and they were brought which I didn’t know at all was the catfish plate so I’m guessing that they accidentally brought our food to their table Because the waiter was frustrated and when she went back to the kitchen, she was rolling her eyes the whole way there, and I mean the whole way baby she was irritated. Which I get it is a Saturday It’s irritating you ain’t got no time for nobody to be messing up in the kitchen because clearly this wasn’t the lady’s fault. 10 minutes later they brought our food …now the waiter did make a comment to my husband that I did not like whatsoever and that could’ve been worded completely differently, which was when they were trying to put the food on the table. The table was totally clear, but my husband just had his phone on the very edge of the table the waiter said so Rudely “ You know, if you move your phone off the table this will help us a lot in the situation” I almost said something about it but it was birthday and I know how I can get cause his phone wasn’t in the way like I said . But I’m assuming they brought out the same catfish plate to me when I tell you, I was so confused by this damn catfish plate this look like it was a fried pork belly with some vegetables on top. And yes, I did my research before ordering. I looked at the TikTok’s and I looked at the reviews and I Did not see a catfish plate like this at all! I could not believe my eyes now I know it said that it came with the peanuts and the aïoli sauce, which is cool I expected, but that catfish was terrible. The batter was not sticking on the catfish whatsoever. The inside of the catfish in the middle was slimy. I was only able to eat the outside of the catfish. It was a huge cat fish but not worth $52 especially by the way it was cooked . The mac & cheese was so damn greasy. It was insane. My husband finished it because he likes mac & cheese and of course you paying $16 for some damn grease pool mac & cheese. Of course you going to finish it but I couldn’t . The hoe cakes and collard greens were the only thing good and flavorful. My husband got the wings also pretty good and flavorful. But other than that, I could’ve got a plate back at home for $40 or less and WAYYY better . For a soulful place this is a scam . Tryna do all that boujee ish for it not to be good just throw ts in a foam container and call it a day ! 🤣 I see the nasty replies yall be making back at these reviews ! Learn how to take constructive criticism!...

I was finally able to finagle a reservation at COMMUNION 🙌🏾 It is true that it is exceedingly difficult to land one. For me, the trick was the follow their Instagram page closely and wait for an announcement that reservations were open. It looks like they open them a month or two in advance. We went this past Saturday night.

My experience:

PARKING 1⭐️: Parking is pretty difficult to find. There is only street parking available. I ended up dropping my party off at the door (it was raining) and circling the block many many times after finally concluding that I would have to park a bit away and walk a couple of blocks.

SERVICE 5⭐️: I arrived to the table about 15 minutes behind my party (after the parking fiasco) and everyone had already ordered drinks. Asia, our server for the night, was amazing and immediately came over to take my drink order and was gracious, patient, and attentive throughout the entirety of our dining experience. The food runners/bussers were incredibly attentive and kind as well. One of the owners stopped by our table a couple of times and even offered a complimentary daiquiri shot (which was the perfect balance of slightly sour and sweet).

FOOD 4⭐️: Our party of four ended up ordering the Hood Sushi, Sautéed Clams $ Mussels, PTL Wings, Creole Catfish & Grits, Grilled Pork Chop, and Buttery Cornbread.

The Sautéed Clams & Mussels were to die for, not overdone which I find common with many shellfish dishes. The Laotian sausage really gave the creamy coconut broth the perfect amount of savory flavor.

The Hood Sushi had so much flavor in each bite but a bit too much rice for my tastes. I would have preferred a bit more catfish.

I had been looking forward to the Shrimp & Grits that I had saw many reviewers raving over but they were not on the dinner menu (I was told they are on the brunch menu) so I ordered the Creole Catfish & Grits. The texture from the batter to the catfish being perfectly cooked was so satisfying to me, however I would have liked a little more spice. The grits were coarse and creamy without being too cheesy or salty. I wasn’t really a fan of the shrimp creole that was served with them, it was a bit too bland and acidic for my tastes.

I tried a bite of the Grilled Pork Chop and it was phenomenal! As a person who doesn’t like pork that much, it was perfectly cooked (bone in), laid on a bed of bacon-fried cabbage and topped with apple chutney. It was a perfectly layered combination of flavor in one bite.

AMBIANCE 3-4⭐️: There is a bit of an industrial feel to space but the eclectic colors, accents, and warmth really give the space some flavor and warmth. There is a beautiful black and white photo mural on a wall besides the bar that inspires feelings of nostalgia. One thing is, I would have preferred the music to be a tad bit quieter. In order to converse and be heard across the table we had to repeat ourselves and almost yell a bit. Although, it truly nice to be able to listen soulful r&b and hip hop (rather than the pretentious classical music that most restaurants of prestige tend to prefer 🙄)

OVERALL ⭐️: I would highly recommend visiting if possible. As someone who enjoys dining out and sharing a meal with loved ones, the experience is equally important to me as the food. I got all of that and more. Communion has so much charisma and such an infectious vibe. The service feels genuine, and while some of the dishes seem like they are made with the seasoningly-challenged in mind, there is so much creativity and love put into the food, and it is incredibly humbling to see the owners both in the kitchen and working the dining...

I’m all about supporting businesses of color, especially when I’m traveling and trying to explore local spots. So while I was in Seattle, I decided to give Communion a try. The vibe was nice, and the music was on point.

As a soul food restaurant, Communion gives you that comfort food option, which, for a lot of people, is a taste of home with a little twist here. Whether you're not in the mood to cook it or just want to support a local soul food spot—That’s why we decided to check it out.

The service— Solid. Our hostess was friendly, talkative, and welcoming. And our server was cool too — no complaints there.

The food— It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. It was solid, but not mind-blowing. The “hoe cakes” and the “sushi-ish” rolls were a definite highlight though — those were actually really good.

We ordered drinks, mac & cheese, sushi-ish rolls, hoe cakes, fried pork chops (could have been a little more tender) , and probably some other stuff I’m forgetting.

Now, here’s where things got a little off. The hospitality was where the experience started to fall short.

One of our drinks got spilled on us — no big deal, accidents happen. Our server apologized, and we were super chill about it, no harm, no foul. The drink was remade, and we moved on.

But here’s the thing— I was talking to my party (who’s been to Communion a few times) about a few things that could happen but probably wouldn’t, and I was fully prepared to be proven wrong — but I wasn’t (IYKYK).

Since I was new to the restaurant, my party mentioned who the owners were, and I thought, “Oh cool, the owners are actively in the restaurant. Sometimes rare (esp. if the restaurant is established) — That’s nice to see!”

But after the spill — and with them sitting right there by us— not once did either one of them come over to acknowledge it. No “Hey, how’s everything going? Sorry about that spill,” or even a simple, “Is everything okay with your food?” Nothing. AND it was not crowded during our visit.

I was disappointed. I mean, it was right in their line of sight, so how do you not at least check in? It's little things like that that make a huge difference.

And I’m not talking just about the spill either. Justin simple customer appreciation. You ask if everything’s good, you make it right, you show you care. That’s what hospitality is about.

There are thousands of places to eat, but we (or any customer) chose to come here, and in that moment, it felt like they just didn’t care. I’ve been to several restaurants and if something goes wrong and/or isn't right — the mangers or owners apologize or even compensate— (dessert on the house - or take off that ONE drink from the bill— something to show gratitude). To be clear — We were completely fine paying for everything we ordered. I'm speaking hospitality.

That’s the kind of detail that makes you feel like a valued customer — and the lack of it definitely made the experience less favorable.

Will I be back— Probably not. That little detail — not acknowledging the spill and not even attempting to check in after that — left a bad taste in my mouth.

It might seem like a small thing, but when it’s overlooked, I can’t help but wonder how bigger issues would be handled. It just makes you question the level of care they’ll show when something truly goes wrong.

When you work in hospitality, you never know who you’re serving or who your customers are. The little things that might seem small to you — as a business owner, manager, or server — can actually have a major impact, both positively and negatively, later on...