Jimmy's on Broadway — Restaurant in Seattle

I’ve lived in Seattle for many years and have passed Jimmys on broadway countless times. I finally decided to stop in and check it out, the entrance is a bit hard to find from the street. The main draw is the big windows that look into the restaurant where you can see people enjoying their meal. I found the entrance and wondered around a bit to find the host stand. When I arrived there was a sign that said “sit wherever you like” the restaurant was pretty empty and there were 3 or 4 diners in the establishment. I decided to sit near the bar because that’s where the 3 staff members I did see were gathered. I was quickly greeted by the bartender Anaya, she was very pleasant and quickly brought me menus and asked if I would like a drink to start. I asked for just an ice water and she brought one from the bar. Anaya went over the menu and her recommendations, I had asked about a few items and she had tried most of what I asked about but let me know that there were some she herself had yet to try. I ended up ordering the “Jimmy’s Rueben”. The Ruben arrived pretty quickly and was served with a side of fries and 2 pickles. The portions were a bit small compared to other restaurants in the area, the Rueben was a bit slim and was more bread than meat. The meat was also overly tough. The fries were presented in a round bowl that made them seem plentiful but the shape of the bowl was cone like making all the fries kinda sit on top of the bowl. After finishing the Rueben and fries I was still hungry and browsed the menu further and decided to order the “clam chowder fries” the clam chowder fries were a hearty portion and beautifully presented. It was very flavorful and filling. If I did decide to try Jimmy’s again I would probably just order the clam chowder fries. The best thing about Jimmy’s is the staff. Anaya was very attentive and one of the other staff members Stephen was very funny. Overall I think Jimmy’s on broadway was overly demure yet could be more mindful about portions and presentation. The layout of the restaurant it’s self was not very well thought out in terms of drawing in customers outside of the hotel patrons and the bathrooms are inside the hotel so to use the bathroom you have to walk all the way through the hotel past the front desk area. It would be helpful to have a sign at the street entrance letting people know it’s “self seat” because of the layout the bartender can’t see...

As someone who’s written more reviews than I can count—ranging from fast food chains to mom-and-pop diners and even luxury restaurants with Michelin stars—I’ve learned to look beyond the plate and evaluate the entire experience. And when a place stands out, for better or worse, it’s worth writing about.

The Good: The chicken noodle soup was, without a doubt, the highlight. The broth had depth, striking that balance between comforting and flavorful that only comes from someone who truly knows what they’re doing. The noodles were tender and well-cooked, and the shredded chicken was generous and satisfying. It wasn’t fancy, but it was honest. There was intention in that bowl—and that matters.

The Bad: The fries. From the moment they hit the table, it was obvious something was wrong. Visibly burned, with the telltale smell of reused oil, and the first bite confirmed it: dry, hard, and bitter. This wasn’t a minor slip; it was a basic technical failure. I’ve had fries from humble food trucks that were executed with far more skill. Here, they completely missed the mark.

The Ugly: When I returned the fries—not with anger, but with the reasonable expectation that the mistake would be corrected—the response was a laugh. Not the nervous kind or the courteous kind. A mocking laugh. Condescending. The kind of reaction that doesn’t belong in any kitchen, not even the most rustic. That moment, more than the food itself, was the bitterest taste of the night. Mistakes in the kitchen happen. Disrespect should never be on the menu.

The Unforgivable: And here’s where the experience went from flawed to offensive: after returning the fries, they brought out another plate… equally burnt. Same issue, same attitude. No effort to fix the mistake, no gesture of goodwill. As someone who has tasted food from the streets of New York to the markets of Oaxaca, I can say this: the unforgivable thing is never the mistake—it’s the arrogant decision to repeat it knowingly. That second plate wasn’t just a culinary error. It was a statement of indifference. And that, in any kind of restaurant, is costly.

⸻

This review isn’t meant to tear down, but to call attention. Kitchens can improve. Service can grow. But for that to happen, there first needs to be a willingness to listen. And that night, unfortunately, the one ingredient most absent...

This is a tough one where I honestly struggled with how to rate it. We had reservations with a large party on NYE. Several of us arrived esrly and seated ourselves at the bar (which had ample open seating) to enjoy a drink until the rest of our party arrived. We spoke to other patrons as well as the bartender but never even had our orders taken before our party arrived, and we moved to the dining area. Our server was new and overwhelmed, and apparently, the restaurant was severely understaffed that evening. It took some of our drinks over an hour to come out (many were incorrect or just misidentified) and some in our party never actually got the drinks they did order. The food also took an exceptionally long time to arrive, with starters inexplicably coming either with or after some of the entrees. Management appeared MIA, neither checking on their diners nor helping their waitstaff. That said, the drinks that did arrive were, for the most part, really good (cannot recommend the 75 nor the watered down bourbon that should have been on the rocks but instead sat at the bar waiting to be served until long after the ice had melted) and the food was well received. The ribeye and the chicken milanese were both very tasty. If you're local and looking to try something off hours, the food is worth a try. However, I would advise against coming on holidays or...