The Bridge — Restaurant in Seattle

I have never amended a review before, and I hate to post something not super positive about this place but I really feel compelled to due to a recent experience.

My sister, friends and I have been coming here for years. It was our favorite spot; the food was always amazing and the servers always remembered us. Truly it was a place where everyone knew your name and it felt so good to have a regular spot to go to. About two years ago things started changing so rapidly that I couldn’t even keep track of what was on their menu anymore. It kind of went downhill from there. For instance, they started cheaping out on the buns for their burgers. Alright I thought, restaurants change up their menu sometimes to draw a new crowd. And maybe they’re just trying to cut costs. No worries. Next time I come in, my favorite appetizer is gone. Cool, still no worries. Next time I come in, the prices went up on everything. Literally every time I come in almost everything on the menu is different. I still continued to go because I loved the staff and the food was good. My boyfriend and I were previously bartenders and servers and had been in the industry for years so I really do understand what restaurants need to do to stay alive. Throughout all of this I never posted a single bad review about this place - not even after being treated poorly by one specific server, who I think may not even be employed there any longer, though she probably shouldn’t work in customer service. I ordered an item and requested extra celery and carrots, (I told her that I had no problem paying extra for them). I ended up getting a plate of 3 celery sticks, 3 carrot sticks and probably a full handful of cherry tomatoes, which I specially declined when I gave her my order because a) I won’t eat them and b) didn’t want to waste them. No problem, I know that sometimes this kind of stuff happens and didn’t want to make a big deal. The issue arose when I noticed a $5 charge for extra veggies, when I received one extra celery and carrot stick and a ton of tomatoes. I asked the server if it might be possible to remove the charge since I didn’t receive extra celery and carrots. Instead of trying to talk with me about it, she blurted out, “no I clearly saw them add extra celery and carrots to your plate”. Are you serious? This literally didn’t make any sense to me. I’m not going to pay $5 for a bunch of tomatoes I didn’t ask for and one extra piece of celery and a carrot. I was willing to let it be and just forget it and even tipped she over 20% as was customary for my boyfriend and I. I thought, maybe she had a bad day or something else was going on- I really get it, I had had bad days too. The next time I went back, she was our server again and informed me that they now have a policy in place that can only accommodate one addition........ it felt like she was calling me out in front of my friends to embarrass me. I cannot even begin to explain how uncomfortable she made me feel for the remainder of our dinner. After this I refused to go back if she was there and went from going twice a week to maybe once a month to not going at all. The reason I’m bringing this up: even though this server is no longer at this establishment, she put a horrible taste in my mouth that also put an end to me going and also my friends and family. I finally went back the other day after not going for over 9 months and was really shocked by the quality of their food. I’m saying this because I want the owners to really take a look at what they’re providing for this community, who knows, maybe they don’t care. Just to be sure I’m not out of my mind, I’m the kind of person who queries others about situations so I can clarify if I’m in the wrong or if I need to rethink. Everyone I have asked about this place has told me that their food is low quality now and that their menu is consistently changing. Hey, all I’m saying is that maybe this is the post where you realize you need to rethink...

Ironically enough this place was brought to my attention via a Yelp email. Two of the dishes mentioned in the email piqued my interest.

The grilled cheese points are just as delicious as I hoped. Buttery Texas toast points with good amounts of melted cheese and paired with a tomato soup shot. It’s incredibly satisfying.

I had never eaten chicken fried steak but was convinced that I would change all of that at The Bridge. The gravy and the breading are nicely seasoned and crisp. The dish also includes plump potatoes which are also nicely seasoned and two eggs made to order for your preference. I chose sunny side up, to dunk my potatoes in of course.

I had a cherry blossom to drink and it was refreshing and tasty. They also have a good amount of beer on tap and an assortment of other alcoholic beverages to choose from. (As expected, it’s a 21 & over establishment.)

The vibe of The Bridge is very low key and relaxed. You seat yourself, which I enjoy, we all know how annoying it is to be sat at a location we aren’t the most fond of. The staff all seemed friendly and inviting, the waitress who greeted us upon entering was very warm and charming. There are two adjoined bar counters , which helps during crowded days I’d imagine. There are a good amount of televisions available for viewing sports. Did I mention they are a 21+ establishment? This is a definite plus for me! Not everyone wants to hear the crying babies or deal with wild children running around while trying to enjoy an adult beverage, ya know?!

There is a small parking area in the back of the building and also what seems to be outside seating which is available at times.

The only negative for me is the location. It’s pretty far from other “popular” attractions in Seattle and also quite far from my home, (sadly 😕), but they describe themselves as a neighborhood bar and take pride in that fact so in that regard they’re doing just fine!

I say give it a try. I plan to be back in the...

I walked up to get seated and grab a bite and some drinks. I wanted to double check they were dog friendly before just bringing my dogs through. Took forever to be acknowledged, but when I was I began with “are dogs allowed on your patio? Just wanted to check because we didn’t see a gate back there” and was met with “ummm yes but we have RULES”. Sounded exactly how you would read that. Then awkward silence. I respond with “ok, what are your rules?” The answer was “no biting, jumping, or barking or you’re OUTTA HERE!” in the most ridiculously rude tone ever. Maybe they’ve had bad experiences in the past or whatever, I don’t know. I think it’s a reasonable expectation if you’re going to take your dog to a restaurant or bar anywhere that they shouldn’t be doing any of these things and you can be asked to leave if they do. The rules were reasonable, the tone and general demeanor was not. Needless to say it made me very uncomfortable. I took my money and my dogs elsewhere, and I won’t be back.

Edit: I like how the owner immediately assumes that the issue was with how I took the tone rather than how it was delivered. I already mentioned that the rules were not egregious, yet they felt the need to make their response centered on that when that was not the issue I had. Their response solidifies my desire to never return here, and I’ll make sure others know as well. What a joke.

Edit #2: The owner edited their comment after my response and changed it to something that sounded a lot nicer. The initial reply was extremely disrespectful. I’ve still never been back and it’s been a long time at this point. Have recommended others stay away. Treat your...