The Dish Cafe — Restaurant in Seattle

I’ve enjoyed The Dish for 20 years. My first visit is still clear as day. I lived a block up the street and wandered down to the little diner one morning not expecting much. Instead I was greeted with heaping portions and friendly staff. When I produced a credit card they explained they were cash only (at the time) but instead told me not to worry and to pay them “next time.”

Over the years there have been changes, some good, some not so good, but overall the quality remained consistently high, until my visit this morning.

I ordered the Chicken Fried steak, two over-hard eggs, elected a $4 up charge for fruit, a side English Muffin, and a large (12 oz) glass of orange juice.

When the order came I was immediately surprised by the fruit portion, which was merely a cup. While generous portions of sausage gravy covered the steak, the steak itself was flat, overcooked, small, and appeared as though it was a box item. The English muffin was only buttered on one side and when I asked for additional butter the friendly waiter gave me a margarine pat. When I explained that it wasn’t butter the owner/manager brusquely asked for English muffin plate, took it into the open and visible kitchen and lathered on margarine from a one gallon Kroger tub that clearly said buttery spread margarine.

The cost, $28.00.

The waiter did ask if I was satisfied to which I explained the shortcomings, but also seemed dismissive to some of these concerns citing rising costs. He did say he would tell management. That was as far as it went.

I am hopeful that my next visit is better as there are many restaurants in the area offering better food and better portions at...

The people were very friendly, though we felt a bit rushed. They're obviously more focused on getting the next customer than serving the current one. I admit that as I write this I'm not feeling the love. My daughter was very pleased with her kid's breakfast. She got the kids classic breakfast which came with 2 eggs scrambled, potatoes, 2 slices bacon and avocado substituted for sausage. I ordered the only Veggie option and though I ordered it with additional avocado topping, it was an incredibly small portion...especially for the $12 I paid for it :( I counted the forkfuls and I got 11. More than a dollar per forkful. There were no special veggies or delicate decorative lettuce pillows, just a large plate with a not very appealing layer of pan fried veggies (mostly potato). I took a picture from the side to show how little there was, but honestly it looks like more than there really was. It was just cleverly spread out to look sufficient. It hardly rose above the edges of the plate. I think my daughter received the larger (more delicious) portion for half the price. A single layer of plain veggies topped with a $2.50 quarter of an avocado. I mentioned this to the server and they took it away, but promptly brought it back and said "that's the normal portion". The eggs Benedict looked good, but I won't be...

As a highly acclaimed breakfast connoisseur, I was eager to try The Dish Cafe given its high ratings. I was especially, ESPECIALLY, excited to try the breakfast potatoes. I want to note upfront that the reason The Dish did not get five stars from me today was because I got an extremely skimpy portion of potatoes in comparison to my counterpart’s serving. Luckily chivalry is not dead and he gave me some of his potatoes. They needed a little salt, but otherwise I was satisfied with them. It’s hard to find breakfast potatoes in Seattle, a city that seems to prefer hashbrowns. These weren’t the best I’ve had, but they’ll do.

My Seattle to Portland scramble was good, and reasonably priced. The whole menu was affordable, which is something I appreciate. The scone was very peculiar, although it wasn’t bad. I would describe it as more of a coffee cake or cornbread. The breakfast sandwich was good, the eggs were well done and the bacon was thick. Bonus points for thick bacon. Portion sizes were adequate.

Service was great, our servers were very friendly and entertaining. The outdoor dining area was nice.

Overall, I had a good time and good food. If you’re local, or in the area, this is a solid spot...