Woodin Creek Kitchen & Tap — Restaurant in Woodinville

The first time we came in, everything was really good. Came out at a nice interval and the staff was friendly. Steak was a perfect Medium Rare and I really liked the Blue Cheese Wedge Salad and the Brussel Sprouts. My husband had a Veggie Burger, which he liked but wasn’t overly impressed with. The fries were good as well. I like that they allow you to sample a couple of beers before ordering as I don’t like anything that is really ‘sticky’ sweet. A dry cider or a good sour is what is best for me. The Cosmic Crisp Cider that they had was on point for a splurge (I maybe have a Cider or a Sour once a month), but here I splurged a little more often.

The second time we came in, I don’t remember what my husband got, but I got the ribeye again. I like their glaze that they developed and it goes well with a tender steak. We got the Wings as an appetizer the vinegar and black pepper specifically which both of us agreed were really tasty. We weren’t sure about them at first, but very pleasantly surprised. We also got Brussel Sprouts which I liked. My husband just isn’t a fan of the sprouts, but I get my way sometimes. ;). At the end of the meal, the server suggested the cheesecake and this is where things start to go really south for an overall experience.

The cheesecake which could have been the crown jewel if the evening fell so flat it ended up in the basement or crawl space, whichever they have. It was the dreaded sticky sweet nightmare that I dread and flavorless. Clearly an icebox cheese cake. I could taste ever single ill fated ingredient. Supposedly an apple cheesecake. It was not properly set. The cream additive was over-mixed to the point of a butter like consistency which ends up making a grainy texture instead of blending with the cream cheese homogeneously. I could taste the red food coloring and most likely artificial flavoring. Topped with what only could have been Hersheys Syrup. I ate two bites, my husband ate one. We didn’t finish it. The server asked our opinion and in blunt, direct fashion I expressed it. Maybe I could have been softer, but sorry it was gross. She offered to take it off the bill, which I agreed to since she offered.

Later my husband and I discussed it and maybe I shouldn’t have agreed as some places have the policy to charge it back to the serving staff. If that is the case here shame on the management. And we usually tip well.

The third time I came in was with my Mom. We had steaks and mashed potatoes. Brussel Sprouts and their Blue Cheese Wedge. It was good and the server was very nice. It wasn’t busy at all though.

Last night when my husband and I went in, they were slammed. Super busy, so I understand some of it. What I don’t understand was the prolonged wait. Lack of eye contact and overall coldness. We placed our order for everything at once so the server would not have to return to the table multiple times while we made up our minds. At every other restaurant I have been to, the food still comes out at a normal pace. Appetizers first. Then the meal. Everything came out at once. The black pepper and vinegar wings came out naked. The dressings were watered down. The steak was medium and my husband’s Cubano was on a soggy roll. Also the server whom we previously liked just stared right through us. Our server for the evening was ok, but I just feel like the cheesecake incident was at the bottom of the stilted experience. In any case this restaurant chokes on a busy night. The quality of food takes a huge nosedive. I am pretty sure if you have had a few rounds, you won’t notice. But I don’t typically drink and my husband never does. Duly noted-skip the bar.

On a not busy night this place is good. Don’t get the dessert, go next door to the fun ice cream shop instead. You’ll have a much better experience. Maybe I am over sensitive, but I don’t think so. The whole vibe was definitively different after the...

Food Meh. Drinks Meh. Service good :)

Parking: Shared retail parking lot inside an apartment complex Pet friendly: No Family friendly: Yes

FOOD: House Baked Pretzel (warm giant pretzel with white cheddar jack cheese sauce, chipotle aioli, and honey mustard) $13.50: 4 Stars – this was the best thing on the table for our whole group. The pretzel was warm, golden exterior, and super soft interior. Not too salty but definitely not giant especially not for the price tag. It looked like a normal size pretzel but a little fatter… not like thick thick, but “thick.” The sauces that comes with the pretzel are super yummy though.

Croque Madame (Gilled artisan bread with Swiss cheese and ham, topped with white cheddar Béchamel and a fried egg. Served with WCKT famous potatoes) $19.95: 3 Stars – You would think what can you go wrong with essentially a grilled sandwich with cheese sauce… especially for someone who loves sauce! Sauce was super bland (but I fixed it buy dumping a ton of salt and pepper), I didn’t get an egg, and their famous potatoes were super dry. Enough said.

Peanut Butter Bacon Burger (7oz all natural blend of ground brisket, short ribs, and chuck patty with candied bacon, peanut butter, tomato, lettuce, onion, and WCKT sauce on a brioche bun) $21.50: 3 Stars - This was my husband order and he said this was meh, pretty dry, and all over not memorable.

DRINKS: Coffee - $3.95: This was a coffee needed morning and I did not get that here. Almost everyone at our table ordered coffee (shows what kind of night we had) and this was very coffee at a gas station… nothing special. I really regretted not getting coffee at Sidekick Coffee next door but it was extremely windy and cold. Apparently my coffee need did not beat my need to be warm.

MENU/RESTAURANT: Fairly large menu where everyone can find something to eat. Its like an larger menu of Redmond Bar and Grill, which is the same company!

When this whole area first opened up this placed was packed all the time we went on a Sunday recently and it was not busy at all! We had a large party of 8 and there was no wait… there were actually so many tables open. Walking past the “main” street the restaurant is respective as it looks pretty small. It has a small area outdoor area and it looks like its just the area next to the outdoor area. When you look past the host stand there is a full bar and big additional space.

SERVICE: Jill was a great server – super friendly, prompt, and always checking in on us. She was able to fix all the small mistakes that seemingly happen to our group with the restaurant being half (or less) full. Extremely dirty coffee cup, not having enough coffee brought out, and missing egg on...

My partner and I come here regularly due to the quality of the food and service we generally receive. We spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a year going to this restaurant almost exclusively. We don't eat out anywhere else. However, this past evening's experience wasn't up to the standard that we have come to expect, and we will reconsider coming here in the future. My partner usually varies his choice of selection on the menu. I, however, almost exclusively order the grilled cheese sandwich. They are well-made, tasty, and delicious. I don't know anywhere else that makes them as well. Every time I order, I always request if it's possible to substitute the tomato bisque with a side of French fries. Every time, the server indicates it's no problem and accommodates the substitute. Except this evening.

When we received our bill, we saw that there was a charge for French fries. We were confused, since we didn't order an additional French fry nor were we told we were going to be charged for it. The server went back to talk to the manager, and sometime later, both the manager and the server came back to inform us that the grilled cheese sandwich comes with tomato bisque, and they don't allow substitutions. I informed them that my partner and I come to the restaurant very regularly and have never been told that we couldn't substitute. In fact, I was just there two days earlier with some girlfriends with no problems ordering the sandwich with a substitute for the soup. The manager then seemed to question our loyalty, verbalizing their skepticism and how regularly we actually go to the restaurant, since we shouldn't have ever been allowed a substitution prior to this evening. They then proceeded to indicate that it was our fault, but they will take off the extra order this one time. Their behavior heavily indicated that they thought we were bringing up this point of concern because we were trying to get free food and were otherwise at fault. The customer service was extremely disappointing. The service was also particularly slow this evening, but I'll give the server a pass since it seemed like they were juggling too many tables and may have been new and was not getting the support they needed.

Points of concern: 1) Why has this never been an issue, up until now? 2) Why would you add a charge to someone's bill without mentioning it first? 3) If they were going to charge us for an extra French fry anyway, why didn't they also just bring out the tomato bisque, since we were already...