Queen City Grill

What a GREAT place!. With the holidays (and the holiday spirit) upon us, my wife and I decided one recent evening that I would meet her after work for dinner at one of the downtown Seattle’s fine restaurants. We had originally planned to dine at a restaurant that has been a part of the Seattle scene for several years but which we have somehow managed to miss. Unfortunately, we’re still missing it but fortunately, we’ve discovered another delightful dining spot.

Based on the glowing recommendation of two colleagues, we abandoned our original plan and headed for Queen City Grill. Were we ever glad we did!

Leaving the car parked, we hopped a northbound bus to the edge of Seattle’s ride-free zone, then walked a couple of blocks to the restaurant. I must admit that, upon arrival, the “seafood” sign on the awning gave a moment of pause, as neither my wife nor I was really in the mood for fish. We needn’t have worried; the menu at Queen City Grill was not huge, but had great variety.

Adding to that, we were still in time for “happy hour” which, at QCG, extends to tables as well.

We started our evening with cocktails: she, a vodka martini and I, a Maker’s Mark Manhattan. The vodka martini was on the happy hour special; my “call” Manhattan was not. Regardless, both were well prepared at the bar, then poured tableside by our waiter.

After sipping our beverages for a few minutes, we decided to order a couple of the appetizer specials: the bruschetta (Roma tomatoes, garlic, basil and goat cheese) and the Oaxacan prawns. The bruschetta was delicious, but the prawns were remarkable! Their smoky flavor from the grill was accented by a jicama and red onion salad and a delicious dipping sauce of herbs and cumin. Our waiter told us the chef was from Oaxaca, so the dish was likely quite authentic. Authentic or not, I can confirm it was delicious!

With the appetizers and the proffered bread and butter having taking the edge off, my wife and I decided to split the roasted beet salad (sautéed beets, mixed greens, Rogue River blue cheese and candied pecans) and the rack of lamb. The salad, with its (type of) vinaigrette dressing, and the lamb (cooked a perfect medium-rare) were both exactly what the doctor ordered. And the kitchen split both items for us, giving us perfect portions of salad and lamb with mashed potatoes and green beans. As it was, we each got three chops; six would have clearly been overkill. Our waiter brought two glasses of a 2007 Argentine Malbec, which accompanied the lamb perfectly.

While we opted for the lamb, Queen City Grill does have abundant seafood (crab cakes, halibut, trout, and tuna), chicken, duck, beef, and risotto to choose from. And with a capacity of around 75 people, the atmosphere is cozy and intimate – just the thing for passing a cool, damp, Seattle winter evening.

We will definitely be back!…

Owner Is Self Described 'Huge A-hole'. I have been going to queen city grill for over 25 years... not a regular, but stop in when I'm in downtown seattle... had always enjoyed the atmosphere of a venerable old place.. was in last weekend, by myself, having a cocktail ($12 and overpriced) at the bar....a fellow walks by and rams into me as I'm sitting there...I figured he must be drunk or high....then shortly after, he rams into me again..I now tap him to get his attention and said that an 'excuse me' is the normal etiquette.. he then got loud and said that he was the owner of the place, and could have me thrown out....he then left for a few minutes and returned with two goons dressed in black and seemed to get great pleasure out of the show of force... I said that I had a tab ($12) and he looked at the bartender and told him to return my card (I'll check my statement as I've seen postings on other sites stating that they alter your check after it's signed!) I asked this man what his problem was an he said "I'm a huge a-hole!"(cleaned up for this site) I said I wasn't sure about the size, but I agreed with the second part... I then just got up and walked out...was this really the owner? he obviously had enough juice to have two bouncers come up and throw me out... if he was an owner, I can't imagine treating any customer that way...this man was completely self-absorbed and unconscious....he also obviously believes that he is more important than his customers... a fatal flaw in the hospitality/ service business that he's in!…