Etta's Seafood
Seattle, WA 98121-2109
Phone: (206) 443-6000
- Price:
- $$$
- Cross Street:
- Virginia Street
- Best of Citysearch:
- Salad 2006
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 11:30am-9:30pm, Fri 11:30am-10pm, Sat 9am-3pm, 4pm-10pm, Sun 9am-3pm, 4pm-9pm
Editorial Review for Etta's Seafood – by Rebecca Pellman
The Scene
The scenic view and short walk from Pike Place Market make this a great spot for out-of-towners who want Northwest flair and flavor. A bustling interior and colorful glass lighting fixtures add a distinctive Douglas feel. Service is well-meaning, but can be distracted and harried.
The Food
Stick to Etta's version of the basics: flash-fried calamari with a revelatory green olive salsa, spinach salad with curried cashews, and despite an unfortunate pairing with french fries, golden crab cakes that are not to be missed. Other dishes, including spicy peanut noodles and seared albacore, tend to be overdone and look more interesting than they taste. The kitchen scores with its desserts (where coconut-cream pie rules) as with its brunch menu: moist corned beef hash, Dungeness crab eggs Benedict, and buttery apple compote-topped French toast made with hearty slices of fresh-baked bread.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
Know Before You GoReservations are recommended--with its central location and owner's culinary reputation, the place gets busy.
The ExtrasPick up a tin of signature seafood rub before you leave, or visit the Dahlia Bakery on Fourth Avenue for the tasty desserts and other baked goods served in all of Tom Douglas' eateries.
User Reviews for Etta's Seafood
05/11/2008 Posted by Terry338
Etta's is run-down at the heels like an old slipper. It's relies on location at the foot of Pike Market. It cooks seafood at a mediocre level and serves a limited seafood menu. The Crab Cakes are the one exception and they are terrific. It's Kobe Steak is pitiful. Served raw with a side of sliced semi-raw potatoes and his soggy corm bread, the over-all impression is shows a distinct lack of management and zero quality control. The wait staff was uninformed and hopelessly fielded questions. One must ask, "what does Tom Douglas bring to the party?" The salmon at $30 is over-priced. So if you like the foot of Pike Market, High Prices, Dumb Waiters, raw steak and potatoes, this is your place.
Pros: Service, Ambience, Food Quality poor.
04/27/2008 Posted by sandalou
Met friends who were in from Phoenix for the weekend (in January, go figure), who wanted to try a PNW standout. Always wanted to try Etta's myself being a Tom Douglas fan but coming from 40 miles south it took out of town visitors to lure me up. Parking was no problem, maybe because it was colder than all get out. We were seated instantly and had a friendly and competent server who answered many questions for our friends about the seafood. We all swapped bites but I especially enjoyed the crab cakes (enough to buy the cookbook on the way out!) and cornbread pudding. Definitely DON'T need to know how to make that at home. Had to order the coconut cream pie (my dessert weakness) to go because I was stuffed (complaints about 'small' portions are bunk, those are realistic, healthy portions as they should be, not the troughs we Americans have become used to). Met the same friends in Portland this week for 4 days and they were still talking about the food at Etta's. It's about time for the hubby and I to hike up the freeway again I think.
Pros: Seafood, great place to take out of towners to impress.
Cons: Don't think I'd take little kids as it's kind of pricey for someone that really would rather have McNuggets.
