Cafe Bengodi
Seattle, WA 98104-1403
Phone: (206) 381-0705
- Cross Street:
- Cherry Street
- Hours:
- Mon-Fri 11am-2:30pm, 5pm-9pm, Sat-Sun 11am-2:30pm, 5pm-10pm
Editorial Description for Cafe Bengodi
With the ambiance of a family Italian restaurant, this cafe serves up simple pastas with a short list of complementary wines.
Insider Tips
Save MoneyIn true Italian style the serving sizes are enormous; try splitting a dish for a filling meal at half the price.
User Reviews for Cafe Bengodi
04/15/2008 Posted by 2forlunch
This is one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had in some time, and we had a lot of bad ones on this trip. My husband and I were attracted to the place from its quaint ambiance and enticing menu posted in the window. We each ordered a salad from the menu and ended opted for one of the specials of the day. The calamari with kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, and roasted garlic sounded good. My husband had his with penne pasta as described, but I asked for mine with polenta. The salads were nothing more than spring mix greens with a sprinkle of blue cheese crumbles and cheap balsamic vinegar. The entrees were in a word, terrible. The one with the penne pasta was the better of the two even though one would think they would have been the same except with different starches. That one had the olives and tomatoes, but except for the olives and a little garlic, was extremely bland. Mine had one olive and a little tomato. The calamari in both was breaded but was not cooked enough. Mine was absolutely mushy. Salt and more salt did little to help either. The polenta was watery and had partially melted blue cheese on top. The whole dish was awful. Once the order was taken, that was the end of the service. I’m sure there is a good restaurant in Seattle somewhere but this is not one of them.
Cons: Bad food, bad service.
03/11/2007 Posted by alicianoele
I entered Cafe Bengodi hoping...hoping, mind you...that it would prove to be one of those little hole-in-the-wall places that offers fantastically good food to those "in the know." Yeah, not so much. Perhaps its Pioneer Square location is its downfall...maybe Bengodi has settled into the role of underachieving tourist-feeder. Who knows?! At any rate, our meal there was far short of spectacular or even tasty. We began with the garlic bread, standard in every way except for being slightly overcooked. I ordered the Pasta Cozze, featuring the pasta of the day--penne--with a unique blend of mussels, tomatoes, and shredded carrots. This proved to be a watery, under-seasoned concoction that was entirely forgettable and improved only slightly with the additon of salt. My dining companion went with a risotto filled with veggies, but the consistency was oddly watery...and again, added salt was a requirement. In the middle of our meal, the server swung by and swiped the plate with our remaining piece of garlic bread without so much as asking if we were finished with it! This was our only service aside from placing our order, receiving food, and paying the bill. In the meantime, there was a hairy, portly fellow leering at us from various positions in the restaurant (including the service area...so one would assume he has a connection to the staff?!) but never speaking a word. Leering is not generally a welcome addition to my dining experiences. The one positive thing I'll say about Cafe Bengodi is that although it did have a highly abbreviated wine list (particularly as it is an Italian restaurant!), the Chianti we ordered was really quite enjoyable. I recommend skipping Cafe Bengodi...the food and service are entirely lackluster.
Pros: Great Chianti
Cons: Inattentive staff, mediocre food
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