Matt's in the Market

09/22/2008 Posted by buttahfly

I am new to the area and went to Pike's Place market after everyone told me I had to experience it. We stopped in at Matt's and ate. I had read up on the reviews here and was hesitant. We had a great experience. I found the staff really accommodating and helpful and the food was absolutely delicious. I had seafood and my boyfriend had a steak. We finished our entire plates it was so good. I have and would again recommend this place to anyone who asked as many of the other restaurants in this area didn't have near the same ambiance. Loved Matt's overall and WILL be back.

Pros: fantastic food

Cons: crowded area

08/22/2008 Posted by goodfoodluvr

well...I guess I have been going to Matt's for about 10 years or more now. Althought not a regular, I certainly made it there 2-3 times per year. I personally had thought the remodel was great and was resisting the fuss about Matt Selling the place. so I took some friends there last night and had great food...but everything else was bad. We did not get seated until 8:15 for my 7:45 reservation. We were offered some wine after I complained at about 8:05. then we were given a free tuna tartar apetizer when we sat down (after I had joked about being hypoglycimic and about to pass out). At this point I thought redemtion was made and settled down to enjoy a very well done meal. I ate salmon and risotto to die for. My girlfirend had lamb chops she ordered well done (which I believe is a crime) but I sampled and although no pink inside, still amazingly tender and delicious. I was impressed. But the check arrived and the bitter pill, that will cause me to never return! They had added gratuity to our party of 5 people. 20% on top of all of our food, wine, and tax! Our waiter got a $56 tip from our table! What ever happened to tips being to reward good service and punish bad? what ever happened to 15% on the bill before tax and discretionary decision relative to tipping on expensive bottles of wine? How about most places which charge 18% on parties of 6 or more? I litterally walked away feeling sick. there are great restaurants all over Seattle with similar food and less attitude. I felt the message from the team at Matt's was we don't like your attitude, don't come back. Message heard loud and clear. I will spend my money elsewhere.

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08/17/2008 Posted by lovrntahatr

As a patron and long time veteran of Matts, I find some of the negative reviews quite hilarious. Everyone's a critic though! I bet half the naysayers have a culinary degree, worked in a restaurant at least once in their life and own a business YEAH RIGHT! Since when did dining out get so serious.... I love the space-it is such great fun to be part of a busy, positive vibe-great people watching, including witnessing the amazing talent in the kitchen and watching those non-stop moving servers. I often go without a reservation-I love the anticipiation of not knowing whether I may get a lucky seat in house. The hosts always find a way to accomodate me-even if that means I have to wait 45 minutes for a table. Gladly I always do. You have to be patient with a small and very popular local spot. Knowing the restaurant prior to the expansion, I am happy that the kitchen can continue to work their culinary magic. I have had some fabulous meals there-ling cod, pan roasted, over sweet spring onion buerre blanc with caramalized cauliflower, the beautifully braised octopus (my fav in the city) & perfectly composed halibut. The halibut with the heirloom tomato broth is a must have.The best part about dining here is that I know how fresh and quality my meal will be. Hey out there!...spend the money its worth it-pay moderate to higher prices to know that your food is being sourced locally and you are supporting your local farmers and businesses.

Pros: great everything

Cons: is there any...?

07/10/2008 Posted by Konnektor

I think Matt's success has gone to their head; they've become arrogant and complacent, relying on their once solid reputation as an authentic place for good food and service. No more. I don't take any pleasure in writing this because I was a long time fan of Matt's since they were literally just a hole in the wall. But in the last year or so, their service, food quality, and value for the money has declined. But I continued to go there with hopes it would improve. But yesterday was my tipping point to abandoning them for good. Had lunch there and ordered the Boccadillo sandwich. I know and accept that they are not cheap but for $14, I was served a small cup of seafood chowder, and a stark-looking sandwich that's about 6" long! No attempt at presentation! BUT what sucked is, towards the end of our meal, they rudely asked us to move to another table!! They arrogantly slapped me with the lame excuse that they're "a busy restaurant and we need tables for people who have reservations"!!! We refused to move because (a) we were there with reservations too and (b) we were almost done dining anyway! But what made us defiant was simply the way we were asked; it was dismissive and wasn't even close to polite!!! I've experienced other lapses and missteps in their service before but have been forgiving about it. But after this incident, I can not earnestly recommend a place that has lost its focus on quality of food and POSITIVE customer experience! In this tight economy, you'll find better value for your $$ elsewhere! Remind restaurants like these that you as a customer make the choice and pay their bills!

07/07/2008 Posted by klein538

We are frequent visitors to Seattle for business and pleasure. We love all the Tom Douglas restaurants and decided to try Matts at the Market based on a friends recommendation. The decor is simple and disinteresting. It would help to add some art work and color. The sommelier was gruff and seemed annoyed at our questions regarding the recommendation of a Washington Chardonnay. The service was very poor and disorganized from the moment of taking our order through the remainder of the meal. The scallops were fresh and cooked nicely, but needed different vegetables as an accompanyment. The noise level was unacceptable, especially when the guitar player attempted to sing. The only dining room is too small for a loud speaker and low volume background music would have sufficed. I cannot recommend this restaurant until attention to detail takes place regarding service.

Pros: Fresh seafood

Cons: Poor service, Average Food Quality, Poor Ambience, Uninteresting Decor

06/02/2008 Posted by Jimbo6710

For a first time experience for 2 locals and 2 out of area visitors we had an outstanding evening. Starting with a warm welcome from Todd (the ponytail guy), a table with a great view and a darling waitress named Katie. The food was exceptional - the cod was light, fluffy and cooked to perfection. The scallops melted in your mouth and the salmon was truly a Northwest classic. We topped it all off with Bread Pudding - the best we have ever had. In addition to the above, we were not rushed and were able to enjoy our dinner and conversation for over two hours. What a gem!!!

Pros: Fresh seafood and wonderful service

Cons: A little noisy, but not annoying

04/07/2008 Posted by jmevans

My husband and I have been told we needed to go here for lunch. Perhaps it was just so hyped but we had decent sandwiches. Nothing to rave about. My husband said his seared tuna sandwich tasted more like there was red hot then wasabi, and mine was nothing too special. I have made better sausage sandwiches at home. We both got adult beverages -- my grapefruit mimosa was really good. We decided to order desert just to see if it was any better. We got chocolate cake with almond filling, and vanilla gelato. To are dimsay we were given a dry chocolate muffin which did indeed have almond filling, and mint chocolate chip gelato. I wish the waiter would have said they were out of vanilla. The meal was not worth the 50 dollar bill.

Pros: Has a cozy atmosphere. Nice view of sound and market. Maybe dinner is better?

Cons: lunch was over priced and service was bad.

04/07/2008 Posted by ThouShall

My partner and I had been wanting to eat here for years and finally we made it to Matt's with a few friends. The service was top-notch throughout the evening which was a pleasant surprise given some of the prior reviews posted here. The wine list was impressive with a decent selection for every budget. I tried a couple of Pinot Noirs and Cab Blends and all were very enjoyable. The food disappointed at times and at other times it was great. The smoked catfish salad was very well balanced and I thought there was a genereous amount of fish. I opted for the muscles and clams for dinner which turned out to be a mistake. I thought an ingredient had been left out because the sauce was incredibly acidic ... to the point that I couldn't eat the dish. Our server was very appropriate and cool and offered to have a new version made with butter and wine. They got the replacement dish out quickly and I'm glad I got to try the shellfish both ways. Turns out that the muscles and clams were so tasty they didn't much of anything to make them shine. My partner had the cod rellenos for an appetizer (great) and the salmon as a main course which was very unimpressive. It was cooked well but totally lacking in flavor. The pea risotto it came with was nice and refreshing but the overall dish was disappointing. One friend had the steak but I was once again surprised at the lack of seasoning. Our other friend got the black cod with muscles special and it was excellent. I was surprised that it was mostly the dishes that are consistently on the menu that were lackluster. Perhaps a bit more attention needs to be paid to these menu staples. With all the great places to go get seafood in Seattle, most likely we'll stick to some old standbys that are a bit more consistent and provide more value for the money. I'm sure we'll come back with out-of-towners every now and again ... for the amazing views, the quintissential "Seattle" vibe and to try some of Matt's new seasonal additions.

Pros: Service, Wine list, Some standout dishes

Cons: Flavor inconsistency

01/29/2008 Posted by mjmorgan

What a great place to grab a lunch bite OR linger over dinner. I did both while visiting Seattle. Absolutely top notch ingredients served by professionals in a warm, inviting atmosphere. Very high food value. We ordered all over the map and every dish was well-prepared. Excellent bar, too!

Pros: Everything

Cons: Pike Market parking, but big deal

12/28/2007 Posted by sesilc

I love almost all restaurants in the market and had been dying to try Matt's.. Last month I had a friend visit from out of town so I thought this would be a great excuse to try Matt's. I called and made reservations the same day. When we arrived, they did not have our table ready. The host or the "pony tail hair guy" other raters were also referring to told us it would be another 20 mins. Right about that time, my boyfriend saw that there was room at the bar. So we headed there and sat ourselves. Now, I know better than taking up room without asking but the host stopped by and said "how nice of you to help yourself". Yes, sarcastic but we all laughed about it , including the host. We ordered wine and appetizers as we waited for a table to open. 20 mins later, the host sat the next party down and when we asked he first said "well you changed your reservation time on us" which I did NOT. When I explained that I never changed the reservation time, he said "well you did help yourself to the bar though". My friend and my boyfriend were both dazzled but I asked them to let it go. Literally 10 minutes later, the host came by again and said "Sir, you don't have to dine with us if you don't want to" Out of nowhere... Seriously... We waited. I did not want to let him spoil our evening. In short, we got sitted an hour after our original reservation time. I am really sorry to say it took another 20 minutes for us to get our food. And my potatoes were not cooked through... Disappointing!! Anyway, I don't give up on places too quick but my boyfriend said he would never go back so I took another friend to the restaurant last week and my God, same rude, unattentive service. I will not be back and just for the record, this is the FIRST bad review I have ever given in city search since I became a member. I hope Matt wakes up to the fact that service and atmosphere is part of the whole dining experience.