Szmania's Restaurant
(206) 284-7305
3321 W Mcgraw St
Seattle,
WA
98199
47.6395
-122.4001
Neighborhoods: Southeast Magnolia, Magnolia / Queen Anne
Reviews & Ratings for Szmania's Restaurant
12 reviews
What users are saying:
Showing 1-10 of 12 reviews
Think twice
by Demet
April 08, 2009
a very mediocre dinning experience in terms of atmosphere and taste; a great disappointment and waste of our money
- Pros: neighborhood
- Cons: uninspiring
Great atmosphere! Not what I remembered Magnolia to be like. Great Steak
by ceejaydub
October 09, 2008
In short: GREAT food, RELAXED atmosphere.
Um...In...long(?): I haven't been here since I last lived in Magnolia and everything was as good as I remembered. I started at the bar while waiting for late friends and while only a 5 or 6 seating bar it provided full service with a dedicated bartender. Service overall from the bar to the table was good. To be honest, when I eat somewhere I only the notice the service if it ISN'T excellent. I rarely go eat somewhere nice, especially without kids, so when I do I want to get away and not have to think about anything. The service here did that.
The food was sensational. Being a meat-lover without much love for anything else it also takes some seriously good vegetables for me to eat them (I'm seriously that steak-centered). The asparagus (sp?) and the mashed potatoes that came with my meal were great.
The decor and atmosphere were relaxed and intimate despite the place being busy. I'm not too keen on crowds but the place didn't over do anything with loud music or bright lights. Again, very relaxed and what you would expect a place to be like in laid-back Magnolia.
I think I'll be back first for the bar, it really did surprise me that this small bar was full service. You don't see that often as most restaurants only have little-bars like this for show and never have a dedicated bartender.
My previous idea of eating in Magnolia was either going to the Subway, which is coincidentally, across the street, or going to the Magnolia Pub, which is now closed. Now I can make a night-out of going to Magnolia rather than just driving through to show my son where I used to go to school and live.
OH! Going back to the meat-lover thing, I will definitely be back for their Oktoberfest brats!
- Pros: Ambience, Food, Drink selection, variety of seating, good neighborhood
- Cons: Parking can lack on busy nights, not much else around the neighborhood to do.
Great for entertaining
by davidwatkins5154
October 06, 2008
We have entertained two different couples at SZMANIA'S in the past couple of months. Both have come away raving about the food. We try to get people who are new to the restaurant to try some of chef Ludger Szmania's specialties, like his Jagerschnitzel or the ahi tuna. No one is ever disappointed. I like the service as well; the servers know when to interupt and when not. -- Michele
- Pros: Food, value, ambience
- Cons: Nothing that stands out
Actually offensive
by SpecialPhysX
September 20, 2008
As neighborhood residents, we have been to this place on several occasions, including once for New Year's Eve. The staff behaves consistently as if we were invisible. Long waits for a table, even with reservations, complete disinterest in our table preference, extremely long waits for food service and simply bad attitudes by servers and kitchen help alike. Actually unbelievable. As one who needs to watch the sugar curve closely, this place is hazardous to my health. Waiting so long for food to come is not healthy, especially if you arrive hungry. With 20 million diabetics + another 50 million prediabetics in this country, this service issue is more important than most kitchen people realize. People arrived after us and got seated first. They also received their meals before we did. It seems like they have some regulars who get preference over everyone else in the place. Offering patrons nothing but bread and alcohol while they wait is no solution for those with wheat allergies. The food is also very inconsistent. Sometimes it's okay, sometimes it's just awful, but I've never had a meal there that I would describe as delightful. We had stopped going, then after a supposed upgrade we gave them a couple more tries. Never again. Some things are better left to themselves.
- Pros: Can't think of one -- maybe the martini
- Cons: lots of them -- poor food service + bad attitudes and indifference
Poor customer service
by gohawksgo
March 29, 2008
After viewing their menu online and deciding to take my out -of-town Mother here for her birthday, I very much regret it. After arriving to an entirely empty restaurant, we were seated at likely the worst table in the restaurant which was right beside the front door (on a cold evening too). We were then told the menu I viewed online wasn't offered. Apparently they updated their website about 5 days too early and were unwilling to honor it when I asked them. I can't tell you if the food was good as we got up and left. I was embarrassed to have this happen in front of my Mom on her birthday and extremely disappointed by the wait staff and hostess' lack of customer service. I will never patronize this restaurant again which is a pity as we live in the village and like the location. I will never recommend it to anyone as well and was happy to have paid $150 to the folks at McCormick and Schmicks that night. We had top notch service and food and thankfully our evening ended up wonderful - no thanks to Szmania's.
Two thumbs down Szmania's.
- Pros: Are there any?
- Cons: Very poor customer service
Nice way to end a busy day.
by dianablackham
March 22, 2007
WIsh I had time for more details, but every bite of every course (3 courses for $25.00, limited time offering) was delicious and the best deal in town.
Excellent German cuisine,
by alicianoele
March 11, 2007
I had a superb dinner with the girls last Friday while pulling down the average patron age at Szmania's! Amidst the many silver foxes, we began the evening with delightful wine?a complex red blend for my dining companions, and superb Viognier for me. Two of us would go on to try the Malbec, which was smooth and something of a bargain at only $6.50 per glass. Having heard raves about Szmania's Caesar dressing, I began my meal with a small salad only to find that the kudos are justified. I was not alone in my salad critique, as one of my dining companions gave high marks to the entree Ceasar paired with blackened salmon.
As Szmania's menu has a German flair, I went traditional and ordered the Jaegerschnitzel, a breaded pork cutlet paired with savory mushroom sauce. Each bite of schnitzel was tender and flavorful, and as the mushroom sauce wasn't of the creamy genre, the dish wasn't particularly heavy. Paired with tangy red cabbage and lightly herbed cheese spaetzle (aka noodles), Szmania's Jaegerschnitzel is an excellent example of finely-prepared German cuisine. Of note, Szmania's offers several of its entrees in standard and "light" portion size?I went with the latter for $16 and found the plate to be quite substantial.
Although I loved every bite of my own meal, the mushroom risotto ordered by my other dining companion was a letdown in its texture and seasoning. I didn't find our shared dessert assortment to be particularly noteworthy, either?the chocolate torte and apple pastry were a bit run-of-the mill while the creme brulee just tasted a little "off" to me. Also disappointing was the service, which was very friendly but surprisingly inattentive. Our table was the youngest in the house by a couple of decades, and I had a sense that the servers were focused on attending to veteran patrons. Despite the extended waits and infrequent server check-ins, I will still return to Szmania's...there are many things on the menu that I want to try!
- Pros: Superb Jaegerschnitzel, excellent wine selections
- Cons: Pleasant but somewhat inattentive service
The former foodie destination has matured into a comfortable neighborhood spot.
by Contributor
October 04, 2006
The Scene
Szmania's has evolved from foodie hangout to neighborhood hub. Nowadays, the folks huddling just inside the door are likely to be toting one of their kids and almost certainly know Szmania Ludger and his wife, Julie, by name. He's still in the kitchen; she's still a constant presence. Regulars can sit at the bar surrounding the open kitchen, while Ludger and his cooks grill New York steaks and pork chops. Service is consistently friendly and welcoming.
The Food
While many of the Magnolia locals seem content with the fare, those seeking the lauded restaurant of the last decade might be disappointed. The best bet is to start out with one of the salads or the onion soup. Seafood entrees fare best--meaty sturgeon is sheathed with a thin slice of pancetta and spiked by a spicy peppercorn sauce. Ahi tuna is seared perfectly rare, fired up with a red Thai curry sauce.
Bland and expensive
by eatsatrestaurants
August 11, 2006
While the service was polite, the food was bland. I thought it was too expensive when I saw the menu, but went ahead with ordering because I had seen the favorable reviews here -- if something is delicious, then it is worth paying a higher price. But this food was bland and so not worth the price. I am disappointed and will not recommend this place to anyone.
- Pros: polite staff
- Cons: bland food
Good food, overpriced.
by espelund
September 07, 2005
I found the food to be good, the service to be great, the atmosphere to be good, but the price was a little high. We ended up easily spending $90 (with tip) on dinner for 2. I thought it was a bit much for what we got. However, if you want guarenteed good food I would recommend it.
- Pros: Atmosphere, Service, Food
- Cons: Price, Selection
