Christopher Lewis

Review of The Metropolitan Grill

I come here for a sit-down dinner probably 2-3 tim...

I come here for a sit-down dinner probably 2-3 times a year (usually for my wife's birthday and a couple other random occasions), however I've gone to the happy hour dozens of times. They are different experiences and deserve different reviews.

Sit down dinner: Ex-pen-sive, but worth it. There are two places I usually go for special occasions because I KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that we will be treated right - here, and Canlis. The thing about Canlis is it's a place to go when you want to get dressed up, eat some good food, and have a "fancy" experience (which I do from time to time.) However, I find more often I want to throw on jeans and a t-shirt, and waltz in to be treated just as well as the person next to me wearing a suit. Of course, the Rolex might give me away, but I don't always wear it!

Service: Service at dinner and in the bar (HH) are always excellent. With dinner you obviously get a slightly higher level of attentiveness, and the servers tend to be a bit more knowledgeable/experienced/engaging overall, but that's to be expected. Servers in the bar are friendly, helpful, and there when you need them (and not when you don't.) A great thing about this place after going there for years, is I've noticed the staff does not rotate much which is a good sign. I've had the same guy help me pick out a steak 3 years ago as I did last week, and that's neat.

On to the food... it's all good. Done. That was easy. Ok, now really, you can't go wrong with any of the steaks. If you are there with a significant other you can make it a little more romantic at both dinner and dessert by getting a "for 2" item, where they do prep and serve you tableside, that's fun to try at least once. Their garlic mashed potatoes are out of this world, I actually get those to go during happy hour for my wife or she'd get mad at me. The lobster mac and cheese is also fantastic, though I warn you it doesn't heat up well so try and finish it there if you can. Their carrot cake is outstanding, and I frequently get it to go even if I have something else (like a creme brulee, which is also excellent here.) When you make the reservation let them know if it's a special occasion - they've surprised us from time to time.

HAPPY HOUR! One of the best happy hours for food you are going to find in western Washington, hands down. Their drinks are slightly more expensive than average, but only by $1-3 depending on what you are ordering, and the food is DIRT CHEAP for what you are getting. The $8 burger and thick wedge fries (with special sauce) puts most joints in Seattle to shame even at the normal $20 price. The rest of the HH menu is good, but that burger takes the cake. Do be aware that this time on weekdays is quite popular, and if you get there much after 3 you may have to hop on a waitlist to get a table. Don't think I've ever waited more than maybe 20 minutes though somehow.

The bar area during HH is generally full of white collar folks, professionals ranging from old to young. Some attendees are exactly who you would expect to find, others not so much, but it's a friendly crowd. I recommend this HH to everyone I know though - you can have a Met 'light' experience for 30-60 bucks (a fraction of dinner prices) which gets you plenty of good food and drinks.