Menu was unique and the two items I ordered were delicious. Mushroom appetizer and the hangar steak…be forewarned, my “steak” was 3 slices of meat the size of sliced brisket. Nobody wants to see that when they order 🥩. However, the combination of the meat with the giant beans and some type of ground chili (not spicy) was delicious. Came back after a couple years and the beef fat fries are very good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
G
Very popular, and for good reason: the food is wonderfully prepared, flavorful and innovative. Thoughtful seasoning, portioning, presentation. Every dish had a unique and memorable taste that felt brave, grown up, and worldly. A lovely way to spend an evening with friends or family.
Good was good but for the cost the portions were disappointing and the flavor did not live up to the description. Sounds like it's closing so perhaps they are pulling back. Would have been good to know the entrees were ala carte
Tessa
Server initially took 30 min to come to our table. We placed our entire order at once due to the wait, and then when our server asked how our food was/if we wanted a drink, we asked for the menu. She never brought it and another server came and closed our table out. AND! They didn't have the shirt rib on the menu. Bummer because we had came years ago and raved about coming back.
Irene
We had a wonderful meal here. The drinks were delightful, our server was attentive.. I had the skirt steak cooked to rare perfection served with a sauce and a grilled eggplant. My husband had the black cod. We shared a gem salad and an heirloom tomato salad that was exceptional which rounded out our meal nicely. We hope to return soon, sorry to hear the restaurant is closing soon.
Mark Cooper
We had a great experience at Carnal. Super creative and tasty cocktails. Everything we ate was amazing. Excellent and thoughtful service. Highly recommend and will definitely be back. Great job!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brad
Had such a great experience!! Cucumber salad, wings, skirt steak and pasta was all better than expected. Cocktails and dissert also top shelf. Excellent service. Sad they are closing.
Malina Ngep
My boyfriend took me here for my birthday, we’ve only heard good things about Carnal. It absolutely did not disappoint. We went on a Wednesday, so naturally, had to get the steak frites special (comes with smaller portion of the gem salad and roasted corn milk bread). We also got the snap pea salad, linguine bolognese, and a Mexican Coke (pebble ice + lime!!!), alabaster, and the state street swizzle for bevs! Everything was truly so delicious and it was a wonderful experience being there. Service was so great. We got dessert on the house too :) We will be back! Cheers to the Carnal team.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andrew Washkow
Carnal hit Bellingham like a gust from the Bowery—suddenly the city had a restaurant with New York swagger and the chops to back it up. The cooking is flat-out brilliant: fire, smoke, and technique all dialed in.
The hitch isn’t the vibe, the service, or the price of a single plate. It’s the format. You don’t order a meal; you assemble one—meat here, sides there, each a separate line item. For a big group it’s easy to rack up a Manhattan bill and still walk out wondering if you should grab a burger on the way home.
Carnal is a place to savor, not to feast. Come ready to build your dinner—and to pay for the privilege.
Carnal absolutely lives up to all of its glowing reviews and well-deserved accolades—even the praise from big names like The Seattle Times. The menu may be small, but it is mighty, with every dish crafted with incredible attention to detail. Chef James adds such creativity and flair to the seasonal menu, and he even came to my table personally to explain the ingredients in the pea salad with all farm fresh ingredients and the fries fried in beef fat. Let me just say—those fries were the crispiest I’ve ever had in my life. They didn’t need a thing, though the jalapeño aioli on the side was divine.
The atmosphere was lively and the place was packed on a Saturday evening, but service was outstanding. My server, Kristy, was juggling over 16 outdoor tables with a smile, never missing a beat. She delivered our food quickly, with no delays, and made the experience all the more enjoyable with her upbeat energy.
From start to finish, this was an unforgettable dining experience. If you get the chance to come here, don’t hesitate—this is one of those spots you’ll want to visit before it’s impossible to get a table & the place is sold.
We were one of the last ones to get in before doors closed. They treated us as if we were the first customer of the day. And the food was fantastic. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sidney
We were disappointed in their “signature” dish...the short rib. We are used to the stacked short rib, rich and sumptuous and usually accompanied by mashed potatoes or polenta. We didn't think it was worth the price we paid. However, the corn milk bread rolls were delicious, the Manhattan was perfect, and the service was great, and the ambience was cool.
Erica
It was just ok. A bit underwhelming for what we expected. Service was lacking, although I think our server had many tables to cover. The food was expensive compared to what was received, and we have no problem spending $$$ for a quality meal. The wings had loads of flavor, but all the other dishes we tried were lacking in flavor/spice. My cocktail was the highlight of the meal for us.
Bailey
We loved it. Every menu item is balanced and tasty. Perfect for sharing. Would come more often, but I'm only visiting.
Menu was unique and the two items I ordered were delicious. Mushroom appetizer and the hangar steak…be forewarned, my “steak” was 3 slices of meat the size of sliced brisket. Nobody wants to see that when they order 🥩. However, the combination of the meat with the giant beans and some type of ground chili (not spicy) was delicious. Came back after a couple years and the beef fat fries are very good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very popular, and for good reason: the food is wonderfully prepared, flavorful and innovative. Thoughtful seasoning, portioning, presentation. Every dish had a unique and memorable taste that felt brave, grown up, and worldly. A lovely way to spend an evening with friends or family.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Chicken Wings, Slow Cooked Bone-In Beef Short Rib
Good was good but for the cost the portions were disappointing and the flavor did not live up to the description. Sounds like it's closing so perhaps they are pulling back. Would have been good to know the entrees were ala carte
Server initially took 30 min to come to our table. We placed our entire order at once due to the wait, and then when our server asked how our food was/if we wanted a drink, we asked for the menu. She never brought it and another server came and closed our table out. AND! They didn't have the shirt rib on the menu. Bummer because we had came years ago and raved about coming back.
We had a wonderful meal here. The drinks were delightful, our server was attentive.. I had the skirt steak cooked to rare perfection served with a sauce and a grilled eggplant. My husband had the black cod. We shared a gem salad and an heirloom tomato salad that was exceptional which rounded out our meal nicely. We hope to return soon, sorry to hear the restaurant is closing soon.
We had a great experience at Carnal. Super creative and tasty cocktails. Everything we ate was amazing. Excellent and thoughtful service. Highly recommend and will definitely be back. Great job!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had such a great experience!! Cucumber salad, wings, skirt steak and pasta was all better than expected. Cocktails and dissert also top shelf. Excellent service. Sad they are closing.
My boyfriend took me here for my birthday, we’ve only heard good things about Carnal. It absolutely did not disappoint. We went on a Wednesday, so naturally, had to get the steak frites special (comes with smaller portion of the gem salad and roasted corn milk bread). We also got the snap pea salad, linguine bolognese, and a Mexican Coke (pebble ice + lime!!!), alabaster, and the state street swizzle for bevs! Everything was truly so delicious and it was a wonderful experience being there. Service was so great. We got dessert on the house too :) We will be back! Cheers to the Carnal team.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Carnal hit Bellingham like a gust from the Bowery—suddenly the city had a restaurant with New York swagger and the chops to back it up. The cooking is flat-out brilliant: fire, smoke, and technique all dialed in.
The hitch isn’t the vibe, the service, or the price of a single plate. It’s the format. You don’t order a meal; you assemble one—meat here, sides there, each a separate line item. For a big group it’s easy to rack up a Manhattan bill and still walk out wondering if you should grab a burger on the way home.
Carnal is a place to savor, not to feast. Come ready to build your dinner—and to pay for the privilege.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
That bread....
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Carnal absolutely lives up to all of its glowing reviews and well-deserved accolades—even the praise from big names like The Seattle Times. The menu may be small, but it is mighty, with every dish crafted with incredible attention to detail. Chef James adds such creativity and flair to the seasonal menu, and he even came to my table personally to explain the ingredients in the pea salad with all farm fresh ingredients and the fries fried in beef fat. Let me just say—those fries were the crispiest I’ve ever had in my life. They didn’t need a thing, though the jalapeño aioli on the side was divine.
The atmosphere was lively and the place was packed on a Saturday evening, but service was outstanding. My server, Kristy, was juggling over 16 outdoor tables with a smile, never missing a beat. She delivered our food quickly, with no delays, and made the experience all the more enjoyable with her upbeat energy.
From start to finish, this was an unforgettable dining experience. If you get the chance to come here, don’t hesitate—this is one of those spots you’ll want to visit before it’s impossible to get a table & the place is sold.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck Fat Potatoes, Grilled Skirt Steak
We were one of the last ones to get in before doors closed. They treated us as if we were the first customer of the day. And the food was fantastic. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We were disappointed in their “signature” dish...the short rib. We are used to the stacked short rib, rich and sumptuous and usually accompanied by mashed potatoes or polenta. We didn't think it was worth the price we paid. However, the corn milk bread rolls were delicious, the Manhattan was perfect, and the service was great, and the ambience was cool.
It was just ok. A bit underwhelming for what we expected. Service was lacking, although I think our server had many tables to cover. The food was expensive compared to what was received, and we have no problem spending $$$ for a quality meal. The wings had loads of flavor, but all the other dishes we tried were lacking in flavor/spice. My cocktail was the highlight of the meal for us.
We loved it. Every menu item is balanced and tasty. Perfect for sharing. Would come more often, but I'm only visiting.
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