Had the most delicious dinner! Amazing cocktails, tasty food and great service. Highly recommend if you’re in Friday Harbor!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
James Peterson
From the moment we stepped into the Coho Restaurant, we were enveloped in a warm and welcoming atmosphere that only hinted at the exceptional dining experience that awaited us. Nestled in the heart of Friday Harbor, Coho Restaurant is a gem that shines brightly, offering a dining experience that is not only memorable but truly unparalleled.The restaurant’s ambiance strikes a perfect balance between elegance and comfort, making it an ideal setting for any occasion, from a romantic dinner to a celebratory gathering with friends and family. The attentive and knowledgeable staff made us feel right at home, ensuring our every need was met with a smile and impeccable service.The culinary journey at Coho Restaurant is a testament to the skill and creativity of the chef. Each dish was a masterpiece, artfully presented and bursting with flavors that spoke of the local ingredients’ freshness and quality. The menu, though concise, offers a variety that caters to every palate, with each dish showcasing a harmonious blend of traditional and contemporary culinary techniques.A highlight of our dining experience was the chef’s tasting menu, which took us on a gastronomic adventure through the best of what the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Each course was perfectly paired with a selection from the extensive wine list, featuring both local and international gems, enhancing the flavors and elevating the meal to new heights.Coho Restaurant is not just a place to eat; it’s a destination where every meal becomes a celebration of fine dining and the joys of good company. It’s a place where memories are made, and where the love for food and excellence is evident in every bite.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Janet Stinson
$125 per person for Thanksgiving dinner? Are you insane? You've got to be kidding me! Talk about sticking it to your community. I guess when catering to a certain demographic you're aiming to keep us normal people out. Like the ones who do the work and make this island operate. Give me a break! Just keep sticking it to us working folk, soon you'll be doing all the work yourselves. Greedy people make me sick.UPDATE: Well, the eleiteism surfaces. Community Thanksgiving? Really? Never been. I didn't even know it existed until you mentioned it. So, now we know what you think of the working class. Keep it up. You have more to loose than us. Keep pressing us and we'll react. Protests are powerful.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 5
Liv Hooley
Very nice atmosphere but the prices were not justified by the food and service. We came in for dinner and were not even greeted for five minutes and just stood there waiting while the servers made eye contact with us multiple times. The steak tartare was extremely salty/vinegar tasting and just unbalanced. And we paid almost $10 for bread and butter which was an odd miso butter that ended up making us nauseous the rest of the meal. Really disappointed since we came here to celebrate on our honeymoon. I never normally leave bad reviews but holy cow was this experience not worth our time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 2
Seaside63805481631
We had a reservation hiccup for out dinner but they ended up fitting us in and all worked out. They apologized and gave us dessert on the house which was very kind and also delicious! The food was sourced as locally as possible and everything was scratch-made. Will be coming again!
Rebecca Cooper
Food was excellent but the service was clumsy. We waited 20 minutes for our drinks. The servers seemed flustered at times and couldn’t remember if we had ordered or not. Two different servers told us about the specials but neither took our order, etc… Other tables were having similar experiences. If the front of the house can get it together, this place could be 5 stars. The halibut and beef tenderloin were absolutely delicious. The carrot soup was amazing and the the salad was perfect. I would definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Shelby Banning-Arndt
We had some delicious halibut here, but the service was not ideal. It seemed like maybe the host was new and hadn’t been fully trained on how to welcome guests…she was very unfriendly, which started our evening there off on a weird note. She just seemed like she was miserable and put zero effort into greeting people or making people feel welcome. Our wait person was also not very friendly…she was attentive and our needs were met, but she did not make the meal more enjoyable, it was just kind of awkward. The halibut saved the day, though.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 2
Zan Barker-Aderem
Honestly we wanted so much from this meal. My partner ordered the four course prix fixe, I ordered the lamb gnocchi. It was a special birthday treat that just didn’t live up to the promised experience.First, I would like to say that the staff were very kind when I asked if a candle would be possible for my partners dessert. They not only agreed but also gave us some sparkling wine; this was a nice touch.What wasn’t as nice was the bug in my partners starter salad. Our server was very apologetic and offered us some of the bread to try and make it up.My partner enjoyed the chickpea fritter and her cauliflower steak alright, wasn’t something spectacular but it was somewhat enjoyable.My own gnocchi was flavorless and soaked in oil, perhaps the least seasoned sausage that I have ever experienced. I didn’t feel it was worth finishing.Then we come to the dessert. The primary reason my partner chose to dine at Coho was for the chocolate torte. Unfortunately after the meal was taken away we were told that they were in fact out.A disappointment to be sure but it is something that sometimes happens in every industry. It was the only item she was interested in so we elected to have no dessert.We were a little shocked to see that we were charged full price for the four course prix fixe despite the first course having a bug in it and the last course not being served.If we had ordered ala carte and not gotten the two parts of the fixe that weren’t eaten it would have been cheaper. If you count in the bread that was given as apology it would still have been cheaper.I don’t fault the waitstaff, who were for the most part kind and considerate, but I wouldn’t trust this kitchen again and I certainly wouldn't be willing to pay 120 dollars for the experience again.Edit: According to the bill we were charged for the prix fixe, otherwise the fritters and the cauliflower wouldn’t add up to $70, it would add up to $50.Also, it was a bug. It is really disingenuous to pretend that your chef has magic eyes that see past what me, my partner, and your own waitstaff knew to be a bug. I have had za’atar plenty of times and never did it have legs and wings.Furthermore, za’atar is not present in the salad according to your menu. So either you are claiming it is a spice that isn’t supposed to be in the dish, which is cross contamination, or you are trying to present my review as false.I do have to wonder why the staff wouldn’t have said that it wasn’t an insect while we were present. Looking down your negative reviews it seems that you always insist that dissatisfied customers are responsible for saying so at the table. If this is the case then I feel most would agree that the ball was dropped either way.To finish, I did not say you didn’t have other desserts, I merely said it was a disappointment that the one we came for wasn’t there. In the future I would certainly recommend that missing items are listed before someone orders a four course meal. Knowing what options are available would surely effect someone’s choice of the prix fixe.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Julie Diane
We were a party of 8 at Coho tonight. If I could give ten stars, I would. Our meals were prepared to perfection and truly this restaurant has the edge on pleasing a discerning palette. The service was excellent, and the ambiance is beautifully romantic. I'm talking white tablecloths, fresh flowers, beautiful music in the background, and comfortable, spacious seating. Elegant, understated lights in the center of each table work magic, which the olders of our group appreciated so much!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
iTraveltheworld195
We were very disappointed with our dining experience here. The staff was very nice but they couldn't overcome the lack of training and the distasteful food. Our server was lovely but there were many strange things about the service besides being slow to get to initially greet us. So it took forever for her to come to our table. We ordered the four course prix fixe dinner. Each course was placed on top of our "bread" dishes. Very odd. Those dishes should have been moved to the side or removed from the table altogether. Our silverware was never replaced, as it should have been for each of the four courses. But what really disappointed though, was the food. It is sad when the best thing was the initial amuse bouche - cucumber with a beet hummus. For my starter I ordered the tomato soup. It was completely unremarkable. Hubby had the Coho salad. It was supposed to have pickled red onion on it but did not. The server told us they had run out but then the chef came out with some and make it pretty clear that they had forgotten to put it on the salad. We had some with our last few bites and it really balanced the dish out! For the next course I ordered the chickpea fritters and hubby the crabcakes. But then, we were told that they had run out of the crabcakes so he had to choose something else. There wasn't much to choose from. Just a caprese salad or pork belly. Since we don't eat pork, that left the caprese salad and he had just had a salad. We ended up splitting so he wasn't stuck. The caprese salad wasn't great. The tomatoes needed to be riper and the mozzarella a better quality. The worst though was yet to come. Hubby had the halibut which was overcooked so that lovely sweet flavor was obliterated. Mine was really bad. I had the seafood tagliatelle. It had so many conflicting flavors I really couldn't eat it. There was an over powering amount of tarragon with large pieces of citrus (I think blood orange) with the rind still on it. This was very bitter. Then there were large slices of leek that were barely cooked. Those were inedible. Our desserts were fine - ice cream sundaes. Really hard to mess that up. We had been so anticipating the meal. Usually a prix fixe tasting never disappoints but this one wasn't worth the money at all. Final note. When I called to confirm our reservation, I asked what the dress code was. I was told that it was semi-formal. It isn't. I would say smart casual is the dress code.
Some items were absolutely divine, like the drinks, pork belly, and desserts. Other items, like the lamb gnocchi and crab cakes were just ok. They weren't bad but both a bit dry with a slightly dull flavor. Service was fantastic and would definitely visit again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Lauren Ericksen
Amazing food and service! I'm not sure the price quite matched the quantity/quality of the food, but it was pretty close. We had the most friendly waitstaff too!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Prajakta Karandikar
Food was just lacking any flavor, we had to ask for salt. Maybe fine for a fast food joint, but unacceptable at this price point.Local ingredients - it was spaghetti
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
X1313MQcathyl
We had really been looking forward to trying this place after a late ferry arrival. Overpriced for average quality food. Wanted to charge extra to split an entree and for bread. Service was not up to par. Enjoyed Madrona Grill in Roche Harbor more.
Rachel Brody
The food and entire experience was wonderful - a highlight of our weekend on San Juan. The chef even came out to welcome us and brought our 1.5 year an extra special bowl of the most delicious strawberries she’s (I’ve) ever had. ❤️Everything we ordered was perfectly prepared and plated. We particularly loved the current scallop dish, the roasted veggies with the chicken and all of the fresh deserts. We can’t wait to go back next time we’re in Friday Harbor to try out their new menu since we know it changes with the seasons and local availability of ingredients.
Had the most delicious dinner! Amazing cocktails, tasty food and great service. Highly recommend if you’re in Friday Harbor!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
From the moment we stepped into the Coho Restaurant, we were enveloped in a warm and welcoming atmosphere that only hinted at the exceptional dining experience that awaited us. Nestled in the heart of Friday Harbor, Coho Restaurant is a gem that shines brightly, offering a dining experience that is not only memorable but truly unparalleled.The restaurant’s ambiance strikes a perfect balance between elegance and comfort, making it an ideal setting for any occasion, from a romantic dinner to a celebratory gathering with friends and family. The attentive and knowledgeable staff made us feel right at home, ensuring our every need was met with a smile and impeccable service.The culinary journey at Coho Restaurant is a testament to the skill and creativity of the chef. Each dish was a masterpiece, artfully presented and bursting with flavors that spoke of the local ingredients’ freshness and quality. The menu, though concise, offers a variety that caters to every palate, with each dish showcasing a harmonious blend of traditional and contemporary culinary techniques.A highlight of our dining experience was the chef’s tasting menu, which took us on a gastronomic adventure through the best of what the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Each course was perfectly paired with a selection from the extensive wine list, featuring both local and international gems, enhancing the flavors and elevating the meal to new heights.Coho Restaurant is not just a place to eat; it’s a destination where every meal becomes a celebration of fine dining and the joys of good company. It’s a place where memories are made, and where the love for food and excellence is evident in every bite.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
$125 per person for Thanksgiving dinner? Are you insane? You've got to be kidding me! Talk about sticking it to your community. I guess when catering to a certain demographic you're aiming to keep us normal people out. Like the ones who do the work and make this island operate. Give me a break! Just keep sticking it to us working folk, soon you'll be doing all the work yourselves. Greedy people make me sick.UPDATE: Well, the eleiteism surfaces. Community Thanksgiving? Really? Never been. I didn't even know it existed until you mentioned it. So, now we know what you think of the working class. Keep it up. You have more to loose than us. Keep pressing us and we'll react. Protests are powerful.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 5
Very nice atmosphere but the prices were not justified by the food and service. We came in for dinner and were not even greeted for five minutes and just stood there waiting while the servers made eye contact with us multiple times. The steak tartare was extremely salty/vinegar tasting and just unbalanced. And we paid almost $10 for bread and butter which was an odd miso butter that ended up making us nauseous the rest of the meal. Really disappointed since we came here to celebrate on our honeymoon. I never normally leave bad reviews but holy cow was this experience not worth our time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 2
We had a reservation hiccup for out dinner but they ended up fitting us in and all worked out. They apologized and gave us dessert on the house which was very kind and also delicious! The food was sourced as locally as possible and everything was scratch-made. Will be coming again!
Food was excellent but the service was clumsy. We waited 20 minutes for our drinks. The servers seemed flustered at times and couldn’t remember if we had ordered or not. Two different servers told us about the specials but neither took our order, etc… Other tables were having similar experiences. If the front of the house can get it together, this place could be 5 stars. The halibut and beef tenderloin were absolutely delicious. The carrot soup was amazing and the the salad was perfect. I would definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
We had some delicious halibut here, but the service was not ideal. It seemed like maybe the host was new and hadn’t been fully trained on how to welcome guests…she was very unfriendly, which started our evening there off on a weird note. She just seemed like she was miserable and put zero effort into greeting people or making people feel welcome. Our wait person was also not very friendly…she was attentive and our needs were met, but she did not make the meal more enjoyable, it was just kind of awkward. The halibut saved the day, though.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 2
Honestly we wanted so much from this meal. My partner ordered the four course prix fixe, I ordered the lamb gnocchi. It was a special birthday treat that just didn’t live up to the promised experience.First, I would like to say that the staff were very kind when I asked if a candle would be possible for my partners dessert. They not only agreed but also gave us some sparkling wine; this was a nice touch.What wasn’t as nice was the bug in my partners starter salad. Our server was very apologetic and offered us some of the bread to try and make it up.My partner enjoyed the chickpea fritter and her cauliflower steak alright, wasn’t something spectacular but it was somewhat enjoyable.My own gnocchi was flavorless and soaked in oil, perhaps the least seasoned sausage that I have ever experienced. I didn’t feel it was worth finishing.Then we come to the dessert. The primary reason my partner chose to dine at Coho was for the chocolate torte. Unfortunately after the meal was taken away we were told that they were in fact out.A disappointment to be sure but it is something that sometimes happens in every industry. It was the only item she was interested in so we elected to have no dessert.We were a little shocked to see that we were charged full price for the four course prix fixe despite the first course having a bug in it and the last course not being served.If we had ordered ala carte and not gotten the two parts of the fixe that weren’t eaten it would have been cheaper. If you count in the bread that was given as apology it would still have been cheaper.I don’t fault the waitstaff, who were for the most part kind and considerate, but I wouldn’t trust this kitchen again and I certainly wouldn't be willing to pay 120 dollars for the experience again.Edit: According to the bill we were charged for the prix fixe, otherwise the fritters and the cauliflower wouldn’t add up to $70, it would add up to $50.Also, it was a bug. It is really disingenuous to pretend that your chef has magic eyes that see past what me, my partner, and your own waitstaff knew to be a bug. I have had za’atar plenty of times and never did it have legs and wings.Furthermore, za’atar is not present in the salad according to your menu. So either you are claiming it is a spice that isn’t supposed to be in the dish, which is cross contamination, or you are trying to present my review as false.I do have to wonder why the staff wouldn’t have said that it wasn’t an insect while we were present. Looking down your negative reviews it seems that you always insist that dissatisfied customers are responsible for saying so at the table. If this is the case then I feel most would agree that the ball was dropped either way.To finish, I did not say you didn’t have other desserts, I merely said it was a disappointment that the one we came for wasn’t there. In the future I would certainly recommend that missing items are listed before someone orders a four course meal. Knowing what options are available would surely effect someone’s choice of the prix fixe.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
We were a party of 8 at Coho tonight. If I could give ten stars, I would. Our meals were prepared to perfection and truly this restaurant has the edge on pleasing a discerning palette. The service was excellent, and the ambiance is beautifully romantic. I'm talking white tablecloths, fresh flowers, beautiful music in the background, and comfortable, spacious seating. Elegant, understated lights in the center of each table work magic, which the olders of our group appreciated so much!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We were very disappointed with our dining experience here. The staff was very nice but they couldn't overcome the lack of training and the distasteful food. Our server was lovely but there were many strange things about the service besides being slow to get to initially greet us. So it took forever for her to come to our table. We ordered the four course prix fixe dinner. Each course was placed on top of our "bread" dishes. Very odd. Those dishes should have been moved to the side or removed from the table altogether. Our silverware was never replaced, as it should have been for each of the four courses. But what really disappointed though, was the food. It is sad when the best thing was the initial amuse bouche - cucumber with a beet hummus. For my starter I ordered the tomato soup. It was completely unremarkable. Hubby had the Coho salad. It was supposed to have pickled red onion on it but did not. The server told us they had run out but then the chef came out with some and make it pretty clear that they had forgotten to put it on the salad. We had some with our last few bites and it really balanced the dish out! For the next course I ordered the chickpea fritters and hubby the crabcakes. But then, we were told that they had run out of the crabcakes so he had to choose something else. There wasn't much to choose from. Just a caprese salad or pork belly. Since we don't eat pork, that left the caprese salad and he had just had a salad. We ended up splitting so he wasn't stuck. The caprese salad wasn't great. The tomatoes needed to be riper and the mozzarella a better quality. The worst though was yet to come. Hubby had the halibut which was overcooked so that lovely sweet flavor was obliterated. Mine was really bad. I had the seafood tagliatelle. It had so many conflicting flavors I really couldn't eat it. There was an over powering amount of tarragon with large pieces of citrus (I think blood orange) with the rind still on it. This was very bitter. Then there were large slices of leek that were barely cooked. Those were inedible. Our desserts were fine - ice cream sundaes. Really hard to mess that up. We had been so anticipating the meal. Usually a prix fixe tasting never disappoints but this one wasn't worth the money at all. Final note. When I called to confirm our reservation, I asked what the dress code was. I was told that it was semi-formal. It isn't. I would say smart casual is the dress code.
Restaurantji Recommends
Some items were absolutely divine, like the drinks, pork belly, and desserts. Other items, like the lamb gnocchi and crab cakes were just ok. They weren't bad but both a bit dry with a slightly dull flavor. Service was fantastic and would definitely visit again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Amazing food and service! I'm not sure the price quite matched the quantity/quality of the food, but it was pretty close. We had the most friendly waitstaff too!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was just lacking any flavor, we had to ask for salt. Maybe fine for a fast food joint, but unacceptable at this price point.Local ingredients - it was spaghetti
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
We had really been looking forward to trying this place after a late ferry arrival. Overpriced for average quality food. Wanted to charge extra to split an entree and for bread. Service was not up to par. Enjoyed Madrona Grill in Roche Harbor more.
The food and entire experience was wonderful - a highlight of our weekend on San Juan. The chef even came out to welcome us and brought our 1.5 year an extra special bowl of the most delicious strawberries she’s (I’ve) ever had. ❤️Everything we ordered was perfectly prepared and plated. We particularly loved the current scallop dish, the roasted veggies with the chicken and all of the fresh deserts. We can’t wait to go back next time we’re in Friday Harbor to try out their new menu since we know it changes with the seasons and local availability of ingredients.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5