Love this place because the menu has never changed over the years. Homemade soups, salads and sandwiches. The soups are always delicious, but the sandwiches and salads are pretty basic. I wish they took credit cards because I rarely have cash. The owner, who is the cashier, could be a bit more friendly. Never seems overly pleasant taking orders.
Chris G.
In short, it just isn't worth it. The sandwiches are bare minimum with bland and cheap ingredients. The Reuben: two super thin slices of meat the rest sauerkraut. The veggie: carrots and lettuce and the tiniest hint of avocado. The bread is bland run of the mill store bought. The prices are high for what you get and the food is made like they just don't care. Don't even get me started on the pickle "wedge" that comes w/ the sandwich. And cash or check only? What is a check? Staff was nice.
Danine Howard
Always a great home made lunch. Fresh ingredients and wonderful service!
UKStraveller
Maitre de needs a little work - ignores people whilst shuffles papers, writes notes, chats to staff before finally acknowledging you are present - guess we waited 3 mins for her to “do her stuff” - food is good but 2 sandwiches and side salads will knock you back 40 notes - cash and check only - horizontal surfaces in back were dusty and plainly been like that for some time - dust and spiders doo doos on all vertical light cords in ceiling and all air vents dirty- -the same webs were there from when we last visited in June; tables are sticky - wooden - and need a little waxing to stop this - if I were you id go to safeway and pick up a soup and sandwich - youll save both time, money and odd interactions -
Margo Karler
We’ve been coming to The Boarding House for decades. It’s always been my reliably good lunch restaurant. Not anymore.Arrived at lunchtime yesterday. The line to place the order at the counter was long. I understand that since covid restaurants had supply issues. Many have limited menus now, but the Boarding House has kept the same menu. By the time we got to the front of the line, only a few hours from opening, the menu selection was probably halved. We tried to order, but the woman taking orders replied they were out of that and walk off. She took forever to return to tell us they were out of our 2nd choice. Then she walked off again. Now we were very hungry so ordered our 3rd choice which was their BLT with guacamole.Somewhere in the process I told the counter person I didn’t want mayo. But this information didn’t carry on to the final choices I had made. The guac and mayo collapsed the sandwich. I took the sandwich back to the counter and noted I requested no mayo. The counter person, kept repeating, within ear shoot of staff and customers, that I hadn’t made that request. I can only guess she was protecting herself and trying to embarrass me. The cook replaced the bread instead of the whole sandwich. I said that was fine, even though it really wasn’t, for by then we’d paid for our meal and was willing to eat anything they served.We will not be returning to the Boarding House.
Margo K.
We've been coming to The Boarding House for decades. It's always been my reliably good lunch restaurant. Not anymore. Arrived at lunchtime yesterday. The line to place the order at the counter was long. I understand that since covid restaurants had supply issues. Many have limited menus now, but the Boarding House has kept the same menu. By the time we got to the front of the line, only a few hours from opening, the menu selection was probably halved. We tried to order, but the woman taking orders replied they were out of that and walk off. She took forever to return to tell us they were out of our 2nd choice. Then she walked off again. Now we were very hungry so ordered our 3rd choice which was their BLT with guacamole. Somewhere in the process I told the counter person I didn't want mayo. But this information didn't carry on to the final choices I had made. The guac and mayo collapsed the sandwich. I took the sandwich back to the counter and noted I requested no mayo. The counter person, kept repeating, within ear shoot of staff and customers, that I hadn't made that request. I can only guess she was protecting herself and trying to embarrass me. The cook replaced the bread instead of the whole sandwich. I said that was fine, even though it really wasn't, for by then we'd paid for our meal and was willing to eat anything they served. We will not be returning to the Boarding House.
MJ P.
Be aware: The Boarding House only takes cash or checks. You won't know that until you get inside. It is also not on NW Gilman Blvd., as Google Maps would have you believe. It is actually on NW Juniper St., a right off the bulivard. We searched about a half hour trying to find the place. The tuna sandwich on honey wheat bread, the iced tea, crunchy dill pickles and the oatmeal-coconut-nut cookies are very tasty. My husband had the classic turkey sandwich. This is why I only gave 4 stars. His was a couple slices of deli rolled turkey, a piece of lettuce and a very thin layer of mayo. "It was dry and tasteless", he said. For the prices they charge it seems they could have used real turkey, more mayo and maybe even a tomato. The woman who took care of us, however, was attentive and nice. We sat outside, though, and were bothered by a not very nice hornet constantly.
Patricia Davis
The food is really good. But the vibe of the owners Is variable. It’s really bad for business to treat any customer as if they are a bother. You’re not doing people a favor! Go take a look at how you act. If you’re going to have a business be nice on a consistent basis. Owners: how do YOU like to be treated when you go out to eat? Why don’t you have the same standards towards your customers? At times you are acting like it’s such a big deal and a big strain… Lucky your food is tasty because you guys are really jerks. Really….. jerks‼️
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Jim Robinson
Discovered this place on the next to last day of a week long stay. Wish I had found it sooner.Portions are enormous, try the 1/2 sizes, they are still a full meal, IMHO.Service is excellent, not crowded in the early morning but had to wait 5 minutes at 10am.
Jenn B.
I took my mom & dad here for lunch bc they love soup & sandwich type places & this seemed like the perfect spot. I was excited about the potato dill soup based on the reviews but was pretty underwhelmed by it. The main flavor that came through was milk/cream. I couldn't taste any dill at all. I love dill so I was bummed by the lack of dill flavor. My tuna melt was tasty but the little bit of salad that came with it didn't have the turkey or ham that it said it was supposed to have. Also asked for an iced tea with a little bit of lemonade & just got iced tea. The quality of food was good, the taste was just average. Prob won't make a point to go back but glad I finally got around to trying them. I do agree that they need to get with the times & add other payment options besides cash or check. Who uses checks anymore?!?
The little village where this gem is found is adorable. The menu though limited is quite sufficient. My dining companion had a sald and 1/2 sandwich. She was thrilled with her choices and they looked quite tasty. I had a 1/2 cup of soup (split pea) and 1/2 sandwich. All was tasty. Service was fast and friendly. The place was sparkling clean. It is a good thing this place is not close to me. I might be here way too often.
Anna Christopherson
Cash/Check only: heads-up. In 2022 if you do this it is A) a major inconvenience b/c no one uses checks anymore and few ppl carry cash. B) makes me think you’re cheating on your taxes.
Jessica S.
Stopped in for a quick lunch with a friend on a weekday. The restaurant is a cute old house in Gilman Village, decorated in period style - basically, it's like having lunch at grandma's house. The lunch menu is a lot of soup, sandwich, salad, or assorted combinations of the three, and there's a chalkboard with the daily specials. We both went for the sampler plate, which is a half sandwich, a cup of soup, and a petite salad - choose any assortment from the menus. I went with tuna sandwich, potato-dill soup, and a spinach salad. You order at the counter, find a place to sit, and then your name is called when your meal is ready. Our meals didn't take very long, and they were very good! The sandwiches were classic American-style, on soft wheat bread. The dill potato soup was an unexpected combination but nice, kinda homey (in a good way). I loved the spinach salad, which had a nice crunch from nuts and a super poppyseed dressing (you can choose from several dressing options but trust me on the poppy). We ate in the dining room off to the side, which was quiet enough for a conversation and a clean, pleasant space. They ask you to bus your own tables, but you just deliver your tray to a window in that room, easy and no fuss. The staff were pleasant. My one caveat about The Boarding House is this - they don't take cards! No debit, credit, Venmo, applePay, etc ... just cash or check. As much as I appreciate a trip back in time, I don't really miss having to run to the nearest ATM for cash to pay a bill. You do pay when you order, so at least the surprise is up front, and there is an ATM at the bank across the street, which the gal was nice enough to direct me to. But ... this one concession to the modern age would be nice, especially as so many of us carry little if any cash these days. Apart from that, though - it's a wonderful, unfussy but very tasty, lunch spot.
sternapple
Stopped in for a quick lunch with a friend on a weekday. The restaurant is a cute old house in Gilman Village, decorated in period style - basically, it’s like having lunch at grandma’s house. The lunch menu is a lot of soup, sandwich, salad, or assorted combinations of the three, and there’s a chalkboard with the daily specials. We both went for the sampler plate, which is a half sandwich, a cup of soup, and a petite salad - choose any assortment from the menus. I went with tuna sandwich, potato-dill soup, and a spinach salad. You order at the counter, find a place to sit, and then your name is called when your meal is ready. Our meals didn’t take very long, and they were very good! The sandwiches were classic American-style, on soft wheat bread. The dill potato soup was an unexpected combination but nice, kinda homey (in a good way). I loved the spinach salad, which had a nice crunch from nuts and a super poppyseed dressing (you can choose from several dressing options but trust me on the poppy). We ate in the dining room off to the side, which was quiet enough for a conversation and a clean, pleasant space. They ask you to bus your own tables, but you just deliver your tray to a window in that room, easy and no fuss. The staff were pleasant. My one caveat about The Boarding House is this - they don’t take cards! No debit, credit, Venmo, applePay, etc … just cash or check. As much as I appreciate a trip back in time, I don’t really miss having to run to the nearest ATM for cash to pay a bill. You do pay when you order, so at least the surprise is up front, and there is an ATM at the bank across the street, which the gal was nice enough to direct me to. But … this one concession to the modern age would be nice, especially as so many of us carry little if any cash these days. Apart from that, though - it’s a wonderful, unfussy but very tasty, lunch spot.
Teresa M.
I've enjoyed going to the Village many, many times over my life, the most recent for an Elite event. If I'm driving to Issaquah, I'm going to make a morning of it, and after browsing the food options available, my partner and I opted to try The Boarding House. Walking in was a bit of an experience as the décor reminds me of something you'd see visiting grandma at her farmhouse. The woman running the counter, however, was not like grandma, at least not like mine. She was busy bookkeeping (understandable), but didn't say hi or any sort of acknowledgement for several minutes even though we were right in front of her. It was certainly a bit odd. This place keeps the food simple, really just soup, sandwiches and salads, though they are done well. I really enjoyed my veggie-avocado sandwich and the potato dill soup/chowder looked and smelled great (he was very happy with it, so yay). CASH ONLY. Well, the sign said check as well...but what are those? Seriously though, no one does that. Either way, the service leaves some to be desired, but overall it's a good place for classic homestyle, simple food.
Love this place because the menu has never changed over the years. Homemade soups, salads and sandwiches. The soups are always delicious, but the sandwiches and salads are pretty basic. I wish they took credit cards because I rarely have cash. The owner, who is the cashier, could be a bit more friendly. Never seems overly pleasant taking orders.
In short, it just isn't worth it. The sandwiches are bare minimum with bland and cheap ingredients. The Reuben: two super thin slices of meat the rest sauerkraut. The veggie: carrots and lettuce and the tiniest hint of avocado. The bread is bland run of the mill store bought. The prices are high for what you get and the food is made like they just don't care. Don't even get me started on the pickle "wedge" that comes w/ the sandwich. And cash or check only? What is a check? Staff was nice.
Always a great home made lunch. Fresh ingredients and wonderful service!
Maitre de needs a little work - ignores people whilst shuffles papers, writes notes, chats to staff before finally acknowledging you are present - guess we waited 3 mins for her to “do her stuff” - food is good but 2 sandwiches and side salads will knock you back 40 notes - cash and check only - horizontal surfaces in back were dusty and plainly been like that for some time - dust and spiders doo doos on all vertical light cords in ceiling and all air vents dirty- -the same webs were there from when we last visited in June; tables are sticky - wooden - and need a little waxing to stop this - if I were you id go to safeway and pick up a soup and sandwich - youll save both time, money and odd interactions -
We’ve been coming to The Boarding House for decades. It’s always been my reliably good lunch restaurant. Not anymore.Arrived at lunchtime yesterday. The line to place the order at the counter was long. I understand that since covid restaurants had supply issues. Many have limited menus now, but the Boarding House has kept the same menu. By the time we got to the front of the line, only a few hours from opening, the menu selection was probably halved. We tried to order, but the woman taking orders replied they were out of that and walk off. She took forever to return to tell us they were out of our 2nd choice. Then she walked off again. Now we were very hungry so ordered our 3rd choice which was their BLT with guacamole.Somewhere in the process I told the counter person I didn’t want mayo. But this information didn’t carry on to the final choices I had made. The guac and mayo collapsed the sandwich. I took the sandwich back to the counter and noted I requested no mayo. The counter person, kept repeating, within ear shoot of staff and customers, that I hadn’t made that request. I can only guess she was protecting herself and trying to embarrass me. The cook replaced the bread instead of the whole sandwich. I said that was fine, even though it really wasn’t, for by then we’d paid for our meal and was willing to eat anything they served.We will not be returning to the Boarding House.
We've been coming to The Boarding House for decades. It's always been my reliably good lunch restaurant. Not anymore. Arrived at lunchtime yesterday. The line to place the order at the counter was long. I understand that since covid restaurants had supply issues. Many have limited menus now, but the Boarding House has kept the same menu. By the time we got to the front of the line, only a few hours from opening, the menu selection was probably halved. We tried to order, but the woman taking orders replied they were out of that and walk off. She took forever to return to tell us they were out of our 2nd choice. Then she walked off again. Now we were very hungry so ordered our 3rd choice which was their BLT with guacamole. Somewhere in the process I told the counter person I didn't want mayo. But this information didn't carry on to the final choices I had made. The guac and mayo collapsed the sandwich. I took the sandwich back to the counter and noted I requested no mayo. The counter person, kept repeating, within ear shoot of staff and customers, that I hadn't made that request. I can only guess she was protecting herself and trying to embarrass me. The cook replaced the bread instead of the whole sandwich. I said that was fine, even though it really wasn't, for by then we'd paid for our meal and was willing to eat anything they served. We will not be returning to the Boarding House.
Be aware: The Boarding House only takes cash or checks. You won't know that until you get inside. It is also not on NW Gilman Blvd., as Google Maps would have you believe. It is actually on NW Juniper St., a right off the bulivard. We searched about a half hour trying to find the place. The tuna sandwich on honey wheat bread, the iced tea, crunchy dill pickles and the oatmeal-coconut-nut cookies are very tasty. My husband had the classic turkey sandwich. This is why I only gave 4 stars. His was a couple slices of deli rolled turkey, a piece of lettuce and a very thin layer of mayo. "It was dry and tasteless", he said. For the prices they charge it seems they could have used real turkey, more mayo and maybe even a tomato. The woman who took care of us, however, was attentive and nice. We sat outside, though, and were bothered by a not very nice hornet constantly.
The food is really good. But the vibe of the owners Is variable. It’s really bad for business to treat any customer as if they are a bother. You’re not doing people a favor! Go take a look at how you act. If you’re going to have a business be nice on a consistent basis. Owners: how do YOU like to be treated when you go out to eat? Why don’t you have the same standards towards your customers? At times you are acting like it’s such a big deal and a big strain… Lucky your food is tasty because you guys are really jerks. Really….. jerks‼️
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Discovered this place on the next to last day of a week long stay. Wish I had found it sooner.Portions are enormous, try the 1/2 sizes, they are still a full meal, IMHO.Service is excellent, not crowded in the early morning but had to wait 5 minutes at 10am.
I took my mom & dad here for lunch bc they love soup & sandwich type places & this seemed like the perfect spot. I was excited about the potato dill soup based on the reviews but was pretty underwhelmed by it. The main flavor that came through was milk/cream. I couldn't taste any dill at all. I love dill so I was bummed by the lack of dill flavor. My tuna melt was tasty but the little bit of salad that came with it didn't have the turkey or ham that it said it was supposed to have. Also asked for an iced tea with a little bit of lemonade & just got iced tea. The quality of food was good, the taste was just average. Prob won't make a point to go back but glad I finally got around to trying them. I do agree that they need to get with the times & add other payment options besides cash or check. Who uses checks anymore?!?
Restaurantji Recommends
The little village where this gem is found is adorable. The menu though limited is quite sufficient. My dining companion had a sald and 1/2 sandwich. She was thrilled with her choices and they looked quite tasty. I had a 1/2 cup of soup (split pea) and 1/2 sandwich. All was tasty. Service was fast and friendly. The place was sparkling clean. It is a good thing this place is not close to me. I might be here way too often.
Cash/Check only: heads-up. In 2022 if you do this it is A) a major inconvenience b/c no one uses checks anymore and few ppl carry cash. B) makes me think you’re cheating on your taxes.
Stopped in for a quick lunch with a friend on a weekday. The restaurant is a cute old house in Gilman Village, decorated in period style - basically, it's like having lunch at grandma's house. The lunch menu is a lot of soup, sandwich, salad, or assorted combinations of the three, and there's a chalkboard with the daily specials. We both went for the sampler plate, which is a half sandwich, a cup of soup, and a petite salad - choose any assortment from the menus. I went with tuna sandwich, potato-dill soup, and a spinach salad. You order at the counter, find a place to sit, and then your name is called when your meal is ready. Our meals didn't take very long, and they were very good! The sandwiches were classic American-style, on soft wheat bread. The dill potato soup was an unexpected combination but nice, kinda homey (in a good way). I loved the spinach salad, which had a nice crunch from nuts and a super poppyseed dressing (you can choose from several dressing options but trust me on the poppy). We ate in the dining room off to the side, which was quiet enough for a conversation and a clean, pleasant space. They ask you to bus your own tables, but you just deliver your tray to a window in that room, easy and no fuss. The staff were pleasant. My one caveat about The Boarding House is this - they don't take cards! No debit, credit, Venmo, applePay, etc ... just cash or check. As much as I appreciate a trip back in time, I don't really miss having to run to the nearest ATM for cash to pay a bill. You do pay when you order, so at least the surprise is up front, and there is an ATM at the bank across the street, which the gal was nice enough to direct me to. But ... this one concession to the modern age would be nice, especially as so many of us carry little if any cash these days. Apart from that, though - it's a wonderful, unfussy but very tasty, lunch spot.
Stopped in for a quick lunch with a friend on a weekday. The restaurant is a cute old house in Gilman Village, decorated in period style - basically, it’s like having lunch at grandma’s house. The lunch menu is a lot of soup, sandwich, salad, or assorted combinations of the three, and there’s a chalkboard with the daily specials. We both went for the sampler plate, which is a half sandwich, a cup of soup, and a petite salad - choose any assortment from the menus. I went with tuna sandwich, potato-dill soup, and a spinach salad. You order at the counter, find a place to sit, and then your name is called when your meal is ready. Our meals didn’t take very long, and they were very good! The sandwiches were classic American-style, on soft wheat bread. The dill potato soup was an unexpected combination but nice, kinda homey (in a good way). I loved the spinach salad, which had a nice crunch from nuts and a super poppyseed dressing (you can choose from several dressing options but trust me on the poppy). We ate in the dining room off to the side, which was quiet enough for a conversation and a clean, pleasant space. They ask you to bus your own tables, but you just deliver your tray to a window in that room, easy and no fuss. The staff were pleasant. My one caveat about The Boarding House is this - they don’t take cards! No debit, credit, Venmo, applePay, etc … just cash or check. As much as I appreciate a trip back in time, I don’t really miss having to run to the nearest ATM for cash to pay a bill. You do pay when you order, so at least the surprise is up front, and there is an ATM at the bank across the street, which the gal was nice enough to direct me to. But … this one concession to the modern age would be nice, especially as so many of us carry little if any cash these days. Apart from that, though - it’s a wonderful, unfussy but very tasty, lunch spot.
I've enjoyed going to the Village many, many times over my life, the most recent for an Elite event. If I'm driving to Issaquah, I'm going to make a morning of it, and after browsing the food options available, my partner and I opted to try The Boarding House. Walking in was a bit of an experience as the décor reminds me of something you'd see visiting grandma at her farmhouse. The woman running the counter, however, was not like grandma, at least not like mine. She was busy bookkeeping (understandable), but didn't say hi or any sort of acknowledgement for several minutes even though we were right in front of her. It was certainly a bit odd. This place keeps the food simple, really just soup, sandwiches and salads, though they are done well. I really enjoyed my veggie-avocado sandwich and the potato dill soup/chowder looked and smelled great (he was very happy with it, so yay). CASH ONLY. Well, the sign said check as well...but what are those? Seriously though, no one does that. Either way, the service leaves some to be desired, but overall it's a good place for classic homestyle, simple food.