This review pertains to a private event we booked at Brimmer & Heeltap. The event was for a college in the midwest to meet with alumni in Seattle. Emma was great to work with to plan our event, especially when our registration exceeded our expectations. They allowed us to use the patio as well for a short time until we were ready to be seated for the program. The food suggestions were wonderful and received many compliments from our guests. Dana took care of us during the event and was personable, helpful to our guests and especially great at continuing to be attentive during our program without being a distratction. It is a little scary to plan an event long-distance with only pictures to decide if the space is a good fit for the event. Emma and the staff were a huge part in its success.
Kitten Freeman
Awesome vibe and many unique choices for food. We were very amused by the big chonk of bread they served us, and we were confused at first about the lack of butter. But then we took a bite and realized the butter is definitely in the bread already. The flavors of everything were pretty intense, a little too intense for us, but still enjoyable nonetheless. The Hanger steak wasn't quite what I was expecting, it was small, charred, and drowned in an overwhelmingly sweet sauce. The Radicchio salad was great, but also sort of drowned in sauce, same with the carrots. We pretty much stopped halfway through the leftovers to save room for dinner, and we did notice it took quite a bit. My steak was lukewarm by the time it arrived, I noticed my boyfriend's chicken was still steaming hot.
Since we had already been waiting for a while and they were nice enough to have our leftovers from appetizers packed up for us to make room on the table, I wasn't sure what to say. It was honestly still a very good vibe and we are already talking about coming back. I love the back room and the teal bathroom is amazing, that's one of my favorite colors! My only critique is the over-sauced food.
Zachary Neubauer
Kampachi Crudo had a nice spice level that had heat but wasn't overpowering.
Skirt steak and king salmon (gluten free) we amazing. The sorbet for desert was perfectly sweet and refreshing after.
Cocktails were top notch, old fashion with rye and a martini.
Azul de Mendieta
I am not going to lie, I had high expectations for this place. But between the constant upselling done by the waiter, the extra charge at the end of your meal and the meager portions I wouldn’t recommend this place.
Nicole Michels
Food was very good, the service was exceptional.
Cameron G
To start, the food was quite good. Had we stopped after the small plates, this would have easily been a 12/10 review. However, several other issues impacted the overall experience, which led to the lower rating.
Starting with the positives, the small plates were fantastic. We tried the carrots, crispy potatoes, and crostata. Each was unique, well balanced, and left us excited for the mains.
Now the service, which seemed to come down to one issue: understaffing. Our waitress was wonderful—helpful, informative, and attentive when she was present. The problem was, she was rarely around. It seemed like she was serving everyone in the restaurant, leading to long delays. For example, when we requested another minute to decide, she never returned. Instead, another staff member (non-server) approached, asking if we were ready for dessert, and eventually took our main course order instead.
The mains themselves took an extremely long time to arrive, leaving us waiting for around 40 minutes without any updates or explanations. When they finally came, we were disappointed. The lamb was undercooked to our liking, and the pasta was simple and somewhat overcooked.
We did order tiramisu for dessert, which was delicious. Our waitress kindly comped it and apologized for the delay, explaining that such long waits weren’t typical.
We spent two full hours at the restaurant, including a delay at the start when our table wasn’t ready on time. The total for two drinks (including a $13 sparkling wine that was billed as $16), three small plates, and two mains came to $190, including the $9 surcharge (5%). While I appreciate the surcharge being disclosed upfront on the menu, it feels excessive given the already high cost of the meal and what appears to be cuttings costs by reducing staff.
Jerrica Kostis
Excellent menu choices! Every appetizer, sald, and entree we had was absolutely amazing. That being said, I do wish (at every restaurant) that mocktails could be made with monk fruit instead of sugar, for those of us who don't do sugar. Great place for a date, a small birthday gathering, ladies night, dinner with the parents. Just really good atmosphere, service and cozy! And honestly I felt the quality of the food actually matched the price, which I don't find all that often. Also, they asked if we had any dietary restrictions or needs. We didn't, but it seemed like they are able to accommodate.
Matt Barker
Had a great time and some great food. Service was great, the overall experience was well worth the price tag
Julia Sinn
Had a lovely time here and will be back! Delectable and creative menu, delightful service, impeccable date night vibes. We got the olives, winter salad, potatoes 🤤, and hangar steak and adored everything. Great wine list, professionally served. The whole staff clearly care deeply about presenting an awesome experience.
(I would have *loved* to be able to add salmon to the salad and would be stoked to see more vegetation protein options.)
Arden James
Definitely try the onion dip! Really loved the oysters and the chanterelle tagliatelle. Such a fabulous evening with friends.
No this isn't just a spam 5 star review. The food was so good, our waitress actually gave us suggestions on saving money while getting more food, and the patio area was completely empty and warm with the space heaters. I wish I took photos, we will definitely be returning.
Bridget Myers
Such a special neighborhood spot! Incredible cocktails, thoughtful service, and divine dinner and dessert. Highly recommend!
Jody Carter
Get the clams with bread. They also have outstanding cocktails! This is my favorite restaurant in the greater Ballard area.
Alex Maloney
Was here for a work party and everything was amazing! Food was perfect, can’t recommend the bread, olives, chicken with polenta, potatoes and chocolate torte enough. The service is so friendly and answered all our many questions! I can’t wait to come back here for another special occasion.
This review pertains to a private event we booked at Brimmer & Heeltap. The event was for a college in the midwest to meet with alumni in Seattle. Emma was great to work with to plan our event, especially when our registration exceeded our expectations. They allowed us to use the patio as well for a short time until we were ready to be seated for the program. The food suggestions were wonderful and received many compliments from our guests. Dana took care of us during the event and was personable, helpful to our guests and especially great at continuing to be attentive during our program without being a distratction.
It is a little scary to plan an event long-distance with only pictures to decide if the space is a good fit for the event. Emma and the staff were a huge part in its success.
Awesome vibe and many unique choices for food.
We were very amused by the big chonk of bread they served us, and we were confused at first about the lack of butter. But then we took a bite and realized the butter is definitely in the bread already.
The flavors of everything were pretty intense, a little too intense for us, but still enjoyable nonetheless.
The Hanger steak wasn't quite what I was expecting, it was small, charred, and drowned in an overwhelmingly sweet sauce. The Radicchio salad was great, but also sort of drowned in sauce, same with the carrots. We pretty much stopped halfway through the leftovers to save room for dinner, and we did notice it took quite a bit.
My steak was lukewarm by the time it arrived, I noticed my boyfriend's chicken was still steaming hot.
Since we had already been waiting for a while and they were nice enough to have our leftovers from appetizers packed up for us to make room on the table, I wasn't sure what to say. It was honestly still a very good vibe and we are already talking about coming back.
I love the back room and the teal bathroom is amazing, that's one of my favorite colors!
My only critique is the over-sauced food.
Kampachi Crudo had a nice spice level that had heat but wasn't overpowering.
Skirt steak and king salmon (gluten free) we amazing.
The sorbet for desert was perfectly sweet and refreshing after.
Cocktails were top notch, old fashion with rye and a martini.
I am not going to lie, I had high expectations for this place. But between the constant upselling done by the waiter, the extra charge at the end of your meal and the meager portions I wouldn’t recommend this place.
Food was very good, the service was exceptional.
To start, the food was quite good. Had we stopped after the small plates, this would have easily been a 12/10 review. However, several other issues impacted the overall experience, which led to the lower rating.
Starting with the positives, the small plates were fantastic. We tried the carrots, crispy potatoes, and crostata. Each was unique, well balanced, and left us excited for the mains.
Now the service, which seemed to come down to one issue: understaffing. Our waitress was wonderful—helpful, informative, and attentive when she was present. The problem was, she was rarely around. It seemed like she was serving everyone in the restaurant, leading to long delays. For example, when we requested another minute to decide, she never returned. Instead, another staff member (non-server) approached, asking if we were ready for dessert, and eventually took our main course order instead.
The mains themselves took an extremely long time to arrive, leaving us waiting for around 40 minutes without any updates or explanations. When they finally came, we were disappointed. The lamb was undercooked to our liking, and the pasta was simple and somewhat overcooked.
We did order tiramisu for dessert, which was delicious. Our waitress kindly comped it and apologized for the delay, explaining that such long waits weren’t typical.
We spent two full hours at the restaurant, including a delay at the start when our table wasn’t ready on time. The total for two drinks (including a $13 sparkling wine that was billed as $16), three small plates, and two mains came to $190, including the $9 surcharge (5%). While I appreciate the surcharge being disclosed upfront on the menu, it feels excessive given the already high cost of the meal and what appears to be cuttings costs by reducing staff.
Excellent menu choices! Every appetizer, sald, and entree we had was absolutely amazing. That being said, I do wish (at every restaurant) that mocktails could be made with monk fruit instead of sugar, for those of us who don't do sugar.
Great place for a date, a small birthday gathering, ladies night, dinner with the parents. Just really good atmosphere, service and cozy! And honestly I felt the quality of the food actually matched the price, which I don't find all that often. Also, they asked if we had any dietary restrictions or needs. We didn't, but it seemed like they are able to accommodate.
Had a great time and some great food. Service was great, the overall experience was well worth the price tag
Had a lovely time here and will be back! Delectable and creative menu, delightful service, impeccable date night vibes. We got the olives, winter salad, potatoes 🤤, and hangar steak and adored everything. Great wine list, professionally served. The whole staff clearly care deeply about presenting an awesome experience.
(I would have *loved* to be able to add salmon to the salad and would be stoked to see more vegetation protein options.)
Definitely try the onion dip! Really loved the oysters and the chanterelle tagliatelle. Such a fabulous evening with friends.
Restaurantji Recommends
No this isn't just a spam 5 star review. The food was so good, our waitress actually gave us suggestions on saving money while getting more food, and the patio area was completely empty and warm with the space heaters. I wish I took photos, we will definitely be returning.
Such a special neighborhood spot! Incredible cocktails, thoughtful service, and divine dinner and dessert. Highly recommend!
Get the clams with bread. They also have outstanding cocktails! This is my favorite restaurant in the greater Ballard area.
Was here for a work party and everything was amazing! Food was perfect, can’t recommend the bread, olives, chicken with polenta, potatoes and chocolate torte enough. The service is so friendly and answered all our many questions! I can’t wait to come back here for another special occasion.
Lovely spot, great food, and amazing staff!
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