Had a great experience here. Easy to make a reservation, the yakitori was amazing, the sashimi was incredible, good cocktails, amazing happy hour, and very friendly and attentive staff. Would definitely come back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Allison Hegel
About half of what we tried blew my mind it was so good. The mochi bacon, and pork and eel yakitori were amazing. The service was great. The place wasn't very busy at 5pm on a Friday. There is a lot of street parking a few blocks away in the surrounding neighborhoods.Parking: Park a few blocks away in the neighborhoods nearby.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ Eel
gtberg
Great atmosphere, but the Yakitori was overcooked and bland. I won't return.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Ginte La
Fun atmosphere, decent small plates, and sashimi, but all yakitory skewers that we tried had no char, lacking seasoning, came out overcooked and bland.
Weon
Secret Fort was quite underwhelming despite the hype it generated from word of mouth and social media. First, I have to admit the atmosphere they created, decorating a yakitori restaurant with 20th century Japanese magazine cutouts and retro video game memorabilia was tasteful and colorful.But unfortunately that was the only thing I was impressed about this restaurant.The food was mediocre at best. All of the food were underseasoned, with the except of the yaki-onigiri skewer which soaked most of the tare (sweet sauce) from the platter well. It was quite disappointing, even with the $15 for 5 skewer happy hour special ($3/piece) it felt overpriced. I would have loved for the cook to add more sear on the skewers to lock in the smoky flavor and more season so they did not taste like bland chicken meat. Salmon carpaccio did not taste fresh and I expected them to use fresh sashimi instead of something that was sitting in the fridge for a while.Service was also lacking. I thought they would have nailed the service aspect after I got turned away because I tried to do a walk-in and the wait list was long back in November. But when I came back here with a reservation, things took a while. My drinks came out later than expected, after my appetizers and most of my skewers had come out. Given the amount of crowd Secret Fort brings in on a regular basis, I would expect them to be on top of their service and food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
yun
Making a reservation a week in advance is usually fine, but attempting a walk-in on the same day can lead to a long wait due to its apparent popularity. Sadly, I experienced a walk-in failure on my last visit. This time, having made a reservation in advance, I found the high tables uncomfortably narrow at the hip area, making it difficult to position my legs comfortably. The staff seemed sufficient in number but appeared inexperienced and inefficient in their duties. Unlike the yakitori place I previously attempted to visit, where prices ranged from $1.5 to $3, this had an average price of $4 per skewer. Fortunately, thanks to happy hour, I could enjoy skewers for $3 each which would originally be less than $5. Despite high expectations and the queue of waiting customers, the food was profoundly disappointing. I ordered a set of 5 skewers, anticipating the early arrival of 4 due to a mistake with one. However, I ended up waiting a long time to receive 4 cold skewers, missing one. These 4 skewers seemed undercooked, not properly grilled on the yakitori grill. Furthermore, we weren't allowed to dip our skewers in sauce ourselves. I opted for the tare sauce, but apart from the yakitori (and rice), there were hardly any sauce options, making it taste like I was eating everything almost raw. I definitely won't be returning and will opt for a different yakitori restaurant next time, without question.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Yakitori
Megan L.
The vibes is where secret fort excels, but the food itself is ok. I would only recommend coming here for drinks and a small snack with friends. The hostess and waiters were very quick and attentive, so that is a plus. You pay a lot for the skewers, and you leave hungry. What made me rate this 2 stars vs 3 stars was the yakitori onigiri--the rice is grilled onto the skewer like a corn dog and it's topped with sauce, BUT there is no filling... why am I paying $$ for grilled rice with sauce... the menu description did not include anything about the lack of filling, so it was my bad for not asking but still, why put it on the menu? I really wanted to like this place but I had to get tacos afterwards to get full.
Ryan N.
The staff has always been pleasant and has excellent customer service. They've always been welcoming and helpful! The food is also amazing, it's so easy to just get wrapped up in the tastes that you don't realize you're filling up pretty fast. The atmosphere and ambience makes it also a great place to just hang out with a few drinks while memorabilia decorate the walls with nostalgia. Would recommend for anyone who hasn't been!
richard goodrick
Without a doubt, the best yakitori in Seattle. I wish I could give it ten stars instead or only five.The service is always quick and friendly, again being one of the best in Seattle.The beef tongue and potato salad is perfect… as good as any yakitori in Tokyo.The prices are reasonable and the decor interesting.Always ask for the specials… they change often and you are able to try some Japanese foods outside the usual.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lisa J.
This was a very cute, trendy Japanese izakaya style restaurant! Staff were all friendly and fast! For drinks, they have a lot of great Japanese style cocktails and beers, and also a nice selection of mocktails! I had a yuzu version of sparkling lemonade that was really good! They have a lot yakitori and sashimi on their limited menu. We got the yakitori sampler to share and it was all yummy! Also the sashimi platter was fresh and delicious. I was surprised to see oden on the menu since that is usually a very traditional home cooked dish in Japan, so we ordered it and it didn't disappoint! Overall everything was delicious, I loved the fun vibe inside, and staff was great! I can't wait to come back here with friends again!
Boy do i like this place. Generally love street food, and they do it well, and it ultimately feels absurdly cheap for how tasty it is
Dori M.
The decorations in this place are amazing, the food is always good, and the staff is always nice
Ben Saitz
Wow. Great find. The vareity of sticks is fun and delicious. Grab a highball on tap too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ Eel, Okonomi Yaki
Kejia Zhang
Very overpriced. Yakitori was Japanese street food level (read: good enough but nothing fancy), Oden was subpar to a 7/11 in Japan: Daikon needed more soaking. But the price…... If everything was 30% off would have been just right.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Frank Ruiz
This is an awesome experience, the food is top notch and the service is even better. Prices are fine and there is usually a long wait unless reservations are obtained previously.
Had a great experience here. Easy to make a reservation, the yakitori was amazing, the sashimi was incredible, good cocktails, amazing happy hour, and very friendly and attentive staff. Would definitely come back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
About half of what we tried blew my mind it was so good. The mochi bacon, and pork and eel yakitori were amazing. The service was great. The place wasn't very busy at 5pm on a Friday. There is a lot of street parking a few blocks away in the surrounding neighborhoods.Parking: Park a few blocks away in the neighborhoods nearby.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ Eel
Great atmosphere, but the Yakitori was overcooked and bland. I won't return.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Fun atmosphere, decent small plates, and sashimi, but all yakitory skewers that we tried had no char, lacking seasoning, came out overcooked and bland.
Secret Fort was quite underwhelming despite the hype it generated from word of mouth and social media. First, I have to admit the atmosphere they created, decorating a yakitori restaurant with 20th century Japanese magazine cutouts and retro video game memorabilia was tasteful and colorful.But unfortunately that was the only thing I was impressed about this restaurant.The food was mediocre at best. All of the food were underseasoned, with the except of the yaki-onigiri skewer which soaked most of the tare (sweet sauce) from the platter well. It was quite disappointing, even with the $15 for 5 skewer happy hour special ($3/piece) it felt overpriced. I would have loved for the cook to add more sear on the skewers to lock in the smoky flavor and more season so they did not taste like bland chicken meat. Salmon carpaccio did not taste fresh and I expected them to use fresh sashimi instead of something that was sitting in the fridge for a while.Service was also lacking. I thought they would have nailed the service aspect after I got turned away because I tried to do a walk-in and the wait list was long back in November. But when I came back here with a reservation, things took a while. My drinks came out later than expected, after my appetizers and most of my skewers had come out. Given the amount of crowd Secret Fort brings in on a regular basis, I would expect them to be on top of their service and food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
Making a reservation a week in advance is usually fine, but attempting a walk-in on the same day can lead to a long wait due to its apparent popularity. Sadly, I experienced a walk-in failure on my last visit. This time, having made a reservation in advance, I found the high tables uncomfortably narrow at the hip area, making it difficult to position my legs comfortably. The staff seemed sufficient in number but appeared inexperienced and inefficient in their duties. Unlike the yakitori place I previously attempted to visit, where prices ranged from $1.5 to $3, this had an average price of $4 per skewer. Fortunately, thanks to happy hour, I could enjoy skewers for $3 each which would originally be less than $5. Despite high expectations and the queue of waiting customers, the food was profoundly disappointing. I ordered a set of 5 skewers, anticipating the early arrival of 4 due to a mistake with one. However, I ended up waiting a long time to receive 4 cold skewers, missing one. These 4 skewers seemed undercooked, not properly grilled on the yakitori grill. Furthermore, we weren't allowed to dip our skewers in sauce ourselves. I opted for the tare sauce, but apart from the yakitori (and rice), there were hardly any sauce options, making it taste like I was eating everything almost raw. I definitely won't be returning and will opt for a different yakitori restaurant next time, without question.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Yakitori
The vibes is where secret fort excels, but the food itself is ok. I would only recommend coming here for drinks and a small snack with friends. The hostess and waiters were very quick and attentive, so that is a plus. You pay a lot for the skewers, and you leave hungry. What made me rate this 2 stars vs 3 stars was the yakitori onigiri--the rice is grilled onto the skewer like a corn dog and it's topped with sauce, BUT there is no filling... why am I paying $$ for grilled rice with sauce... the menu description did not include anything about the lack of filling, so it was my bad for not asking but still, why put it on the menu? I really wanted to like this place but I had to get tacos afterwards to get full.
The staff has always been pleasant and has excellent customer service. They've always been welcoming and helpful! The food is also amazing, it's so easy to just get wrapped up in the tastes that you don't realize you're filling up pretty fast. The atmosphere and ambience makes it also a great place to just hang out with a few drinks while memorabilia decorate the walls with nostalgia. Would recommend for anyone who hasn't been!
Without a doubt, the best yakitori in Seattle. I wish I could give it ten stars instead or only five.The service is always quick and friendly, again being one of the best in Seattle.The beef tongue and potato salad is perfect… as good as any yakitori in Tokyo.The prices are reasonable and the decor interesting.Always ask for the specials… they change often and you are able to try some Japanese foods outside the usual.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was a very cute, trendy Japanese izakaya style restaurant! Staff were all friendly and fast! For drinks, they have a lot of great Japanese style cocktails and beers, and also a nice selection of mocktails! I had a yuzu version of sparkling lemonade that was really good! They have a lot yakitori and sashimi on their limited menu. We got the yakitori sampler to share and it was all yummy! Also the sashimi platter was fresh and delicious. I was surprised to see oden on the menu since that is usually a very traditional home cooked dish in Japan, so we ordered it and it didn't disappoint! Overall everything was delicious, I loved the fun vibe inside, and staff was great! I can't wait to come back here with friends again!
Restaurantji Recommends
Boy do i like this place. Generally love street food, and they do it well, and it ultimately feels absurdly cheap for how tasty it is
The decorations in this place are amazing, the food is always good, and the staff is always nice
Wow. Great find. The vareity of sticks is fun and delicious. Grab a highball on tap too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ Eel, Okonomi Yaki
Very overpriced. Yakitori was Japanese street food level (read: good enough but nothing fancy), Oden was subpar to a 7/11 in Japan: Daikon needed more soaking. But the price…... If everything was 30% off would have been just right.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
This is an awesome experience, the food is top notch and the service is even better. Prices are fine and there is usually a long wait unless reservations are obtained previously.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ Eel, Grilled Mackerel, Okonomi Yaki, Edamame, Japanese Bluefin Tuna, Yaki Onigiri