Madame K's Pizza Bistro

Not only is the spot interesting with decor and costumes you can try on, but the food is fabulous and the service is great too. Don't miss this special spot. more

I had a pretty nice experience at Madame K's! The service was great, the pesto pizza was tasty, and, even though it may have been a glorified cookie, the Big O dessert was delicious! I recommend sitting on the back patio - the garlic smell isn't as intense and you have a great view of Shilshole Ave (hey, who doesn't love to look at industrial Ballard?). It's definitely a great place to go with the gal pals. Oh, and get their sangria - it's fantastic! more

Loud music, so so service and not great food (dry salad with not much dressing, salty tomato sauce) didn't really entice me to embrace Madame K. For inexpensive and tasty Italian plus pleasant service I go to Mamma Melina's. more

I really really wanted to like this place. The garlicky smell, the nifty decor and the history of the location is so fun and funky that you would think that the food would match. But... no. I really don't get why this place is always packed, and gets good reviews. The salads aren't any better than I'd get at McDonald's, and the pizza is ... well, for lack of a better word, disgusting. The thick crust is okay, but that's where the good stuff ends. The sauce tastes just like they poured it out of one of the cans "decorating" the place, and has no flavor to it. Okay, I take that back. It does have a flavor. GARLIC. So much garlic that you'll be finding yourself burping it up for days afterwards. So much garlic that your spouse or partner will refuse to kiss you. So much garlic that even I, a person of Middle Eastern origin (who grew up dipping my chicken in a puree of garlic and lemon juice), finds it too garlicky. In addition to the mountains of garlic on/in the pizza, another upsetting thing about it is the lack of fresh ingredients. I mean, c'mon-- Canned mushrooms? In Seattle? If it was dead winter and we were in the Yukon, I'd understand compromising on ingredient quality. But here it just doesn't add up. And then there is the infamous "Big O" dessert. People rave about it. Me? I don't understand the hype. I like warm gooey cookies just as much as the next gal, but again, the quality of the ingredients were sub-par. I think they just buy a tub of cheap cookie dough from Sysco, and call it good. All in all, I don't think Madame K's is a very good resturant. Maybe if they spent just a little bit more on better quality ingredients and maybe tried to put some other flavors besides garlic in their food I'd be more impressed. But for the money you'll be spending, there are better places to go. more

I love this place. I tend to be attracted to the themed restaurants (Medieval Times not included) so I like the dark, velvety, tarty aspect. I think the pizza is quite good. Like most places in Seattle, I try to go early in the evening if I want service. But I've been there at peak time and if you take everything in strides and be patient, it's still a blast. I especially like to dress up in the feather boas and other items that decorate the place. The waitresses are nice if you are! more

Located in Old Ballard, Madame K's is an ex-brothel turned pizza place. There are so many wrong things that I could say, but I'm going to take the high road just this once. Actually, I really liked going there. There are pictures of Madam's painted on the walls, quirky little signs behind the bar, costumes if you so dare, and of course--pretty good food. I can't remember the name, but try the artichoke dip for an appetizer. And if you have room you can top off your night with the Chocolate Orgasm. Yup, it's really a dish. It's a freshly baked HUGE chocolate chip cookie topped with melted ice cream. Definitely something to share. more

We ordered a deep dish pizza, and they brought us thin crust. Then, the waitress zipped off and never came back to check on us, so we were forced to eat it or starve. It wasn’t very good, but I have a feeling that the deep dish wouldn’t have been satisfactory either. The pizza here is bad folks; you pay through the nose for the ambiance. When we were finally able to complain, they apologized and gave us a free “orgasm” which I told them I liked, but if you want the truth, I was faking. more

In theory it used to be a brothel a hundred years ago, but who cares if it's true? They have it done up all seedy but fun. Great for tourists, crowded on weekends. And the pizza ain't bad either! more

Dressed up like brothel workers and bras hanging from the ceiling, Madame K's is a pg-13 experience. (I actually think no kids are allowed). Their pizza is awesome - unique flavors and combos. The dessert delightful- an ORGASM: cookie baked into a pan served in the pan with ice cream and hot fudge. Fun for the table to share an orgasm! And chocolate cigarettes come with your check. more