Kingfish Cafe The

went for the first time last week and was just knocked out by the food, the service ( thanks Conner), will be going back every chance we get. more

We love the Kingfish. It is where we celebrate every big occasion---and where we go whenever possible in between! The food is wonderful (the Fried Chicken Salad is my all time favorite)...and getting dessert is an absolute must! Great Strawberry Shortcake and to-die-for cakes! The service is always been friendly and helpful, the ambience is wonderful. If you haven't been, you gotta go! Pros: great food, wonderful atomosphere, nice people more

Great food, warm staff, lovely setting. Pros: Delicious food, creative menu, wonderful staff more

I went for the first time last week....It was a very nice spot I really enjoyed myself.....the food is good....Now I wont lie...it's not like Grammas :0) but it's damn good!! No complaints...Dont pay attention to all the other uptight comments....sometimes you can't please people no matter what you do...For the price, atmosphere and location and VIBE ALONE this is a cool spot for drinks and eats 2 thumbs up !! Pros: Service Staff Personalities Cons: none really (honestly) more

After waiting at our table for twenty minutes without any service, we had to go to the front to ask for a server. When she did come, she did not apologize for completely ignoring us. Server was rude throughout the entire experience and acted like we were bothering her. \r Before ordering the server said her credit card machine was down and we would have to pay with cash or check (there is not a close ATM). After waiting for an hour, we did not want to get up so we said we would take our chances that her machine would be fixed (it was later in the meal). I have been in retail stores when the credit card machine goes down and they just write down your credit card number and run it later when their machines are fixed, of course no such solution was offered here.\r Next, unknown to us, our table was given the winter menu. When the salmon did not have mashed potatoes with it, I asked where they were. The server acted like I made it up even though both my husband and I read it on the menu. I asked for a menu and after quite some time she returned with a spring menu, no potatoes listed. The server just shrugged and said I must have had the winter menu and walked away.\r My husband had the ribs and thought they were very average.\r There was no toilet paper nor was there any paper towels in ladies bathroom. I went into the men's bathroom (door was open) and they were out of toilet paper as well. \r I go out all the time and this has been my worst restaurant experience in many years. Pros: Decor Cons: Service more

If I were Randy Jackson, I'd call this place ""pitchy"" and say, ""Ya lost me, dawg."" I don't even want to go into a lot of detail about this because, to me as a life-long Southerner, this place just doesn't add up. It will probably satisfy anyone who has never had real, home-made Southern cooking, daily, for their whole lives, but it's really just somebody's *idea* of Southern food. Their own bio says that the Coaston sisters weren't cooks before they decided to open KingFish and it shows. Everything SORTA tastes like what the dish is supposed to be but there's something off about every single one. I hesitate to trash any restaurant trying to turn out Southern food because I miss it and wish I could get it somewhere other than my own kitchen but there is a HUGE difference between Southern food as made by a person who has made it since they could reach the stove and someone who got some recipes from their family so they could open a funkily-chic restaurant in Seattle. I put in the time to go back and try everything and none of it was more than a vague shadow of what anybody's grandmother would turn out in their kitchen in Tuscaloosa, Jackson, Valdosta, or Chatanooga. If you don't KNOW Southern food - intimately and with your soul involved - this bloodless imitation will probably be a perfectly adequate change of pace for you. I sorta wish I could eat it the same way. Maybe if they removed any references to the South from the place and just called it food. But my expectations for people who claim to make Southern food go a lot higher than Kingfish. Pros: Studiously laid-back Cons: FOOD more

I have to assume this restaurant has gone way downhill recently; friends I trust used to love it. But all the food tonight was bland and tired-tasting with way too much breading. And then there was the service, with a waitress who seemed to dislike her job and was never even pleasant. She let our food get cold on the counter, had to be asked twice for our drinks, never produced the salad we ordered. The standbys of fried chicken and catfish were just very poor. Avoid this very over-rated place. Pros: None, really Cons: Food and Service more

I live on Capital Hill, and have never been here until last night.\r What a cool spot more

Had dinner on a Sunday night at 6PM. My son and I were immediately seated. Service was fast, efficient, and very friendly (they even sweetened my ice tea for me, twice, once without me asking). We had catfish and chicken with ample sides-well prepared and very tasty. Can't wait to get back to Seattle to explore their menu some more. I'd highly recommend the restaurant. Pros: Great food, great service. Cons: Gets cold in the front dining room when the door opens. more

Please - don't waste your time or money. Four (4) of us went Fri, Aug 29,2008. We were told there would be a 20 min wait. At end of 20 they said they were preparing a table for us. Then another 15 min and they sai ""oh, we has a big party come in and the table we has prepared for you we gave to them. Two or three times later they came and asked, in succession, is this for 3 people, then two people, and last five. Each time we said four.Then, after our complaints they begrudgingly ""found"" a table in the back of the room by the kitchen entrance - our reward for a complaint. First things first. We ordered a bottle of wine (priced 200% over retail). After 3 tries the bottle was delivered AFTER our appitizers and our meal arrived. One of 4 orders was wrong. Fried chicken - leg, thigh & breast. The breast was so dry it was terrible. The thigh and leg somewhat better. The coleslaw and potatoe salad at best average. Service nonexistant. Was anything comped for our problems - no, of course not. Do yourself a favor and find another place. Perhaps Monsoon across the street with real food and real service. more

One of my favorites in Seattle, especially the fried chicken salad at lunch (boneless fried chicken breast... more

One of my favorites in Seattle, especially the fried chicken salad at lunch (boneless fried chicken breast over greens with ranch dressing, with a ... more

There was absolutely nothing wrong with anything we ordered. The staff was very attentive, engaging, and friendly! The atmosphere was great, though it got pretty crowded after six- but we still didn't feel cramped. The drinks were wonderful and full of flavor! The appetizer of fried green tomatoes and hush puppies were seasoned and cooked perfectly. We also ordered the fried chicken and gumbo. The fried chicken was very moist and flavorful and the gumbo was soul in a bowl! For dessert we had both the butterscotch cake and berry cobbler. Beware of HUGE portions! when the waitress tells you to split dessert, do it! The slice of cake was the size of my head. All in all, our experience couldn't have been better!! We'll be coming back! more

We went to the Kingfish Cafe looking for some soul food. There is nothing fried and smothered on the menu. The catfish was supposed to be fried but it sure didn't seem like it. It was served with grits that I have never seen taste and look like that. They weren't even edible. It would be nice for some cornbread to be placed in a basket on the table while we wait for the food because it is not fast service.\r \r The fried chicken my daughter had was awful, Popeye's chicken is a whole lot better.\r \r It was a let down. We were looking for some good southern soul food and the Kingfish Cafe is not it. more

Most of the dishes are excellent, the times I've had the steaks, I've been disappointed - but the rest of the menu is excellent! Catfish, pork chop, mac & cheese, all great. Start with some apps and be sure to get a side of rice and beans and cornbread. You can't go wrong with a mint julep to wash it all down with. My only complaint is the wine list doesn't work well with the food, and seems as it was an afterthought. there are some excellent washington wines that would match very well with the menu yet there aren't many on the list. All in all a great neighborhood fixture, and one we will return to again and again. Pros: Delicious southern fare Cons: wine list needs help, service can be spotty more

We ordered the mac and cheese, fried chicken, catfish, and a side of yam fries. Out of all the dishes, my favorite was definitely the yam fries. It is SO GOOD. I wasn't too impressed with the other dishes. The fried chicken is pretty good, but I wouldn't rave about it. And, the mac and cheese and catfish were just eehh. Service is great though. I would go back and just order yam fries...lots of it! Pros: yam fries, good service Cons: gets crowded fast more

Fearing a long wait in the weather, we two arrived at Kingfish at 5:30 and were seated immediately. Pleasantly surprised at getting in so quickly, we ordered drinks and appetizers to fill the time it would take our friend to arrive. \r \r Our very attentive and congenial waitress suggested the crab/catfish cakes or fried green tomatoes. The cakes first, spheres actually, crusty and delicious with a wonderfully spiced aioli. They were so good we had the tomatoes with the second round. They were done expertly, no trace of greasiness, with hush puppies that were to die for. \r \r We encouraged our friend to try the fried green tomatoes before a dinner order, so we got one more bite of them ? fearing to be rude by letting him eat alone. My wife states that the bar produces some of the best Sidecars in Seattle, by the way. \r \r The restaurant had now filled up with people standing in the entry and bar. Time to order our meals. I went for a favorite, red beans and rice. For her, chicken with a barbeque sauce, collards and mashers. Our guest had the pork chop. We sampled everything and approval was unanimous - all were top notch. The chicken moist with a spicy sauce, collards tangy with the slightly bitter aftertaste, the potatoes smooth and buttery. The chop was deliciously spiced, done slightly rare; the beans rich and a bit gooey; the rice balancing out the spiciness of the beans.\r \r Our waitress saved us from oblivion by suggesting that, if we could agree on one, one would be enough. How right she was, the bread pudding was actually a small loaf, drizzled with a sweet sauce with hazelnuts and chocolate chips inside. Great stuff.\r \r Kingfish was never off the radar, we remembered it fondly, just feared the wait on line. Not everyone can or will want to arrive when the restaurant opens, but for those of us who are less able to stand for long periods, it is a strategy that may make possible more frequent trips to this excellent eatery. Pros: Wonderful food, friendly atmosphere Cons: Kingfish does not take reservations more

I attended the Kingfish Cafe on Saturday, November 17, 2007. We walked in to see an array of beautiful waitresses and employees running about the restaurant. My party was greeted by a young, smiley, cheerful hostess who asked if we were all over 21. Puzzled, we responded yes, while my husband joked she needed to check my id. Laughing the hostess responded that she was already planning on having the bartender check my id...no questions asked. She continued to tell us our wait would be 45 minutes, but at this point, I was flattered as it was, I didn't care how long the wait would be. She smiled and sent us to the bar area where we were greeted by 2 cheerful bartenders (one of them extremely cute) that provided us with great service and phenomenal drinks to boot. With standing room left in the little bar, my group mingled around the end of the bar, trying not to drool as all of the appetizing food jetted past our eyes. The hostess returned about 30 minutes later and told us it would be about 5 more minutes, so to pay out our bar tab and get ready to enjoy a great meal. We were taken to a table on a stage in the bar area and ordered our meal from yet another bubbly, personable waitress. My husband had fried chicken, which he adored, while my daughter enjoyed the caesar salad, my son the catfish, and I the mac and cheese. All we could do was nod our heads when the waitress returned to ask if everything was ok. We readied ourselves for dessert and all enjoyed a piece of the amazing red velvet cake and one of the coconut cake. Needless to say, there were plenty of doggy bags to take home.\r \r We received fantastic service, delicious southern food, wonderful desserts, full bellies, and a strong feeling of content from the Kingfish Cafe. I would highly recommend it to anyone. As for the wait, since they don't take reservations, you have to wait it out, there is nothing they can do to get tables out any faster (to all of the complainers below), but it is worth it. Pros: great food, gorgeous people, great customer service!!! Cons: on street parking more

We arrived at 6:30 on a Saturday night and the hostess told us the wait was 45 min. No problem. We've heard good things, its worth the wait. No room at the bar or in the entrance area so we stood outside. 1hr later and we still had 7 parties of 4 ahead of us. 'Just 15 more minutes' the hostess told us. We'd invested all this time waiting, we should be seated soon. 1hr 30 min, check in on our standing in the queue 'just 15 more minutes' the hostess tells us. We decided to hang in there. 2hrs later and still 5 parties of 4 ahead of us, still no room inside to wait. 'Just 15 more minutes' again. 2hrs 25min later we were seated. \r \r The food was an utter disappointment. It was average soul food with fancy names in the menu. The only excitement is that its rare to find restaurants serving this kind of food in Seattle. Otherwise, its not worth the wait. \r \r The hostess and frontline staff need a reality check and some coaching. At least giving us some hush puppies to nibble on or a glass of water would have been appreciated. We will not be going back to Kingfish again. It was a lousy experience. Pros: Soul food in Seattle! Cons: The wait is not worth the quality of the food more

Went one early Sunday evening with party of three and told by hostess of 25-30 minute wait -adjourned to bar. One hour and $35 worth of drinks later directed to a table by front door. Waited for another 10-15 minutes for waitress to acknowledge our presence so had plenty of time to scan menu! Front door didn't close by itself so outside smokers and traffic noise detracted from overall experience. Food (fried chicken&ribeye) were unexceptional and chocolate cake above average.Decor warm and inviting but servers need to step up and make everyone feel welcome. Will try again! Pros: warm ambience Cons: spotty service more