21 Central Steakhouse

I have eaten at the 21 many times and would consider myself a regular. Like any restaurant there are menu items that are exceptional and a few that need work. I have "NEVER" had a less than wonderful Steak there. And several seafood items especially the Seabass and the fresh Salmon are amazing.The only fault I can see is the appetizer menu needs some work and there needs to be a daily soup. Also maybe adding Prime Rib on occasion as a special or some other Entree specials would spice it up a bit.
But if you want to go somewhere to feel at home this is the place. The service is excellent with Dan leading this staff of obviously experienced Servers and Bartenders. The bar is also quite busy especially on Fridays when Sean is bartending. He mixes a great drink with great conversation. If you want to feel at home in Kirkland this is the place to go!

21 Central is a "classic" steak house. If you can imagine the menu at any steak house in America, that's the menu there. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the "classic" steak house genre, however, you better serve fabulous food, because you will be compared against many other restaurants. There's truly nothing special about the food, crab & lobster cake appetizer was mostly filler, my husband's caesar was average (that was the one surprise in my meal - the wedge salad was very tasty), steaks were fine, not great. We both asked for our steaks to be cooked medium, and his was well done and mine was rare to medium rare. The rosemary fries lacked any evidence of rosemary, and the mashed potatoes, while being creamy and smooth, didn't have much seasoning. The dulce de leche ice cream was very good, but for the price, not worth it.
On the postive side - the service is great, some of the best service in a restaurant I've every received. Our waiter was knowledgeable and friendly, yet gave us time and space to make decisions. I also liked the ambiance, the wood paneling and leopard cushions gave it a very comfortable yet upscale vibe. I probably won't go back for dinner, but if I find myself in Kirkland and want to go someplace comfortable to have a drink and a snack, I will definitely keep 21 Central in mind.

First the good: the steaks were perfectly cooked and wonderfully tender and the waiter was great, knowledgable about wine, very friendly and an Inglemoor High graduate :) Now the bad: almost everything else. The appetizers felt like frozen food reaheated with parsley garnish--except the teriyaki tenderloin tips, again, the beef here is great. The side of mashed potatoes were as plain as any I've ever had at a restaurant. We went at 8 p.m. on a Saturday night and the place was almost empty, and I know why, cause I won't go back. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't as great as their prices want you to believe. Either lower the prices or kick everything else up a notch--diners, especially on the Eastside expect more. Go to Daniel's.

I would call this very nice bar food with an excellent waiter. In the end, though, it is the same kitchen as the pool bar downstairs, and despite the price of the entree, there is no mistaking the sauce and frozen veggies that were designed to be served in bulk and came from the giant plastic tub.

...I guess it is fair to say, I was disappointed.

Location, service and food is great. Sea food entrees are just average -- they have good selection but are not prepared as well as they could be.