Salty's on Alki

My husband and I recently went to the Salty's brunch and I have to differ from those who complained about the staff and food. I thought they made the experience memorable. They were cheerful and seemed like they really enjoyed working there.
The brunch array was spectacular..so much to choose from that you have to do a walk through first. The chocolate fountain alone was worth it as was the view!!
Every restaurant can have a bad day but Salty's is totally a 5 star experience.

Posted 11/18/05

Forcing down my intuition after reading the reviews on this site, I decided against my better judgment to make reservations last night for a business dinner. The view is spectacular and guite a treat for out-of-towners. I'd entertained business clients at Salty's several years ago and don't recall the service nor the food. However, when I called to make reservations, the young woman on the other end of the line was so rude that I hung up on her. I will never entertain another client at this establishment and I will make sure that my experience is known among my colleagues, family and friends.

They've lost more than a few customers due to this!

Cons: Attitude/Behavior, Customer Service

Posted 09/21/05

While we were seated quickly in the cafe and the view was second to none, I probably will not be returning to Salty's again. The service was rude (I think they assumed we were not going to tip well, which became a self-fulfilling prophecy), the wine wasn't chilled properly, and the seafood pasta was marginal (fettucine stuck together in a ball, etc).

Pros: View, Good Parking

Cons: Service, Price, Quality

Posted 09/04/05

The free valet parking is a nice touch. The view is fantastic. The food is fantastic (won't be on a Chef's TV show any time soon, but tasted great). But lets face it, you're not buying food or parking here, you're paying for a view and great service. Our dinner for 2 was around $150 after a tip, but it was worth it. I had a beautiful date, but it was tough to pry my gaze off the sunset reflected on the cityscape. Bring your fiends, bring your family. Make EXCUSES to come back if you have to. A+

Pros: View, Service, Food

Cons: Expensive

Posted 08/09/05

Many visits to this restaurant, including brunch; last week's was our last. No table at our reservation time, however seated outside right away with great view. Caesar and spinach salads arrived after 40 minute wait and were quite ordinary. Both my wife's cowboy ribeye and my grilled halibut were nothing special. Dinner rolls were somewhat tough and chewy. We were given a free desert for our anniversary celebration; the white chocolate mousse cake was excellent. As we left the deck and walked through the indoor dining area, we couldn't believe how noisy it was inside - reminded me of college taverns. I would say go once if you must, just to say you have been there. Otherwise, there are much better places to celebrate a special occasion and spend less than the $100+ Salty's will cost you.

Posted 08/01/05

The view is fantastic, the food is not bad, but our service was absolutely horrible. Our waitress was very rude. When I sent back a diry glass, she rolled her eyes. My husband ordered a glass of wine. We waited and waited, and when we finally asked for the wine she replied "Oh, you want that now?". She never told us what the specials were. After we received our meals, I heard a waiter behind us talking about the specials, and I really wished she had told us about the specials because they sounded fantastic. Finally, our waitress never checked on us after we received our meals. I was very dissapointed, and will not be driving the 35 miles from our home to eat at Salty's again.

Pros: Great View

Cons: Bad Service

Posted 07/26/05

Beautiful place speaking of the main issues for a restaurant - the view, the menu, the service.
It is a great place to watch the sunset. The menu is not ordinary. The service is great and waiters do not interfere conversations.

Posted 07/19/05

Last week I wrote a review titled WE WERE UNDER-WHELMED, and while I stand by the review of that nights experience, we will return to Salty's again, all due to a phone call from Mary, director of operations for Salty's. Mary call was very sincere, and she is very proud of Salty's, (I think she has been there for nearly 10 years) and felt horrible that we had such a bad experience. I am convinced Salty's just had an off night, and will write another review after our next visit. Mary thank you for your call, you are a valuable asset to your organization!

Posted 06/27/05

Arriving 11 minutes late for our 9:30 reservation (was a long cab ride) we were told by a very cold hostess that we would have to find a table in the bar. A table of 8 was seated in the mostly empty dining room a few minutes later. Hummmmm... After a long wait, our waitress took our drink order, and returned with same 15 minutes later. Long story short, horrible (non existent) rude service! Average overpriced food.

Pros: View

Cons: Service, Food, Price

Posted 06/21/05

Salty's is not the place to bring a large group. They will not separate a tab and are of no help in decoding the tab. Our special event ended with frustration because of the poor service.
My first trip to Satly's on Alki was a let-down. I don't plan to return.

Pros: The view!

Cons: Slow, poor service, No separate tabs

Posted 06/13/05

A friend and I just ate at Salty's. We weren't on the window but still had a clear view of the city. Thran, the hostess, was short with us but the waiter, Oka, was very attentive and helpful. The manager came to the table to see how things were. She told us about the Copper River salmon and why it tasted so great. We spent $100 for a night out and some beautiful views. We had fun! I say go and enjoy the experience for yourself.

Pros: happy staff, clear view, good crab cakes

Cons: snooty hostess, somewhat expensive

Posted 06/09/05

From the minute arrived at Salty's we were treated poorly. The hostess said that our wait would "be just a few minutes". After 40 minutes when I inquired about our table and reservation I was rudely told that "we will seat you as soon as we have a table!". We were seated 45 minutes after our reservation time.

If they try to give you table 73...run!! With the kitchen close by and spot lights shining down on the art work it was well over 90 degrees. When we asked if the lights could be dimmed, we were told no.

The service was slow and sloppy. My daughter's salmon arrived with a sauce she asked to be kept off. My meal was not even the entree I ordered.

When a meal for 4 runs in excess of $200 you should expect something special. Salty's is far from special. Typical tourist trap.

Pros: decent seafood

Cons: long wait, poor service, over priced

Posted 05/31/05

Perhaps it's just a phenomenon of happy hour, but the last few times we have visited Salty's on a sunny day the service was terrible. There were not a lot of customers during those times, but somehow it was too hard for our servers to get to the bar to pick up our cold beers before they got warm. Once our beers ran out, the server smiled and walked right by us without offering to get us some more. We tried to wave her down several times, but she never thought to look in our direction. There were errors in our bill. There are a lot of other sun decks in town with much greater service that we are beginning to consider.

Posted 05/25/05

I have had the pleasure of dining at Salty's several times - and each time I have not only had outstanding service - but the food was amazing! Fresh, fresh, fresh! My last visit was on a VERY busy night - but the food and service did not disappoint. It's as if my guests and I were the only ones in the restaurant. I have dined at some of the city's most fabulous, swanky new restaurants, and I can say that Salty's ranks right up there with them. I do understand the crowds. The place does get packed. But there is a bar - and a great patio - which can take the edge off the wait.

Pros: View, Service, Food/Wine

Posted 05/18/05

Beautiful view, great atmosphere and excellent food. Expect to hit the cash machine before you go but you will not be disappointed.

Posted 03/17/05

...just went for a valentine's day dinner. the food was average but way overpriced, though a lot of places jack up their prices for this special occasion. service was great and we were seated promptly, but got stuck behind the fireplace which limited the otherwise great view. it's only worth it if you place a high value on the view...

Pros: view, service

Cons: expensive, crowded

Posted 02/19/05

I was worried after reading the former reviews but our Sunday Brunch was the best. Terrific food and absolutely wonderful, almost intuitive service at least from our waitress, Megan. Yes, it's pricey, but where else do you get King Crab, Smoked Salmon and shooters? Wonderful destination. Need to paint up the waiting area, though.

Pros: Food, Service, View

Cons: Waiting Area, Cost

Posted 01/31/05

Over-priced, bad food. Rude staff. Disintrested management. Shoddy decor.

I will not return to any of the salty's locations. Save your money.

Cons: , rude, ugly

Posted 01/11/05

My family drove 40 miles to have our thanksgiving dinner at Salty's but "IT WAS A DISAPPOINTMENT". My other friends drove 152 miles. We've been to a lot of restaurants and my Salty's experience was the WORST. I was so disappointed that I actually lost some sleep.
We were very disappointed with the food, the atmosphere and the service at the carving station.
We were sitting on the lower level and the customers kept bumping into my chair because they used my space as way to go around the area (going to the food, to the hallway, to the bathroom). We felt that the place was so crowded and was just like a rented hall. The service at the carving station was slow and at times no ham or turkey. The only good thing is the service.

Pros: service

Cons: , ambiance, crowded

Posted 11/29/04

My husband and I went to brunch here for our anniversary and we were very disappointed with the poor service. They moved our table 3 times and pretty ,uch ignored us the rest of the time. We had to find out what about the drinks by listening to a different waiter tell other diners about it. The food was good and the view amazing.

Pros: Great food, Amazing View, Free valet

Cons: , unorganized staff

Posted 07/12/04

I had my worst dining experience in Seattle ever at this place. I agree the view is nce, but everything else about this restaurant is awful - service, food, management etc. I can't for the life of me understand how anyone can give a good review. My advice is to spend your hard earned dollars at one of the many great restaurants in Seattle (Ovio on California as an example) and stay away from Saltys on Alkai.

Pros: View

Cons: , food, additude

Posted 06/18/04

The food was average.
The view was very nice. But thats it!
The service was terrible.
Attitude from the waiter, an eternity to get a room temp. Corona!?! and to pay my bill took almost 30 min.
Staff not unfriendly, but indiferent, seemed they didn't want to be there either.

Oyster appetizer very average, nothing special.
For oysters go to Elliots, and for drinks & food with a view...elliots, anthonys, ettas...etc etc.

Pros: view

Cons: , food, elevator music!

Posted 06/05/04

My husband and I often have lunch at Salty's. When we have exchange students from other countries we always bring them there for lunch. They can dine on the best NW seafood while enjoying one of the best NW views.

Pros: Great views

Posted 06/04/04

Last year I called ahead for reservations when my brother's family was visiting. We drove an hour to the restaurant and they turned us away saying they were sorry that they were booked (they told us on the phone that we would be easily accomodated). This year I took my son back. We had reservations and still had to wait 40 minutes after the time of the reservation. The staff were extremely rude to an elderly couple in front of us. The food was extremely common. The fish dishes were all overcooked and dry even though they were sauced. The deserts were great as usual. If you want to pay $27.95 for breakfast buffet to enjoy a great view, then this is the place to go. But, if you go for good food, you're best to stick with Chandlers, Ray's, Fishbone or some such place with really good food.

Pros: great view

Cons: , poor service

Posted 05/24/04

We eat here several times a year and sample the ever changing exciting menus. All in all Salty's is one restaurant we can count on to keep fresh and up-to-date with the latest menus and chefs willing to experiment and at the same time provide our all-time favorite comfort dishes. If you're not comfortable with the cost, remember that you're also paying for the fabulous and relaxing view.

Pros: New menus, Valet parking, Friendly Wait Staff

Posted 05/18/04

We went for Sunday brunch the day after Valentines day and it was absolutely perfect. There was SO much food it was incredible - a made to order omlett station, more seafood than you can shake your fist at and anything else you could possibly want. The dessert choices were so fierce you'll probably want to starve yourself for a week before coming. Amazing view and a terrific staff...enjoy!

Pros: large variety, great service, the view

Posted 02/15/04

The restaurant offers a good view of Seattle, and that is ALL. I ordered the Alaskan Halibut, and it was great. However, the price was astronomical! I agree that it is somewhat of a tourist trap akin to eating in Sausalito, CA for a view of San Francisco. For out-of-towners, eating there once will suffice, especially if one is on vacation and has money to burn. That's my only recommendation to go there if price isn't a concern.

Pros: Great View

Posted 02/12/04

should be an oxymoron in an upscale Seattle "seafood" restaurant. Unless it's the Space Needle, where people don't know any better. While there were many appealing salmon entrees on the menu at Salty's, I was surprised when the server said their salmon was "Farm Raised" (yikes!) I opted for the lobster, which was OK, but pricey at $60 for a 2lb whole lobster. Also, I thought the mashed potatoes tasted like instant, thick and starchy. However, the view is nearly worht the price of admission, but if you want to impress with food, go elsewhere.

Pros: view, service, view

Cons: , parking

Posted 02/09/04

Simply the greatest. It was my first visit to Seattle since I was a child of 10 years old. I was lucky that my supervisor asked me to attend a meeting for him. I was exstatic!

I called from the hotel to make reservations that morning I was picked up at the hotel around 6 pm. There was a beautiful black limo to pick me up. The driver was so very nice and escorted me into the limo and again out of the limo at the restaurant. Inside it was so exciting and so enchanting. My table was beside the window , I could see the beautiful sunset and the sea lions playing. I could hardly take my eyes off the view along with wonderful food..especially the coconut shrimp. The music was great! wonderful...ONE MUST vist Salty's again and again.
Thank You , your friend Sharon From Dallas, Texas

Pros: geat atmosphere, great view and music, very good food

Cons: A little overpriced

Posted 07/29/03

Well, Salty's is a west Seattle landmark, therefore everyone should try it at least once. On that note, you have to expect them to know this therefore you will definitely pay for it. I had dinner for 2, with a few drinks, a dozen oysters, no desert, costing 100+. I must say, the whole crab there is excellent. It takes a while to eat but its prepared in a wood burning oven with "thai" spices and ginger which makes for quite a treat. The waiter was very helpful and did a great job. We went a little early as to beat the dinner rush so the view was unobstructed and clear. Overall, not as bad as everyone says it is but definitely not what you pay for.

Pros: view, ambiance, food

Cons: price

Posted 07/24/03

I was on a first date and wanted to impress her so I took her to Salty's. When we got there the hostess gave us a table next to the window with a great view of downtown. We started by ordering some drinks and when they came I was so nervous that I spilled my drink on the table and myself. The server was so helpful, she came and brought me club soda so that it didn't stain my clothes, cleaned the table and then brought out another drink. Little helpful things like this are hard to find these days in nice restaurants.

Pros: Friendly Staff, Great Service, Best View

Cons: A little expensive

Posted 04/10/03

My recent visit to Salty's was my absolute worst dining experience in Seattle - ever. We recieved a bad bottle of wine. (it was a LeEcole Schoolhouse Red - typically a very good house). We asked to have it replaced with another selection. The wait person said sure, but the manager came out, insulted us twice (in front of other diners) and refused to replace the awful bottle of wine. It was a surreal expereicne. We quikly asked for a check, paid and left (we paid for the awful wine that we did not drink). The appetizer we had with the wine was fair to bad at best. My reccomendation would be to avoid Salty's alltoghether and instead frequent some of Seattle restaurants that don't only rely on a great view to attract customers.

Cons: Awful Service, Overpriced, Lousy Food

Posted 03/06/03

destination dining. outstanding food. perfect place for romantic dining and long walk on the beach after.

Pros: service, food, view

Cons: expense

Posted 01/13/03

Not having been to this one-time seattle instituion for years, I decided to take some out of town guests here before the tour. Seems as if good ol' Salty's has fallen on hard times. The view, of course, was amazing. The food was barely OK. Seemed as though our food had been made a while before it reached our tables-rather bland and unimaginative to boot. Salty's would be OK for an ordinary meal (though overpriced) but don't make plans for a special event.

Pros: view, view, view

Cons: food, food, food

Posted 12/10/02

overpriced bad food with a nice view.

there are many nicer restaurants in seattle.

Posted 12/09/02

If you love blackened salmon, Salty's is the place to go. I've been to most of the upscale seafood restaurants in Seattle, and Salty's blackened salmon is beyond comparison. It's not always on the menu, but they'll make it if you ask.

Posted 11/15/02

Yuggers! The food we had was pretentious and poorly executed. Salmon, purple potatoes and green apple sauce mounded into one hideous heap and swimming in an unpalable apple sauce. Horrible! The kitchen should have just completed the final step of putting it through a blender and then served it via stomach tube.

The wait staff was, however, very good. Too bad they weren't working with decent food.

Go for fish and chips at the Seacrest boathouse and skip this place for anything but enjoying the view over a drink.

Pros: Courteous staff, Valet parking

Cons: Inedible food, Overpriced

Posted 11/10/02

I went to Salty's for Homecoming, it was so wonderful. Beyond wonderful. It was exquisite. My friend and I shared a plate of Fettichini and Prawns. It was more than enough and it was delicious. It was first-rate! My date and I took a walk down the the shore area, it was really beautiful. You could see all Alki Beach and lots of Seattle. It's a truely romantic spot. I highly recomend it. Thanks a bunch for a great night if you read this Salty's!!

Pros: Great seating, GREAT food, AWESOME service

Cons: A little expensive

Posted 11/09/02

I got married here and everything was wonderful. Besides the incredible view, the guests were really impressed with the variety of things and quality of the buffet. The waitstaff also went out of their way to make sure everything was great for us.

Posted 11/01/02

After years of lousy experiences, I recently decided to give Salty's another chance. Sadly, nothing has changed. I had a reservation and still had to wait 30 minutes for my table. The food is still mediocre given the high prices and the service still falls short. The view is terrific, but not worth the price and shortcomings of Salty's. If you want the same view, go a block north to the little fish n' chips place. You'll get what you pay for, have a nice view, and can take a walk around Alki afterwards. Forget Salty's!

Pros: View

Cons: High Price, Marginal Service, Mediocre Food

Posted 10/25/02

The view is amazing. The food is OK but not deserving of the very inflated prices! Small amounts and big big bucks!

Pros: View, view, view

Cons: High prices, small portions, mediocre food

Posted 10/24/02

I'm a big brunch fan and have been taken to quite a few brunches. And Salty's is still my favorite because of its large, fresh selection of seafood. Yes, the view is nice, too and adds to the appeal. My only complaint would be the dessert table. Some of the cakes were a little bland. But their other dessert items, like caramel apple dumplings make up for it. Wish it isn't as expensive as it is, but I'm usually taken their for special occasions so I've never really had to worry about that.

Pros: Fresh seafood, Nice Waitstaff, Nice view

Cons: Expensive, Mediocre Desserts

Posted 10/18/02

salty's may have a great view- however... the food was less than what you would expect for the price. The waitstaff is anything but attentive.

Pros: view

Cons: expensive, bad service

Posted 10/18/02