West Seattle, Washington
02 Monday
Driving Alki this afternoon, we noticed a note on the door at Pacific Room (2808 Alki SW), so stopped to check it out. The restaurant/nightclub has suspended dining-room service and live music for at least the rest of March – but: “We will, however, be keeping our kitchen open and available for all takeout orders, 4 pm-9 pm, 7 days a week. Visit our website, check out our menu, give us a call, 206-829-9695, and let us make dinner easy for you!”
Thanks to the reader who tipped us that West Seattle’s remaining Baja Taco, on the east side of Jefferson Square, is closed, with a document titled “Default Notice” taped to the door. We went over for a look last night; the top page of the notice is a demand for rent payment. We checked court files and have not yet found anything related to rent, though the state filed an $11,000 action in late January claiming unpaid taxes. We went back this afteroon to check – still closed, with the notice still taped to the door. The restaurant briefly closed in November 2018; then reopened under new ownership. The Westwood Village BT closed permanently last August and the space is part of the soon-to-open Westwood Village MOD Pizza.
(WSB photos)
Thanks for the tip! Three months after we reported what was on the way to the ex-OutWest space (5401 California SW), Box Bar is now open.
Box Bar is a 21 and over venue. Along with drinks, they’re serving “plant-based” food – see the food menu here and here, the beverage menu here.
Caveat from the Box Bar team – that’s just the menu they’re starting with – still a work in progress. Hours are 4 pm to midnight, Tuesdays through Sundays, closed Mondays.
(WSB photos)
That’s a look inside what was Bird on a Wire and is now The Birdhouse (3507 SW Henderson) – a new name and new owners, after longtime proprietor Heidi Herr sold the coffeehouse to Amber Heinemann (below left) and Todd Fregin.
Todd and Amber (who’s with team member Ellie in the photo) own Fremann Foods, known for catering and “grab and go” food like sandwiches. You can enjoy sitdown or takeout at The Birdhouse:
We photographed their breakfast menu (here) and lunch menu (here). No changes in hours (7 am-4 pm). As for the shop’s founder and now former owner Heidi, her social-media announcement of the sale said she wasn’t sure where she was headed next but, “I feel very proud of what I have built and it has truly been an honor to live/thrive in this neighborhood since 2002.” The shop originally was in a different space on the 35th/Henderson corner, facing 35th.
(2019 WSB photo)
Il Nido, Chef Mike Easton‘s mega-popular restaurant at the historic-landmark Alki Homestead, is up for one of the food world’s most prestigious awards. The James Beard Foundation announced its 2020 Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists this morning and Il Nido is on the list of 30 nationwide up for Best New Restaurant – the only one from Seattle. Il Nido opened last May. See the full list of semifinalists here. The nominees are announced March 25th, and the awards will be presented May 4th in Chicago. West Seattle has had three Beard Foundation semifinalists in the past decade – Mark Fuller (of what was then Spring Hill and is now Ma’Ono) in 2010, photographer Christopher Boffoli in 2012, Bakery Nouveau founder William Leaman in 2013.
(WSB photos)
11:39 AM: The most-anticipated West Seattle restaurant opening of 2020 – so far – is today. Thanks to commenter MomOf3Boys for the tip; we’ve just been over to Grillbird Teriyaki at 6501 35th SW to verify that it’s opening at noon.
We first reported back in October that Matt Parker, a restaurant-industry veteran, planned to turn the ex-Pizza Hut into a teriyaki joint.
Though today’s start is at noon, hours will be 11 am-9 pm weekdays, noon-9 pm weekends. No paper menu when we stopped in, so this pic is the best we can do to share a menu with you for now.
1:31 PM: Updated the top photo (standalone sign wasn’t up earlier) and added a photo of proprietor Parker. They’re already busy, so give them some time and patience if you plan to try soon!
ADDED SATURDAY: An update from proprietor Matt Parker:
As we continue to fine tune our process, and in order to give our customers the best food and experience, we are closed for lunch this weekend, and opening at 5:00 pm to 9pm. Additionally we will be closed this Monday for Presidents Day and then be open Tuesday normal business hours.
At this time we will not be taking phone or online orders until we work out some of these normal supply and demand issues. Give us a few weeks and will be good to go on multiple ordering and delivery options, but for now we want to focus our attention on our in-store guests.
As promised, It’s BBQ Time in the Kitchen opened today in the space that was, briefly, Alki Chicken and Waffles. As we reported two weeks ago, this was described as a merger – note the “Homestead Fried Chicken” on the new menu. The restaurant also sells BBQ by the pound – here’s the smoker:
Cocktails, wine, and beer, too. Hours are 9 am-9 pm, Wednesdays through Sundays, at 2738 Alki SW. It’s a spinoff of Portland catering company It’s BBQ Time, whose proprietor Dan Dyrdahl says he’s relocated here, with his mom managing the Portland operation.
Went over to check on Alki Café after an early-morning incident in its building add found it closed, no note on the door. As mentioned here earlier, SFD was called to the Alki Shores building (2724 Alki SW) just after 4 am. SFD spokesperson Kristin Tinsley tells WSB, “There was white smoke observed in the basement of the building, with power dimming to the building. Seattle City Light was called out to the scene. No reports of an active fire.”
Meet the new owners of what has been The Pacific Room on Alki since just last summer, but not for much longer
(WSB photo)
Jisun Jackson and Bobbie Robinson are the new owners of the restaurant/bar at 2808 Alki SW, which they plan to transform into The Avenue.
The changes are happening without a closure, so it’s still open for food, drink, and entertainment while the metamorphosis takes place. But they’re changing just about everything, bit by bit – the menu (with a new executive chef), the aesthetics, the decor (adding local art, for one).
And the hours; They’re planning to add lunch and weekend brunch.
Live music will stay – in fact, Jisun and Bobbie are both musicians themselves. But while The Pacific Room was focusing heavily on jazz, The Avenue will diversify, adding other genres of music, and some late-night DJs in summer. Plus a local favorite – CC from the Chelan Café – will perform every Monday. “That’s her piano!” Jisun pointed out during our conversation on Tuesday.
The Avenue’s atmosphere will be “classy but casual,” as described by Bobbie. “Accessible and inviting,” added Jisun, who says the intention is for customers to feel like the people at The Avenue are neighbors. “We want this to be a place where people feel comfortable.” All ages welcome (even the kids’ menu is getting overhauled). They’ve just added TVs at the bar, which means they’ll be able to offer sports-geared specials too. More local wines and beers will be part of the revamped beverage menu.
Once The Avenue is up to full speed, and you’ve tried it, they will be eager for your feedback, Jisun promised. If something’s not working, “I’ll want to change it.”
But in the meantime, they’re already appreciative of the warm welcome they’re getting. Jisun, who came to Seattle from Chicago, enthused, “Everybody’s been so friendly!”
Look for the name change and other changes over the next month or so.
A big change at the Chelan Café: Tomorrow is the last time dinner will be served. Monday, for the first time in 35 years, the restaurant at 3527 Chelan SW will close at mid-afternoon. The café contacted WSB to ask us to share the news. Here’s the text of their letter announcing the change:
NOTE FROM OWNER
Dear Chelan Café Family,
We have made the decision to reduce our restaurant hours and will no longer serve dinner as of January 31.
Having served dinner for the past 35 years, this is not a decision we made lightly. Unfortunately, the cost of running a restaurant in the city of Seattle has increased dramatically in recent years. Reducing our hours will better allow us to manage this lost revenue without resorting to raising our prices or other methods that will put the burden on our valued customers.
While we will miss serving our dinner customers greatly, we are excited to start this new chapter at the Chelan Café. We ask for your understanding and continued patronage during this transitional period and beyond. We intend to do what we do best, breakfast and lunch, amd DO it even better. We’ve been serving West Seattle and the greater Puget Sound area for 82 years and look forward to the next 82!
Thank you,
Mary Manning-Smith
The café has been in Manning-Smith’s family for more than half that time, since her dad bought it in the ’70s.
Thanks to TamiSue for tweeting the tip: Five months after Alki Chicken and Waffles opened at 2738 Alki SW, it’s closed for two weeks for a “merger.”
That sign on the door explains:
We’re merging two businesses “It’s BBQ Time” and “Alki Chicken and Waffles” to bring you some incredible southern fare. It’s BBQ Time in the Kitchen is excited to bring you delicious smoked briskets, pork, & chicken for lunch and dinner.
The sign says they’re expecting to reopen February 12th. While checking out the signage, we met the proprietor of It’s BBQ Time, who was there working on the space. His original business – which will remain open – has done catering in Portland for more than a decade. He’s hired a local manager to run the restaurant here.
Two restaurant biznotes this afternoon:
PHORALE LOCATION CONFIRMED: That sight in the window at 9418 Delridge Way SW connects the dots on two things. The closure of the Vietnamese restaurant Hoang Kim last week (as reported here) and the announcement that Phorale – known for its food truck since closing in South Park – was opening “in White Center.” The Eater report that broke the latter news did not specify a location, nor did Phorale respond to our followup, but we went to South Delridge to check on our suspicions and indeed, the windows are now papered over with Phorale’s distinctive logo.
WESTWOOD VILLAGE MOD PIZZA: On our way back from that run, we went through Westwood Village and noticed this:
The signage for West Seattle’s second MOD Pizza is up. We first reported last March that city permit files showed MOD would move into the ex-Baja Taco and ex-Giannoni’s Pizzeria spaces. MOD declined comment as recently as August, saying they were still negotiating the lease; we’re checking back with them now to see if they have a projected opening date.
ADDED 4:50 PM: They’re hoping to open “end of March.”
(WSB photos)
Thanks to the texter who sent word that the Vietnamese restaurant Hoang Kim (9418 Delridge Way SW) has closed. We went over for a look – here’s the note on the window:
Hoang Kim had been there for about two years, taking over what had been 88 Restarant. In a social media post about its closure, Hoang Kim said, “Hope to see you all again at a new better location!”
Two months have passed since we first reported that a teriyaki restaurant called Grillbird is taking over the ex-Pizza Hut on the southwest corner of 35th/Morgan. Art has recently appeared on the north (above) and south sides of the building, so we checked in with proprietor Matt Parker, to find out about it and about his progress toward opening. Regarding the latter, he tells WSB, “We are getting very close and still on track to open in the 2nd or 3rd week in January. The last few weeks are always a toss up with getting your inspections, but we are planning on a January opening for sure!” He also says he hopes to have a menu on the Grillbird website in early January. As for the art: “I designed it and worked with my friend, local artist Sam Trout, to paint it on the building.”
It’s back to business as usual at Duke’s on Alki today (2516 Alki SW) after repairs to a pipe that broke in subfreezing weather Friday morning. (That’s the situation that was logged as “major water job” on the SFD log, though their crews weren’t there for long.) Duke’s management contacted us this morning to get the word out that they have fixed the problem and are back open regular hours today, 11 am-11 pm.
Before year’s end, we’re checking back with a long list of coming-soon businesses. Today – Crowfoot Café, which as we reported in September is in the works for the former mini-market at 7789 Highland Park Way SW. We asked proprietors/founders Steven Baird and Maureen Clark how things are going:
We are in that magical in-between phase where the Health Department says they like our plan but we still await permission from Labor & Industries…
We hope to open in a month so; in the meantime we are practicing and perfecting our procedures. We will let you know our soft-open date after we hear from L&I.
We are excited to share our pizza and continue to build community in our wonderful Highland Park neighborhood, and hope we have visitors from all over West Seattle!
Two biznotes from the West Seattle Junction:
CARMILIA’S 17TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY: From Carmilia’s Boutique (4528 California SW) proprietor Linda Sabee:
Carmilia’s will be celebrating our 17th year in the neighborhood with three days of shopping fun and events. We’re kicking things off tomorrow, Thursday, November 14, with a trunk show featuring two local designers and a local CBD product, from 4:00-9:00 – Jules Accessory Design, Origami Crane Clothing, and Heylo Cannabis Lube. Friday and Saturday, the fun continues with new deliveries and specials all day both days. We’re open 11:00 am-6:00 pm.
If that’s not enough to convince you to stop by, Linda adds, “I’ll be serving my somewhat famous cake on Friday the 15th. That’s our actual anniversary and my cake is amazing. Triple-layer chocolate with peanut butter honey frosting.” (WSB photo, 2017)
LADY JAYE ADDS BRUNCH: Two months after the restaurant/bar opened at 4523 California SW, co-proprietor Evan Carter has news of an addition: “We will be starting brunch service this Sunday, November 17th, from 10 am-2 pm. Then we will be continuing service every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am-2 pm moving forward. We believe this will be another great option for the Farmers’ Market shoppers to have!:
Just received from Jon @ Cactus Restaurants, which have a West Seattle location at 2820 Alki SW:
All of our Cactus locations would like to offer any veterans or active service members a free meal (dine in) of their choice for lunch or dinner all day today. If someone wants to take advantage of this, they simply need to show some sort of military identification. We’d love to honor and thank our local veterans for their service in this small way.
The Alki Cactus is open until 9 pm. Anyplace else with gifts for those who have served/are serving? Let us know so we can add.
10:18 PM: Thanks to Manuel for spotting that Instagram post and texting the tip. We’ve been watching that spot at 35th and Morgan since reporting on Pizza Hut‘s closure nine months ago. No hints, at the site or in permit files, until this. Grillbird also has a website that says, “We are opening in early 2020 in West Seattle. We can not wait to serve you Classic Seattle style teriyaki, Katsu and more!” We have sent an inquiry in hopes of finding out more.
11:55 PM: We’ve heard back from Grillbird’s proprietor Matt Parker, a restaurant-industry veteran and 10-year West Seattleite. He describes the restaurant as a “teriyaki chicken shop.” This is his first solo enterprise but his background, he told us by email, includes being “the restaurant designer for Huxley Wallace Collective: Westward, Quality Athletics, Scout, Kiki Ramen, Great State Burger, etc.” He adds, “We love West Seattle and and I can’t wait to meet the folks in High Point.” We’ll be chatting with him further to find out more.
ADDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON: A little more from proprietor Matt, who we photographed at the restaurant-to-be this afternoon:
The vision for Grillbird is to serve up the best of what we all love about teriyaki (chargrilled chicken to order, exceptional value), and then to meet the needs of the modern customer (mobile pay, online ordering, delivery app, gluten free & vegan options, designed experience). Grillbird focuses only on the “hits” – a small but efficient menu serving up the dishes people consistently love. Everything will be made in-house, with quality, fresh ingredients, grilled to order and served quickly. Customers will be able to order by delivery, online app, phone or walk-in.
Grillbird is not a chain, or a concept. We are not “elevating” teriyaki. It’s just your local teriyaki joint made a little more modern and serving up (what we hope is) the best chicken teriyaki in town.
A few seats for dining in. P.S. He’ll be painting the exterior this weekend
The Pacific Room on Alki Beach is more than a restaurant and bar. That’s their message as they join the WSB sponsor team:
The Pacific Room, which opened in June, is offering a big slate of live music. Not just “come for the food/drinks, stay for the music,” but also ticketed performances like Seattle’s legendary jazz singer Greta Matassa this Saturday (November 2nd). The Seattle jazz scene recently lost Tula’s; the Pacific Room intends to help fill the void.
You can watch the Pacific Room‘s calendar for not just music but other types of performances too, 
both ticketed and free; among the offerings on the way are spoken-word performances and a singer-songwriter contest. As the holidays near, watch for word of a New Year’s Eve celebration and a night of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” music performed live.
The Pacific Room is also offering other reasons to come to the beach – such as the food! Not just the regular menus, but also a special “comfort food” menu on Monday nights is one. Special culinary events have already included a three-course meal that benefited Fare Start.
The Pacific Room is at 2808 Alki SW. The restaurant is open for dinner 7 nights a week; see the music calendar here.
We thank the Pacific Room for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
(WSB photos)
Eight and a half months after we first reported that the ex-Alki Tully’s would become a restaurant called Harry’s Beach House, it’s opening day. As our photos show, the space at 2676 Alki SW has undergone a thorough transformation.
It’s the second Seattle restaurant for Julian Hagood, who runs Harry’s Fine Foods on Capitol Hill. As the name implies, the decor is highlighted by a seaside/nautical theme:
As for the food – Harry’s Beach House is serving brunch and dinner for starters. The brunch menu includes biscuits and gravy, steak and eggs, pancakes, granola, and schnitzel; the dinner menu includes fish, beef, pork, chicken, and vegetarian entrees. Hours for fall and winter are 10 am to 10 pm Wednesdays-Sundays, closed Mondays and Tuesdays, with changes expected when the warm-weather season arrives.
Thanks to Kathy for the tip about that sign at Alki Spud Fish and Chips (2666 Alki SW). We subsequently went over last night to find out more. The closure is likely to last through Friday, we learned – the restaurant expects to reopen by next weekend. The work they’re doing includes the rear siding:
Some interior work is planned too.
(WSB photo: Sonya, Inaam, and Nadia Khazaal)
The Khazaal family is ready to welcome you back to Phoenecia. Nine months after they lost their longtime location in Alki, they’re ready to reopen at 4717 42nd SW in The Junction. That’s the same neighborhood where Phoenecia’s late founder Hussein Khazaal first opened Phoenecia in the early ’70s. Almost two weeks ago, we reported that they hoped to open by the end of this month; today, they called to tell us they’d set the date – Tuesday (September 24th). So we stopped by tonight for a photo; the restaurant was full of diners enjoying a friends-and-family preview. Phoenecia will be open Tuesdays-Sundays, 4-10 pm, closed Mondays.
| 2 COMMENTS