Sparrow - Kirkland

Review summary

1. K

   Kirsten

   Portland

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   The good: the food was very good. The bad: the service and ambiance. We went for brunch and it was very dark and loud. We were seated and then they sat another table right next (like could have been at our table) to us when there were plenty of other tables open. Now to our server... I asked her about a type of sausage on the menu I didn't recognize. I asked what it was. She answered that it was named after where it's from. OK, so is it spicy, herbs... to which she said it's a link and sounded annoyed. We told her our orders and only then did she inform us that certain items weren't available. She brought our hot tea to the table but didn't ask if we needed milk or sweetener. I asked for salt and pepper and again she looked annoyed. So really bad service and really loud due to the people right next to us and the very loud music.
   

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2. P

   Patti

   Seattle

   5 reviews

   4.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on December 7, 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Nice dinner as always. It would be nice if they added some variety to the menu... at least a weekly special or something. We've been visiting since they opened and the menu has not changed. It gets a bit repetitive and we find ourselves looking for other places and options.
   

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3. K

   Katy

   Portland

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on December 1, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We had a fabulous night out for their Thanksgiving pre fixe four course meal. The food was delicious and our server, Michael, was attentive and awesome. I would highly recommend coming here for their special occasion pre fixe dinners! We loved it so much, we came back for brunch that weekend and it was also fabulous.
   

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4. e

   edward

   Seattle

   2 reviews

   1.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on November 29, 2024

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   The worst meal I've had at a restaurant in years. Maybe even in decades. And in every category of dining I've had from fine dining to street stall - it was the WORST. There was no pride whatsoever as to what was put on the plate; the food was literally slopped on. They failed to bring our starters, which we pointed out to them when they brought our mains, so they returned our mains to the kitchen & brought our starters, however when they finally served us our mains, they had brought back the exact same plates of food, now cold & congealed. We both ordered the turkey plates, but received a hacked up mash of chopped meat; no slices of turkey but a collection of 1 inch mixed bird bits lumped on the plate with the fat, gristle, bones, & soggy skin included. The stuffing was as dry enough to stuff a mattress. There was no salt or pepper on the table, which you expect when the food is good enough you don't need it, but this food definitely did. The creme brule dessert had been torched in advance, & then put in the fridge, so the caramelized crust was cold & had condensation on it, so it was wet when served (really quite a feat if you think of it). The flourless chocolate cake wasn't even cake, but just a lump of gooey ganache. It cost $300 for two of us, of which less than $30.00 ordered was alcohol. I didn't mind the mandatory 20% tip they tacked on, since the servers were working their rears off, but we went primarily for the food, and for that, frankly, we should have been paid to eat it. We stuck it out, but both that we should have left once we saw how disappointing the first course was. Our first and LAST time there.
   

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5. G

   Gina

   Chicago

   5 reviews

   1.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on November 29, 2024

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   Waited an hour and 45 minutes just to receive cocktails and a bowl of soup, after initially booking this for a Prix Fixe Thanksgiving meal.
   

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6. D

   Dennis

   VIP

   Seattle

   87 reviews

   3.0

   87 reviews

   Dined on November 29, 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   We will return to Sparrow in the future, but not on a holiday. They were not able to manage that many diners. We had 6:00 reservations for a prix-fixe dinner. It took 20 minutes for them to take our order. At 6:45 there was still no food. About that time, I looked around and of the six tables in my line of sight, no one had any food. When our soup finally arrived, it was barely warm. The second course (a nice bite of salmon crostini) followed and then we waited for our entree. It finally arrived at 7:55. The waitress was very apologetic, but we asked for our dessert to be boxed up so we could get home. Ironically, the printed menus had a reminder that we would only be allowed to stay for two hours. Yet it took all that time to get our entree! Our waitress kindly removed the mandatory tip from our bill; we gave her a moderate tip anyway since the delay did not seem to be her fault. No one from management ever checked in or explained the reason for such a long delay. Overall, the food was good, with the exception of the turkey dressing, which was very bland. For $95++ (plus 3% for credit card; we brought cash), I expected at least one part of our dinner to feel special. It didn't.
   

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7. G

   Gretchen

   VIP

   New York City

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on November 29, 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   Overall, the experience was amazing. The food was delicious and I think the value for a tasting menu on a holiday was exceptional. We had a great time and we enjoy Sparrow immensely at our other visits. Unfortunately, the service was not great. We waited long periods of time between our courses and the first two courses for those at our table who had hot selection were barely warm at all. I am grateful our entrees came out very hot when the time came. They were quite busy and I think over booked their tables, but staff was pretty inattentive at times. Staff constantly walked by our table and neglected dirty dishes or empty glasses. Generally, I think you can expect a 5 star experience when you come to Sparrow, but for a holiday or an event like this--I might use caution unless they can work out the bugs.
   

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8. L

   Lisa

   VIP

   Seattle

   20 reviews

   1.0

   20 reviews

   Dined on November 29, 2024

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   Every course was cold; we sent the first two back then gave up. Service was terrible. Took almost 2 hours for a dinner for 2. Never came back once to see how things were. Added a mandatory 20% gratuity on the ticket. Will never come back.
   

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9. M

   Mike

   VIP

   Seattle

   21 reviews

   3.0

   21 reviews

   Dined on November 29, 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   We were there for Thanksgiving. They offered a four course meal with several selections for each course. Service was slow. The food was good, but every dish had issues that took away from the experience. There was an inedible herb stem in the lobster bisque. The wagyu beef appetizer was overcooked and dry. The prime rib was tough and had a lot of gristle. The creme brulee was very sweet without much flavor. If this meal had been around $50 per person, I'd feel differently. As it was priced at $95 per person plus drinks, plus an included 20% tip, plus a 3% service charge for credit card payments... this was not worth the money.
   

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10. I

    Irene

    Seattle

    17 reviews

    5.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on November 29, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    We thoroughly enjoyed our Thanksgiving 2024 meal at Sparrow. Four courses with delicious options in each course - what's not to love? We will definitely consider Sparrow for future Holiday meals.
    

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