Phat 12 Island Broiler

Awesome on Mercer Island. Lunch a few times and dinner once. Every meal has been excellent. This week I had the brisket with grits and slaw and could have licked my plate clean. Everything was better than I expected. It has been that way with everything I have tried. The tilapia and grits was outstanding both times I had it, once for lunch and once for dinner. Super friendly owner/​chef. Highly recommended.

Fantastic place. The staff remebers returning customers and owner Chef T makes it his business to sincerely greet everyone and make everyone feel special… not something that’s easy to fake.
You leave feeling like you really are someone special and you just had the greatest meal made just for you.

This is my favorite place to eat on Mercer Island. The barbecue is delicious, the garlic fries are addictive, and the fried chicken is extra tasty. I have made this a regular location for lunch with my coworkers and have also started stopping by on weekends as well. Thanks Chef T for bringing such delicious comfort food to the island.

I am willing to go 5 stars for the overall experience. Small and intimate, great to Watch a game I. The projection screen is great. Fantastic for family’s with their side kid room for dining. We are here for a combo adult/​kid BDay party. The kids are together in a nearby alcove, and adults are right next door in the restaurant.
The menu is quite varied and make you want to come back once you are forced to make a decision. My only ½ star complaint is that several of the dishes and they leaned on the salty side. None so much that it ruined, UT the calamari (good, soft), the ribs, and the crispy green beans (cooked perfectly) were all sodium heavy. This is my 2^nd visit and there. Will be a 3^rd soon. Chef T is an engaged personable host. U definitely recommend.

Chef T is very personable and very friendly, it was my wife’s birthday and he treated her like the queen she is. The food was impeccable and on point. I had the fried chicken and it was cooked to perfection, my wife had the chicken stuffed crab and it was very very good, my sister had the bacon wrapped salmon and my brother had chicken and waffles, all the food was great!!!

Underwhelming food in a sterile setting. Phat 12 Island Broiler is a perfectly fine spot for a draft beer or well drink (there’s nothing wrong with the place), but odds are you’ve been on Delta flights with more memorable meals.

Microsoft Prime 2015 – 2016
Southern comfort
Ambience: 3
Food: 4
Drinks: 3
Value: 4
A solid Southern BBQ joint in the middle of Mercer Island. With the meats smoker right outside, you can immediately smell the wooden fatty bbq blocks away.
The interior is surprising stylish and belies the southern influence. But with things like fried plantains and cheesy grits on the menu (in addition to the briskets, ribs, chicken and other BBQ staples), its’s definitely a southern place.
Though the portions a bit small and the drink prices are ‘Mercer Island’, with the prime discount, it’s quite a good value. And on game days they’ll project the game on the wall. Pretty good!

For a place that says they specialize in breakfast and brunch and has phat in the name. I was really really disappointed. The Belgium waffle platter is a measly half waffle with two sad strips of bacon and eggs. The platter is hardly a platter, and far from «phat». I felt as if I had order off the kids menu. The amount of food they give for the price is ridiculous. The food itself is just decent.
Summary:
*Would not recommend
*Would not go again
*Small portions
*Overpriced

What a treat discovering this place last night! Ambiance is simple, clean, luminous, new and well designed. It has all the perks of a family place, the big screens of the sport bar and the class of girls night place. And the food? From pad Thai to home smoked ribs and mushed potatoes, seafood and many cocktails. Service is professional and yet easy going. And the owner a true generous character! Highly recommended.

This was an ok place. Nothing special. We got the waffle platter and the French toast platter. The waffle was good but French toast was on the soggy side. We also ordered hash browns on the side and it was a twist in a nice way, it has some kind of spice in it. However, the portion size, price and service was what made it a 3 stars and not more. Portions was really small and price was really high. It might have been a better deal of we got lunch or dinner entrée. The service wasn’t that great, the waitress just came by to take our orders and gave us our bill, didn’t come to ask if we need anything or refill our water jug.

I stopped in after finding the sushi place closed on Sunday — the smells of barbecue were enticing. I often dine alone and worry how I will be treated. I was welcomed and it was a very unique and comfortable atmosphere. Honestly, the menu is the oddest combo of flavors ever but I have never been disappointed yet. The BBQ combo special rocks! The highlight of the meal was the fried ice cream — delicious and fun. Wish I lived closer so I could come to this restaurant more often.

Quite possibly one of the strangest restaurants I’ve ever been too… and I loved it. Walking in you see Palm trees dangling from the ceiling, running waterfall, island music playing, and a giant screen for football that kind of reminds you of a Rain Forrest café. The menu is really like nothing I’ve ever seen before: Asian, meets Hawaiian, meets breakfast, meets bar food. The food was outstanding. We had the southwest omelet with stir fry beef and the salmon and grits. Best omelet and grits I’ve ever had. It is one of only a handful of restaurants on Mercer Island and it’s definitely worth the visit regardless of where you live. The chef and bartender are really cool too. Keep on keepin’ it weird Phat 12.

Best food on Mercer Island and Chef T with his crew are very personal. I had their special that consisted of Ribs, Brisket, and Pulled Pork. The smoke on the meat was perfection but the sauce nailed it. My wife wanted Breakfast for dinner and sure enough, it did not disappoint. It was a fajita in an omelet and the hash browns were out of this world.
Now besides the food, Chef T and his team are doing everything right from opening the door for guests on their way out to a personal tour of Chef T’s smoker.
Can’t wait to come back as the island is pretty limited with quality food.

This is my new «go to» restaurant! The shrimp and grits NEVER disappoints! However, my fav dish is the «Sleepless in Seattle» aka Eggs Benedict with shrimp vs ham. Chef T and kitchen staff aim to please and are always willing to accommodate!
The only reason I did not rate a 5 is there are a couple of weak links on the wait team that (in a couple of instances) made the dining experience less than optimal.

This is the second time I’ve came here with my work family. Today, I had the fried chicken w/​my choice of 2 sides. The fried chicken was seasoned well with light breading– it was tasty. The mashed potatoes and coleslaw: also very tasty. They have outdoor seating which accommodated my puppy. Chef T also offered water for my dog. He continues to go above and beyond to deliver great service and tasty food. I will definitely be coming back!

Fantastic food! The service was great as well. The fish and grits were outrageously good. Patio seating as well for those so inclined. It’s a little noisy back by the kitchen but hey Chef T likes to keep his pipes tuned up!
Breakfast served all day. YUM.

I’ve been to Phat 12 twice now and I’m very impressed. Mercer Island is in desperate need of some good restaurant options and Chef T is doing his part!
The menu is massive and both items I’ve had were fantastic! They also have a great breakfast menu which is served all day. I highly recommend the ribs with the spicy peach BBQ sauce — absolutely delicious. The grits are also some of the best I’ve had outside of the South.
The wait staff leave something to be desired but the owner, Chef T, makes up for it. He is so friendly and appreciative, checking on you multiple times and even holding the door open as you leave. He definitely makes the dining experience memorable and makes you feel so welcomed and appreciated — something that is often hard to find with Mercer Island restaurants.
The restaurant is sort of hidden away and doesn’t look like much from the outside but what’s on the inside is what counts. Phat 12 is definitely filling a big void in the realm of inspired, unique food on the island.

I LOVE this place. I get excited every time we have an excuse to go. Between me, my boyfriend and the family and friends we’ve brought here, we’ve sampled a wide variety of what they have to offer and it’s ALWAYS impressive. Love, love, love the food. (A personal favorite of mine is the fried chicken sandwich– tender, juicy, beautifully seasoned, mmmmmm…)
To speak to the (very) few negative reviews, I can’t imagine being displeased with the food. It’s not fussy, but it’s fresh, well-​prepared, and always exactly what I hope for from the dish. (Is it the world’s most creative Pad Thai? No probably not. Is it an exciting new take on fried chicken? Not really. But they are exactly what I want to have when I order either one. Fresh ingredients, cooked expertly, and just delicious.) I guess everyone has an off day or off-​dish, but they haven’t had one in the 5+ times we’ve been here.
The staff also is fine. I am not blown-​away by the service, but it is polite, competent and unobtrusive. There have been occasions when my water glass has gone dry, but the staff is always easy to flag down and very responsive to requests. I’d rather this than an overly pushy, in-​your-​face approach to service. The chef/​owner also often personally greets his guests, and seems very invested in ensuring a positive experience.
Finally, to speak to pricing, I have no qualms with it– I feel I more than get my money’s worth. They have full plates generally ranging from $ 8-​$ 20. (Breakfast items tend to be on the lower end, while fish and entrees tend to be a little higher.) Regardless of what you order, however, the portions are filling and tasty. I find it a perfectly good deal for the quality of food.
Overall, one of my favorite places to eat. Since we moved to Mercer Island, we haven’t found many places that deliver such outstanding quality without going over the bridge. So happy to have one of my very favorite restaurants in our own backyard. Please, go here and enjoy! Bring them lots and lots of customers so they will never go away!

I was following the wonderful smoky smell on Valentine’s Day, quite an unusual sunny day on the Island. Met the owner of Phat 12 and was impressed that a true chef had stumbled on the Island. As you may know, there aren’t many chef inspired eateries on the island. Just the run of the mill greasy spoon like The Islander, the numerous cardboard pizza joints like Moes, overpriced bland sandwich shop like Homegrown and the overpriced, not well prepared Sushi Joa. Chinese on the island is not worth the trip along with our Mexican fare.
Disappointed by the choices, one weekend morning early last month we decided to enjoy breakfast at Phat 12. The name does it no justice. You might just pass it by from the name. The ambiance was a little sports like but pleasant and clean. The service was fast, servers attentive and when the food arrived at our table, we were pleasantly surprised with the great taste, temperature and overall presentation. It was very tasty and I am very particular about what I eat. This will be our go to when we don’t want to cook ourselves. Just take a look for yourself and ignore the negative comments. You can’t make everyone happy. Personally, this food tastes better than any other restaurant in the island, including Bennetts.

I was really disappointed when I went since I had been anticipating going since this place opened. I had a special of the day sandwich that had really dry meat, soggy break, and some fries that were nothing to write home about. Chef T came by which was nice, but the food didn’t live up to anything. The dessert puffs were probably the worst. They look like they had been heated up in microwave or something. The custard cream were liquidy and upon picking them up, the puffs fell apart. Maybe their strong suit is just not the desserts. The peach cobbler on the menu looked interesting but that was out. Not sure if I will go back again but on the plus side, the service was nice.