Maggie Bluffs

With the nice weather in Seattle, my colleagues and I headed over to Maggie Bluffs for lunch today. I had never been, but after looking at their menu online I knew with the variety I would find something I would enjoy.
The weather and views did not disappoint! We were first seated at a table for four which was uneven and wobbly, so we moved ourselves to another nearby table. As a former server, when patrons move tables without asking I know it can be annoying, but it didn’t appear to be an issue — especially since we had arrived well before the lunch rush.
Our server was incredibly friendly and had an awesome personality, but sadly we never caught her name. She promptly greeted our table and offered us beverages. Upon her return, we placed our orders with each of us having something different. Our boss had the spicy buffalo chicken sandwich with pea salad, and my colleagues had the BLT with chili and the hot crab & avocado sandwich with fries. I went a different route and had their southwest burger but subbed their housemade black bean patty for beef and I went without a bun. I chose their «famous» pea salad as my side.
It got significantly busier as time went by, and while I said nothing, I had noticed other tables getting their food before us though we had been there before those tables. Fortunately good weather and good company were the perfect distractions. When we finally got our food — which was all served at once — it looked lovely and cleanly plated. Unfortunately, it went a little bit downhill from there. For starters, our server never quality checked our meals UNTIL once of us had already finished… And unfortunately, there were problems with two meals. For starters, my black bean burger was COLD. I will be the first to admit that I am picky when it comes to food temperatures, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to want HOT food hot and COLD food cold. I would have said something to our server about the burger and had it remade, but as I said before, she never quality checked and when she did, I had finished my meal. The other problem was our colleague’s BLT. It was served on a rustic looking Italian baguette which was so toasted and/​or stale, my colleague could neither bite nor cut through the bread with the steak knife they served the sandwich with… so, the BLT was really just a salad and not a sandwich once you take the bread out of the equation. The colleague with the hot crab and avocado sandwich said it was good, and her slice of bread was also overly toasted — though the hot mayo concoction on top softened some of the bread so that it was edible.
We did tell the server at the end of our meal about the food issues, and she said she wish she had have been told so they could have remade things. Ah yes, we would have liked that too — but when you visit us as we are nearing the end of our meals it’s too late to do anything about it anyways. Plus, she was so busy with other tables that we never had the opportunity to make amends about it. To her credit, she completely took one meal of the bill and 50% off the other meal. I can assure you we weren’t out to get a discount or a free meal but given how the service went it was the only way to make good on the issues we had.
I would definitely give Maggie Bluffs another try, because today could have been an «off» day. The prices seemed remarkably fair, so I am hoping another visit will turn out a bit better.
Will I be back? Definitely maybe.

Good view, good burgers, good beer and just oh so relaxing. Will be returning for the good service. It is right below a nice restaurant and I think the food is on par, haven’t tried much but will update by the end of summer if my recommendation changes ;)

Recently, I had the pleasure of traveling to Seattle Washington. While on vacation there, my friends were raving about this place being one of the best spots in town, so I figured why not? give it a try. I’m not overly judgemental, however, I know good food when I see it. There is an old saying that goes:“you eat with your eyes.” Roughly, that means, presentation and, plating is the first step. There is also the importance of freshness, and of course, taste! Add to that, fair pricing, and you have yourself an irresistible place with a great ambience and, it could lead you to come back for more. Now, let me tell you first hand about my experience. I am going to be completely honest and, forthright about this. It’s going to be a «no nonsense» type of review. Here it goes… located off the marina, and next to a yacht club, you’d expect this place to have a pretty high standard for the quality of food they serve (or so, I thought) until you study their prices in comparison to the amount of food (portion) they give you. To start with, I ordered a cup of clam chowder, right when I took my first spoonful, and swallowed it, I felt a light wave of nausea hitting me. Mind you, I am a big seafood connoisseur, as I’ve been around it all my life (I had my first taste of lobster when I was just two years old). This should tell you where I’m headed. Aside from the nausea I experienced when eating the clam chowder, I have a few more points to discuss about the dish itself. First off, the serving itself was NOT a standard size «cup portion,» my cup was not filled to the rim. It was approximately ¾ full but, not all the way. That’s the first deal breaker. Secondly, the taste was bland. Instead of seasoning it properly where you can taste an equal balance of salt, pepper, onion, sage, and other herbs, there was a strong blast of sage that overpowered the rest of the complexities associated with your typical mid-​grade clam chowder. Trust me, I have sampled clam chowder from various parts of the united states. I have had it in Massachusetts (Boston, Cambridge), California (San Francisco) at Fisherman’s Wharf, and at local restaurants around town as well. This did not cut it. The clam chowder that I ate at Maggie Bluffs was substandard. I mean, come on! When you visit a place like Seattle,(which is known for their seafood) you want to taste what the city has to offer, but you’re looking for something that highlights the authentic taste of the region itself. Am I right? Well, this chowder was water-​down instead of thick as it should be. This shows a lack of superior consistency. The main consistency in chowders, or creamed soups is a bechamel sauce used to thicken it. Upon tasting the chowder, I noticed evidently there was no bechamel here. Just milk, and clam juice. The clams were certainly NOT fresh. They tasted fishy. When seafood tastes overly fishy, it simply means it isn’t fresh. It should taste like the sea, and not like the way stinky feet smell! Second, there were no potatoes or, celery diced in mine. It was as if the clams were canned. Campbell’s CHUNKY Clam Chowder soup tastes better than this at half the cost. Let’s move on to the main entrée shall we? Okay. Having to battle nausea, I asked for a club soda, because that always seems to settle the stomach (from my experience.) A few moments went by and, my stomach started to settle itself, which is when I came back to my table and, began ordering their Steak Sandwich. I know, here on the west coast of the united states, you find very few authentic cheese steak eateries but, Maggie Bluff’s was just terrible. The bread wasn’t crusty on the outside and soft on the inside (which is what you normally get with a grinder, philly, hoagie roll.) The amount of meat was very minimal and the cheese (which tasted like mozzarella, more than provolone) was too much in comparison to the amount of meat present. There were no visible diced sauteed onions or, green peppers in the sandwich either. I’m sorry but, I can get a cheaper sandwich where I live. Not to mention, the meat to cheese onion pepper ratio will be greater. Instead, what they give you when you order a steak sandwich is something like diced boiled steak, it tastes like it had been steamed instead of grilled on a flat iron diner skillet. You know the ones I’m talking about if you’ve previously had cheese steak before. The bread they used wasn’t your standard optional six or, twelve inch roll but, rather what seemed to be a five inch steamed french roll much like the Francisco International brand French Rolls, you buy at the local grocery store. The bread was toasted lightly as well. The sandwich itself was cut in half… it felt as if I was eating a snack. One end of the sanwich was flattened, (I have no idea how) as if someone had sat on it, kind of like you get with fastfood burger buns… you know what I mean. Overall… I am going to be dead honest! For the price of $ 11.99 and the $ 5.00 chowder, it was a waste of money.

We visited on the sunniest day in Seattle in 2016. We sail from WS and it’s the ONLY accessible restaurant by water in Elliott bay– we love coming here. It’s casual, yummy and service is usually good. This day, I wanted to highlight a few things. First, it was VERY busy– the poor servers were running around but understandable seeing as it’s not usually warm enough to enjoy until June. Jamie was our server and she was true BEST server I’ve had dining ANYWHERE in Seattle! She was so sweet, on her game, understanding and just plain awesome. The food took a little while longer then usual but we were so surprised the quality was excellent– very excellent. I love coming here for a casual meal off the boat. Keep it up!

The location is great because you can look at all the boats in the Marina. The service was find for a diner type establishment. Servers are mainly college students home for the summer.
The food is very basic, yet overpriced. The ingredients all taste like they are delivered by Food Services of America or Sysco. Even my teenage niece suggested that the «food was better in the airport». The price you pay for a dish is not commiserate with the quality of food you receive.
They also tack on an extra 3% to your bill to make up for a cost of living gap. That surcharge is not listed on the menu anywhere. However, it is tacked on your bill at the end. I imagine they do this to keep costs appearing low and challenge the customer to make a stink when they receive the bill. What a great experience that makes for a customer.
1. Call out the surcharge transparently and explain it to the customer before the purchase. It’s not a public tax, so you need to explain your unique surcharge policy. A company that values its customers does that.
2. Alternatively, increase the price of the food items instead of issuing a surcharge. Most companies go this route. Maggie Bluffs likely doesn’t because its prices are already rather high for mediocre food. They’d rather slip that cost onto the bill with no prior disclosure.
Chicken Caesar Salad (unadorned) $ 11.99
Seattle Tax 10%
Cost of Living Gap Service Charge 3%
Tip 15%
Total Cost: $ 15.35
Did I mention the Coke was $ 3 (pre-​tax and fees)?
This place is a total rip-​off, and we won’t be back.

Tastes like Palisades leftovers. They put tater tots in my steak salad. Nice waitstaff.
Seriously, tater tots?

It seems like they’ve made some pretty positive changes to the menu. I had the wings there last week and they were good… real good.

Decent food… not impressive and nothing special, just typical bar food and moderate portions but also not expensive. I love the hot wings at happy hour with the margarita but avoid the nachos that have a cheese sauce, not real cheese and skimpy toppings.
One of the few great places you can park for free and have a waterfront seat with at least 180 degree views of Elliott bay and Puget Sound.

Oh my goodness ew. I am so sorry to this establishment for this bad review, but it was just very bad food. The service and staff were SUPER nice and friendly so nothing negative towards that part.
There were 4 of us and we all literally hated our food, but had to choke it down since we were continuing onto a night of drinking. I got the Southwestern Burger. The second it was set in front of me, I went to pick it up and the bottom bun was literally sopping wet, so so gross. I pushed that part aside and continued on. I ordered the burger cooked to Medium and it was definitely over cooked and a bit chary (if that’s even a word). It sounded yummy having salsa and avocado but it was just tasteless. The fries were spongy and just gross. Maybe it was an off night for the cook, but yikes.

Wow another win for Maggie’s Bluff. I’ve never come here for brunch, but was very impressed with their brunch menu. The cook here is amazing. I’m not even big on breakfast and I loved it. I ordered the breakfast burger (hamburger with eggs and melted cheese in the best soft bread they always use). My favorite thing about any of their burgers is their bread. So impressed even with brunch. Maggie’s is hands down my favorite restaurant in magnolia. They treat their customers very well! I always get the groupon for $ 15 and you can spend $ 30 here. It’s great. Perfect size for two people. Date night ;)
My Personal Restaurant Rating Key
One star: the food was bad and I had a negative experience.
Two star: I had a more negative experience and would not come here again but the food was good so I may.
Three store: Everything is good except one thing. Example-​the food is good, the price is more reasonable but the atmosphere is lacking class. Or the food is good, the atmosphere is good, but they over charged us. These three stars are actually my favorite types of restaurants to go eat at if the reason is due to the atmosphere because they are usually delicious and reasonably priced.
Four stars: Everything is great, food and experience. However the price is definitely on the upper end. I would not recommend this first to Obama unless he didn’t like my five stars. These are restaurants you can take your boss or your mother-​in-​laws to impress them, however they still don’t fit into the five star category. A bit fancier than my three stars, hence I don’t often eat here unless there is an occasion for it or there is a groupon that gives me a bit of a discount!
Five stars: I would recommend this to Obama. The price may be on the upper end but the experience and the taste is so exquisite, it is actually worth every nickel and dime.

After a nice event at a near by venue my wife and I wanted a quick snack before heading home. Ordered a drink and nachos (bcs hey, I’m 34 and if I want nachos at 8:30 on a Wednesday I can!).
Sadly it was not to be.
The «nachos» arrived and at first looked petty good; salsa, sour cream, and even some guac. Then, I looked at what can only be described as «cheese»…
Instead of gooey, hot, melted goodness we were presented with a layer of cold cheese wiz. Now, had I been at 7 – 11 or in a dystopian future where children fight for our entertainment, this would have been fine.
However, in this case I remembered I was paying $ 8.99 and decided that discretion is the better part of valor and sent the food back.
We tipped our sever who apologized for the «nachos» and headed home unsatisfied.
Worst nachos ever.
(Well, the giant bucket of nachos at seahawks stadium are pretty bad too)

Maggie Bluffs is a great place to stop for breakfast or lunch. My husband and I have been coming here for about 7 years.
Such a fantastic location
Prices are pretty great. You can’t beat the brunch, sitting outside with a bloody mary! It can get crowded on the weekends. Burgers are good and come with your choice of fries, tater tots or salad.
Overall it is a great spot to chill — nothing fancy here but nice location and views.
Plenty of parking. Plenty of seating, inside and out.

Wonderful view and they let you have your dog in their patio seating. They also have great service. Cocktails are watered down and the food is mediocre at best. I suggest only coming to relax with a beer or glass of wine and enjoying the view.

Customer Service was good from the second we walked in the door. The food service although was slow. We should have ordered drinks or something to keep us busy while we waited since our bowl of chile arrived with our meals. This is not fine dining, so don’t expect that. But it’s right on the harbor walkway so there are nice views of the boats and downtown Seattle. They also have a cool patio. The menu creativity was less than I expected for a seafood restaurant. The food was okay tasting. Along with the chile, which was good, we got fish and chips. The fish two fish pieces we got seemed to be the same size as the french fry. The artichoke crab sandwich with tots was served luke warm. I had to ask them for a hot one, so they just refired the same one I got which came back hot, but slightly on the burnt side. Our waiter was nice enough to comp it without having to ask.
I’d probably recommend this place as a nice patio happy hour while down at the harbor, but not a destination for food. They need to redevelop their concept and enhance the quality of their food and then I guarantee this place would be slamming.

First… hostess said there is a wait of 25 minutes because servers were overwhelmed, even though there were about 5 open tables? K. Finally got seated at a table and it took 10 minutes for someone to greet us. The server took our order, but we had to ask for ice water! I ordered a bartenders strawberry lemonade. It’s described as strawberry lemonade purée with vodka. More like Thelma’s lemonade with vodka. I can make that at home, thanks. As we left we told the server we tried our drinks and we were not going to be paying for them and he said he would get a manager. By this time we had been there for over half an hour and still no nothin. The manager did his best and gave us two free drinks. Maybe we will be back for lunch? They do have a nice view…

dinner last night 6.10.15 waited 1hr for our food to arrive, ordered medium cooked burger. Bun and burger were BLACK burned to a crisp. (could have had that at home !) I felt bad for the waiter. One waitress told me that they were really busy w/​30 tables outside and a small kitchen. Well if you can’t handle 30 tables maybe you shouldn’t seat 30 tables ! No one was sitting inside.
It was so bad that they comp’d our dinner and drinks. We offered to pay for the 2 glasses of wine but they said no. Left a tip for the poor waiter.
It’s too bad because this is our favorite place, will not be back for a very long time :(

Casual, diner-​esque atmosphere with a great view of the marina from their large back patio. Being a tourist in Seattle from the very land-​locked Denver, I had to order seafood while I could, so I opted for the clam chowder for lunch. It was so-​so and didn’t wow me; the ratio of potatoes to clams was a little high and so I think the potatoes absorbed too much of the flavor. The french fries, however, and especially the sweet potato fries, were fantastic.

I should have known something was amiss when we arrived at 6pm on an 80 degree day and there are empty patio tables. I won’t return again.
We were quickly seated on the patio. Within minutes the server approached and requested drink orders. There was no greeting, small talk or upselling. All interaction with server was abrupt and very disengaged.
My boyfriend ordered the 3 piece fish and chips, while I ordered the 2 piece. We were both served two pieces of fish. The meal consisted of two thumb sized pieces of fish, undercooked fries and a scoop of oddly seasoned coleslaw.
The meal was a disappointment, as was the additional living wage tax. I used to be a fan of Maggie’s Bluff, but we won’t be returning anytime soon.

I’ve been here twice now. First time had bacon cheeseburger. Yum. Tots hot and crispy. Weird waiter forgot to bring my second beer. Great view. Asked to sit in the sun, there were plenty of open tables. We were directed to sit at a table that was in complete shade 10 minutes later. Food was good just «off» service. Today we went again, wait staff seemed argumentative. I must admit that I was shocked when my fish and chips arrived and I saw the three thumb sized pieces of fish.
They were lukewarm at best. I sent the order back after being told by the food runner that the product had just come out of the oil. Sure, I make this stuff up because I like to wait for my dinner while my companion eats! The new order had slightly larger pieces and was freshly cooked and delivered. Quite tasty. Too bad about Maggie’s, it seems that they just can’t seem to get it together.

First and foremost: get the home made hot sauce.
We were a little concerned given the up and down reviews we’d read, but fear not. The meal was quite good and the service totally acceptable, despite the waiters being really busy.
I had the cod and chips, my girl friend the fish tacos and we split the «famous pea salad». We both really enjoyed the salad. It’s different, but mayo heavy so be warned of you don’t like that. The cod was perfectly fried, as were the French fries. The tacos were large, crispy and had a great flavor profile. Adding the hot sauce, which is normally used on the steak tacos, brings them to a whole new level.
We were there on a nice day, sitting in the patio, which was delightful. They also have indoor seating. The beer selection was decent, with an eclectic collection of 8 tap beers.

I would say the food here deserves a good 4.5, but the service bumped it up to a 5! I’m visiting from San Diego and asked the waitress for advice on good tourist spots and she went out of her way to ask the other staff and write us a list! Plus we told her we wanted scallops, and even though they weren’t on the menu, she ordered them from upstairs!!! So sweet.
And the VIEW. I know San Diego has a nice bay view, but wow this was great! It was a beautiful day and I loved our experience very much.

I have mixed feelings about Maggie Bluffs. The location is very nice (underneath Palisades at the Magnolia Marina). You can look out at the marina while you are eating from many spots inside the restaurant.
Our family of 4 arrived for dinner on a Saturday evening. The place was pretty packed, but fortunately we were able to be seated right away. It was still happy hour, and I will say that I thought the happy hour menu was both reasonable and pretty good. In fact, I ordered a pint of beer and 2 appetizers for my dinner, and the total of my selections was still less than many of the entrees on the menu. This would be a great place to come for just happy hour, and look out at the boats while enjoying a couple of drinks and some snacks.
But let’s get back to the dinner at hand. Our server was great, and very friendly and accommodating, especially to my kids, which was much appreciated. The food, however, got mixed reviews, more bad than good from the family, but since I’m writing the review, and I liked my happy hour snack food, I’m giving 3 stars.
First, let’s get the bad out of the way:
Fish and chips, fish tacos… both awful. I would not under any circumstances recommend getting any dish that contains the fried fish at Maggie Bluffs. It tasted like frozen, and the pieces were so very small. My son’s fish tacos were more shredded cabbage than fish. The fish and chips that my spouse ordered was a tiny 3-​piece portion for I think around $ 12 or $ 13. And they both agreed that the fish was flavorless.
Black bean dip… I got this as a dip with chips for an appetizer on the happy hour menu, and I thought it was ok. It also came as a side dish with my son’s fish tacos, and he hated it. The others in our group tasted it and did not like it. Bottom line, it’s a good snack if you are drinking beer, as I was, otherwise avoid it.
The good:
My sweet potato fries were awesome! Probably some of the best I’ve ever had, and enough to share with the table and still have some left over.
My daughter ordered a pasta with salmon and asparagus in a lemon cream sauce that was actually quite good. The portion size was on the small side for the price, but the flavor and freshness were up to par.
My son’s fish taco’s came out after everyone else’s entrée. Even though he was starving by the time his dish arrived, he disliked it enough to only eat one of the three tacos. So we let him order a dessert just for himself. It was a rich, almost flourless chocolate cake with scrumptious vanilla bean ice cream that tasted handmade. Our server comp’ed up the dessert because he had had to wait so long for his entrée (he’s 9), and I thought it was very nice of her.
It is entirely possible that we didn’t order the best things on the menu, and I would give Maggie Bluff’s another go, except probably just for happy hour.

We used to go here consistently about 10 years ago and it was an OK place to have a burger, a beer and look out at the sail boats parked on the water. About 4 years ago we stopped going, they would consistently burn the burgers and the rest of the food just started to go down hill. At one time we figured it was just a bad day and we gave it a few chances. Between my wife and 3 kids we suffered through way too many bad meals to continue. The burgers were way too often burnt .We did not request well done, in fact they don’t even ask you how you want it done.
I had not been back for a while and a couple of weeks ago I took my 8 year old daughter. The place was not particularly busy at the time. There was way too much stickiness on the floors and the 2 tables. Unless some kid had just spilled soda throughout the place, then they need to do a much better job of cleaning. My daughter’s burger was burnt again. Could not believe it. Mine was average. The quality of the meat was not that great, nice bun though. Beer of course was fine.
She asked that we not come back here again. If an 8 year old notices how bad it is then you might want to beware. On the plus side they do give out crayons for kids and the bathrooms were reasonably clean.
Another poster recently stated that this place has been slipping for years and it has. We are done!

NEVER GOING BACK, after many years of being a fan of Maggie’s. They’ve been going downhill consistently for several years now, I’m sorry to say. But their recent re-​vamping of the menu was the last straw for me. One by one, they removed every single item I enjoyed, and those of my husband, too. — Even their fabulous onion rings… GONE! OMG. They were the «bomb»! I used to tell people they had the best onion rings on the planet.
Also gone: no more chili, no more nachos, no pasta, no patty melt, no more hot ‘n cold salad… Sigh. List goes on.
Last night I had their Ceasar salad — which they made with not-​so-​fresh, shredded lettuce, and a Lemon Drop that tasted kinda weird. Their honey-​mustard chicken wings, which my husband and I shared, were fine, but nothing special. The fries were good, but my husbands «bartender’s strawberry lemonade» was watery, & neither of us could detect any alcohol in it. He was also bummed as he had planned to order their nachos, and we were both seriously bummed when we learned the onion rings were gone. Service was okay, a little lacking in attention. And when I told our server that the new menu was horrible, all he could think to say was «I’m sorry». (Really?) He couldn’t manage to recommend one of the new items! –Amazing.
It’s sad when a place like this, one that we’ve come to depend on for casual, spur of the moment lunches or dinners, disappoints enough times to drive away their regular customers. I’ve been coming to Maggie’s since they first opened. But not anymore!
It’s the end of an era.
I guess if I want decent onion rings around Magnolia, I’ll have to go to Chinooks! –Or even the Gim Wah Chinese Restaurant; they actually do have some «American» items on the last page of their menu, and they also have the best Mongolian Beef anywhere! I’ve tried it several other places, and no one comes close.
Just fyi.
‘Bye, Maggie’s.

As all the other reviewers have said, please change the menu back. I’m sitting here having a glass of water before I leave because they removed everything from the menu. Literally every single item was deleted or modified. I know business had been bad for years but alienating the regulars by changing the menu (and by the looks of things not gaining many new customers in the process) is not how to turn things around.
No garlic fries, no Tiny’s chicken, no tots, no chop salad, no chili, no nachos. I won’t be back. I’ve been coming here for 22 years and since I moved to Portland, I still have been visiting about once every month or two, and even drove the 3.5 hours up just for dinner with the family at Maggie’s. Sad. Just sad.

As a «welcome to your new job» treat, my bosses took me to Maggie Bluffs for lunch last month. They know I love sweet potato fries, so they were determined to feed me the best. Before I could get that far, I was taken by the pretty view.
I think I usually avoid this part of town, assuming it’s too rich for my blood. Boats and marinas have a way of soothing me, but rarely get me further than a drink and appetizers. Maggie Bluffs is different. Sure, it’s pricier than other lunch venues, but they do well to provide a respite and tasty food. And the sweet potato fries? Definitely worth a return trip! My ahi tataki tacos were gorgeous. The tuna was lovely and the garnishes were well-​placed, though sadly the outer shells were floppy and too dry to enjoy. I can’t remember the last time I ordered dessert after lunch, but my bosses insisted, so we shared a slice of key lime pie.
Oh mama! I won’t be quitting my job any time soon.