Stoneburner

Good pizza. Sorta fancy. Worth checking out.

after reading all the good reviews, decided to pay a visit. was excited to try their pizza, but
Pizza was burned and overtoasted, no red sauce and it’s painful to bite into the pizza…:(
also order their house drink and very disappointed
atmosphere and decro were great, but that’s about it…

This is one of those gourmet pizza restaurants that has the feel of an upscale cocktail bar. Nestled in the main nightlife strip of Ballard, it is adjacent to the Hotel Ballard entrance. Parking can be an issue on weekend nights here, so you might want to park on Leary Ave.
It is tastefully decorated and has a cool vibe to it. The ambiance is dim and they have candles on the tables, so it’s great for date night. They also have high tables if you like that. One of the cool things I noticed there was that the tables have a raised stand to keep the pizza, which prevents crowding on the table.
They have large windows which they keep open on warm nights to let the air in. It’s a nice place to people-​watch from a table near the open window.
They also have a happy hour from 11 pm to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s a great deal if you’d like to grab a late bite. The cocktails aren’t exactly innovative, but are extremely well made and delicious. They also have some unique beers on tap.
Their pizzas (the main stuff) are just too good. We tried the yukon potato and the morzarella, and both of those were outstanding. You can taste the freshness of the basil in them.
Even though we have generally gone late, the service has always been friendly and prompt. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes neapolitan pizzas to not miss out on this place. Will surely be back!

3.5 stars … 4 stars for food and 3 stars for atmosphere.
Love the fried castelvetrano olives stuffed with mozzarella cheese — although eat them quick as we didn’t like them cold.
The Nduja salami pizza was yummy (fresh mozzarella, spinach, red onions, garlic confit, and the chorizo textured like Nduja salami sausage) — although the center of the crust could have cooked crisper for my liking (pretty easy to do in a wood fired oven since it has hot and hotter spots you can move the pies around to). The outer crust was perfectly crispy with some char.
The brick pressed chicken was outstanding — moist and juicy meat (skin could have been crisper) with a bright and addicting Meyer lemon salmoriglio (essentially a no nut parsley pesto (parsley (although other herbs can be used), lots of garlic, lemon zest (sometime juice too) and olive oil)). Comes with kale and roasted golden beets (both of which I could do without just because I don’t care for them no matter who prepares them, but my friend liked them both).
Service was friendly and prompt.
We ate in the bar, which has terrible acoustics — there was a table of 6 really loud guys and there was just no where to get away from their clamor. Also, the table we moved to had this metal bar down the middle, presumably to facilitate sharing … but neither I nor my friend liked it … it puts food up in your face … personal preference.
I’d go back — but as with any restaurant in this area of Ballard, parking is a bitch.

Made reservations to this place… when we got there the table wasn’t ready as the previous customers were still seated. Of coarse this gets frustrating. Well we are human and can’t control every situation. So management did what they could do to best accommodate us. I have to say I was thoroughly impressed with the way they handled the situation. The customer service surpassed my expectations.
In addition, the drinks were delicious and the charcuterie board was outstanding! Probably one of the best prosciuttos I’ve ever had. Our whole group was happy as well.

We could have been worse… they were AMAZING.
My friend and I just got our official job offers, so we decided to go out. Stumbled upon this place. Love. It. Can’t wait to come back.
She and I were embarrassingly annoying customers and they handled all of our requests with unfailing grace. (My friend has a gluten thing and a muscle thing so we asked for menu modifications and couldn’t sit at the kitchen bar and she needed a phone charger plugged in and I was a wine snob who wanted to take bunch of pictures and ask a bunch of annoying questions about the food… at least we weren’t rude)?
Every singe employee was so gracious starting with Lia, our hostess. She let our waitress and other staff members know about my friend’s muscle thing, so as soon as a table was available, they set it up for us and moved us there. (If you’ve ever worked in a largish restaurant, you know how annoying that can be). Multiple people checked in to make sure we were comfortable — including the kitchen staff… the chef? I dunno who they were, but they were wonderful about offering to answer all my foodie questions. We also hadn’t gotten our new-​job paychecks yet, so we weren’t planning on spending a lot. Our waitress knew that, and said that all she cared about was us having a good time. She also recommended the Sangiovese, which is totes what I was going to order anyway. I love it when the staff knows their wine list.
The atmosphere was perfect. We sat next to a giant mirror that looked like you could walk through it to Narnia and the Chef choose the music. Cool reggae, great jazz, and chill stuff. The sound of people talking is loud enough to make the place seem warm, but not so loud that your friends can’t hear your hilarious jokes.
The food was GREAT. (Even the gluten-​free food).*
AND, the restaurant is attached to a hotel that’s decorated kind of like Narnia… so that’s cool. (There’s lots of chandeliers made out of white branches with giant glass raindrops on them. I bet that’s where Mr. Tumnas stays when he’s in town on business).
Anyway, I haven’t written a lot of Unilocal Reviews because I try not to until I’ve been to places more than once, but I am making an exception here because my experience here was so good, I am already planning my next trip back here. Can’t wait.
* refuse to get tested for gluten sensitivity. Will not give up French bread/​pastries. Ever.

Loved the cocktails!
Loved the thin emulated-​euro-​pizzas!
My only point of sadness is that she didn’t bring the red pepper and parmesan cheese till we were 75% done with the pizza.
The beet /​grapefruit salad we had was really the best part of the experience. I need to try this place again.

We came here for a birthday celebration, but unfortunately despite a 7:45 reservation we weren’t seated until 8:30 and didn’t get our food until 9:30.
The waitress was lovely and knowledgeable, but I was disappointed that we would be seated 45 minutes late and didn’t even get an apology. What’s the point of making a reservation if we need to wait in a lobby for almost an hour?
As for the food, it’s pretty decent, greasy new American food. I’d recommend the octopus and shaved Brussel sprout salad.

I really enjoyed my brunch here. There were two of us and it wasn’t too crowded to where we had to wait but had a decent amount of people to still give it a good vibe.
We ordered the brussels sprouts caesar salad and the breakfast pizza — both were delicious and items I would gladly order again. Their brunch cocktails were on point as well.
I look forward to coming back for dinner as the ambiance is really warm and inviting.

The portions here are tiny and the food isn’t so stellar to warrant the price, IMO. American food always trips me out. How come there are no vegetables on my meat dish, like, ever?
I ordered the steak and it was just okay. I think the chickpeas, olives, and capers with the lemon was a very strange flavour combination and this particular cut of steak (bavette) would probably have been better served in a stir-​fry. And this cut is extremely overpriced.
The drink we ordered was a Boulivardier and it was tasty. The waitstaff was really friendly, too!
The standout here, aside from the staff, was the ambience. This is a big open space that, at the time we visited, wasn’t too loud or crowded, but was still lit perfectly (I like dim lights), which made for an intimate vibe without being small. A+ for that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t come back based on the steak. The other food looks pretty good, though. And, this is attached to the Ballard Hotel, which has a very nicely appointed lobby, which you go through to get to the bathroom.
Not bad, but not good enough to warrant a return.

If I can, I would give this place 10 stars.
I can be quite critical when it comes to restaurant experience perhaps because I’ve lived and dined in big cities like New York, Seoul, London, and LA.
Food, service, and atmosphere, Stoneburner has everything.
I especially couldn’t believe their more-​than-​affordable price range for such exceptional dishes.
We were almost immediately greeted by a host and manager as soon as we entered the restaurant. Since it was just about 15 minutes until the dinner started (5pm), we decided to just sit and wait to order dinner menu.
Since we sat close to the bar, we could see the selection of liquors which told us that their drinks were most likely above average.
I usually don’t eat much meat because of certain smell. However, the meatball here was so good I could eat the whole dish which my husband ordered for himself. We could taste so many flavors just in one small bite. Absolutely best meatball I’ve had. Brussel sprouts and cauliflower were also one of the best and they tasted like ones I’ve had in the very upscale restaurant with much higher price range.
I actually ordered Romanesco dish but the manager brought us the cauliflower saying their local growers didn’t have supply for them (which means they support local farms!). I was a bit disappointed because I thought they should have let us know before started cooking substitute dish. However, the manager didn’t hesitate a second to offer the cauliflower dish on the house.
The chocolate mousse dessert was heavenly as well.
I wish I had discovered this place earlier so I could’ve visited again while staying in Seattle.

This has become my «go-​to» spot to take out of town guests. Food is tasty, the atmosphere is lively, and the décor is classy. I’ve been here for both brunch & dinner and was impressed by their ability to do both quite well.
Brunch: Had the breakfast pizza and it was better than I expected. Very flavorful, but also quite light. It’s baked in a brick oven with a thin crispy crust. They don’t use a lot of cheese, which allows you to taste the rest of the ingredients. The bacon was crispy and not too salty. And the egg on top was a perfect touch. And the coffee was surprisingly very good too.
Dinner: I’ve had the prosciutto platter and the meats were delicious. A great appetizer option. The pizzas are solid. They aren’t as crispy as I’d prefer, but the pizza is filled with a variety of ingredients.
Ambiance is great. The bar looks fully stocked. It’s a great place for larger groups. It gets packed during prime lunch and dinner times, so I recommend trying to make a reservation if possible. However, if you are looking for a late night drink or a bite to eat on the weekdays, the wait is minimal.

Came here today for a brunch date after dropping off the little with my sis and bro-​in-​law, while they take her to Frozen on Ice. Kiddo is in heaven and we get some kid-​free bonding time, win-​win! :)
When we arrived, the place was fairly quiet but picked up during the course of our meal with every table occupied by about 11am. I liked the vintage French bistro look of the place, nice vibe! Attached to the Hotel Ballard, I viewed the lobby while taking a restroom trip and it looks like quite the darling neighborhood boutique hotel. Duly noted for a potential future stay-​cation!
Hubs got a coffee and I got some herbal tea, chamomile. I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t have more of a selection– having only one herbal tea offering seems a bit limited in a place like this, no?
I ordered the Savory Dutch Baby (braised short rib, charred leeks, hot sauce, fried egg) and Hubs got the 2 egg breakfast (crispy pecorino potatoes, pancetta, ciabatta) w/​the eggs done over easy. My dish was supurb, and I am now motivated to find my dutch baby recipes to master at home! Hubby found his pancetta (ie bacon) was cold. When mentioned to our server, he gets props for totally making it right by running and bringing out (at top speed) a new order of crispy hot pancetta. All else was tasty!
Mid-​meal, I ordered a mimosa, well… because brunch without booze is just breakfast! LOL. Mimosa was good, no complaints there.
If you come for brunch on a Sunday, you have the added bonus of being able to walk the Ballard Farmers market afterwards (plus free street parking!)

Another nice Ballard stop, and a weekend happy hour! The yukon gold potato pizza was delicious; thin, wood-​fired crust is my favourite and Stoneburner delivered! The brussel sprout caesa salad was also tasty.

Came for happy hour and the food exceeded my expectations!
The pizzas were delicious, especially the fonduta ($ 10). We also at the meat plate ($ 24 for three). The prosciutto was so tender, it was probably the best prosciutto I ever had.
I didn’t like the fried olives though. It was fried and filled with cheese. I prefer my olives chilled.
There was also a huge storm when we were there and the restaurant and sidewalk were flooding. The staff went all hands on deck and took care of all the water coming into the restaurant. The staff had a great attitude about it and were still attentive to us.

Friendliest staff ever man. They are so chill I thought they were with my buddy when our servers and bartender started chatting with us. A place that makes you feel so welcome is a big plus in my books. Fancy pizzas and meat&cheese plates abound. The wait staff and bartenders are serious pros, and ultimately care that you feel most welcome back anytime.

4.5 stars. Stone burner is on a middle-​upper end of a dining scale. It offers such a great ambiance for happy hours, for chats and even for celebratory events.
This place is best if you come with other people whom you can pick, share and try our different dishes. A group of 10 of us did an evening of progressive dinner/​drinks along different bars/​restaurants on a Saturday within Ballard for one of my friend’s birthday and chose this place so that we could enjoy our drinks and share some of the plates together. There’s a sommelier on site, so you can ask for different wine recommendations, too.
Aside from a few wine bottles, we shared hearth roasted beets (very interesting textures and tasted good. a bit too lemony for me though), burrata (cheese covered cheese, yum!) assorted charcuterie, pizza, meatballs, pasta, charred broccoli (great, too! lots of people love this dish!), meatballs (favorite for our evening organizer!!) and ricotta dumplings (my favorite!!!). The waitress was also very nice that she brought out a complementary dessert of rich choco moose of truffle texture along with birthday candle for our friend, too.
Overall, what I like about this place is the ambiance, service and the food. Every dish was actually really good and I felt you couldn’t go wrong with any. If you are dining alone or with a party of 2, though, this may not be the ideal place, as all the plates are better for sharing/​communal dining. This way, you get to experience all the good dishes Stoneburner has to offer!

The food is incredible. The service is short and sweet and the chefs don’t make custom changes to the food so leave your creativity at home. The braised short rib Dutch baby is out of this world! The rich flavors are amazing! Best little unique breakfast I’ve had in a long time! My husband had the breakfast pizza and loved it! It’s totally worth the hype.
Parking is awful, especially during the farmers market so leave yourself 15 minutes extra to get a spot!
The ambiance is funky modern, and there is outdoor seating!

If you’re like me — someone who grew up in the sweet embrace of the Fremont Troll and remembers that Ballard used to be known as Vikingville and not the!! CONDOMANIA! it is today, you will walk into Stoneburner thinking you’ve stumbled on some restaurant downtown. Except, it IS downtown. Downtown Ballard 2015, that is.
The vibe is modern rustic — metal and wood. Concrete floors. On this sunny warm day the windows/​doors were opened up to the sidewalk, where any potential rabble rouser or vagrant can reach other and pull up a chair and sit at your table. So this is exactly what my friend and I did.
We were shown to a two-​person booth to the left of the entrance, next-​ish to the window. The table had a narrow metal bracket coming out of the wall, affixed at a ninety degree to the table. This narrow metal thing ran the length of our table. This is to maximize the table space. Some food items served on long rectangular plates can be placed on top of the bracket while others plates of food on the bottom. Except most of our plates were BIG and ROUND, so our food was obstructed by the bracket and difficult to see and get at, if one is inclined to place food in the middle of the talbe to share. This metal bracket would not budge, no matter how loudly I yelled, pulled and cursed at it. Most of the small tables near the window had these @#$# brackets.
Ordered a glass of Chardonnay, the cold cuts/​cheese plate, special short rib pasta and the salad of the day, which we shared. My friend also had a Cabernet.
The Chardonnay was just OK. The Cab was better, but both wines tasted like we could buy them at the grocery store for less than $ 15.00. Wait, make that $ 12.00, and throw in a pack of Cheetos.
Pasta special with the short ribs was very good in flavor, with the pasta perfectly done. For about $ 23.00(??) though the portion was on the smallish side. The cold plate was also OK, with the salami being a standout; however, it cost $ 23.00 for THREE items — one type of cheese and two types of meat, and we’re not talking Swansons Man meal sizes here. The cold plate sat on the metal thingy perfectly, being served on a long, rectangular plate. The salad special was very vinegary, which is fine with me — but quite lackluster. Just some greens, sprinkled with some cheese.
Our server was personable and attentive, and alternated with the Manager in serving our food when things got busy.
I didn’t have any fancy pants expectations walking into Stoneburner, even though the restaurant’s façade somewhat exuded hip and happening for people with money to burn (hence, StoneBURNER?). We had a pleasant enough experience, but the ho-​hum-​ness of the salad, the cold cuts and the wine — plus the price — rather overshadowed the outstanding pasta dish. And although I enjoyed the short ribs and pasta dish, its price/​size ratio and the availability many other great restaurants in the area would probably convince me to return.

I’ve been to Stoneburner a couple of times now. Once for happy hour and most recently for a dinner with my work team. Service can be a bit slow at times. But the servers are on point with making suggestions and recommendations.
Stoneburner is located in the heart of Ballard Ave. in Hotel Ballard. So what does that mean? It means parking can be frustrating, other than that, this place is solid! Cool ambience? Yes! Nice drink selection? Yes! Great food? Yes! Yes! Yes!
For starters we had a selection of cold cuts, just to wet our palate. Then we ordered the «super good grilled octopus,» which was just that super good! For an entrée I had the roasted pork collar, and we shared the kale salad and the risotto special. Let me just say if collar of any kind of animal is on the menu, just order it. The pork collar was marbled beautifully and pretty much melted in your mouth. We also had a selection of desserts, but quite frankly I was done at that point, I couldn’t stuff my face with anymore food, but that pork collar alone will keep me coming back!