We wanted a quick but hearty burger and this place hit the target! The service was exceptional with…read morefriendly and helpful staff, and quite honestly, we appreciated the simple ambiance of the restaurant without all the noise and distraction of the big chain restaurants. And look at those burgers-picture perfect and delicious with all fresh ingredients. Will definitely return to Red Wagon

They had great wraps and burgers...we got our food very fast. Outside seating is plus...read more

The Tri-Tip was amazing! We are definitely coming back. Fish & chips were good as wellread more

Had a lovely brunch with my good friends. Uptown Grill is halfway between us now that I've moved to…read moreVancouver, WA, so she drive from Seattle & we meet for Sunday brunch. It was my lucky day, I found parking right outside the front door! The downtown is super cute and decorated for Christmas & quite busy with shoppers so my friends had to park a few blocks away. The food was great. We split the French toast sandwich and a side of bacon. Tasty! I drank a coffee and it was delicious. My friend had a mimosa. I would definitely go back!

This is a cute space with great food and service. It would benefit from some cozier decor…read more We came in on a Sunday afternoon and were the only guests there. We tried the Sunday School Iris wine flight, which came with four 2oz pours ranging from white to red (I loved the chardonnay; my partner loved the Rogue Valley Pinot Noir). We also split the Filbert Sandwich +turkey, which I cannot recommend enough. It was delicious and even came with a side of beans. Despite splitting the wine flight and sandwich, we both left satisfied. It was the perfect amount of food for 2. We loved the dark decor but think it needs more. Some dark hanging curtains would go a long way. We think the hanging art should be lower, with shelves full of intentional books and accoutrement up top. Maybe more of a dog-theme to match the name.

We really enjoyed our visit. Kind staff and the food we shared was delicious. The chopped salad…read moreisn't actually chopped which was confusing but was still quite tasty! Not pictured great wine selection but that was to be expected. Look forward to going back when we can also enjoy the patio as it looked like a great space.

There's a Cajun creole on the vegan menu that's to die for, nice and just the right amount of…read morespicy. But as a non-vegan i just had to un-vegan it by having them add some chopped up bratwurst. EXECELLENTAMUNDO! Great food, great wine choices and really great service.

It's a cute diner without that cheap diner feel. I ordered the steak frites, which came as one…read morethick piece of steak with quite a bit of fat. I was a little confused by the cut--it felt like a larger piece with a small section still attached, almost like a chicken breast cut into uneven portions. I ordered it medium-well; the edges were cooked that way, but the center leaned more toward medium-rare. The fries were okay, but a bit cold and sad, honestly . The Diet Coke was flat. On the positive side, the service was super nice and attentive, the bathroom was very clean, and the overall vibe was pleasant. Because of the great service, I'm still giving them 5 stars. I'd definitely come back if I'm in the area and try something else on the menu.

Held my mother's 80th birthday brunch in the lake room at Octapas.... Wonderful service, great…read morefood, and they took the best care of all the 80+ year old guests'

We tried this place while in Olympia looking for something new, and it was definitely worth the…read morewalk. The interior is amazing--honestly such a surprise compared to the outside, which doesn't really hint at what's waiting inside. You have to go in. The food was great, drinks were good, and everything was so enjoyable that my guy and I honestly don't even remember exactly what we ordered. Not because it wasn't good--but because we completely finished everything. No takeout boxes needed. The service could have been better, but it also felt like they were short-staffed and doing their best to keep things moving. Overall, a great find and we'd go back again. Thank you.

We were in Olympia for a visit to The Evergreen State College and since we were in town, a stop at…read moreState & Central was mandatory. We've eaten here several times over the years, this was the first time we eat dinner here. Fam. Let me tell you, the very reasonable lunch size portions? They're significantly bigger on the dinner menu. Almost disturbingly so Being able to get a selection of interesting regional beers is always a draw, tonight was no exception. And the pretty good lunch menu is expanded for the dinner hour - as well as the portion sizes being expanded. I ordered the fish and chips, my partner ordered the bar steak (which was New York strip), and her daughter ordered the salmon burger with fries. Because it was a special, we also got a giant order of poutine. Despite being in almost at closing, the service was absolutely spectacular. We very nearly had the place to ourselves, so the overall vibe was very homey and welcoming. As noted, the portions were enormous. I opted to finish my fish at the expense of the chips. My partner wound up with a significant take home portion as did her daughter. Couldn't possibly have been happier about our decision to stop in. Since we seem to have a new Greener in the family, I'm sure that we will be in Olympia significantly more frequently. And frankly, I am pretty happy about that, just based on being able to stop in here on the regular again.

Besides having a scrumptious menu, the server at lunch today, Cayla, was amazing. She was…read moreattentive, professional and friendly! I had a turkey, bacon, cheese sandwich and fries. I asked her to box up half as I can never eat a whole one. The ambiance is awesome but be sure to wear your hearing aids if you need them. It's a small place and can get hard to hear when its crowded. Overall though, this place rocks!

My friend and I arrived close to 11am and were seated right away. I'd ordered the mini volcano…read morewhich was 2 large pancakes, 1 egg, 1 slice of bacon, 1 sausage. The pancakes were huge and sweet , I took more than half home, it heated up well. Coffee was good, waitress kept our mugs full. All in all it was pretty good. I'm so happy there's another diner in town. 5 stars is a bit too high but 4 is a bit too small. I'll be back to try other menu items.

I had never actually eaten inside a Black Bear Diner before, even though I've heard people rave…read moreabout it for years. The only other time I tried it was for takeout from a location in California, and honestly it was pretty underwhelming. After moving to Washington, though, I figured I'd give the Olympia location a fair shot and try it as a sit-down breakfast spot, though they do offer breakfast/lunch all day. My husband and I came by for a little breakfast date around 9 a.m. It wasn't busy yet, but the parking lot was starting to fill up and it looked like the morning rush was on its way. One thing I did notice right away is that the parking lot feels a bit compact when it starts getting busy, so it's probably a good idea to be mindful of your surroundings when pulling in or backing out. We were seated right away with no wait, although it did take a couple minutes for someone to bring us the paper menus. I will say the menu design was cute -- it's styled like a newspaper. I also liked the aesthetic of the restaurant itself. There were bear decorations and forest-themed designs throughout the place that gave it a rustic, oaky cabin-type vibe, which fit the theme really well. Once we decided what we wanted, our server (I believe her name was Amy) came over. She was an older lady and seemed nice enough throughout the meal. I ordered what I think was the Big Grizzly breakfast, which was about $20. It came with three eggs (I chose sunny side up), sausage, bacon, one side, sweet cream pancakes, and a country ham steak. Since I'm not a big pancake person, I substituted the pancakes for a Belgian waffle instead. The food itself tasted good, but I'll admit I expected the portions to be bigger for the price since I had heard Black Bear Diner was known for huge breakfasts, but they were more moderate than I anticipated. The country ham steak in particular surprised me because it was just a small square piece rather than a larger cut. Maybe that's how it's normally served and I just didn't notice on the menu, but it was a little disappointing considering the price point. One small mix-up happened when our food arrived -- the server accidentally swapped my plate with my husband's. We didn't say anything about it since she was very friendly and it wasn't a big deal to us; she realized later when she stopped by for refills and apologized. My husband ordered a burger (I can't remember which one), and he said it tasted okay. Nothing amazing, but not bad either. It was decent enough for him to finish his meal. I did like that they offered bottomless soda refills, which was nice since I could steal sips from my husband's Pepsi lol. I also liked that there were options for some pepper sauces and condiments already on the table, which made it easy to customize my food without having to request it from my server. Before we left I stopped by the restroom, which could have used a little more attention. The stall I used didn't have a toilet paper holder at all, so the roll was just sitting on the floor. That felt a little unsanitary, but I made do. When the bill came, we were told that card payments are handled at the table, while cash payments have to be taken up to the front register. I paid with card and Amy came back to run it for us without any issue. Including a 20% tip we chose to add, our bill totaled out to $57.71 for our food and one soda, yikes. By the time we were leaving, several families had gathered at the entrance waiting for tables, so it definitely seems like this place gets busy as the morning goes on, probably closer to the brunch crowd around 10 or 11. Overall, the experience was just okay for me. The food tasted fine and the service was friendly, but the portion sizes didn't quite match the price in my opinion. It's a decent breakfast option in the area, but personally I think I might just stick with IHOP next time when it comes to chain breakfast spots.

We've been there several times now. Mike, our server was even willing to do a little dance for us…read more It was short but fun. Seriously, the food was excellent, the service, as always, was spot on. We started with the burrata and it was delicious. As an entree we had the Beef Stroganoff and it was better than my grandmother's. Excellent evening out. Don't skip the cheesecake. Light and fluffy. A perfect end to a fantastic meal.

Sat at the bar on Valentines evening around 4pm. The place was getting busy for the big rush…read more Luckily, we were able to get a bar seat w/o having reservations. We split the $190.00 special with choice of salad or onion soup, split 16 oz sliced sirloin and dessert for one. The sirloin came with a lobster bisque poutine and it was delicious. So was the peach cobbler dessert!!! The service was top notch. Drinks were amazing especially the "dirty politician" martini. The two bartenders were a little slow taking our food orders but they got our drinks really fast. Overall it a clean and inviting place. I would like to go there sometime for happy hour. They do need a big brass railing for your feet to rest on while sitting at the bar besides having to rest your feet on the bottom rung of the bars seats.

Had a very nice happy hour experience this week. It was my first time coming here and was told it…read morehad a great happy hour. There are. Handful of small plates available for happy hour with the purchase of a drink. I got the onion burger, shrimp skewer, and asparagus. The burger was juicy and a great size. It also came with a handful of matchstick fries. I really enjoyed the shrimp skewer as well. My friend tried the lobster bisque. The soup was delicious, but it was more of a tomato soup with chunks of lobster. Will definitely go back for dinner some time. They also had a great selection of whiskey. I also really enjoyed the ambiance.

Our first time at this restaurant, and it was a memorable one from the very first sip. I started…read morewith a martini--normally stirred, but I requested it shaken--and it arrived in absolute perfection. Crisp, icy, and elegant, with tiny ice crystals shimmering on top. The vodka had just a whisper of brine ("a hint of dirt," exactly how I like it), clean and bracing, beautifully balanced. Once my husband arrived, we ordered the trio of Cynara spreads: romesco, artichoke tapenade, and black garlic chèvre, served with warm, pillowy pita. Every bite was a delight, but the romesco truly stole the show--deep, complex, and subtly spicy, with roasted red pepper richness, topped with sliced carrots, onions, and green beans that added both texture and freshness. The black garlic chèvre, lightly drizzled with honey, was creamy, savory-sweet, and utterly craveable. For my entrée, I chose the Moroccan lamb stew, and it was outstanding. Bold, aromatic, and layered with spice, the stew featured tender, melt-in-your-mouth lamb nestled among tomatoes and carrots in a deeply flavorful broth. Comforting yet vibrant, every spoonful delivered warmth and complexity. My husband ordered the Chicken Véronique, one of their signature dishes, bathed in a Riesling cream sauce. Rich and indulgent, the sauce was silky and luxurious. While slightly on the heavier side, he found it absolutely delicious and well worth it. The staff were attentive, warm, and genuinely kind, making the entire experience feel relaxed and welcoming. We're already looking forward to our next meal here--and dreaming about that romesco and martini all over again.

I take everyone who visits me in Olympia to this place for their burger. Hot dang, just thinking…read moreabout it makes me salivate like a dog with a bone. They don't charge an arm and a leg for the 'burg, either, like SOME places do. Beer selection is good, especially the ciders. Something for everybody. There's live music pretty often too. Service is stellar. Helpful staff, friendly like. My old lady ordered a drink and was accidentally poured the wrong beverage. The 'tender apologized and offered to let us have the correct libation along with the mis-poured soldier--no charge. Now THAT'S service. I'll see you again, Ilk Lodge.

Easy to miss spot in downtown Olympia. There is a private lot, but parking can be a little messy…read more Weird sign on door is a bit too political for our taste, may deter some patrons (but I am sure they don't care). Lots of space as you walk in. This is an order at the counter establishment. Lots of seating for both smaller and larger parties. Several arcade games in the back and what looked to be a chalkboard for kids on the wall. Also looks like maybe a little stage area for live entertainment. Menus are on the table. Lots of items that sound good. We went with an original smash burger, fish sandwich, fries, and onion rings. They came to the table in a decent amount of time. Smash burger was good, no complaints. Fish burger was good as well, big piece of fish. Fries were hand cut, so can't really go wrong. Onion ring portion for price wasnt bad, but the rings themselves were just okay. I can appreciate that the beef used is grass fed and local, as well as the buns being housemade. This would be the exception for the entree prices. Sides are more reasonably priced. Drink prices on the higher side. Food was decent, might come back to try more of the menu. Just didnt really care for the ambiance..