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.

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!

25+years ago I had my first ballpark hotdog and it was amazing. I've been futilely chasing that…read morehigh, until today. The jalapeño dog was fantastic! We also had the Tokyo and the nori fries. The Tokyo burger was also very good. Such a unique place. Will definitely be back

I finally got to try Katsu Burger with my son earlier this week (weekday afternoon), and I can…read moreconfidently say it lived up to the hype! When I initially walked in, it wasn't too busy, but it filled up quickly while I was still figuring out how to order. They use a kiosk system where you choose dine-in or takeout, and it's nicr that each menu item had photos and ingredient descriptions so it made it way easier to decide, especially for our first visit. The space itself is small and quaint with a couple tables, but full of lovely art. There's lots of cute anime and Japanese-themed decor, including figurines, plushies, and artwork, giving the place such a cozy, cutesy aesthetic. I also noticed they might be hiring, based on the sign at the entrance. I came here because my cousin-in-law (who lives in upper Washington) mentioned the place, and I needed a redemption meal after being disappointed by another chicken spot recently. Katsu Burger definitely delivered! The burgers here aren't your typical American-style burgers. They don't taste as greasy and sub cabbage instead of lettuce, similar to garnish for a tonkatsu plate. And surprisingly, the photos on the kiosk actually match what you get (no false advertising here!). The employee behind the counter was super kind and helped guide us through the ordering process. I don't think they take cash so maybe that's why orders are placed through the kiosk. For food: My son ordered the Tokyo Tower burger as-is, and I tried the Umami Burger with light cabbage (not a huge fan of crunchy water veggies like lettuce/cabbage/etc.). Both were AMAZING. I have heard of tonkatsu but I had no idea what beef katsu was before this. Thought it was just a regular beef patty, but wow.. it was crispy, flavorful, and just overall delicious. We ordered takeout and didn't even get home for about 30 minutes, but the food was still warm enough to enjoy without reheating. Portion-wise, my burger was perfect: filling but manageable (i think i made the right choice with light cabbage). My son's Tokyo Tower was massive (almost too big for him to handle xD), but we both agreed everything tasted incredible. I was tempted to try a bento box, but I knew I wouldn't finish it if I was already ordering a katsu burger. Next time though! My son already has his eye on the enormous Mt. Fuji burger, so we'll definitely be back. Parking is decent, though it can get busy during the day since it's near a gym and other businesses. Overall, if you're in the Lacey area, you HAVE to try this Katsu Burger at least once. It looks like they have about 8 other locations too in the other towns so if you're not in Lacey, there still might be one nearby you. The burgers are absolutely the star of the show :) I'm already looking forward to our next visit!

We love love love hop jacks! Besides the waitresses that are so high from popping their pills,…read moreslurry speech and spilling drinks on the tables, the food is amaaazing! Bbq dillas, the french onion soup and the veg burger are my fav! Just be sure not to be seated upstairs.... Its hot up there and really squishy and awkward... We always sit in the bar and people watch.

Excellent service, average food. I ordered the garlic chicken gyro which was VERY garlic forward,…read moreto the point my garluc-living husband said one bite was enough. The French fries were good. Husband's French onion soup he rated a 6 out of 10. The smoked pork rib tips were good. The lemon drops were good.

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.

Very much enjoyed our last prixe fixe adventure dining at Chicory last night! Le Reveillon!! Each…read morecourse was a wonderful surprise, as usual. Staff were amazing. So sorry to see you close, but will look forward to seeing you again in downtown Oly at the new "Gold Standard" soon

The ambience is beautiful inside…read more The best part of the Baked Eggs dish was the cheese. The cheese was so flavorful, creamy, and delicious. Next best was the bread - it was perfectly soft inside with a crispy crust. Between how oily the dish was and my nose running from the increased spice as I continued eating, I wouldn't return for this dish. The eggs weren't noticeable in appearance or taste- I had to search for them. The "creamy grits" were creamy, but the black pepper taste was STRONG. Definitely ordered the side for the "creamy" factor, hoping when the server said harissa in the eggs would have a mild spice, that the grits would calm my mouth. The amount of pepper made this unsuccessful. But if you like black pepper a lot then you'll enjoy them. My son enjoyed the beignet's. The server was also the host and he was kind. It was easy to get his attention when needed. I didn't see anyone with a grin on their face after taking bites of their food. I looked around quite a bit out of curiosity. So for ambiance, kind and prompt service, and the possibilities of the menu I gave it 4 stars. We only tried the few things I mentioned. I did also appreciate the bottle of water ready on every table. Note that there is no kids menu and it's mostly table seating. So maybe try on your own or with other adults, and leave the kids at home?

Really cool decor and ambience. The service was phenomenal. I had a mezcal margarita and it was…read moreperfectly balanced. The habanero enchiladas were divine and the perfect amount of food ... not too heavy or overlaid with huge layer of cheese as some places do, but tastefully done. The tortilla chips taste house made. Very friendly and attentive staff. I was visiting from Los Angeles and we are a pretty tough contender when it comes to Mexican food... This place held its own. I really don't know how you could possibly go wrong with this place. I'll be back.

Really enjoyed the ambiance and the food was very tasty. The poblano cashew enchiladas, Valentina's…read moremargarita, and chips and salsa were so good!! Excellent service. Our server, Nicole, was great, and welcoming. Tuesday evening wasn't very busy. Would absolutely dine here 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..

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.