Came back to review a year later. Food is even better…read more Drinks are strong. The nicest and most attentive service. Clean place. Came on a Friday to sing karaoke and everyone is so friendly and welcoming. My family and I felt like we were at home. For food, we had the burritos, calamari and fajitas. All delicious. I recommend this place!

We stopped by New Local in Kent for a later dinner around 7 PM we usually only come for lunch, so…read morewe wanted to finally see what dinner was like here. I ordered the three tacos, my husband got the Umai Burger, and we added fish tacos plus wings and garlic fries to share. Everything hit the spot! The fish tacos were perfectly battered, and the garlic fries were giving full-on stadium/baseball vibes crispy, garlicky, addicting. Drinks were solid too. The space looks small from the outside, but once you're in, it's actually pretty spacious. The vibe is super fun they host cool evening events like Latin nights and other themed nights, so it's definitely more than just a restaurant. Great food, great energy, and happy hour is worth coming back for. I'm already planning to return soon to finally try their breakfast!

Tried this place on a hot PNW day, 85F. July 18th for dinner at about 5:45 pm…read more It was HOT inside. Too hot. When asked, something about the owners locking the thermostats! A/C reduces the humidity as well. Being sticky and muggy while eating sucks! Change this! We melt in the PNW above 72F! WTHeck? Customers comfort before saving pennies! Install ceiling fans to move the air as well would help. Besides the customer is always right. Get the A/C fixed or UPGRADED. Otherwise the place is nice. The tables and chairs appear to be made from SOLID WOOD! Impressive quality. A good layout that is not loud or echoing. The wait staff was awesome. She was so apologetic about the heat. I felt bad for the workers in that hot environment. Service was prompt and drinks refilled in a timely manner. The order was right. It was a little slow to arrive but there was a large party in the main area, right of the front door. I ordered Teriyaki chicken. Sorry that was NOT TERIYAKI! It was BBQ sauce chicken. LEARN what teriyaki is. Try Dr Yoshida's sauce to marinade it atleast. Once I accepted my expectation of teriyaki was dashed, it was excellent. The chicken was moist and tender. Not like some that are tough old birds. It has a good, not to sweet BBQ, tomato sauce flavor. The dinner salad with it's croutons was great. The Thousand Island was homemade and good. The rice pilaf had real, large, tender chunks of carrots and was delicious. When they did not have white rice with the teriyaki I should have suspected something, yet the pilaf was excellent. The portions are HUGE! Be prepared to take some home or be filled! The pies looked great, but had NO room for them! Darn. A side note, the LOUNGE section WAS COOL like the restaurant should be.

I'm going to give this place five stars. The breakfast was hot and wonderful. The restaurant was…read moreclean and tidy and had a excellent parking area. You can actually see where they have their cooking area and the chef cooks like a pro. I would recommend this place to anyone. The employees actually acted like they wanted to come to work and had a great smile on their face. I appreciated the wonderful breakfast and the wonderful morning I spent with you all. Sophia, our waitress was absolutely wonderful, she spoke Spanish in English. She was very polite and always filled our coffee in our drinks and asked us if we needed anything . I would recommend this place to anyone. Sophia we will be coming back thank you

Really good steak dinners; place isn't really for a quiet meal, but it's got a lively atmosphere…read moreand the wait staff are top notch. 10/10

The chicken piccata was delicious, and despite the lack of a photo- the whipped raspberry…read morecheesecake was MAGIC! I would go back just for dessert. Cute spot, nice vibe, leave room for The dessert though because seriously, not your average cheesecake... the fluffy creamy deliciousness!

Outstanding service, esp at the bar during the week. I've been a regular over the years (I've over…read more3000 points accumulated so far). 2 things: - The new menu leaves a lot to be desired. Time to step it up. Let's try a daily special or a Thursday/Friday special; hello Teriyaki Burger??? - I've regularly seen people leave when they learn the Mariners game isn't available. If it wasn't for the awesome service, I'd be frequenting some other local establishment. (The nearby steak house has an awesome double cheeseburger)

Class reunion lunch and had never been here before. First customers of the day at around noon. Very…read moreimpressed by the cleanliness and inviting atmosphere. Plenty of seating in booths or tables. Our server was friendly and attentive. Lots of natural light and plenty of parking. My friends opted for the Chicken sandwich and Chicken tenders. Both looked great and they were very happy with their choices. I decided on the sliders off the appetizer menu. Three nice beef patties. I am not a cheese guy so held the cheese and tomato. The grilled onions gave it a boost of flavor however the patties could have used a quick char. Nonetheless they were still tasty. I added fries for $2 and thought they were pretty tasty! Crisp and flavorful! I wish it was closer- 10 miles from my house but I will be back!

Update... promoting to 4 stars because of the excellent service of the night shift bartender…read more Personable, professional and friendly.

This place was Maganificent! No Trump coins, plates or bibles on display, but there was enough MAGA…read morestyle décor that you know exactly where you are. Funny thing is, Maple Valley has become semi affluent over the past decade, and I never would have expected this to be the attitude, but I assure you, I stood out like a bruised thumb here. Service was really slow and for a while, I thought I was being ignored. The only person I saw working walked by me about 3-4 times before saying a word and asking me what I was drinking. I had already seen what I assumed was the menu on Yelp via photos, and short or a very small price increase from 2022, it was spot on. I ordered my food and it was prepared fairly quick, the cook slapped the bell, and the server grabbed it in about a minute, but my meal was barely warm., I had a burger dip and the burger and au jus were both room temp. The fries were golden, but also room temp and not crisp. It was disappointing, because you could tell the food was better than you would expect, but nothing it great at room temp. My drink went unfilled, and it was at least 15 minutes after I finished eating that I was handed the check. The server was so busy being social with regulars, I didn't get the attention I needed. For me, a meal is 30-40 from entry to exit, I was here almost 90 minutes to give you an idea of how slow the service was, It wasn't busy, the server was just not doing her job and the longer I sat, the less welcome I felt. Honestly, I've had warmer reception in Enumclaw and that is a city notorious for refusing diversity. Whoever owns this place needs to be more involved and if you invested some money into updating the décor and focusing on a better atmosphere, you could attract a crowd, as of now, you get 2 stars despite what I see as 4-star potential.

OMG, this place was the definition of "don't judge a book by its cover" honestly we hesitated when…read morewent inside. I'm so glad we decided to stay and eat... the crispy chicken sandwich was fabulous! Definitely will order again if in the area. Breakfast was what my sister ordered and she raved... no leftover. Yes, its a family friendly environment. Bring the kids and enjoy some great food. It's got an "excellent" health depression rating!!! What a treat

If you're looking for a flashy, high-end bistro, keep driving. But if you want a solid,…read moredown-to-earth breakfast that actually hits the spot, you need to check out The Firestarter Bar in Kent. I've been in a few times and am impressed by the quality of the food. My hats off to the chef! Here's the breakdown of the meal: The Food Chicken Fried Steak: This wasn't one of those cheap frozen patties that's all breading. It was nice and thick with just the right amount of crunch. Sausage Gravy: The gravy can make or break this dish, and they nailed it. It was thick, savory, and had tons of flavor. Stuffed Hash Browns: I upgraded my regular hash browns to the stuffed version with bacon, and it was the best decision of the day. They were perfectly fried and crispy--exactly how hash browns should be. Over Easy Eggs: It's surprisingly hard to find a place that doesn't overcook these lately, but mine came out exactly as ordered. Pancakes: I swapped my toast for pancakes, and they were fluffy and light. They serve them with soft whipped butter and syrup, which makes a huge difference. The Service The real star of the morning was Debbie. She's essentially a one-woman show--running the bar, waiting tables, and serving everyone. She is absolutely awesome and keeps the place moving smoothly. It's rare to see that kind of hustle these days. The Verdict Don't let the "bar" label or the exterior scare you off. It's a friendly, welcoming spot with better food than most dedicated breakfast joints in the area. Give this place a chance--you won't regret it.

We were out running errands in Maple Valley and decided to stop into Hops n Drops since we've had…read moregood experiences at other locations--and this one didn't disappoint. Right off the bat, the hostess stood out. She was genuinely engaging and welcoming (wish I had caught her name), and we were seated immediately in the bar area. It was a little past the lunch rush--around 2 PM--so it was nice and relaxed, which made for a comfortable, easygoing vibe. We went back and forth trying to beat the lunch cutoff or just lean into the happy hour menu, and ended up doing a bit of both. We split a Caesar salad, which was fresh and really well done. For the main, we had the bacon avocado chicken wrap with tots--great flavor, definitely a solid choice. The only knock was the tots were a little on the cooling-off side and didn't quite hit the mark... although I still managed to finish them. To drink, I went with a Sky Kraken Pale Ale, which was excellent (and yes, there's photo evidence). Hey I'm retired now, I can drink at lunch! Overall, really enjoyable stop--good food, great service, and a laid-back atmosphere. We'd absolutely come back again. Solid 4 stars.

Wow'd. Had a lunch special burger, was wayyyy better than Red Robin! Especially the hand formed…read morepatties. At first I was wondering if 4 oz was enough, afterward my bulging belly assured me that it was. Son ordered a Spiked Root Beer and it was gigantic. Servers checked us a number of times. Very pub like atmosphere.

Went on a Monday, around 1:30-1:45, it wasn't busy but there were a decent amount of tables filled…read morewith one server. She did a great job being attentive to each table and was very kind. The food is good as always, I ordered the crispy chicken tender salad (my favorite). No complaints at all.! It was also my daughter's birthday and the server was very kind to her and gave her the option of them singing happy birthday or not (they have a choice!?) when she brought out the birthday sundae she brought out a normal size I think instead of kids (she did say she would make sure it was the best.!) Made my daughters day

Ordering online is pointless if I'm getting food and it's cold and nobody is there to accept my…read morepayment. This location needs to work on somethings.

This is a really nice local spot in Kent. They have plenty of TV's for any game you want, we went…read morespecifically to watch the World Cup. Our server Tiffany was very attentive and was present whenever we needed her. For food we ordered the bacon wrapped jalapeño peppers and we split the Reuben sandwich. They were kind enough to split the sandwich and place it on separate plate. Definitely recommend getting the garlic fries with extra garlic and parm! Pro tip: elevate the jalapeño poppers with a side of strawberry jam!

We've been coming here since they opened! The food is consistently good, service is always amazing,…read morelove the vibes. My favorite local joint!

I went to this place yesterday and ordered there chicken fried steak with the youth chicken that…read morebeef or you can still get a beef style, but I got the chicken one which was delicious the server which was the owner. Son was very friendly. I was also impressed if you knew all the local names and what the regular orders were the food I got came out quick hot. The sun also made sure that my water and my coffee was all full I do need to give a warning their sign out front. It's very small and hard to find so you just gotta trust your GPS. I had to open up this app and look at the photo of the sign to figure out where it was in the plaza. I do plan on going back to this place more often. I also do like that. They have real early hours where they open up at seven in the morning. I think I might even go back and try lunch there one of these days soon because their sandwich menu looked pretty decent.

My family and I were in the area and decided to give Mary's Fine Food a try after hearing good…read morethings about it. Pulling into the parking lot, I have to admit I wondered if my GPS had developed a sense of humor. The restaurant sits in an older strip mall that doesn't exactly scream "destination dining," but the inside has a cozy, old-school Texas diner feel that was actually pretty charming. Unfortunately, convincing my two kids that this was a better choice than IHOP turned into a losing battle almost immediately. We waited over 40 minutes for our food, which, in kid time, is roughly equivalent to serving a prison sentence. Every five minutes I was reminded that pancakes at IHOP would have already been eaten, digested, and forgotten by then. To be fair, the food was good. I ordered the Philly Scramble, and my wife ordered the California Eggs Benedict. The quality was solid, but the pricing left me scratching my head. The California Eggs Benedict, which came with tomato, avocado, and bacon, was nearly $30. For comparison, I've paid less for Eggs Benedict at places in downtown Seattle. Seeing a $28.99 Eggs Benedict in a strip mall in Kent felt like finding luxury hotel prices at a gas station convenience store. The pricing surprises didn't stop there. There are extra charges for things like splitting orders, automatic gratuity, and add-ons. We had asked for strawberries with the French toast, which may have contributed to the final bill, but it wasn't entirely clear when I reviewed the receipt. Unfortunately, the handwriting on the check was difficult to read, making it hard to understand exactly how everything was itemized. Since I wasn't completely sure what had already been included, I ended up leaving an additional tip just to avoid accidentally shorting someone. By the end, breakfast for our family came out to around $115. Now, credit where it's due: the service itself was friendly, and once the food arrived, everyone enjoyed it. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and I can see why people like this place. The restaurant has a unique charm and definitely feels different from the typical chain breakfast spot. Overall, Mary's Fine Food serves good food and has a pleasant atmosphere, but the long wait times and pricing felt hard to justify for a family breakfast. Three stars. Not a bad meal, but next time my kids vote for IHOP, they may actually win the family election.