This 'hidden' gem is serving up yakitori/kushiyaki, Japanese skewered foods over a traditional charcoal grill and delightful drinks. With a little sign of an 8-bit fire ball, Secret Fort can be found between modern ramen bar; Yoroshiku and Indigo Cow (Hokkaido soft serve). Secret Fort is open at 4:30PM Wednesday - Monday (closed Tuesdays) till 9:30PM. Enough time to grab a meal or a snack and drink. Reservations are easy to make and are recommended if you have a larger party. As soon as you walk in you are hit with the smell of warming charcoal that reminds me of camping, and the sights of nostalgic Japanese, video game/commercials/toys/magazine clippings and explosion of other Japanese memorabilia all over the walls. The servers are super nice and go through the menu if you have any questions. Happy Hour starts from opening to 6PM and offers a discount to all their great cocktails, beers and wines. While the Happy Hour food menu give you a couple more items that are not on their regular menu like the Zangi (Hokkaido style fried chicken bites) from Yoroshiku. They also have daily specials that change regularly so you'll always be surprised. Some of the favourite were: Chicken Thigh $3.5 Mochi Bacon $5 Mitarashi Dango Pork $4 Beef Wagyu Zabuton $7 US Wagyu ginger Rib $8 Zangi $5 All the skewers we had were mostly just with salt. Letting the natural flavours speak for themselves. You have the option for salt, tare (sweet/salty sauce) or spicy. If it seems a bit pricey, its because it is. But they take great care of the quality of the food. It feels like your in a smokey Japanese yakitori bar, but with a lot more space and without traveling all the way over to Japan. 10/10 would go again! Definitely DO go for happy hour to make the most the discounts. We plan on bringing friends and family who end up coming to visit whenever they're in town for a super fun experience. read more

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So glad I found this place on Yelp. This is why I continue to use this app, haha! Was so excited to try yakitori in a setting like this. So many options to choose from and they have different seasoning options to boot. Great cocktails and drink options, including a selection of Japanese whiskey. I'll say I have a decent appetite and was good with around 7 skewers. Definitely around 5 I would think on average is a good number to order. My favorite yakitori were the scallops and the Negima (both with salt). Okonomoyaki was also fun. I was happy to try Dango for the first time but that one wasn't my favorite because of how chewy it was, same goes for the mochi (a personal thing I have about stuff getting stuck in my teeth). You go for it though if that's your thing! The shitake with tare seasoning was also quite good. Love the video game and anime vibes in here, too. Didn't realize there appears to be a ramen place next door and it was pretty packed full of people who seemed happy to be eating it. There's also a little ice cream window at the front? It was closed when we were there but we're curious to try. Can't recommend Secret Fort enough for a unique and tasty experience! read more

Secret Fort - INTERIOR - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The vibes here are so fun and lively! I love the theme of this restaurant with all the fun cartoons and decorations. Food tasted great and the yuzu dessert was the perfect refreshing way to end the night! Service was good and the people there were super friendly. It was a really long wait to get into the restaurant but food came fast! read more

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So this was the second tome. service was amazing. Last time.food.was.so yummy. This time most of the food was yummy but the tofu this time was very burnt black outside and left a bad bad taste . I wish I said something but dis t want to be rude just WON'T order the tofu again My husband got thw sampler and I got 2 tofu and rice and the chicken wow the chicken was so yummy So I'm still happy juat wish.tofu.was.not burnt and why did they serve it.that way ??? read more

Came during restaurant week and also during happy hour and took advantage of the great deals! The service was admittedly a little slow but that's understandable given that it was restaurant week. The interior is super cute and I love the super mario themed lights and used skewer holder. The wagyu was honestly not the best texture but the pork belly and negima were very yummy! I also really liked the mitarashi dango for the very interesting flavor and texture. The yuzunade was really sour - so don't order if youre looking ror something sweet. Everyone in my group was feeling pretty full after the 7 skewers plus appetizer. I would love to come again and try the different meats read more

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We came for Seattle Restaurant Week and our experience has totally cemented this spot as one of my absolute faves! First, the decor. Ding Dong, Mario, a bunch of other freaky Japanese vintage toys. Such a spectacle to dine in, and so cozy. Among my faves were the little Mario mystery blocks and the little pipe you put your finished skewers in! The restaurant week meal was 3 courses with a few options each for appetizer, entree, and dessert. We got. The red snapper was delish. Extremely fresh. The meat skewers were sooo smoky. We got 7 skewers total. It was so fun seeing them fan the smoke from the grills as we ate. And the match tiramisu was the perfect topper. Honestly altogether it was the perfect size for two people to share being satisfied without being stuffed. read more

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One of my favorite Japanese joints in Seattle and I'm lucky to work right down the hill. Great drinks, good yakitori, and some バッテラ はこずし love if you're into that (reminds me of childhood). Ambiance and service are top notch, but it can get squishy in there during surge periods and the noise level can become a problem during those times if you're used to venues which are better for conversation. read more

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Charcoal (炭) grilling cooks food with intense, even heat, making for perfect searing and enhanced natural flavors! The yakitori menu is delicious, as well as the izakaya menu, and the drinks are also very good. My kids love the yakitori and delicious fried chicken. read more

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Came here for SRW and we were also just in time for happy hour! We are huge fans of yakitori, and this place is definitely the best yakitori place we've tried in Seattle so far. We ordered 3 extra skewers as part of their happy hour. The skewers were very fresh and had nice smoky flavors! Our favorites were the chicken thigh with green onions, salmon, mitarashi dango, and the beef! The dango especially was super unique - chewy, soft, and sweet! almost like a dessert! The ambience is pretty cool with all the Japanese anime references! The service was kinda interesting - our waitress was a bit cold but at the same time, super attentive - they checked on us constantly and taking plates right away, almost as if they were watching us the whole time. I would personally enjoy a bit more intimate/relaxed setting while eating but the food was pretty good so I would like to come back, esp during their happy hour (4-6pm every day)! read more

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I love the food here but the bartender was kinda rude. She literally clapped her hands when answering my question about the menu. She was yelling at the other servers too. I kinda just felt bad for the other workers. read more

Secret Fort - Skewers - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Came during Seattle Restaurant Week for and we LOVED the food and ambiance of Secret Fort! Reservations in advance are a must! It's not a large space but there are tables and high tops. The interior design in super cool with a Mario and video game theme. The interior really transported me to feeling like I was back in Japan. Food - Very delicious! All of the skewers were perfectly cooked! We also had the mentai potato salad and shrimp roll to start which was part of the SRW set. To end our meal we had the Indigo Cow soft serve which is also very tasty! Indigo Cow is some of our favorite soft serve in the city! Definitely will be coming back to this spot again! read more

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Amazing experience! Went on a Sat night at 5:30. The efficient hostess seated us immediately and told us about the specials, giving us a chance to ask questions. Our waiter was really friendly and attentive and knew the menu items well. The decor is super rad. The collages on the walls were done by hand--not AI! We are carnivores and were very satisfied with the taste and quality of the meat. Our yakitori items came out piping hot and everything was super tasty. Definitely worth the $ Sadly, their soft serve machine next door was broken. Guess we'll have to go back soon! read more

Came for SRW and it was one of the few $35 dinners that showed off sufficiently what Secret Fort is all about. It's the video-game themed Izakaya that they turned the western half of Yoroshiku into. Lots of fun and whimsy around, especially since there was an additional Mario theme at the bar for Halloween (or is it always like that?) The SRW comprised of an appetizer of which I got a sushi roll, and several Yakitoris which were all delicious. The staff was down to earth but attentive and SRW or not I will definitely be back to revisit my favs and try some more new stuff! read more

Secret Fort - SRW meat Yakitori - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Low quality meat on a stick. Is it pork? Is it chicken? No idea, but it all tastes the same - rubbery and salty. Ridiculously overpriced. Also ordered a sushi roll which unwound on the plate. Also smells of burning rubber :( Slow and inexperienced crew. read more

The ambiance was really cute! Sat at the bar and the service from the bartender was great :) really friendly The salmon pressed sushi was not as good, but highly recommend the bacon mochi skewers! read more

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Secret fort was on our to try list for a long time and it was very good! We were lucky and they ended up having A5 Wagyu that was imported from Japan even which literally melted in your mouth and was so delicious! The servers were also very attentive and made sure everything was okay, ours even walked us through the menu because we had never been there before which was a nice touch! The vibe was so cool too, it was like a retro Japanese type of theme inside! This place was perfect because indigo cow is connected to it so perfect treat to get after I'm sure! It was a bit expensive but the quality of the food really justified it I think! We were admittedly a bit hungry still after dinner but it was still a very nice treat going here! read more

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love love love! happy hour is from 4-6pm. i really liked the yuzu chi-hi out of the drinks. for yakitori, the negima, dango pork, mochi bacon and pork belly was our favorites. such cute decor. there's a ramen shop and icecream shop right next to it. waitstaff was really nice and always checking in on us! will be back again!! read more

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Came here for Seattle Restaurant week and got that special. Was there around 5 pm so it hadn't started getting busy but was crowded once I left. I really liked the red snapper carpaccio, the sauce and everything inside went well. I also liked the ebi roll, very crunchy and flavorful since there was so much sauce. The yakitori was a little less consistent but I wasn't aware that I was supposed to add my own salt and seasoning. Even without the extra salt and seasoning, all of the yakitori except for the negima were all really good. I think my favorite was actually the okonomi-yaki and the dango. Staff was really nice and attentive. read more

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We came here after my son's dance dress rehearsal. We thought we wouldn't make it in time, but we were able to get a table 20 minutes before the last call. We were excited to try it since we've been talking about coming here for a long time. The decor is really cool with a lot of Japanese vintage toys and posters on the walls. It brought back memories! We ordered the variety plate and we also ordered the A4 Wagu beef with uni and the bacon-wrapped mochi. The A4 with uni and the bacon-wrapped mochi are expensive but SO WORTH IT! If anything, I'm coming back here just for that. But everything was really good and definitely worth the wait. We didn't get a chance to dive deeper into the menu since they were closing soon, but after that tasting, Secret Fort will definitely be on our list of favorite restaurants when we're in Seattle. The staff is so nice and helpful. Their recommendations are spot on. I highly recommend Secret Fort. read more

I was having a pretty bad day and felt that the only thing that could cheer me up was to go to Secret Fort. On my way out of Bite of Seattle, I ran into their booth and was welcomed with bright smiles one by one by half a dozen volunteers, and it really made my day. Not only are they one of the best resturants in Seattle on a daily basis, they were the only booth that welcomed me kindly at Bite of Seattle and had the best value for money. They are truly extraordinary 24/7. Thank you. read more

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The design and staff are amazing and that is what gives them a 2 and not a 1. My significant other and I came in to try the food due to videos on TikTok that showed the skewers with big slices of meat for reasonable prices. We were disappointed to receive tiny pieces of meat on sticks and left hungry because we could not justify spending more money on finger food. If the pieces were bigger the prices would be justified. read more

Had been wanting to try Secret Fort since it opened. They are known for their kushiyaki, skewers cooked over charcoal. We went right at 4 but had reservations just in case at that time. After the recent article in the paper I'm glad we had planned on going. Went with a couple of friends, one of them is fellow Elite Torrie N who had been a few weeks before with her parents. Being another Japanese American I asked her what some of her favorites were. She said the Mochi Bacon and the mitarashi dango pork and if it's on the specials the Gyusuji Nikomi. My other friend and I were there first we both ordered the a la carte saba (mackerel) and okonmi yaki, I added the yaki onigiri, mochi bacon and had the Yuzu Sour Hi-Chu cocktail. The server asked if we wanted something fresh and suggested the daikon, carrot, beet salad so good light sesame dressing perfect to pair with skewers. My friend added the shishitos and mitarashi dango. Dango and Mochi are both sweet rice items but texture and preparation of these two items were different the dango is sweeter and almost melts in your mouth. The mochi used in the bacon one is more traditional mochi not what most are familiar with in mochi ice cream. This preparation is one of my favorite and nostalgic for me. We had a taste of the Gyusuji Nikomi was very delicious much like oden or nishime but deeper in flavor. Secret Fort took over the bar section of Yoroshiku the decor is great iconic Japanese posters of movies and Japan anime. Cute Japanese figures and toys displayed. Staff was very accommodating and friendly gave great suggestions. Chef was awesome my friend got to step behind and take a few shots of him working over the charcoals it's nice that they have a glass that you can watch them cook the skewers. Will definitely be back we heard about a hamachi kama special that we're anxious to try. Will work our way through the menu. read more

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This was a really fun find. The ambience feels funky and kitschy like something that you would find in Tokyo. Oh yeah, the food is quite good as well. It's nice to find a Japanese restaurant that isn't just a facsimile of your typical Japanese restaurant. In this case, their focus is on yakitori, or meat cooked on skewers. They have an indoor grill with a industrial quality exhaust fan. Though I've read that this restaurant can get smoky, I couldn't smell any smoke when we were there shortly after they opened. Our server was telling us about their rice and how it was a special variety. Indeed, it was nice and fluffy showing that they took a lot of effort to cook the rice well. A big plus is their interesting decor with a display of Japanese toys from the 80s. This is a fun place to go if you're in the mood for something different! read more

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I got an early dinner here, and it was a great experience. I loved seeing all the Japanese decorations and Japanese-related objects. The atmosphere feels very modern, and the place was definitely busy. I went on a Friday around 5pm and there were a bunch of people there but my friend and I got seated pretty quickly. Some tables can be shared while others are not, and there is a container on the table for the used skewers. The service was great, and the food was phenomenal. My friend and I ordered the coho salmon sashimi as a starter since the yakitori may take longer to prepare. It was a great palate cleanser and really soft and fresh. For the yakitori, I got the chicken thigh, pork belly, mochi bacon, and wagyu zabuton. The chicken thigh's flavor was amazing, the pork belly is a classic, the mochi bacon was an interesting flavor combination (I don't personally love bacon), and the wagyu zabuton was so tender. We got everything with tare (sauce) but you can choose shio (salt) instead. For the a la carte, we got the okonomi-yaki and mitarashi dango pork. The okonomi-yaki tasted great and the mitarashi dango pork was truly life-changing. The dango pork tasted similar to the mochi bacon but I enjoyed it a lot more. My friend also ordered the peachy parasol. I tried a sip, and it was really light and refreshing; I couldn't taste any alcohol flavor which was surprising. The place was a little pricey, but I thought the food was worth it for a once-in-a-while occasion. read more

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DELICIOUS and also very spunky yakitori place! I ordered like a billion skewers and I loved almost all of them. My favorites were definitely the wagyu zabuton, the chicken thigh, the exclusive beef tongue, and the bacon-wrapped mochi -- but they were pretty much ALL amazing! I would only single out the okonomiyaki skewer as being a bit gimmicky (maybe worth trying if you really like okonomiyaki) and if I went back to visit I'd definitely order like 2 or 3 other skewers in place of this one since it's quite filling but doesn't add much. I also wasn't a big fan of the tan shita (underside of beef tongue) since it was very tough, but that might just be an inherent quality of that cut of meat. ANYWAY ASIDE FROM THOSE TWO I really enjoyed this place and will definitely back when I am in Seattle again! Outside of the skewers, I also ordered the nikomi (beef stew) which was a great appetizer, and the peachy parasol cocktail, which honestly tasted like a light juice. 11/10 would recommend. read more

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This was a very cute, trendy Japanese izakaya style restaurant! Staff were all friendly and fast! For drinks, they have a lot of great Japanese style cocktails and beers, and also a nice selection of mocktails! I had a yuzu version of sparkling lemonade that was really good! They have a lot yakitori and sashimi on their limited menu. We got the yakitori sampler to share and it was all yummy! Also the sashimi platter was fresh and delicious. I was surprised to see oden on the menu since that is usually a very traditional home cooked dish in Japan, so we ordered it and it didn't disappoint! Overall everything was delicious, I loved the fun vibe inside, and staff was great! I can't wait to come back here with friends again! read more

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Their skewers are great especially the hh deals!!!!!!! They have one of the juiciest fried chicken karaage (zangi), and i love that it comes with shishito peppers and delicious sauces. For the most part their regular dishes (odeng, zangi, skewers) are great except for the sushi rolls and sashimi.. as a regular customer i think their fish/roll items have only gotten worse which is very unfortunate. I really do not recommend them as the rice was overdone (wet) and the vinegar seasoning was way off, the salmon sashimi pieces were a bit too chewy/hard for it to be sashimi grade (it tasted exactly like non sashimi grade raw salmon, speaking from experience). While i want to be hopeful and think i got unlucky, i decided it is not worth any additional attempt to give the raw/roll items a try. Our server was great however we did have to follow up twice on food that the kitchen forgot about which wasn't ideal because it wasn't a bustling evening. Ambiance here is always top notch with the decor, indigo cow just a few steps away so i will definitely come back for the right menu items. read more

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Great new yakitori place on 45th! A little confusing since it literally shares the same space as another great Japanese place Yoroshiku. The smell of bincho- tan smoke is pretty intoxicating and unmistakable so just follow the scent to other side of the curtain. Stuff tried: Pork belly: yakiton is always one of my faves. Tried both the shio (salt) and tare (sauce) versions. I actually liked the tare sauce on it. So good I tried both Maguro skewer: lightly grilled with a bit of Wasabi. Beef tongue and wagyu zabuton: both tasty but I think I liked the tongue better! Chicken thigh: a bit on the more rare side than I am accustomed to and perhaps I am a bit more trusting since it's a Japanese place! Tare sauce was nice with this. Mitarashi dango pork: sort of a sweet rice wrapped with bacon? It was unexpected and tasty Mochi wrapped with bacon: mochi had nice charred edges and paired nice with bacon Okinomo-yaki: 1st time having okinomo-yaki yakitori style! So much easier to eat when it's skewered! Beef tendon soup was the special small plate dish and it was rich and nourishing. The orders are per skewer so it can start to add up. My bill ended up being about $70 with no added beverages but I felt that it was worth it. Next time will try the small plates and pressed sushi! read more

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We had 2 servers that were very attentive to our table. The restaurant was nicely decorated with a retro Japanese theme. I ordered the Yuzu Chu-Hi highball which was good with strong yuzu flavor. I got the flounder sashimi off of the daily specials and I was not a fan. It was very chewy and plain but I wanted to try it because I've never had flounder before. Of the yakitori I got, the A5 wagyu+uni were the best and I will never stop thinking about it! read more

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Secret Fort is a true gem. Lively and such a fun theme. Always a great spot for a night out. The mitarashi dango pork is our must-have. Ghina is AMAZING! Remembers us everytime and makes this place feel like a second home to us. All the servers are super friendly and attentive. Their indigo cow hokkaido ice cream is also a fan favorite with everyone we've ever brought here. read more

This was my second time. The first was great and we did the omakase special. Second time, not so much. Service was awful... they were clearly understaffed and the servers did very little to try. We had a res and it took them 35 minutes to even come to our table, no acknowledgment of the wait. We didn't get our food until an hour in and we were ravished. We had to hunt down soy sauce as no one checked on us. Frankly we were still hungry at the end of our meal (which was good, not spectacular, but good), so we went over to QFC to get more food. That's right, we had such a poor service experience that after dinner we had to go to dinner again, at a subpar grocery store. We will not be returning based on this. read more

What an awesome way to start my Yelp review for 2023. Recently opened and they're doing awesome! Chill vibes and attentive service. Personal favorites are the beef tongue, wagyu zabuton, bacon mochi, tornado pickled cucumber, and grilled mackerel. Good date night spot and they play good music. The chicken was a little dry so maybe I was unlucky that day but the beef tongue was so amazing that it made up for it. The beef tongue is cut thick but it's still juicy and flavorful. We got two more orders of the beef tongue to give you an idea. We were recommended to get the beef and pork with salt, while the chicken with tare. And the tornado picked cucumber is a must order, the cucumber is so crunchy and flavorful. Perfectly compliments the meat skewers. Bill came out to $120 ish before tip with pictured food and drinks, which is pretty fair. We recently went to Shinya Shokudo before here and we like Secret Fort way more. And indigo cow for dessert is a perfect way to end the night. Definitely check this spot out before it blows up. There's even a ramen spot right next door which is part of the same food group. read more

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Amazing yakitori experience--every skewer was perfectly grilled, juicy, and full of flavor with that ideal smoky char. The service really made the night: Gina, the manager, was warm and welcoming, and Nate, our server, was incredibly nice, attentive. They both gave great recommendations while keeping everything flowing perfectly. Great atmosphere, great food, and top-notch service--definitely coming back! read more

A Total Disappointment - Overpriced, Bland, and Rude Service Absolutely not worth it. The food was mainly disappointing but the rude service was by far the worst part. The Only Good Part? The Drinks and Appetizers. To be fair, there were some good points: the bartender was great, the cocktails were well-crafted, and the appetizers were truly enjoyable: - Veggie Noodle Salad - fresh, well-seasoned, and balanced. - Mini Unagi Don - wow! this was great unagi, flakey and well balanced sauce. But then: Disaster time: A Simple Question Triggers a Server. We ordered a lot of skewers but every one was served unseasoned--not even a sprinkle of salt. Thinking it was a mistake, we asked our server about it. For some reason that triggered her and she went straight to 11 rude. Twice she condesendingly asked: "Do you want us to put the salt on it for you?" followed by a couple minutes of "the customer is always wrong" mumbling. She then turned her attitude toward my wife, making the situation even worse. We sent the skewers back. The server came back, kinda sorta conciliatory attitude, but the replacement batch? Still unseasoned. At that point, it felt like we were being trolled. So, like cave dwellers, we masticated the stick meats and felt lucky they even cooked the damn things. For context: We've been to Japan multiple times, and yakitori is one of our favorite foods. It is always seasoned, whether with salt, tare or some other condiment. This place was a complete disaster for us. I'd like to believe the rude service was an anomaly, but other staff saw it happen and did nothing. If they don't care, neither do I so I'm not gambling another $120+ to find out. read more

Was really excited to see a new yakitori place open up in Seattle because frankly, we just don't have enough of them. This place smelled so good with its grilled meats and charcoal! The food was okay. Some things tasted better than others. Some of our favorites were the mochi bacon, beef tongue, and mitarashi dango pork. Some things I would pass on next time are the wagyu (dry and overcooked), okonomiyaki (fun in theory but it was cold and tastes like raw flour on a stick), and the hon-maguro (fishy). Definitely give it some time to tighten up because we came during their soft opening. We received plenty of wrong plates where staff literally came running and told us "don't eat that!" because they realized they dropped off the wrong food. Hopefully they also expand their menu a bit to include some yakitori favorites such as tsukune, chicken skin, innards, etc. read more

Secret Fort - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The balance between Japanese pop culture, great food, and accommodating staff makes this place our go-to date night spot!

Came here one night excited to try this place out only to be met with a rude water girl/bus lady. The waiting area is small and there's a small sign that could easily be blocked by other patrons waiting to be met with "We'll help you out in a moment thank you for waiting". My friend mistakenly walked through the curtains missing the sign that instructs patrons wait and isn't greeted with a warm welcome in. All I heard from the water girl was something abrasive telling my friend to go behind the curtains and wait there. There were more patrons coming in so it got crowded quickly. No sign of order or understanding whatsoever. I've seen places busier with generally nice workers. Could've been a bad night for the bus lady to be serving water but please don't make the first interaction for new patrons a negative one. Everyone else there was great though. The other servers were attentive and hospitable. Food was good for the most part. Indigo Cow is separate from this business but even that worker was grumpy. Gotta love Seattle. read more

have been wanting to try this place for a while since we always go to indigo cow out front. this place was good/fine, but not super exciting or memorable tbh read more

Not to sound like an alcoholic, but if you're looking for a great place to eat and drink, this is it! Their mixed drinks are absolutely dangerously delicious, and for those who don't like sugar liquor, they do offer flights. The sashimi here tastes fresh, and paired with their wasabi... let's just say you'll be asking for more wasabi. As for their yakitori selection, you can choose between 3 ways to season them : spicy, soy sauce, or salt&pepper. If you come here, you must try the dango and mochi bacon, those were the absolute favorites of the party. Unfortunately I cannot give a 5* review. The service was... sufficient, but it felt rushed and we were frequently left waiting or waving for assistance. read more

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I didn't realize Secret Fort and Yoroshiku were connected, but yay! What a cool restaurant space. The food at Secret Fort was pleasantly delicious. Loved the small bites and portions. The drinks were tasty as well, and it was a plus that I got to eat my Indigo Cow ice cream at the bar. read more

Secret Fort - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington