Food: A Service: C - Revel Review

[Prudencia]

While visiting family in Seattle, I ate at Revel last Saturday with a group of 4. The food was outstanding: creative preparations, extremely fresh ingredients, interesting Korean-fusion menu. The grilled beef dishes and green bean-shitake salad were standouts. We were quite disappointed with the service: we waited 20 mins after seating before any waitstaff appeared, and the waits between small plates were so long a small meal stretched to over 2 hours. Our server was knowledgeable and pleasant but seemed to be working half the place by herself. Environment, too, needs work: it was extremely cold on the deck after dark - needs heat lamps, even in July! - but so loud inside that conversation would have been impossible. Reservations are only taken for groups of 6 or greater, another drawback. Apparently they've been open only 6 months so perhaps these are start-up problems that can be evened out. Good luck to them and thanks to all the Chowhounders, my favorite source for food on the road.

[Tom Armitage]

I agree with your observation about the noise inside, especially if the place is packed. And when the place is packed, the service is spotty -- sometimes fine, other times not so (as you experienced). But the food is so damn good that I can get past these irritations. They don't keep me away, and I eat there a lot. It's one of my faves.