Driftwood Reviews

It has been a while since I have been to Driftwood. Overall, it was a nice meal and the savory dishes were really delicious. The dessert, however, was a little contrived with the flavors (chili on peaches with whip) and the cake was a little doughy. (point deduction). Service was attentive and friendly. Will I come back? Only if I happen to be in the area.

Horrible customer service. Didn't even stay long enough to eat. Advice is to leave Seattle for a good restaurant. Owners are haters!

This is an expensive place to eat and not worth the money in my opinion. The menu on the web site and in search is not correct, not even close. They apparently change it a lot. The service is absolutely BAD!!! A lot of people standing around not doing anything while me and my party waited for almost an hour before we got seated, and we had RESERVATIONS! The food took a very long time after ordering, and we had to start servicing ourselves with the bar and water.

This restaurant was so good. We shared a bunch of plates and they were all superb, especially a carrot dish I had. Nice atmosphere and good service. I will definitely be back when we’re in the area.

Delightful spot for Valentine's Day dinner. And so tasty! We enjoyed everything we ordered and loved the unturned or server gave us on the dishes to help make decisions. We shared the oysters, green sea urchin, hot rolls, and squash handpie. He loved his porkchop, and I enjoyed the sturgeon. Apple upside cake to end the meal.

Let me start by stating that the food was delicious overall. Dishes were well balanced. The bread rolls were addictive and the carrots absolutely delicious. Their sturgeon crudo did not benefit of the crunchiness of the veg on top, but was quite good. Unfortunately, the main came out cold (sturgeon) – my suspicion being that cooking the giant steak for my friend took longer than expected. This is a complete miss, unfortunately. Dessert would have been better with some instructions to dive deep into the jar and mix things. Otherwise, if you go layer by layer, it starts with something akin to pumpkin baby food, followed by spiced crunchy pieces. The largest letdown was service: from forgotten dishes to slow drink refills, table cleaning, and then rushing with the check. In this category, there is ample room for improvement. In general, I would give 3/5, but I can see the potential of the chef and the kitchen. As such, I will be back hopefully with someone else tending to the table...

After having been to Driftwood twelve times I can confidently say it’s the only restaurant in Seattle worth dining at.  Lots of places make claims about freshness and local ingredients, but chef Dan Mallahan shops at the Farmers Market two days a week. It’s not a joke or a gimmick. If you want to eat food grown exclusively in Washington State, that tastes real, then Driftwood is the spot. They serve tomatoes that actually have flavor, delicious veggie dishes, and meat and fish that are tender and juicy. They combine so many flavors in a subtle harmony making each bite you take delightful. Not to mention the killer cocktails.  The vibe is beautiful but chill. The staff are lovely and kind. Everything about Driftwood is real. The food, the people, even the hand towels in the bathroom.  Concerned about prices at a farm-to-table restaurant and getting enough to eat? Go with a friend and share two starters and a main. For example, I just had the Olsen Farm Kennebec JoJos, the Piece by Piece Farm Tempura Delicata squash, and the Butcher’s Cut Pork Chop. Yum!

We had a 5 course paired tasting menu and they hit it out of the park. The wine and food pairings were spot on. Good sized portions so by the end we all were pleasantly full. Chef Dan uses all local ingredients and so menu changes with whatever is currently fresh. Inventive cocktails and a good wine list. Great value.

Came all the way out to West Seattle for a celebratory dinner. Driftwood has a refined beachy vibe. Every bit of the menu is strictly from what has been grown or foraged in Washington state. Despite the casual, laid back atmosphere, the ever-changing menu has some creative power behind it. Here are my favorites in ascending order - Fatty King salmon belly: this spring king salmon was harvested by the Quileute Tribe right out of the Quileute River on the Olympic Peninsula - Green D'anjou Pear: there was more thought and brilliance that went into this one salad than most entire meals I've had. My wife noted the greens tasted like they'd been plucked minutes before. - White asparagus: it was prime asparagus season when I went, excellent - Purple tuscan kale: another impressive dish which helped my wife already declare it as her favorite restaurant - Makah Nation black cod: another showcase of how deep their connections with local farms and tribes gets - Pork chop: really delicious and crusty The chocolate olive oil cake may be the only thing I'd skip.