Name that restaurant

Jan August 23, 2007 (1:22 am)

hmmm…outdoor dining for 30? Established in 2005? That leaves Beato out…but..98116 takes in the whole Alki area…not just the Calif. Ave. sector. Does Blackbird have outdoor dining? There used to be some next to it outside the bar. Wow..that’s a stumper…

Charlie August 23, 2007 (6:52 am)

Blackbird makes some sense; they do have outdoor seating, and maybe the partners are going to concentrate on their other business, the Lizard bar next door. Plus, that location turns over businesses like clockwork.

Jen August 23, 2007 (7:10 am)

yep, my guess is blackbird, too. almost every time I go by there, it’s close to empty

ms_f August 23, 2007 (7:41 am)

Blackbird would be my guess too. I’d love to see something else in that space. Their business next door is “Mission”, and they seem to do better with a bar business.

Admiral Resident August 23, 2007 (8:13 am)

I heard that McDonalds place is not doing very well. Could be them. :)

Charlie August 23, 2007 (8:20 am)

Oh yeah, you’re right, it’s Mission…Lizard was there before Mission I think…hard to keep up with that stretch of business property, except for Angelina’s which just keeps going and going. I’d love to see something be successful in the blackbird spot too. We ate at blackbird a few times and the food and service was just too uneven; after a couple of not-so-good meals, we stopped going.

eric August 23, 2007 (8:25 am)

never been to Blackbird. Makes me think of crows. Don’t like to think of crows when I eat. Just buy the place, change the name and you’re good to go!

Meghan August 23, 2007 (8:46 am)

Blackbird makes sense. That place is such a constant disappointment. If the current owners can’t pull it together (which is surprising because Mission is quite good), hopefully a new owner can. The space and location are great; it should be a goldmine. But the menu is awful (huge, but I can still never find anything to order), the food is mediocre at best, and the service is not great. If it is Blackbird, let’s hope someone turns it in to something good.

cami August 23, 2007 (8:57 am)

Is there an upstairs office at the Blackbird location?

CRo August 23, 2007 (9:29 am)

NOoooooooooooooo! Please, please, please let it not be Blackbird. How about Coyote? I’d much rather it be them.

Kathy August 23, 2007 (9:38 am)

I agree with CRo — let it be Coyote, not Blackbird! I think Blackbird’s food is great. (The French Dip sandwich for lunch is heavenly and every pork dish we’ve had for dinner has been fabulous.) And they make a mean Ginger Cosmo… I doubt they have outdoor seating for 30, which Coyote probably does.

wundrgrrrl August 23, 2007 (10:36 am)

Blackbird’s weekend breakfast is really good, not to mention their Mac-n-Cheese (though a little inconsistant). The infused vodka’s are a treat as well. I hope they stick around! Coyote’s on the other hand…

Jan August 23, 2007 (12:13 pm)

I have never eaten at either Blackbird or Coyote (what’s up with the bird/animal names?), but I have heard from friends who have not been impressed with either. I would love to see a really decent place go in at Blackbird, as it’s within walking distance from me. It’s not really been such a popular place since the original Ragazzi’s was there…

s August 23, 2007 (12:26 pm)

i quite enjoy Blackbird. there is something for everyone (even the vegans in our group). the mac-n-cheese is great.

huindekmi August 23, 2007 (12:39 pm)

Let’s see… outdoor patio (not sidewalk) that seats up to 30… Office upstairs… Bistro…
Oh My God, it’s La Rustica!!!!

Just kidding. I don’t think they have another brand to focus on, I wouldn’t describe the restaurant as “spacious”, and it’s been around a lot longer than 2005.

Blackbird seems to best fit the description.

eric August 23, 2007 (1:16 pm)

huindekmi – you almost gave me a heart attack!!!

eric August 23, 2007 (1:17 pm)

of course, if it were La Rustica, I would beg, borrow, and steal to scrape up the money to buy it!!

alkisw August 23, 2007 (2:00 pm)

Dukes?

Jan August 23, 2007 (3:48 pm)

alkisw…that’s definitely a possibility, as they have the upstairs patio, and definitely an office up there. The only thing I’ve really cared for there is their sweet potato fries…that would be a killer location for someone…except for parking :)

huindekmi August 23, 2007 (4:01 pm)

I thought about Dukes as well, but I’m pretty sure it was there before 2005. It would fit with the patio, office, focus on other “brands” thing.

Jan August 23, 2007 (7:38 pm)

you’re right…it’s been there for quite a few years , actually. OK…I’m back to Blackbird – lol…

Huindekmi August 23, 2007 (8:24 pm)

Drove past Blackbird on the way home. I doubt the outdoor patio holds 30 and it doesn’t look like there’s an office upstairs (unless it’s in the theater).

Dukes is looking most likely now, except for the date thing. It’s a head scratcher.

B August 23, 2007 (8:33 pm)

What about Casa Feliz?

Forest August 23, 2007 (8:54 pm)

At the back of the Blackbird building, there’s an interior staircase to a dumpy second floor office. (At least it was a dump when I saw it about six years — and two or three restaurant owners — ago.

Dan August 24, 2007 (12:05 am)

Highly doubt that you could seat 30 at blacbirds patio.I have tried to give this place a second, and third chance since it is close by and is open for breakfast on the weekends, but it just sucks time after time, the kicker came last sunday when they wouldnt make a simple substitution that any other restaurant gladly does. Dont waste your time and money here.

Jo August 24, 2007 (9:17 am)

I don’t know about upstairs office, but I’m wondering about Coyote’s on Alki. I don’t think it’s been successful; poor service, poor food, etc. The owner also owns Pegasus Pizza and Bamboo on the beach. He’s the same person who is building the three story building right beside Bamboo and two story building where Pegasus is now. ‘expanding other brand’? He definitely has other brands to expand. Hmmmmmmm! I’ll check around and see what I can find out.

Jo August 25, 2007 (4:14 pm)

On second thought, that blind ad said ‘bistro.’
No way can Coyotes on Alki be called a bistro.

anon August 27, 2007 (10:30 am)

I had a conversation with the chef of Blackbird yesterday about this. The property referenced is Blackbird, though it is apparently a mistake. From what I can tell, an agent jumped the gun based on an offhand remark. The listing should be going away very soon.

me August 29, 2007 (12:06 pm)

It is coyotes, the worst restraunt ever! At least I hope it is

DFW September 19, 2008 (8:06 pm)

I used to really like Blackbird, until one of their employees (as far as I was able to ascertain) sent me an email using profanity when I posted something on a forum (not this one) about the rather rude and mystifying service a large group of us received one night. That was in early spring. I forwarded everything to the Blackbird through their website, basically saying, “Look, I should have just talked to you instead of mentioning it on this forum, but this response really floored me. I am really hoping it’s not from you but…” (etc.) Basically I was trying to patch things up, offering to take down my post, etc.

Never heard back from them. That spoke volumes to me. I welcome whomever takes over.