BIZNOTE FOLLOWUP: Taste & Best opening delayed

Driving past 4752 California SW before dusk last night, we noted the windows remained papered, the doors were closed, no sign of the announced Taste & Best restaurant grand opening today. Then our original tipster noticed a change in the banner and sent this photo this morning:

The new opening date, July 24, is Friday. We noted here last week that the owners also were opening a Taste & Best in Shoreline last Wednesday; we haven’t made the trip to see, but a social-media post suggests they did open.

Keenan July 20, 2026 (9:18 am)

AI sign, AI menu, AI social media posts. Is this an actual business? Someone better look into this company’s tax records because something smells fishy and it ain’t the food.

WSB July 20, 2026 (9:21 am)

I’ve already looked at their business license and LLC. They have all of the above. One of the four listed owners is also connected with an Indian restaurant in North Seattle.
Laura July 20, 2026 (9:47 am)

While also not a fan of AI, I’m pretty sure the 83 negative responses to the last post about this restaurant are probably sufficient. Perhaps we can try as a welcoming community to chill out on the negativity and give this place a chance? Maybe they’re clueless about marketing but are nice people who make great food, who knows. I have no knowledge or affiliation about them- just a little bummed that we’re potentially making a new business owner super sad and scared. Or maybe they are evil robots… but can we wait and see?
- rankler July 20, 2026 (11:04 am)
  
  The negativity is simply a reaction to them doing something that is deserving of a negative response. You have one chance to make a first impression and this business actively decided to use that chance in a terrible way.
- J July 20, 2026 (10:31 pm)
  
  ^ THIS! It hurts not at all to reserve judgement until after a place has opened. Someone is pouring their heart into a business. Let’s give them some grace.
  - Foop July 21, 2026 (7:21 am)
    
    I dunno about their heart but they’re definitely pouring their tokens into it.
Derp July 20, 2026 (10:07 am)

You came up with all of this from one blog post. You sure have a creative imagination.You need some serious help
- Lauren July 21, 2026 (12:06 pm)
  
  WSB has made a prior post about this restaurant.
Robert July 20, 2026 (10:28 am)

They would be way better off making a basic sign, no menu, and adding to the mystery. Most can overlook the bad AI sign, but publishing an AI menu is horribly bad idea. If they are opening this soon I would think have already cooked everything on the menu to test everything, why not just take a picture then?

Ron July 20, 2026 (9:26 am)

Wildly creative name for a restaurant

Pearl July 20, 2026 (9:35 am)

Surprised they didn’t want to AI-generate the “4” at this point.

Mike B July 20, 2026 (9:59 am)

Aside from the awful name, their website is comically bad. I particularly like the pasta dish where the AI can’t quite figure out to render the pasta as spaghetti or a twirly kind of pasta, so it does both! I really want a business to be successful here, so seeing this is a disappointing start. Maybe they’re just easy money for the landlord while keeping the site warm until its redeveloped.

WSB July 20, 2026 (10:35 am)

Given the number of developments on hold, and the time needed to get through the permit system, that would be probably a decade-long proposition.

rankler July 20, 2026 (10:09 am)

At least the taped-over number 4 isn’t AI slop even if the rest of this business is

gmail.com July 20, 2026 (10:12 am)

I know, many of us West Seattleites only dine in establishments with daily calligraphy of their menus.

But AI, or not,
Taste & Best in Shoreline has rave reviews flowing in for its cuisine with nary a mention of AI.
It is a restaurant,
so why not give it a try for its food?

rankler July 20, 2026 (11:06 am)

I give a business my money based on the totality of what they offer. Nothing exists in isolation. They could have the best food in the Junction and I still wouldn’t give my money to an AI slop business.
rankler July 20, 2026 (11:09 am)

Also, the reviews for their Shoreline restaurant are highly questionable. “Taste & Best Indian Cuisine never disappoints!” for a business that has been open for only a few days?
k July 20, 2026 (11:16 am)

Where are you finding reviews for the Shoreline location? Of any kind?
- gmail.com July 20, 2026 (12:45 pm)
  
  Google search “Taste & Best Indian Shortline”
  
  Twenty 5-Star reviews, although a wag has challenged all of them due to the phrase,”never disappoints”, in only one. .
  - k July 20, 2026 (2:11 pm)
    
    Ah, that is why. For some reason, all 20 people that chose to rate Taste & Best with 5 stars within days of its opening all chose to review on Google, and nowhere else (I use a different browser, so the Google reviews didn’t pop up).
    - gmail.com July 20, 2026 (4:39 pm)
      
      Let’s use AI to ferret out this deep AI intrusion!All 20 had multiple reviews and appeared legit. Here are a few.Yerassyl Omirbek3 reviews4 hours agoNEW$30–40If you like spicy food, you should definitely visit this place, also they have a really good service. Thanks , Suleiman. … MoreTaste & Best Indian Cuisine (Owner)4 hours ago Thowsin RahmanLocal Guide·5 reviews·37 photos18 hours agoNEWDine in | Dinner | $20–30The food was really good and we ordered few different dishes and all of them were delicious. Mr.Suleiman served us with nice gesture and he was very welcoming, I liked the way how he treated us. I hope this place get more traffic and get … MoreRyanLocal Guide·13 reviews·3 photosa day agoNEWWe had dosa, tadka dal, mango lamb curry. Excellent food, served hot and fresh with great aroma and nice, clean presentation. The chai masala was clearly made in house and was perfectly spiced and balanced. … MoreRashida Haq4 reviewsa day agoNEWSuleman was very nice to us taking good care and food was delicious
    - Keenan July 20, 2026 (4:56 pm)
      
      This company is trying to launch two new restaurant locations in Seattle within a week of each other? Isn’t that a little unusual, for a brand no one has heard of before? Add in the suspicious Google reviews. More red flags.
johnny July 20, 2026 (5:39 pm)

I’ll give it a try when they open – if the food is good, I could care less about the marketing…

Sam July 20, 2026 (10:47 am)

Hey they have Hakka noodles on the menu – as long as those are good I don’t care what robot generates their ads 😎

HawkFan12 July 20, 2026 (11:10 am)

2026 is where we can have thinly veiled racism due to AI usage. Do better, West Seattle. Let their food and hospitality do the talking.

rankler July 20, 2026 (12:19 pm)

Being (correctly) anti AI is not in any way, shape, or form “thinly veiled racism.”
Pearl July 20, 2026 (12:59 pm)

??? Elaborate. Please, really, elaborate.
Seattlite July 20, 2026 (3:00 pm)

Good grief…please stop using the race card.
Luddite July 20, 2026 (3:50 pm)

I hold restauranteurs of all races to the same standard: NO A.I.

DRW July 20, 2026 (11:29 am)

I can’t wait to try it! Too much negativity before its even opened. Someone’s probably already gave it a 1 star Yelp review. Awesome! A new spot already opening.

Scarlett July 20, 2026 (11:39 am)

I’m always surprised at how often people dine out (and reflected in the number of comments attached to a restaurant opening, or closing.) You’d think no one cooks at home anymore.

KT July 20, 2026 (1:23 pm)

Given the cost to open a new restaurant and pay decent wages to their workers, can you fault them for cutting costs using AI to generate marketing materials. Have any of you people criticizing their business ever started a restaurant?

rankler July 20, 2026 (1:44 pm)

Yes we can absolutely still fault them for this. Their child scribbling a menu or some ugly MS Word clip art would have been better. People have opened restaurants for centuries without resorting to AI slop.
k July 20, 2026 (2:19 pm)

Yes, yes I can. For one, if you can’t afford basic costs of running a business like paying your staff and marketing, you should maybe think about waiting to open until you can. Second, marketing materials literally exist to help people decide where to spend their money and what businesses to patronize. The goal is for your marketing to cause people to judge your business positively so that they try it. In this case, the marketing is causing people to judge it negatively because it contains pretty unappetizing pictures of food, and the fact that the owners think that is okay is not encouraging.

People start restaurants in West Seattle all the time and are able to show actual pictures of the food they will be serving (or a “coming soon” sign until they have them). It is not a big ask.
Pearl July 20, 2026 (3:48 pm)

We have hundreds upon thousands of businesses that have used basic programs like MS Paint, Microsoft Word, and handwritten material to create marketing for low or no cost. AI-generated marketing isn’t impressive or enticing. It’s cheap, disenchanting, and reflects badly on the business and its practices. Marketing is meant to advertise what you bring to the table, and if all you can present is uncanny valley graphics with no real reflection on your food, business, or ingenuity, then you’ve lost me.

Gay July 20, 2026 (2:49 pm)

The same situation is happening in Haight-Ashbury:A new San Francisco cafe named Grind & Unwind (opened in May in the former Citrus Club space at 1790 Haight St.) sparked local outrage. The owners placed artificial intelligence-generated photos of food in their window. Locals saw this as misleading and fake, leading to Reddit mockery, bad reviews, and vandalism

Mark M July 20, 2026 (7:49 pm)

The vandalism is unfortunate. People are clearly tired of AI slop. Social media is filled with fake images and videos. AI written articles are all over blogs. AI posts are all over reviews, Reddit, forums. It’s exhausting having to discern and verify every single thing you look at online. Including this new restaurants menu. If the foods photo is not legitimate, then what is the point of even including? What you see is not what you get.
- WSB July 20, 2026 (10:30 pm)
  
  To be clear, there are no AI-written articles (or other content) here. 100 percent human written, reported, researched, photographed, etc.

WSea_ThatsMe July 20, 2026 (4:26 pm)

Great American Diner moved on because the landlord won’t actually work on or fix the horrendous plumbing issues of the property. Maybe the delay has something to do with this.

Gay July 20, 2026 (4:55 pm)

I think we all miss the plethora of graphic designers, hungry for work. Super creative, original. Reasonable price points, too! I like this one.

John July 20, 2026 (11:49 pm)

Instead of just the full criticism of the usage of AI. Maybe some creative individual or individuals should offer to step up & help this small business design a business sign & website and then they don’t have yo use AI while the artist who helps them can get more exposure. “Local artist helps small business after community outrage over the use of AI on business logo/sign & business website.” Just ah idea though. Let’s all help eachother out, lift eachother up & support eachother. Fair criticisms against the use of AI but also maybe some can get in contact with the owners to share ideas or offer a helping hand with their advertising and/or creative skills while also getting exposure in doing so.

Meeee July 21, 2026 (10:08 am)

People capping on the restaurant name tells me you’ve never been to India to see some of the unintentionally hilarious names for restaurants there.Having lived in India for a couple of years the name of this restaurant and it’s extensive menu is very legit for it being Indian.Many restaurants in India have pages and pages of food, often including Chinese and Indian food, and many include Italian options. Oh, and there must be a burger of some kind, either veggie or not available.I’m looking forward to trying this restaurant. I can’t get a good South Indian breakfast (idli + vada = yum) unless I go to the eastside or Vancouver BC suburbs so having it within walking distance is great.I don’t see the above comments as thinly veiled racism but more a case of ignorance of real Indian restaurants naming conventions and menus .

Sorry, comment time is over.