So I just moved to West Seattle, and one of my favorite things about this area is the sheer number of local joints like this. I am in absolute heaven! Anyway, on to my Circa review. I can't get enough of this place. I'd already have gone back several times if there weren't so many new spots to try. Small restaurant, and not too much seating with a little bar area and a few TV's. Service was on point, not in your face and we never wanted for anything. Server was helpful in identifying some beer pairings for our food and even let us sample a few of them. We had a really tough time deciding on our dinner and pored over the menu forever. Fresh, unique selections and really, honestly, EVERYTHING looked good. Finally decided to go with the butternut squash tacos. They were a slam dunk and I even had enough for lunch the next day! Looking forward to working our way through their entire menu!
(5)
Roger B.
Ordered soup, salad and an IPA. The rice and chicken soup is really nice. Flavorful blend of spices with tomatoes, mishrooms, carrots, and greens. Definitely an Asian hot & sour lean to it. The accompanying bread has nuts and a nice chewy texture to it. The salad has romaine greens, red onions, candied walnuts, raisins, and a goat or feta cheese sprinkled on top. Very lightly dressed. Very nice. The Trickster IPA from Black Raven is fantastic of course.
(4)
WA S.
Pros: Friendly staff, interesting and cozy space, good enough beer selection. Cons: Difficult parking lot, awkward entryway, no permanent host, hit-or-miss service (servers are friendly but at times inattentive even when alcohol is being ordered), severely lacking in vegan and/or vegetarian fare. The dishes are meat-heavy and not easily modified to cater to vegetarians or vegans. There is a mediterranean platter item and a butternut squash taco, which you can leave the dairy off of. And, of course salads. Granted, the butternut squash tacos were quite good without the cheese and other dairy, but the rice was not actually fully cooked - a little disappointing. I'd go back if others wanted to, but would probably not choose it for myself.
(3)
Linh N.
Every time I go here I always get their steak salad and my bf get the lamb burger. The portions are huge and they never disappoint. The waiters are very polite and check up on you often. I only come here for dinner, but we can't wait to try their brunch menu.
(5)
Mariann P.
They used to have really good breakfasts and service. The last three times I've been there I have had a problem with the food. Twice my toast has been burned. Today I waited 15 to 20 min for a table, they were busy with people waiting so I understood that. Then I waited 20'min for the waitress to bring me a menu, then to place my order. It took 20 min to get my food. And the bacon was limp, greesy and cold. The hashbrown serving was about 4 tablespoons full. I asked the waitress about it so she brought me some more and said sometimes the servings were large and sometimes small. The hashbrowns were burnt. I don't plan to go back there.
(2)
Ren G.
I mean, it was alright. It wasn't terrible. But I could make anything I was served here in my own kitchen. In fact, I could make much better pancakes. My boyfriend and I tried this place for brunch. After seeing all the excellent reviews and pictures, I was excited! But the taste did not live up to the appetizing view. It was a feast for the eyes, but left my tastebuds bored. The primary complaint I have is that the pancakes are THICK. Not light or fluffy at all. Just starchy and heavy. I didn't like them because I tend to take the phrase "flat as a pancake" fairly literally in my enjoyment of them. If it's more like a slice of Texas toast filled with cement, color me disinterested. My boyfriend had toast, eggs, and hash browns. It was nothing bad. Just nothing particularly good either. I probably won't go back when I could have similar quality food at home and for a lot less cash.
(3)
Austin B.
Ate here for lunch recently, I had the Havanna club (something close to that) and my friend at the fish and chips. My sandwich was great, highly recommend it. The fish and chips were good, but not great. Overall the restaurant has a relaxing atmosphere, adequate seating and a wide variety of items on the menu, prices are decent too!
(4)
Andrew E.
Place is ok, nothing special. Fish and chips I ordered were crispy but dipped a lot of oil. Server was polite but service was mediocre, not the slowest but not fast considering the place was slow at the time. I would call it fairly standard bar/pub food. I would go there to drink more than eat.
Came to this place with my girlfriend for a friend's birthday last Friday. I ordered the fish and chips and she had the lamb burger. Both were really delicious, tasty, hearty, and had a good portion too. Usually fish and chips come with way too much batter and very little of the actual fish, this place had a nice crispy batter but nice big chunks of fish. I sampled the crab cake, and while the texture was really good, it could have used a little more flavor. The food is tasty, and the service is friendly and genuine. It can be a bit challenging parking around here, but we came on a Friday early evening so that could be why. We did have a 9 person party, so accommodating a large group IS possible but it was VERY tight. I'll be back again sometime.
(4)
Dennis S.
An amazing, unassuming barestaurant. We had seen people waiting to get in so we checked it out. The lamb burger was great. They had a full bar. The prices were a little high, but it was worth it.
(5)
Maret S.
Big breakfasts, friendly service, and super delicious food. I absolutely adored the coconut milk French Toast.
(5)
Craig B.
We eat at Circa probably once or twice a month. They have a great selection of local beers, a kids menu and typically an outstanding special.
(5)
Debbie P.
Circa is always on our weekend brunch rotation. I was introduced to this cute West Seattle neighborhood spot by a friend who had a pilates studio on California Ave. years and years ago and I was smitten ever since. We would make at least a monthly trek here from Issaquah/Sammamish when we lived out there just for the brunch. Back then they had the Hawaiian Sweet Bread French Toast with Portuguese/Linguica Sausage on the menu. It's been a few years since they've taken it off the menu, but I still look for it when we come in. My hubby ALWAYS orders the fluffy banana pancakes with extra pecan praline syrup. I've tried their Smoked Salmon Florentine, Joe's Special, and the Dungeness Crab scramble among other items and I have never had a bad meal there. Their menu tends to have a 4 month rotation to feature some new brunch items, as well. Weekends can have a long wait, so be prepared. Also I love how they feature local Seattle artists on their walls on a monthly rotation. And they serve Stumptown coffee, too!!! We've introduced this spot to our friends, and all have had nothing but good things to say about it. We even have friends who moved to California, Hawaii, Japan, and Guam who still rave about this spot!
(4)
Saha A.
One of the best steak salads I have ever had!!! Always great service and great food. Out of 7 times I have gone there I have never had a bad experience!
(4)
Denis F.
Food was ok. Service was poor. The server made us feel like we inconvenienced him. Didn't go over the specials (heard them after we ordered while helping other tables) and handed us the menus and asked what we wanted to drink and eat. Ordered the cider, he said they were out. Later I heard him tell someone else that they have another thing similar but it wasn't offered to us, just an annoyed look. Gave an 18% tip which is the lowest I have ever given and really wanted to leave a note that I usually double that as I used to be a server as well. In all we sat, ate and left in 20 minutes and was severally disappointed in the entire situation.
(2)
Brittany A.
I came here for brunch one morning and ordered a single banana pancake on the side to satisfy my sweets craving. This was the BEST decision ever because it was one incredible pancake- probably the best pancake I've ever had. I talked about that thing for 2 weeks and then finally went back and got a whole order. They were just as good as I remember and I will definitely be back for them again!
(4)
Dana C.
Great local restaurant. Food is very well thought out and super tasty. I usually get the squash burrito because it's the only vegetarian option but everything else always looks good too. Really good brunch, potatoes are amazing. Limited menu, I wish they change it up a bit more if they did I would definitely go more often. Casual happy local atmosphere.
(4)
Adam P.
Might be my new favorite West Seattle spot. The Steelhead Special was amazing. My wife's bbq chicken salad was also great. Started with the Mediterranean plate which was the best I've had. On top of that, they couldn't have a better staff. Can't wait to go back.
(5)
Damona R.
In last night with the other half. first time ever, though I live in West Seattle. Friendly service, it was prompt as well, that's the first thing I want to say. As for food, I opted for the blackened rock fish, build-your-own sandwich affair. Tasty! The fish wasn't wimpy when it came to the spice, and it seemed very fresh. The man had steak salad, and by all accounts, he loved it. He also ordered mussels for us. I am not the person to ask about those, I mean, I tried a couple. but I'm not a huge fan. Hate oysters, as a matter of fact. Didn't hate these cousins, they are milder, and the sauce they are in is delish, so perhaps that says something. Really I'm a texture gal, too and I will say that hey! They weren't totally booger-like. Bacon bits in the mix are a bonus. Still, I left most of those for him, and according to him, they are great. So there's that. The bread that came with was mine all mine, and I can say it is good. We'd both come back. I'd love to try breakfast sometime, myself, and also the bacon wrapped meatloaf when I have a bigger hunger pang.
(4)
Joe S.
The perfect neighborhood restaurant in West Seattle. Great nightly specials. The burgers are always a solid choice and fries are awesome. The bar has an excellent selection of rotating craft brews, including several with an ABV of 10%. Good wine selection as well. You can never go wrong with the bacon wrapped meat loaf or fish and chips!!! Staff is friendly, ambience is ok, and not too loud. Metro bus shelter out front, so be prepared to people watch the crazy and transients. Bar has TV's, but not the spot to watch the big game. Overall, one of our favorite spots in WS!!!
(4)
Michael T.
Sat at the bar for a quick solo dinner and had a wonderful experience. Fantastic service, great steak salad and warm chocolate ganache cake with a nice red wine by the glass. Looks like clientele is primarily West Seattle locals and regulars (which I love). Highly recommend and will definitely be back.
(5)
Laura T.
We dined at Circa for the first time last week with a goal of trying a restaurant we hadn't been to before in our neighborhood. While the service was good and staff friendly, we found the menu options a bit lackluster and wine list even more so. Our chosen entrees of a chicken & golden beet salad and vegetarian enchiladas tasted ok but not wow. I'll give them creativity points for coconut-fried bananas on the bananas foster, however it tasted too much like fried food instead of banana. The atmosphere is warm and cozy, but it will take significant menu improvements to win us back for another visit.
(2)
Fox S.
We live a couple blocks away from Circa, and I wish it was more exciting. Food is usually okay, but nothing special. Hadn't been in a while and we went for breakfast this morning, which reminded us why we don't come here more often. Service is friendly and I could see this being more of a regular spot if I liked beer and wanted to come and hang at the bar. Still part of our rotation, but not a "must-go" place to me at all.
(3)
Lindsay M.
Great little place for breakfast in West Seattle. Our server was attentive, the order was perfect and I loved the variety of menu options. Yum! I could see long waits being a problem for Circa but we had no issues over Memorial Day weekend.
(4)
Alyssa C.
We randomly stumbled upon this place for brunch on Sunday around noon when we were heading to the beach for the day. We walked right in with no wait and were greeted by friendly, yet apathetic servers. The coffee was fine, the ambiance was nothing unlike any other cafe you might expect. Between the 3 of us we got the breakfast burrito, the coconut french toast, and the first thing on the menu which was a potato dish I can't recall the name of. I loved the breakfast burrito best and the side of hashbrowns that came with it was EXCELLENT. The french toast was also quite good. The potato thing sounded better than I thought it actually tasted, but all in all, it was a solid meal. I wouldn't necessarily say I'm jumping to go back, but it was good and got the job done. They didn't have any breakfast cocktails on the menu, just a selection of 7-8 beers that I saw and I assume other wine/basic drink options.
(4)
Ken T.
I've been coming here on and off for many years, pretty much since about 96 when I moved into West Seattle. Most of the time the staff are friendly and the food varies to the positive. But a close friend of the bar staff turns up this evening, with their boyfriend, and within 5 minutes they change the TV channel which I made clear to the twosome I was enjoying. Really? Couldn't even ask if it was OK? Then they proceed not to watch the TV. If a restaurant caters to the nasty behavior of their close friends, then customers are not going to come back. If you're in the business, have some courtesy to customers already present. Even if the food and the beer selection is good. Just smells of entitlement. There's plenty of competition out there, I don't have a problem heading the other direction to enjoy it.
(2)
Cindy P.
My favorite spot in West Seattle!!! Always have great beer on tap! Amazing menu and freshest Seafood! Just so damn yummy!!!
(5)
Aimee K.
Had a rather spotty customer service experience on today's visit. We had to ask to get coffee and were ignored when they came by with the pot for re-fills even the surrounded tables got one. They brought the Seattle to Portland omelet and Fish & Chips nice and hot with the promise that the toast would be brought right out. It never came so we asked one of the waitresses if we could get a piece of the coffee cake instead. She said flatly, "We're out of the coffee cake" and gave us attitude about "not knowing" that we were waiting for toast and that she'd go get at after my partner said he didn't want the toast. The experience somewhat dampened our otherwise idyllic Sunday morning. On the plus side the Fish & Chips were awesome! Panko crusted Ling Cod thick enough to take on the malt vinegar without any sogginess has a slight kick to it. I finished off every last one of the seasoned steak cut fries. They also appear to have changed their menu slightly. The French Toasted Brioche has been refreshed with coconut milk and the Joe's Scramble is no longer listed.
(3)
Rick D.
A regular haunt for us. Great lamb burger (split the regular one because it's huge and they'll give both an order of fries.). Chocolate cake! OMG! Save room!
(4)
Cate W.
We were seated really quickly and the food was good. Sweet potato fries are awesome! The waitress was super nice and attentive even though she was the only one working while it was fairly busy! Good place overall, I would definitely go back!
(4)
James L.
Visited Circa today and the waitress was extremely rude. Not friendly in the least. Not even a smile. Slow service and very disrespectful
(1)
Rosenna T.
Came here because of the high ratings. The environment was fine, the service was fine and food was meh.... and a little too expensive for the quality of the food served. We had the special for the day, which was a lightly fried cod fish, the lamb burger and prime ribs. The lamb burger was probably the best dish out of the three that I had. The prime ribs was not so good, over cooked and the was hard to chew. Overall below average. meh!
(2)
Chad M.
Tonight was my third experience at Circa, and it was fantastic. We've probably tried to go here at least nine or ten times, but we're usually thwarted by the throngs of diaper-sniffing West Seattlites who seem to all arrive between 5:30 and 6:00pm. Tonight is Tuesday, which is apparently a good night to go if you want to get a seat. Wait... what am I saying? Tuesday is normally packed! Don't come on Tuesday - come on Friday or Saturday and bring your plate-pounding children with you! Anywho, I recommend the Black Cod. Both times I've tried it it's been cooked to awesome. It comes with a beautiful rectangular block of fried grits, also amazing. I'd also recommend the beet salad and avocado-crab gazpacho. I really like the atmosphere of this place. I haven't been on a date in 15 years (which is why you should take my advice on this), but I'd imagine Circa would be a great place to take one.
(5)
EJ M.
Went for dinner on a Friday evening around 6 pm. Waited no more than 5 minutes for a table, which I was impressed with considering how small the establishment truly is. We were sat at a table in the bar area, and each got a glass of Prosecco. They brought out the glasses, poured them, and gave us the mini bottle to refill ourselves (thought this to be kinda cool, especially for $6/glass). We like sharing dishes, so we went with a large house salad, mussels, and a lamb burger. I enjoyed every dish. The salad hit the spot with the way it was dressed and topped, while the mussels came in the most delicious broth I've ever had (I took it home and ate it as soup the next day). Although the lamb burger was a bit charred, it still had amazing flavor paired with the toppings. We also got the special dessert (donut holes with caramel sauce and ice cream), which was probably my least favorite part of the meal mainly because we got it "to-go" and probably shouldn't have (they forgot the ice cream!). My one complaint would be their lack of an online presence, as it was difficult to find their menu anywhere on the internet. I realize it's constantly changing with seasonal ingredients, but it would be nice to have an idea of what to expect before going! Prosecco- $6 Salad- $8 Lamb Burger- $13 Mussels- $12 Special Dessert- $7 Yum! Will definitely be back. Want to try their brunch ASAP.
(4)
Laura K.
Love this place. We have eaten here many times. Cozy atmosphere. We frequently get the fish special, the meatloaf, and the fish and chips. It is rare that we have been disappointed.
(4)
Jim P.
I have been here a couple times and haven't been disappointed yet. The first time I ordered the meatloaf sandwich and loved it (who doesn't love meatloaf?) it came with house cut fries (loved them also). This time I ordered the pork sandwich.... delicious!. Sliced pork roast on good bread.... fries also. The soups and salads looked delicious too.
(4)
Marjory B.
There was never a meal here that I did not absolutely love: breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, AND dessert. I really can't even point anything out specifically because everything on the menu is that good. Sometimes there is a wait, sometimes there isn't. The only times I really remember ever having to wait was usually around Saturday/Sunday brunch time. Also, make sure you are aware of their hours. As often as I ate here, I always forgot that they actually close at 2:30 pm during the week, then re-open for dinner. This is perhaps my favorite place in my old neighborhood. Great service, great food, great atmosphere. Love.
(5)
Matthew C.
Given the quality of the food and beer, this should probably be a five for the pricepoint. However, they ran out of french toast before noon...unacceptable! Alas, despite my sadness over the lack of french toast, it did prompt me to try something different on a brunch menu, so I went for the Louisiana Eggs Benedict. I love poached eggs, but am not a big fan of ham, so I usually go for a salmon or lobster benny. However, this comes with three varieties of pork: tasso, ham, and andouille sausage. It also included spinach (fresh, light, and well-portioned (not enough to take over)), tomatoes (diced, stewed, and lightly spiced), and the obligatory house-made hollandaise sauce (I normally order this on the side but neglected to and was not offended in any way; again, light, balanced, and just the right amount). There also hash browns. I'm not a fan of hash browns, and wish I had ordered a substitute, but I did consume the other layer of crispy goodness. I forgot there was hot sauce on the table. The collection of three porks with the poached egg and other ingredients was better than I had hoped. I wish I had taken some time to marvel in each of the different porks, but the blend of everything didn't prompt me to dissect it too much. Two of our dining partners had the banana pancakes, which, again, were a winner (that is, I'm very glade that there was a significant portion left on their plates for me!). They are, indeed, fluffy and were light, which is always appreciated for pancakes. Too often they are greasy, or pick up other flavors from the griddle. Even the bananas didn't weight these down (and the pecan praline syrup was an added bonus). Finally, there is an excellently curated beer selection and the option of a three beer flight, perfect for brunch! I went for two light options (DFH Festival Peche and an crisp apple cider make with cherry juice) and a pale ale. They accidentally brought an IPA in place of the cider and, despite my insistence that the IPA would be fine, returned with the cider, as well! These were 5-6 ounces, which is large for a flight portion. So, a little bummed about the french toast (a reason to return, methinks), but very pleased with everything else. Portions were near-perfect (didn't leave feeling hungry or over-stuffed) and the ingredients/selections were fresh, balanced, and well-prepared.
(4)
Jane D.
Smells good here! Review to follow! OMG I was too hungry when I came here. One waitress and 13 or 14 tables and she was poetry in motion! I mean she was amazing! We ordered asperagus with eggs--Seriously! Who thought that up? Beacause YUM that's why. I want that again! And I had a steak salad that was really amazing. The steak was perfectly cooked, the sauce was just right, the greens were so good. It was really the highlight of the day because I was so sore and tired from moving. We also ordered a meatloaf sandwich which was by far the most amazing thing I have ever tasted. It was like meatloaf patties and crusty cheesy oniony things all packed in bread. WOW. Very wonderful--The waitress is a boss.
(5)
Bronwyn M.
Comfort food in the neighborhood.
(4)
Matt S.
As a family we often need to just get out and get food and circa had always been a reliable place to go. But when you are tired and the kids are tired and your waitress is openly snarky with you it really is a bummer. If you need to be rude and petulant please leave the service industry
(1)
NJ R.
Eat here. You will not regret it. Last time I was here I had coconut brioche French toast with pineapples. OMG delicious. Seriously one of my favorite breakfast places. Amazing food with great prices. What a value. Wish they had one closer to me. Stuck with Denny's for now :( gross.
(5)
Christine B.
Not only was the Circa burger amazing but the service was extraordinary. Sat at the bar with some friends as it was busy, but service was never lacking. Wanted to try the pumpkin apple cider but wasn't sure if I'd like it. Asked bartender (Mel?) what she thought of it. She said it's good but you gotta try it yourself. Gave me a sample and I was hooked. Burger was "protein style" (no bun as requested) and it still looked mouth-wateringly good. Was made to feel right at home, even though I was visiting from another country. Loved every moment there, wished I could have stayed longer. Would definitely recommend to others! My friend had the meatloaf and it was decadent. Great presentation.
(5)
Lauren A.
We visited on a whim and were quite happy. Great food, helpful staff, clean and welcoming location.
(5)
Liz K.
Just ok. The first visit the BBQ salad was excellent. The second time my salad was missing very obvious ingredients like tortillas and dressing. My husbands sandwich had gotten kind of gelatinous as if it was left to sit there for several minutes in the kitchen. Service both times was rather slow. Some people really enjoy this place but it wasn't for us. We probably won't be back.
(2)
Sarah R.
Circa is our "new" breakfast place. We had to replace our "old" bfast place because of insanely inconsistent food. Couldn't take it anymore. My hubby suggested Circa since he used to lunch there quite often before we met. Couldn't be happier we switched! The prices are more reasonable & the food has been consistently very good. The menu has some creative things on it, but it doesn't stray too far from the good old fashioned bfast items. I appreciate a little gourmet touch without being too "fancy" in the morning.
(5)
Jolene R.
This is a great breakfast spot after church. They are closed for a block of hours though in the afternoon, so watch for that.
(4)
Holly B.
Great lplace for a hot date! The prices are a little high but it's def worth it without a doubt! I am going to dress up a little next time I dine here, it's a fun and lovely place!
(5)
Jessica R.
I've been here 3 times now, twice for dinner and today for brunch. Everything has been great every time. Last time I went for dinner the wait was a bit long for a Tuesday night, but the delicious wine and filet mignon more than made up for it. For brunch today I got the Seattle to Portland scramble and it was super good. There was tons of parmesan piled on top, which is never a bad thing. The hashbrowns were salty and crunchy and basically everything hashbrowns should be. My dining mate got biscuits and gravy and that looked equally delicious as well. Also awesome was that we went in for brunch around 9:30 on a Sunday morning and the place was half empty. Nothing makes me grumpier than waiting for food on a weekend morning.
(5)
Lorin S.
Credit card machine was down, so they were only accepting cash. Luckily, there were plenty of ATMs in the area. We were seated in the bar and had fabulous service. I've been here a few times already and each time I have been very happy with my order. Definitely try the Asian BBQ -- being from the south I was a little skeptical, but the bed of mashed potatoes and roasted veggies were great, along with a great sauce. If you have room, the warm chocolate cake with ice cream is a wonderful way to cap off a meal!
(4)
Jessica S.
It has been pretty okay every time I've gone there. This last time I did have to wait an hour for my food which wasn't nice, and I have noticed that most of the food doesn't taste all that great. I probably wont be coming back anytime soon.
(3)
Alice C.
While the food continues to be tasty, the last two times I've eaten here I've settled my tab and added a tip only to find someone settling the card purchases at Circa added an additional, hefty tip to my bill. If you do come here, use cash.
(2)
Matt B.
I went there for supper with my wife tonight (friday). It was busy but we only had to wait for about a minute before being seated. The service was good and our waitress was very friendly. I went out on a limb and got the BBQ Chicken Salad. It's the first time I've tried anything like it, and it was super solid. The flavors meshed really well and the chicken was tasty :) My wife got one of the specials, fried chicken, and that was very good as well. Beer selection was decent. Overall a great experience. We will be going back to try out more of the menu, I recommend!
(4)
Kelli R.
A great place to grab a bite for dinner or brunch. Menu looks interesting although we're limited to just a few items due to our diet but what we've had, we've loved! Great butternut squash tacos and love the kale salad. A solid neighborhood spot for a good meal and friendly service.
(4)
Melissa A.
Mmmm... Banana pancakes...This has become my standard order whenever I grab breakfast here. They have other good items to. My husband likes their eggs benedict and I haven't been disappointed with any of the egg based dishes they have there either, especially the one with black beans (that's my second favorite dish). It's one of our favorite places in West Seattle to go for breakfast.
(4)
Alexander M.
Sunday brunch or dinner... You can't go wrong. Banana pancakes, scrambles, meatloaf... Delicious! Mimosas, great coffee and a solid rotation of taps with local and other craft brews. Easy location at the top of West Seattle and Admiral. Check it out...
(5)
Joel W.
I asked for a box to take my leftovers home. The server handed me a box. Great service. I explained to her that we didn't have utensils and I didn't want to use my hands.
(1)
Malee L.
Love this local place. My favorite is the grilled steak salad.... The best! Also have an awesome kids menu. I babysit lots of kids and they all say the grilled cheese Sandwich is the best they've ever had.
(5)
Brenda W.
A recovery from an almost unhappy repeat customer - word of advice, don't skimp on the mac and cheese. This place is not a destination place to eat. It's a corner diner with the majority of the patrons residing in the neighborhood. Yes, I am a local and a picky one at that. Our family dines out alot and have visited Circa many many times. However, our recent meal was almost a one star experience and could have been the last. Circa - don't skimp on the kids menu mac and cheese! The portion size is almost a half a box of the stuff I pay $1 for at the store. The profit is in the parent's meals and drinks from the bar. They did recover by offering an additonal plate at no charge - but with some resistance to my feedback and initial rigidity by the waitstaff. I KNOW that is not homemade mac and cheese - don't kid me. Especially when the other staff says it's out of the box. I consider this a default place to eat and I will reluctantly go again. But I would really like to see a little more variety on the adult menu and..... don't skimp on the mac and cheese!
(3)
Kristin W.
Fav restaurant in West Seattle! Staff is always friendly and speedy; kid friendly; food is exceptional; great rotating beers on tap. Tip: get there early as the space is small and fills fast.
(5)
Angela L.
The food is amazing. The wait staff is helpful and friendly and I can't say enough great things about it. Brunch is great and the dinner is AMAZING.
(5)
? ..
I ordered a burger. I got a raw patty with no bun. It took forever for our food to get there and they gave our table near the kitchen to someone else even though we had been there for longer and sat us at a table near the door.
(1)
Michelle L.
My boyfriend and I went there just to have a cocktail and appetizer at the bar. We chose that place because they had a sticker in the window stating they accept American Express, it was the only card we brought for our bike ride . When we tried to use our American Express card to pay the bill, the female bartender said, "we don't take American Express." We mentioned the sign in the window. She just rudely said, "well we DON'T take it." No apology, didn't bother to be discreet and just say that it was a mistake and they should take the sign down, she raised her voice, others were listening, it was embarrassing. We were dumbfounded at this lack of basic customer service. We'll never go back there.
(1)
Dawn M.
So delicious. Great food for the price - Tom Douglas quality cuisine in a casual ale house environment. You definitely need to arrive at their 5:00pm opening time to get right into a table and to guarantee you can get the daily specials. It's a small place so they run out quickly if it's busy. I arrived at 6:30 to a packed house and no specials left. But they still had the pasta or crab cakes, two delicious options. It's a small place, and gets crowded, but usually my wait has been less than 15 min and it's definitely food worth waiting for.
(5)
Clover A.
Clover Math Time! 5 stars for price to value ratio 3 stars for randomness of good experiences to bad. 5 stars for having a parking lot 3 stars for having that lot be full/dangerous to drive and walk through 4 stars for the offerings on the menu for dinner 5 stars for those banana pancakes 5 stars for the skirt steak at under 16$ that's a BARGAIN 3 stars for opening at 9 to serve brunch 3 stars for the non existant waiting area and slowish service sometimes
(4)
Tracy M.
I read the reviews before hand, and there were a lot mentioning poor service. We had good service, the waitress was attentive, but not too attentive. She did not write down our orders but got everything right. I went there on a Thursday for lunch around noon. We had the sweet potato fires, very tasty! I had the soup and house salad combo. The soup was chicken, couscous, cilantro and a few other things, quite flavorful and the salad came with cranberries and Gorgonzola cheese and was not drowning in dressing. My friends both ordered the steak sad. They have had it before and tried to get me to order it too. They said it is one of the best things on the menu. The chunks of bread that came with the salads was delicious too. It was a nice atmosphere, small but not overly crowded, although I guess it can be crazy for dinner.
(3)
Ann E.
Can't go wrong with Circa! Excellent, flavorful, well crafted meals and always a fresh selection. Another staple for us in west Seattle with its small, warm neighborhood atmosphere and the friendly fun and smart staff!
(4)
Rd R.
I've only been once for a Thursday night dinner, but what a great experience! All the food was outstanding, the lamb burger flavorful, braised beef exquisite, and the banana doughnuts sublime. The atmosphere was great with a mix of families and couples, and there service was positive, efficient and knowledgeable. Can't wait to go back!
(5)
Aaron E.
Circa was a great, unassuming location for brunch. Despite the place being packed, the servers were efficient and a table was quickly cleaned. The mimosas we ordered came out quickly and were a nice way to start the meal. Not sure why but I like having little bottles of champagne.... first of all I like a heavier ratio of champagne to orange juice and I like holding little bottles and utensils and such.... makes me feel like a giant. I had already perused the menu online and knew I wanted the Smoked Salmon Florentine which comes with smoked salmon, capers, green onions, and spinach scrambled with eggs and topped with dill sour cream. The blend of flavors was excellent and the spinach still had a bit of bite to it. I LOVE raw spinach but hate mushy, overcooked spinach so was pleased it was cooked al dente. The dill sour cream was flavorful and a nice alternative to the standard cream cheese. They were also really accommodating with my request for egg whites only. Brunch buddy ordered biscuits and gravy. Enjoyable enough but rather forgettable. Ambiance was simple but pleasant and the service was friendly. I have to say the servers balanced being quick and efficient but never made patrons feel rushed. They quickly turned tables around and made sure no one had to wait too long for a table. If I'm in the area I don't see any reason not to return!
(4)
Jason F.
Whether you're up for a beer or want to sit down and have a nice meal, Circa's a great choice. I went last night and had the Chicken Breast and grilled Caesar Salad. I don't remember seeing this on the menu before, I believe it's new, it was great. Everything I've eaten here has been great: meatloaf, crab cakes, steak salad, burgers have all been delicious. The restaurant itself is cozy and well kept. The wait staff, as well as the bartenders are the best in Seattle.
(4)
Nicole H.
There are just a couple breakfast/brunch places I love going to, and Circa is definitely one of them. The service is always wonderful and portion sizes are perfect. When I'm really hungry, I always get the homemade coffee cake-it's so moist and delicious! You really can't go wrong with anything off the brunch menu. I generally get The Standard because I'm a traditional breakfast person, but I've also had the Biscuits and Gravy, Chorizo & Huevos and The Slacker which were all so yummy! Once I even had the Grilled Steak Salad since it was a little later in the day and the steak came out tender and worked well with the salad. If you are ever in West Seattle on a weekend morning make sure to hit up Circa!
(5)
Julie H.
There needs to be a no star option. We've been here a handful of times & end up with the same conclusion: pretty good food, horribly slow service. After waiting near 40 minutes & having a near non-existent server, we finally asked about our order. We also wanted to order drinks but long gave up on that. She said we were still behind an order. When we commented we were starting to get limited on time & it's been slow, her response was "it's a full house." We finally walked out. How long do they think most people have for lunch? It's not a "full house" issue, it's a staffing issue. And a little apology would have gone a long way & probably kept us there. We for sure will NEVER go back, & reading many other responses here, Circa better wake up.
(1)
DeAnne E.
Brunch in West Seattle. The food selection isn't as abundant as Salty's but it's definitely cheaper. The atmosphere is equivalent to Jak's Grill off California Ave but on a smaller scale. Parking can be a challenge. If you can't find a spot in their tiny lot you'll have to park off Admiral, California, or across the street in the Safeway parking lot. Service was friendly. I had the Smoked Salmon Florentine and it was pretty good. The food is plentiful. I had to box up what I couldn't finish.
(3)
Debra H.
Got there about noon today (Saturday) for brunch and took the last booth available. We'd been here for dinner several times (live in the neighborhood) but this was a first for brunch. Ever get to a restaurant and you look at the menu and think...hmmm, nothing really looks good? Everything looked good. Our table ordered the Circa burger and the Chorizo scramble to share. The scramble was delicious with just the right amount of cheese and extras, nice amount of fruit on the side, hash browns were crispy and not to greasy. I think sourdough toast might have been an extra cost but it was good as well. The burger was fab. Great bun (Macrina broche), burger done right and just the right amount of toppings. Fries, hot, salted just right and delicious. Friendly, fast and efficient service a plus.
(4)
Randi L.
One of the best brunches in Seattle! I love this little cafe. Their beer selection is fantastic and the service is wonderful! If it's busy, just take a seat at the bar and you can order from the full menu there, as well. Dinner selections are wonderfully delicious and the portions are quite generous. I've NEVER had a bad meal here!
(5)
Tim M.
Great neighborhood restaurant. I like the burger and the changing specials. Beer selection is small bit rotating and good.
(4)
Danielle F.
Delicious food and a menu that always has at least five things I want to order. On my most recent trip, I had some exceptionally well prepared halibut with some sort of a soy glaze over noodles - perfection. The hamburger was also out of this world - perhaps my favorite in West Seattle. Perfectly seasoned and just the right amount of juicy. Circa's only fault is that with so few tabletops, you may find yourself waiting for a seat on a busy weekend night!
(5)
Carinn M.
Circa is my go-to neighborhood favorite for good, solid food in a chill environment. I have never been disappointed and their lamb burger with the sweet potato fries is the bomb!
(5)
Jordan B.
Quaint and cute venue. The food is amazing- you must try the butternut squash tacos. I had the meatloaf and loved every bite. It's a "must eat at" place in West Seattle
(5)
Sandra P.
Such a great spot and consistently delicious. Great beer selections and I love, love, love the Skirt Steak salad. Geat place to duck into especially when it is raining outside.
(5)
Jessica R.
Excellent food. Excellent service! So impressed!
(5)
D.R. W.
in 2 1/2 years I have never, not every, had an issue with their food. It is excellent.
(5)
Shawn W.
I don't know what to say, but hopefully they read yelp. I am giving you a ONE STAR BECAUSE I HOPE YOU ARE LISTENING TO MY COMPLAINS. THE BEST FOOD IN WEST SEATTLE (besides Jak's Grille, but lets lump that into the Steakhouse category). I have been here dozens of times. I mean it, you can order just about anything on this menu and it is delicious. They put magical crack powder in their food so you just want to eat it everyday. However guys, what is with the freakin' STRANGE ASS HOURS? I frankly never know what to expect when I show up here. They do the kind of thing "we're open from 9-11, then we shut down for 3 hours, and are open from 2-7" kind of weird thing. That's just weird, and obnoxious. Oh I showed up at 11:10 and now I can't eat (go to Great Harvest across the street on California if you miss Circa, they have delicious food as well) As my neighborhood restaurant, i NEED YOU TO BE OPEN from like 9 to 11. I need you to not have windows of hours. Jeeze. You guys are crazy. Let me explain the economics to you: Fixed costs: you pay a lease. you have all the equipment. you do advertising or at least you build it somehow. none of these fixed costs go away. SO BE OPEN ALL THE TIME. Capitalize on your fixed costs. Weirdos. You have the best food in West Seattle yet you keep me from it like the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld. Please just stop being weird and be open for a solid 8-10 hours in a row. And please make the Mole Burrito available on weekends. It really blasts everything on the menu out of the water, even the steak salad.
(1)
Abby T.
This place is awesome. I've only been here once, but after reading the other reviews, we drove out to West Seattle specifically to come here, and boy were we happy we did (claps retardedly). I had the steak salad. Five stars Steak Salad, holy delicious mouthgasm! Go. Eat. This. Salad. Boyfriend had something else, southwest or Chipotle something or other chicken salad, had a bite also awesome. Then there was some sort of baked brie and apple thing some other guy ordered at the table next to us that looked and smelled amazing, going back for that, for sure! Beer selection.... mediocre. The space is super tiny, maybe 50 people total can fit in here - so it gets pretty loud. I have heard its hard to get a table a lot of the time, which I can see... we went in the middle of the day on a weekday so no issue there. Our table for 2 was tiny tiny as well... think, elbows hitting the wall (I am not a big person). They were playing the game, whoot! But not at such an obnoxiously loud level that you can't talk or hear yourself think. Comin' back for sure. I hate to rate on a one time experience, so maybe after I try that awesome brie thing I'll add the other star!
(4)
Melissa B.
This place is tucked away, but a gem. I had a simple grilled cheese, which turned out amazing. The food is fresh and the serivce good. I'd come here again.
(4)
Karen C.
Great place to eat! I loved the Brie & Bacon sandwich.... made with perfection! Highly recommend a stop in this lovely restaurant. Can't wait to go back and try more on the menu!
(5)
Riss J.
Looking through the other reviews and seeing how many people I CALL FRIENDS have reviewed this place, some as long as SIX YEARS AGO, that I've never met up with the WS-ers and been here until last night is close to unforgivable. However, it was Ian's treat as part of a gracious and generous "Thanks for not killing my dog" week of sitting with the adorable Tesla. So, some forgiveness there. And, it happened to be on a night when Craig and Bounce came walking in and the added bonus of their company brings the forgiveness up another few notches. The service was quick, prompt, friendly and just attentive enough. The food was so good. My goodness. The prices versus the quality and options is just ridiculous..in the GOOD way. I went with the butternut squash tacos. So, So, SO good. I actually asked our waitress to go high five the cooks for me. I honestly can't wait to go back again. So much about the space, the decor, the service, the food and the wonderful company pieced together for a fantastic experience I am anxious to repeat and explore that menu much deeper. So, complete absolution for not having told me about this place or met up here earlier, friends.
(5)
K T.
Never had a bad meal. Kitchen was a little off for brunch this weekend though. Hollandaise was quite acidic and pancakes burned on one side. Still tasted good. Sure could use one more server though!
(4)
Dene' M.
My favorite restaurant in West Seattle. I"m a huge fan of the steak salad but everything is delicious!
(5)
Stacie K.
We ended up here because Prost was redonkulously crowded. So I was all like " I saw this cute little joint like a block down the road". Turns out it was a half hour walk each direction, but whatever. We wanted foods. Go in, short wait. Get sat by a super cute girl. She is friendly, interactive, and awesome. The menu is not complicated. She knew each dish and did a great job suggesting stuff. We had pork/goat cheese wontons, meatloaf burger, humus thingy, special fillet, and skirt steak with an added on crab cake. ALL OF THE FOOD WAS EPIC. Great portions. I had room for desert without feeling like i would pop. I ordered the choco creme brulee. They give you 2 kinds. Both awesome. Loved this place. We will be back.
(5)
Rich S.
Brunch at Circa!. I should've come here months ago. The menu is filled with great options; if I'd had room for it, I would have added coffee cake and perhaps more to my order. The stomach struggles to keep up with the eyes. I ordered the biscuits with country gravy (they got my egg order wrong, but I actually didn't mind). The biscuits were thick and flaky, the gravy was like I remember at my favorite joints in the south but lighter. Folks I came with enjoyed the take-out boxes labeled with the date and contents. I think I'll be coming back soon.
(4)
Kris P.
What a nice little find, thanks to a co-worker of my wifes. We showed up a little early and were given a booth, immediately, even though our party wouldn't arrive for at least another 20 minutes. The wait staff helped my wife pick a nice beer to enjoy... bringing her samples. I had a nice 5 year old bottle of Merlot that I enjoyed.... two glasses worth. While waiting for our friends (who are regulars here) we ordered the Coconut prawns with sweet chili sauce. DELISH!!!! For dinner, I went with the Butternut tacos, and I will most definitely have them again. They mixture of flavors and textures were perfect. I loved the mole sauce added on top of the tortillas. And the butternut squash was cooked the exact way that I love it, and served up in big pieces. The coconut rice was delicious, without being overwhelming in taste. My wife got the steak salad, and she said that it was wonderful. I'm sure that she will get it again. Loved how they had framed photo's of different animals on the walls, for sale. We were put in the booth with two different framed pictures of raccoons, and that put a huge smile on my face. The restaurant isn't huge, but it has such a nice intimate feel to it. The bathroom was very clean, and I used the facilities when we first arrived, and right as we were leaving, almost 2.5 hours later. ACES for a clean bathroom. The staff was really friendly, and made us feel very welcome. The service was wonderful, and quick. Several refills were brought to us, without having to ask. Nothing took too long to be brought to our table. One of the better places that I've enjoyed in Seattle.... and we will be back. Great little intimate restaurant and they have a clean bathroom. Aces up from me. Raccoon booth.
(5)
Caroline S.
We ate our dinners at the bar and were impressed with the personable service and absolutely incredible food! The steak salad was absolutely fabulous!
(5)
Bruce T.
Lunch was excellent. I had the meatloaf sandwich, my wife had the lamb burger, with Guinness for me and a Malbec for her. First, they know how to draw a Guinness. Beautiful head, and the beer was at the right temperature. The fries were great: peel was left on the spuds, they were hot out of the fryer when the meals arrived, seasoned perfectly and cooked just the way we like them. Both sandwiches were very good, each on its own kind of bread, both well chosen to complement the meat. The service was flawless, the food was really unique and very good and the beverages just right. The seasoning here deserves special mention, since it was really, really well done. We'll be dining here again, rely on it.
(5)
Amy C.
The food was amazing and the service was great. Had the crab cake benes and my friend had the steak salad. Yum!! Good beers, too...
(4)
Lacey L.
We hardly ever go out for breakfast but when we do we go here. The pancakes are amazing and the coffee cake is super moist. They have a lot more to offer than just the typical breakfast. They even have praline maple syrup, awesome. It's always a good sign when they serve the real stuff. I'm also addicted to the steak salad. I don't know what they marinate the steak in but it's fabulous and comes with big chunks of delicious blue cheese and fresh tomatoes. It's the best!!
(4)
Traci J.
We were in the market for breakfast before a big day of shopping. One voted Circa, one voted Heartland. Circa won. I think I wasn't a huge fan of the place since it's just beer and wine and no hard alcohol, but since that wasn't a factor on this fine Saturday morning, I'd give it a shot. Not a big egg eater, I was a big skeptical that I was not going to get my meat fix. Aha! Joe's Special Scramble. I ordered it well done with some mushrooms thrown in, and chose the coffee cake, even though I spied a little crock of jam on the table. The eggs were perfectly cooked with no runny goo, and only enough to coat the good stuff - read: meat, mushrooms and spinach. The hash browns were the shredded kind, fluffy and a good kind of greasy in the middle and perfectly brown crispiness on the outside. I ate the entire square and didn't leave the blah middle sitting there as I normally do. They definitely give Ore-Ida a run for their money in the hash browns department. The breakfast was served with a couple bites of fruit so you can get your healthy fix: melon, pineapple and an orange slice. Although the coffee cake was warm and covered in streusel goodness, I could only manage one bite and had to take the rest to go. The others in my party enjoyed their benedicts and breakfast was declared a success. Coffee and water were kept filled, and the waitress didn't even flinch when we presented 4 charge cards so the bill could be evenly split. Super filling breakfast for under $15 including tip and coffee - will definitely return.
(4)
Tori G.
This place was awesome! Full bar, good food, good service, and they even had baseball on TV. My only qualms are that it's pretty small, and there's no real waiting area (especially if the bar is full) if you get there during a busy dinner time. The parking lot is also small, but there's a B of A lot right behind it that you're probably not supposed to (but can) park in (after hours). This is a great spot for a casual dinner in West Seattle - I highly recommend it!
(4)
Heather P.
Great beginnings, we were seated in the "raccoon" booth. If you love great food and great photography, this is definately your place!! There are B x W photos on display everywhere, which give a very warm feeling to the place. If that wasn't enough, the food speaks for itself!! AMAZING taste!! I had the steak salad, which I must say, just wanted to melt in my mouth......it was prepared perfectly! The combination of the flavors of the meat, salad, and dressing, were all perfectly combined to give the most amazing flavor burst in your mouth. Let's talk about appetizers!!! We had their coconut prawns......OMG!! Talk about BIG, JUICY prawns!! These were absolutely YUMMY!! This definately a place to put on your "must try" list, but be sure to get there early, since they do have a bit of a wait if you arrive after 7pm. Great selection of micro brews and wines. Take a trip here, and you will not be disappointed!!
(5)
Rodney C.
I've been to Circa on several occasions the past several years and EVERY single time, I've been super happy. I mean, SUPER happy. SO delish. My taste buds go in serious overdrive everytime. I wish I could provide you with reviews on various dishes they serve. But I can't - because I can't seem to get myself to order anything besides the Grilled Steak Salad. It's so perfect. I challenge any other restaurant in the Seattle surrounding area to beat their salad. Good times, yo. I have had some specials and other dishes that were superb. But, gosh, did I mention how good the steak salad is? At the same time, can't go wrong with offsetting the nutritious salad with their bomb-diggity chocolate cake. Oh man. Melt much? Yes. If you're in W.Seattle, please visit this cute quaint place with a wonderful waitstaff. You won't be disappointed. Unless you're an evil grinch.
(5)
Heather H.
This place is awesome! Beer choices great and stepped up bar food. Also, great pricing. Give this place a shot.
(5)
Christine R.
This place makes me want to move to West Seattle!! It really is a neighborhood joint. I like that vibe to it. So many restaurants these days are chain types where you lose the connection you have with a place. I came here a week ago for a work lunch. We came at lunch, and although there it was pretty full, there was only one server. It did take a while for the food to arrive, but when it did, it was totally worth the wait!!! I had the fish and chips, and I've had this dish so many times at different places, and this just tasted so much better than all the others. They have a large selection of beers, and if it wasn't a working day, I probably would've had a few. I drove by last night about 830pm and this place was packed to the rim!! Again, the friendly service, the good food, and just the overall vibe of this place is really having me consider moving to W.Seattle.
(4)
Jena E.
Been here three times, and it pulled me out of my reviewing slump. I have not had a single molecule of food or drink which I did not enjoy. Cute atmosphere as well. I forgot to talk to people at my table because I was staring at the antique light fixture over the bar. I've been served by a couple of lovely, funny ladies with recommendations that were sincere, and had a couple of stellar beers.
(5)
Sonya L.
Dinner last night at Circa was absolutely great. My boyfriend and I went here for a date based on a recommendation from my friend and it was fantastic. We had a really great time. We got there about 8pm and only had to wait about 5 minutes to get a table. The place is smaller than I imagined, but the atmosphere is great. We both had the cider on tap (can't remember the name), which was very good. I had the butternut squash tacos and they were excellent. The mole sauce was super tasty and the entire combination of flavors exceeded 5 stars for me! My boyfriend had the halibut and chips and he really liked them. The fries were delicious - they sort of reminded us of Dick's fries, except larger and a bit fancier. Our waitress was friendly and pleasant and checked in on us just the right amount of times. She even offered my boyfriend a free IPA since she poured it accidentally and didn't want it to go to waste. He happily accepted it. Overall we had a great time here and left full and happy. I'd really like to come back to try the brunch - the food sounds really good!
(5)
JonandVal H.
Heard some great reviews about this place... There all true! Started with the hummus, which came with olive tapenade, corn, sauteed onions, tomatoes and cucumber. It def exceeded the "yummus" claim! I ordered the meatloaf, which came bacon wrapped on a bed of mashers. Moist, flavorful, delicious. The wife had the infamous butternut squash tacos. Was more of a lasagna than a taco, and was really rich, but tasty. FWIW, she might order something else next time, though, like the halibut fish n chips. Overall, lived up to the rep, decent service, def a must try!
(4)
David W.
maybe it was just me... maybe it is my mind set ... maybe it was the night I was having. I was here for about 17 Minutes...had dinner and a ice tea no refill and the bill was under 19$. So when I ask the bartender if she can break a 20 so I can tip and she hands me 10 and two fives....I think she misunderstood. I don't leave tips over 25% to people I don't know and only spoke to twice....unless you blew my mind. Again... maybe it was me...But she seemed a little put out that I wanted to break the five. I left her 4$ - over 20% BTW. And left a little pissed myself. Had the steak - I liked it.. it was pretty good...veggies were gross...tasted frozen... mashed potatoes were fine...Liked the sauce... Probably will never go back.
(2)
Ryan G.
This place is good for a nice Manny's on tap and if you got the gusto I highly recommend their Chicken Quesadilla...it was deliscious. Food seems good here and the service was excellent. It is a little tight in there in terms of space and I am a big guy so I likes to spread out!! Woopty.
(4)
Rachel P.
I visited Circa after a recommendation of someone I met at the Beer Junction Thursday night tasting. My friend and I split the Lamb Burger and butternut squash tacos. First of all HUGE portions! But most importantly, YUMMMMMY entrees! I was a bit hesitant about the Butternut Squash taco's with Mole. But let me tellllll you .... that was a taste EXPLOSION of which I was not expecting! I will definitely go back!
(5)
Cindy C.
omg so good. We went here only because the place we were planning to go to was under construction. So lucky that we had to change our plans because this place was awesome. Circa is a tiny neighborhood restaurant with great atmosphere and a cozy bar. We got the butternut squash taco and meatloaf. The meatloaf was super tasty and thinly sliced - on a few scoops of yummy mashed potatoes. The taco was very sweet with well paired flavors. Didnt touch the beans much or the rice since the high value item was the taco. Definitely would love to go back and try more stuff. The our waitress was fantastic also. Very fast service and helped us with our order.
(5)
Jeremy C.
My wife and I went here before catching an 8:50 showing at the Admiral (cheapie) Theater. I had come here for lunch awhile back and liked it, but wow, dinner was amazing! We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, from the beers, to the crab wonton app, my to-die-for butternut squash taco (with amazing sides and sauces) and her crab cakes with an incredible spicy mango salsa. Then we had these warm cinnamon donut holes with a caramel sauce -- out of this world! You won't be disappointed here.
(5)
Ashley T.
Okay, because I was mildly hungover this morning, and Circa was literally 3 minutes away the husband and I made our way back to try the burger. WOW. Get thee to Circa for the burger. You will not be disappointed!! I'll definitely be back.
(5)
Megan B.
Very cute and not pretentious at all. It's a small space with minimal space to wait, but they served us a beverage while we waited and sat us within 15min. The menu has nice variety and everything is fresh and tasty. The service is pleasant and not overbearing. Overall, a great little spot for a weeknight out or a mellow Friday night dinner.
(4)
Tonya N.
Pretty darn good! I enjoyed my brunch here... Big portions but didn't feel to heavy or greasy. Had the steak salad and the Benedict, great choices.
(4)
Alina P.
Feeling like some comfort food? Check out the Meatloaf, it's mmm mmm good. The meat loaf is wrapped in bacon (that is never a bad thing!) and served over super creamy mashers and asparagus. Add a smooth beer off their ever changing options and you will be warm, and cuddly....I recommend you do not start cuddling with your fellow patrons without asking as they may not have had the meatloaf. PS the current apricot cider "I no likey." Sour and tart, made me think of those bitter beer commercials. I barely made myself gulp it for "alcoholic buzz achievement purposes only." PPS Note for those who like late night dining, look elsewhere, these folks close early, WAY to early in my book. Like nine or something, I am usually just waking up by then. West Seattle has too many early closing restaurants. :-3 (
(4)
C E.
Love the food! It's been fabulous every time I've gone. I usually get the steak salad but ordered a lamb burger this time and, well, WOW. Been craving another all week! Additionally, the service was great. We were in a hurry to get to the Admiral for a flick and they took care of us. Always a good experience!
(5)
Orca J.
I have been going here for years. I, nor any guest I took, have ever had a bad meal. The food quality is consistently very good, the burgers are arguably one of the best in Seattle, and certainly the best in West Seattle. The staff are always kind, courteous, exact, heck they remember my likes and dislikes, and my name. They always make me feel like I am at home! The beer selection is always good, and sometimes exceptional, and they sell growlers! The place is defiantly a local hangout, and with good reason. I hate to give it a good review becasue I don't want non-locals taking my spot! ;)
(5)
Nicole A.
I love this place!!! i was there last night for the first time and it was excellent! I had the beet salad, corn dog shrimp and sweet potato fries. Everything was perfect - the atmosphere, our server, wine and food.
(5)
Won K.
Excellent, creative food that doesn't make you feel sick like 85% of restaurants. If you live a healthy lifestyle you know what I mean. Tell me how your stomach feels after a meal from Salty's (judging by the whopping 2 times in my life that I've been there). Good, clean food that's not boring, good beer on tap selection, good service. What more do you need? This place used to have a bad service reputation. Not true!
(5)
Layla G.
Whenever we're in the mood for a great buger we head straight to Circa. When my husband uprooted us from the snows of the Aspen valley to the rain of Seattle's waterfront, I mourned the loss of our favorite hamburger hangout, Little Annie's. Never again, I lamented, will we find a place with such spectacular burgers and perfect steak salad. I snapped out of my melancholia when we discovered Circa at the end of a moving day that started at 6am. We were dropping off a bunch of clothes at the dry cleaner on the corner when we caught the enticing scent of grilled meat and crispy fries. We literally followed our noses down the street until we sniffed out a door and dived through it. It was a small space but painted with a warm embracing color and filled mostly with comfy booths with a bar adjacent. We quickly claimed the last booth and 20 minutes later there was a line out the door and starting down the street. The line made me nervous and I was worried that, with so many people waiting, the waitress would rush us through dinner. She didn't. She didn't even look at the backlog! We started by splitting the crab cakes entree ($17). The waitress had no problem with dividing up the crab cakes onto 4 appetizer plates. It was, as promised, fresh crab, not frozen. My husband, brother-in-law and I all had burgers of different types ($12) which came with choice of soup, salad, or fries. We all asked for different degrees of done-ness (a rare, a med-rare and a med-well) and we each got exactly what we asked for. My sister-in-law opted for the steak salad ($14) without the BBQ sause and with extra gorgonzola. They made it just the way she requested, and she was excited to see that they didn't skimp on the steak. All of the food we ordered was wonderful. Through subsequent visits we learned that all the regular options on the menu are consistently done very well. The specials are another matter. Let's just say they're consistently inconsistent. So is the service. Sometimes the waitstaff are like bustling college students. But sometimes they're like distracted high school seniors. They're never rude, just a little unfocused. They are definitely young. This was brought home to us when we asked about a song playing (the music is always pleasantly eclectic) and after checking with the bartender, the waitress revealed it was a group she'd never heard before - some band called "War". It was the first time we felt the generation gap. (And also felt slightly senile since we hadn't recognized the vocals.) My worldly-wise wisdom for getting the most out of your Circa experience: expect to wait for a table, don't be surprised if the service is uneven, avoid the specials. Enjoy the pub-like atmosphere and the unexpected songs, and the selection of beers.
(3)
Aaron M.
I went for brunch and the food is amazing here. I had the Louisiana Benedict that uses spinach and andouille sausage. The only place open to sit at was the bar, but the barkeep was great at serving us. The noise level is about what you'd expect in a busy space that was filled. My friend and I literally got the last two free seats so they were at capacity. I am definitely going to return though.
(4)
Hanna L.
Went to circa with a girlfriend. We shared the halibut fish and chips with sweet potato fries, the butternut squash tacos, and finally ended with a orange chocolate molten cake.... The fish and chips were standard- nothing too amazing. However, the butternut squash tacos were to die for! They used Goat cheese inside the tacos, which turned me off a bit- I don't like the taste of goat cheese.... I just ate the rest of the taco while my girlfriend ate most of the goat cheese. We ended our dinner off with the orange chocolate molten cake. If I were not so concerned about my calorie intake, and the effect the cake would have on my expanding waist-line, I probably would have ate the whole thing AND licked the plate clean. It was that good. The only reason why it loses a star is because it was so packed in the restaurant, and the prices were a little steep... But other than that, it was great!! Definitely coming back again!
(4)
Meghan K.
This is hands down my favorite restaurant in the Seattle area. Hands down. The food here is amazing. You MUST try the steak salad. It is so delicious. Out of everything that I have tried here, everything has been delicious, but this is the most delicious. The butternut squash tacos are great, and the daily specials that I've tried have been divine, but the steak salad is where it's at. I'm telling you. They also have a great beer selection, and they've always had a cider on tap when I've been there. I've never had to wait more than 20 minutes for a table even though the place is on the smaller side. The wait staff is always friendly and I've always had great service here. If you're ever in West Seattle you should check this place out. You won't regret it!
(5)
Alon L.
I've been here both for brunch and for dinner. Both were quite good, and the ingredients seemed fresh. There's a decent selection. I had the bacon wrapped-meatloaf, which was above average. The meat itself could have used a little more seasoning, but it was overall tasty. One of the people seated next to me ordered a burger, which looked really good. I think I'd go for one of those next time. Brunch here consists of the standard fare, but good quality. Price is right. Nice service, though they were slow with the drink refills. The place is a little on the small side - it doesn't seem like it'd be a good place for big groups.
(4)
Jen F.
I got to the restaurant at 5pm sharp on a Saturday evening, just as they were opening. By 5:45pm there was not one seat available. It's a small restaurant, but I was happy to see it fill so quickly. I went to Circa several years ago when they first opened. After a move back to the Seattle area, I'm glad to see they are still around! I had the blackened halibut and a side house salad. I requested that they leave off the chipotle mayo. Halibut is so easily overwhelmed by other flavors, I wanted to actually taste the fish. It was perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked. Additionally, their side house salad isn't just the standard green leafy nothingness with your choice of dressing. It's got craisins, goat cheese and candied walnuts. You don't even need the dressing, which I asked for on the side and never used. Such a tasty, perfect meal in a nice, cozy establishment. My only suggestion is, get there early if you don't want to wait for a table!
(4)
Sarah C.
Circa is MY KIND OF PLACE! Went there for dinner last night with my mom and my brother for dinner. We were also checking out possible venues for a small UW graduation dinner for yours truly. There was a 20 minute wait, so of course we got some dranks at the bar. I told the bartender woman that I didn't like beer, and lo and behold she wanted to convert me so I got to try a bunch of beer samples. My brother got 3-4 samples as well, even though he is a beer snob. Then we got our table. I looked at the menu and I could not believe my eyes; all of my favorite things and more were on one page, and for reasonable prices, as well. My mom asked the waitress if the coconut rice tasted coconutty (she HATES coconut) and the waitress actually volunteered to go get some for my mom to taste. I ordered the butternut squash tacos, and they were scrum-diddly-umptious! The presentation on all of the items made me feel like I was in some kind of gourmet restaurant and not a neighborhood eatery. I was so pleased wtih this place that I ordered another glass of wine. OH, and we're a family that NEVER gets dessert because we are either too full or to cheap, but at this place we actually got two desserts: the chocolate cake and the creme brulee. I was stuffed but it was oh so good. Comments from my mom and brother: Bro: "Wow, I usually go out to eat and think 'that was good, but I don't know if it was worth the price.' Here I am saying, that was AMAZING, and so worth the price!" Mom: "I can't remember the last time I had such a good dinner out to eat!" This is a WONDERFUL place - great food, friendly, genuine service, and reasonable prices! I'll be back....next month with my family in tow for my gradution dinner!
(5)
Megan O.
I had heard about Circa ever since I moved to West Seattle and this week I got a chance to try it. The place is pretty small and cozy, with a few booths and a bar. It's very comfortable. The bar seems like a great place to hang with a friend, have a drink and chill. You can tell it's a neighborhood hangout. After we were seated we each got a beer. I was surprised, but they actually had a pretty good beer selection. Any place that has Big Al's on tap is cool with me. For dinner all the ladies at the table got steak salad and the men got butternut squash tacos. That salad was really delicious. The steak was cooked perfectly and had a sweet and tangy marinade. All the ingredients just really complimented each other. I didn't try any of the tacos but the boys said they were great. Since we had a birthday at the table our waitress brought out some chocolate cake. How can you go wrong with that? It was moist, chocolatey and totally yummy. I've definitely found another spot in my wonderful neighborhood to frequent. I hear they have brunch so that is my next mission!
(4)
Nick Mary R.
Fabulous food. Great servers. Not cheap, but worth it. Every time we go it's seems better.
(5)
Matt M.
Great place to grab lunch! The staff was really friendly and I will always go back to a spot where whoever is serving can hold a halfway decent conversation with multiple people at the bar. The food was awesome and the laid back atmosphere made it the perfect place to chill and enjoy a nice day...
(4)
Stephanie M.
This place was delicious! I loved the curry mussels- yum! And the pasta dish I had was quite tasty. My husband had the steak- which was also quite tasty. I was very happy with the wine and beer selection. I will definitely be back!
(4)
Stephan J.
This place has that neighborhood vibe where all the locals eat. The place was packed on a Saturday evening so we found a spot at the bar. They had a nice selection on wines and beers on tap that appear to rotate often. The menu had lots of great items, that seemed to be comfort foodish, to choose from. I enjoyed the chicken enchiladas. I also got to sample the hanger steak, which also was quite nice.
(4)
Tracey S.
I'm a fan and the sole reason is because of the service. In the distant past, people have complained that if you're not a regular at Circa, you won't receive celebrity service. To a very small extent that's true. It's a NEIGHBORHOOD restaurant. So of course the people who live in the neighborhood, who frequent the place (and by frequent, I mean they go there multiple times per week) are going to be more warmly welcomed than a perfect stranger. But the service is never, ever rude or un-welcoming. Relationships take time. The food is good. And at times very, very good...depending on who's cooking. If you really want things to sing, ask for Alie, John or Sean. The beer and wine selection, for a neighborhood pub, are downright outstanding. This also is due in large part to the waitstaff who care enough to make sure the beer and wine they carry actually compliments the food they serve. But at the end of the day, it's another decent neighborhood brewpub. Make no mistake, what keeps this place in business is the loyal following the waitstaff have worked very, very hard to create. Becoming a regular is like earning a place at the family dinner table.
(4)
Dave R.
Have not been here in ages, what with the scirrotic liver all achy from Beveridge Place, and the flare up of the clap from tattoo-gal at Rocksport. In fact, sorting through the haze, maybe her artful tramp stamp actually said 'Rocksport,' unless that was coaster from the bar on her lower back. We were both watching WSU lose so couldn't see her....oh jeez. Anyhoo........Circa has a very nice menu, good tap selection and friendly staff. Really liked our belated return. Sorry we waited so long to come back.
(5)
Mj B.
Circa has the best burger in West Seattle. Served with delicious fries. Top that off with a usually great and diverse beer selection (last night they had bottles of Russian River Supplication!) and friendly staff, and you've got a sweet local spot. It gets crowded on Fridays and Saturdays, perfect during the week.
(5)
Veronica H.
I love the Louisiana Eggs Benedict! Yum! The banana pancakes kick ass too! My other favorite entree is the meatloaf sandwich. I NEVER order meatloaf anything from any restaurant. But, the meatloaf sandwich here is delicious. Servers are always nice and friendly. Great neighborhood place.
(5)
Yiling W.
Tasty, large brunch for two for about $25! Complete with Rilo Kiley, Smashing Pumpkins and similar music in the background. Yum. Avocado side was nice and fresh too, and the chorizo egg scramble (more of a log/blob) was tasty.
(4)
Jeff J.
i LUVS me some circa. it is a great neighborhood place, with a deelish bar menu, and extensive beer choices. b/c i travel a lot for work, i love to come here after getting back from the airport, usually wiped out, and sink in to some of circa's great upscale comfort food. oh, and the servers really are a class of their own. friendly, fast, they keep the place going, and treat you like the best local you'd want to be. :)
(5)
Erin H.
The food here was delicious and the french fries were some of the best I have had in Seattle. Because the food was so good and the customer service was great this place tops out at 3 for me. I stated to my waitress that I am very allergic to eggs, so I cannot eat mayonnaise on my burger, it seemed that the waitress had taken the time to write this down... I was very excited and super hungry but 2 bites into my burger, I could feel the slime of the mayo on my teeth. I dropped the bite out of my mouth and found that there was indeed mayo on my burger and so much that it was pooling when I took a bite. The waitress brought me back a plain bun with a fresh piece of lettuce but needless to say my dinner was ruined and I have spent the whole next day (superbowl sunday) recovering from my evening of benadryl and a day full of head and stomach aches... Good food if you don't have any allergies. I'm glad I am not as allergic as others.
(3)
Julie M.
This is my favorite restaurant in all of Seattle. Awesome food, great ambience, good drinks. Especially like the butternut squash tacos. My only suggestion would be more vegetarian options, but still great as is :)
(5)
Amy E.
Love this place - it never fails to satisfy! Unlike Porterhouse, Circa kept it's mainstays on the new menu, plus added some wonderful new dishes. The service is always great, and the bar is the best seat in Seattle. Highly recommend it.
(5)
Lanie C.
This is a neighborhood haunt for me, that also works great for visitors as well. The salads, soups, and entrees are consistently good. I like the Tex-Mex twist they have on several dishes. Well worth a visit if you are in the California Ave/ Admiral Way Junction.
(4)
Zelabeth C.
My boyfriend & I went for Sunday brunch - very good eggs Benedict (the Louisiana) - finally a toasted English muffin (too often place serves a barely warmed may as well not bother muffin) - a goodly & tasty amount of food left us well-satisfied. But - they really need to NOT have the place smelling of bleach - it was quite strong and unappetizing, but we got used to it. Plus - loud rock music wasn't the atmosphere I like when trying to dine & chat. The waitress - not the best, not the worst - certainly not super charming or friendly. My parents love this place and say in the eves there was no bleach smell, a great waitress and food. I'll go again - but do hope they read these reciews and improve on its demerits.
(4)
Sarah M.
I have no complaints about Circa. A friend and I decided to share 2 main dishes. We had the squash tacos and the fish and chips with yam fries. The service is great and everyone is very friendly. There was a bit of a long wait but it was well worth it. Location is perfect and its easy to find parking. Love!!!
(5)
Stephen S.
Funny how sometimes you forget about your favorite places. I've been here twice in the last week but it was probably a year before that. I don't know why I stopped going. Two thumbs up. They have a good beer selection and reasonable wine prices, but I come here for the food. The food is GOOD. Really good. When you factor in the very fair prices this place is an outstanding value. I haven't had an entree here that I DIDN'T walk away delighted from. The downsides. It's small, often crowded, usually a wait on the weekends. I've always been happy with the service as well, its ranged from acceptable to great. If you've never been, give Circa a try
(4)
Hilary S.
Circa is fabulous. I went here with a friend for dinner and I have nothing but praise. We both ordered the steak salad, which was delicious. They had a full selection of drinks, and plenty of menu options reasonably priced. Our waitress even checked in to make sure that I liked my drink, and offered to switch it out since I didn't. The atmosphere is cozy and they have great music playing. We were sitting at our table long after the meal was over and they didn't try to kick us out; eventually we realized the restaurant needed to close. Great experience!
(4)
Paul M.
Circa is my home away from home! Their beer selection rocks! Circa burger and steak salad are something to write home about. And the staff- one word: wow.
(5)
Jaclyn B.
If my tight budget allowed, we'd be here every weekend. We always have the same server, who knows us and is the best server in all of Seattle. She is attentive and sweet, and if the Circa food wasn't so amazing I am sure we'd eat here just to see her. Lucky for us, the food is amazing so we don't have to sacrifice. We sometimes rotate between Jak's Grill, Easy Street and Ma'Ono, but quite honestly Circa is our favorite. Always fresh coffee the moment we walk in, and every time I order my food it is cooked to perfection. Arguably the best hash browns in W. Seattle, and my favorite menu item is the Slacker.
(5)
Rocky E.
For a little neighborhood restaurant/bar...Circa is AWESOME. Great food, good prices, good service, clean bathrooms. They get it. They get my patronage a lot too because of just how much they get it. Love this place.
(5)
Ronnie K.
After a few years and boldly taking the plunge to re-visit (at least a dozen times over, now), I happily upgrade my review to 4+ stars. I love and curse the changing menu (bring back the mushroom ravioli, darn it!!) and the beer selection is fairly well-rounded. The service is much, much better than my earliest visits. Circa is a beloved, cozy neighborhood watering hole. When I just want to relax without the bother of all that is pretentious, I wander to Circa and let my hair down.
(4)
Jgirl S.
LOVE this place. Go there all the time with hubby.
(5)
Katy B.
Yay! My first 5-star review! I took my family here when they came to visit. We had brunch.. I had the migas - delicious and amazing potatoes. Sister had the eggs scrambled with salmon and cream cheese - out of this world. They came with HUGE slices of homemade coffee cake. Stepmom had the banana pancakes - so good and with pecan syrup! Dad had something traditional... bacon and eggs, etc. We all loved our food, waitress was so nice, and I will definitely be back. Not a big place, so expect to wait during busy hours.
(5)
Denice R.
Yep, I'm a fan of that hypnotic bacon and delicious coffeecake. Not a fan of the hard bench seats or funky energy-sucking attitude of the servers (not all but most). My friends and I psyche ourselves up to go because of the service-with-an-attitude so we don't go as often as we would if the service was with-a-smile. Seating can feel tight and when people are waiting for tables they spill into the restaurant around those already seated. Irritating for sure.
(4)
Kendra L.
Went to Circa tonight and had the cod burger-- the fish was moist and the slaw on the burger was really nice as well. The side salad with gorgonzola and walnuts was good as well. The service tonight was pretty prompt, but we didn't arrive until 8.30 and it's Thursday, which helped perhaps. When this restaurant is crowded (which is often) I've had pretty slow service here. Previous times I've eaten there the food hasn't been as memorable as well, seems from the reviews like the burgers are the thing...
(3)
Catherine H.
liked it better when it was a record store
(2)
Ty L.
Usually love this place, as aforementioned. However, last time I went, I had an omelete, with hash browns. Hash was overcooked/burnt, the omelete was overcooked on the outside, kind of runny on the inside. I thought, fine, can't be perfect every time. However... 2 hours later, the chills, body aches, vomiting, and etc... i ended up with the worst food poisoning i've ever had. This lasted for 2 days. I'm not sure if they had a different cook that day, or what but I havent been back since.
(1)
C Y.
West Seattle gem. Tasty food, nice selection of beers. Last Sat. we enjoyed a seafood pasta special and the roast chicken. Pasta came with a generous portion of steamed clams in a delicious saffron broth. The nicely seasoned half chicken was served with some sauteed spinach and mashed potatoes. I had enough chicken left over for lunch the next day. Fine service, place can get crowded on weekends. Our only negative is the stubby little wine glasses they use.
(4)
Eric M.
Delicious food! Took a while to get seated, but they were very nice. I'd definately go back.
(4)
Eugenio F.
Perhaps i walked in there with no expectations... the service was friendly and the food was good. I am going to go back soon!
(4)
Aivanett N.
I've been here a few times for brunch with friedns and it is usually pretty packed which I completely understand. It is a small and cozy place but the breakfast is amazing. I've only had breakfast so I cannot speak for anything else. I have not been dissapointed once. Although the last waitress was a bit snootty the service is always speedy, attentive and great. They always cook the hashbrowns to perfection and the banana pancakes are to die for! I'm glad I found Circa!
(4)
Alyson L.
Finally made it back to Circa on Sunday after a long hiatus, and I'm happy to say that I may actually appreciate them even more now. I had a craving for a lazy day at home, but I didn't feel like spending any time in the kitchen, so I convinced the boyfriend that he would probably like Circa as much as I did and therefore we should check them out for breakfast before scooting back to my place to lay around in our pjs in bed all day. When I try out a new breakfast joint, I like to order a typical meal that you would be able to get at most places - bacon, eggs, 'browns and toast....I figure if they can rock the basics then I can trust their other breakfast selections. Circa rocked the "Standard". Bacon was done perfectly, as well as the eggs, the potatoes (though not my beloved hash browns) were flavorful with a nice crisp crust, and the toast was almost fancy. The mimosas were served to us as a bottle of Cristallino accompanied by a glass of orange juice...Perfectly lushy! Our server this time around was friendly and prompt (she did initially bring Jake the wrong meal, but she fixed it in a heartbeat) and on top of her game on an increasingly busy gray Sunday morning. The best part? They offer my favorite meal there (Fish and chips) on their brunch menu and they have Mothership Wit as their rotating seasonal on tap RIGHT NOW. Now if only every day could be a lazy Sunday and I could eat all my meals at Circa, I would be a supremely happy girl. P.S. Minus one star because the coffee cake was a bit dry (but only $1.50).
(4)
Pamela H.
Banana Pancakes = DELISH! The eggs benedict is also fantastic, even though I'm not a big fan of chorizo (I just pick it off). The home fries are some of the best I've had (second only to home cooked.) Kids meals are decent portion, and a good price. My daughter is a big fan of the cheesy scramble.
(5)
Mark M.
Awesome food, tasty microbrews on tap, small but cozy atmosphere, great service. I have read some other reviews saying service was poor, but that was not our experience at all. My wife and I shared squash tacos (may sound odd but they were fantastic) and meatloaf dinners. Both excellent. I had a beer sampler, which was great. We had the hot chocolate cake a la mode for dessert. It was quite good thanks to the cake. The vanilla ice cream was average. I went online to find their menu and it seems Circa does not have a website. That's unfortunate. Since I'm new to Seattle and my business is web marketing, I'm going to have to look into that! Great restaurants / pubs should have great websites.
(4)
Mark F.
I feel right at home at Circa, the food is great the staff is friendly and attentive. I have tried four different plates one salad, one soup and one appetizer in my four visits and they all were excellent with generous portions and speedy service. I would certainly recommend this place for a nice relaxed cozy dinner or sit at the bar for a friendly conversation.
(5)
T H.
I love this place!! The food is amazing, the atmosphere rocks and the service is the best in town!
(5)
Courtney H.
I'm a big fan of Sunday brunch and mimosas with my boyfriend. It's sort of our thing. So, being residents of West Seattle, we like to add Circa to our rotating wheel of brunch spots. I have a hard time not getting the Hawaiian French Toast every single time. But it's ok, because my boyfriend will order randomly and let me taste his selection. So far, it's all been great!
(4)
Joel M.
I've honestly never eaten at Circa for any meal other than breakfast. With that being said, however, I can attest that their breakfast is delicious. Sure, the parking situation is somewhat miserable (though you can park in the grocery lot parking lot nearby without scrutiny). Sure, it's almost always packed for breakfast on the weekends. The food, however, is awesome and that more than makes up for the sometimes snarky staff and the above mentioned complaints. Also, they have some really unintentionally creepy toys in little baskets for your kids.
(4)
Adriana K.
I stumbled upon this place with a visiting coworker and was pleasantly surprised by how great it was. Normally when you substitute a salad for an extra $1 as your lunch side, its watery iceberg lettuce with a soggy carrot or two. Not a flavorful combination of mixed greens, dried cranberries, candied walnuts and gorgonzola, with tarragon-dijon dressing... wow! I had the Charmoula Chicken Sandwich which was equally tasty - so much I brought half home with me, which the waitress put the date and what it was on the box. It was little things like that I appreciated in this cozy neighborhood spot. The service was friendly - not exceptionally fast, but decent. My coworker has all kinds of allergies and they happily accommodated her version of Chicken Enchiladas. I always appreciate when a restaurant can accommodate things like that - its hard enough to not be able to eat regular food - lets not add insult to injury by being picky about allergy requests. I am going back for dinner!
(4)
Michael A.
This is my favorite restaurant in West Seattle. It is not pretentious, nor over-priced. The food is always fresh and consistently good. I will admit that the service can be a bit slow. Maybe it is simply the relaxed atmosphere.
(4)
Magnus S.
The place is pretty small, and sometimes it's a bit of a wait to get a table, but the food is phenomenal. I've taken different people here, and haven't heard anything but good things in response. If you are in West Seattle and looking for a nice hole-in-the-wall to grab a bite, come check this place out.
(4)
Amy E.
Nice neighborhood place. The prices seem a bit high for the atmosphere. The tacos were very tasty but perhaps more accurately described as enchiladas.
(3)
Sarah K.
After a successful first day at the new place of work. I was greeted by an offer for dinner and wine to celebrate, their treat. When does a girl turn down a meal and alcohol in celebration of her... ummm never! So I love a mean salad bursting with flavor, and am a blue cheese fanatic, so imagine my delight when my dinner companion used this knowledge to pick Circa, whom is known for their Steak and Blue Cheese Salad? Plus I was excited to show off the cuteness of the first day of work outfit for an attentive audience. When we first got to Circa, it was looking disheartening, what looked like a large number of couples huddled around waiting for tables in a restaurant not overly large. My companion sucked up what he thought would be a long wait, (men are always so impatient) and not even 5 minutes later we had a table. I really loved the surroundings of the restaurant. The vintage chandeliers and original hardwood floors have my complete approval. Though the menu isn't large it offers a wide variety. The butternut squash tacos, and bacon wrapped meatloaf pieces definitely caught my eye but I ultimately went with the Blue Cheese and Steak Salad that I was brought here for. The only thing the salad was mixing was a breadstick, roll or some other carbohydrate goodness. The steak which I had cooked rare (is there any other way to eat steak) was cooked perfectly and so tender I really had no need to use my butterknife. It was placed on top of a bed of mixed greens that were tossed lightly in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing that was a perfect compliment. Then to finish off the salad was sliced baby tomatoes and large chunks of a quality blue cheese. I asked for extra blue cheese and thankful I did as it was the perfect amount with the extra, but again I am a cheese loving gal. My companion had the Circa Burger and had no complaints, I was to engrossed in my salad to grab a bite before it was gone, but loved how you could order the burger to whatever temperature you like. I did try his french fries which appeared to be homemade and they were delicious! I had the seasonal cider on tap which I forgot the name of but it was crisp and not overly sweet which equaled perfect drinkablity. My companion had the Harps Beer which you can never go wrong with. I was only able to get through about a 1/3 of the steak on my salad, 1/2 of the greens and 3/4 of the blue cheese... the rest got put in a doggy bag and sent home with my companion for lunch the next day. This is how we roll, he pays, I never finish, he takes home the leftovers... all in all I think it still lands in my favor. : ) The reasons the star was docked: 1. Was not offered fresh ground pepper, for a $14 salad I expect fresh pepper 2. There was no type of bread with the salad, and again for a $14 salad it should have some type of bread or roll with it. 3. I would have liked to have saw heirloom tomatoes on the salad instead of a standard variety *Warning these are nit picky things but I am the queen of salads and have a high standard level. I would definitely come back here again, and can't wait to try the other menu items!
(4)
Justine M.
You know, I love Circa. I really do. And I'd like to come in for brunch more often, only, I can't get over the fact that EVERY time I order the Louisiana Eggs Benedict, my poached eggs are poached solid. It's disgusting. This morning I tried to order it once again, and once again my eggs were hard. I was literally able to peel a solid yolk out of the whites. I should be able to cut into those eggs and have them run yolk down my english muffins, that's the point of eggs benedict! I'll probably try one more time. Maybe. Other than that, I'm sticking to late dinners.
(3)
Bruce H.
Took my sis to lunch for her birthday today. Since she lives in West Seattle I met her at Circa, in the Admiral District. The restaurant is rather unassuming from street level and I almost missed it. It's small and rather cozy inside, feels worn in, like a favorite baseball glove, and the hostess/waitress/bartender was friendly and mildly feisty...in a fun way. I ordered their meatloaf sandwich, not realizing that they're big enough to feed a family of five. My sister ordered the Mulligatawny soup, which feeds one person nicely. She's always been the sensible one in the family. I can't decide if I loved the meatloaf sandwich or hated it. I think the fact that I wolfed down the whole thing has clouded my judgment this afternoon. Did I eat it all because it tasted good? Or because I thought of it as a personal challenge? My sister loved her soup so maybe the food there is really good. I remember thinking that their fries were exceptional just before I went comatose. So here's a big four stars to Circa. Think I'll go back there sometime soon.
(4)
Evette H.
I rate Circa a 4 star because I consider a 5 star or "as good as it gets" to be The French Laundry or something equal. Circa is a great neighborhood restaurant, we eat breakfast here every weekend and at least one lunch a week when we are in Seattle...it is good food in a decent setting with a great wait staff, we have never experienced a problem and always look forward to dining at Circa.
(4)
Mark K.
The breakfast menu (and food) is outstanding, been to Circa 3 or 4 times and it never fails for breakfast goodness. Ambiance is very nice, typical of many good Seattle breakfast spots. The only reason I would not give it 5 stars is that it is a little understaffed, the waitress was always friendly, you just don't see them very often.
(4)
Craig H.
I'm bumping this up a notch... We've been here a few times now, for dinner and breakfast, and the typical experience is casual atmosphere and reasonable prices for remarkably good food. Honestly, just about everything we've ordered here has been really good, the kind of food you usually find at more frou-frou restaurants but for neighborhood bar prices. You still have to contend with the scattershot service though -- a product more of disorganization than of actual incompetence, I think -- and they close between lunch and dinner, and at other times for inexplicable reasons, so you should have a back-up in case they're not even open. But overall, we're happy to have this as our neighborhood joint.
(4)
Laura P.
This place has a wonderful burger! Yum! I have also heard great things about their burritos so I'll have to go back and check that out. The staff is friendly, the space is very cozy and nice, and the beer selection is great.
(4)
Kalindi T.
Eh, Circa is a nice neighborhood joint. The food is nothing special, but good...enough. If I could give 2.5 stars I would have. The staff are super friendly, super. My Prosecco was served a bit warm, which isn't really great to start. My linguine with prawns and sauteed summer vegetables was a bit bland, but the prawns were cooked perfectly (no easy task) and the vegetables were summer fresh. The True Cod special that JT had with fresh corn succotash was nice, the cod was bored, but the succotash was good. All in all, good, basic, nothing fancy place to eat. You know, it is good to have a place to go when you don't want deli food but you want to throw on jeans and no make-up and hit the cheap movie at Admiral.
(2)
Band E.
Hadn't been to Circa in several years. They always seemed to be closed when we wanted to go. Why not keep the bar open between services? Anyway, went back on Sat. night. Seemed slightly understaffed, but we were seated promptly. Hey, what a great salad (beet and apple). Had the crab cakes also. Could have used a 'little' more seasoning, but also really good. (I have a hard time using iodized, table salt.) They had an unoaked Chard. that was really, really good. So, pleasantly surprised at the food quality this time.
(4)
Matthew D.
Circa is one of our regular spots. The decor is simple, like a small neighborhood bar. The food is more sophisticated than the decor would suggest, but the friendly and informed servers keeping it real. A few months back, they took the ribeye off the menu, which made us sad, but they did add a few more seafood entrees. We love the chocolate cake for dessert. They have a unique wine list, always something new to try.
(5)
Tony W.
Circa is your standard hip bar/restaurant/bistro... It's small, striving to be hip, and generally pretty darn busy in the evenings. The service isn't very consistent (especially when it's packed), but the food is outstanding and inventive. I'm a big fan of their brunches (Circa is deserted when it opens at 9am on the weekends-- a great time to have the place to yourself). They offer a wide variety of savory (Louisiana Eggs Benedict) and sweet (Hawaiian Bread French Toast).
(4)
Jeff L.
This is a great neighborhood restaurant. I'm not sure I would drive across the city to go there but if you live anywhere near w. seattle you should be eating here. This place is good for all three meals. Breakfast is my favorite and the thing I get 9 times out of 10 is the standard eggs/hash browns/bacon breakfast. The mexican dishes they make here (oaxaca tacos, for example) always turn out great. And the blackened halibut sandwich is very tasty.
(3)
Chris B.
Excellent mussels with pancetta in the broth. The fish and chips are average, but great care is placed in their small, but creative menu. The pork sounded delicious - vanilla maple brine and then seared.
(3)
Erin L.
It doesn't get any better when it comes to neighborhood dining. Everything on the menu is amazing, especially the steak salad and OMG the Chocolate Cake!!! Friendly service. Get their early cuz it gets packed!
(5)
Jason H.
I LOVE this place! They are super nice and are one of those places that actually care about you and your experience:-))) I read about them online when I Googled: "organic grass fed burger Seattle." I was craving a burger, but after watching Food Inc the movie, I wanted only grass fed, local and organic if possible. I parked in the back for free. I walked in during the lunch rush (packed except for one open table) and got seated right away. I ordered the burger medium rare. When it arrived it was more medium than, medium rare. Since I hadn't had a burger for six months, I told the waitress (who was the owner). She said they would make me a new one, when it came out it was even more well done. By that time I was so salivating that it did not matter how it was cooked, I just wanted to eat it!:-) Another waitress/bar tender came by to see if all was ok and I told her it was cooked well done, but I said don't worry about it it's fine. She was so apologetic and so so sorry and said that it was on the house and said they were giving me a gift certificate to come back again. They did not charge me for my beer or my burger and gave me a $15 gift card for my next visit. My burger, fries and beer were so good even under the circumstances. I absolutely recommend Circa, it's service, and food to anyone. I look forward to going back. Thanks!
(4)
Matt H.
Love this place. Very friendly, lots of regulars. Really good burgers but the mussels app is excellent.
(5)
tracey p.
Great local place...but..... I just got back after ordering the butternut squash tacos. Since I had ordered these before, I was expecting as described..."crisy corn tortillas.....etc. There was nothing crisy about these grease laden tortillas. If you think of tacos as something you can pick up with your hands, don't order these ones. They more resemble a greasy enchilada smothered in sour cream and guacamole. These definitely had to be consumed with your fork and knife and would leave your stomach and your arteries a little confused about the "taco". Definitely not your healthy option. Perhaps they have changed chefs since my last visit. On a positive note, the waitress was cool and took the "tacos" back to the kitichen without question. The burger was as described and awesome.
(3)
seattle turtle C.
Yummy REAL food, good atmosphere...this is a great place to take out of town guests for a variety of food. The chocolate cake is amazing...
(5)
Robert S.
Dependably delicious...the perfect neighborhood bistro. And the staff clearly enjoys being there and is warm, welcoming, and happy to have you there. Don't miss this gem.
(5)
Mike S.
Great breakfast!
(5)
Jennifer C.
The reason to come here is the fish and chips. SO GOOD. The fish is of good quality and perfectly breaded, and the fries are delicious. The entree costs around $14. This is, however, one of the times when I wish I were a kid, because you get a half portion of the adult entree (still plenty) for only $4. Bring a little kid who can't possibly eat the full kid's portion of fish & chips, then also order the burger, which is very good (but not the best I've had). The atmosphere could be a bit better -- it feels like a bar, but that's not necessarily a con, just if you're trying to impress visitors. The seats are kind of hard and unforgiving, but you'll probably be too busy enjoying your food to notice...much.
On principal, I have yet rated any place with five stars, but Circa is close. The food is original and the specials are never common or repeated. I have been here three time and never has there been a drop in service or quality of the food. I had order one special and twice from the menus. It is all good.
(4)
Mary G.
went there for lunch around 1:30 pm. so, i was seated immediately. the service was courteous and prompt. i ordered the caprese sandwich which was delicious. it came with fries which was also very good and fried to the right texture, not your regular frozen crinkle cut fries. the sandwich was large portioned. it had just the right amount of tomatoes, basil, mozzarella cheese, pesto, and honey on top of the bread. really enjoyed it. would definitely try this place again.
(4)
Gretchen B.
Circa is one of those neighborhood places you go when you want good food, nothing spectacular, but something reliable. I can't think of a bad meal I have had here, but none of them are memorable either. It is a great place to bring a group of people who all like different things. There is something to please everyone and it all will be good. My one complaint is that they never change their menu. There are specials, but it would be nice to have the menu change from time to time. The service as others have mentioned can be questionable and you can be sure there will usually be a wait here, it isn't very big. I often get the enchiladas, crab cakes are pretty good, salads are all fresh and tasty. The specials are usually very good as well. All in all worth checking out if you are in the neighborhood, but not worth a special trip.
(3)
Diane A.
One of my favorite West5 establishments for dinner. I won't ever get tired of the place since I love everything on the menu. For once, I am not a creature of habit with when I order. They also have a fabulous specials menu which I will order from often. Friendly service and always taking great care of us when we're in for a visit. I am so glad we found this place and everybody should try it at least once if not all the time.
(5)
Prema J.
This is one of my very favorite places in West Seattle. I always thought the food was totally fab, bordering gourmet. I was completely wowed by the service we got but maybe we connected to our server more than most. In fact one of the servers recognizes us and makes a special effort to say hello every time we come in. We raved about a particular soup to her and she put us on a list to call when they are serving it again. I love getting that call on my voice mail, "Hi this is Nicole from Circa and we have the soup". I could be having the crappiest day on earth and that call would make my day!
(5)
Jods L.
This is really a 4.5. Great food, great service. Only complaint is that it is pretty cold inside.
(4)
Kat H.
Call it 3.5 stars, accepting the fact that while I feel I can rely on the inherent goodness of this place, I have had a bad entree here. Were it not for that one experience, Circa would get a solid 4 stars. On one occasion, my friend's mom took us out to eat. She ordered calamari as an appetizer, and then wouldn't eat it, because it wasn't fried. That was fine by me...it was actually in a broth, with an Asian spiced flare, and it was fantastic. I'll eat calamari like that any day...and I practically licked that plate clean. However, my entree that evening was not such a success. When a restaurant like Circa puts an item like butternut squash enchiladas on the menu, it is clearly aiming to please the vegetarian/health conscious/I-ate-half-a-pizza-last-night -and-need-to-take-it-easy crowd. I fall into the first of those three categories (and sometimes the second, unless you put sweet potato fries, aioli, and beer in front of me. Oh, and ice cream. And chocolate). Anyhoo, imagine my disappointment when the dish arrived totally, completely, covered in a thick curtain of melted cheese. If this sounds glorious to you, by all means, carry on. But I looked at it and thought...where's the frickin' squash? It was like a Tex Mex entree, and I was not happy. The Monterey Crack that they dumped all over my dinner ruined what could have been a delicately flavored entree. Round two: my girlfriend takes me out to Circa to celebrate the completion of my thesis. I order a sampler of beers...I love that they offer this! Three samples, for the price of one beer. You can taste all your seasonal faves. Then I got the crabcake entree, and I was very glad I did. The crabcakes were very large and fresh, with a great crab to filling ratio and a tangy Asian dipping sauce surrounding them, plus a tiny bit of spicy mayo. Just enough. The mashed potatoes--something I rarely eat--were from baby reds and were fantastic. Not to mention the fresh broccoli. Or broccolini. Whatever it was, it had very long stems. The crabcakes were so filling that I only ate one, took the other home in a doggie bag, and scrambled it into a fantastic homemade goat cheese and egg frittata for breakfast the next morning. 'Cuz I'm celebratin', dawg. And that made me feel like I could eat whatever I want. I will go back to Circa, and I will order the crabcakes. They were some of the best ones I've had in this town, truth be told. The Cir-cret is out. (heh heh heh).
(3)
J H.
This place is exceptional. I ate here back in October of 2006, and spent the better half of the last hour trying to remember what the hell this place was called. I ended up having to log on to online banking and browse through a 50 day range to find it, luckily as soon as I saw Circa I knew it was right because I was crosschecking against Yelp. I had a few of the appetizers, which covered an awesome range of tastes, and a main dish. I would recommend this to anybody in the area. I'm not familiar with W Seattle and happened upon this place when a friend and I drove past our destination (elliot bay brewery). Upon turning around, she said "let's just eat there, I'm hungry." I couldn't have ended up more pleased.
(5)
Chip R.
My wife and I have loved this place since moving to West Seattle a few years back. Great beer selection, terrific food and a casual ambiance--which we appreciate. Our servers have always been friendly and food comes quick. Personally I love the Steak Salad.
(4)
amanda b.
small location, food was overpriced and serve not very attentive. the plus was the beer samplers they offer which are near
(3)
Eric B.
Weekend breakfast is something we look forward to and so we're always trying out new places. So many times we are left disappointed, not today. I had the Louisiana Eggs Benedict which was amazing, it was the perfect kind of spicy and the Andouille sausage was diced to the perfect bite size along with the ham and tasso. It also had tomatoes and spinach, yummy! The hash-browns were really good too. Crispy on the outside, not greasy, and moist on the inside. We also had a breakfast burrito. If you want a filling breakfast, woah, it will put you into a food coma. Great flavors for both dishes. We ordered a side of fruit not knowing that the dishes already came with fruit. It's a $5 fruit dish but it had two different melons, pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, apple, pear. The service was great, super friendly and fast but not rushed. Nice and neighborhood like atmosphere. We plan on a few more visits to try out the rest of the menu.
(5)
Regular J.
Drove to West Seattle to try another spot for breakfast but ended up driving by Circa and my GF and I decided to try this place instead. The place was really busy but we were able to grab a couple chairs around the bar. From the time we first sat down to the time we left the bartender was really great. I never had to wait for a refill of coffee or water and she was always polite. The food took a bit longer than I prefer but when It arrived I was very happy. I had the Louisia Scram (I think that's what it is called) and it was full of andoulle sausage and ham. I had the coffee cake with it and thought it was a great side item. I have no doubt that if I lived in West Seattle that this would be my local hang-out, great service and food.
(4)
T K.
Every person I've taken there LOVES it. Great neighborhood bar...and, the few dishes I've ordered (mostly comfort food) were yummy. Friendly staff...I wish I had time to visit more often.
(4)
Steve L.
last fall, I would've written a 5-star review. But since then, the fries that we'd travel across town for (yes, really!) have gone downhill. They taste like they came out of a bag kept in a freezer. They used to taste fresh and crispy. Neither is true now. On my last visit, alone, I ordered a veggie burger because I'm a vegetarian (makes sense, yes?). It arrived with what appeared to be extra cheese, which I'm ok with. So I closed it up, stared out the window, and started eating. I thought it tasted different, but didn't really pay attention. I picked at my limp fries, and finally got the check. I saw a charge on it: $1 add bacon I have many friends who eat meat, but they can easily imagine an item that they'd be grossed out by. I was too shocked and queasy to even bring it up. Should have...didn't. I just paid and left. I can't even imagine what would have prompted them to add bacon, or to think I'd want it. If they thought I said "bacon" they could have asked if that's what they heard. After all, it was a veggie burger. I won't be back. Mostly because the fries aren't worth the 30 minutes it takes to get there anymore.
(2)
Susan L.
Like most of West Seattle, we love Circa, and usually have a great experience there for evening meals. But this is the second disappointing brunch experience and we are getting frustrated. First time our order got put on hold and we waited almost an hour. Waitress was really nice and comped the breakfasts, and we were nice about it,and tipped her $10. This time, at about 35 to 40 minutes we started to get nervous and asked nicely what was up, mentioned what had happened the last time. The waitress was the same one as last time, acted like we had massively insulted her and just snapped "I'll go check". No apology, no acknowledgement the food was slow (others who came in after us already had their food), nothing. We were really nice again, but we are just DONE with breakfast there and are on the verge of being done with the place altogether. Hope the owner has a talk with the waitstaff about how customers are actually very handy for a restaurant to have.
(2)
brian s.
What's not to love about Circa. The food and service are very good. The place can be busy, but it's worth the wait. It's just a very solid neighborhood eatery.
(5)
Sean H.
Circa is a perfect neighborhood joint. The portions are generous and the food is great! My wife and I recently had dinner there while sitting at the bar which is always fun. I had a special which was really good, prawns risotto. My wife had the clams and mussels which is killer with the spanish chorizo in it. Service has always been relaxed and attentive, a perfect combo! The employees don't come and go here, so it always feels like a friendly neighborhood hang out. The one thing that makes it cool but at the same time may frustrate some people is the size, it is small. One more thing...not sure where the guy was coming from saying it was too expensive, I don't think they have anything that's over 18$ including specials and it is very high quality food.
(4)
Greta D.
food - excellent. not impressed with the wine selection being a wine bar especially
(3)
Charles S.
Consistently solid, simply good food.
(4)
BJ F.
Circa is a great cozy neighborhood spot! It is pretty small and can get crowded on the weekends, but on weeknights its pretty easy to get in. The burger is my favorite, substitute goat cheese instead of the standard cheddar and combine with one of their fantastic beers and life is good. We frequent Circa because it has something on the menu for everyone.... Burgers, Pastas, Entrees, Salads. We tried their brunch for the first time last weekend, it was great and the prices felt just right but they surprised us a little when we arrived at 1:45pm and they told us they were closing at 2pm. The close between 2pm and 5ish PM or something like that so give them a call if you are thinking about visiting in the afternoon.
(4)
Christina M.
My husband and I have had brunch there a few times, lunch a couple times, and dinner once before. We had dinner there this weekend. I had the fish and chips and he had the grilled flank steak with mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts. His meal was excellent. It came with some kind of Asian bbq sauce but there was plenty of flavor without it. The fish and chips were good but not amazing. The best part of the meal and the reason I am writing this review is the bartender, Willemina (sp?). My husband noticed that I wasn't eating the fries with my meal. I told him that I left the fish on them too long and they got a little soggy. Apparently, the bartender overheard what I said and surprised us with a bowl of freshly fried french fries. We were pretty full by the time they came but it was such a thoughtful gesture that we had to have a few. Also, we have found that the chefs at Circa excel when it comes to potato products. Their hashbrowns, mashed potatoes, and fries are all delicious!
(5)
Nick D.
I'm not a big fan of Circa. They have pretty darn good food there and the drinks aren't bad but I always get attitude when I go there, even with friends who know the staff. I guess I forgot that people in Circa are better than everyone else in the world.
(2)
Jenny N.
Very popular because we locals know to expect great food. This pub is almost a bistro thanks to the quality of the food here. Warm interior, yummy comfort food with a bit of a gourmet twist to it. Definitely recommend trying it.
(4)
Shelbi ..
Since recently going vegan, we don't visit as often, but I was thrilled the other day to have the Potato Works breakfast done vegan. It was excellent! We'll be baaahck.
(4)
Ryan R.
One of the things I miss most about living in West Seattle is being walking distance from Circa. Breakfast lunch or dinner, this place never disappoints. The food is always delicious and the prices are very, very reasonable for how much detail and quality goes into the dishes. Always a few decent local brews on tap and a good wine list. Service has always been good, too. A real gem.
(5)
Joan W.
We loved their delicious tasters--(great recommendation) and really liked their circa burger. I ate the whole plate, which is not unusual for me, but it also means it was delicious! We did have to wait about 30 minutes, but after we got in the service was fast--I think since it was a Friday night they had more people to turn over more customers as quickly as possible. We definitely weren't rushed though. It was a nice atmosphere, people were nice, and of course I brought good company too!
(5)
Jake R.
Mmm Circa! I was a bit skeptical of this place as a good breakfast joint with the name Circa and the fact that it's more of a bar than anything. But it was here that I had one of the best breakfasts that I have had in a long time! It was a lazy Sunday with my gf and she suggested we go out for brunch. I agreed and we headed off to Circa. We parked a block or so away and had a nice little walk to breakfast. This place looks nice, had someones art gallery and is small and cozy. We grabbed a booth and started off with some Mimosas, they were great and came with little bottles of Cristallino, I felt so fancy, lol. There were so many good choices on the menu I was having trouble trying to decide what to order. I finally chose the French toast made with Hawaiian bread, it came with some hot sausage and fruit. I have to say that I'm really not that "into" French Toast but I was craving some and this was the best I think I have ever had!!! The slices of Hawaiian bread were thick and juicy and the real maple syrup hit the spot. The sausage links were sliced and not too spicy. I also really liked the presentation of this meal, it looked quite elegant. I was going to dock the place a star for our server brining me the wrong dish at first but she came right back with my correct order and it was sooooooo good I had to give them all, well deserved, 5 stars! My side order of Coffee cake was a bit dry but I'll let that slide, just this once as it didn't take away from my meal in the least. Especially since I really only had room left in my gut for a small bite of it anyway. There were a lot things that I still want to try at this place so I will be back for sure. I really want to try the Fish and chips my gf mentioned and there were a couple other items on the menu that sounded really delicious too. Plus they have Mothership Wit on tap as their rotating seasonal, now that's sweet!
(5)
Angie S.
I went here again for my birthday and had the best burger ever! The look..the smell ...taste.. it was all perfect. Also I had creme brulet for dessert and might I saw it was delicious!!
(5)
Ian M.
Circa is a great little place right in the Admiral Junction of West Seattle. The atmosphere is very cozy and quaint. The food is outstanding and still pretty reasonably priced. Contrary to what another reviewer said, though, we have never had any issue with the service there. We've had the same server both times we've been there, and she has been extremely pleasant, and remembered us from our first visit, even down to the soup we'd ordered and the dessert that we'd declined but "promised" to try next time we were there. I'm sorry that a previous reviewer has had poor service there, but don't let this dissuade you from trying it and making up your own mind.
(5)
pammy k.
Yummy yummy!! The service is hit or miss but the food is great and reasonably priced!
(5)
Yell P.
We've had two meals at Circa, once for brunch and once for dinner. Great prices, amazing comfort food, and a well rounded menu make this a 5 star place. Dinner was the pork loin for me and the gnocchi for her. Neither one of us were disappointed. Brunch was the biscuits and gravy for me and the french toast for her. Great portions, great flavor. Definitely will be making repeat trips for both dinner and brunch.
(5)
Zach B.
Circa was a last minute choice inspired by me searching "steak salad" on Yelp. It is one of those places that I have driven by multiple times but had never felt incredibly inspired to go to. My previous dismissal of the place is really unfortunate though because I was rather impressed by both the menu and the tasty steak salad that I ordered. As can be seen on the website, Circa has an exciting selection of food and is reasonably priced. Several things on the menu caught my attention including the portobello ravioli, butternut squash tacos, grilled meatloaf (with pancetta gravy!!!!), and Belgian steamed mussels. It is an impressive combination of sophisticated pub food, and there were plenty of beer and wine choices that would have matched the food items well. I, of course, had to order the steak salad ($13.50) which came with a generous amount of steak on top of greens with tons of gorgonzola and tomatoes. The steak had a sweet and spicy glaze on it and was tender and delicious. It was a very strong steak salad, one that would only be improved by the addition of golden beets (but I say that about most salads). My dining partner had the spinach salad with a crabcake. Both looked super tasty, and I did get a bite of the crab cake which made me want more. In addition to the food, I was impressed with the space. It was small and very busy but not super loud, and they have a fun and relaxed atmosphere with interesting art and kind and attentive waitstaff. I look forward to returning, but i think that I will need to consider timing because it looks like it could get very busy.
(4)
k c.
We've been here twice and it was great both times. Wonderful service and food. We'll be back!
(4)
Thaddeus G.
Two words: Melissa.
(4)
Charmaine M.
Don't want to leave Seattle partly because of this restaurant! We waited for a table for awhile; it's a small place, but everyone, from clientele to chef were friendly and accommodating. Our server Melissa, whom both of my girls want to befriend, was fabulous. Very helpful, informative, and she knew her customers well. We were so pleased with the service, the food, the drinks...I do hope to travel up here again and revisit Circa! My oldest daughter had steak, I had the meatloaf. The potatoes were so very heavenly! the meat was so tender and delicious, my mouth waters at the thought of it. They need to add on to this location, as it is a very tightly fit place. We had a lot of fun there, though, and oh, so enjoyed the food, too! We super highly recommend the warm chocolate cake. My daughters both called it an epic success!
(5)
Bruce E.
Would have been three stars, but... The waitress told us about the special - a New York Steak. Of course, as with specials, you're not told the price. Since the most expensive piece of meatnon the menu was about $16, we figured it would be the same, maybe a little more. The rosemary seasoning was very good, it was also cooked as requested; but the grade of meat used was poor, and the flavor and texture follows the quality of the meat. When the bill came, the 'special' was $27 - significantly more expensive than anything else on the menu. My wife had the skirt steak, which was less expensive and a better piece of meat. Maybe you should stick with the menu as the special may not be so special...
(2)
Jonita C.
Circa is my go-to place in West Seattle. It's perfect for a chill night catching up with friends or hanging out with your family for weekend brunch. I love the chicken enchiladas with mole sauce and the skirt steak with mashed potatoes (so so good!). The prices are reasonable, the atmosphere is cozy, the servers are attentive--what's not to love?
(5)
Manuel W.
A really chill neighborhood dinner place. I love their skirt steak with the asian sauce and mashed potatoes. Super satisfying. The menu rarely changes over the years and what is there is consistently well done.
(4)
Adam ..
Food here is always great. Seems healthy and tastes great. Not sure if we could ever get sick of this place, even if the menu is a little small. There's nothing particularly new or unusual about it. Just consistently great food, great combinations.
(5)
Todd A.
Love this place! Been here for brunch (twice) and dinner (once) and it's always been great. Somewhat surprising to me, the butternut squash tacos were awesome.
(4)
Jake Z.
Average veggie burger.
(3)
Kyla C.
I like Circa because it gives you that nice neighborhood-y feel. It's a pretty small place so it's cozy and they keep the lighting low which I like. They don't serve hard liquor but they have a great selection of beers on tap and wines by the glass. I tried the Winter Warmer from Big Al Brewing and it warmed me right up after being in the bitter cold outside. I like their menu because they give a nice selection of items but don't overdo it. This time I got the butternut squash and spinach raviolis which were great. The sauce was not thick but more soupy so it didn't feel like a gut bomb. There was lots of spinach and butternut squash and tomatoes in the sauce too so it felt a little healthy, I guess as healthy as raviolis can be. I also got a house salad to start but substituted with a balsamic dressing and it was really good. In the past I've tried their halibut and chips and the steak salad and both are great. I dig this place and glad it's in my hood!
(5)
David T.
I've been to Circa numerous times. I think they have the best burger in Seattle (side salad = A+, Fries = A+!! The enchiladas are great, as well as the squash tacos. Great atmosphere and beer selection also. I love the staff too! Please stop me before I go over board!
(5)
Zebarina H.
Ah, Circa. What can I say? I eat so here so often it's probably not good for me. But I love it. It is in my neighborhood and I always get something tasty and delicious. It is a casual alehouse that anyone can go to and have beers and good food. The Food: The burgers are all grass-fed and from eastern Washington. When was the last time you could say your beef came from less than 300 miles away? I didn't think so. The burger is THE best I have ever had. No joke. The specials are always rotating and highly recommend them for people who something a little bit more fancy. They tend toward the Italian side. There also tends to be a flair for the south of the border and hence lots of different enchiladas, quesadillas, and what have you. All good. The Decor: Casual and sometimes weird art. I'm not sure where they come from. Sometimes really good, sometimes not so much. It warm and friendly and sometimes full of children. If you don't like that show up later in the evening. If you do like that, you do not have to feel bad for having them with you. Service: The girls, and I think it is all girls, are very friendly and nice. Sometimes it does get busy and they are rushed, but despite the other reviews I haven't had a bad experience with the servers. If it is slow sometimes I have had some really nice conversations. And they have a secret brunch that is really good and I highly recommend. Check it out if you are in West Seattle!
(4)
Kevin C.
Incredibly yummy food and great staff. I took two toddlers and my wife here and it was no big thang, even though no other children were in the place. We were not made to feel like freaks in other words. The Slacker is a superb dish. Reminds me of some of the places I ate in Austin, Texas for brunch and that is a compliment of the highest order!
(4)
Zoe M.
I love this place. It's fresh, friendly and fun. You can be in and out. Reasonable prices and large portions. Wonderful Benedicts as well. The crab cakes are to die for. The girls who work there are hot.
(5)
Dave L.
Hummus and pitas, curry soup and grilled mahi mahi were all tasty. Pretty simple fare but well done.
(4)
Steve R.
Went for breakfast with my wife and friends, had the Biscuits and Gravy, Excellent... Home made biscuits, scratch made gravy..... Worth the visit.....
(4)
Brad W.
Are you looking for a neighborhood pub/restaurant that is reasonably priced and serves consistently good food? If so, Circa is your answer. Menu isn't extensive but it is consistent. Banana pancakes apparently is the item to order for brunch . . .
(4)
Noriko A.
I love their brunch. My boyfriend's favorite is biscuit and gravy which is big enough to share. I also love their coffee cake with a lot of butter of course. We always call in advance to see if there is a wait for a table. They don't do egg white om lets but their vegetarian omelets are loaded with lots of fresh veggies!
(4)
Paul G.
Lamb is awesome!!!
(4)
katie s.
I have been to Circa a handful of time b/c they serve my favorite beer Boddington's. Though if you have too many beware of the dog farts. Those who have had too many know what I am talking about. Anyhoo.... The fries during lunch or just plain awesomeness. And there is a new menu. I went there last night with my quasi-foodie father... who is definitely a crazy old man with pimp style...and i had the lemon Thyme Chicken over Risotto with spinach, cherry tomato's and pancetta. Oh Holy Lord! It was so good! I even saved me some for a late night snack but unfortunately the roomie got his grubbie little hands on it first. I guess that just means I will have to back. Which is good b/c there is some wild halibut on the menu calling my name. Yum.
(4)
Ericka C.
Well, this may not be a terribly accurate review since we never actually got our food. My friend and I were seated a little before 8 p.m. By 8:36, we still didn't have our dinners, our water hadn't been refilled, and the waitress hadn't even stopped by to let us know she knew we were still alive. I tried to catch her attention, but was apparently invisible, so we got up and left.
(1)
Renatta S.
My favorite neighborhood spot! Love the steak salad and the "standard" breakfast. I enjoy coming here for brunch, relaxing at the bar with my coffee and enjoying the fun, random mix of music (West Side Story and Thriller?!). I also love checking out the local art on the walls which changes frequently. Great food, cozy and laid back atmosphere.
(5)
Sara L.
It is possible that I will go back someday, but I must say, I went to Circa for the first time tonight and it was under whelming to say the least. First of all, no hard alcohol... boo. Second, my boyfriend ordered a WD steak and it came out med rare, when we asked the waitress to get it cooked longer she said "So you don't want any pink".... duh, we said well done. I ordered the blackened halibut sandwich, meh, light on the flavor. My mom ordered a burger, which tasted good but lacked any attractiveness on the plate, my mom's boyfriend ordered the meatloaf which was literally wrapped in a pound of soggy bacon, and lost all of it's meatloafy flavor and tasted more like a bacon soaked meat sponge. Don't get why it has 4 stars, maybe next time.
(2)
Ryan A.
I've been to Circa on quite a few occasions, and have never left disappointed. On the contrary, my belly has been most satisfied. From brunch to dinner, Circa serves the goods, including some of the best enchiladas I've ever had. Definitely sample one with the mole sauce. Holy mole. Good times. The wait staff has always been on point and timely, a serious plus.
(4)
David R.
Good food, good service, hardly any waiting space - get there early for dinner! Circa has great food and a very down-to-Earth atmosphere.
(4)
Rachel P.
My husband and I moved to West Seattle from Queens, New York City three weeks ago and we have already eaten at Circa twice! After only two visits we feel like this is our local spot! The food is delicious and the service is exceptional. It is straightforward without any bells and whistles, but the food hits the spot every time and the beer menu is exciting! I know we will return to Circa time and time again!
(5)
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Address :2605 California Ave SW
Seattle, WA, 98116
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : No Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Mallory N.
So I just moved to West Seattle, and one of my favorite things about this area is the sheer number of local joints like this. I am in absolute heaven! Anyway, on to my Circa review. I can't get enough of this place. I'd already have gone back several times if there weren't so many new spots to try. Small restaurant, and not too much seating with a little bar area and a few TV's. Service was on point, not in your face and we never wanted for anything. Server was helpful in identifying some beer pairings for our food and even let us sample a few of them. We had a really tough time deciding on our dinner and pored over the menu forever. Fresh, unique selections and really, honestly, EVERYTHING looked good. Finally decided to go with the butternut squash tacos. They were a slam dunk and I even had enough for lunch the next day! Looking forward to working our way through their entire menu!
(5)Roger B.
Ordered soup, salad and an IPA. The rice and chicken soup is really nice. Flavorful blend of spices with tomatoes, mishrooms, carrots, and greens. Definitely an Asian hot & sour lean to it. The accompanying bread has nuts and a nice chewy texture to it. The salad has romaine greens, red onions, candied walnuts, raisins, and a goat or feta cheese sprinkled on top. Very lightly dressed. Very nice. The Trickster IPA from Black Raven is fantastic of course.
(4)WA S.
Pros: Friendly staff, interesting and cozy space, good enough beer selection. Cons: Difficult parking lot, awkward entryway, no permanent host, hit-or-miss service (servers are friendly but at times inattentive even when alcohol is being ordered), severely lacking in vegan and/or vegetarian fare. The dishes are meat-heavy and not easily modified to cater to vegetarians or vegans. There is a mediterranean platter item and a butternut squash taco, which you can leave the dairy off of. And, of course salads. Granted, the butternut squash tacos were quite good without the cheese and other dairy, but the rice was not actually fully cooked - a little disappointing. I'd go back if others wanted to, but would probably not choose it for myself.
(3)Linh N.
Every time I go here I always get their steak salad and my bf get the lamb burger. The portions are huge and they never disappoint. The waiters are very polite and check up on you often. I only come here for dinner, but we can't wait to try their brunch menu.
(5)Mariann P.
They used to have really good breakfasts and service. The last three times I've been there I have had a problem with the food. Twice my toast has been burned. Today I waited 15 to 20 min for a table, they were busy with people waiting so I understood that. Then I waited 20'min for the waitress to bring me a menu, then to place my order. It took 20 min to get my food. And the bacon was limp, greesy and cold. The hashbrown serving was about 4 tablespoons full. I asked the waitress about it so she brought me some more and said sometimes the servings were large and sometimes small. The hashbrowns were burnt. I don't plan to go back there.
(2)Ren G.
I mean, it was alright. It wasn't terrible. But I could make anything I was served here in my own kitchen. In fact, I could make much better pancakes. My boyfriend and I tried this place for brunch. After seeing all the excellent reviews and pictures, I was excited! But the taste did not live up to the appetizing view. It was a feast for the eyes, but left my tastebuds bored. The primary complaint I have is that the pancakes are THICK. Not light or fluffy at all. Just starchy and heavy. I didn't like them because I tend to take the phrase "flat as a pancake" fairly literally in my enjoyment of them. If it's more like a slice of Texas toast filled with cement, color me disinterested. My boyfriend had toast, eggs, and hash browns. It was nothing bad. Just nothing particularly good either. I probably won't go back when I could have similar quality food at home and for a lot less cash.
(3)Austin B.
Ate here for lunch recently, I had the Havanna club (something close to that) and my friend at the fish and chips. My sandwich was great, highly recommend it. The fish and chips were good, but not great. Overall the restaurant has a relaxing atmosphere, adequate seating and a wide variety of items on the menu, prices are decent too!
(4)Andrew E.
Place is ok, nothing special. Fish and chips I ordered were crispy but dipped a lot of oil. Server was polite but service was mediocre, not the slowest but not fast considering the place was slow at the time. I would call it fairly standard bar/pub food. I would go there to drink more than eat.
(2)Mariko L.
Cute little spot in West Seattle to stop by for brunch. They were sweet about letting me order an eggs benedict sans the egg so it ended up as a tasty spinach, ham, chorizo sautée over some toasted english muffins with hash browns so I appreciated them accommodating my request. Food was tasty, service was friendly - good solid standard marks for brunch.
(3)Nimesh P.
Came to this place with my girlfriend for a friend's birthday last Friday. I ordered the fish and chips and she had the lamb burger. Both were really delicious, tasty, hearty, and had a good portion too. Usually fish and chips come with way too much batter and very little of the actual fish, this place had a nice crispy batter but nice big chunks of fish. I sampled the crab cake, and while the texture was really good, it could have used a little more flavor. The food is tasty, and the service is friendly and genuine. It can be a bit challenging parking around here, but we came on a Friday early evening so that could be why. We did have a 9 person party, so accommodating a large group IS possible but it was VERY tight. I'll be back again sometime.
(4)Dennis S.
An amazing, unassuming barestaurant. We had seen people waiting to get in so we checked it out. The lamb burger was great. They had a full bar. The prices were a little high, but it was worth it.
(5)Maret S.
Big breakfasts, friendly service, and super delicious food. I absolutely adored the coconut milk French Toast.
(5)Craig B.
We eat at Circa probably once or twice a month. They have a great selection of local beers, a kids menu and typically an outstanding special.
(5)Debbie P.
Circa is always on our weekend brunch rotation. I was introduced to this cute West Seattle neighborhood spot by a friend who had a pilates studio on California Ave. years and years ago and I was smitten ever since. We would make at least a monthly trek here from Issaquah/Sammamish when we lived out there just for the brunch. Back then they had the Hawaiian Sweet Bread French Toast with Portuguese/Linguica Sausage on the menu. It's been a few years since they've taken it off the menu, but I still look for it when we come in. My hubby ALWAYS orders the fluffy banana pancakes with extra pecan praline syrup. I've tried their Smoked Salmon Florentine, Joe's Special, and the Dungeness Crab scramble among other items and I have never had a bad meal there. Their menu tends to have a 4 month rotation to feature some new brunch items, as well. Weekends can have a long wait, so be prepared. Also I love how they feature local Seattle artists on their walls on a monthly rotation. And they serve Stumptown coffee, too!!! We've introduced this spot to our friends, and all have had nothing but good things to say about it. We even have friends who moved to California, Hawaii, Japan, and Guam who still rave about this spot!
(4)Saha A.
One of the best steak salads I have ever had!!! Always great service and great food. Out of 7 times I have gone there I have never had a bad experience!
(4)Denis F.
Food was ok. Service was poor. The server made us feel like we inconvenienced him. Didn't go over the specials (heard them after we ordered while helping other tables) and handed us the menus and asked what we wanted to drink and eat. Ordered the cider, he said they were out. Later I heard him tell someone else that they have another thing similar but it wasn't offered to us, just an annoyed look. Gave an 18% tip which is the lowest I have ever given and really wanted to leave a note that I usually double that as I used to be a server as well. In all we sat, ate and left in 20 minutes and was severally disappointed in the entire situation.
(2)Brittany A.
I came here for brunch one morning and ordered a single banana pancake on the side to satisfy my sweets craving. This was the BEST decision ever because it was one incredible pancake- probably the best pancake I've ever had. I talked about that thing for 2 weeks and then finally went back and got a whole order. They were just as good as I remember and I will definitely be back for them again!
(4)Dana C.
Great local restaurant. Food is very well thought out and super tasty. I usually get the squash burrito because it's the only vegetarian option but everything else always looks good too. Really good brunch, potatoes are amazing. Limited menu, I wish they change it up a bit more if they did I would definitely go more often. Casual happy local atmosphere.
(4)Adam P.
Might be my new favorite West Seattle spot. The Steelhead Special was amazing. My wife's bbq chicken salad was also great. Started with the Mediterranean plate which was the best I've had. On top of that, they couldn't have a better staff. Can't wait to go back.
(5)Damona R.
In last night with the other half. first time ever, though I live in West Seattle. Friendly service, it was prompt as well, that's the first thing I want to say. As for food, I opted for the blackened rock fish, build-your-own sandwich affair. Tasty! The fish wasn't wimpy when it came to the spice, and it seemed very fresh. The man had steak salad, and by all accounts, he loved it. He also ordered mussels for us. I am not the person to ask about those, I mean, I tried a couple. but I'm not a huge fan. Hate oysters, as a matter of fact. Didn't hate these cousins, they are milder, and the sauce they are in is delish, so perhaps that says something. Really I'm a texture gal, too and I will say that hey! They weren't totally booger-like. Bacon bits in the mix are a bonus. Still, I left most of those for him, and according to him, they are great. So there's that. The bread that came with was mine all mine, and I can say it is good. We'd both come back. I'd love to try breakfast sometime, myself, and also the bacon wrapped meatloaf when I have a bigger hunger pang.
(4)Joe S.
The perfect neighborhood restaurant in West Seattle. Great nightly specials. The burgers are always a solid choice and fries are awesome. The bar has an excellent selection of rotating craft brews, including several with an ABV of 10%. Good wine selection as well. You can never go wrong with the bacon wrapped meat loaf or fish and chips!!! Staff is friendly, ambience is ok, and not too loud. Metro bus shelter out front, so be prepared to people watch the crazy and transients. Bar has TV's, but not the spot to watch the big game. Overall, one of our favorite spots in WS!!!
(4)Michael T.
Sat at the bar for a quick solo dinner and had a wonderful experience. Fantastic service, great steak salad and warm chocolate ganache cake with a nice red wine by the glass. Looks like clientele is primarily West Seattle locals and regulars (which I love). Highly recommend and will definitely be back.
(5)Laura T.
We dined at Circa for the first time last week with a goal of trying a restaurant we hadn't been to before in our neighborhood. While the service was good and staff friendly, we found the menu options a bit lackluster and wine list even more so. Our chosen entrees of a chicken & golden beet salad and vegetarian enchiladas tasted ok but not wow. I'll give them creativity points for coconut-fried bananas on the bananas foster, however it tasted too much like fried food instead of banana. The atmosphere is warm and cozy, but it will take significant menu improvements to win us back for another visit.
(2)Fox S.
We live a couple blocks away from Circa, and I wish it was more exciting. Food is usually okay, but nothing special. Hadn't been in a while and we went for breakfast this morning, which reminded us why we don't come here more often. Service is friendly and I could see this being more of a regular spot if I liked beer and wanted to come and hang at the bar. Still part of our rotation, but not a "must-go" place to me at all.
(3)Lindsay M.
Great little place for breakfast in West Seattle. Our server was attentive, the order was perfect and I loved the variety of menu options. Yum! I could see long waits being a problem for Circa but we had no issues over Memorial Day weekend.
(4)Alyssa C.
We randomly stumbled upon this place for brunch on Sunday around noon when we were heading to the beach for the day. We walked right in with no wait and were greeted by friendly, yet apathetic servers. The coffee was fine, the ambiance was nothing unlike any other cafe you might expect. Between the 3 of us we got the breakfast burrito, the coconut french toast, and the first thing on the menu which was a potato dish I can't recall the name of. I loved the breakfast burrito best and the side of hashbrowns that came with it was EXCELLENT. The french toast was also quite good. The potato thing sounded better than I thought it actually tasted, but all in all, it was a solid meal. I wouldn't necessarily say I'm jumping to go back, but it was good and got the job done. They didn't have any breakfast cocktails on the menu, just a selection of 7-8 beers that I saw and I assume other wine/basic drink options.
(4)Ken T.
I've been coming here on and off for many years, pretty much since about 96 when I moved into West Seattle. Most of the time the staff are friendly and the food varies to the positive. But a close friend of the bar staff turns up this evening, with their boyfriend, and within 5 minutes they change the TV channel which I made clear to the twosome I was enjoying. Really? Couldn't even ask if it was OK? Then they proceed not to watch the TV. If a restaurant caters to the nasty behavior of their close friends, then customers are not going to come back. If you're in the business, have some courtesy to customers already present. Even if the food and the beer selection is good. Just smells of entitlement. There's plenty of competition out there, I don't have a problem heading the other direction to enjoy it.
(2)Cindy P.
My favorite spot in West Seattle!!! Always have great beer on tap! Amazing menu and freshest Seafood! Just so damn yummy!!!
(5)Aimee K.
Had a rather spotty customer service experience on today's visit. We had to ask to get coffee and were ignored when they came by with the pot for re-fills even the surrounded tables got one. They brought the Seattle to Portland omelet and Fish & Chips nice and hot with the promise that the toast would be brought right out. It never came so we asked one of the waitresses if we could get a piece of the coffee cake instead. She said flatly, "We're out of the coffee cake" and gave us attitude about "not knowing" that we were waiting for toast and that she'd go get at after my partner said he didn't want the toast. The experience somewhat dampened our otherwise idyllic Sunday morning. On the plus side the Fish & Chips were awesome! Panko crusted Ling Cod thick enough to take on the malt vinegar without any sogginess has a slight kick to it. I finished off every last one of the seasoned steak cut fries. They also appear to have changed their menu slightly. The French Toasted Brioche has been refreshed with coconut milk and the Joe's Scramble is no longer listed.
(3)Rick D.
A regular haunt for us. Great lamb burger (split the regular one because it's huge and they'll give both an order of fries.). Chocolate cake! OMG! Save room!
(4)Cate W.
We were seated really quickly and the food was good. Sweet potato fries are awesome! The waitress was super nice and attentive even though she was the only one working while it was fairly busy! Good place overall, I would definitely go back!
(4)James L.
Visited Circa today and the waitress was extremely rude. Not friendly in the least. Not even a smile. Slow service and very disrespectful
(1)Rosenna T.
Came here because of the high ratings. The environment was fine, the service was fine and food was meh.... and a little too expensive for the quality of the food served. We had the special for the day, which was a lightly fried cod fish, the lamb burger and prime ribs. The lamb burger was probably the best dish out of the three that I had. The prime ribs was not so good, over cooked and the was hard to chew. Overall below average. meh!
(2)Chad M.
Tonight was my third experience at Circa, and it was fantastic. We've probably tried to go here at least nine or ten times, but we're usually thwarted by the throngs of diaper-sniffing West Seattlites who seem to all arrive between 5:30 and 6:00pm. Tonight is Tuesday, which is apparently a good night to go if you want to get a seat. Wait... what am I saying? Tuesday is normally packed! Don't come on Tuesday - come on Friday or Saturday and bring your plate-pounding children with you! Anywho, I recommend the Black Cod. Both times I've tried it it's been cooked to awesome. It comes with a beautiful rectangular block of fried grits, also amazing. I'd also recommend the beet salad and avocado-crab gazpacho. I really like the atmosphere of this place. I haven't been on a date in 15 years (which is why you should take my advice on this), but I'd imagine Circa would be a great place to take one.
(5)EJ M.
Went for dinner on a Friday evening around 6 pm. Waited no more than 5 minutes for a table, which I was impressed with considering how small the establishment truly is. We were sat at a table in the bar area, and each got a glass of Prosecco. They brought out the glasses, poured them, and gave us the mini bottle to refill ourselves (thought this to be kinda cool, especially for $6/glass). We like sharing dishes, so we went with a large house salad, mussels, and a lamb burger. I enjoyed every dish. The salad hit the spot with the way it was dressed and topped, while the mussels came in the most delicious broth I've ever had (I took it home and ate it as soup the next day). Although the lamb burger was a bit charred, it still had amazing flavor paired with the toppings. We also got the special dessert (donut holes with caramel sauce and ice cream), which was probably my least favorite part of the meal mainly because we got it "to-go" and probably shouldn't have (they forgot the ice cream!). My one complaint would be their lack of an online presence, as it was difficult to find their menu anywhere on the internet. I realize it's constantly changing with seasonal ingredients, but it would be nice to have an idea of what to expect before going! Prosecco- $6 Salad- $8 Lamb Burger- $13 Mussels- $12 Special Dessert- $7 Yum! Will definitely be back. Want to try their brunch ASAP.
(4)Laura K.
Love this place. We have eaten here many times. Cozy atmosphere. We frequently get the fish special, the meatloaf, and the fish and chips. It is rare that we have been disappointed.
(4)Jim P.
I have been here a couple times and haven't been disappointed yet. The first time I ordered the meatloaf sandwich and loved it (who doesn't love meatloaf?) it came with house cut fries (loved them also). This time I ordered the pork sandwich.... delicious!. Sliced pork roast on good bread.... fries also. The soups and salads looked delicious too.
(4)Marjory B.
There was never a meal here that I did not absolutely love: breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, AND dessert. I really can't even point anything out specifically because everything on the menu is that good. Sometimes there is a wait, sometimes there isn't. The only times I really remember ever having to wait was usually around Saturday/Sunday brunch time. Also, make sure you are aware of their hours. As often as I ate here, I always forgot that they actually close at 2:30 pm during the week, then re-open for dinner. This is perhaps my favorite place in my old neighborhood. Great service, great food, great atmosphere. Love.
(5)Matthew C.
Given the quality of the food and beer, this should probably be a five for the pricepoint. However, they ran out of french toast before noon...unacceptable! Alas, despite my sadness over the lack of french toast, it did prompt me to try something different on a brunch menu, so I went for the Louisiana Eggs Benedict. I love poached eggs, but am not a big fan of ham, so I usually go for a salmon or lobster benny. However, this comes with three varieties of pork: tasso, ham, and andouille sausage. It also included spinach (fresh, light, and well-portioned (not enough to take over)), tomatoes (diced, stewed, and lightly spiced), and the obligatory house-made hollandaise sauce (I normally order this on the side but neglected to and was not offended in any way; again, light, balanced, and just the right amount). There also hash browns. I'm not a fan of hash browns, and wish I had ordered a substitute, but I did consume the other layer of crispy goodness. I forgot there was hot sauce on the table. The collection of three porks with the poached egg and other ingredients was better than I had hoped. I wish I had taken some time to marvel in each of the different porks, but the blend of everything didn't prompt me to dissect it too much. Two of our dining partners had the banana pancakes, which, again, were a winner (that is, I'm very glade that there was a significant portion left on their plates for me!). They are, indeed, fluffy and were light, which is always appreciated for pancakes. Too often they are greasy, or pick up other flavors from the griddle. Even the bananas didn't weight these down (and the pecan praline syrup was an added bonus). Finally, there is an excellently curated beer selection and the option of a three beer flight, perfect for brunch! I went for two light options (DFH Festival Peche and an crisp apple cider make with cherry juice) and a pale ale. They accidentally brought an IPA in place of the cider and, despite my insistence that the IPA would be fine, returned with the cider, as well! These were 5-6 ounces, which is large for a flight portion. So, a little bummed about the french toast (a reason to return, methinks), but very pleased with everything else. Portions were near-perfect (didn't leave feeling hungry or over-stuffed) and the ingredients/selections were fresh, balanced, and well-prepared.
(4)Jane D.
Smells good here! Review to follow! OMG I was too hungry when I came here. One waitress and 13 or 14 tables and she was poetry in motion! I mean she was amazing! We ordered asperagus with eggs--Seriously! Who thought that up? Beacause YUM that's why. I want that again! And I had a steak salad that was really amazing. The steak was perfectly cooked, the sauce was just right, the greens were so good. It was really the highlight of the day because I was so sore and tired from moving. We also ordered a meatloaf sandwich which was by far the most amazing thing I have ever tasted. It was like meatloaf patties and crusty cheesy oniony things all packed in bread. WOW. Very wonderful--The waitress is a boss.
(5)Bronwyn M.
Comfort food in the neighborhood.
(4)Matt S.
As a family we often need to just get out and get food and circa had always been a reliable place to go. But when you are tired and the kids are tired and your waitress is openly snarky with you it really is a bummer. If you need to be rude and petulant please leave the service industry
(1)NJ R.
Eat here. You will not regret it. Last time I was here I had coconut brioche French toast with pineapples. OMG delicious. Seriously one of my favorite breakfast places. Amazing food with great prices. What a value. Wish they had one closer to me. Stuck with Denny's for now :( gross.
(5)Christine B.
Not only was the Circa burger amazing but the service was extraordinary. Sat at the bar with some friends as it was busy, but service was never lacking. Wanted to try the pumpkin apple cider but wasn't sure if I'd like it. Asked bartender (Mel?) what she thought of it. She said it's good but you gotta try it yourself. Gave me a sample and I was hooked. Burger was "protein style" (no bun as requested) and it still looked mouth-wateringly good. Was made to feel right at home, even though I was visiting from another country. Loved every moment there, wished I could have stayed longer. Would definitely recommend to others! My friend had the meatloaf and it was decadent. Great presentation.
(5)Lauren A.
We visited on a whim and were quite happy. Great food, helpful staff, clean and welcoming location.
(5)Liz K.
Just ok. The first visit the BBQ salad was excellent. The second time my salad was missing very obvious ingredients like tortillas and dressing. My husbands sandwich had gotten kind of gelatinous as if it was left to sit there for several minutes in the kitchen. Service both times was rather slow. Some people really enjoy this place but it wasn't for us. We probably won't be back.
(2)Sarah R.
Circa is our "new" breakfast place. We had to replace our "old" bfast place because of insanely inconsistent food. Couldn't take it anymore. My hubby suggested Circa since he used to lunch there quite often before we met. Couldn't be happier we switched! The prices are more reasonable & the food has been consistently very good. The menu has some creative things on it, but it doesn't stray too far from the good old fashioned bfast items. I appreciate a little gourmet touch without being too "fancy" in the morning.
(5)Jolene R.
This is a great breakfast spot after church. They are closed for a block of hours though in the afternoon, so watch for that.
(4)Holly B.
Great lplace for a hot date! The prices are a little high but it's def worth it without a doubt! I am going to dress up a little next time I dine here, it's a fun and lovely place!
(5)Jessica R.
I've been here 3 times now, twice for dinner and today for brunch. Everything has been great every time. Last time I went for dinner the wait was a bit long for a Tuesday night, but the delicious wine and filet mignon more than made up for it. For brunch today I got the Seattle to Portland scramble and it was super good. There was tons of parmesan piled on top, which is never a bad thing. The hashbrowns were salty and crunchy and basically everything hashbrowns should be. My dining mate got biscuits and gravy and that looked equally delicious as well. Also awesome was that we went in for brunch around 9:30 on a Sunday morning and the place was half empty. Nothing makes me grumpier than waiting for food on a weekend morning.
(5)Lorin S.
Credit card machine was down, so they were only accepting cash. Luckily, there were plenty of ATMs in the area. We were seated in the bar and had fabulous service. I've been here a few times already and each time I have been very happy with my order. Definitely try the Asian BBQ -- being from the south I was a little skeptical, but the bed of mashed potatoes and roasted veggies were great, along with a great sauce. If you have room, the warm chocolate cake with ice cream is a wonderful way to cap off a meal!
(4)Jessica S.
It has been pretty okay every time I've gone there. This last time I did have to wait an hour for my food which wasn't nice, and I have noticed that most of the food doesn't taste all that great. I probably wont be coming back anytime soon.
(3)Alice C.
While the food continues to be tasty, the last two times I've eaten here I've settled my tab and added a tip only to find someone settling the card purchases at Circa added an additional, hefty tip to my bill. If you do come here, use cash.
(2)Matt B.
I went there for supper with my wife tonight (friday). It was busy but we only had to wait for about a minute before being seated. The service was good and our waitress was very friendly. I went out on a limb and got the BBQ Chicken Salad. It's the first time I've tried anything like it, and it was super solid. The flavors meshed really well and the chicken was tasty :) My wife got one of the specials, fried chicken, and that was very good as well. Beer selection was decent. Overall a great experience. We will be going back to try out more of the menu, I recommend!
(4)Kelli R.
A great place to grab a bite for dinner or brunch. Menu looks interesting although we're limited to just a few items due to our diet but what we've had, we've loved! Great butternut squash tacos and love the kale salad. A solid neighborhood spot for a good meal and friendly service.
(4)Melissa A.
Mmmm... Banana pancakes...This has become my standard order whenever I grab breakfast here. They have other good items to. My husband likes their eggs benedict and I haven't been disappointed with any of the egg based dishes they have there either, especially the one with black beans (that's my second favorite dish). It's one of our favorite places in West Seattle to go for breakfast.
(4)Alexander M.
Sunday brunch or dinner... You can't go wrong. Banana pancakes, scrambles, meatloaf... Delicious! Mimosas, great coffee and a solid rotation of taps with local and other craft brews. Easy location at the top of West Seattle and Admiral. Check it out...
(5)Joel W.
I asked for a box to take my leftovers home. The server handed me a box. Great service. I explained to her that we didn't have utensils and I didn't want to use my hands.
(1)Malee L.
Love this local place. My favorite is the grilled steak salad.... The best! Also have an awesome kids menu. I babysit lots of kids and they all say the grilled cheese Sandwich is the best they've ever had.
(5)Brenda W.
A recovery from an almost unhappy repeat customer - word of advice, don't skimp on the mac and cheese. This place is not a destination place to eat. It's a corner diner with the majority of the patrons residing in the neighborhood. Yes, I am a local and a picky one at that. Our family dines out alot and have visited Circa many many times. However, our recent meal was almost a one star experience and could have been the last. Circa - don't skimp on the kids menu mac and cheese! The portion size is almost a half a box of the stuff I pay $1 for at the store. The profit is in the parent's meals and drinks from the bar. They did recover by offering an additonal plate at no charge - but with some resistance to my feedback and initial rigidity by the waitstaff. I KNOW that is not homemade mac and cheese - don't kid me. Especially when the other staff says it's out of the box. I consider this a default place to eat and I will reluctantly go again. But I would really like to see a little more variety on the adult menu and..... don't skimp on the mac and cheese!
(3)Kristin W.
Fav restaurant in West Seattle! Staff is always friendly and speedy; kid friendly; food is exceptional; great rotating beers on tap. Tip: get there early as the space is small and fills fast.
(5)Angela L.
The food is amazing. The wait staff is helpful and friendly and I can't say enough great things about it. Brunch is great and the dinner is AMAZING.
(5)? ..
I ordered a burger. I got a raw patty with no bun. It took forever for our food to get there and they gave our table near the kitchen to someone else even though we had been there for longer and sat us at a table near the door.
(1)Michelle L.
My boyfriend and I went there just to have a cocktail and appetizer at the bar. We chose that place because they had a sticker in the window stating they accept American Express, it was the only card we brought for our bike ride . When we tried to use our American Express card to pay the bill, the female bartender said, "we don't take American Express." We mentioned the sign in the window. She just rudely said, "well we DON'T take it." No apology, didn't bother to be discreet and just say that it was a mistake and they should take the sign down, she raised her voice, others were listening, it was embarrassing. We were dumbfounded at this lack of basic customer service. We'll never go back there.
(1)Dawn M.
So delicious. Great food for the price - Tom Douglas quality cuisine in a casual ale house environment. You definitely need to arrive at their 5:00pm opening time to get right into a table and to guarantee you can get the daily specials. It's a small place so they run out quickly if it's busy. I arrived at 6:30 to a packed house and no specials left. But they still had the pasta or crab cakes, two delicious options. It's a small place, and gets crowded, but usually my wait has been less than 15 min and it's definitely food worth waiting for.
(5)Clover A.
Clover Math Time! 5 stars for price to value ratio 3 stars for randomness of good experiences to bad. 5 stars for having a parking lot 3 stars for having that lot be full/dangerous to drive and walk through 4 stars for the offerings on the menu for dinner 5 stars for those banana pancakes 5 stars for the skirt steak at under 16$ that's a BARGAIN 3 stars for opening at 9 to serve brunch 3 stars for the non existant waiting area and slowish service sometimes
(4)Tracy M.
I read the reviews before hand, and there were a lot mentioning poor service. We had good service, the waitress was attentive, but not too attentive. She did not write down our orders but got everything right. I went there on a Thursday for lunch around noon. We had the sweet potato fires, very tasty! I had the soup and house salad combo. The soup was chicken, couscous, cilantro and a few other things, quite flavorful and the salad came with cranberries and Gorgonzola cheese and was not drowning in dressing. My friends both ordered the steak sad. They have had it before and tried to get me to order it too. They said it is one of the best things on the menu. The chunks of bread that came with the salads was delicious too. It was a nice atmosphere, small but not overly crowded, although I guess it can be crazy for dinner.
(3)Ann E.
Can't go wrong with Circa! Excellent, flavorful, well crafted meals and always a fresh selection. Another staple for us in west Seattle with its small, warm neighborhood atmosphere and the friendly fun and smart staff!
(4)Rd R.
I've only been once for a Thursday night dinner, but what a great experience! All the food was outstanding, the lamb burger flavorful, braised beef exquisite, and the banana doughnuts sublime. The atmosphere was great with a mix of families and couples, and there service was positive, efficient and knowledgeable. Can't wait to go back!
(5)Aaron E.
Circa was a great, unassuming location for brunch. Despite the place being packed, the servers were efficient and a table was quickly cleaned. The mimosas we ordered came out quickly and were a nice way to start the meal. Not sure why but I like having little bottles of champagne.... first of all I like a heavier ratio of champagne to orange juice and I like holding little bottles and utensils and such.... makes me feel like a giant. I had already perused the menu online and knew I wanted the Smoked Salmon Florentine which comes with smoked salmon, capers, green onions, and spinach scrambled with eggs and topped with dill sour cream. The blend of flavors was excellent and the spinach still had a bit of bite to it. I LOVE raw spinach but hate mushy, overcooked spinach so was pleased it was cooked al dente. The dill sour cream was flavorful and a nice alternative to the standard cream cheese. They were also really accommodating with my request for egg whites only. Brunch buddy ordered biscuits and gravy. Enjoyable enough but rather forgettable. Ambiance was simple but pleasant and the service was friendly. I have to say the servers balanced being quick and efficient but never made patrons feel rushed. They quickly turned tables around and made sure no one had to wait too long for a table. If I'm in the area I don't see any reason not to return!
(4)Jason F.
Whether you're up for a beer or want to sit down and have a nice meal, Circa's a great choice. I went last night and had the Chicken Breast and grilled Caesar Salad. I don't remember seeing this on the menu before, I believe it's new, it was great. Everything I've eaten here has been great: meatloaf, crab cakes, steak salad, burgers have all been delicious. The restaurant itself is cozy and well kept. The wait staff, as well as the bartenders are the best in Seattle.
(4)Nicole H.
There are just a couple breakfast/brunch places I love going to, and Circa is definitely one of them. The service is always wonderful and portion sizes are perfect. When I'm really hungry, I always get the homemade coffee cake-it's so moist and delicious! You really can't go wrong with anything off the brunch menu. I generally get The Standard because I'm a traditional breakfast person, but I've also had the Biscuits and Gravy, Chorizo & Huevos and The Slacker which were all so yummy! Once I even had the Grilled Steak Salad since it was a little later in the day and the steak came out tender and worked well with the salad. If you are ever in West Seattle on a weekend morning make sure to hit up Circa!
(5)Julie H.
There needs to be a no star option. We've been here a handful of times & end up with the same conclusion: pretty good food, horribly slow service. After waiting near 40 minutes & having a near non-existent server, we finally asked about our order. We also wanted to order drinks but long gave up on that. She said we were still behind an order. When we commented we were starting to get limited on time & it's been slow, her response was "it's a full house." We finally walked out. How long do they think most people have for lunch? It's not a "full house" issue, it's a staffing issue. And a little apology would have gone a long way & probably kept us there. We for sure will NEVER go back, & reading many other responses here, Circa better wake up.
(1)DeAnne E.
Brunch in West Seattle. The food selection isn't as abundant as Salty's but it's definitely cheaper. The atmosphere is equivalent to Jak's Grill off California Ave but on a smaller scale. Parking can be a challenge. If you can't find a spot in their tiny lot you'll have to park off Admiral, California, or across the street in the Safeway parking lot. Service was friendly. I had the Smoked Salmon Florentine and it was pretty good. The food is plentiful. I had to box up what I couldn't finish.
(3)Debra H.
Got there about noon today (Saturday) for brunch and took the last booth available. We'd been here for dinner several times (live in the neighborhood) but this was a first for brunch. Ever get to a restaurant and you look at the menu and think...hmmm, nothing really looks good? Everything looked good. Our table ordered the Circa burger and the Chorizo scramble to share. The scramble was delicious with just the right amount of cheese and extras, nice amount of fruit on the side, hash browns were crispy and not to greasy. I think sourdough toast might have been an extra cost but it was good as well. The burger was fab. Great bun (Macrina broche), burger done right and just the right amount of toppings. Fries, hot, salted just right and delicious. Friendly, fast and efficient service a plus.
(4)Randi L.
One of the best brunches in Seattle! I love this little cafe. Their beer selection is fantastic and the service is wonderful! If it's busy, just take a seat at the bar and you can order from the full menu there, as well. Dinner selections are wonderfully delicious and the portions are quite generous. I've NEVER had a bad meal here!
(5)Tim M.
Great neighborhood restaurant. I like the burger and the changing specials. Beer selection is small bit rotating and good.
(4)Danielle F.
Delicious food and a menu that always has at least five things I want to order. On my most recent trip, I had some exceptionally well prepared halibut with some sort of a soy glaze over noodles - perfection. The hamburger was also out of this world - perhaps my favorite in West Seattle. Perfectly seasoned and just the right amount of juicy. Circa's only fault is that with so few tabletops, you may find yourself waiting for a seat on a busy weekend night!
(5)Carinn M.
Circa is my go-to neighborhood favorite for good, solid food in a chill environment. I have never been disappointed and their lamb burger with the sweet potato fries is the bomb!
(5)Jordan B.
Quaint and cute venue. The food is amazing- you must try the butternut squash tacos. I had the meatloaf and loved every bite. It's a "must eat at" place in West Seattle
(5)Sandra P.
Such a great spot and consistently delicious. Great beer selections and I love, love, love the Skirt Steak salad. Geat place to duck into especially when it is raining outside.
(5)Jessica R.
Excellent food. Excellent service! So impressed!
(5)D.R. W.
in 2 1/2 years I have never, not every, had an issue with their food. It is excellent.
(5)Shawn W.
I don't know what to say, but hopefully they read yelp. I am giving you a ONE STAR BECAUSE I HOPE YOU ARE LISTENING TO MY COMPLAINS. THE BEST FOOD IN WEST SEATTLE (besides Jak's Grille, but lets lump that into the Steakhouse category). I have been here dozens of times. I mean it, you can order just about anything on this menu and it is delicious. They put magical crack powder in their food so you just want to eat it everyday. However guys, what is with the freakin' STRANGE ASS HOURS? I frankly never know what to expect when I show up here. They do the kind of thing "we're open from 9-11, then we shut down for 3 hours, and are open from 2-7" kind of weird thing. That's just weird, and obnoxious. Oh I showed up at 11:10 and now I can't eat (go to Great Harvest across the street on California if you miss Circa, they have delicious food as well) As my neighborhood restaurant, i NEED YOU TO BE OPEN from like 9 to 11. I need you to not have windows of hours. Jeeze. You guys are crazy. Let me explain the economics to you: Fixed costs: you pay a lease. you have all the equipment. you do advertising or at least you build it somehow. none of these fixed costs go away. SO BE OPEN ALL THE TIME. Capitalize on your fixed costs. Weirdos. You have the best food in West Seattle yet you keep me from it like the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld. Please just stop being weird and be open for a solid 8-10 hours in a row. And please make the Mole Burrito available on weekends. It really blasts everything on the menu out of the water, even the steak salad.
(1)Abby T.
This place is awesome. I've only been here once, but after reading the other reviews, we drove out to West Seattle specifically to come here, and boy were we happy we did (claps retardedly). I had the steak salad. Five stars Steak Salad, holy delicious mouthgasm! Go. Eat. This. Salad. Boyfriend had something else, southwest or Chipotle something or other chicken salad, had a bite also awesome. Then there was some sort of baked brie and apple thing some other guy ordered at the table next to us that looked and smelled amazing, going back for that, for sure! Beer selection.... mediocre. The space is super tiny, maybe 50 people total can fit in here - so it gets pretty loud. I have heard its hard to get a table a lot of the time, which I can see... we went in the middle of the day on a weekday so no issue there. Our table for 2 was tiny tiny as well... think, elbows hitting the wall (I am not a big person). They were playing the game, whoot! But not at such an obnoxiously loud level that you can't talk or hear yourself think. Comin' back for sure. I hate to rate on a one time experience, so maybe after I try that awesome brie thing I'll add the other star!
(4)Melissa B.
This place is tucked away, but a gem. I had a simple grilled cheese, which turned out amazing. The food is fresh and the serivce good. I'd come here again.
(4)Karen C.
Great place to eat! I loved the Brie & Bacon sandwich.... made with perfection! Highly recommend a stop in this lovely restaurant. Can't wait to go back and try more on the menu!
(5)Riss J.
Looking through the other reviews and seeing how many people I CALL FRIENDS have reviewed this place, some as long as SIX YEARS AGO, that I've never met up with the WS-ers and been here until last night is close to unforgivable. However, it was Ian's treat as part of a gracious and generous "Thanks for not killing my dog" week of sitting with the adorable Tesla. So, some forgiveness there. And, it happened to be on a night when Craig and Bounce came walking in and the added bonus of their company brings the forgiveness up another few notches. The service was quick, prompt, friendly and just attentive enough. The food was so good. My goodness. The prices versus the quality and options is just ridiculous..in the GOOD way. I went with the butternut squash tacos. So, So, SO good. I actually asked our waitress to go high five the cooks for me. I honestly can't wait to go back again. So much about the space, the decor, the service, the food and the wonderful company pieced together for a fantastic experience I am anxious to repeat and explore that menu much deeper. So, complete absolution for not having told me about this place or met up here earlier, friends.
(5)K T.
Never had a bad meal. Kitchen was a little off for brunch this weekend though. Hollandaise was quite acidic and pancakes burned on one side. Still tasted good. Sure could use one more server though!
(4)Dene' M.
My favorite restaurant in West Seattle. I"m a huge fan of the steak salad but everything is delicious!
(5)Stacie K.
We ended up here because Prost was redonkulously crowded. So I was all like " I saw this cute little joint like a block down the road". Turns out it was a half hour walk each direction, but whatever. We wanted foods. Go in, short wait. Get sat by a super cute girl. She is friendly, interactive, and awesome. The menu is not complicated. She knew each dish and did a great job suggesting stuff. We had pork/goat cheese wontons, meatloaf burger, humus thingy, special fillet, and skirt steak with an added on crab cake. ALL OF THE FOOD WAS EPIC. Great portions. I had room for desert without feeling like i would pop. I ordered the choco creme brulee. They give you 2 kinds. Both awesome. Loved this place. We will be back.
(5)Rich S.
Brunch at Circa!. I should've come here months ago. The menu is filled with great options; if I'd had room for it, I would have added coffee cake and perhaps more to my order. The stomach struggles to keep up with the eyes. I ordered the biscuits with country gravy (they got my egg order wrong, but I actually didn't mind). The biscuits were thick and flaky, the gravy was like I remember at my favorite joints in the south but lighter. Folks I came with enjoyed the take-out boxes labeled with the date and contents. I think I'll be coming back soon.
(4)Kris P.
What a nice little find, thanks to a co-worker of my wifes. We showed up a little early and were given a booth, immediately, even though our party wouldn't arrive for at least another 20 minutes. The wait staff helped my wife pick a nice beer to enjoy... bringing her samples. I had a nice 5 year old bottle of Merlot that I enjoyed.... two glasses worth. While waiting for our friends (who are regulars here) we ordered the Coconut prawns with sweet chili sauce. DELISH!!!! For dinner, I went with the Butternut tacos, and I will most definitely have them again. They mixture of flavors and textures were perfect. I loved the mole sauce added on top of the tortillas. And the butternut squash was cooked the exact way that I love it, and served up in big pieces. The coconut rice was delicious, without being overwhelming in taste. My wife got the steak salad, and she said that it was wonderful. I'm sure that she will get it again. Loved how they had framed photo's of different animals on the walls, for sale. We were put in the booth with two different framed pictures of raccoons, and that put a huge smile on my face. The restaurant isn't huge, but it has such a nice intimate feel to it. The bathroom was very clean, and I used the facilities when we first arrived, and right as we were leaving, almost 2.5 hours later. ACES for a clean bathroom. The staff was really friendly, and made us feel very welcome. The service was wonderful, and quick. Several refills were brought to us, without having to ask. Nothing took too long to be brought to our table. One of the better places that I've enjoyed in Seattle.... and we will be back. Great little intimate restaurant and they have a clean bathroom. Aces up from me. Raccoon booth.
(5)Caroline S.
We ate our dinners at the bar and were impressed with the personable service and absolutely incredible food! The steak salad was absolutely fabulous!
(5)Bruce T.
Lunch was excellent. I had the meatloaf sandwich, my wife had the lamb burger, with Guinness for me and a Malbec for her. First, they know how to draw a Guinness. Beautiful head, and the beer was at the right temperature. The fries were great: peel was left on the spuds, they were hot out of the fryer when the meals arrived, seasoned perfectly and cooked just the way we like them. Both sandwiches were very good, each on its own kind of bread, both well chosen to complement the meat. The service was flawless, the food was really unique and very good and the beverages just right. The seasoning here deserves special mention, since it was really, really well done. We'll be dining here again, rely on it.
(5)Amy C.
The food was amazing and the service was great. Had the crab cake benes and my friend had the steak salad. Yum!! Good beers, too...
(4)Lacey L.
We hardly ever go out for breakfast but when we do we go here. The pancakes are amazing and the coffee cake is super moist. They have a lot more to offer than just the typical breakfast. They even have praline maple syrup, awesome. It's always a good sign when they serve the real stuff. I'm also addicted to the steak salad. I don't know what they marinate the steak in but it's fabulous and comes with big chunks of delicious blue cheese and fresh tomatoes. It's the best!!
(4)Traci J.
We were in the market for breakfast before a big day of shopping. One voted Circa, one voted Heartland. Circa won. I think I wasn't a huge fan of the place since it's just beer and wine and no hard alcohol, but since that wasn't a factor on this fine Saturday morning, I'd give it a shot. Not a big egg eater, I was a big skeptical that I was not going to get my meat fix. Aha! Joe's Special Scramble. I ordered it well done with some mushrooms thrown in, and chose the coffee cake, even though I spied a little crock of jam on the table. The eggs were perfectly cooked with no runny goo, and only enough to coat the good stuff - read: meat, mushrooms and spinach. The hash browns were the shredded kind, fluffy and a good kind of greasy in the middle and perfectly brown crispiness on the outside. I ate the entire square and didn't leave the blah middle sitting there as I normally do. They definitely give Ore-Ida a run for their money in the hash browns department. The breakfast was served with a couple bites of fruit so you can get your healthy fix: melon, pineapple and an orange slice. Although the coffee cake was warm and covered in streusel goodness, I could only manage one bite and had to take the rest to go. The others in my party enjoyed their benedicts and breakfast was declared a success. Coffee and water were kept filled, and the waitress didn't even flinch when we presented 4 charge cards so the bill could be evenly split. Super filling breakfast for under $15 including tip and coffee - will definitely return.
(4)Tori G.
This place was awesome! Full bar, good food, good service, and they even had baseball on TV. My only qualms are that it's pretty small, and there's no real waiting area (especially if the bar is full) if you get there during a busy dinner time. The parking lot is also small, but there's a B of A lot right behind it that you're probably not supposed to (but can) park in (after hours). This is a great spot for a casual dinner in West Seattle - I highly recommend it!
(4)Heather P.
Great beginnings, we were seated in the "raccoon" booth. If you love great food and great photography, this is definately your place!! There are B x W photos on display everywhere, which give a very warm feeling to the place. If that wasn't enough, the food speaks for itself!! AMAZING taste!! I had the steak salad, which I must say, just wanted to melt in my mouth......it was prepared perfectly! The combination of the flavors of the meat, salad, and dressing, were all perfectly combined to give the most amazing flavor burst in your mouth. Let's talk about appetizers!!! We had their coconut prawns......OMG!! Talk about BIG, JUICY prawns!! These were absolutely YUMMY!! This definately a place to put on your "must try" list, but be sure to get there early, since they do have a bit of a wait if you arrive after 7pm. Great selection of micro brews and wines. Take a trip here, and you will not be disappointed!!
(5)Rodney C.
I've been to Circa on several occasions the past several years and EVERY single time, I've been super happy. I mean, SUPER happy. SO delish. My taste buds go in serious overdrive everytime. I wish I could provide you with reviews on various dishes they serve. But I can't - because I can't seem to get myself to order anything besides the Grilled Steak Salad. It's so perfect. I challenge any other restaurant in the Seattle surrounding area to beat their salad. Good times, yo. I have had some specials and other dishes that were superb. But, gosh, did I mention how good the steak salad is? At the same time, can't go wrong with offsetting the nutritious salad with their bomb-diggity chocolate cake. Oh man. Melt much? Yes. If you're in W.Seattle, please visit this cute quaint place with a wonderful waitstaff. You won't be disappointed. Unless you're an evil grinch.
(5)Heather H.
This place is awesome! Beer choices great and stepped up bar food. Also, great pricing. Give this place a shot.
(5)Christine R.
This place makes me want to move to West Seattle!! It really is a neighborhood joint. I like that vibe to it. So many restaurants these days are chain types where you lose the connection you have with a place. I came here a week ago for a work lunch. We came at lunch, and although there it was pretty full, there was only one server. It did take a while for the food to arrive, but when it did, it was totally worth the wait!!! I had the fish and chips, and I've had this dish so many times at different places, and this just tasted so much better than all the others. They have a large selection of beers, and if it wasn't a working day, I probably would've had a few. I drove by last night about 830pm and this place was packed to the rim!! Again, the friendly service, the good food, and just the overall vibe of this place is really having me consider moving to W.Seattle.
(4)Jena E.
Been here three times, and it pulled me out of my reviewing slump. I have not had a single molecule of food or drink which I did not enjoy. Cute atmosphere as well. I forgot to talk to people at my table because I was staring at the antique light fixture over the bar. I've been served by a couple of lovely, funny ladies with recommendations that were sincere, and had a couple of stellar beers.
(5)Sonya L.
Dinner last night at Circa was absolutely great. My boyfriend and I went here for a date based on a recommendation from my friend and it was fantastic. We had a really great time. We got there about 8pm and only had to wait about 5 minutes to get a table. The place is smaller than I imagined, but the atmosphere is great. We both had the cider on tap (can't remember the name), which was very good. I had the butternut squash tacos and they were excellent. The mole sauce was super tasty and the entire combination of flavors exceeded 5 stars for me! My boyfriend had the halibut and chips and he really liked them. The fries were delicious - they sort of reminded us of Dick's fries, except larger and a bit fancier. Our waitress was friendly and pleasant and checked in on us just the right amount of times. She even offered my boyfriend a free IPA since she poured it accidentally and didn't want it to go to waste. He happily accepted it. Overall we had a great time here and left full and happy. I'd really like to come back to try the brunch - the food sounds really good!
(5)JonandVal H.
Heard some great reviews about this place... There all true! Started with the hummus, which came with olive tapenade, corn, sauteed onions, tomatoes and cucumber. It def exceeded the "yummus" claim! I ordered the meatloaf, which came bacon wrapped on a bed of mashers. Moist, flavorful, delicious. The wife had the infamous butternut squash tacos. Was more of a lasagna than a taco, and was really rich, but tasty. FWIW, she might order something else next time, though, like the halibut fish n chips. Overall, lived up to the rep, decent service, def a must try!
(4)David W.
maybe it was just me... maybe it is my mind set ... maybe it was the night I was having. I was here for about 17 Minutes...had dinner and a ice tea no refill and the bill was under 19$. So when I ask the bartender if she can break a 20 so I can tip and she hands me 10 and two fives....I think she misunderstood. I don't leave tips over 25% to people I don't know and only spoke to twice....unless you blew my mind. Again... maybe it was me...But she seemed a little put out that I wanted to break the five. I left her 4$ - over 20% BTW. And left a little pissed myself. Had the steak - I liked it.. it was pretty good...veggies were gross...tasted frozen... mashed potatoes were fine...Liked the sauce... Probably will never go back.
(2)Ryan G.
This place is good for a nice Manny's on tap and if you got the gusto I highly recommend their Chicken Quesadilla...it was deliscious. Food seems good here and the service was excellent. It is a little tight in there in terms of space and I am a big guy so I likes to spread out!! Woopty.
(4)Rachel P.
I visited Circa after a recommendation of someone I met at the Beer Junction Thursday night tasting. My friend and I split the Lamb Burger and butternut squash tacos. First of all HUGE portions! But most importantly, YUMMMMMY entrees! I was a bit hesitant about the Butternut Squash taco's with Mole. But let me tellllll you .... that was a taste EXPLOSION of which I was not expecting! I will definitely go back!
(5)Cindy C.
omg so good. We went here only because the place we were planning to go to was under construction. So lucky that we had to change our plans because this place was awesome. Circa is a tiny neighborhood restaurant with great atmosphere and a cozy bar. We got the butternut squash taco and meatloaf. The meatloaf was super tasty and thinly sliced - on a few scoops of yummy mashed potatoes. The taco was very sweet with well paired flavors. Didnt touch the beans much or the rice since the high value item was the taco. Definitely would love to go back and try more stuff. The our waitress was fantastic also. Very fast service and helped us with our order.
(5)Jeremy C.
My wife and I went here before catching an 8:50 showing at the Admiral (cheapie) Theater. I had come here for lunch awhile back and liked it, but wow, dinner was amazing! We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, from the beers, to the crab wonton app, my to-die-for butternut squash taco (with amazing sides and sauces) and her crab cakes with an incredible spicy mango salsa. Then we had these warm cinnamon donut holes with a caramel sauce -- out of this world! You won't be disappointed here.
(5)Ashley T.
Okay, because I was mildly hungover this morning, and Circa was literally 3 minutes away the husband and I made our way back to try the burger. WOW. Get thee to Circa for the burger. You will not be disappointed!! I'll definitely be back.
(5)Megan B.
Very cute and not pretentious at all. It's a small space with minimal space to wait, but they served us a beverage while we waited and sat us within 15min. The menu has nice variety and everything is fresh and tasty. The service is pleasant and not overbearing. Overall, a great little spot for a weeknight out or a mellow Friday night dinner.
(4)Tonya N.
Pretty darn good! I enjoyed my brunch here... Big portions but didn't feel to heavy or greasy. Had the steak salad and the Benedict, great choices.
(4)Alina P.
Feeling like some comfort food? Check out the Meatloaf, it's mmm mmm good. The meat loaf is wrapped in bacon (that is never a bad thing!) and served over super creamy mashers and asparagus. Add a smooth beer off their ever changing options and you will be warm, and cuddly....I recommend you do not start cuddling with your fellow patrons without asking as they may not have had the meatloaf. PS the current apricot cider "I no likey." Sour and tart, made me think of those bitter beer commercials. I barely made myself gulp it for "alcoholic buzz achievement purposes only." PPS Note for those who like late night dining, look elsewhere, these folks close early, WAY to early in my book. Like nine or something, I am usually just waking up by then. West Seattle has too many early closing restaurants. :-3 (
(4)C E.
Love the food! It's been fabulous every time I've gone. I usually get the steak salad but ordered a lamb burger this time and, well, WOW. Been craving another all week! Additionally, the service was great. We were in a hurry to get to the Admiral for a flick and they took care of us. Always a good experience!
(5)Orca J.
I have been going here for years. I, nor any guest I took, have ever had a bad meal. The food quality is consistently very good, the burgers are arguably one of the best in Seattle, and certainly the best in West Seattle. The staff are always kind, courteous, exact, heck they remember my likes and dislikes, and my name. They always make me feel like I am at home! The beer selection is always good, and sometimes exceptional, and they sell growlers! The place is defiantly a local hangout, and with good reason. I hate to give it a good review becasue I don't want non-locals taking my spot! ;)
(5)Nicole A.
I love this place!!! i was there last night for the first time and it was excellent! I had the beet salad, corn dog shrimp and sweet potato fries. Everything was perfect - the atmosphere, our server, wine and food.
(5)Won K.
Excellent, creative food that doesn't make you feel sick like 85% of restaurants. If you live a healthy lifestyle you know what I mean. Tell me how your stomach feels after a meal from Salty's (judging by the whopping 2 times in my life that I've been there). Good, clean food that's not boring, good beer on tap selection, good service. What more do you need? This place used to have a bad service reputation. Not true!
(5)Layla G.
Whenever we're in the mood for a great buger we head straight to Circa. When my husband uprooted us from the snows of the Aspen valley to the rain of Seattle's waterfront, I mourned the loss of our favorite hamburger hangout, Little Annie's. Never again, I lamented, will we find a place with such spectacular burgers and perfect steak salad. I snapped out of my melancholia when we discovered Circa at the end of a moving day that started at 6am. We were dropping off a bunch of clothes at the dry cleaner on the corner when we caught the enticing scent of grilled meat and crispy fries. We literally followed our noses down the street until we sniffed out a door and dived through it. It was a small space but painted with a warm embracing color and filled mostly with comfy booths with a bar adjacent. We quickly claimed the last booth and 20 minutes later there was a line out the door and starting down the street. The line made me nervous and I was worried that, with so many people waiting, the waitress would rush us through dinner. She didn't. She didn't even look at the backlog! We started by splitting the crab cakes entree ($17). The waitress had no problem with dividing up the crab cakes onto 4 appetizer plates. It was, as promised, fresh crab, not frozen. My husband, brother-in-law and I all had burgers of different types ($12) which came with choice of soup, salad, or fries. We all asked for different degrees of done-ness (a rare, a med-rare and a med-well) and we each got exactly what we asked for. My sister-in-law opted for the steak salad ($14) without the BBQ sause and with extra gorgonzola. They made it just the way she requested, and she was excited to see that they didn't skimp on the steak. All of the food we ordered was wonderful. Through subsequent visits we learned that all the regular options on the menu are consistently done very well. The specials are another matter. Let's just say they're consistently inconsistent. So is the service. Sometimes the waitstaff are like bustling college students. But sometimes they're like distracted high school seniors. They're never rude, just a little unfocused. They are definitely young. This was brought home to us when we asked about a song playing (the music is always pleasantly eclectic) and after checking with the bartender, the waitress revealed it was a group she'd never heard before - some band called "War". It was the first time we felt the generation gap. (And also felt slightly senile since we hadn't recognized the vocals.) My worldly-wise wisdom for getting the most out of your Circa experience: expect to wait for a table, don't be surprised if the service is uneven, avoid the specials. Enjoy the pub-like atmosphere and the unexpected songs, and the selection of beers.
(3)Aaron M.
I went for brunch and the food is amazing here. I had the Louisiana Benedict that uses spinach and andouille sausage. The only place open to sit at was the bar, but the barkeep was great at serving us. The noise level is about what you'd expect in a busy space that was filled. My friend and I literally got the last two free seats so they were at capacity. I am definitely going to return though.
(4)Hanna L.
Went to circa with a girlfriend. We shared the halibut fish and chips with sweet potato fries, the butternut squash tacos, and finally ended with a orange chocolate molten cake.... The fish and chips were standard- nothing too amazing. However, the butternut squash tacos were to die for! They used Goat cheese inside the tacos, which turned me off a bit- I don't like the taste of goat cheese.... I just ate the rest of the taco while my girlfriend ate most of the goat cheese. We ended our dinner off with the orange chocolate molten cake. If I were not so concerned about my calorie intake, and the effect the cake would have on my expanding waist-line, I probably would have ate the whole thing AND licked the plate clean. It was that good. The only reason why it loses a star is because it was so packed in the restaurant, and the prices were a little steep... But other than that, it was great!! Definitely coming back again!
(4)Meghan K.
This is hands down my favorite restaurant in the Seattle area. Hands down. The food here is amazing. You MUST try the steak salad. It is so delicious. Out of everything that I have tried here, everything has been delicious, but this is the most delicious. The butternut squash tacos are great, and the daily specials that I've tried have been divine, but the steak salad is where it's at. I'm telling you. They also have a great beer selection, and they've always had a cider on tap when I've been there. I've never had to wait more than 20 minutes for a table even though the place is on the smaller side. The wait staff is always friendly and I've always had great service here. If you're ever in West Seattle you should check this place out. You won't regret it!
(5)Alon L.
I've been here both for brunch and for dinner. Both were quite good, and the ingredients seemed fresh. There's a decent selection. I had the bacon wrapped-meatloaf, which was above average. The meat itself could have used a little more seasoning, but it was overall tasty. One of the people seated next to me ordered a burger, which looked really good. I think I'd go for one of those next time. Brunch here consists of the standard fare, but good quality. Price is right. Nice service, though they were slow with the drink refills. The place is a little on the small side - it doesn't seem like it'd be a good place for big groups.
(4)Jen F.
I got to the restaurant at 5pm sharp on a Saturday evening, just as they were opening. By 5:45pm there was not one seat available. It's a small restaurant, but I was happy to see it fill so quickly. I went to Circa several years ago when they first opened. After a move back to the Seattle area, I'm glad to see they are still around! I had the blackened halibut and a side house salad. I requested that they leave off the chipotle mayo. Halibut is so easily overwhelmed by other flavors, I wanted to actually taste the fish. It was perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked. Additionally, their side house salad isn't just the standard green leafy nothingness with your choice of dressing. It's got craisins, goat cheese and candied walnuts. You don't even need the dressing, which I asked for on the side and never used. Such a tasty, perfect meal in a nice, cozy establishment. My only suggestion is, get there early if you don't want to wait for a table!
(4)Sarah C.
Circa is MY KIND OF PLACE! Went there for dinner last night with my mom and my brother for dinner. We were also checking out possible venues for a small UW graduation dinner for yours truly. There was a 20 minute wait, so of course we got some dranks at the bar. I told the bartender woman that I didn't like beer, and lo and behold she wanted to convert me so I got to try a bunch of beer samples. My brother got 3-4 samples as well, even though he is a beer snob. Then we got our table. I looked at the menu and I could not believe my eyes; all of my favorite things and more were on one page, and for reasonable prices, as well. My mom asked the waitress if the coconut rice tasted coconutty (she HATES coconut) and the waitress actually volunteered to go get some for my mom to taste. I ordered the butternut squash tacos, and they were scrum-diddly-umptious! The presentation on all of the items made me feel like I was in some kind of gourmet restaurant and not a neighborhood eatery. I was so pleased wtih this place that I ordered another glass of wine. OH, and we're a family that NEVER gets dessert because we are either too full or to cheap, but at this place we actually got two desserts: the chocolate cake and the creme brulee. I was stuffed but it was oh so good. Comments from my mom and brother: Bro: "Wow, I usually go out to eat and think 'that was good, but I don't know if it was worth the price.' Here I am saying, that was AMAZING, and so worth the price!" Mom: "I can't remember the last time I had such a good dinner out to eat!" This is a WONDERFUL place - great food, friendly, genuine service, and reasonable prices! I'll be back....next month with my family in tow for my gradution dinner!
(5)Megan O.
I had heard about Circa ever since I moved to West Seattle and this week I got a chance to try it. The place is pretty small and cozy, with a few booths and a bar. It's very comfortable. The bar seems like a great place to hang with a friend, have a drink and chill. You can tell it's a neighborhood hangout. After we were seated we each got a beer. I was surprised, but they actually had a pretty good beer selection. Any place that has Big Al's on tap is cool with me. For dinner all the ladies at the table got steak salad and the men got butternut squash tacos. That salad was really delicious. The steak was cooked perfectly and had a sweet and tangy marinade. All the ingredients just really complimented each other. I didn't try any of the tacos but the boys said they were great. Since we had a birthday at the table our waitress brought out some chocolate cake. How can you go wrong with that? It was moist, chocolatey and totally yummy. I've definitely found another spot in my wonderful neighborhood to frequent. I hear they have brunch so that is my next mission!
(4)Nick Mary R.
Fabulous food. Great servers. Not cheap, but worth it. Every time we go it's seems better.
(5)Matt M.
Great place to grab lunch! The staff was really friendly and I will always go back to a spot where whoever is serving can hold a halfway decent conversation with multiple people at the bar. The food was awesome and the laid back atmosphere made it the perfect place to chill and enjoy a nice day...
(4)Stephanie M.
This place was delicious! I loved the curry mussels- yum! And the pasta dish I had was quite tasty. My husband had the steak- which was also quite tasty. I was very happy with the wine and beer selection. I will definitely be back!
(4)Stephan J.
This place has that neighborhood vibe where all the locals eat. The place was packed on a Saturday evening so we found a spot at the bar. They had a nice selection on wines and beers on tap that appear to rotate often. The menu had lots of great items, that seemed to be comfort foodish, to choose from. I enjoyed the chicken enchiladas. I also got to sample the hanger steak, which also was quite nice.
(4)Tracey S.
I'm a fan and the sole reason is because of the service. In the distant past, people have complained that if you're not a regular at Circa, you won't receive celebrity service. To a very small extent that's true. It's a NEIGHBORHOOD restaurant. So of course the people who live in the neighborhood, who frequent the place (and by frequent, I mean they go there multiple times per week) are going to be more warmly welcomed than a perfect stranger. But the service is never, ever rude or un-welcoming. Relationships take time. The food is good. And at times very, very good...depending on who's cooking. If you really want things to sing, ask for Alie, John or Sean. The beer and wine selection, for a neighborhood pub, are downright outstanding. This also is due in large part to the waitstaff who care enough to make sure the beer and wine they carry actually compliments the food they serve. But at the end of the day, it's another decent neighborhood brewpub. Make no mistake, what keeps this place in business is the loyal following the waitstaff have worked very, very hard to create. Becoming a regular is like earning a place at the family dinner table.
(4)Dave R.
Have not been here in ages, what with the scirrotic liver all achy from Beveridge Place, and the flare up of the clap from tattoo-gal at Rocksport. In fact, sorting through the haze, maybe her artful tramp stamp actually said 'Rocksport,' unless that was coaster from the bar on her lower back. We were both watching WSU lose so couldn't see her....oh jeez. Anyhoo........Circa has a very nice menu, good tap selection and friendly staff. Really liked our belated return. Sorry we waited so long to come back.
(5)Mj B.
Circa has the best burger in West Seattle. Served with delicious fries. Top that off with a usually great and diverse beer selection (last night they had bottles of Russian River Supplication!) and friendly staff, and you've got a sweet local spot. It gets crowded on Fridays and Saturdays, perfect during the week.
(5)Veronica H.
I love the Louisiana Eggs Benedict! Yum! The banana pancakes kick ass too! My other favorite entree is the meatloaf sandwich. I NEVER order meatloaf anything from any restaurant. But, the meatloaf sandwich here is delicious. Servers are always nice and friendly. Great neighborhood place.
(5)Yiling W.
Tasty, large brunch for two for about $25! Complete with Rilo Kiley, Smashing Pumpkins and similar music in the background. Yum. Avocado side was nice and fresh too, and the chorizo egg scramble (more of a log/blob) was tasty.
(4)Jeff J.
i LUVS me some circa. it is a great neighborhood place, with a deelish bar menu, and extensive beer choices. b/c i travel a lot for work, i love to come here after getting back from the airport, usually wiped out, and sink in to some of circa's great upscale comfort food. oh, and the servers really are a class of their own. friendly, fast, they keep the place going, and treat you like the best local you'd want to be. :)
(5)Erin H.
The food here was delicious and the french fries were some of the best I have had in Seattle. Because the food was so good and the customer service was great this place tops out at 3 for me. I stated to my waitress that I am very allergic to eggs, so I cannot eat mayonnaise on my burger, it seemed that the waitress had taken the time to write this down... I was very excited and super hungry but 2 bites into my burger, I could feel the slime of the mayo on my teeth. I dropped the bite out of my mouth and found that there was indeed mayo on my burger and so much that it was pooling when I took a bite. The waitress brought me back a plain bun with a fresh piece of lettuce but needless to say my dinner was ruined and I have spent the whole next day (superbowl sunday) recovering from my evening of benadryl and a day full of head and stomach aches... Good food if you don't have any allergies. I'm glad I am not as allergic as others.
(3)Julie M.
This is my favorite restaurant in all of Seattle. Awesome food, great ambience, good drinks. Especially like the butternut squash tacos. My only suggestion would be more vegetarian options, but still great as is :)
(5)Amy E.
Love this place - it never fails to satisfy! Unlike Porterhouse, Circa kept it's mainstays on the new menu, plus added some wonderful new dishes. The service is always great, and the bar is the best seat in Seattle. Highly recommend it.
(5)Lanie C.
This is a neighborhood haunt for me, that also works great for visitors as well. The salads, soups, and entrees are consistently good. I like the Tex-Mex twist they have on several dishes. Well worth a visit if you are in the California Ave/ Admiral Way Junction.
(4)Zelabeth C.
My boyfriend & I went for Sunday brunch - very good eggs Benedict (the Louisiana) - finally a toasted English muffin (too often place serves a barely warmed may as well not bother muffin) - a goodly & tasty amount of food left us well-satisfied. But - they really need to NOT have the place smelling of bleach - it was quite strong and unappetizing, but we got used to it. Plus - loud rock music wasn't the atmosphere I like when trying to dine & chat. The waitress - not the best, not the worst - certainly not super charming or friendly. My parents love this place and say in the eves there was no bleach smell, a great waitress and food. I'll go again - but do hope they read these reciews and improve on its demerits.
(4)Sarah M.
I have no complaints about Circa. A friend and I decided to share 2 main dishes. We had the squash tacos and the fish and chips with yam fries. The service is great and everyone is very friendly. There was a bit of a long wait but it was well worth it. Location is perfect and its easy to find parking. Love!!!
(5)Stephen S.
Funny how sometimes you forget about your favorite places. I've been here twice in the last week but it was probably a year before that. I don't know why I stopped going. Two thumbs up. They have a good beer selection and reasonable wine prices, but I come here for the food. The food is GOOD. Really good. When you factor in the very fair prices this place is an outstanding value. I haven't had an entree here that I DIDN'T walk away delighted from. The downsides. It's small, often crowded, usually a wait on the weekends. I've always been happy with the service as well, its ranged from acceptable to great. If you've never been, give Circa a try
(4)Hilary S.
Circa is fabulous. I went here with a friend for dinner and I have nothing but praise. We both ordered the steak salad, which was delicious. They had a full selection of drinks, and plenty of menu options reasonably priced. Our waitress even checked in to make sure that I liked my drink, and offered to switch it out since I didn't. The atmosphere is cozy and they have great music playing. We were sitting at our table long after the meal was over and they didn't try to kick us out; eventually we realized the restaurant needed to close. Great experience!
(4)Paul M.
Circa is my home away from home! Their beer selection rocks! Circa burger and steak salad are something to write home about. And the staff- one word: wow.
(5)Jaclyn B.
If my tight budget allowed, we'd be here every weekend. We always have the same server, who knows us and is the best server in all of Seattle. She is attentive and sweet, and if the Circa food wasn't so amazing I am sure we'd eat here just to see her. Lucky for us, the food is amazing so we don't have to sacrifice. We sometimes rotate between Jak's Grill, Easy Street and Ma'Ono, but quite honestly Circa is our favorite. Always fresh coffee the moment we walk in, and every time I order my food it is cooked to perfection. Arguably the best hash browns in W. Seattle, and my favorite menu item is the Slacker.
(5)Rocky E.
For a little neighborhood restaurant/bar...Circa is AWESOME. Great food, good prices, good service, clean bathrooms. They get it. They get my patronage a lot too because of just how much they get it. Love this place.
(5)Ronnie K.
After a few years and boldly taking the plunge to re-visit (at least a dozen times over, now), I happily upgrade my review to 4+ stars. I love and curse the changing menu (bring back the mushroom ravioli, darn it!!) and the beer selection is fairly well-rounded. The service is much, much better than my earliest visits. Circa is a beloved, cozy neighborhood watering hole. When I just want to relax without the bother of all that is pretentious, I wander to Circa and let my hair down.
(4)Jgirl S.
LOVE this place. Go there all the time with hubby.
(5)Katy B.
Yay! My first 5-star review! I took my family here when they came to visit. We had brunch.. I had the migas - delicious and amazing potatoes. Sister had the eggs scrambled with salmon and cream cheese - out of this world. They came with HUGE slices of homemade coffee cake. Stepmom had the banana pancakes - so good and with pecan syrup! Dad had something traditional... bacon and eggs, etc. We all loved our food, waitress was so nice, and I will definitely be back. Not a big place, so expect to wait during busy hours.
(5)Denice R.
Yep, I'm a fan of that hypnotic bacon and delicious coffeecake. Not a fan of the hard bench seats or funky energy-sucking attitude of the servers (not all but most). My friends and I psyche ourselves up to go because of the service-with-an-attitude so we don't go as often as we would if the service was with-a-smile. Seating can feel tight and when people are waiting for tables they spill into the restaurant around those already seated. Irritating for sure.
(4)Kendra L.
Went to Circa tonight and had the cod burger-- the fish was moist and the slaw on the burger was really nice as well. The side salad with gorgonzola and walnuts was good as well. The service tonight was pretty prompt, but we didn't arrive until 8.30 and it's Thursday, which helped perhaps. When this restaurant is crowded (which is often) I've had pretty slow service here. Previous times I've eaten there the food hasn't been as memorable as well, seems from the reviews like the burgers are the thing...
(3)Catherine H.
liked it better when it was a record store
(2)Ty L.
Usually love this place, as aforementioned. However, last time I went, I had an omelete, with hash browns. Hash was overcooked/burnt, the omelete was overcooked on the outside, kind of runny on the inside. I thought, fine, can't be perfect every time. However... 2 hours later, the chills, body aches, vomiting, and etc... i ended up with the worst food poisoning i've ever had. This lasted for 2 days. I'm not sure if they had a different cook that day, or what but I havent been back since.
(1)C Y.
West Seattle gem. Tasty food, nice selection of beers. Last Sat. we enjoyed a seafood pasta special and the roast chicken. Pasta came with a generous portion of steamed clams in a delicious saffron broth. The nicely seasoned half chicken was served with some sauteed spinach and mashed potatoes. I had enough chicken left over for lunch the next day. Fine service, place can get crowded on weekends. Our only negative is the stubby little wine glasses they use.
(4)Eric M.
Delicious food! Took a while to get seated, but they were very nice. I'd definately go back.
(4)Eugenio F.
Perhaps i walked in there with no expectations... the service was friendly and the food was good. I am going to go back soon!
(4)Aivanett N.
I've been here a few times for brunch with friedns and it is usually pretty packed which I completely understand. It is a small and cozy place but the breakfast is amazing. I've only had breakfast so I cannot speak for anything else. I have not been dissapointed once. Although the last waitress was a bit snootty the service is always speedy, attentive and great. They always cook the hashbrowns to perfection and the banana pancakes are to die for! I'm glad I found Circa!
(4)Alyson L.
Finally made it back to Circa on Sunday after a long hiatus, and I'm happy to say that I may actually appreciate them even more now. I had a craving for a lazy day at home, but I didn't feel like spending any time in the kitchen, so I convinced the boyfriend that he would probably like Circa as much as I did and therefore we should check them out for breakfast before scooting back to my place to lay around in our pjs in bed all day. When I try out a new breakfast joint, I like to order a typical meal that you would be able to get at most places - bacon, eggs, 'browns and toast....I figure if they can rock the basics then I can trust their other breakfast selections. Circa rocked the "Standard". Bacon was done perfectly, as well as the eggs, the potatoes (though not my beloved hash browns) were flavorful with a nice crisp crust, and the toast was almost fancy. The mimosas were served to us as a bottle of Cristallino accompanied by a glass of orange juice...Perfectly lushy! Our server this time around was friendly and prompt (she did initially bring Jake the wrong meal, but she fixed it in a heartbeat) and on top of her game on an increasingly busy gray Sunday morning. The best part? They offer my favorite meal there (Fish and chips) on their brunch menu and they have Mothership Wit as their rotating seasonal on tap RIGHT NOW. Now if only every day could be a lazy Sunday and I could eat all my meals at Circa, I would be a supremely happy girl. P.S. Minus one star because the coffee cake was a bit dry (but only $1.50).
(4)Pamela H.
Banana Pancakes = DELISH! The eggs benedict is also fantastic, even though I'm not a big fan of chorizo (I just pick it off). The home fries are some of the best I've had (second only to home cooked.) Kids meals are decent portion, and a good price. My daughter is a big fan of the cheesy scramble.
(5)Mark M.
Awesome food, tasty microbrews on tap, small but cozy atmosphere, great service. I have read some other reviews saying service was poor, but that was not our experience at all. My wife and I shared squash tacos (may sound odd but they were fantastic) and meatloaf dinners. Both excellent. I had a beer sampler, which was great. We had the hot chocolate cake a la mode for dessert. It was quite good thanks to the cake. The vanilla ice cream was average. I went online to find their menu and it seems Circa does not have a website. That's unfortunate. Since I'm new to Seattle and my business is web marketing, I'm going to have to look into that! Great restaurants / pubs should have great websites.
(4)Mark F.
I feel right at home at Circa, the food is great the staff is friendly and attentive. I have tried four different plates one salad, one soup and one appetizer in my four visits and they all were excellent with generous portions and speedy service. I would certainly recommend this place for a nice relaxed cozy dinner or sit at the bar for a friendly conversation.
(5)T H.
I love this place!! The food is amazing, the atmosphere rocks and the service is the best in town!
(5)Courtney H.
I'm a big fan of Sunday brunch and mimosas with my boyfriend. It's sort of our thing. So, being residents of West Seattle, we like to add Circa to our rotating wheel of brunch spots. I have a hard time not getting the Hawaiian French Toast every single time. But it's ok, because my boyfriend will order randomly and let me taste his selection. So far, it's all been great!
(4)Joel M.
I've honestly never eaten at Circa for any meal other than breakfast. With that being said, however, I can attest that their breakfast is delicious. Sure, the parking situation is somewhat miserable (though you can park in the grocery lot parking lot nearby without scrutiny). Sure, it's almost always packed for breakfast on the weekends. The food, however, is awesome and that more than makes up for the sometimes snarky staff and the above mentioned complaints. Also, they have some really unintentionally creepy toys in little baskets for your kids.
(4)Adriana K.
I stumbled upon this place with a visiting coworker and was pleasantly surprised by how great it was. Normally when you substitute a salad for an extra $1 as your lunch side, its watery iceberg lettuce with a soggy carrot or two. Not a flavorful combination of mixed greens, dried cranberries, candied walnuts and gorgonzola, with tarragon-dijon dressing... wow! I had the Charmoula Chicken Sandwich which was equally tasty - so much I brought half home with me, which the waitress put the date and what it was on the box. It was little things like that I appreciated in this cozy neighborhood spot. The service was friendly - not exceptionally fast, but decent. My coworker has all kinds of allergies and they happily accommodated her version of Chicken Enchiladas. I always appreciate when a restaurant can accommodate things like that - its hard enough to not be able to eat regular food - lets not add insult to injury by being picky about allergy requests. I am going back for dinner!
(4)Michael A.
This is my favorite restaurant in West Seattle. It is not pretentious, nor over-priced. The food is always fresh and consistently good. I will admit that the service can be a bit slow. Maybe it is simply the relaxed atmosphere.
(4)Magnus S.
The place is pretty small, and sometimes it's a bit of a wait to get a table, but the food is phenomenal. I've taken different people here, and haven't heard anything but good things in response. If you are in West Seattle and looking for a nice hole-in-the-wall to grab a bite, come check this place out.
(4)Amy E.
Nice neighborhood place. The prices seem a bit high for the atmosphere. The tacos were very tasty but perhaps more accurately described as enchiladas.
(3)Sarah K.
After a successful first day at the new place of work. I was greeted by an offer for dinner and wine to celebrate, their treat. When does a girl turn down a meal and alcohol in celebration of her... ummm never! So I love a mean salad bursting with flavor, and am a blue cheese fanatic, so imagine my delight when my dinner companion used this knowledge to pick Circa, whom is known for their Steak and Blue Cheese Salad? Plus I was excited to show off the cuteness of the first day of work outfit for an attentive audience. When we first got to Circa, it was looking disheartening, what looked like a large number of couples huddled around waiting for tables in a restaurant not overly large. My companion sucked up what he thought would be a long wait, (men are always so impatient) and not even 5 minutes later we had a table. I really loved the surroundings of the restaurant. The vintage chandeliers and original hardwood floors have my complete approval. Though the menu isn't large it offers a wide variety. The butternut squash tacos, and bacon wrapped meatloaf pieces definitely caught my eye but I ultimately went with the Blue Cheese and Steak Salad that I was brought here for. The only thing the salad was mixing was a breadstick, roll or some other carbohydrate goodness. The steak which I had cooked rare (is there any other way to eat steak) was cooked perfectly and so tender I really had no need to use my butterknife. It was placed on top of a bed of mixed greens that were tossed lightly in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing that was a perfect compliment. Then to finish off the salad was sliced baby tomatoes and large chunks of a quality blue cheese. I asked for extra blue cheese and thankful I did as it was the perfect amount with the extra, but again I am a cheese loving gal. My companion had the Circa Burger and had no complaints, I was to engrossed in my salad to grab a bite before it was gone, but loved how you could order the burger to whatever temperature you like. I did try his french fries which appeared to be homemade and they were delicious! I had the seasonal cider on tap which I forgot the name of but it was crisp and not overly sweet which equaled perfect drinkablity. My companion had the Harps Beer which you can never go wrong with. I was only able to get through about a 1/3 of the steak on my salad, 1/2 of the greens and 3/4 of the blue cheese... the rest got put in a doggy bag and sent home with my companion for lunch the next day. This is how we roll, he pays, I never finish, he takes home the leftovers... all in all I think it still lands in my favor. : ) The reasons the star was docked: 1. Was not offered fresh ground pepper, for a $14 salad I expect fresh pepper 2. There was no type of bread with the salad, and again for a $14 salad it should have some type of bread or roll with it. 3. I would have liked to have saw heirloom tomatoes on the salad instead of a standard variety *Warning these are nit picky things but I am the queen of salads and have a high standard level. I would definitely come back here again, and can't wait to try the other menu items!
(4)Justine M.
You know, I love Circa. I really do. And I'd like to come in for brunch more often, only, I can't get over the fact that EVERY time I order the Louisiana Eggs Benedict, my poached eggs are poached solid. It's disgusting. This morning I tried to order it once again, and once again my eggs were hard. I was literally able to peel a solid yolk out of the whites. I should be able to cut into those eggs and have them run yolk down my english muffins, that's the point of eggs benedict! I'll probably try one more time. Maybe. Other than that, I'm sticking to late dinners.
(3)Bruce H.
Took my sis to lunch for her birthday today. Since she lives in West Seattle I met her at Circa, in the Admiral District. The restaurant is rather unassuming from street level and I almost missed it. It's small and rather cozy inside, feels worn in, like a favorite baseball glove, and the hostess/waitress/bartender was friendly and mildly feisty...in a fun way. I ordered their meatloaf sandwich, not realizing that they're big enough to feed a family of five. My sister ordered the Mulligatawny soup, which feeds one person nicely. She's always been the sensible one in the family. I can't decide if I loved the meatloaf sandwich or hated it. I think the fact that I wolfed down the whole thing has clouded my judgment this afternoon. Did I eat it all because it tasted good? Or because I thought of it as a personal challenge? My sister loved her soup so maybe the food there is really good. I remember thinking that their fries were exceptional just before I went comatose. So here's a big four stars to Circa. Think I'll go back there sometime soon.
(4)Evette H.
I rate Circa a 4 star because I consider a 5 star or "as good as it gets" to be The French Laundry or something equal. Circa is a great neighborhood restaurant, we eat breakfast here every weekend and at least one lunch a week when we are in Seattle...it is good food in a decent setting with a great wait staff, we have never experienced a problem and always look forward to dining at Circa.
(4)Mark K.
The breakfast menu (and food) is outstanding, been to Circa 3 or 4 times and it never fails for breakfast goodness. Ambiance is very nice, typical of many good Seattle breakfast spots. The only reason I would not give it 5 stars is that it is a little understaffed, the waitress was always friendly, you just don't see them very often.
(4)Craig H.
I'm bumping this up a notch... We've been here a few times now, for dinner and breakfast, and the typical experience is casual atmosphere and reasonable prices for remarkably good food. Honestly, just about everything we've ordered here has been really good, the kind of food you usually find at more frou-frou restaurants but for neighborhood bar prices. You still have to contend with the scattershot service though -- a product more of disorganization than of actual incompetence, I think -- and they close between lunch and dinner, and at other times for inexplicable reasons, so you should have a back-up in case they're not even open. But overall, we're happy to have this as our neighborhood joint.
(4)Laura P.
This place has a wonderful burger! Yum! I have also heard great things about their burritos so I'll have to go back and check that out. The staff is friendly, the space is very cozy and nice, and the beer selection is great.
(4)Kalindi T.
Eh, Circa is a nice neighborhood joint. The food is nothing special, but good...enough. If I could give 2.5 stars I would have. The staff are super friendly, super. My Prosecco was served a bit warm, which isn't really great to start. My linguine with prawns and sauteed summer vegetables was a bit bland, but the prawns were cooked perfectly (no easy task) and the vegetables were summer fresh. The True Cod special that JT had with fresh corn succotash was nice, the cod was bored, but the succotash was good. All in all, good, basic, nothing fancy place to eat. You know, it is good to have a place to go when you don't want deli food but you want to throw on jeans and no make-up and hit the cheap movie at Admiral.
(2)Band E.
Hadn't been to Circa in several years. They always seemed to be closed when we wanted to go. Why not keep the bar open between services? Anyway, went back on Sat. night. Seemed slightly understaffed, but we were seated promptly. Hey, what a great salad (beet and apple). Had the crab cakes also. Could have used a 'little' more seasoning, but also really good. (I have a hard time using iodized, table salt.) They had an unoaked Chard. that was really, really good. So, pleasantly surprised at the food quality this time.
(4)Matthew D.
Circa is one of our regular spots. The decor is simple, like a small neighborhood bar. The food is more sophisticated than the decor would suggest, but the friendly and informed servers keeping it real. A few months back, they took the ribeye off the menu, which made us sad, but they did add a few more seafood entrees. We love the chocolate cake for dessert. They have a unique wine list, always something new to try.
(5)Tony W.
Circa is your standard hip bar/restaurant/bistro... It's small, striving to be hip, and generally pretty darn busy in the evenings. The service isn't very consistent (especially when it's packed), but the food is outstanding and inventive. I'm a big fan of their brunches (Circa is deserted when it opens at 9am on the weekends-- a great time to have the place to yourself). They offer a wide variety of savory (Louisiana Eggs Benedict) and sweet (Hawaiian Bread French Toast).
(4)Jeff L.
This is a great neighborhood restaurant. I'm not sure I would drive across the city to go there but if you live anywhere near w. seattle you should be eating here. This place is good for all three meals. Breakfast is my favorite and the thing I get 9 times out of 10 is the standard eggs/hash browns/bacon breakfast. The mexican dishes they make here (oaxaca tacos, for example) always turn out great. And the blackened halibut sandwich is very tasty.
(3)Chris B.
Excellent mussels with pancetta in the broth. The fish and chips are average, but great care is placed in their small, but creative menu. The pork sounded delicious - vanilla maple brine and then seared.
(3)Erin L.
It doesn't get any better when it comes to neighborhood dining. Everything on the menu is amazing, especially the steak salad and OMG the Chocolate Cake!!! Friendly service. Get their early cuz it gets packed!
(5)Jason H.
I LOVE this place! They are super nice and are one of those places that actually care about you and your experience:-))) I read about them online when I Googled: "organic grass fed burger Seattle." I was craving a burger, but after watching Food Inc the movie, I wanted only grass fed, local and organic if possible. I parked in the back for free. I walked in during the lunch rush (packed except for one open table) and got seated right away. I ordered the burger medium rare. When it arrived it was more medium than, medium rare. Since I hadn't had a burger for six months, I told the waitress (who was the owner). She said they would make me a new one, when it came out it was even more well done. By that time I was so salivating that it did not matter how it was cooked, I just wanted to eat it!:-) Another waitress/bar tender came by to see if all was ok and I told her it was cooked well done, but I said don't worry about it it's fine. She was so apologetic and so so sorry and said that it was on the house and said they were giving me a gift certificate to come back again. They did not charge me for my beer or my burger and gave me a $15 gift card for my next visit. My burger, fries and beer were so good even under the circumstances. I absolutely recommend Circa, it's service, and food to anyone. I look forward to going back. Thanks!
(4)Matt H.
Love this place. Very friendly, lots of regulars. Really good burgers but the mussels app is excellent.
(5)tracey p.
Great local place...but..... I just got back after ordering the butternut squash tacos. Since I had ordered these before, I was expecting as described..."crisy corn tortillas.....etc. There was nothing crisy about these grease laden tortillas. If you think of tacos as something you can pick up with your hands, don't order these ones. They more resemble a greasy enchilada smothered in sour cream and guacamole. These definitely had to be consumed with your fork and knife and would leave your stomach and your arteries a little confused about the "taco". Definitely not your healthy option. Perhaps they have changed chefs since my last visit. On a positive note, the waitress was cool and took the "tacos" back to the kitichen without question. The burger was as described and awesome.
(3)seattle turtle C.
Yummy REAL food, good atmosphere...this is a great place to take out of town guests for a variety of food. The chocolate cake is amazing...
(5)Robert S.
Dependably delicious...the perfect neighborhood bistro. And the staff clearly enjoys being there and is warm, welcoming, and happy to have you there. Don't miss this gem.
(5)Mike S.
Great breakfast!
(5)Jennifer C.
The reason to come here is the fish and chips. SO GOOD. The fish is of good quality and perfectly breaded, and the fries are delicious. The entree costs around $14. This is, however, one of the times when I wish I were a kid, because you get a half portion of the adult entree (still plenty) for only $4. Bring a little kid who can't possibly eat the full kid's portion of fish & chips, then also order the burger, which is very good (but not the best I've had). The atmosphere could be a bit better -- it feels like a bar, but that's not necessarily a con, just if you're trying to impress visitors. The seats are kind of hard and unforgiving, but you'll probably be too busy enjoying your food to notice...much.
(4)Mary Moon H.
WOW! It crossed my mind to not even write a review for Circa, since the breakfast was THE BEST I've had in Seattle hands down since I've been here! I don't want this place to blow up and not be able to just stroll in on a Sunday morning and get table as soon as you enter, like we did. But, in all fairness I have to give it 5 stars and let anyone and everyone know how perfect this place is! It is small so not a good choice for large groups but for 2-4 people it's perfect. Great atmospheres, great service, and the food is D-Lish-US! The house made salsa on the table along side the orange preserve was the cherry on top for me. I drowned the Louisiana Eggs Benedict I ordered with the salsa and it was heaven! My Fiancé got the Banana pancakes and was super impressed with the flavor and quality. We will be back and are so happy it's walking distance away since we cleaned our plates and are happily stuffed!
(5)Russell T.
On principal, I have yet rated any place with five stars, but Circa is close. The food is original and the specials are never common or repeated. I have been here three time and never has there been a drop in service or quality of the food. I had order one special and twice from the menus. It is all good.
(4)Mary G.
went there for lunch around 1:30 pm. so, i was seated immediately. the service was courteous and prompt. i ordered the caprese sandwich which was delicious. it came with fries which was also very good and fried to the right texture, not your regular frozen crinkle cut fries. the sandwich was large portioned. it had just the right amount of tomatoes, basil, mozzarella cheese, pesto, and honey on top of the bread. really enjoyed it. would definitely try this place again.
(4)Gretchen B.
Circa is one of those neighborhood places you go when you want good food, nothing spectacular, but something reliable. I can't think of a bad meal I have had here, but none of them are memorable either. It is a great place to bring a group of people who all like different things. There is something to please everyone and it all will be good. My one complaint is that they never change their menu. There are specials, but it would be nice to have the menu change from time to time. The service as others have mentioned can be questionable and you can be sure there will usually be a wait here, it isn't very big. I often get the enchiladas, crab cakes are pretty good, salads are all fresh and tasty. The specials are usually very good as well. All in all worth checking out if you are in the neighborhood, but not worth a special trip.
(3)Diane A.
One of my favorite West5 establishments for dinner. I won't ever get tired of the place since I love everything on the menu. For once, I am not a creature of habit with when I order. They also have a fabulous specials menu which I will order from often. Friendly service and always taking great care of us when we're in for a visit. I am so glad we found this place and everybody should try it at least once if not all the time.
(5)Prema J.
This is one of my very favorite places in West Seattle. I always thought the food was totally fab, bordering gourmet. I was completely wowed by the service we got but maybe we connected to our server more than most. In fact one of the servers recognizes us and makes a special effort to say hello every time we come in. We raved about a particular soup to her and she put us on a list to call when they are serving it again. I love getting that call on my voice mail, "Hi this is Nicole from Circa and we have the soup". I could be having the crappiest day on earth and that call would make my day!
(5)Jods L.
This is really a 4.5. Great food, great service. Only complaint is that it is pretty cold inside.
(4)Kat H.
Call it 3.5 stars, accepting the fact that while I feel I can rely on the inherent goodness of this place, I have had a bad entree here. Were it not for that one experience, Circa would get a solid 4 stars. On one occasion, my friend's mom took us out to eat. She ordered calamari as an appetizer, and then wouldn't eat it, because it wasn't fried. That was fine by me...it was actually in a broth, with an Asian spiced flare, and it was fantastic. I'll eat calamari like that any day...and I practically licked that plate clean. However, my entree that evening was not such a success. When a restaurant like Circa puts an item like butternut squash enchiladas on the menu, it is clearly aiming to please the vegetarian/health conscious/I-ate-half-a-pizza-last-night -and-need-to-take-it-easy crowd. I fall into the first of those three categories (and sometimes the second, unless you put sweet potato fries, aioli, and beer in front of me. Oh, and ice cream. And chocolate). Anyhoo, imagine my disappointment when the dish arrived totally, completely, covered in a thick curtain of melted cheese. If this sounds glorious to you, by all means, carry on. But I looked at it and thought...where's the frickin' squash? It was like a Tex Mex entree, and I was not happy. The Monterey Crack that they dumped all over my dinner ruined what could have been a delicately flavored entree. Round two: my girlfriend takes me out to Circa to celebrate the completion of my thesis. I order a sampler of beers...I love that they offer this! Three samples, for the price of one beer. You can taste all your seasonal faves. Then I got the crabcake entree, and I was very glad I did. The crabcakes were very large and fresh, with a great crab to filling ratio and a tangy Asian dipping sauce surrounding them, plus a tiny bit of spicy mayo. Just enough. The mashed potatoes--something I rarely eat--were from baby reds and were fantastic. Not to mention the fresh broccoli. Or broccolini. Whatever it was, it had very long stems. The crabcakes were so filling that I only ate one, took the other home in a doggie bag, and scrambled it into a fantastic homemade goat cheese and egg frittata for breakfast the next morning. 'Cuz I'm celebratin', dawg. And that made me feel like I could eat whatever I want. I will go back to Circa, and I will order the crabcakes. They were some of the best ones I've had in this town, truth be told. The Cir-cret is out. (heh heh heh).
(3)J H.
This place is exceptional. I ate here back in October of 2006, and spent the better half of the last hour trying to remember what the hell this place was called. I ended up having to log on to online banking and browse through a 50 day range to find it, luckily as soon as I saw Circa I knew it was right because I was crosschecking against Yelp. I had a few of the appetizers, which covered an awesome range of tastes, and a main dish. I would recommend this to anybody in the area. I'm not familiar with W Seattle and happened upon this place when a friend and I drove past our destination (elliot bay brewery). Upon turning around, she said "let's just eat there, I'm hungry." I couldn't have ended up more pleased.
(5)Chip R.
My wife and I have loved this place since moving to West Seattle a few years back. Great beer selection, terrific food and a casual ambiance--which we appreciate. Our servers have always been friendly and food comes quick. Personally I love the Steak Salad.
(4)amanda b.
small location, food was overpriced and serve not very attentive. the plus was the beer samplers they offer which are near
(3)Eric B.
Weekend breakfast is something we look forward to and so we're always trying out new places. So many times we are left disappointed, not today. I had the Louisiana Eggs Benedict which was amazing, it was the perfect kind of spicy and the Andouille sausage was diced to the perfect bite size along with the ham and tasso. It also had tomatoes and spinach, yummy! The hash-browns were really good too. Crispy on the outside, not greasy, and moist on the inside. We also had a breakfast burrito. If you want a filling breakfast, woah, it will put you into a food coma. Great flavors for both dishes. We ordered a side of fruit not knowing that the dishes already came with fruit. It's a $5 fruit dish but it had two different melons, pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, apple, pear. The service was great, super friendly and fast but not rushed. Nice and neighborhood like atmosphere. We plan on a few more visits to try out the rest of the menu.
(5)Regular J.
Drove to West Seattle to try another spot for breakfast but ended up driving by Circa and my GF and I decided to try this place instead. The place was really busy but we were able to grab a couple chairs around the bar. From the time we first sat down to the time we left the bartender was really great. I never had to wait for a refill of coffee or water and she was always polite. The food took a bit longer than I prefer but when It arrived I was very happy. I had the Louisia Scram (I think that's what it is called) and it was full of andoulle sausage and ham. I had the coffee cake with it and thought it was a great side item. I have no doubt that if I lived in West Seattle that this would be my local hang-out, great service and food.
(4)T K.
Every person I've taken there LOVES it. Great neighborhood bar...and, the few dishes I've ordered (mostly comfort food) were yummy. Friendly staff...I wish I had time to visit more often.
(4)Steve L.
last fall, I would've written a 5-star review. But since then, the fries that we'd travel across town for (yes, really!) have gone downhill. They taste like they came out of a bag kept in a freezer. They used to taste fresh and crispy. Neither is true now. On my last visit, alone, I ordered a veggie burger because I'm a vegetarian (makes sense, yes?). It arrived with what appeared to be extra cheese, which I'm ok with. So I closed it up, stared out the window, and started eating. I thought it tasted different, but didn't really pay attention. I picked at my limp fries, and finally got the check. I saw a charge on it: $1 add bacon I have many friends who eat meat, but they can easily imagine an item that they'd be grossed out by. I was too shocked and queasy to even bring it up. Should have...didn't. I just paid and left. I can't even imagine what would have prompted them to add bacon, or to think I'd want it. If they thought I said "bacon" they could have asked if that's what they heard. After all, it was a veggie burger. I won't be back. Mostly because the fries aren't worth the 30 minutes it takes to get there anymore.
(2)Susan L.
Like most of West Seattle, we love Circa, and usually have a great experience there for evening meals. But this is the second disappointing brunch experience and we are getting frustrated. First time our order got put on hold and we waited almost an hour. Waitress was really nice and comped the breakfasts, and we were nice about it,and tipped her $10. This time, at about 35 to 40 minutes we started to get nervous and asked nicely what was up, mentioned what had happened the last time. The waitress was the same one as last time, acted like we had massively insulted her and just snapped "I'll go check". No apology, no acknowledgement the food was slow (others who came in after us already had their food), nothing. We were really nice again, but we are just DONE with breakfast there and are on the verge of being done with the place altogether. Hope the owner has a talk with the waitstaff about how customers are actually very handy for a restaurant to have.
(2)brian s.
What's not to love about Circa. The food and service are very good. The place can be busy, but it's worth the wait. It's just a very solid neighborhood eatery.
(5)Sean H.
Circa is a perfect neighborhood joint. The portions are generous and the food is great! My wife and I recently had dinner there while sitting at the bar which is always fun. I had a special which was really good, prawns risotto. My wife had the clams and mussels which is killer with the spanish chorizo in it. Service has always been relaxed and attentive, a perfect combo! The employees don't come and go here, so it always feels like a friendly neighborhood hang out. The one thing that makes it cool but at the same time may frustrate some people is the size, it is small. One more thing...not sure where the guy was coming from saying it was too expensive, I don't think they have anything that's over 18$ including specials and it is very high quality food.
(4)Greta D.
food - excellent. not impressed with the wine selection being a wine bar especially
(3)Charles S.
Consistently solid, simply good food.
(4)BJ F.
Circa is a great cozy neighborhood spot! It is pretty small and can get crowded on the weekends, but on weeknights its pretty easy to get in. The burger is my favorite, substitute goat cheese instead of the standard cheddar and combine with one of their fantastic beers and life is good. We frequent Circa because it has something on the menu for everyone.... Burgers, Pastas, Entrees, Salads. We tried their brunch for the first time last weekend, it was great and the prices felt just right but they surprised us a little when we arrived at 1:45pm and they told us they were closing at 2pm. The close between 2pm and 5ish PM or something like that so give them a call if you are thinking about visiting in the afternoon.
(4)Christina M.
My husband and I have had brunch there a few times, lunch a couple times, and dinner once before. We had dinner there this weekend. I had the fish and chips and he had the grilled flank steak with mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts. His meal was excellent. It came with some kind of Asian bbq sauce but there was plenty of flavor without it. The fish and chips were good but not amazing. The best part of the meal and the reason I am writing this review is the bartender, Willemina (sp?). My husband noticed that I wasn't eating the fries with my meal. I told him that I left the fish on them too long and they got a little soggy. Apparently, the bartender overheard what I said and surprised us with a bowl of freshly fried french fries. We were pretty full by the time they came but it was such a thoughtful gesture that we had to have a few. Also, we have found that the chefs at Circa excel when it comes to potato products. Their hashbrowns, mashed potatoes, and fries are all delicious!
(5)Nick D.
I'm not a big fan of Circa. They have pretty darn good food there and the drinks aren't bad but I always get attitude when I go there, even with friends who know the staff. I guess I forgot that people in Circa are better than everyone else in the world.
(2)Jenny N.
Very popular because we locals know to expect great food. This pub is almost a bistro thanks to the quality of the food here. Warm interior, yummy comfort food with a bit of a gourmet twist to it. Definitely recommend trying it.
(4)Shelbi ..
Since recently going vegan, we don't visit as often, but I was thrilled the other day to have the Potato Works breakfast done vegan. It was excellent! We'll be baaahck.
(4)Ryan R.
One of the things I miss most about living in West Seattle is being walking distance from Circa. Breakfast lunch or dinner, this place never disappoints. The food is always delicious and the prices are very, very reasonable for how much detail and quality goes into the dishes. Always a few decent local brews on tap and a good wine list. Service has always been good, too. A real gem.
(5)Joan W.
We loved their delicious tasters--(great recommendation) and really liked their circa burger. I ate the whole plate, which is not unusual for me, but it also means it was delicious! We did have to wait about 30 minutes, but after we got in the service was fast--I think since it was a Friday night they had more people to turn over more customers as quickly as possible. We definitely weren't rushed though. It was a nice atmosphere, people were nice, and of course I brought good company too!
(5)Jake R.
Mmm Circa! I was a bit skeptical of this place as a good breakfast joint with the name Circa and the fact that it's more of a bar than anything. But it was here that I had one of the best breakfasts that I have had in a long time! It was a lazy Sunday with my gf and she suggested we go out for brunch. I agreed and we headed off to Circa. We parked a block or so away and had a nice little walk to breakfast. This place looks nice, had someones art gallery and is small and cozy. We grabbed a booth and started off with some Mimosas, they were great and came with little bottles of Cristallino, I felt so fancy, lol. There were so many good choices on the menu I was having trouble trying to decide what to order. I finally chose the French toast made with Hawaiian bread, it came with some hot sausage and fruit. I have to say that I'm really not that "into" French Toast but I was craving some and this was the best I think I have ever had!!! The slices of Hawaiian bread were thick and juicy and the real maple syrup hit the spot. The sausage links were sliced and not too spicy. I also really liked the presentation of this meal, it looked quite elegant. I was going to dock the place a star for our server brining me the wrong dish at first but she came right back with my correct order and it was sooooooo good I had to give them all, well deserved, 5 stars! My side order of Coffee cake was a bit dry but I'll let that slide, just this once as it didn't take away from my meal in the least. Especially since I really only had room left in my gut for a small bite of it anyway. There were a lot things that I still want to try at this place so I will be back for sure. I really want to try the Fish and chips my gf mentioned and there were a couple other items on the menu that sounded really delicious too. Plus they have Mothership Wit on tap as their rotating seasonal, now that's sweet!
(5)Angie S.
I went here again for my birthday and had the best burger ever! The look..the smell ...taste.. it was all perfect. Also I had creme brulet for dessert and might I saw it was delicious!!
(5)Ian M.
Circa is a great little place right in the Admiral Junction of West Seattle. The atmosphere is very cozy and quaint. The food is outstanding and still pretty reasonably priced. Contrary to what another reviewer said, though, we have never had any issue with the service there. We've had the same server both times we've been there, and she has been extremely pleasant, and remembered us from our first visit, even down to the soup we'd ordered and the dessert that we'd declined but "promised" to try next time we were there. I'm sorry that a previous reviewer has had poor service there, but don't let this dissuade you from trying it and making up your own mind.
(5)pammy k.
Yummy yummy!! The service is hit or miss but the food is great and reasonably priced!
(5)Yell P.
We've had two meals at Circa, once for brunch and once for dinner. Great prices, amazing comfort food, and a well rounded menu make this a 5 star place. Dinner was the pork loin for me and the gnocchi for her. Neither one of us were disappointed. Brunch was the biscuits and gravy for me and the french toast for her. Great portions, great flavor. Definitely will be making repeat trips for both dinner and brunch.
(5)Zach B.
Circa was a last minute choice inspired by me searching "steak salad" on Yelp. It is one of those places that I have driven by multiple times but had never felt incredibly inspired to go to. My previous dismissal of the place is really unfortunate though because I was rather impressed by both the menu and the tasty steak salad that I ordered. As can be seen on the website, Circa has an exciting selection of food and is reasonably priced. Several things on the menu caught my attention including the portobello ravioli, butternut squash tacos, grilled meatloaf (with pancetta gravy!!!!), and Belgian steamed mussels. It is an impressive combination of sophisticated pub food, and there were plenty of beer and wine choices that would have matched the food items well. I, of course, had to order the steak salad ($13.50) which came with a generous amount of steak on top of greens with tons of gorgonzola and tomatoes. The steak had a sweet and spicy glaze on it and was tender and delicious. It was a very strong steak salad, one that would only be improved by the addition of golden beets (but I say that about most salads). My dining partner had the spinach salad with a crabcake. Both looked super tasty, and I did get a bite of the crab cake which made me want more. In addition to the food, I was impressed with the space. It was small and very busy but not super loud, and they have a fun and relaxed atmosphere with interesting art and kind and attentive waitstaff. I look forward to returning, but i think that I will need to consider timing because it looks like it could get very busy.
(4)k c.
We've been here twice and it was great both times. Wonderful service and food. We'll be back!
(4)Thaddeus G.
Two words: Melissa.
(4)Charmaine M.
Don't want to leave Seattle partly because of this restaurant! We waited for a table for awhile; it's a small place, but everyone, from clientele to chef were friendly and accommodating. Our server Melissa, whom both of my girls want to befriend, was fabulous. Very helpful, informative, and she knew her customers well. We were so pleased with the service, the food, the drinks...I do hope to travel up here again and revisit Circa! My oldest daughter had steak, I had the meatloaf. The potatoes were so very heavenly! the meat was so tender and delicious, my mouth waters at the thought of it. They need to add on to this location, as it is a very tightly fit place. We had a lot of fun there, though, and oh, so enjoyed the food, too! We super highly recommend the warm chocolate cake. My daughters both called it an epic success!
(5)Bruce E.
Would have been three stars, but... The waitress told us about the special - a New York Steak. Of course, as with specials, you're not told the price. Since the most expensive piece of meatnon the menu was about $16, we figured it would be the same, maybe a little more. The rosemary seasoning was very good, it was also cooked as requested; but the grade of meat used was poor, and the flavor and texture follows the quality of the meat. When the bill came, the 'special' was $27 - significantly more expensive than anything else on the menu. My wife had the skirt steak, which was less expensive and a better piece of meat. Maybe you should stick with the menu as the special may not be so special...
(2)Jonita C.
Circa is my go-to place in West Seattle. It's perfect for a chill night catching up with friends or hanging out with your family for weekend brunch. I love the chicken enchiladas with mole sauce and the skirt steak with mashed potatoes (so so good!). The prices are reasonable, the atmosphere is cozy, the servers are attentive--what's not to love?
(5)Manuel W.
A really chill neighborhood dinner place. I love their skirt steak with the asian sauce and mashed potatoes. Super satisfying. The menu rarely changes over the years and what is there is consistently well done.
(4)Adam ..
Food here is always great. Seems healthy and tastes great. Not sure if we could ever get sick of this place, even if the menu is a little small. There's nothing particularly new or unusual about it. Just consistently great food, great combinations.
(5)Todd A.
Love this place! Been here for brunch (twice) and dinner (once) and it's always been great. Somewhat surprising to me, the butternut squash tacos were awesome.
(4)Jake Z.
Average veggie burger.
(3)Kyla C.
I like Circa because it gives you that nice neighborhood-y feel. It's a pretty small place so it's cozy and they keep the lighting low which I like. They don't serve hard liquor but they have a great selection of beers on tap and wines by the glass. I tried the Winter Warmer from Big Al Brewing and it warmed me right up after being in the bitter cold outside. I like their menu because they give a nice selection of items but don't overdo it. This time I got the butternut squash and spinach raviolis which were great. The sauce was not thick but more soupy so it didn't feel like a gut bomb. There was lots of spinach and butternut squash and tomatoes in the sauce too so it felt a little healthy, I guess as healthy as raviolis can be. I also got a house salad to start but substituted with a balsamic dressing and it was really good. In the past I've tried their halibut and chips and the steak salad and both are great. I dig this place and glad it's in my hood!
(5)David T.
I've been to Circa numerous times. I think they have the best burger in Seattle (side salad = A+, Fries = A+!! The enchiladas are great, as well as the squash tacos. Great atmosphere and beer selection also. I love the staff too! Please stop me before I go over board!
(5)Zebarina H.
Ah, Circa. What can I say? I eat so here so often it's probably not good for me. But I love it. It is in my neighborhood and I always get something tasty and delicious. It is a casual alehouse that anyone can go to and have beers and good food. The Food: The burgers are all grass-fed and from eastern Washington. When was the last time you could say your beef came from less than 300 miles away? I didn't think so. The burger is THE best I have ever had. No joke. The specials are always rotating and highly recommend them for people who something a little bit more fancy. They tend toward the Italian side. There also tends to be a flair for the south of the border and hence lots of different enchiladas, quesadillas, and what have you. All good. The Decor: Casual and sometimes weird art. I'm not sure where they come from. Sometimes really good, sometimes not so much. It warm and friendly and sometimes full of children. If you don't like that show up later in the evening. If you do like that, you do not have to feel bad for having them with you. Service: The girls, and I think it is all girls, are very friendly and nice. Sometimes it does get busy and they are rushed, but despite the other reviews I haven't had a bad experience with the servers. If it is slow sometimes I have had some really nice conversations. And they have a secret brunch that is really good and I highly recommend. Check it out if you are in West Seattle!
(4)Kevin C.
Incredibly yummy food and great staff. I took two toddlers and my wife here and it was no big thang, even though no other children were in the place. We were not made to feel like freaks in other words. The Slacker is a superb dish. Reminds me of some of the places I ate in Austin, Texas for brunch and that is a compliment of the highest order!
(4)Zoe M.
I love this place. It's fresh, friendly and fun. You can be in and out. Reasonable prices and large portions. Wonderful Benedicts as well. The crab cakes are to die for. The girls who work there are hot.
(5)Dave L.
Hummus and pitas, curry soup and grilled mahi mahi were all tasty. Pretty simple fare but well done.
(4)Steve R.
Went for breakfast with my wife and friends, had the Biscuits and Gravy, Excellent... Home made biscuits, scratch made gravy..... Worth the visit.....
(4)Brad W.
Are you looking for a neighborhood pub/restaurant that is reasonably priced and serves consistently good food? If so, Circa is your answer. Menu isn't extensive but it is consistent. Banana pancakes apparently is the item to order for brunch . . .
(4)Noriko A.
I love their brunch. My boyfriend's favorite is biscuit and gravy which is big enough to share. I also love their coffee cake with a lot of butter of course. We always call in advance to see if there is a wait for a table. They don't do egg white om lets but their vegetarian omelets are loaded with lots of fresh veggies!
(4)Paul G.
Lamb is awesome!!!
(4)katie s.
I have been to Circa a handful of time b/c they serve my favorite beer Boddington's. Though if you have too many beware of the dog farts. Those who have had too many know what I am talking about. Anyhoo.... The fries during lunch or just plain awesomeness. And there is a new menu. I went there last night with my quasi-foodie father... who is definitely a crazy old man with pimp style...and i had the lemon Thyme Chicken over Risotto with spinach, cherry tomato's and pancetta. Oh Holy Lord! It was so good! I even saved me some for a late night snack but unfortunately the roomie got his grubbie little hands on it first. I guess that just means I will have to back. Which is good b/c there is some wild halibut on the menu calling my name. Yum.
(4)Ericka C.
Well, this may not be a terribly accurate review since we never actually got our food. My friend and I were seated a little before 8 p.m. By 8:36, we still didn't have our dinners, our water hadn't been refilled, and the waitress hadn't even stopped by to let us know she knew we were still alive. I tried to catch her attention, but was apparently invisible, so we got up and left.
(1)Renatta S.
My favorite neighborhood spot! Love the steak salad and the "standard" breakfast. I enjoy coming here for brunch, relaxing at the bar with my coffee and enjoying the fun, random mix of music (West Side Story and Thriller?!). I also love checking out the local art on the walls which changes frequently. Great food, cozy and laid back atmosphere.
(5)Sara L.
It is possible that I will go back someday, but I must say, I went to Circa for the first time tonight and it was under whelming to say the least. First of all, no hard alcohol... boo. Second, my boyfriend ordered a WD steak and it came out med rare, when we asked the waitress to get it cooked longer she said "So you don't want any pink".... duh, we said well done. I ordered the blackened halibut sandwich, meh, light on the flavor. My mom ordered a burger, which tasted good but lacked any attractiveness on the plate, my mom's boyfriend ordered the meatloaf which was literally wrapped in a pound of soggy bacon, and lost all of it's meatloafy flavor and tasted more like a bacon soaked meat sponge. Don't get why it has 4 stars, maybe next time.
(2)Ryan A.
I've been to Circa on quite a few occasions, and have never left disappointed. On the contrary, my belly has been most satisfied. From brunch to dinner, Circa serves the goods, including some of the best enchiladas I've ever had. Definitely sample one with the mole sauce. Holy mole. Good times. The wait staff has always been on point and timely, a serious plus.
(4)David R.
Good food, good service, hardly any waiting space - get there early for dinner! Circa has great food and a very down-to-Earth atmosphere.
(4)Rachel P.
My husband and I moved to West Seattle from Queens, New York City three weeks ago and we have already eaten at Circa twice! After only two visits we feel like this is our local spot! The food is delicious and the service is exceptional. It is straightforward without any bells and whistles, but the food hits the spot every time and the beer menu is exciting! I know we will return to Circa time and time again!
(5)