My husband and I have visited Jazz Alley a number of times. We generally enjoy the performances and find that the club has a nice atmosphere. However, this last time when I called for reservations, the hostess asked if I wanted to have dinner also. I told her I was hesitant to do so because of our unsatisfactory dinner experience previously. She suggested that we give them another chance. We did and I was sorry for it. The show was scheduled to start at 7:30 PM and we arrived at about 6:10PM. Our waiter took our drink orders and it seemed to take a little while for him to return. We then ordered our meals and appetizers, calamari and a salad. My husband enjoyed his salad, but the calamari, which was lightly fried and quite tender, was spoiled by the strange tasting pepper dipping sauce. It left a bad aftertaste. The food selection is quite sparse and unsurprising, so I opted for something safe, the salmon. My husband had the seafood stew. The stew was spicy and he enjoyed it, but it took over an hour for the food to arrive. It showed up at our table about the same time the show started. My salmon was underdone (and overpriced) and the green beans were salty. I sent it backed. The waiter offered to have it reheated, but since the outside appeared to be cooked and the inside was underdone I said no. He offered a free round of drinks or free dessert. Not quite compensation for a nearly uneaten meal, but I didn't feel like arguing and opted for another round. If you decide to see a show at Jazz Alley go for the 9:00PM show with drinks, you'll have a much more pleasant experience. Too bad, with all the great food in Seattle, that you can't get it at the same place you enjoy great music.
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