El Gaucho

I love going to El Gaucho, the service is over the top... the Food, the Atmosphere, the Show... everyone should experience El Gaucho more

They have really good food and a great atmosphere but they are a little expensive. more

a little on the pricey side, but for steaks, we're talking GOLD! Definately take an evening, set aside at least $150 for a couple and take a loved one to dine out at El Gaucho. Such a cool atmosphere -- reminiscent of an old 50's mob hangout! Try the entree where the meat comes out on a sword!!! more

I was at El Gaucho last night, and I must say, I'm never disappointed with my steak. I've been to places where I order my steak medium rare and it always comes out as medium or well done! Not at El Gaucho. I've always gotten what I ordered for. The service is excellent and the food is great! My favorite dish there is the Ostrich Fillet served with a mushroom balsamic sauce over--so good! The Fillet Mignon is good too and also the Peppercorn Steak. Their salad selection is pretty good and comes in a decent size. Another unique thing about this place is after your meal, each table is provided with a fruit/nuts platter. I've tried to finish the platter every time I'm there, and again, I've always failed. It's a huge platter! The only downside is it's really dark inside, sometimes I have a hard time seeing the steps to walk to the table. It's supposed to create an intimate atmosphere, but I prefer more lighting. Aside from the dimly lit room, everything else is great! Highly recommended! more

I have been here a few times and it was the best few times ever. The food here is by far the best I have ever eaten. The atmosphere is unforgettable. Not only do you have your waiter but every other waiter there stops and asks how everything is. That is what I call service. The Caesar salad is amazing. They make it right at your table. Also don't forget to order the southwestern potatoes with your entrée. They are so good. A little spicy but very good. I love going here because you can get all dressed up and feel right at home. I would never show up here in jeans. Most places in Seattle you can but most people look there best when they come here. Don't miss the chance to dine here, well worth the money. more

I have only been here twice now, but its always a fabulous dining experience. The waitstaff is very attentive, the food is amazing and the ambience is great. The wine list there is also very good, and even some of the lower priced bottles are very tasty. I recommend the Cabernet from Walla Walla if you like a good full bodied red wine. I guess the only thing I could complain about is the cost, but I guess that's the price you pay (no pun intended) for food and service like that... more

This comes from a man who has contemplated stabbing someone in the hand to get the last piece of steak at Peter Luger's in New York. El Gaucho is the premier steakhouse in Seattle: service, food, and decor unite in a fusion of culinary brilliance. El Gaucho is one of the very few places in Seattle where I would feel awkward dressed casually and that's a good thing. The place looks like an upscale swank 50s supper club. You could just imagine Sinatra crooning by the piano. Service is par excellence, quick, attentive, unobtrusive, knowledgable, friendly. The steaks are magnificient, excellently marbled and aged, and perfectly cooked as directed. The tableside caesar service is an impressive show and produces a magnificent flavorful salad, everything a caesar is supposed to be, unlike the drivel served everywhere these days. Save room for dessert because the bananas foster is a much better show than the caesar, prepared en flambe tableside. And it tastes as good as it looks. The side dishes are all spectacular, but save them for when you have a big crew to share them with, otherwise there's way too much food. If you like steak and you like class, this is the place for you and you will not be disappointed. more

Settled in the middle of Belltown, this restaurant has everything a Hollywood Movie Star would want... Only, this is Seattle, and in Seattle, Jeans seem to be appropriate anywhere. However, this is one of the few places in Seattle that you may just feel under dressed if you show up in Jeans. Great food, wonderful atmosphere, a pianist serenading the crowd, a fantastic bar with pricey drinks with a few leeches, a cigar room and Jazz music in the basement! more

El Gaucho is known for great steaks. This place is very expensive, but they go to great lengths to make it worth it, whether it's by creating and mixing your Ceasar salad tableside or putting on a wild fire show for your steak shishkabobs. They have an extensive beef menu, and also offer chicken, fish, etc. They offer three desserts that are cooked tableside as well, including Cherries Jubilee. The wine list is never ending and they have bottles in all price ranges. Downstairs is the Pampas Room and they also have a cigar room. The ambiance is dark and there aren't any windows or a view, which is the only drawback. It has the feeling of a gentleman's club. more

Seriously. I'm not making this up. There are few restaurant experiences as exciting as El Gaucho's flaming sword of lamb. They take well-seasoned lamb chunks, mount them on a sword alternately with vegetables and then light the entire sword on fire. Once the exterior of the lamb has been perfectly charred, the table chef then drains the flaming juices from the hilt of the sword down several feet into a baked potato. The entire experience appeals to one's deepest carnivorous instincts (meat, fire AND swords!). Did I mention that the lamb was awesome? El Gaucho opts for a dark, open, fairly modern decor which is a welcome change from the many wood-panelled, heavily upholstered steak houses out there. This also means that you can watch other flaming swords being prepared across the room. A great place to go for just about any occasion short of your vegetarian friend's birthday. more

Went to dinner at El Gaucho last night with two friends and had one of the top 5 steak dining experiences of my life. The meal opens with garlic bread fresh out of the oven and I had the French Onion Soup to start. It's rich and decadent and delicious. I followed that up with the frenched rib steak - which is essentially a rib eye on the bone. Again, an absolutely delicious hunk of medium-rare perfection. If you go there, and I urge you to do, be sure that one member of your table gets the 'flaming sword of lamb.' This involves a sideboard being pulled up to your table which is then graced by a waiter with a three foot long skewer which he sets ablaze. He spoons burning fat from the base of the skewer over the lamb medallions and 'spills' it expertly onto the baked potato waiting below. After your meat is perfectly charred, he then pours the burning liquid into a tiny cup from about three feet in the air. It is spectacular. I guarantee it will be the best lamb you've ever had. Dinner at El Gaucho is not cheap, but it is worth every penny (especially if you can get someone else to pay.) The service is impeccable if a little formal and the room is dark, dimly lit with piano music wafting gently in the background. Highly Recommended more