El Gaucho

Very disappointed in the new El Gaucho since it moved to First Avenue. A far, far, far cry from it's prior location in downtown with regard to service. Actually the food is still excellent, it's just the cooks don't know the true meaning of a rare or medium rare steak or how to judge thickness when cooking these steaks for the customer. HINT: go to Jak's and take a lesson on how to cook steaks. Service very uppity and slow (unless you plan on having a 4 hour dinner with more wait time than eating and relaxing). As for the women with the baby complaining about the extreme kissing couple - El Gaucho may be listed as a family friendly restaurant - but it's NO place for an infant. People that go to nice and expensive restaurants go to relax and enjoy the company their with - not to be entertained by a fussy crying baby from across the room. Use you brain lady!! more

You expect so much more from the place, but it doesn't deliver. Go somewhere else. Too dark, too loud. My fish was good, but others' steaks were not - overcooked and dry. Primary server and host definitely not warm or friendly. Had a great time anyway, but that was mostly due to good company! more

For the amount of money my fiance and I spent (over $500) for dinner, one would think they would've acknowledged the over-cooked steak without having to have an NFL like "review" of the slab to determine it to be just that - over-cooked. by the time I got my steak back my fiance was almost through with hers. The salad was supposed to be a ceasar salad - and our server was so incredibely snotty that we were actually making fun of her by the time we left. If we weren't en-route to the opera and off to Hawaii the day after we would have excused ourselves and cut down on the bill much earlier, but we are blessed and life is good for us - even when the food or service isn't. But if we were strapped and if i was trying to impress business partners - I would be writing a letter to Mackay Rest. Group rather than reviewing them on City Search. From the hostess rolling her eyes at us, to our snotty waiter, and to the GM who disappeared after saying he would comp items off our bill - that were never taken off and couldn't be approved otherwise - a thumbs down expereience. Truly dissappointing. go to the met, or Ruth's Chris, or Daniels, or Jacks, or Sizzler for that matter. more

If you have some extra money and want to treat you and the wife out. This is the place. Great food great service. The best wine around. more

This place is mainly hype, but what do you expect from a belltown restaurant? After dining hear and at Canlis in the same month, I would go to Canlis again and forget about El Gaucho. It is tough to be pretentious enough to make me not want to go back to a high end steak house, but they just did not appreciate our patronage. more

One of the best steaks in Seattle. Thick. Juicy. Rare. Yum! more

OK, I've always loved El Gaucho but when I tried their mac & cheese for only $12 (a side dish) I fell even deeper in love. It is the ultimate comfort food. A penne pasta with a white cheesy sauce that isn't too rich. Yummmmy! Also when you fill out the info card in your bill jacket, they send $25.00 Gift cards via Email on Birthdays & Anniversaries. Now that the Bellevue one opened which is even more extravagant than Seattle I have to go at least every other month for occasions, big & small. Pros: Now they are in Bellevue. Always live up to their rep Cons: Pricey more

I live in Seattle and I have been to El Gaucho quite a few times in the past years with mostly favorable opinion about the service and food. But today it all changed, I went with my husband and baby to celebrate my bday. First the ceasar salad we ordered had too much citrus flavor and didn't taste like what you would consider a good ceasar salad ( the server said he would take it off the bill, but at the end didn't). Second, they took almost an hour after the salad finished to bring the steak, and they had overcooked my husband's filet...but was good enough to get a new one for him. Third, one of the table in the room was occupied by a tourist and "his fiance". They were making out pretty much in open after they had finished eating. I mentioned the situation to the assistant manager, and he pretty much didn't seem surprised by it, but rather just apologized for me having witnessed it. I couldn't stomach sitting there and having to look at them, therefore we didn't even stick around to have dessert, and I just waited by the hostess while my husband finished paying the bill. I thought this was an upstanding steak house in Seattle. But today I had the worst service, barely tolerable food, and an ambiance I would rather not revisit anytime soon. I am so angry that I ended up wasting a good birthday dinner with my family at this place. shame on you El Gaucho, this goes against everything you claim on your website about families sharing special moments. Its hard for new parents to get time to have dinner, and you guys don't really care about the locals at all...it seems to be all about who buys the most drinks even if there are questionable behaviors. I am sorry to say that from now on I will not recommend this place for local families. Date: March 20th, 8-10pm Pros: hostess Cons: food, server, ambiance more

El Gaucho is an Oldie but always a Favorite place to dine in my list of top Seattle are restaurants! You simply cannot find better service at an upscale restaurant. From an escort that walks you to the restrooms, to tableside service; El Gaucho is all about catering to the individual! The steaks at El Gaucho are prime, the martinis made to perfection. Inadequate food or service simply let your wait staff know and the issue will be resolved. El Gaucho gives off the Classical Era of Cigars, Dirty Martinis, James Bond - 007, and Frank Sinatra. Being in such a class atmosphere, you are truly transformed. So whether you dine at El Gaucho for a special occasion or just because, El Gaucho is a place to talk about! By the way - The Happy Hour Sunday through Friday is phenomenal. Pros: Steak | Flaming Desserts | Impeccable Service Cons: No more Happy Hour on Saturday Evenings... more

After 4 detailed phone messages left on the reservations line, and two website requests to make arrangements for a reservation for a room to acommodate a group of 7 for complete holiday season dinner and libations, not one message or email was responded to. When our host called and asked to speak to a manager, a call later came back from the same staffer on whose voicemail the phone requests for reservations had been left. EXCUSE GIVEN? " So Sorry, I never got any of your phone messages, or website emails". Nothing more, nothing less. So, needless to say we are taking our reservation plans to another establishment who may be looking for customers to accomodate in this season of social gatherings and celebrations. Perhaps this will leave Dominique free to accomodate other customers who don't inconvenience her with reservation phone calls and emails. Topic of conversation at the new location for our gathering? Don't bother trying to make reservations at El Gaucho, they are busy enough with existing clientelle, and won't receive your message for reservations anyway. Pros: Restaurant had been recommended, but... Cons: No response to web or phone requests for group reservations more

Having lived in Seattle my whole life it's a wonder I'd never been to El Gaucho before. I finally made it... more

Having lived in Seattle my whole life it's a wonder I'd never been to El Gaucho before. I finally made it here after hearing about it for so long,... more

Having lived in Seattle my whole life it's a wonder I'd never been to El Gaucho before. I finally made it here after hearing about it for so long,... more

El Gaucho was amazing! My friend referred me to it and from the beginning to the end our service was phenomenal. The ambient lighting was perfect and the staff treated us like royalty. The restaurant is one of the best in Seattle (comparable to Canlis) so you should expect to pay a premium. My girlfriend and I were pleasantly surprised when our serving sizes were more than adequate and they served one of the best rib-eye steaks that my taste buds have ever grazed. It was my girlfriend's 21st birthday and the establishment purchased her first drink ever on the house. Any restaurant that puts in this much effort into giving their customers a memorable experience passes my test with flying colors and deserves my time to actually blog about it. Pros: Sizable servings, atmosphere,and 5-star customer service Cons: Don't have enough money to eat here every night ;) more

We went here for my husband's 30th birthday, and it was the fanciest place we'd ever dined at. Low lighting, attentive servers, great ambience, live piano, and amazing food! The steak was perfectly cooked and so tender! Can't afford to go there very often but we'll definitely make it out for the next extra special occasion! Pros: Steak!, service, ambience, tableside caesar, and fresh bread Cons: Parking, pricey more

For our last night out in Seattle, we went to El Guacho upon the recommendation of a waiter from the night before from another restaurant. The ambience was incredible- so classy yet not snotty. All of the staff was exceptional and the food was delicious. The over-the-top extras like the escorts to the restroom, the tableside ceasar and the fruit and cheese plate made the evening extra special and so memorable. I also appreciated that we were made comfortable without having to dress up too much - we were in jeans and this was not at all uncommon. This will be a pretty pricey night, but it's worth it every once in a while. Pros: Ambience, service Cons: pricey more

Went here for my birthday (41) and just wanted to order dessert; 1st time. Mrs and I chose to order the Bananas Foster. Waitress flambed right in front of us and looked more than appetizing during the process of no more than 5 minutes. Tasting it - I told the Mrs. they've nailed it - delicious. It is very sweet and worth every spoonful. Ambience in the restaurant is very welcoming and not too dark. Piano player in the background and didn't overpower table conversation. Mrs. pointed out that a woman was walking to the table from the restroom and one of the staff escorted (elbow in elbow) back to the table and stated what a classy move. Also learned that for engagements, they put their own spin in making the night special, and I'll bet it is for the woman. Posture of staff, every single one was straight and not slouched. Water was always filled without asking. Appetizers: Garlic bread was served before the flambe and tasted awesome, savor the garlic, it is well worth it. All in all, I have been having trouble all day explaining to people what it was like, " wow " is the best way to put it. Great Job to the staff and definitely a highly recommend to El Gaucho on 1st Avenue. Pros: Ambience, Romanticy, Flambed Desserts Cons: A little spendy, but once in a blue moon is OK. more

The food and ambiance will really make your day. The people are extremely friendly, but sincere. Something on the menu for everyone. Fantastic place. Pros: Excellent food, wonderful atmosphere, great people Cons: Slightly high prices, but worth it. more

I should first of all say that I have only eaten there once. And the bill was very large for two people. But for a special occasion, it was amazing. The service was perfect, all of the food was impecably amazing. I'm not used to being escorted to and from the bathroom, so the little touches like that made the experience unforgetable. I will go there someday again when I have saved up enough money. :) Pros: great dinner for unforgettable evening, some of the best service ever Cons: very very expensive more

Considering the tab we were charged, this review will be held to the standards of the finer restaurants in the industry. Simply put, they fall way short. There are numerous steakhouses that match the quality of this joint for a quarter of the price. Seriously. The service was awful. There's nothing like a stuffed shirt in a jacket playing the role of a waiter. The food quality is so-so. The editorial review recommended the wicked shrimp, which seemed like they were previously frozen. The filet mignon was overcooked, but the baseball cut sirloin was surprisingly good. Wine list was excellent and they do have quite the bar scene. But, considering what you pay for, you shouldn't leave with such a bitter taste in your mouth. Pros: Bar, Wine List, Location Cons: Service, Value, Questionable Food Quality more