I'm a relatively picky and hard-to-please diner and regularly dine in high(er) end restaurants in the Seattle metro area. I loathe poor service. I've also tried every single restaurant in Redmond (fast food chains excluded), many of them many times. I've been a patron of Coho Cafe since the day it opened. I dine out a LOT.
So, where does someone with this profile dine at regularly? Coho Cafe. Would I recommend it? Unequivocally and without reservation, yes. Here's why:
The service I've received there has no equal. OK, places like the Herbfarm and select bistros where the tab for a dinner for two with wine is north of $400 may be better in terms of service but that's not a reasonable comparison. At Coho's price point, their service absolutely has no equal. Coho's staff is beyond merely professional. It's as though you are dining at the home of someone who's treating you as a VIP. We've brought guests and visiting family with us to Coho. My very choosy brother-in-law's reaction said it best: "I'd come back just for the service alone."
As to the quality of their food I can only say, of the reviews that criticized their quality, that we must be dining at different establishments. I've had a consistently good impression of the quality of the food they serve for the last two years worth of dining there. Could their menu be broader? Certainly. Could they offer more complex preparations? Certainly. However , when you compare Coho to other establishments in their class, they compete more than favorably. Frankly, I'd rather pay to dine at Coho than feed for free at a place like the Cheesecake Factory. The small group of restaurants that Coho is part of are local gems and more than deserve the patronage of we local diners.
Pros: Great service, excellent food, ample parking, terrific staff
Cons: Can be a tad noisy when it's crowded
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