Del Rey

Food is SO good, and drinks, especially tequila ones are SO good, but happy hour service is SO understaffed — as in one server for the whole place when I was there. As a result, the happy hour has a pretty good menu but is pretty dead, and I won’t be going back for happy hour unless invited by someone else. In terms of portion size, you probably want to order more than one $ 5 happy hour item in order to get full enough to have happy hour food for dinner. The exception is the Caesar salad, which is pretty big.
If you’re on foursquare, their foursquare drink special is pretty awesome: a $ 4 margarita made with their best tequila. Beware that this price only applies to the first one, though.
Del Rey really comes alive at night. Late night there is probably about four out of five stars in terms of fun level. As others have remarked, the décor and theme are pretty great.

If you’re in Belltown often, and you haven’t been here yet, go! It’s a staple to this part of town, and with the changing structure of Belltown and the entire downtown area, you can’t be sure how long any of these places will remain open — or open in Belltown, that is.
If you’re hungry, like — really hungry — you’re going to need to order a lot, because while the food is good, the portions are a bit small.
The one thing I would say is that this place draws in so many people on the weekend, and so much partying, that it needs a very thorough cleaning on Monday and Tuesdays perhaps, before reopening for the rest of the week. I don’t like to visit a bar on a Wednesday night for happy hour, and smell the stink from the weekend. I’m picky about cleanliness, but that’s just me.
Go, have an excellent time, this is your mission, should you choose to accept it.

The worst happy hour I have ever been to. My friends and I were Beltown happy hour hopping. We are huge mac & cheese fans, but none of us wanted to finish the mac & cheese after our first bites. The rest of the food was very disappointing too. The waitress was really nice. She deducted the mac & cheese from our bill since we barely ate it. I just think they need a new chief.

Psst, Belltown!
One of the best kept secrets of our hood is that Del Ray has the best brunch around. The menu offers latin-​fusion style options, like Huevo Rancheros and Migas. It’s all well-​prepared, fresh, and won’t break the bank.
The staff is the tops. They’re super accomodating. For the World Cup, they made a latin version of Bangers and Mash and put the match on the tv. It was so much fun!
Another benefit of Brunch at Del Ray is that it’s typically not super packed. You can actually enjoy your meal and not feel rushed like some of the other places nearby.
Try your brunch with a Pomegrante Mimosa. Mmmm. that’s how I like to wake up.

I have always been a fan of Del Rey. They have a private room in the back, which is great for hosting events. I hosted a few events here. Great venue and fairly intimate. It can be a little loud in the room, but still a great place to have some privacy away from the main bar.
The food here is decent. Nothing too special. Drinks are decently priced for happy hour. Service has always been pretty good to me each time that I go here.

I went to a party with friends and there was a private room reserved. The front part of this place is not bad and actually seems pretty clean. However, the back end, the area among the private room, kitchen, and bathroom might need a little work.
First of all, I am a very light weight person. And, for a light weight personal to say a drink doesn’t taste like alcohol. It’s really bad. And, that drink cost me more than $ 10. In addition, I ordered Buffalo Wings. The server specifically asked me which sauce I wanted and I chose Buffalo. Instead of Buffalo sauce, I was getting BBQ. I don’t think I was happy with it!
I went in to the bathroom a couple time to wash my hands, but I didn’t really use it. However, my girlfriend told me that it was clean. When I go to a club or bar, it’s always a plus to have a clean bathroom.

Came in on Halloween and found the place DEAD.
Otherwise, the best part about the place is the lack of cover on friday/​saturday night.
The scene: Spillover from Amber’s (i.e., 30+ former fratboys/​fratgirls, women with 15 layers of makeup, and guys who are attempting to imitate characters from «the pickup artist»)
Prices: way overpriced drinks, offset by free cover.

Not too bad. happy hour till 7 with cheap drinks and food. Food was ok. nothing really special. But, 4 beers and 2 plates of food for $ 22 is a deal!

I love Del Rey. As it’s a block away from my place, I am there quite a bit, on different days of the week… This is going to be a long review because there is so much to mention!
I’ll break it down by days of the week.
Monday. OK, I’m from Detroit… so is the manager and some of the staff. One day the manager got a great idea to order Coney Dogs from Koegels in Detroit. Best idea ever and so the start of Motown Monday. The coney sauce is the same as the sauce that Leo’s & National Coney uses back home. Also, coney fries, too! Plus, on top of it, real Vernor’s in the Vernor’s cocktails, not fake gingerale. It’s a Detroiter in Seattle’s dream come true! The music is even Detroit themed with Detroit artists. Amazing.
Tuesday has alt country and has Marji Makers (she is a DJ for KEXP) spinning, plus drink specials.
Wednesday is adult trivia! Seriously, the best trivia in Seattle. It’s funny, sexy and smart trivia. The prizes cannot be beat, they include sex toys, town car gift cards, Veuve champagne, tattoo gift cards, hotel stays. It is super fun, especially with a group of girlfriends.
Thursday is 70’s rock night. There is a live DJ in the front room and some nights it gets pretty crazy… I’m talking shots and conga line. Def a good time, silly fun.
Friday & Sat night I tend to avoid Del Rey. I am a Belltowner and just like to go on Belltowner nights. Though sometimes it is fun to drink and make fun of the people who crossed the bridge or rode a ferry to get here. Often they have applied way too much self tanner and forgot to put pants on and just wear a long shirt that is supposed to be passing for a dress?
Saturday & Sunday days, however, are amazing. Del Rey has brunch and it’s probably one of my fav affordable brunches in the city. Most items are under 8 dollars and are large enough to take some home to eat as an afternoon snack. My favorites are the breakfast burrito (vegetarian) and the Del Rey hash. There are a ton of veggie options and a special of the day on Sunday.
Also, Sunday nights they have a DJ in the front room that spins old school soul. It’s a great place to hang out with friends at one of the large booths and just unwind from your crazy weekend.
Cocktails! Del Rey makes some of the best margaritas. They actually infuse tequila in house with different things like jalapeño, habanero, berries, etc in order to make amazing margaritas. The bartenders are great and if it’s slow they will play around with alcohols and create random, but amazing, drinks.
The happy hour is great, too. Food is $ 5 and includes things that pass as a full meal like the pulled pork sandwich with fries or the chicken quesadilla, which is huge. They have $ 3 drafts $ 4 wells and get this… ½ off every tequila they have on the menu, and they have over 100 tequilas.
All in all, if you have been hesitant to try Del Rey because you think it’s a stupid First Ave bar… Go in on a week day evening and I’m sure your mind will change. Better yet, try happy hour on the patio in the summer or sit in the big booths by the windows (which open wide) and watch the ferries glide by as you sip your inexpensive, but yummy, happy hour drink.

Would you believe me if I told you this place has the best pulled pork sandwich in town? The fries accompanying the sandwich were great too, the golden, crispy kind, not the lame-​ass fries you normally get at bars.
I went during Happy Hour so the food/​drink prices couldn’t be beat. The atmosphere is really relaxed too (although I heard that that changes after 9 pm). Service was friendly, nothing to get excited about, but the perfect complement to the low-​key atmosphere.
In summary: I recommend the Happy Hour (can’t speak to the other times), the food is excellent, the service is friendly, and the atmosphere is chill.

Del Rey is fast becoming a favorite of mine for Happy Hours and brunches, if only because they put truffles in a bunch of stuff, and if living in Belltown has taught me anything, it’s that everything tastes better with truffles. Macaroni & cheese with truffles. Ham, mushrooms, crema & truffles. Eggs & chorizo… okay, no truffles there, buy the boyfriend still thought it was awesome. And it was covered in cheese, which is also tasty, but not quite as awesome as truffles.
I think the décor of the main room is perfect for rainy, dark Seattle nights — warm sandstone colored walls, red booths, awesome orange glass dome ceiling, plenty of candlelight. That being said, I also think it’s probably better enjoyed on a weeknight when things are less crazy. Del Rey swings between awesome laid back little bar with a slightly schizo Mexican-​accented menu… and busy bar full of people I don’t want to deal with. Just go on a weeknight or for brunch, though, and you should be golden.
Plus the other morning when we went, the bartender looked like a 70’s porn star with a handlebar mustache. If that doesn’t scream Sunday morning atmosphere, I dunno what does.

Del ray has a pretty good happy hour menu. I went there for a drink and had some Truffle mac and cheese. This was in my top two of mac and cheese in Seattle. Pretty cool place to just go have a drink as well. I went there at night time, but was a bit too crowded for me personal.
But I would suggest trying the Truffle mac and cheese sometime. You’ll like it if you’re into mac and cheese.

This review has more to do with the brunch than the nightlife aspect of this particular venue.
Well, I’ve not been that at night, whatsoever, therefore it is completely about the brunch.
I’ve been going to Del Rey for Sunday morning recovery and football therapy since the opening of the NFL season and have been repeatedly impressed by my menu selections and the overall atmosphere.
Granted, it would be enough for me to be able to sit down and watch football Sunday morning with a continuous supply of beer, but to have those beers cheerfully refilled in a timely manner while accompanying any of a number of Mexican-​accented brunch items is the real motivation to get me out of bed before 10 on a Sunday (not that you couldn’t mosey down by, say 2:30 and still be served brunch, but that doesn’t really illustrate the point now, does it?).
So far, I’ve enjoyed the breakfast nachos more than any other of the many tasty dishes on offer, but the Benedicto is a close, close second. The chips in the nachos are imbued in a fairly saintly adobo sauce and mingle in a friendly manner with cheese, black beans and crema beneath eggs prepared to your liking (I recommend you keep the yolks runny for full effect).
The Benedicto is pretty much an eggs benedict, which would be enough for those who love the dish, but the hollandaise is heavily accented with roasted chile pepper, which makes for a delicious how-​do-​you-​do.
I can also recommend the Kahlua French Toast (order it topped with bacon because why wouldn’t you if the’ll do it… and they will gleefully), the Chorizo Scramble and the Tingas. They have all made for some special Sunday morning kickstarts, but don’t quite reach the heights of the two previously mentioned items.
The burrito is the only item to fall a little short for me. It was certainly the heartiest and largest of the items I’ve sampled to date, but it was also the tamest. To be sure, it would be a star on the brunch menu of many local restaurants, but it’s nothing more than an interesting cameo among this award-​winning cast. That’s not a dig, but a failing of only being surrounded by great company.
Hence, if you’re motivated to get to Belltown for some brunch, you will be welcomed here with no wait (they apparently started their brunch program only recently and it is still a bit of a secret) and terrific food. There are worse ways to start your weekend mornings. See you there. Stop by the bar and say hello to the lingerers at the bar inexplicably watching the Detroit Lions with smiles on their faces. See you there!

This place is OK. Just OK. I was there over the weekend and I liked the décor and style of the bar a lot. It seemed pretty clean although I’ve read reviews about the back room not smelling so nice at times. Could be rumors though! Who knows. I did ask about that back room though and it’s available for people to reserve for large groups and parties. Good to know!
I thought the drinks were good and service was good as well. I’m not usually found in Belltown but this place was definitely better than some other Belltown spots I’ve been to.

The other day I randomly won a $ 50 gift certificate by entering into Del Rey’s first-​ever Twitter/​FB contest, so we three hungry people (me+my guy+a friend) decided to drop by for dinner/​HH on Sunday evening and just try a bunch of different things on the menu (and the two of us decided to get «prepared» for a free all-​ages show with a few drinks).
The place looked nice and comfortable. The outside patio was packed, but only a few of the booths indoors had customers.
The service was decent when it came to refilling waters and such, but it seemed to take forever to get the menu and then have the waitress come back to let us make our orders. Of the two people working (male bartender and female waitress), the bartender seemed more invested in good service. Not sure if that had anything to do with him being the one I got the gift certificate from, though.
Bathrooms: Apparently the men’s bathroom isn’t that interesting, but my friend and I were both highly amused by the women’s bathroom. They have that dome-​like ceiling feature (like over the middle of the dining room), a fancy/​comfortable looking seating area, and it’s all dark with only red lighting. My random (after 1.5 drinks) thought when I came in was «I want to have a party in here!» Oh and I think they were all clean, so that was also good.
Warning– this is one of those few reviews where I actually talk about everything we had to eat & drink. If you don’t care, feel free to skip down to the wrap-​up at the bottom. ;)
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Happy Hour Food & House Margarita ($ 5):
The 2 Ahi Tacos were $ 1 extra. They were a standard size with lots of veggies and nice big cubes of ahi. Overall they were good but not particularly amazing. I ended up eating some of it like a salad b/​c I didn’t want to make a mess by picking it up. (Too many ingredients for the tortilla is, imo, a good thing!)
The Guac & Chips… frankly I don’t like avocado, but my friends do so they ordered this dish. It was one of the first things out, so I decided to try some. It seemed kind of bland, but we ate most of it and it was fine.
The 2 Steak Katsu Skewers were quite delicious. The first piece I had to bite off was rather difficult and the bread around the meat started falling apart, but the next bite was fine. I’d recommend getting this for sharing between LESS than three people b/​c I felt like I barely got any.
The House Margarita tasted fine/​standard to me, but my guy– who loves tequila a lot more than I do– was very happy b/​c in his opinion their house tequila was much better tasting than whatever tequila other restaurants he’s been to use for their margaritas.
Non-​HH drinks: I had what I think was called the Pitaya Cooler. It was $ 8 of fruity deliciousness. Props for having fresh slices of Kiwi in the drink!
Platos Grandes ($ 10 – 14):
The Fish & Chips were seriously the BEST I’ve had to date. The seasoned fries were very tasty, but that cod and that breading were so SOFT and LIGHT and it was just absolutely beautiful. I almost didn’t want to share it with my friends!
The Carne Asada was pretty good and conveniently served as three small pieces over a bed of Chipotle-​Cheddar mashed potatoes and vegetables (red pepper, mushrooms, etc?) surrounding it. The meat was tasty but not amazing, the vegetables were nice, and frankly I think I was most excited about those mashed potatoes. Those things were good!
The Blackened Ahi was also good, but not a party in my mouth. The white truffle mashed potatoes were as delicious as the Chipotle-​Cheddar.
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To wrap up:
+ We enjoyed eating our dinner in peace and quiet! There were only about 3 full tables inside when we were done, but they were all whispering couples so they didn’t disturb us at all.
+ Three people got very full and two got a bit tipsy on $ 80+tip, and b/​c Del Rey was cool and had a contest it only cost us $ 30+tip. (Don’t worry, we based the tip on the $ 80.)
+ Another way to look at price: $ 80 got us 3 HH food orders, 3 HH margaritas, 3 regular menu «big plates,» and one specialty cocktail.
+ The most memorable food items on that menu for me were the flavored mashed potatoes and the fish & chips. Most everything else was just a-​ok (in my book).
If I go back: I’m going back for the good drinks, the fish & chips, some of those HH menu items, and/​or to try their dessert (churros w/​vanilla ice cream). I will also go back if I’m with a tequila enthusiast and I know they’d be all about the ½ off tequila ($ 4 min cost– big list to choose from) during HH!

I used to think that Del Rey was one of those bars where all the f*cktards of Belltown hung out.
Then I went in late nite on a Thursday and realized, «hey, this isn’t so bad… oh wait… b/​c we’re the only people in here.»
But honestly, the space itself is rather inviting, wait staff was awesome — not just b/​c they were friendly, but also b/​c they knew who Heather Dube is! BONUS! And the drinks were made just right.
Perhaps maybe we’ll come back and actually try the food someday.

The first time I have seen a Seattle bartender make an effort to come all the way out and serve someone fah fah away from said bar.
Note: it was at the tail of happy hour, not super packed, on a weeknight.
Fantastic sunset spot to meet with a group, big open windows.
Kindness, fast service, clean bathrooms, super delicioso GUAC!
Only downers — parking hunt can be like the Indy500, booths were sticky & beaten/​broken, and on 2 visits, some of the clientele was obnoxiously wasted.
The service and guacamole saves them.

Still 3.5 Stars
Happy Hora breakdown:
– 4 — 7pm and 10pm — midnight Mon thru Sat, all day Sun
– $ 5 selected food items
– $ 5 margaritas
– $ 4 well drinks and house wine
– $ 3 draft beers
– $ 2 Pabst
– $ 2 off premium tequilas
Today was pretty dead at Del Rey so service was better than last time even though it was the same waitress. And we were a party of 7. Chips were a bit stale but the salsa was still good. This time tried the chicken tacos (two little ones for $ 5); they were pretty good but I don’t think I’ll order them again. Black bean hummus was the surprise hit. Served with crostini, chips, olives, cucumber and tomatoes, it looks kinda gross but is really good and a tad spicy. One friend ordered the mac n cheese which was made with penne noodles, and she said it was jaw dropping good. I think everyone in the group left quite satisfied. Que bueno!

The powers of be that is Unilocal helped me find Del Rey and their happy hour. 4:00 — 7:00 you can get discounted drinks and food. Nobody likes cheap food more than I do.
It is Cinco de Mayo and I find myself at Del Rey waiting for my homie. This was not intentional. It was 5:00 and the place was active. There were a few festive decorations but nothing over the top. It is rather minimal. There are tables and a bar. Nothing fancy but it is painted with a black and red theme which I thought was neat.
A waitress approached me and was fairly nonchalant. She handed me a menu and sort of stood there waiting for me to begin to speak. I told her I was waiting for a friend but would take a PBR.
After my beer came I browsed the menu. There were a few unique items such as an empanada filled with sweet potatoes and black bean hummus. I saw they had nachos (my favorite!), quesadillas, salads, and plenty of other meat filled options. I decided to try the empanadas. I saw other tables topped with a basket of tortilla chips and salsa but none was given to me.
My friend arrived and we ordered. My friend went with the salad and asked if we could have chips and guacamole. I asked the waitress what size the empanadas were. She said they were small and since I have a rather large appetite I ordered the black bean quesadilla.
Our food came and I tried the empanada first. I was impressed. It was deep fried just right with a lovely golden color on the outside. On the inside was the sweet potato which had a stuble sweetness. I was pleasantly surprised because I was expecting something overly sweet. My quesadilla filled with melting cheese and black beans. It was good. I took a tortilla chip and dipped it in the guacamole. Whoa. I was taken aback. That guac was excellent. Yet another surprise. Del Rey hasn’t failed me yet.
After drinking and talking it was time for me to make my way to the ladies’ room. On my way I noticed there is another back section of Del Rey. Its more of a lounge and looked perfect for private parties.
I get to the bathroom and am floored. This bathroom is exceptional. It looks more like an ultra lounge than a place to pee. It is spacious with a long purple couch, red lighting, dark thick wood stalls, and a full length mirror. After I did my business I felt like staying in there. All I needed was a group of girlfriends to sit around and gossip with.
I made my way back to the table and the place had gotten even more full. A DJ had started to spin some tunes, there were shots all around, and there were scantily clad ladies trying to introduce people to a new tequila. I couldn’t tell you what the tequila was called. I was too busy willing these girls to leave us alone in my head to pay attention to what she was telling us.
Overall, I liked Del Rey. The happy hour prices were just right and I enjoyed the food. But I have to say the real draw is the bathroom. I need to have a myspace photoshoot up in that place.

Boring.