Relish: Wedgwood Broiler
Today Seattlest was in the mood for American food with a capital 'A'. Nothing fancy. Nothing on the menu that we couldn't pronounce. No fancy twists or "updated classics". No money spent on flash websites, kitschy décor or outrageous views. Just plain and simple burgers, salads, steaks and fries. When Seattlest craves American food we head to Wedgwood Broiler in North Seattle--as stated on their website, "the word cuisine just does not seem to fit here--this is true family fare without a hint of pretense."
Wedgwood Broiler is a throwback to a time where restaurants relied on quality food, friendly service and the early-bird crowd. An era where liver & onions, Salisbury steak and chicken fried steak (all still on the menu) were deemed haute cuisine. The decor is... well, to be honest, Seattlest has never eaten in the restaurant; we love the bar. Dark and smoky, with cozy booth seating around the perimeter, TV's all around, but somehow rarely heard. At an average age of thirty, uh, something, we were
We grabbed the corner booth and settled in. Our waitress was the kind you'd find at a classic diner: saucy and sarcastic, yet professional. We ordered a round of drinks and excitedly looked over the menu--everyone found exactly what they were craving. Service was very slow, so we didn't get our appetizers until somewhere between the second and third round of drinks, but that first round of drinks was so strong that we didn't really care.
Seattlest started with the shrimp cocktail ($5), which was a smallish bowl of nice, plump, pink shrimp dusted with paprika and served with saltines (!) and a good cocktail sauce. We asked for an extra dish of horseradish and made it into a great cocktail sauce. The shrimp were a touch dry, but passable.
The prime rib ($15.95 regular-cut) came with the standard choice of dinner starches, but those in the know can order hash browns. The prime rib was rarer than expected and a little chewy in the middle, but the salty outer edges were nicely seasoned and delicious--especially when dipped in the accompanying jus and nose-clearing horseradish. The hash browns were good but a little pale, as we prefer our hash browns to be on the verge of burnt. The major (and funny) problem on the plate was the off-color, canned green beans... bleck! But then again, we didn't come here to eat our vegetables.
The burger dip with bacon and blue cheese crumbles ($9.40) was sinfully delicious. A large patty on a toasted roll, heaped with blue cheese and crisp, dark bacon, served with a bowl of flavorful jus. We requested chowder instead of fries so we could try the soup (last time Seattlest was here, we had an outrageously good split-pea). Some of us loved the creamy, thick and salty chowder and some thought it was just so-so.
The teriyaki burger with Swiss cheese ($7.75) was exactly what Seattlest was looking for. A perfectly cooked burger on a soft bun with a tangy circle of canned pineapple, melt-y-soft cheese and a do-it-yourself side of mayo. The fries were equally good; medium-cut and fried until almost dark golden brown--the kind that you bend and they actually snap in half. The kind that don't feel greasy until you bite into them and they're practically juicy. Mmmmm.
This is not fancy, over-the-top food: it's solid food at decent prices. A predictable place, where the specials on Wednesdays are always pot roast and fried chicken and prime rib is always served on the weekends.
Wedgwood Broiler
8230 35th Avenue NE
206.523.1115
http://www.3dhospitality.com/wedgwoodbroiler
P.S. Prime rib dips (!!) are served on Mondays, when available.
