McCormick & Schmick’s Harborside

Ordered NW Salmon sauté.
The rice was impressively salty. Almost inedible. Even after I asked the waiter for separated rice, it turned out that half of the rice was still salty.
The salmon was ok though.

Bartender upstairs was a total screaming douchbag. Told us «I’m busy, it’s gonna be fifteen minutes» when we sat down to wait for our table. Proudly told the server that he had no idea how to transfer a drink order to a table, and said «that’s why I don’t wanna take drink orders up here» it’s pretty rare when someone is bold enough to show true pride in ignorance.

We had our company dinner here tonight, and I have to start with the service!
We waited for our group in the downstairs bar and Julian was our bartender, and was fantastic!
We were seated upstairs with our group, and Jeffrey was our waiter and was absolutely the best server we have ever had at any restaurant period! He never missed a step and kept everything flowing like clockwork!
Now the food! Over 15 salads, entrees, and desserts and not one complaint from anyone! Every plate was finished! Not one thing was wrong! The salmon, Steak, and Chicken Oscar were fantastic! Everybody in our group really enjoyed our experience and we will definitely bring our company gatherings here again!

When we were first getting used to Seattle and seafood restaurants, we visited here somewhat regularly for dinner or happy hour. There are some good choices for food, and we the views from outside. Our waiting staff was generally very friendly and we were often served in a timely fashion.
Overall, while I can’t really knock the place for poor food or service, it just feels somewhat overpriced for the experience. The food is very traditional and the restaurant has the «chain restaurant» feel to it. There are so many other great seafood places in Seattle, that I can’t really recommend coming here.

It was a Sunday, and not busy, so no excuse for Terrible Service. Took over 10 minutes for waiter to even acknowledge us, and another 5 – 10 for him to return to take drink orders, and he offered to take food orders then since our menus were closed. Water wasn’t offered until after he returned again after a while. A few tables around us had a different waiter and their service was good. Our waiter never returned to offer another round of drinks. We had to ask for more water and iced tea, and had to ask for our bill. Salads ordered were great. Fish and chips were good. the rest was mediocre. We had a reservation following my daughter’s graduation program from UW Foster School of Business. Four years ago we had a similar dinner at downtown Seattle location for my son, with personalized menus where the food and service were wonderful. We were so disappointed with our visit Sunday.
Skip the Westlake location.

I’ve been having lunch here for years. Can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. I suggest a cup of clam chowder with every order. Views are amazing and the service is wonderful. This is one of my favorite restaurants.

3.5 stars, but rounded up to 4 because we enjoyed our time. It can be somewhat confusing to find the entrance to this restaurant if it’s your first time. This place is more on the upscale side, and if you were to dine here out of happy hour times, the food will definitely be more on the pricey side since this place is like a steak/​seafood spot. However, since we were grabbing happy hour, it was really reasonable and affordable! We were seated downstairs in the bar area near the window where we could see all the boats and the water! Our server was super awesome and really tentative.
Good items from the HH menu:
–Cheeseburger and fries, seriously was expecting a small tiny slider but it was a very decent sized burgers and you can’t go wrong with the fries!
–Mussels, I really loved the flavor!
–Calamari, not the best or worst but it will definitely satisfy.
–Buffalo Wings, had a great sauce and if it was slightly crispy it would’ve been perfect!
–Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms, the mushrooms were super juicy!
Items I probably wouldn’t get again from the HH menu:
–Fish Tacos, it was ok, not something I would get again.
–Edamame, I’ve never had super mushy edamame before, it was a huge disappointment.
–Bruschetta, it was ok, I’ve had better else where.
Overall, I would definitely come back here again for happy hour sometime if I am in the area!

An average seafood chain in town known for top notch food from the water. Might be good for middle America, but less enticing here given other options. Good fit for the suits and cocktails crowd attending conferences in the attached center, as everyone else in the restaurant was obviously doing business.

We came here for my nephew’s birthday and Mother’s Day. We knew it would be crowded and busy but we didn’t expect that bad. It took about 30 mins to serve the bread and another 20 mins to get the main dishes. For the price we paid the food can be better. But I have to say that the services was exceptionally great. If you better seafood and steak there are better choice.

We went here for a Mother’s Day brunch – and despite the reviews, I was just hoping it might be a least passing. Yikes, this was absolutely terrible.
The coffee was terrible and the mimosa was *warm* (how do you mess that up?!). Then there was the buffet which was filled with all the usual Pacific Northwest offerings… but appetizing it was not. Twice, I gave the eggs benedict a shot and it was so bad that I could not even cut through the egg muffin. The only items I could stomach were the scrambled eggs and sausage.
We left still feeling hungry. To top it off, it was crazy expensive — charging us $ 50/​adult and $ 30/​child (the most expensive french toast and syrup)
Décor is fine and people obviously go here for the view as the floor to ceiling windows provide a spectacular view. The space is clean.
We will never return for this overpriced brunch.

Came here for a paint n sip and sat at the bar for happy hour while we waited! Kara the bartender was GREAT! The place was super busy but she handled everything greatly even with a few hiccups! She made a great birthday weekend even greater for me! Thanks again Kara!!! There are some great happy hour prices for food and drinks here!

Should have looked at the ratings. The waitress seems like she is on drugs. Bumping into chairs and twitching. The order probably was not submitted to the kitchen. We have been here 45 minutes since ordering on a Sunday lunch. Food was OK.

Here I am for long due review.
We had anniversary dinner here. After reading reviews I was quite skeptical about having a romantic dinner here, but, it was all worth it.
Nice view, very good service (sorry I forgot the name of server) he was very good.
Ordered calamari fritto misto, very tasteful, everything in the dish had distinct taste, and it serves as an entrée, esp with people as few as 2
Main entrée was griled mahi mahi (they probably put some bacon in it too, so be sure to ask if you want a total sea food experience). 5 stars for it
Other entrée was (i forgot) oops, but i have picture. 5 stars for that too.
Lastly the drinks, very refreshing blueberry lemonade and another fresh drink, made to perfection.
I would definitely recommend this place.

I used to live right across the lake from this location. We would come in for a burger at happy hour and have a great time.
Just so you know… they have gone corporate. A huge remodel. It is probably better for the flow of large groups but I dunno somehow not as nice as the old place.
They still have a great happy hour with actual full sized entrees that are well made and tasty. This place must really want the customer to be happy because you actually get a full meal for an amazing low price during happy hour. Also good stiff drinks nice view and pleasant lighting.
$

Elegant, warm & inviting, excellent staff, and romantic date spot are just a few words to describe this location of McCormick & Schmick’s.
First off, the view is excellent. Floor to ceiling windows surround the restaurant and there’s not a bad spot no matter where your table may be. Also, there is a parking lot next to the building which is a huge help as the area gets busy.
Staff: Professional, prompt, very friendly. I cannot say one bad thing about any of my experiences. The staff here is very top of the line and it shows!
Food: YUMMY! Such a great menu with a couple rotating specials. The seafood can’t be beat… the stuffed salmon was excellent. Steak melts like butter in your mouth. The calamari is likely my favorite appetizer there… cooked perfectly. Recommendation… split the salads if you are wanting as a side dish. Their mashed potatoes are a must-​order item.
Drinks: My spiced pear martini was a touch sweet but oh so good. Nice beers on tap and good selection of wine.
Experience: If you are looking for a place with a great view, date spot, or simply just want some tasty food I certainly recommend this place!

Wow, I am am blown away by how *terrible* this food is. I had one of their «Signature Fish“es, the stuffed sole. The ingredients weren’t even on par with McDonald’s, and beyond that, the dish lacked any and all flavor except salt. This is an embarrassment of an entrée. I have given this place a number of tries throughout the years and iterations, but this is it. It cannot get much worse than this as a signature dish. Did Landry’s do this to you??? So sad. Save your time and money and go elsewhere.
Update: Everyone else suspected my dish was rotten because fresh seafood cannot smell this horrible, and I am now dealing with severe stomach pain. I stupidly tried to give it a chance my forcing myself to eat half of it to be fair and see if it got better. Never again will I make that mistake! Ugh…

Good service but the food isn’t anything special. The dessert was definitely the best part. The Walnut Mixed Green salad is really a sad sad salad. It was almost entirely mixed greens and very sparse walnuts or cheese to be found. The Cedar Roasted Salmon was nothing too exciting either. The salmon was properly cooked but had no flavor. The berry reduction was so-​so and the mashed potatoes and greens on the side were not properly seasoned. The flourless chocolate cake was quite good. It was rich but not too overpowering and I definitely wanted more. Don’t bother getting coffee with dessert… it was basically like drinking brown water.

Meh… the food here is really not that great, especially given the price (probably would get a lower star rating if price is a concern for you, like ¹⁄₅). I luckily had a gift card for $ 100 when I came here, so none of the dinner was paid for out of my pocket. This should put me in a great mood, which would leave me more inclined to give a higher rating, except that this place was not that great as far as food goes.
Lets start with the positives:
I love the huge windows at this restaurant. I highly recommend sitting at a booth by the water side. The booths are raised above the dining level so you get an excellent view of the water if you sit facing the water. It is a pretty dining experience.
The location is right on south lake union, which is a beautiful dinner sight.
Now to the downsides:
The lobster was grey and tasted really weird. Maybe it was not fresh? The steak was meh… a little burnt and chewy. The vegetables did not taste that great. Price aside, the FLAVOR and taste of the food here is ²⁄₅. Add in the extra pricey cost of each menu item, then you may think this place is even worse than ²⁄₅.
While McCormick & Schmicks-​Harborside is right on Lake union, it is facing the eastward direction, so you are have no view of the sunset during dinner. You have to go to Daniels Broiler or Chandler’s Crab House on the other side of the water to view the sunset over the lake while eating dinner. Other good options for a dinner sunset on lake union are East Lake grill and Little Water Cantina (yummy!).

103 dollars of overpriced fare marred by woefully subpar service. What happened to this restaurant?
We were seated promptly after making a reservation on Open Table for a Sunday evening slot. After that, it was a crash-​and-​burn dinner. Starting out, when we passed on alcoholic drinks for our party of 3 (2 adults and 1 school-​age child), I immediately got the sense we were written off, becoming an afterthought in our waiter’s mind. What else went wrong?
— No bread basket for us. I think about 80% of the surround tables received them. We could’ve asked for the basket later in our meal but we got tired of asking for so many things that should’ve been second nature. Such as…
— The steak knife must’ve been extra in their $ 39 Filet & Stuffed Shrimp because it didn’t show up with the plate. The crab stuffing was the only saving grace for the toughly-​cooked shrimp. Steak was fine and could be cut with a regular knife and a struggle.
— The kids’ pasta was topped with the most stingy amount of red sauce I’ve ever seen. I’m posting a pic so people can judge for themselves.
— Sauteed swiss chard was actually good but on the salty side. Dry sauté with a bit of smoke and a generous amount of meaty mushrooms.
— We ordered key lime pie to go since we were tired of flagging down someone for an iced tea refill. When we arrived home we dove into… cheesecake. Yes, they messed that up too.
Another Unilocaler mentioned recent staff layoffs and it clearly shows. I called the manager Karam on the night of this post and gave the feedback. He was gracious and receptive. He also has his work cut out for him.
Loved this place during the glory years (pre-​Landry?) but what used to be great dining is a distant memory. We’re not going back.

Hi, My name is, Brooke, and I used to be a McCormick and Schmick’s addict. To the tune of, eating there (at least) three times a week! No lie. My Preferred Dining account said that I spent $ 1500 there in a 12-​month period.
But then, Landry’s purchased the franchise. They kept the menu offerings the same, but there was some almost imperceptible change. It’s just not the place it used to be.
Most recently, my husband and I went there for the Easter buffet brunch.
I wasn’t in love with the setup. You had to leave the dining room, and walk down a long hall, to a banquet room, to fill your plate; and then make the walk back to your table.
The food at the buffet was pretty standard fare. Eggs Benedict, French Toast, crab legs, shrimp cocktail, a few pastries, and desserts, and a carving station with two different types of meat.
I will say that the smoked salmon was the standout of the meal.
The «fresh» fruit wasn’t quite ripe, and wasn’t quite good.
Of course, my water glass was never empty. But beyond that, something about the customer service was (and has been) different, ever since Landry’s purchased McCormick.
This year, the Easter buffet was $ 40/​person. The food, by itself, wasn’t worth it. But I also have to realize that I’m paying for the magnificent view of Lake Union, at this location, as well.
There was a $ 25 birthday credit on my Preferred Member card. Or, so I had been told via email… But when it came time to pay, the server said that the credit wasn’t there! My husband spoke to a manager, and was brushed-​off. We paid our tab, and left. I was none-​too-​happy about the end result.
I just have to think that in pre-​Landry days, this would not have happened.