Seattle Weekly:
Geraldine’s Counter serves breakfast AND lunch all day, which is badass because you can get a hamburger at 9:30 in the goddamned morning. And those hamburgers ($9.50) are so delightful, they could only be tastier if they were grilled by a man drinking a beer and wearing a “World’s Best Dad” apron in the park. The patty was sloppy and unevenly shaped, obviously handmade, served still pink inside on a sturdy bun. Caramelized onions are standard equipment, but you can add bacon and cheese for a buck each, and why wouldn’t you? If you’re on a diet you shouldn’t be f***ing eating hamburgers anyway.
Burgers come with pretty crispy fries, but you can substitute sweet potato fries for $0.50 more. DO THIS. Those sweet potato fries are the best: uniform, perfectly rectangular orange batons, with a light crunchy coating reminiscent of a thin tempura batter, and which shatters when you bite it as easily as a boyhood dream.
Luckily, my boyhood dream of eating chili- cheese fries for breakfast is still intact. Yes, they even serve chili-cheese fries–aka America’s poutine–all day. The fries are the same crispy Russet fries you can get with a burger. Here I’m talking about the plain fries, and NOT the sweet potato fries. If you substituted the sweet potato fries for the regular fries in America’s poutine, your head would explode with the sheer awesomeness–just like if you looked inside the Ark of the Covenant. Read more.
Geraldine’s Counter was voted Best Breakfast in the 2009 Best of SE Seattle Reader’s Choice Poll. Photo/David Mullarkey Images
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{ 25 comments }
It depends on what day or the mood of your server, I’ve had good service there before but also had the worst service I’ve ever had while eating out. (It’s a toss up between Geraldine’s and the Silver Fork for the worst service I’ve had) And $15.00 for some fried chicken, Really?
I have seen so many people always talk so great about Geraldine’s counter. I often wonder if it was me personally that they ignored on several occasions or if others just deal with it because the food is good.
I must admit I have not been there in years so maybe it changed. But I tested it several times and everytime no matter where I sat or if I was with someone or by myself I got horrible service, and I mean bad enough to stop going to a good resturant.
Once I sat at the counter and orded something to go (I remember the sweet potato fries) there was only two other tables occupied and it took 10 minutes for me to get asked what I want. Meanwhile I was looking at the cook and he was chilling looking at me I wanted to just tell him and skip the people that were ignoring me. When I ordered I sat there for another 10 minutes after my food was done looking at my food sitting on the counter as it got cold and the waitress just wondered around acting like she didn’t see, I even had a couple of bucks tip on the counter and as I watched my food I took dollars back until I left nothing. When she gave me my food she didn’t apologize and it was cold. And this was the 2nd time I had been in a week because the food was good. I got it to go because I thought they couldn’t screw me in service if I got it to go, but I was wrong and I tried it once more to see if I was making it up in my head.
The last time I was so embarrased at the service, it was the last time I went. I took a kid that doesn’t get to go out to eat very much (other than fast food) that I was/am mentoring and he thought that all restraunts were that bad, I had to tell him nope just them and he asked me why we went there then. I felt like such a sell out taking a kid to a place I knew would treat us badly that is when I decided they will never get my money again.
Lou – Your point is well made so I want to call out to all eating places in the Valley. It is not just about having great food, the dining places need to hire & keep people that look after the CUSTOMERS. I will never go back to Verve based on an undercooked chicken and how they dealt with the situation…on a dining night that was not busy.
@Lou
“I often wonder if it was me personally that they ignored on several occasions”
It was not just you. The problem was that you probably looked like you work for a living.
I’ve eaten at Geraldine’s a lot in the past year and the service is always good. Maybe you guys should try them again?
@Tomma
“Maybe you guys should try them again?”
I have tried them again and the service was much better, but like I said I have also had some of the worst service there also. It sounds like Lou can’t buy a break from this place so should he keep “Trying them again”? I sure wouldn’t if I was him. There are far too many good places to eat to pay someone to treat you like a second class citizen.
Only twice have I not left a tip while eating out and that was one of the places. (Too bad they didn’t know how good I tip)
Plus in Lou’s post he talks about the last time he went there, to take a kid that he mentor’s (very commendable might I add) to treat him to something other than fast food so it’s kind of like a double F**K You.
Geraldine’s is good. Verve Wine Bar and Bistro is a lot better.
The Verve Burger absolutely destroys the burger at Geraldine’s (this is a complete understatment because the chefs aren’t even close to the same calibre of cooking whatsoever). That’s because it is made of ground beef **brisket** that’s kneaded by hand for at least five minutes, to soften it up. I usually get mine with goat chevre or sheep cheese on top, with onions, the perfect bun, and with fingerling potatoes and a salad on the side.
Not to mention the absolutely killer beers that Verve sells, in the bottle. Many of which go perfect with the Verve Burger.
Try it. You won’t be sorry. In fact, you’ll become addicted.
I always heard not to work the meat to long (easy people, not what I meant) when making a burger. Am I wrong?
But I did hear Verve had the best burger around here.
@-Hugh Olson u sound like u own the place, but I understand I would defend my stuff too, its good to know u enjoy ur job. And I like the cook at Geraldine’s, I know he was down to take my order.
@-Tomma yeah I’m okay, I don’t go down there to much anymore (Columbia City) I used to work down there that is why I ate there so often (lunch or after work), but u keep going.
@- Mark B, at least I know it wasn’t just me, I knew it wasn’t a racial beef or nothing because my server was a darker ( I said darker I know she isn’t dark but for a mixed girl) mixed girl with curly hair once. I remember being so disappointed like nooo, u too? She wasn’t the worst or nothing but just the same. Oh and I’m mixed she could have been my sister or my mentee’s sister to think of it. Stupid stereotyping got my hopes up.
Geraldine’s used to be really good when it opened but the last 3 or so times I have gone there the food was very so-so, even bad sometimes, and I haven’t gone back. I am always shocked by the line outside on Sunday when maybe the best restaurant in Seattle, Verve, is around the corner, usually with no wait. And yes, the burger is phenomenal, as is EVERYTHING else there. I’ve been to Verve many times and I am always shocked by how good the food is, their chef is exceptional and the service excellent.
Does using “fuck” four times in a review means the restaurant is good? I think that Surly Gourmand is a good enough writer that he can get the point across without it. Better to leave “fuck” in the back office instead of at the keyboard. I got that he liked Geraldine’s even before the first fuck/fucking. About the food, I am in complete agreement with Surly Gourmand: the food is “awesome” and delicious.
Someone told me that Verve had a brunch so we went there at 10:30 and they were not open. Do they have a brunch and if so at what time do they open?
You all need to try Saffron Restaurant at 5100 S Dawson Street. Good food, good service. Open 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM Wed – Sat Nights. Breakfast from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sat and Sun.
Mark B. – Verve has brunch on the weekends only, their website says 10-2. I had brunch there yesterday and it was delicious.
MarkB – Verve is normally open for brunch (which blows Geraldines away, btw). I think there was a problem with their kitchen sometime around the 4th and they had to close long enough to rectify it.
I’m always baffled when I see people line up for Geraldine’s. It’s very average fare. Not that I’m a gourmet chef or anything, but I’ve always left feeling like I could make something better at home.
And the screaming kids… oy.
@ Colleen
I second the vote for Saffron. I ate there a couple of weeks ago, great menu, great wine list, great service, will definitely go back!
I have been to Saffron and the food was excellant plus I liked that the owner took time to come over and make sure everything was O.K.
I’ll have to head in there again.
My trip to Verve was a while back.
A commentor above wrote:
Lou 07.23.10 at 9:19 pm
“@-Hugh Olson u sound like u own the place, but I understand I would defend my stuff too, its good to know u enjoy ur job. And I like the cook at Geraldine’s, I know he was down to take my order. ”
Mighty grand assumption on your part. I do not own the place, I do not and never have worked there, and I am not family of anyone who works there. I am a loyal customer and a fan of the cooking. I can’t say the same about Geraldine’s. Sorry to disappoint you.
I originally came to Verve because Kate, the owner, sells very excellent wines at very affordable prices. Then I began eating the food and I noticed the food was better than most of the really expensive joints in downtown Seattle and on the Eastside. There are maybe three places I like better than Verve: The Corson Building (crazy wow!!), Lark (wow!!), and Izumi Sushi (in Totem Lake).
The Corson Building is located right across the I-5 freeway from Columbia City, in case you have not gone yet. Simply amazing place. Get there early to check out their garden and the chickens.
@Tiffany
“And the screaming kids… oy.”
Those are “Crypods”
People who let their screaming kids destroy other people’s meals are the personification of narcissism — my kids are too “good” to really bother anyone. Take your screaming kid outside, even if that means your meal is ruined. Otherwise, everyone around you is having their meal ruined.
I wonder if you told a server (anywhere) that someone’s crypod was ruining your meal, how would they react?
Server-”Sorry this is a family restaurant”
Customer- “Good, give my bill to that family”
Mark B –
Server: “Sorry, this is a family restaurant.”
Customer #1: “Certainly. My family is not happy. Since this is a family restaurant, you can now do something about that.”
Customer #2: “I forgot my tape recording of family noises. Next time I’ll be sure bring that in, for everyone to hear — since this is a family restaurant, afterall.”
Customer #3: “What kind of family restaurant? The 150 decibel family, or the 60 decibel family?”
Customer #4: “Since Charles Manson and Adolf Hitler came from families, I guess it’s ok for me to go on a murderous rampage then. Since it’s all about the family.”
@Screaming Monkey
“Customer #4: “Since Charles Manson and Adolf Hitler came from families, I guess it’s ok for me to go on a murderous rampage then. Since it’s all about the family.”
Good stuff!
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