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Lunchbox Laboratory
Categories: Restaurants Canadian (New) Restaurants Burgers Canadian (New), Burgers [Edit]
989 112th Ave NESte 105
(between 11th St & 8th St)
Bellevue, WA 98004
(425) 505-2676
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
92 reviews for Lunchbox Laboratory
92 reviews in English
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Review from Christopher S.
Bothell, WA
5/20/2012
After looking at the reviews here, you'd think that this place was responsible for murdering the reviewers family and got off on a technicality. A friend of mine was a fan of the original location and when the moved to more convenient location to me, I had to give it a whirl. I'm glad I trusted them more than Yelp on this matter.
The service was friendly and attentive. The decor was really slick in the retro-geek style of their choosing. The music was fine, the noise level was right and the space was full of people without feeling overly crowded.
My girlfriend at the Dork Burger, I had the Scotty's Classic Drive in, both were fantastic, though the dork patty was really outstanding while the Classic was simply a good burger executed well. We also shared some Mac and Cheese, which was delicious enough to ignore the pool of cheese grease that welled up at the bottom of the cup. Milkshakes were by far the best I've had, period, end story. Pork rinds off of the menu were overflowing and still literally crackling as they got to the table. The tater tots are better than Teddy's, and I was formerly a big fan of those. In fact, the only thing in the entire meal to disappoint were the skinny fries that came with my burger, in that they were only Okay. Everything else more than made up for it and the check was quite reasonable, particularly considering how much food we got for it. -
Review from Kelly M.
This is definitely not a place to come and be healthy, that's for sure. I am positive I gained 20lbs leaving this place..
On that note, I had been eagerly wanting to try the place out and when voucher on Bloomspot came up, I went for it. Thank goodness I had because I didn't realize how the prices were here. I mean, let's face it. It is not gourmet so why the high price?
Food. It was good. The stuffed jalepenos were really tasty but not enough of the pepper itself. The burgers all sounded pretty interesting and I got the one with lamb. It was good, nothing really special in my opinion. I also got the chips which were just that, chips. And I tried the Kahlua drink was tasty too..
Service was well executed, so I will give them that. Overall, I probably won't go back because it didn't make a big impression on me. Everything was just alright. -
Review from Michael R.
Kirkland, WA
5/21/2012
Well first off, if you are budget conscious this is NOT the place for you.
The burges all range from $12 to $17 each (including your sides), add a drink (or two) and your tab can quickly reach $30 for s single person.
The food is great for a burger joint and they have some interesting toppings available.
My suggestion if you are not wanting one of their expensive speciality burgers is to come in during Happy Hour and order from that menu which has some items not found on their regular menu such as their nachos (beware of the ketchup drizzled on it)! -
Review from Katie V.
Medina, WA
5/25/2012
Great!! So far I have been once, and I am excited to go back. The service is a bit 'sleepy' so that leaves something to be desired, but I wasn't in a hurry and thought that the food was great, so I was ok with it. I had The Dork, which is a duck and pork patty. It is messy. Not good first date food. But if you are with friends, then go to town :) At my friend's suggestion, I went for the tater tots as a side. I love that you have so many choices when it comes to what you want to dip your tots (or fries, etc) in! I went for the 'bread-and-butter pickle tartar'. I am normally someone that only drinks white wine. Pretty exciting stuff. I tried something out of my element. The Folsom Prison (that's a drink). Jim Beam, Absolut Mango, Iced Tea and Lemonade. Served in a beaker. It was soooo good!! I would definitely have one or two, next time I go. And I am also very tempted to try the milk shake with vodka!
**The best part of this restaurant might be the patio. It is in the sun, and that is hard to find after work in Bellevue. Most patios that restaurants/bars have to offer are always in the shade. Not to mention they are ALWAYS FULL! We don't get warm weather that often, so people are scrambling to get off of work, and get outside for a drink. Lunchbox in Bellevue is newer, so not that many people have discovered it. Which leaves a great patio space, in the sun!! -
Review from I T.
Bellevue, WA
5/26/2012
I used to live in the building next door. When they opened I was very excited as I am a fan of their Seattle location. My friends and I were there within the hour of their first day....
They take forever for to bring your burgers out. Normally, I wouldn't care if it was a quality burger, but the buns come falling apart because the burger is so soggy. It is like they let them sit or something. This does not happen at the Seattle location.
Today, my friend and I got some take out. I ordered the burger of the gods plus bacon (which I ALWAYS order, so I've had it over 10 times). Instead of giving me my burger they wrapped a burger with a patty, bacon and cheese. None of the caramelized onions and sauce that make the burger of the gods one of their specialty burgers....
On top of that, my Mac and cheese HAD A HAIR IN IT! It was a short black hair (not mine because I have very long hair and not my friend's because he is blonde.
Thanks for ruining my dinner!
ps they also forgot to give us the lettuce, tomato, pickle and onions (which for takeout usually come in a plastic bag) -
Review from Brian P.
Bellevue, WA
5/18/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Wow so many people whining on yelp. This place is as amazing as south lake union one by rei. Not a cheap burger but so worth it. I've had 6 different burgers from here now and they were all delicious. Expect a hundred dollar meal for 2 if you drink.
Banana cream pie shake is the truth.
Their cocktails are good too.
Actually planning to go there tonight now. Heh. -
Review from Mike K.
Bothell, WA
5/23/2012
Awesome spot to grab a mac & jack's and a burger!! I've been here a few times, the dogsticks are a good appetizer. The hothead burger is ridiculous!!! The homage to the dicks deluxe is pretty good and so is the smoker. The tots and fries are good but nothing special, put some bacon salt on them to step it up a notch. If you have room after all this food get the Reeses shake its damn good!!!
-
Review from Ken R.
Kenmore, WA
5/2/2012
Just had lunch there with a friend. I had the "Tribute to a Dick's Deluxe" burger with "Skinny Fries". My friend had Santa Fe Burger. Both were a fat piece of over cooked burger (supposedly some good quality meat, however they refused to cook it anything other than "medium-well") topped with a fat stack of tasteless bacon (my fat stack of bacon was actually cold in the middle) and covered with cheese. The bun reminded me of bread made with pretzel dough.
The fries were cold. The "Dick's Deluxe" was absolutely nothing like a Dick's and was a virtual insult to the institution of Dick's Drive In. The Santa Fe burger was the same burger I had but with different cheese.
This is the 2nd time I have been there. The first was on their opening day so I gave them a break. This visit is my last. -
Review from Victor S.
Bellevue, WA
5/23/2012
This place rocks; cool servers, kick ass "adult" shakes and the burgers are cool too...
I had stayed away from the place because of less than positive reviews, but decided to have lunch there last Saturday. Nothing to complain about, the place has a cool vibe, not easy to find on the Eastside, prices are what you'd expect for a high end burger joint.
I'll be back! -
Review from Brad C.
Bellevue, WA
4/29/2012
OH man,the only reason why this place gets one star is because you can't give zero.
After all the hype about this place the sober reality is a total drag.
First of all ,parking is a total hassle. Second , the staff here is the worst in downtown Bellevue and that says a lot. We have a 14 month and lets say this place IS NOT family friendly.
We ordered the Rinds of Life appetizer. Yeah, a plat of microwaved pork rinds from a bag for $7.00. YAY. We ordered a chocolate malt that was served in a lab beaker. Cute, but half Read-Y-Whip for $6.00, Yeah, big fail.
The burgers came and the server sat down the plate including the knife directly in front of our toddler. When my wife expressed concern the server said "You could have moved it" are you serious?
We asked for the manager, he pretended to listen and did nothing,
On to the food. I ordered the famous Dork burger. Yeah, flavorless patty smothered in plain cheese with limp onions. My wife did a super beef with bacon.Hers at least had some flavor, basically Kroger bacon served on a pre frozen patty.
So , $62.00 for two people and a baby, the worlds worst service and sub standard food. Fail. Will never go back.
Want an OK burger in Downtown Bellevue ? Go to Red Robin. Want a great burger, go to John Howie or Daniel's. Lunchbox Laboratory is only if you want to take your money and flush it down the toilet. -
Review from Stephen H.
Bellevue, WA
4/22/2012
Here's a tip: ignore the inexplicably whiny reviews on Yelp, and instead go to Lunchbox Laboratory's website to look at the pictures. Do you think they look delicious? If so, then run, don't walk, to Lunchbox Laboratory -- you'll love it. Except for the potato salad; it kind of sucks.
On the other hand, if you like to rant about casual burger joints because "they WILL NOT leave off the lettuce, onion, tomato, and pickle from the plate", or "it pisses [you] off when [you] have to ask for Happy Hour Menu during the middle of the Happy Hour" (both actual quotes from previous one star reviews), then don't go there -- you'll hate it, like you presumably hate everything else good and fun in the world. -
Review from Kathryn N.
Renton, WA
5/10/2012
After reading reviews on here, I was kind of scared to try this place as it was said to be overpriced, had horrible service, and not that great of food.
Fortunately, my experience was great!
We got patio seating and came on a Thursday at noon so we were seated immediately. We purchased one of those $25 for $50 vouchers online so our goal was actually to hit $50 , not save money. We started off with the King of the Rinds appetizer. Came out fresh and crackling with two different sauces. One was a mayo and delicious and the other was spicy and had a hint of like. I really like it but it was kind of too spicy !
Then came our milkshakes. I got the almond joy and my cousin got the Reese's peanut butter one. Tried his and it tasted exactly as it sounded so peanut butter fans, this is the one for you! My milkshake was the best part of my meal. Chocolatey and shreds of coconut filled the beaker! Yes, it comes in a beaker!
I couldn't decide between three burgers but I finally went with the most popular, burger of the Gods, which had balsamic onions and bleu cheese and gorgonzola sauce. Honestly the onions were a bit much, threw some out. I couldn't really taste too much of the bleu cheese but that is probably because of the onions.
My cousin got the Truffle love burger and that was delicious! Lots of bacon and had a slight smokiness to it. The bread was crispy around the edges.
As for my side, I chose to add the Mac and cheese for $2 and it was super cheesy! Loved it.
The fries were not good though. They were cold and hard, which sucks cuz I totally love skinny fries :(
Our food took awhile to come out though, everyone around us got theirs first. Must have been my Mac and cheese!
All in all, the service was good! Our waiter was nice and informative. Food was good especially the milkshakes! -
Review from chaia r.
Bellevue, WA
4/28/2012
I was excited to learn there was such a restaurant in town. Upon going there for dinner, as suggested by a friend, i was immediately disappointed by the poor service we had. Our waitress did not ask how we wanted our burger cooked, she was not friendly or explained the menu at all.
My burger, the "homage to dick's deluxe" was awful. The only good thing about it was the bun. The burger was too pink, the bacon was cold, the onions were cold, add by cold i mean chilled, as in NOT HEATED AT ALL. it was disgusting. I took those pieces off.
My waitress was no where to be found. So i ate the burger.
When i complained, she Said "why didnt you tell me when you got the burger?" really!? Are you kidding? Terrible service. I was appalled. She didn't even give me a discount or apologize. I was so upset.
I will not go back. This place isn't even worth the cute theme. I hope they go out of business. -
Review from Julia Z.
4/17/2012
tl;dr: Should have looked at the three-star average here and then avoided it.
I've always wanted to try this place, ever since someone raved to me years ago about the Ballard location shortly after Scott opened it. I never did make it over there, but now LL has made it over here, of course, sadly, without Scott.
The menu is interesting but confusing and it set me on edge right away with their high-attitude "no substitutions" rule. Screw that.... at $15 for a burger, I DON'T WANT MAYONNAISE even if it's your FANCY mayonnaise. We are not seeing eye to eye from the get-go because I don't want mayonnaise on my food at any price, even if you pay ME!
So since the substitution rule prohibits choosing ANY of their pre-configured burgers, we go to Build Your Own. At $10.99, it's steep. Add $2 for special meat, $2 for bacon (really good bacon), $1.50 for cheese (REALLY? Cheddar was $2.50/lb at Safeway this weekend!!), $1.50 for each topping like grilled onions, and $0.50 for each sauce after two, it's very easy to build a $16 or $17 burger. I'm sorry, but that's ridiculous. The only upcharges there that I think are reasonable are the $2 for each meat upgrade. The burgers should then include your choice of one cheese, one topping, and two sauces "for free" because you have already purchased two burgers anywhere else!!
They WILL NOT leave off the lettuce, onion, tomato, and pickle from the plate, even if you ask and tell them you do not want to waste food. That is shitty! And those veggies were not even of high quality; definitely not the caliber I'd expect to go with a $16 burger. As Gordon Ramsay would say, "What a shame."
Don't get me started on the fries. We had tater tots and skinny fries... neither was hot, and the tater tots (standard issue, nothing fancy) were dry and hard, almost inedible. Even good sauce couldn't save them!! That is basic incompetence and there's no excuse. Charging extra for sweet potato fries at these entree prices is also an insult.
As is often the case, my son's kids' meal of homemade beef corn dogs and tater tots was the best thing on the table, especially at $4.99. He didn't like the tots. Do you hear me, Lunchbox Labs??? This is a three year old who will whine for TWO HOURS to get tater tots, and he didn't eat them. They sucked.
The kids had "barrels of fun" to drink, which was fine, but they brought my son his drink in a giant regular glass, causing stress and inviting disaster -- did I mention that he's 3? A covered cup is still a GOOD idea for him unless you don't mind spills. We were also overcharged for these beverages if the menu is right. My husband got a $2.75 iced tea, no lemon, which of course, came with lemon anyway, and was so overfull that the waiter spilled it on the table and menus, and then he did nothing about it. I got a Diet Coke. NONE of these drinks were refilled even though we ran out and waited around for refills, though the waiter offered to get me more as he delivered the check for me to sign. Seriously.
By the way, shakes were not an option for us. We have peanut allergies and they won't clean the machines down specifically between shakes to make sure there's no cross-contamination, even if you ask. BE WARNED. I think this is yucky even if you DON'T have allergies.
We were charged an EXTRA $0.50 for a sauce even though my daughter and I were each entitled to two free sauces with our $17 burgers and didn't order any. That is bullshit.
The service was slow and not very attentive, full of "style" and "attitude". Save it for someone else. I honestly missed the sweet earnest 20-somethings of Red Robin... at least they will not let your Diet Coke run dry!
So was ANY part of the meal good?
- The dork meat patty was really interesting; greasy as hell, but that's what I expected from a duck/pork combo, and the flavor was great
- The rolls were really good
- My husband liked his Sunny in Seattle sans mayo just fine
- The restaurant seemed clean enough
The bill was $70.86 and I left a 15% tip (nearly on the nose, and I used my phone to calculate it)... that's a high sign that I am pissed off, since I usually double the tax and round UP, often resulting in a 23-25% tip. At $80, we could have eaten at Red Robin and could have had appetizers, entrees, AND dessert for $20 less. Sure, Red Robin doesn't have dork but you don't need to eat that crap all the time anyway! At Red Robin, you can get a healthier turkey patty (no upcharge), good bacon ($1), cheese (free), and a whole-wheat or gluten-free bun (free), and you will still enjoy it.
Parking was free and there was enough of it in the garage downstairs and the building itself is nice, though needing a key to traipse across the lobby to use the restrooms is tacky at best.
I doubt we're going back. Too bad. It's a GREAT idea, and I always LOVE a great burger. Lunchbox Laboratories did NOT do it for me. :-( -
Review from Yat G.
Kirkland, WA
4/18/2012
Not Cool.
1. Prices are super-high, which may be ok but then I expect a certain level of service even if the restaurant is empty. Employees are mostly chatting up each other and eating/drinking while customers await service.
2. It pisses me off, when I have to ask for Happy Hour Menu during the middle of the Happy Hour. Even after this - you cannot charge me full menu prices. This is just stupid.
3. Food is average at best, certainly a step over Wendy's - McDonalds.
4. Some really good alternatives - get the Burger at the bar @ John Howie, Goto Tap House Grill, Get the Burger at Ruth Chris' Steakhouse. All of the comparable (even cheaper) & super nice Service.
Can deal w/ everything but not really pathetic poor service when the employees standing free won't come serve you - but will SMS on their phones. -
Review from Thomas L.
4/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Yes it is expensive for burgers. So let's put that out of the way.
Is it worth it for some people? Definitely.
Why? Because the burgers here are nicely crafted, big, juicy and taste damn good. Plus you get some tatter tots as I side if you wish!
Tried the Dork (duck/pork blend) which is delicious. The tear jerker had a REALLY nice kick and the Truffle love was decent.
They also have a variety of salt flavor at the table.
I wouldn't recommend their jalapeno poppers aka buff pops because for $6 you get 3 double size jalapeno poppers... The sauce that came with it was good though. -
Review from Katy B.
5/17/2012
I really enjoy going to Lunchbox Lab. I like the adult milkshakes (boston cream donut with a shot of baileys and vanilla vodka!), the burger of the gods, and the sweet potato fries with the variety of salts they offer at the table. The corn dogs I could do without, and the tator tot nachos didn't really hit the spot like I thought they would (not that it stopped me from eating them). If the Mac & Cheese of the day strikes your fancy, it's certainly worth a try. It's very creamy, cafeteria style mac. The service has always been acceptable here, I've been for both happy hour and dinner and never had a problem.
-
Review from Stacie S.
Bellevue, WA
4/20/2012
Lunchbox Laboratory has some fierce competition; there are so many good burger options in Seattle these days. Unfortunately, based on my single experience, I don't think I would go back. The restaurant is extremely noisy, in the cement floor/unmuffled ceiling Seattle fashion. THink Chuckie Cheese or Red Robin noise level.
Servers are ok, but nothing special. W ehad to ask to not be seated (as a couple) by a table with four screaming kids--unfortunately, not a lot of options to get away from the noise here.
We were there at 7pm on a Thursday night, and I was hoping for a burger with goat cheese. Goat cheese, unfortunately, is not one of their regular cheese options. But wait, they have a goat cheese burger on special! But wait--they're out of goat cheese.
I opted for a turkey burger with carmelized onions instead.My husband ordered the "Homage to Dick's Burgers".
They turkey burger arrived, and looke dnice, but holy cow--the bun size is ridiculous. I'd like to be able to take a bite without wearing my dinner. I cut it down into pieces, took a bite--and it was cold.
Now, I'm ok if it's intended to be cold--but nowhere on the menu does it state it's cold. I'm expecting hot food, so rather disappointed. My husband said his burger was ok, but not really anything similar to Dick's Drive In.
Given the volume of choices available in this space, I think only Loyal LL fans will keep coming back. -
Review from Bill G.
Renton, WA
4/21/2012
We looked at the menu prior to going, and understood the prices. It's not rocket science people. Yes, the burgers cost more than your average burger joint. That's because the beef patties are a mixture of grass-fed sirloin, prime rib and ribeye. If that tastes the same to you as Dick's, you should stick with Dick's.
I had the Burger of the Gods, and added bacon to it. It was nothing short of fantastic. The bacon was thick cut and added a nice smoky flavor to the caramelized onions, blue cheese and Gorgonzola spread. The bread was a kaiser roll and was a good compliment to the rest of the burger, which featured a good sized beef patty that was perfectly cooked. The lettuce/tomato/onion that came with it was nothing special, but the other ingredients and the beef were the show.
I had the tater tots with the burger. They were crispy, but otherwise run of the mill tots. But once you season them with one or more of the many flavored salts they offer, it's much better.
It's a busy place, so either get there at non-peak times, or expect a wait. We waited about 20 minutes for a table at lunch time and it was well worth it. -
Review from Jule G.
4/16/2012
The weekend weather was unusually nice, so I decided it was the right setting to have a juicy burger and a shake. Unfortunately, I don't think Lunchbox Lab is for me. Call me an old-fashioned Southern girl, but I like my food less trendy and more....something. Maybe genuine?
We ordered one of the boozie shakes (served in a beaker), and got a tropical colada shake that had a shot of stuff that included Midori. The shake was good, but for $10 it was a little on the steep side. Basically, normal shakes are $6.50 and adding one shot of anything is an extra $3.50.
I ordered a Hothead burger, which was a little too rich for me because it came drowned in creamy jalepeno sauce, and the buns were also rather greasy. It was definitely a hearty-sized portion, so you should make sure to come with an appetite--this isn't for the nibblers or pick-at-your-food type of eater.
My boyfriend ordered the Burger of the Gods, the name of which to me seems like setting a diner up for massive disappointment. The flavor is overwhelmed by a crazy amount of balsamic pickled onions, to the point where you will probably throw out more than half of them.
One kind of cool thing was their collection of salts. They have about 10ish seasoned salts, such as bacon salt (very bacon-y), habanero salt (this is pretty spicy), rosemary salt, garlic salt, etc. You may want to do what I did, which is sprinkle a tiny bit elsewhere to taste first before going nuts with it. In some cases (habanero), you may really live to regret not trying it before jumping in.
Bring your hunger and your wallet, because a meal here isn't going to be on the cheaper end, seeing as how the burgers (they come with a side of fries, etc.) are $15 on average. Add-ons like drinks or extra sides will have you at $20 per person easily. Also, be prepared to wait awhile if it looks busy. We went at the height of the lunch hour, around 12:30, and we had to wait over 20 minutes to get our food. -
Review from Derrick O.
Bellevue, WA
5/6/2012
Much of the charm has been lost in the transition from ballard to new Bellevue location. Great staff, but service was slow considering we beat the rush. Probably the priciest of gourmet burgers - does it show? Its debatable. Quality ingredient, let down by a nicely sweet, but non-toasted bun. I had the trouffle love burger - too moist and sloppy for my taste. I didn't realize it was double bacon, which was limp and greasy. Burger was served moderatly warm, not hot off the grill ilke I remember my Ballard experience.
Try the Nachos, quite a nice way to get your tater tots. -
Review from Timothy H.
Bellevue, WA
4/6/2012
My first (attempted) experience with Lunchbox Laboratory was an outright failure. I called to make a reservation, but was informed that they do not take reservations for parties of less than six. I then inquired to see if it was usual to have to wait for a table on a Sunday evening, and was informed that, at most, I would likely only have to wait a maximum of 10 to 15 minutes. When I arrived at this establishment, to my horror I discovered that I would be required to wait one and a half hours for a table. Needless to say, I left immediately in an effort to locate another establishment where I would not need to wait to be seated. Moral of the story: take reservations!!!
Due to a considerable amount of questionable judgement, I was not to be thwarted in my attempts to eat here. I came back mid-afternoon several weeks later and was seated immediately (well, actually I seated myself, but let's not split hairs). There was no menu on my table, nor was there one readily accessible, so I sat there twiddling my thumbs for slightly less than 5 minutes before the waitstaff decided it was a good time to bring me one. As a decisive individual, I selected my food and beverage choices within 25 seconds, but our waitress had wandered off to play croquet or something and didn't come back to take our order for about 10 minutes. I was getting very hungry by this point!
The menu is pretty straightforward. The beer selection is, shall we say, interesting. It seems that their focus is selecting a variety of shitty tall boy cans instead of quality beer. This displeases me greatly. Does anyone ever actually order a Rainier tall boy? Or do they just keep it on the menu to attract hipsters?
We finally ordered our food, and once it arrived, our waitress dashed past our table and dropped our hors d'oeuvres off and left immediately. Suddenly, I noticed that we did not have any cutlery on our table. This was a problem - as a member of a civilized society, I eat my food using utensils. Since our waitress had gone off to play frisbee golf or something, I was left to my own devices and was forced into the uncomfortable position of eating with my hands. This would have been slightly more successful had my food not been scalding hot! It baffles me why anyone would serve food so hot. I had to wait about 5 minutes before it had cooled off enough to allow me to eat it. As a result, my main course arrived before I'd even finished half my hors d'oeuvres.
The main course was another disappointment. The garnishes on the burger were reasonably good, but the burger and bun weren't at all memorable. I think I would have enjoyed my meal just as much if they had forgotten my burger and bun, and just brought my the various toppings and tater-tots.
This could be partially my fault, but I didn't specify how I wanted my burger to be cooked. I had mistakenly expected that in a burger place, they would cook it somewhere in the neighborhood of medium rare to medium well. It turns out I was wrong, and my burger was burned to a crisp. I suppose I should have been explicit when ordering. Lesson learned.
The atmosphere was... eclectic. There appeared to be a lot of bowling memorabilia about, but in keeping with the "laboratory" theme, my wife's cocktail was served in a beaker. Additionally, there were a lot of hipsters here. If I wanted hipster I would go to Capitol Hill or something. What are hipsters doing in Bellevue anyway? The layout of this place baffles me. They really need to move the entrance so it's on the outside of the building rather than from an inside hallway. I just found this to be somewhat awkward.
I don't think this place is a good value for the money you pay. Basically, it amounts to paying somewhere around $15 for a mediocre piece of dead cow and some frozen tater-tots. $15 is not altogether unreasonable for a good burger but this certainly didn't come close to qualifying.
It is highly likely that I will never come back here again. -
Review from Yichuan Z.
Bellevue, WA
4/15/2012
Decided to come here for dinner tonight, since we've heard good things about it. We were prompted seated and the waiter was very nice about explaining everything.
I got the Tear Jerker burger and my wife got the smoker. The Tear Jerker was spicy but nothing crazy or over the top. The food was ok, it wasn't all the special to me. It didn't taste bad, but it wasn't great, it was about the quality of a Red Robin's burger. My wife loved her burger and she really enjoyed it. The portion size was small, not so small that you'd be disappointed but nobody will have leftovers that's for sure.
Overall it was a ok place, not somewhere that I would want to go again though. There are a lot better resturants in the area and this is one that you can miss. -
Review from Mo Y.
Kirkland, WA
3/23/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Today was my first time there, I have been in their other location in Seattle before which was bad... I did not care there about the food or that small hole in the wall in Ballard / Seattle. So, back to the new place in Bellevue, it was very nice, very clean and very busy. We got there around 1 30 and the place was packed. The burgers were great and the sauces were the best. However, service was just OK. They can do much better to provide a better service such as having more staff during the busy shift...???? so, they will get 4 stars.
If you love GREAT burgers with good meat, this is the place. Yes........I will be back. -
Review from Joe M.
Seattle, WA
4/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
The "Burger of the Gods" I had 2 years ago during my first visit to the original Lunchbox Laboratory in Ballard still ranks as the best hamburger I've ever had anywhere.
I experimented with "Ms Fancy Pants" during a recent visit to the new Bellevue lab (had goatcheese on a lamb burger), which was good, and sampled the Dork burger (duck + pork) ordered by a friend, and that was very good, but neither was as good as the Burger of the Gods. That's what I like about the "laboratory", though: it encourages experimentation.
There were three of us, and we each ordered separate sides: sweet potato fries, tater tots and homemade chips. None were particularly outstanding, but the sweet potato fries was my personal standout.
As others have noted, this place can get very busy during peak lunch hours. As in other scientific (and culinary) experimentation, the timing of experiments is important. We were warned of a 1 to 1.5 hour wait during our first visit around 1:00pm on a Friday two weeks ago, and the hostess suggested we come back earlier in the week, or earlier / later in the day on a Thursday or Friday. We went back at 11:30 this past Friday, and there was no wait.
I look forward going back and experimenting again; I'm particularly eager to determine whether the new lab can replicate the results of the original lab in producing a heavenly Burger of the Gods. -
Review from Jon D.
3/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Firstoff - how the heck do you get into this place??? I think I walked all of the way around this fishbowl of a layout before I finally found a door that didn't say "exit only" on it. Seems a little confusing if you ask me. Or maybe I'm just an idiot. Who knows. I guess it depends on whom you talk to...
Anyway, I digress.
Been hearing about "The Lab" for a while now. Well, mostly the Seattle location. And figured it was time to give it a shot.
Gotta give these guys mad props for the creativity of their menu. I like having all of these options. Different kinds of meat, different kinds of cheese, all sorts of sauces, salts - and even a gluten free bun option. gotta love that they've got tots on the menu (a personal favorite) and the sweet-potato fries were a nice touch. Very cool. Big props for the choices
The problem?
Holy crap this place is expensive!!! The cheapest burger you're going to be able to "build" on your own is still going to put you back at least 12 bucks. Now don't get me wrong, without question, it's a great burger. But geezus - 16 bucks for one of their signature burgers? Even their "homage" to the Dick's deluxe is 13 bucks! Why would you buy that when you can get an ACTUAL deluxe for a mere 2.70? I don't get it.
Best part had to be the shake we had. Oh My Maroni that's a good milkshake. We had one that was infused with a little baileys and kahula. So good. But again - price was an issue. Remember that line in Pulp Fiction where Vincent Vega looks at Mia Wallace in amazement when she orders a five dolla' shake? And then says, "for 5 dollas' that better be a pretty f'n good milkshake." Indeed it was and quite possibly worth 5 dollars. But c'mon - The Lab's shake is DOUBLE THAT!
Overall, I liked The Laboratory. And if it weren't so expensive, I'd probably go back more often. But as it stands, I'm afraid that it will be the very rare event that I'm getting a burger at the Lab. Not because they're bad - because they're definitely not - they're just way too overpriced. -
Review from Allan E.
Bellevue, WA
5/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
My brother and I went to LL eat on a Sunday night, kinda late. This is a Bellevue establishment, so they gots to make the rent somehow. With that preface, on to the show...
I ordered the Truffle love hamburger. It had swiss cheese, bacon, onion, and black truffle mayo. The patty itsself was cooked perfectly, still juicy and tasty. Good size, thicker patty. The bread was the star of the whole hamburger. Its similar to a really good quality pretzel. It had that crunch to it when you bit into the hamburger. Mad props for that...I'm not sure if its made especially for LL or what. The burger itsself was huge. They did a pretty good presentation of the burger, not too much of one ingredient to overpower the other ingredients. I was looking forward to tasting the black truffle mayo and I was dissapointed here. The mayo didn't taste ANYTHING like black truffle. (I'm assuming they make their own mayo in-house) If I'm paying $14+ for a friggin hamburger, I better taste some black truffle. I left sorely disappointed, but full (and broke) Sad to say, one and done with this place. -
Review from Kimberly G.
Marysville, WA
3/24/2012
Friends treated me to lunch here and I was blown away. I'm not a burger person, but I promised myself that I would try new things this year (2012).
Since I'm on this kick to try new things, I got a burger (can't remember which one, but it had BBQ sauce) and it was amazing. First they look like there were made by Chef Gordon Ramsey and they are delicious. I will never order another burger at a restaurant again.
The wait to sit down was short, but the wait for the food was a little longer so don't go when you're starving, but definitely go. I live in Marysville and plan to take my boyfriend here as a treat, because it'll be worth the drive.
Plus the waitstaff is amazing. Great group of people. -
Review from Kahlil B.
Kirkland, WA
5/6/2012
I tend to stay away from trendy places like this because the hype and trend seem to be more important than the food. That is not at all the case here. We started with an order do the Rinds of Life and they were incredible. They came to the table still crackling and the dips they came with were both delicious. For the main I had The Smoker with skinny fries that I thoroughly enjoyed. There is no scrimping on toppings or sauces at this place and things may get messy. The price point is a little higher because of the beef they use but I thought it was worth it. I will be here again and I'm bringing friends.
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Review from Kristin C.
Kirkland, WA
3/14/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I tried the original Ballard location of the Lunchbox Laboratory years ago and absolutely hated it! I love burgers, fries, bacon, etc, but all of it was sooooooo gross. But I figured it's a new place, near my work, I might as well give them a try.
I went for Happy Hour, but decided to be a complete fatty and order one of their burgers and tots. For $14 it's a good size burger, but really, not that great. It was super messy for one thing.I got the Bleu Marble - Super-beef patty, bleu cheese crumbles, bacon, lunchbox onions, sweet chile mayo. The bacon was a bit undercooked, and overall the burger was just too salty for my liking. But it was good enough that I would be willing to give it another chance.
I think next time I go though I will stick to some of their Happy Hour choices. The mac n cheese of the day, a smoky jack mac that I tried a bite of was delicious, and for only $2 at happy hour is a steal! They also have sweet potato fries, and I am actually incapable of saying no to sweet potato fries. I also need to eventually try their nutella shake, because that sounds amazing!
I also tried one of their specialty cocktails, I am not usually a cocktail kinda gal, but it seems to be what they are known for, and for only $4 during Happy Hour are a great deal. I had the Grape Ade - Grape vodka, lemonade, soda & Chabord. It was very good, and I would definitely come back here again for more cocktails, luckily it's so close to work!
Our Server though was fantastic! She was very nice, very patient, friendly, and very informative.
I think my main problem is the quality vs price dilemma which seems to be a big problem I have with all the gourmet burger places now a days. Plus, salt.Listed in: Burgers
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Review from Ce'Nedra M.
Seattle, WA
3/13/2012
A friend and I went during happy hour on a Saturday. I really didnt have any expectations, except I hear the mac & cheese is to die and they have adult milkshakes.
Ummm....Lunchbox Laboratory is so much fun! They have cocktails made with Kool-aid and Tang. My adult milkshake came in a beaker! I told my friend it spoke to my scientist heart.
We shared two burgers our server recommended: Burger of the Gods and The Smoker. They both were delish! -
Review from Juli-ann W.
Bellevue, WA
3/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
Tried this for dinner and it was OK. My Santa Fe burger was juicy and tasty. My skinny fries were all crisp and more like chips than fries. The Tater Tots were very greasy. The drinks were good which makes me want to try again for happy hour.
It was crowded with lots of kids. We were wedged in a table next to a large family and our food took a long time to come out. There were a few moments where we had a hard time getting a server's attention.
Parking was a bit odd with very tiny spots and unclear signage.
So I'll return for happy hour but next time I want just a burger and fries, will go elsewhere. -
Review from Stef M.
3/29/2012
OK, first of all, people need to stop complaining about prices at this place. They have a website, which has their menus, including prices, so you should know what you're in for before you go. Even if you're a caveman and have no internet access, as soon as you walk in you'll see that burgers are $12-$15 each. If you don't like that, you can get up and leave. No reason to leave a bad Yelp review.
The new location is definitely still finding their sea legs. Lunch today was ridiculously packed. Our party of 6 (I know, I know...) showed up at high noon and were given an accurate estimate of 45 minutes. We stuck it out, and while waiting were offered piping hot bowls of tots - very thoughtful, thanks to whoever thought that up!
Once seated, it took at least 5 minutes for waters to come, because the servers were all running around frantically trying to deal with the lunch rush. They were very friendly, though. We didn't receive any other drinks for about 15 minutes, though, which I feel was pretty long. These guys should be staffing up for the lunch crowd, especially near the end of the week when more people are out and about for lunch.
We tried a few appetizers: the "Chips n Dip Classique" (housemade potato chips with rosemary salt + garlic/onion/bacon dip), Dogsticks ("Mini" corndogs - actually really big!) with corndog ketchup and mustard), and the Buff Pops (Described as "jalapeno and cream cheese fritters with Lunchbox buffalo sauce and sour cream drizzle", but tasted pretty much like deep-fried globs of tartar sauce, strangely). The chips and dips were the clear winner.
Reese's milkshake was great - not too sweet, with a little whipped cream on top, and a spoon to get the bits of crumbled Reese's cup on top. The BBQ burger special (cheddar, bacon, BBQ ketchup) caught my eye and was pretty good, if overdone. I asked about medium-rare just because I knew it would likely get overdone given how crazy things were, but he said they only do medium and up. I ended up with a pretty tough (but tasty) medium-well burger. The sweet potato fries on the side were somewhat forgettable, even with some of the flavored BBQ salt on top.
I'll be back once they've ironed out the "we just opened" kinks and give it another try, but probably for an earlier lunch or early/late dinner so the servers and cooks have a better chance of getting things right. -
Review from Carol W.
Seattle, WA
3/22/2012
Came here a couple of weeks ago and I was really excited to try it, however my husband and I were both underwhelmed.
I am totally willing to pay more money for a good burger, but I just thought this place was way overpriced.
The most disappointing part of the meal was our corndog appetizer - $9 for three little corndogs. Big mistake in order that.
I had the "Homage to Dick's Deluxe" which was good and the shake was really good too. The shake was probably the best part of the meal.
Okay meal - just not worth the $40+ bill. I would maybe come back to try happy hour, but not for a full dinner. -
Review from Millie F.
Bellevue, WA
3/31/2012
I had high hopes for their burgers. They had looked so big and scrumptious in photos, but for $12-$15 apiece, they came out to be smaller than I had expected. I would have been able to overlook this shortcoming if my burger was more flavorful, but salty was the only thing I really tasted. I ordered the Burger of the Gods, but could not taste the bleu cheese at all. The burger also came out lukewarm, which was a huge turn-off. When I order hot foods, they should be HOT. Unfortunately, Lunchbox in Bellevue doesn't seem to grasp this concept. I had also ordered the Mac du Jour that day, and it also came out lukewarm. My tastebuds were not happy...
The only food item I enjoyed that night was the Gabacho's Nachos, which were tots topped with cheese, sour cream, and ketchup. It was the only dish that seemed to have come out fresh from the kitchen, but good tots can't be the only thing to keep me coming back.
Even though the food was a little disappointing, their shakes will bring me back from time to time. Happy hour (or "Kick Ass Hour," as they call it) shakes are $3.99, and they come in these awesome 400 ml beakers. I have yet to try their drinks, but $4 cocktails? Count me in!
Final verdict: Come and grab drinks for happy hour, but the burgers are less than memorable. -
Review from Andrew K.
Issaquah, WA
2/25/2012
A great, fun restaurant! If you are diabetic or on a diet, this is not a place for you. The foods are super rich, and desserts full of extra sugar. I don't know of any place that adds tang & cream to root beer, it's so wrong but so good!
I tried a couple of the burgers and my favorite is the Truffle Love burger with tater tots. The burgers are very juicy and they pan fry them and finish them off in the oven. When you baconize a burger, it's not just a couple of strips, it's actually like another meat patty built with bacon! The shakes are great too, but portions are a bit small for the price. Their sauces are great, but they cost extra (I think this is a new trend...)
This place is one of those places you have to take friends that are visiting from out of state/country.
+ Juicy burgers with unique toppings
+ Fairly large portions
+ Free parking!
+ Flexible hours (11am-11pm)
- Shakes are a bit small for the price
Tip
At the time I went, you can buy a $5 lunch box that gives your 25% off an item, and every time you bring it in afterwards you get 10% off an item. -
Review from Naarah H.
Sammamish, WA
4/17/2012
I am really surprised I liked this place! I wasn't sure I would given it is a tad too "pubby" for me. But the menu was fun and the food ended up being really good. I had the Dork, just to say I had the Dork and it was worth it. It was med. rare just like I ordered, had great flavor and reasonably priced. I'd go again, but this time in jeans and a tee shirt and I'd even feel comfy bringing all my kids.
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Review from Jacqueline T.
Bellevue, WA
2/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
Hmmm.. worth the experience? Yes. They have good burgers, and interesting service, and milkshakes served in beakers. hehe but they aren't the greatest burgers i've had.. and for the price they were charging.. i had higher expectations.
And .50 cents a sauce? Don't they make enough money on everything else already? :S But the truffe mayo is delicious! The truffle love burger had enough truffle sauce for me to use on my fries too ;)
Maybe it'll be a win-win if I go in at their happy hour times.
Their website was cute.. in the "adult only section" *plays kinky music*
3 in my books. Mostly because food was mediocre.. but I think the experience was unique :) -
Review from Jon L.
2/12/2012
I knew about Lunchbox Laboratory due to its rep, but it was only when they opened a Bellevue location that I decided to give them a try. I stopped by on Friday after work to take advantage of their happy hour which runs from 3 to 6 daily. I believe there is a late evening happy hour as well.
It is located in the 989 Elements building which is the one across from The French Bakery and Tokyo Japanese Steak House. There is free parking below the restaurant. The restaurant has a circular design. The main dining area is facing the kitchen, while in the back and the farthest from the entrance is the bar.
In regards to the happy hour, it is not limited to just the bar. It is offered throughout the restaurant which is nice. I decided to sit in the bar area anyway, at one of the bar tables. There were a couple LCD televisions there. One which was showing some soccer programming. The bar does not have a great view of much. The location is near 405, so that doesn't help. There is also a somewhat pervy view of the Pure Barre studio in the building across the way.
The happy hour specials here are very reasonably priced. They range mostly from $1.99 to $4.99. While you do need to buy at least one drink to take advantage of it, the drink prices here are great too including $4 cocktails.
Although they are open now, I was disappointed that their happy hour burgers and fries/tots combo was unavailable. It is a bit odd for this to be unavailable given this is mainly a burger place. I expect they will roll out soon though and make it worth visiting for an update.
SInce the happy hour burgers were unavailable, I had the Hong Kong hot wings ($3.99) and the macaroni & cheese of the day ($1.99) which happened to be a 9-cheese version when I visited. I paired the food with the Too Skool 4 Kool ($4 HH, $6 regularly).
The hot wings are not really hot wings. I would describe it as hot wing meat puree like mixture inside fried wontons with a celery ranch sauce as a dip. They were decent tasting and is an interesting mash up dish.
The macaroni & cheese was a little disappointing. The taste was fine, but it was lukewarm. The macaroni (shells actually) texture was a bit on the harder side, though I prefer it to be a bit softer.
The Too Skool 4 Kool was my favorite of the items I tried here. As the name would indicate, this is a cocktail made with Kool Aid. It also has vodka, rum and gin. It was quite refreshing, though a bit light if you are looking for a buzz. Not quite an Oh, Yeah! drink, more like an Oh, Ye! It needs a little more of a kick to get the -ah.
All in all, my happy hour experience here was okay. I do like the reasonable happy hour prices for food and drinks. I would say it has promise. Especially when the happy hour burgers combo becomes available. -
Review from Dwayne J.
Bellevue, WA
2/18/2012
Lunchbox Labs has quite the following. They have almost three thousand fans on facebook. Their South Lake Union location (the "original" location in Lunchbox's current incarnation, though not their original original location) is packed full during lunch and dinner hours. When they announced they were opening a Bellevue location, many devoted fans made plans to visit the Bellevue location on opening day. I was one of those fans. And even on opening day, in a brand new building with only 2 other shops and virtually no pedestrian traffic, Lunchbox Labs of Bellevue was still packed full.
Yes, Lunchbox Labs has quite the following. So I don't need to tell you how good their burgers are. You can read rave reviews about Lunchbox Labs in their Yelp for their SLU location. What I will tell you is that their Bellevue location lives up to their name and serves the same quality burgers. It's not too surprising, given that they set out to replicate their SLU success in Bellevue, and even had some of the SLU staff working in the Bellevue location.
If you don't already know how awesome Lunchbox Labs is, well now you no longer have an excuse. Whether you live on Eastside or in Seattle, there's a Lunchbox there, and they're both awesome.
