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Maekawa Bar
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 6 pm - 12 am
Fri-Sat 6 pm - 2 am
- Delivery:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Dive-y, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
slava s. said: "Great service and very good food. I've never seen such polite servers and they would check on us quite often. Never had an empty glass. Definitely recommend. Will be my permanent sushi spot." read more »
119 reviews for Maekawa Bar
Review Highlights
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"In traditional Izakaya fashion, patrons are like family." In 29 reviews -
"Japanese Beef Tongue( delicious." In 8 reviews -
"They were out of takoyaki when I was there." In 21 reviews
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119 reviews in English
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Review from Matt R.
Updated - 5/3/2012
went back before the Sounders/Galaxy game and again- everything was killer.
Had the Bento with Miso Mackerel and Pork Katsu- $12. Also got the special breaded sardine with sesame seeds. $3.
Huge beers are still $6.50- and still delicious.
Great service, good value, easy walk to the stadium.
If you have not discovered this place and like Japanese food (keeping mind mind they have ZERO sushi on the menu)- you have to try this place.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/14/2010
This place is great. Reminds me a lot of when I visited Japan and the Izakayas I ate at.
The service… Read more »
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Review from Maria G.
2.5 star
I have been to this place once before and was not impressed. I visited again recently and still not that impressed.
I ordered the bento combo to share with a friend and it was NOT enough to share between two people. The salad was horrible and topped with some odd flavored sauce/dressing. The amount of food was just too little.
However, the takoyaki was pretty good!! 2 star for takoyaki!
Soda is $2 and only one refill? Are you kidding me? Come on, you can do better.
They do not have happy hour because the staff said most of their menu are under $5. -
Review from Pixel C.
Seattle, WA
2/12/2012
First time I came here, service and food was fantastic.
Second time I came here, food was fantastic but service was horrible.
Long story short. I'm in a large party and asked to split the bill. The waitress wanted us to go up to the register and just have us do all that stuff at the register.
Honestly, if you add the gratuity/service charge on to the bill you should at least be willing to split the check for each person (work for your tip). It wasn't like the bar was packed anyway.
I also asked to speak to her manager about this, and I got "The manager isn't here right now." Seriously.
I'll go take my business somewhere else. -
Review from Nick S.
Seattle, WA
4/29/2012
Great isakiya! Open late, and always good.
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Review from Lisa Maria K.
Seattle, WA
2/9/2012 5 photos
I love this place.
I have been coming here for years now and I must say it is one of my favorite izakaya's in Seattle.
EVERYTHING IS AWESOME ONE THE MENU~
try to combination dinner - good deals and good options to choose from
other favs of mine:
*katsu
*sashimi (fresh)
*tori senbei - chicken crusted with senbei crackers AWESOME!!!
*teba gyoza - chicken wings stuffed with gyoza filling GENIUS!
*maguro don - tuna topped donburi(rice bowl) with sauce
*cold soba noodles
it goes on, you literally can't go wrong with anything you choose off the menu
**Always check the specials board and try something new off of there as well**
happy eating :) -
Review from Jennifer O.
Auburn, WA
3/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
I am planning a trip to Japan, went here a few weeks ago and it is what I pictured a Japanese Izakaya to be like. We had several dishes, and I really loved the Tempura Unagi and the Japanese Pickle platter. We had gone out for dinner somewhere else, so we had leftovers for Breakfast. Even better the next day. Our party ordered something I call the Giant Cheesy Katsu Football. They cut it open and a ton of cheese oozed out of it. I don't like cheese myself, but the look of joy on my husbands face was priceless. I also like the location on the second floor with Big Windows so you can people watch.
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Review from Derek M.
9/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I haven't frequented Izakaya-style Japanese restaurants. In fact, this may be my first experience at an Izakaya restaurant. In terms of Japanese restaurants, I usually I find myself at sushi restaurants that offer some of the items found on the menu here, ramen houses, or steakhouses.
I really enjoyed the a la carte sort of offerings to be found here. I have trouble deciding on just one thing, so it's nice to find a place where you can nibble on an assortment of inexpensive dishes. Additionally, by coming here with a group you increase the amount of foodstuffs you get to sample.
We came with a bilingual friend who lived in Japan for years and was super happy to find an Izakaya restaurant in Seattle with Japanese-speaking waitstaff. It made her experience all the more authentic, and we got some small lessons in Japanese etiquette.
I'll definitely be back.
Kampai! -
Review from Anondah M.
Seattle, WA
Updated - 9/14/2011
I have such a love and hate relationship with Maekawa.
They have disappointed me so many times...but then, why do I keep going back there? I guess, deep down, I really like this place.
I went there a few weeks ago with a friend, and again last night with another friend. But both time, I had very good time.
They started serving draft beer in a big mug, and I love it. It reminds me of beer gardens in Japan. Foods were not spectacular, but pretty good.
More than anything else, they have a lot of varieties on regular menu, as well as specials.
And these two times, the server was great. This Japanese girl with long straight hair was very attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the foods they serve. She even let us sit at a table to wait inside even though we were a bit too early for their business hour. She was one of the best servers I have ever had in Japanese restaurants in the states. A+++ for her!
I would give three stars to Maekawa, but the fourth one is for the excellent server. Please Maekawa, keep her in your business. When it comes to servers at your joint, you had a dry and horrible season, since the nice quiet Japanese girl left a few years ago...3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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4/20/2011
When we went there last month, a new server was a guy. When we went there at 5:30, it looked like it… Read more »
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Review from Jen T.
My friends always go ga- ga for the udon here.
I went here a couple times ages ago and tonight this was a last resort for ramen my sick friend was in need of.
As we walked it the building reeked of ciggarettes and I wasn't sure why, it has to have been years since the in door smoking law went into affect.
I got the Tempura Udon. It was OK- nothing great. I feel like I could make a better Udon myself. The broth tasted instant and the udon tasted like the frozen kind. Tempura was delightful. Not too oily- crispy and light batter, veggies were tasty & fresh.
I might give this place another try for thier appetizers or bento boxes...perhaps the udon is not their forte? hmmm.... -
Review from Faye A.
I forced my hubby to take me to Maekawa. I used to eat izakaya food all the time in Vancouver. I love izakaya and so I was excited when I heard about this place.
My first reaction was...where's the rest of the place? It's on the 2nd level of the building. The place was packed but we got seated right away. The price per plate is not too bad but we took advantage of their "today's special" written on the white board. yummmy. It's a good place to come and sample authentic japanese dishes. There are many different dishes you can try. -
Review from Pat M.
7/17/2011
I've been to a number of izakaya, both Americanized versions here in the States, and in Japan. So, I know that these places are simply places to go for a quick bite to eat after a day in the office, or go drinking, or go to a game and come here for some light fare. Therefore, I know the mindset is to basically have basic food and beer, and I know how an izakaya should be run. But what I was not expecting was the quality to suck and how dirty it was.
Zosui with salmon. The dish was bland. The soup stock was very lightly seasoned, if at all, and there was very little fish in there. The most fantastic zosui I've ever had was a green tea zosui that was refreshing and you could taste a hint of macha in there. Too bad I didn't have it here.
buta (pig) wrapped in a breading (probably panko) and deep fried with cheese in the middle. The dish was terrible in my opinion. When you make a dish with pork it is supposed to be tasty but the meat itself was just rubbery and in general gross. Then when you cut into it and saw the oozing cheese I thought "oh wow this will be a feast" but it just tasted bland. What did they use in there? It wasn't cheddar. Or anything strong tasting. When you have a light cheese in the middle I would have wanted the meat and breading to be stronger tasting and more flavorful and the meat less well done. They could have lightly cooked the pork to a rare then dipped it into the fry pan when it was ready so it wouldn't be so dry.
My wife had the ramen and she generally liked it, but I didn't. I thought the noodles were instant noodles and the soup only OK. My wife even said she needed to pile on the spices to make it tasty.
It doesn't stop with the food either. The building is fairly dirty, and I don't blame the owners of this establishment for a dirty exterior to their second story place, but the inside here was terrible. It was obvious they had not vacuumed in a while, the bar seats were dirty as were the windows. The decor was dreadful and it looks like it hadn't been redone in over 15 years. From what I could see from the kitchen, it was pretty dirty too.
I simply will NOT come back here again. For a better izakaya experience, go to Belltown. If you have the misfortune of coming here, do just go to see a game at their bar, as it's obvious they don't give a crap about their food. -
Review from Christina H.
Renton, WA
9/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Renkon Butter and Ramen have become my faves. Absolutely delish. It's located upstairs in a small space, but it is authentic. I have also tried other items on the menu, such as their bento boxes, etc... EXCELLENT!
Side note: Check their hours first before you go. -
Review from Daren D.
10/2/2011
I could just sit there and order tori senbei after tori senbei after tori senbei... it's so good and because it's crusted with corn flakes(?)! yummeh... the albacore salad was decent. the kyoto(?) grape calpico drink was refreshing & good. i definitely am gonna come back here more often after work at night... just so i can enjoy more good grub, that omg-hotness waitress girl in the butt jeans and long copper hair... *falls off chair*... and also the cool company of japanese customers. it seemed funny, though, since the last time i went, this japanese group next to me at the bar all had bud lights... o_O
Listed in: After-hours Nibbling & Sipping
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Review from Casey P.
5/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
I wasn't too impressed the first time I came here. It wasn't particularly cheap or amazingly delicious, the lighting was kind of harsh, maybe I just wasn't feeling it. But the second time I came back it was much better! I think you need the right mindset. Come in with a small group, say 4, order a couple pitchers of Kirin and some random bites and enjoy a relaxed hang out spot.
Some things to look out for-
I've seen the troulbe people have getting a table with larger groups so that is very true.
It's challenging to find unless you have someone telling you where to go. -
Review from Timothy D.
Oakland, CA
11/7/2010 25 photos
Of the multitudes of times I've eaten here, I for the most part haven't had a bad dish.
All I'm going to say is I have fallen hard for two dishes, the teba gyoza and the broiled bacon wrapped shishitou peppers. I could eat just these appetizers and be Über-content.
The broiled or grilled items are moist, tasty and well-cooked.Listed in: SeAts... so many places, so…
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Review from Corinne H.
Seattle, WA
9/4/2011
Small, dingy place...and probably the smallest, most expensive order of yakisoba I've ever had. It had great flavor but it was lacking in vegetables....and they really skimped on the chicken too.
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Review from Robert K.
5/7/2011
This is a great izakaua place in WA. Pricing is fair, quanitiy is fair, taste is good, and authentic. It's much better than most Japanese places in the state and would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting this type of food in the area. There is one other place close by that is comparable.
Dishes: fried chicken, rice balls, tofu dishes, eggplant, salted saba, and more. The ramen isn't very good and the kimchi nabe is decent.
Disclaimer: I claim to be an "expert" in this type of food. take it as you will. lol. If it was in Bellevue, I'd be here all the time. I don't rate on service but as a hint, it can get pretty busy at times so bring patience as you would anywhere you go or just avoid busy hours. doh! -
Review from Maria N.
4/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Maekawa gives you izakaya-style food without izakaya-style price. It's a very casual and laid-back place, a far cry from the sleek, candle-lit izakayas in Belltown. It's a hole-in-the-wall kind of place inside of a retail/office building above a Pink Gorilla and travel agency.
The service can be a little slow, but the staff is very nice. I love the cook! He's always the first one to yell out a greeting when someone enters the restaurant.
The menu has a lot of the typical izakaya fare: chicken karaage, korokke, tempura, as well as bentos, hotpot, and donburi. I've only gone here with groups, so I usually order the small plates. My favorites are the chicken karaage and squid rings, and shabu shabu salad. I wasn't crazy about the sashimi, but only because you can get much better quality at a real sushi restaurant. -
Review from Ni M.
Manhattan, NY
3/5/2011
Bacon-wrapped shisohito peppers, flawless (and super affordable!) servings of saba shio, delicious takoyaki, and great specials on beer + shochu. What more could I ask for? *o*
Maekawa has a really nice, relaxed atmosphere; not rowdy, but warm with the friendly banter of waitstaff. When I'm not feeling up to the wait or more sit-down atmosphere of Maneki but still want delicious non-sushi Japanese bites, Maekawa really hits the spot. Seating can be a bit tough for larger groups though! -
Review from Graham C.
Seattle, WA
5/24/2011
On a cold and rainy Seattle evening, it doesn't get much better than a big bottle of sapporo, an order of kaki fry, and a bowl of udon from Maekawa Bar.
The service is always friendly, the food is always good and the check won't break the bank. -
Review from Christine Y.
Renton, WA
9/7/2010 4 Check-ins Here
I feel like i'm in an episode of some random asian mini series when I come here! small little japanese place, loud and sometimes drunk japanese and non japanese folk hangin out! lots of beer and soju on the menu! good times with friends! the menu is interesting and so far everything i've tried is yummy!
lovin the takoyaki and the unagidon was pretty good! I never remember what else I've had cuz we end up ordering a bunch of things and sharing them all but it's been a win every time so far! -
Review from Warren C.
Renton, WA
10/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
The environment is very Japanese like, with J-Pop music playing in the background, and various Japanese liquors. They offer certain types of sake on a seasonal basis. Currently, they has some bottles of raw milk sake. The bento boxes are pretty large. They make some good ramen, udon, and izakaya. It's a good place to have some good Japanese food while listen to some nice Japanese music in the background.
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Review from Minh D.
9/15/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Small cozy, welcoming place located right about a video game shop. Ate here on a weeknight, so it wasn't too crowded or loud. They were out of takoyaki when I was there... The bento box was delish but the portion was kinda small for a big eater like me. The ramen was top notch and they didn't go skimpy on the chashu either.
This would be a great place to get drunk though. The atmosphere would be fun on certain nights. -
Review from lucia j.
Portland, OR
8/7/2010
Maekawa isn't EXACTLY like izakaya in Japan. The lighting is too good. The food, though, and the sounds, and narrow pathways, and Japanese businessmen with their ties loosened a bit sitting in the back with a giant shochu bottle placed square in the middle of their table really are just like an izakaya in Japan. Nearly every time I'm in Seattle I try to hop over here for something warm in my stomach late at night and I have rarely been disappointed.
If this is your first time then don't waste any money and go straight to the house special section on the menu. That's the best stuff. The other stuff is good, but that's the simplest way to be wowed here. The takoyaki is served just as it should be, too hot to eat and too delicious to wait. The trick really is the two bite thing. If you are impressing some people who aren't well acquainted with Japanese food put the katsuobushi they give you on the side on top of the takoyaki as soon as you get it and declare that it's aliiiiiiiive as it wiggles around. They have gyuutan by special...gyuutan is my most favorite thing in the world so I would probably be too biased to write an objective review of that, let's just saw that Maekawa stacks up pretty well in my gyuutan files.
There have been a few blips on their record though. I recently got the sunagimo yakitori and I don't know if it was just me or what but there seemed to be a lack of salt or anything on my gizzards. Not in the way that I'm over exaggerating to make the point that it was underseasoned, I really mean that they must have just been grilled straight up. The texture was nice though. No chewiness at all and a pleasant nutty tinge to the flavor. They could have accented that umami a little bit though and capitalized on a good thing.
Some interesting entertainment is to sit in the meat of the restaurant instead of the bar and stare across the window into Fort St. George's relatively classy motif or down the stairs to see the young groups of people stumbling out of the karaoke box screeching at the top of their drunken lungs.
So come to Maekawa and have nearly everything, it's all good, and most of it is even better than good. Someone I know swears up and down by their pineapple juice here as the best in Seattle. The pineapple juice! So you have no excuse. -
Review from Allie S.
8/14/2009 ROTD 9/2/2009
It's hard not to love this place. Tasty food, sweet servers and the quiet attentiveness that comes with good-but-not-over-the-top service. The prices are reasonable and the food is just the way I remember it tasting in Japan.
I'm super fond of the tsukune, the shuumai, agedashi tofu... everything, actually. Tonight my friend Stacy P. and I partook in the delight of tomato bacon... yep, cherry tomatoes wrapped in bacon and grilled on a skewer. They explode in your mouth and are freaking amaaaaazing. And so simple. Too bad I doubt I can replicate the pure tastebud bliss, no matter how simple it is. That's why Maekawa is so good... sure, a lot of this stuff isn't so hard to make, but to make *correctly*? The sign of true comfort food. Mmmm!Listed in: Allie's ROTDs!
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Review from Riss J.
2/23/2008
It's almost the same word as Maneki? Well, this is where we ended up when Maneki shooed us away.
They lose nearly all the stars just for the music. It was so loud I couldn't even hear the waitresses speak.
The screwdriver was weak. Canned OJ and I watched her water it down. boo.
The food was passable. I enjoyed what I had, the flavors good, and the 'set meal' is a good way to go to get an ample amount of food. Rice cooked well, miso was standard, the stir fry was basic..nothing at all that stood out.
The special menu item I ordered was advertised as "calamari w/ garlic bulbs'. I got poorly cooked squid with green beans. Huh. Green beans...garlic...mmm. The flavor was good, a strong vinegar bite, but I still liked it. The squid was not cooked well...far too chewy.
For the entertainment portion of the evening, Matt and the paper lantern above his head got into a fight. Matt won, leaving him and I in a blaring spotlight of a bare lightbulb for awhile.Listed in: I'm not Asian..., Downtown digs
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Review from Jessie C.
Seattle, WA
11/16/2011
I used to go to this place alot in my college time, but nowadays there are many other options so I tend to forgot this place's existence. :(
Well, finally decide to come here for dinner with my other two buddies, and the food was good and portion tend to be smaller than back in the days, but they still taste good.
The only thing makes me take down two starts from them is because of their "Snooki" look-alike waitress, she act and look just like "Snooki", imagine that can give you any good service. She spills water all over my friend's phone, and didn't apologized (I don't think she saw it, because she pours water aross the table). And she looks very piss everytime she walks by us (maybe we were being little lound?) not sure exactly why she looks little mean.
Thank god we have another (cuter) waitress serving us as well, otherwise I wouldn't even leave any tips, but I do feel back about leaving only 10% to the cute waitress. :(
I don't think I will visit there for a while.... -
Review from Shiho F.
Carmel by the Sea, CA
1/3/2010
Wish we went to Maekawa before Kaname as we instantly felt better and more welcome in this busy Izakaya. Although, they were understaffed (borrowed one of the employee from nextdoor Fort St. George? guessing it's the same owner or friends of) it had a more Izakaya vibe. No J-pop playing on the bar TV like Kaname which was super annoying and a shock to my friend who had never seen Japanese TV before.
We sat at the bar near the door and again, after we came in the place became packed, people actually had to wait to sit down. We knew they were busy so we didn't get upset that our drinks took forever and they took a food order from people that got their after us. One of the servers nearly lost it and literally tripped, we felt so bad! Busy and hectic (good for them).... I can see why. Their menu is very exciting and is very Izakaya-poi (like). My eyes lit up when I read the specials board and I ordered Shio Tan (sliced braised beef tounge), Shortribs (3 thin slices), Japanese Weiners and something else but I can't remember right now, sure I took a pic of it though, lol. He ordered Sockeye Salmon Sashimi and Broiled Bacon covered Shishito. Our Grape and Grapefruit Chuhais were LOVELY!!! We had 2 each and I would have had 2 more but was too full.
The sausages were served with stone ground mustard but I prefer Karashi (hot yellow mustard), the shortribs were tasty but were cold and sliced super thin but what did we expect they were less than $3/dish. Honestly, I truly appreciated the menu but the execution of each dish was not strong.
Next time I woudl like to try the Mentaiko Omlette (my fave! esp. when dipped in Kewpie mayo), Agedashi tofu and Mentaiko Onigiri (for a late night snack!). -
Review from Jordan C.
Seattle, WA
3/28/2006 ROTD 5/3/2006
Short of a steady stream of overworked salary men, Maekawa is a real-deal-happy-meal Izakaya (Japanese pub).
Like Megan D., Maekawa is one of my favs to get sauced and mack on some snacks. In traditional Izakaya fashion, patrons are like family. The drink menu is ample. Maekawa is the only place that I've found that serves such popular drinks like Chu-Hi.
Don't expect over the top Japanese food here; rather, they've got a spot-on smorgasbord of small dishes of which you will never find in one of the many faux-Asian bar/bistros around town. The main objective is to get sauced-up while eating snacks to keep your stomach down. -
Review from Betsy H.
Seattle, WA
Updated - 9/30/2009
I'm not changing my star count. I just want to edit that the restaurant is actually Japanese. A fellow yelper brought it to my attention. Ironically, I was with Korean friends at the time that also thought it was Korean.
Thanks1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/13/2008
The great news about this place? I felt like I was back in Seoul, Korea.
The bad news about this… Read more »
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Review from J K.
Seattle, WA
I know what you're thinking: 5-stars? Wha? It's hard to quantify restaurants within a one-scale-fits-all rating, but I think Maekawa deserves 5 stars.
I'm so tired of all the Japanese restaurants with their long sushi lists and their anemic non-sushi options. Maekawa has several bento options (all good). They have onigiri options! And they're not oversized onigiri (sorry Maneki -- your onigiri are like one-pound bricks of rice). They have a long shochu drinks menu, just like I saw in Japan. They have kimuchee dishes, takoyaki (not the best btw), etc.
So they get 5 stars because of menu and good food.
The service was awesome. We were the only non-Japanese speaking customers (I think) which is a good sign, right? The atmosphere is like a Japanese Beth's -- a mom and pop diner with lots of grub on the menu. And if you get a window seat, you can watch all the action on the streets of the ID below.Listed in: 100+ Seattle Japanese Joints, 5 Stars, Ramen
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Review from Joy S.
WA
8/18/2009 2 photos
I finally got to try it!
My dad let me choose some place for my birthday dinner, and since that new Waba sushi place near my house was closed on Mondays, i went with my backup plan to scope out the I.D. for izakaya. I'd heard of Maekawa and all their funky little plates, and have been to Japan before, so i was super-excited to get my Japanese food-fix in some shape or form. Screw you, Waba!
This place was like a sweaty little attic. I was glad i didn't dress up. We got there around 7 pm on Monday right before it got crowded. The menu was something i would have dreamed up after smoking a fat bowl. What i immediately chose was sliced squid topped with fish roe, the takoyaki, and the beef tongue (on the specials board). My dad ordered the veggie tempura and the fried chicken (which came with miso soup and rice).
That squid was really good. It came in a dinky bowl, but it was worth it. I don't normally like squid nigiri/sashimi because i think it tends to taste like room-temperature glue, but this was refreshing. I wish there had been more fish eggs on top, though. I think this squid beat the hell out of anything i've ordered from any sushi restaurant.
The takoyaki you get in the U.S. will never compare to the gigantic ones you get in Japan, of course, but at Maekawa, they were still satisfying. My order came with 6 decent-sized balls topped with generous amounts of bonito flakes and aonori (powdered seaweed crap) and were HOT. A little chewy, but nice and meaty inside. This would be a great sharing dish.
The beef tongue came out in about 8 medium round, flat pieces. At first, the taste reminded me of oysters. Then liver. Then it had it's own taste. If you've had tongue before, i guess i sound like a complete idiot to you. But i just love the way tongue tastes. You don't need to put anything on it or put it in anything (like tacos, which is the only other way i've had it, and i've always just wanted it by itself). I was really happy that i could enjoy it in its plain form here. The lame part about this dish was that it took them forever to bring it out to me. We were ready to leave when it came out, so i only ate one and brought the rest home. Luckily, the tongue tasted just as good out of the fridge later.
My dad's tempura looked light and fluffy. I didn't try it, though. His fried chicken was kind of hard and dry. I don't like fried chicken anyway, so my opinion on this isn't too important.
Yeah, this place got pretty packed right when we left....so i can imagine service getting less accommodating and the atmosphere getting more stifling later in the evening. The food and good company would make it worth it, though. There's a billion other things i want to try on the menu, still.
*joy -
Review from Val R.
Kirkland, WA
10/10/2006
Pros: Good food at a decent price. Good if only Izakaya in Seattle for now, but does not even come close to the ones in Vancouver, B.C.
Cons: Food is sometimes inconsistent. Tight seating. Restrooms are the kind you expect in a Chevron.
Maekawa Bar is a pretty good alternative to other late night hang outs like Denny's, 13 Coins, etc. Think of it as the Japanese Denny's as it has everything that can appeal to a person. It even has Ocha zuke dishes (Soup over rice) that is eaten during breakfast.
Izakaya style cuisine is very similar to tapas. Think of small dishes that are meant to be shared together, or eaten alone. Although the dishes are small, by no means they are not filling. 3 to 4 orders alone can satisfy me (I have the appetite of a lion). The one gripe that I have about Maekawa bar is that the food is sometime inconsistent. This is due to the chef that is off, and this usually happens on Monday nights. When eating at Maekawa, make sure the staff is young and you won't be disappointed. If you see the older guy cooking, then be weary, the food will still be good, but it won't be exceptional. The older guy tends to be more conversative with his flavors, while the younger staff knows the right balance.
Overall, I really like Maekawa. I like it because the menu is tasty, and it is something that is unique from what the rest of the other Japanese restaurants have to offer The only reason why it doesn't get a higher rating in my book is because of the inconsistency. Once they figure that out, they definately get 4 stars in my book.
Examples of dishes served by Maekawa:
Geso w/ Kimchee (Pan fried squid legs with Kimchee)
Albacore Tataki (Seared Albacore with Ponzu sauce)
Takobustsu (Octopus sashimi)
And the familiar stuff:
Teriyaki dishes
Hot Udon noodles
Ten Zaru Udon (Cold noodles with Tempura) -
Review from clint w.
6/18/2010
Fun little izakaya. Tiny and oddly shaped. It's sort of frumpy/dumpy inside but it has a couple really redeeming features. One, the staff is super friendly and spot on. Two, there are lots of little dishes that you don't necessarily see elswhere.
We had some fish/cheese fried item, taro croquettes, short ribs, salmon collar and soba with tempura. Oh yeah, and a big pitcher of Sapporo. Some of the dishes were hits, and some were just okay. We weren't able to order the tongue or the takoyaki, so that was disappointing.
Still, a fun place to hang out for some nibbles. If you're Bigfoot hongry, this isn't the place. But if you want to catch up with a friend while having a beer and some small's, this is a place to consider.Listed in: International District - Good…
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Review from Josie N.
Seattle, WA
5/22/2007
This place was what I _really_ wanted when we ended up heading to Wann instead-- cheap n' easy! Okay, so it's not exactly cheap, necessarily (somehow, Scott and I managed to order a little more than $50 in food and beer), but it's the type of izakaya I have been searching for in Seattle forever. Finally! We will be bringing the crew we took to Tokyo here soon for a full-blown taste-everything-on-the-menu type outing.
My favorites so far: butter corn, chicken tsukune, and the "genton" (genki naninani no tonkatsu)-- a giant croquette-ish fried, breaded ball of pork, cheese, and garlic. (YUM!) We had hefeweisen this time around, but next time, we'll try what we think was designated an oni koroshi sake.
Next time, I want their chikuwa cheese, too! (That's the fish cake some people seemed to be weirded out by, heh.)
We'll be back.
Great location (super close to Uwajimaya/Kinokuniya/Pink Godzilla), and great wait staff. Definitely a low-key, mellow place to hang out and eat. Great music, too, especially if you're into J-Pop or anime tunes. I recognized a few songs from the Nintendo DS game, Band Brothers. -
Review from Kimberley D.
Seattle, WA
3/7/2007
My boyfriend called ahead asking whether they had many vegetarian options. I hadn't eaten dinner yet, and wasn't sure whether this was a better place for snacks vs. a full meal. They said tons were available.
When we got there, most were snacks to my way of thinking (e.g. a small spinach side salad) vs. entrees. I figured it wouldn't be an issue because almost any asian restaurant is willing to substitute tofu and/or leave out the meat. Unfortunately, Maekawa isn't one of those... I was told that it wasn't possible to have yakisoba sans chicken/beef or to order most of the other normally fish/meaty entrees with tofu or just with nothing else. They did have veggie tempura, but that's the only entree option I remember. I ordered tea and it hadn't occurred to me to specify, so the jasmine tea arrived iced rather than hot.
So I did the only thing possible... gettin' drunk on shochu. I can't say I adored the flavor of the green tea version, but it was reasonably priced.
I'd come back for snacks and drinks, but would be unlikely to return for a main course. The meat eaters enjoyed their entrees, though. We'd been under the impression that food was served until 2, but were told on Friday night that the kitchen closed at 11pm, so be forewarned! -
Review from Andrea J.
2/21/2009
Wow. This place was so cheap and delicious! Miso, rice, noodles, prawn tempura, and chicken skewers for under ten dollars! This was the best miso I've ever had.
I'd like to virtually thank our bartender at Lowell's for this great suggestion!Listed in: All of the silly places I went…
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Review from Jason T.
Seattle, WA
2/5/2008
This place evokes a roadside izakaya in the middle of nowhere, Japan. The owner's from Fukui, so I guess that makes sense. I like it here, but it's not because the food is all that impressive: It's because it's so ordinary. Nothing on the small plates menu here would be out of place in Japan.
Those of you who judge Japanese restaurants by their spicy tuna rolls, fried crab stuffed rolls, cream cheese laden something or other and rice mounds shaped like caterpillars have never actually eaten Japanese food. You should come here instead.
If you've spent a fair amount of time in Japan, you'll have one of two reactions upon eating here: 1) Wow, this is the closest thing to stumbling into a rural izakaya I can find in Seattle, I'm so happy. or 2) Oh well, this'll have to do the trick until I can get back to Japan. I usually feel a bit of both.
In Japan I abandon some of my vegetarian habits and just choose willful ignorance about soup stock and katsuobushi, so I adopt the same practice here. The best single dish for my money is the renkon butter, lotus root braised in butter and soy sauce, and garnished with katsuobushi. Eat it while it's hot. You can make this at home in less than 10 minutes, but unless you're me, you won't go through the trouble. Come here instead.
Agedashi-doufu isn't the best I've had (or made), but it'll do what it needs to do.
Everything tastes better with a glass of shochu. The non-Iichiko, non-Jinro options are hand-printed on the wall next to the cash register. All of them are more expensive than in Japan, but you can thank the Washington State Liquor Control Board monopoly for that. -
Review from Janny W.
Seattle, WA
8/18/2009 9 photos
The place was pretty small and busy for a Monday night, but my friend had no problems snagging a table for 6. We ordered and shared a bunch of dishes off of the regular menu as well as the 'Specials' board. Everything we ordered (except for a friend's combination dinner) were small-plate dishes--perfect eats with drinks.
+ Karaage - Juicy, crispy chicken. They were a bit plain on their own, but sprinkle each piece with a splash of lemon and a dip in soy sauce and they are delicious.
+ Deep-Fried Crunchy Calamari - There were about 8 tiny deep-fried morsels of calamari, but they had great flavor. We just wished that there were a bit more.
+ Broiled Beef Tongue - Deliciously salted & peppered thin-slices of beef tongue. MMM, so good. It has a unique texture, so it's probably more for the adventurous eater.
+ Taro Croquette - 1 thick croquette filled with potato, taro and minced meat. It was good, but I couldn't really taste the Taro.
+ Aburi Shime Saba Sashimi - I looove saba so, no complaints here! It was totally yummy with that bit of charring on the top.
+ Yaki Nigiri - Grilled rice balls that are crunchy on the outside and sticky ricey goodness on the inside. Yum.
+ Chicken Gizzard Skewers - Interesting texture that is hard to describe. I've never had gizzards of any kind before, but I thought they were pretty good.
+ Takoyaki - Not bad, pretty average.
Though it seemed like there was only 1 waitress, service was not bad at all. She was nice and we got what we wanted. -
Review from Jason G.
Brooklyn, NY
5/26/2007
Mom always taught me that you can tell the quality of an ethnic restaurant by looking at the clientele. Maekawa is the only spot in Seattle I can think of where you walk in and be surrounded almost completely by Japanese people.
You'll find lots of small dishes, very simply prepared with quality ingredients and at a better price than anywhere in Vancouver. You'll never go back to Hana on Broadway or wherever you get your cheap Japanese fix.
Try the takoyaki - grilled balls of roof-of-your-mouth-burning doughy goodness with a little piece of octopus buried in the center, covered in bulldog-type sauce and shredded bonito flakes dancing on top. It sounds weird, but I have yet to find a takoyaki hater. This is one of those treats that brings me back to summer in japan and Maekawa is the only place in Seattle you're going to get the good stuff.
Broiled prawns head & whiskers still attached - eat the whole thing.
Grilled whole squid, large portions of fresh sashimi, broiled mackerel in soy sauce or sweet miso, tataki - all are quite tasty. If you're not so adventurous, the chicken karaage are basically the japanese version of boneless fried chicken. It's all the stuff your mom would make if she was Japanese and loved you.
You can even get great ramen with the fatty roasted pork or a pat of butter on top - it's nothing like that junk you were eating in college.
I've always been pleasantly surprised with my bill - you can get a very decent combination meal where you pick from 2 of about 20 items for around $8. Match that with a carafe of the house sake & a small dish or 2 and you're happy.
I apologize ahead of time about the free mayonnaise/pasta salad - it's $4 Vegas buffet bad, so just push it to the side.
