SkyCity at the Space Needle is one of the most expensive restaurants in Seattle. The average entrée price is $44.93—to spend this much on the ground, you’ll have to get a menu degustation at Rover’s or put on a tie and go to Canlis. The $17 fee to go to the top of the Space Needle is waived for SkyCity diners, but if you think you can have a drink and an appetizer and rotate around enjoying the view, you’re wrong: There’s a minimum food and beverage charge of $35 per guest.
The first bite of crab cake has a piece of shell in it. This piece of shell will prove to be the strongest connection to the sea the crab cake can muster. The crab in the crab cake is in threads; no semblance of lump meat has made it into the cake, only shreds. It has a mushy texture. It looks like canned cat food, if Fancy Feast had a flavor with flecks of red bell pepper in it. It tastes like damp bread.
The crab cakes, two small ones, are lukewarm upon arrival, while some of the accompanying Wenatchee apple slaw is crunchy, some floppy. (The plate is hot, so the slaw under the crab cakes is inadvertently cooked. The plates are the only things that make it to the table hot.) Wenatchee is a place, not a kind of apple; many of the 90-million-plus boxes of apples produced in Washington’s Yakima Valley every year spend some time in Wenatchee. The words “Wenatchee apple” hit a local/sustainable/organic note, while signifying very little. The crab cakes cost $17.
The Caesar salad is $9 (single digit!). It is of a familiar type: wetly white with salty, creamy dressing, strewn with indifferent croutons. Its acquaintance with lemon is distant, anchovy undetectable; if you replaced the thin slices of too-cold Parmesan with the pre-grated food-service variety, this Caesar would be at home at the Olive Garden.
The view—it’s true—is amazing. If you haven’t been up in the Space Needle recently (and if you live in Seattle, you haven’t, because it costs $17), you’ve forgotten how our city looks in its entirety, the different-colored roofs and hidden sylvan courtyards of downtown, the neighborhoods stretching into the distance, the hills full of dollhouses, the toy ferries on the expanse of silver Sound, the mountains, the clouds. The mountains and the clouds: so beautiful, they seem artificial. This land is our land, and it is incredible, in the sense of difficult to completely believe.
What they do to a pork chop at SkyCity ought to be punishable by law. They start with “kurabuta” pork, or as the rest of the world spells it, kurobuta pork, which is purportedly cider-brined; this is difficult to detect after it’s been cooked until gray and mealy and moistureless. If you’ve ever had kurobuta pork, or even just a good chop at a diner, this pork chop will cause grieving. It is barely warm; it sits in an unremittingly sweet pool of bourbon-maple sauce, sided with a mound of garlic mashed potatoes. Even the mashed potatoes are terrible—unrich, unsmooth, starch-tasting. A kitchen that can’t be bothered to put enough butter and cream into mashed potatoes and then mash them enough is not trying. Next to them: a watery pile of string that is said to be roasted spaghetti squash. This is $39.
A trio of seafood was the least disappointing plate at SkyCity, being only two-thirds travesty. The scallops suffered a grilling that eradicated ocean-sweetness and tenderness, while grittiness was preserved; the wild salmon was also cooked very, very thoroughly, attaining a tinny taste. A couple of butterflied Gulf prawns, by contrast, were saved prior to desiccation—a rare instance of the kitchen knowing when to stop (or a random incidence?). The seafood trio’s vegetables, however, included a brussels sprout so hard, a fork could only be introduced with the utmost effort: It was half vegetable, half rock. The two-thirds-travesty seafood trio with vegetable-rock costs $49.
This sounds like hyperbole, but it’s not. Rolling around SkyCity’s incredible view—the restaurant revolves 360 degrees every 47 minutes— while you eat a fancy dinner ought to be one of the best experiences of anyone’s life. There are birthday parties, and children balance notes on the windowsill that circumnavigate and collect greetings (“Dear person reading, Hello! We are from Bellingham. Where are you from?” “RUSSIA.” “Victoria.” “Seattle—hi!”). The youngest, awkwardest couple ever sits gaping over a ribbon-tied gift bag and a bottle of sparkling cider in an ice bucket. A big group comes in, women and one girl—she looks around 11—with balloons and matching T-shirts. The shirts say “Make-A-Wish Foundation.” This dinner at SkyCity is the thing this girl wants to do before she dies. She probably doesn’t know how miraculous this dinner could taste, how much better this night of her life could be. She will be dazzled by the view, by the kind formality of the server, by the fog of the dry ice that pours over the table when she gets the famous Lunar Orbiter dessert, which besides the smoke and mirrors is a completely ordinary one-scoop ice cream sundae that costs $9.50. You sure as hell hope she doesn’t know.
The Space Needle’s restaurant has always been overpriced, and it has never been good, and everybody knows it. Its last review, 10 years ago in the Seattle Times, earned it “far from perfect.” In 2009, according to Restaurants & Institutions, SkyCity’s average diner spent $60, SkyCity served more than a quarter million meals, and SkyCity grossed $14.1 million. SkyCity doesn’t care whether the food is good—they don’t have to. It’s not about the food, or the city, or anyone’s dearest wish on this earth: It’s about the money.
SkyCity’s decor is corporate bland: The only thing that stands out is a large painting near the elevator that happens to be by Dale Chihuly. SkyCity’s lengthy wine list is almost all Washington wines: Among the “Featured Space Needle Wines” are three with bottles featuring “a bold drawing by local artist, Dale Chihuly.” The company that runs SkyCity and the Space Needle is the same one that wants to build the Chihuly museum that’s been proposed for the Seattle Center near the Space Needle’s base. Like the Space Needle, the Chihuly museum would be a for-profit business—one built on public land that the public would have to pay money to get into. The profits—like the profits of SkyCity—would go to the company that runs it, which is owned by the Wright family. Patriarch Jeffrey Wright has contributed more than $50,000 to conservative Republican candidates and causes over the past several years.
The restaurant at the Space Needle could be a marvel, a serious gourmet dining experience with the world’s best view for the most special of special occasions—a source of civic pride. Instead, it’s a rip-off and a joke, something the average Seattle citizen gets exactly nothing out of. We have no reason to believe the museum would be different. 
It’s never going to be good because it doesn’t have to be. I didn’t read this article but I’m pretty sure my comment will still fit.
Tom Douglas should be running this kitchen. It’s a shame he isn’t.
The same situation plagues our National Parks. Why just a bunch of pre-packaged cheeseburgers when could be fresh local beef?
The Needle really started sucking when they closed the bar on the top level and the annual pass changed from $50 and three other people 365 days a year to $50 for just the pass holder and no guests.
I am always interested in legitmate reviews of food and food prep. Making fun of dying 11 year olds is so cold I am amazed it was kept in this story – do you always poke fun about dying kids, or just as part of writing about food? Maybe your next review could include folks with Parkensons having trouble eating, or MS cases with special impliments. There is a whole style / series thing here that any editor can appreciate.
I also look forward to reading about political leanings of the owners of all restaurants that you write about in your future so-called food reviews.
“A perfect crust, too bad they support Ron Paul”. “A splendid blend of spices but thethe owners mom is a devout Catholic and supports Anti Abortion candidates.
If you spent time around some farms, even the organic ones, you might be surprised by the range of political thoughts about zoning codes and environmental regulations.
I guess we can only eat fair trade grown brown rice after we check to see what charities and politics the owner supports, and make sure no one is present who is sick or dying… as they will become part of the column.
I take this with a grain of salt beacause the Stranger loves to hate everything. So so cooooooooool.
@ disgusted foodie,
the reviewer didn’t make fun of the kid. the reviewer lamented that what should have been a remarkable experience was stunted by the poor food. i take my three kids there every year to celebrate the last day of school. the food is consistently underwhelming. the views are fantastic. my elementary school kids can already tell the difference between the food and the views.
as to the politics, i don’t think it’s out of bounds to point out that a restaurant would fail in the marketplace but for the public gift of location. and to also point out that the owners, ostensible champions of free and fair markets, now want an additional public subsidy to build another private institution that, but for the subsidy, would not be built.
read as such, it’s a comment on hypocrisy, not on politics per se. as i recall, the Stranger rather likes to lampoon those engaged in such hypocrisy.
i specifically recall the Stranger covering, with wit, a dispute over fois gras. both sides were set forth, and my recollection is that both took some ribbing.
the Wright family, however, deserves quite a bit more, in their attempt to hijack another piece of the public space for the pursuit of private profit.
Agreed @4, if there was an affordable season pass for locals plus at least one guest and you could just go up for a drink or three, I’d be there. The crappy wine offered in a tiny plastic cup on the observation level doesn’t cut it.
Spot on review. It’s so sad that they don’t attempt to try. They were very happy when they received an award based on the wine selection a couple of years ago only because it was the first good thing that anyone has ever said about this place. They pretend to try to reach out to locals, but everyone knows it’s a tourist trap. My father (I’m originally from NY and have family in the area) remembers the space needle’s kids menu from the 80s. He never lets me forgot “that was the most expensive peanut butter and jelly sandwich you never did eat.” Bad in the 80s still bad now
I think that the person that wrote this artcule has no idea what they are talking about. I am a frequint patron to the skycity and i think that their food is fantastic. if it wasnt for the needle we would have almost no tourism at all anyway. also why would we need another park anyways just so more homeless people could go ruin it? aleast they are trying to bring more culture to the area and more jobs. the comment about the wine bar at the top is also ridiculous so what if the wine is in a plastic cup I think the only reason they dont use glass ones is so people do not break them.
What is Seattle know for now?
I live in Belltown so the Needle is close by and I’ve eaten at the restaurant several times in the past few years. I agree that the view is incredible. However, my take on the food is very different from yours. I’ve always enjoyed the food, and I’ve had the pork chop and found it great. On my most recent visit last week I had the fresh Halibut and it was moist, perfectly cooked and as good as any I’ve ever had. Perhaps if I was focused on the owner’s political leanings I would have been predisposed to enjoy it less.
You have got to be kidding me this is ridiclous. You people have no clue. The last comment about the park is spot on not this review. If none of you have visited the park across from Etta’s cafe and next to Cutters Bay House after a nice dinner then you should go there with a loved one as soon as possible for dinner and then sit in the park to enjoy the night air. You may or may not step on a needle or be assaulted or what have you. This will be exactly what happens to the Seattle center if it is made to be open park area. Although you will get ten times as much as garbage. Take a nice stroll through Denny park at 10:00pm after dinner one night and get a preview of what is to come to our beautiful public land at the Seattle Center. As for SkyCity whatever, half of you probabally wished you worked there or at least could afford to dine there. Why bag on the Needle without it we would have no tourists at all. Why would they have started coming? For the suicidal weather? Or maybe for the Mariners, Seahawks or Super Sonics. Oh ya two of those suck and one split. Oh ya I forgot to mention the Sounders just like everyone else who doesn’t even care about soccer.
You have got to be kidding me this is ridiclous. You people have no clue. The last comment about the park is spot on not this review. If none of you have visited the park across from Etta’s cafe and next to Cutters Bay House after a nice dinner then you should go there with a loved one as soon as possible for dinner and then sit in the park to enjoy the night air. You may or may not step on a needle or be assaulted or what have you. This will be exactly what happens to the Seattle center if it is made to be open park area. Although you will get ten times as much as garbage. Take a nice stroll through Denny park at 10:00pm after dinner one night and get a preview of what is to come to our beautiful public land at the Seattle Center. As for SkyCity whatever, half of you probabally wished you worked there or at least could afford to dine there. Why bag on the Needle without it we would have no tourists at all. Why would they have started coming? For the suicidal weather? Or maybe for the Mariners, Seahawks or Super Sonics. Oh ya two of those suck and one split. Oh ya I forgot to mention the Sounders just like everyone else who doesn’t even care about soccer.
I’ve only eaten there once for Sunday brunch. 4 of us went and the food was fantastic. Not saying that this is always the case, but that was my experience. It was an out-of-town friend’s birthday and that’s what he wanted so we went. We are locals and have passes for when we want to go to for the view. They cost us $29 for a year and we could each bring a guest. We have used them many times, to the point where we probably paid about $2 a visit. I agree with the comments about The Stranger being too cool for school. Why even bother reviewing a tourist attraction like the needle?
I loved how you ripped the needle. But then you cheapened the whole thing by looking like you have a political agenda instead of a good eye for food. If you want to make someone look bad leave out the second to last paragraph.
@12: I’ll bet a week’s pay that you’re astro-turfing.
The point that most of you are missing is that just because it’s a tourist attraction doesn’t mean that the food must be garbage.
It’s a wasted opportunity: imagine what it could be if the food was as good as Rovers or Lampreia or Lark and was paired with that view.
It’s excellent criticism by BJC.
THANK YOU!
I have friends coming from out of town this summer & I was thinking of giving the needle another try (the last visits were 3+ years ago & I hoped for some improvement) This /could/ be an incredible place. I am glad I read your review to see they are on track for business as usual, and I will give my $ to a more worthy local establishment.
The view from the Needle is stellar. We got cheap passes last year and took all our out-of-town friends up when they visited. I’m even OK with the wine selection, if you bring your own chocolate and it’s a quiet evening to stare out at the lights.
But I’ve no idea what those of you who love the food in the restaurant are thinking. This city has many great restaurants where the food is reaonably priced. You’d choose this? Seriously?
One million years ago, when the Space Needle Restaurant was run by what is now Westin, and Westin was headquarted out of a dumpy building where the Seattle W Hotel now stands, it was really quite good. That was probably because the people who ran Westin knew what good food and service was, and often took their friends and business associates there.
Westin got out of there long before they were absorbed into the Starwood universe, and everything was consolidated back east at the old Sheraton headquarters. That was a merger from hell: The worst customs and managers of both companies combined into one banal operation.
You know, not all restaurants atop tall buildings have terrible food. Windows on the World (the restaurant atop one of the World Trade Center towers) was really good. Not great, and of course overpriced — but still, really good. I went with my family a couple of times growing up, and just to make sure I’m not misremembering, I just looked up the reviews of the place. Mimi Sheraton in the NYT wrote that four of the six entrees she tried were “without distinction,” but the other two were so good she would go back for them. Note that she didn’t trash any of them. She didn’t feel ripped off. She understood that she (and the vast throngs of patrons) were in part paying for the view. But you could definitely get a good meal there.
What a total hit piece. While I admire the Stranger’s full-court press (sports metaphore with a pun!) against the museum, this is super tacky.
Notice how so many of the early comments were in agreement with the review and then a slew of dissenting comments showed up? Me thinks the the Needle’s PR team got busy getting the word out.
Read with caution and a critical eye.
@23
Take your own advice and read with a critical eye. Bethany would have nagatively reviewed a banana split from the current enemy. I’m not defending the Nedle, I am crticizing the timing and the grudge of this article.
Also, their PR team are child rapists! They wouldn’t say this about themselves, as I am not of it.
Dissent does not equate to paid-determinism.
kthx
the review was fantastic.
the part about Wright contributing to Republicans may be unnecessary.
The only thing worse than dinner at the Needle is brunch at the Needle. Somewhere around $40 got me coffee, 2 bad pancakes, 2 runny scrambled eggs and a couple slices of possibly microwaved bacon.
I hope the little girl from Make A Wish had a lovely day and enjoyed the hell out of her dinner. I remember going to the Needle when I was 9 or 10 and thinking it was the most glamorous place on Earth.
@23: and, like the pro-Chihuly comments, the pro-Needle comments are being posted by people who appear to be visiting the site for the first time.
I feel like the author had most of the review written before she even walked in the door. Actually going up there and eating the food was a nice gesture, but a mere formality nonetheless. I agree that the food really could be improved, but why even mention the price? People are not going to skycity for a thrifty meal. Also I seriously hope “BJC” never reviews the restaurant I work at… turns out we’re in business to make money too. And we hate cancer kids! rawr!
What I can’t understand is, if the Needle is the only reason to come to Seattle, why is it so hard to find another native on the bus? I believe that we natives are outnumbered by those who just came to see the needle by about 10 to 1, so if that’s all Seattle has, why are they still here???
My family had a get together there a few years ago. My brother’s salad had some sort of larvae that had chilled into hibernation by refrigeration. We dropped the better part of a grand to have bugs served to us. Management’s attitude was that it was the waiter’s fault for bringing it to the table. True story. I have eight witnesses to this.
Wow! What a great read! I mean the comments of course.
If I brought a guest up for brunch (45$) and they ordered pancakes I would smack them in the stupid mouth. Its your money, spend it wisely. The lunch menu is awesome! And I think the service is better at lunch, the old sassy waiters don’t work lunch because the food is to cheap!
@5
The article did not make fun of a terminally ill girl. It pointed out the tragedy of her wishing for a great meal in a place that serves crappy food at pornographic prices.
No, politics don’t really belong in a food review.
You whine too much. Pull you head out of your ass.
I’m glad the owner’s political contributions were listed. At least that way, we know the City of Seattle didn’t give him special treatment.
@28
Seriously? If they are charging that much money for the food, it should be, you know, special. There’s no reason they can’t make great food there.
Also @28, I hope your restaurant considers the goal of Making the Food Taste Good an important part of the whole Making Money aspect of running a restaurant. Otherwise — why exactly are you trying to make money serving people food?
As a native Seattleite, I’d much rather spend $5 to visit the Columbia Center Observation Deck (which is much higher) than $16 to fight the crowds of tourists at the Space Needle. And I would never go there for dinner expecting an amazing meal, there are too many other places in town where I can get great food (for less $).
But I do agree that The Stranger is acting like the polar opposite of Fox News with fear tactics and straw-man arguments. I don’t like the idea of the Chihuly “Museum” at the Seattle Center either, but that shouldn’t really be spilling over into a restaurant review.
I completly disagree with this article. I have ate at the resteraunt several times in the last decade and have a wonderful experience. Our food was amazing and the service was friendly and efficient. How dare let you political views on this ruin what is a special place to so many locals and tourist around.
Review is spot on. Worst meal for the most money I’ve ever had. People who think the food is good have never had good food.
This review reaffirms what I’ve found to be true about most revolving restaurants with amazing views – they don’t make an effort with the food because they don’t have to. They know people will come anyway, and they’re happy to serve them half-assed, uninspired food. There’s no excuse for it, of course. A fantastic view and equally fantastic food shouldn’t be mutually exclusive.
Lets just be honest Beth, your only attacking the space needle because you have your panties in bunch over the Chihully Museum proposal. I’ve been to Sky City for dinner many times and the food and service is always excellent. I thought The Stranger was a local paper that supported local Seattle people and businesses? It’s really sad to me that you have to stuped to this level just to get attention from readers. Maybe you should visit the Make-A-Wish foundation so you can countinue to make fun of dying children.
I’ve lived in Seattle since 1968 and have always enjoyed dining at the Space Needle. It’s classic and yet out of this world. We go there as a family for the really special celebrations. Sure, maybe we could find foofier food someplace else, but who cares?! You’re sitting in a chair in the sky and revolving around 360 degrees every hour or less. Some sweet guy the next table over has just proposed marriage to his partner, an older man across the way is 85 tonight and making wishes for many more over the candle in his cake, and little kids are marveling at Safeco Field in the distance. Lighten up, Stranger. And be glad the Wright family has done such a fine job taking care of one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture on the planet. Seattle is so fortunate.
Here is the truth of it all, you now get less for more, and the unsuspecting and first time guest to the Space Needle does not know this. The guest service has been stripped away, and pockets are being picked by self sustaining corporate theives. What a smug bunch!
What in God’s name has happened to reading comprehension in this country?
All you pinheads accusing the reviewer of “making fun” of the Make-A-Wish girl: WTF _EVER_ gave you that idea?? The reviewer, as someone stated above, is LAMENTING the fact that the food is so poor at this place, she is SAD for the girl that her big special Wish is going to come with some mediocre and sub-standard food, AT ASTRONOMICAL PRICES.
Seems like a fairly sympathetic point of view to me. And it’s totally fair to point out that this restaurant is subsidized by Seattle citizens, and we get really nothing more than a good view from it, when we want to pony up the big bucks. And, oh yeah, those bucks are going into Republican pockets, and the owner of those pockets is now seeking YET ANOTHER Seattle-citizenry-subsidy for YET ANOTHER private-enterprise-on-public-land, that will benefit NO ONE but the owner of said pockets.
Seems like a pretty legitimate point to make.
And yeah, isn’t it funny how the ‘Defenders of the Needle’, who have never been to this site before, suddenly appear in droves to defend (w/terrible spelling, grammar, and punctuation) the food, the family, the pending glass ‘museum’ project…..
Things that make you say ‘hhmmmm’…..
Maybe there is a connection between the poorly spelled posts and the “kurabuta” menu typos. Maybe it is skycity big brother trying to alter peoples perception.
Here’s my perception, this is coming from someone that has been a professional cook for some time now. Any restaurant this big is gonna suck. The food is not cooked to ordered, but precooked and held in warmers until you finish that soggy ceaser salad. How do you think a chicken and a salmon get to your table three minutes after you finish your appetizers?
@ 45 – Tell that to Gordon Ramsay, see how much sympathy you get from him because your restaurant is “that big”.
Hey, maybe that’s what SkyCity needs – an appearance on ‘Kitchen Nightmares’. Oh my stars, that would be fantabulous, get Chef Ramsay up in there to kick some serious ass…..
Haha! I completely agree with the assessment of the food at SkyCity…I grew up in the area and the one and only time I have ever been there was for my everlovin’ highschool PROM! Now granted, it’s a completely awesome place to dance the night away, and is undoubtedly remembered fondly by all for the magic of the height and the unlimited trips to the observation deck. We even liked the idea of us all getting to eat dinner together, included in the ticket price for the dance. What a disappointment to all when the food actually came though. I had a mushroom ravioli that had the texture and appearance of tile grout, and a sad salad of half a romaine heart, left intact, drizzled with salty oil.
…and, honestly? Isn’t the political discourse meant to tie this review into current events? This isn’t a food review, it’s really not even in the “food” section….it’s a featured article that addresses relevant local politics whilst also entertaining with hilarious descriptions of sad-looking food.
@47 Actually, this is in the “food” section and is not a featured article.
I totally agree with BJC on her assessment of both SkyCity and the potential Chihuly exhibit thing. However, I think most locals already know that the food at SkyCity sucks and is overpriced, and the public response to the City Council by mail and phone has shown that most people don’t support the Chihuly proposal. An actual review of a real restaurant would have been better. This piece just reads like propaganda.
I suspect that people defending the food at the Needle love olive garden/chili’s/tgifridays and other chain places that server bland boring food and pretend its almost gourmet. you really cant get away from these people anywhere.
as for the political comments…its the STRANGER you are reading, Duh!
So Ms. Clement, you choose to rip the Space Needle a new asshole by, among other things, complaining about the prices. Have you never eaten at Daniel’s Broiler? Or El Gaucho? Or Morton’s? ALL of these restaurants have sky-high prices. The difference with the Space Needle is that they also have stunning, sky-high views. (Morton’s is in a freakin’ basement!) When you subtract the cost of the elevator ride (and – sorry – you have to pay for the elevator in EVERY big city’s comparable landmark), the Space Needle’s STILL expensive, but not quite as much as those other swellegant eateries. I’ve eaten at all of these restaurants – for special occasions – and while I could never afford to do so regularly, and while none of them served anything that transported me to gastronomic heaven, the food at all of them was fine, and the Space Needle was by far the most fun. FUN. But then, I guess nobody at the Stranger these days is having any fun.