Coho Cafe

Coho Cafe

3 Stars

Address:	8976 161st Ave NE, Redmond, WA 98052
Phone:	425-885-2646
Website:	http://www.cohocafe.com/
Directions:	See a Map, Driving Directions

Cuisine:	American with a Northwest/Asian Influence
Price Range:	$10-$20 entrees
Best Bets:	Ribs, Buffalo Wings, and Coffee
Worst Bets:	Sesame Crusted Ahi

7/6/2001

Buffalo Wings
Ribs
Seafood Quesadillas
Cerviche
Cosmopolitan
Kool-aid (an alcoholic drink)
Mac & Jacks African Amber
Ice Cream Sandwich

We decided to give the Coho Cafe another try, and focus on other dishes. From our first visit, we knew the appetizers were the best part of the food menu, so we stuck with those and stayed away from the entrees. They also have a very interesting drink menu and full bar, so we tried out some of their drinks too. Unfortunately, we got seated outside at a cramped table, and had an inexperienced waiter who kept forgetting our orders and not checking on us. Very poor service this visit.

Appetizers: Our waiter recommended the Ribs as an appetizer, and boy were they tasty! A sweet, flavorful barbeque sauce perfectly complimented the well prepared ribs. My only complaint is that they only have this as an appetizer (4-5 ribs). I wanted this as my main course! The buffalo wings were also good, as were the seafood quesadillas. Ample portions good for sharing. The cerviche was satisfactory as well, and an good cold compliment to the rest of the hot food.

Drinks: Overall the drinks were original and well-made. The Cosmopolitan was smooth, the Kool-Aid was potent but tasty. Mac & Jacks African Amber was on tap, and it's my favorite beer.

Dessert: The "Ice Cream Sandwich" was very good... and big! Great for sharing.

Bottom Line: Service sucked. Good appetizers, drinks, and desserts. Stick to those.

2/4/2001

Buffalo Wings
Seafood Bisque
House Green Salad
Crab Cake Sandwich
Stuffed Chicken
Sesame Crusted Ahi
Prawns with Soba Noodles
Triple Chocolate Brownie
Coffee (Toreffazione Italia brand)

We noticed a fairly new restaurant in the Bella Botega shopping center called "Coho Cafe". Since it was right next to the Bella Botega Cinema, we decided to check it out before going to a movie.

The decor is very open and spacious, with lots of wood. Typical "northwest" style. There are a lot of tables, so we were seated promptly. Looking at the menu, the prices were slightly on the expensive side... $6-10 for appetizers, $10-20 for entrees. Their menu is quite varied, from typical American style burgers to northwest Salmon dishes, to asian influenced dishes. Thankfully, we had a friendly, helpful waiter who gave us good suggestions on our first visit.

Appetizers: The Buffalo Wings were VERY tangy, probably too tangy for some. But I loved them. Better to have too much flavor than not enough, I say!

Sides: The Seafood Bisque was tasty. The House Green Salad was standard.

Entrees: All of the entrees we tried were okay, but pretty bland and boring, especially considering their slightly pricy cost. The Crab Cake Sandwich wasn't bursting with crab flavor. The Stuffed Chicken was boring. The Sesame Crusted Ahi sounded wonderful, and indeed looked impressive, but it too was very bland, as were the Prawns with Soba Noodles.

Dessert: We were pretty full, so we tried only one dessert - the Triple Chocolate Brownie. It was good, and made a nice strong finish to the meal.

Drinks: I had some after-dinner coffee, which turned out to be Torrefazione Italia brand (my favorite), AND it was brewed to perfection. I highly recommend it!

Bottom Line: Great buffalo wings, coffee and service, but entrees are disappointing.