Off Alley

  4.3 – 196 reviews   • Restaurant

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Narrow, low-key eatery offering a seasonal menu & thoughtfully sourced wine & beer.

✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in Off Alley 98118

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Reservations: sevenrooms.com

offalleyseattle.com

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Off Alley | Columbia City Restaurant | Seattle

In South Seattle’s Columbia City, Off Alley serves unapologetic, loud, seasonal dishes and natural pours. A small restaurant with punk attitude and no fear.

Off Alley (@offalleyseattle) • Instagram photos and videos

Photo by Off Alley Menu in Off Alley with @offalleyseattle. May be … #offalley #seattle #restaurant #surpriseyourself #oneofeverything.

Off Alley — Restaurant Review | Condé Nast Traveler

Find Off Alley, Seattle, Washington, United States, photos, prices, expert advice, traveler reviews and tips, and more information from Condé Nast Traveler.

Reviews

MAXIM PAK
★★★★★

Off Alley is one of those rare places where very sophisticated dishes are presented in simple, understated forms. Everything we tried was incredibly delicious and executed with real precision.

We were especially surprised (in the best way) to find beautifully prepared foie gras and ris de veau (sweetbreads) — something you don’t often expect to see done this well in Seattle.

Service was fantastic: warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. The interior is also memorable — a narrow corridor-like space that creates a unique, intimate atmosphere.

A truly special little spot.
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Nomadicus
Off Alley is the kind of tiny neighborhood spot you almost want to keep secret. The indoor space is intimate with very limited seating, and when the weather plays along, there are just two charming outdoor tables that make the experience feel even more personal.

We chose the tasting menu, which takes cues from a French farmhouse brasserie while leaning into Pacific Northwest ingredients. The result is a menu that feels thoughtful and grounded, focused on letting the quality of the ingredients speak rather than relying on overly complex techniques.

Most dishes landed beautifully, showcasing a clear sense of intention and restraint. A few items didn’t quite reach the same high point, but none pulled away from the overall experience. Service was warm, friendly, and wonderfully neighborly, the kind of hospitality that makes you feel like you’ve wandered into a local favorite rather than a destination restaurant.

Off Alley is absolutely worth checking out for anyone who appreciates creative, ingredient-driven cooking served in a setting that feels refreshingly sincere.
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Dr. Catherine Cushinberry
I have followed Off Alley for about four years and finally made it. They did not disappoint. The intimate setting and excellent service is my kind of experience. The menu was creatively composed and made me curious. As dishes came out, they were beautifully plated and made me order more just to have a chance to experience more of the food. I didn’t need salt or pepper. It was beautifully seasoned. My favorite by far was the rabbit kidneys on toast. Wow!! Mind blowing Michelin worthy dish in my mind. The kidneys had a lovely sear on them, cooked beautifully and topped with a rich sauce. The bread underneath was soft with a lovely crust and absorbed the sauce so well. I enjoyed my meal in totality. I’m placing pictures but won’t tell you everything I ordered. Go early or make a reservation (your best bet) and order a variety of dishes and see if you happen to order anything like I got to experience. I am an absolute foodie and enjoy Michelin restaurants and unique cuisine experiences and for what I got at Off Alley, it was up there! When I got my check, I expected to pay more because it was such a niché experience with high quality products. It really should cost more. I’ll certainly head back…soon!
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Alec Rattner
Exceptional on every level. Some seriously mind blowing and palette expanding food and ingredients on display here. Dishes here aren’t huge but they are packed with so much depth of flavor, you don’t feel like you’re missing a thing. The meal equivalent of a live jazz show, ethereal, hard to pin down, and you probably won’t experience anything quite like it again. Standouts were the crab/clam/urchin rice, the pork chop, and the fresh brioche and liver mousse. WOW!
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Clarissa Cardenas
Amazing spot, especially if you want to have an more involved experience with the food! The head chef Evan Liechtling explained every dish perfectly and you can TASTE the passion. Must go for any foodie!
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Christopher Kerr
Happily got a table as a late evening walk-in. Really phenomenal flavors and ingredients on display here. Unique and intriguing wine and cocktail list as well. We had the pork rillettes, sweetbreads, a side of foie gras, roasted quail, as well as candy cap mushroom ice cream and the hazelnut cake, along with an interesting Spanish orange wine and some sauternes to cap the meal. Really special spot here. Space is extremely limited as this venue is literally an enclosed alley way with only one row of tables and limited standing room.
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Beullah Escalante
Off Alley is such a vibe!

We were greeted by such kind and passionate people. They made sure we are comfortable and warm.

We had a 9p reservation in late September. We sat outside because we are a group of 4 and wanted to face each other instead of the street style ambiance of the setting inside.

Charles explained the menu in such a creative and passionate way. The staff grows some of the ingredients used in their dishes and they are proud of it (as I would be too)

My favorite dish from that evening was probably the mushroom with the yolk and the rabbit kidney? I don’t remember the long name but I will provide some photos from the dinner.

Off alley is def a culinary experience.
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ferial mhr
The staff are incredibly warm and welcoming—they treat every guest like a friend, which made the service and overall vibe truly enjoyable. However, I found the atmosphere lacking. The space is very small, with only wall-side tables available, which made it feel a bit cramped.

The chef is undeniably talented and very attentive—he personally came by to check on us and kindly offered to remake our dish or bring us cheese and bread when we expressed our concerns. Unfortunately, the food itself didn’t meet expectations. While the menu was creative and ambitious—like the foie gras ice cream, which wasn’t to my taste—the execution fell short. Most of the dishes were overly rich, and our main courses were so salty we couldn’t finish them. I even asked the guest at the next table if she had the same experience, and she also said she couldn’t finish her steak due to excessive saltiness.

Overall, while I appreciated the creativity and the exceptional service, the food didn’t work for me, and the ambiance didn’t justify the high price point—especially with the mandatory 20% service charge added to the bill over 600$
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Gloria
From the moment I walked in, I knew this place was something special. There’s a comforting warmth in the air, from the friendly staff to the familiar aromas drifting from the kitchen. Every bite brought me back to memories of home. The flavors were authentic, rich, and made with obvious care. It’s rare to find a restaurant that doesn’t just serve good food, but also stirs something inside you. I left full, happy, and already planning my next visit. A true hidden gem.
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David Dunnison
Well deserving of all of its positive accolades and rave reviews.

First off, though, an advisory. The restaurant has been squeezed into what is effectively a hallway. We lucked out and sat at the street patio. Not everyone may appreciate the tight quarters.

Getting past that, though, this was a spectacular meal and experience.

First up was salmon roe with cream cheese served with home-made potato chips that offered a hint of the sea that you sought out with each mouthful.

Next was the chef’s pride, a King Crab and King Crab blood custard that more than earned his pride. Delicious.

A small bread loaf with scapes followed, presented in its mini cast iron cooking pan. Both are fresh put of the oven HOT.

The bread cooled down just in time for our Chanterelle and Lobster mushrooms with a partially poached, still runny egg yolk. Such a delicate preparation. We were advised that licking the plate would be a salute to the chef in a Seattle neighborhood riff to haute cuisine. Tempting!

On our server’s advise, we paired our first courses with an orange wine, Sand, made with Pinot blanc, P. noir and P. gris from Alsace. Excellent recommendation!

The next wine was even better, a biodynamic 2021 Coll del Sabater Cab Franc from Spain. This paired really well with the next courses, including the dessert where it micely complimented its subtle savory elements.

Black cod with local eggplant and fennel came next. Personally, eggplant is one of my few ‘just tolerated food items. This was more than delicious, though. Really, really good. After the first taste check, I didn’t hesitate a bit.

We had a choice of Trotter – meat and sausage – in a brown butter huckleberry sauce or savory chicken with pine mushrooms for the next course. I went with the Trotter. But you couldn’t go wrong here. Both are amazing (I cheated and sampled the chicken dish).

At the very end, the server asked if we might like to try a foie gras ice cream. Oooh, so so good. The chef explained some of the challenges in developing and preparing this. His inspiration and hard-work were truly appreciated.

Just fantastic food, superbly prepared and served up by great staff. Seattle lucked out with Off Alley.
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