Yes :-) Jennifer's review (Apr 5th 2007)

I made a chef go with me to Hill’s. I had to. I had to take someone who would appreciate the utter fabulousness that is the reopened downtown spot. Spokane’s been awaiting Hill’s resurrection for years – every delay killing our collective foodie identity. The first trip back to Hill’s had to be nothing less than special.

Hill’s is kitschy. Even a new coat of paint and fancy retro menus can’t take the old smokey vibe away. The prefab hipster bar, manned by one of Spokane’s favorites, is going to be the hottest place in town this summer. I’d kill for an after hours invitation.

And every dish on Hill’s menu is perfectly selected. Steaks, burgers, pasta, pork tenderloin, even the requisite Spokane ahi. But Hill’s, like the old Quinn’s, is really a place to ditch the diet. Every bite of the chicken with pancetta and Brie is sublime. A moist paillard of chicken swimming in creamy cheese and salty pork belly with tiny potatoes, it really can’t be skipped.

I only hope Hill’s isn’t overrun by Opera House junkies on Best of Broadway nights. Downtowners must walk, skip, and run to support the place.

Hill’s is an event. Make it one. Soon.

Yes :-) Remi's review (Apr 30th 2007)

I didn’t go to Hill’s with a chef, but I did go with Stefan who I consider something of an equivalent.

This is really kind of a strange restaurant where I imagine some meals can go either horribly wrong or amazingly well. I was lucky enough to end up in the latter category with a perfectly cooked New York strip served with an even better bernaise sauce. The bernaise can be a fickle friend, and I’ve had my share of bad experiences with them in the past. Hill’s, however, has got it down.

What I did find strange was the total of fourteen choices of sauces I had to pick from to go with the steak. Now I’m sorry, but there’s no way all of those would have melded perfectly with the meal which also consisted of an assortment of vegetables and garlic potatoes. Having choices for the sake of having choices is not a good thing; the chef should pick that for the diner unless the diner for whatever reason has a reason to request something else.

Anyway.

I did quite enjoy the Scotch egg appetizer also. This should be a familiar dish for anybody who watched the English version of The Office, and if not… Well, think egg wrapped in sausage with a coat of breading, and you got it.

Looking at Stefan’s burger it seemed fine, but the fries were dreadfully soggy.

There’s definitely things to both love and hate about Hill’s. So far I have to say I’ve been happy; the steak was great and I approve of the beer and wine selection. We will see how things progress over the next few months.

No :-( Stefan's review (Apr 6th 2007)

Maybe I haven’t lived in Spokane long enough to appreciate the delicate flavors of the new Hill’s Someplace Else. I ordered the salmon panini and my guest ordered the steak. There are a few things out of place on the Hill’s menu. First they offer a choice of around 16 sauces that you can add to one of three entrees. I’m not sure what they were going for but the chef should be the one to choose what sauce is going to go on what entree. I would compare the Hill’s menu to a poorly executed Twigs menu. Second is the style of the restaurant. The interior is a huge improvement but they kept most of the chairs and tables which just looks strange.

The salmon panini came on two pieces of cheap focaccia. The salmon panini was more of a salmon salad panini. My guess is that the recipe calls for 4 oz of salmon and 8 oz of cream cheese. Actually it was more of a salmon dip. Just avoid the salmon panini.

It is entirely possible that the Hill’s will turn out to be great but for the time being they are in keeping with all the restaurants that are holding back the Spokane Restaurant Renaissance.

Yes :-) Maja's review (Apr 4th 2007)

Like most Spokanites who keep an eye on the local restaurant scene, I’d been hearing the buzz about the Hill’s re-opening for so many months that I began to doubt it would ever happen. When I heard that St. Patrick’s Day was the latest projected date, I thought, “Okay, so, maybe by July.” But when I heard that it HAD actually re-opened—that people had really been inside and had consumed food and/ or drink—the doubt began to lift. Driving by the space, however, I began to wonder again. No “OPEN” sign? No “Hill’s” sign? Was anyone really in there? But I am here to tell you: I have been inside, I have seen that it is all very real, and my, is it good.

We called in a reservation just in case, but on a Monday evening there was really no need. There was no “new restaurant feel” in any aspect of our meal. The décor is simple and Spokelegant, and the long, slender paper menus present a nice range of entrée options at surprisingly low prices. I didn’t get a good look at the wine list, but I saw at least several of my Northwest favorites: L’Ecole No. 41, 14 Hands, Terra Blanca. We were out for celebratory purposes, so we went instead with a split (and then another) of Freixenet, which was delicious.

Our server was friendly, pleasant, and helpful in answering the many questions we threw at her. She recommended the Scotch Egg appetizer, and to that my father added an order of artichoke dip and bread. Because of food intolerances, I can’t speak for either appetizer, but I take it as a good sign that Dad finished the last of the dip with his spoon. The egg (coated in a layer of sausage and a layer of breading, then fried) was reportedly tasty as well, though maybe not the first thing you’d reach for as an appetizer.

We all had trouble making up our minds on entrees, but in the end Dad went for a steak with horseradish cream sauce, sister the cashew-crusted chicken, and brother and I split two entrees: the veggie-tofu sauté and the Creole shrimp. We all declared our dinners excellent, and brother and I were especially impressed with the shrimp. The Creole tomato base was seasoned perfectly and was not overly salty, and the tofu and veggies were cooked just right and were far from bland. Brother and Dad polished theirs off, but sister and I still had plenty to take home.

So clearly, the dinnertime food is great, and it looked like lunch must be up and running from the hours posted: 11:00am-10:00pm. But I have a feeling it’s the bar I’ll be back for next time. I had the pleasure of working with bartender Mike O’Brien at the Spokane Club while he was waiting (and waiting (and waiting)) for Hill’s to re-open, and I know firsthand that he’s not only an excellent and knowledgeable bartender, but also one of the most energetic, funny, and kind people you could ever wish to meet. We were disappointed to hear that he wasn’t working on the night we went out for dinner, but sure enough, we found him there hanging out at the bar anyway. I always take it as a good sign when even the employees can’t stay away.

So here’s hoping that the new Hill’s will stick around for many years to come and will enjoy a lot of success in the new space. I’d say it was worth the wait.

Yes :-) sharon's review (Sep 24th 2007)

if you have not been to the new hill’s well giddy up and get going. I have been there a few times and i have never had anything but raves about the food, service and even the view! i love to people watch, and this is a perfect venue. The salmon foccacia is divine. The salads are everything you would expect to find in a 4 star restaurant. I like that everything is made in house, the time and attention to the finished entree, salad, dessert is well worth the visit. do it often!!

No :-( Becca's review (Dec 16th 2007)

We gave this restaurant a try. First clue we were in trouble was that it was exactly noon, and there were only three other tables in the entire place that were occupied. This, during the heaviest Christmas shopping time. Hmmm… Well, maybe it was just because it was a weekday. WRONG! The salad that came with my sandwich was simply made up of very tired lettuce. It was brown edged, and some of it was just plain slimy. And then when I fished the dead stink bug out of the lettuce (since there were no croutons on the salad, I knew the brown thing was not going to be a good addition – that’s when I spotted the legs), I was done. At least the manager handled it correctly, and comped the bill. Unfortunately, I don’t think I will go back, and I certainly can’t recommend it. The bug was one thing, but the really bad lettuce that the kitchen staff thought was just fine to serve to a paying customer sealed the deal.

No :-( Rachel's review (Dec 20th 2007)

We were excited to try Hill’s and made reservations for 2 1/2 hours prior to a show we were going to see. Unfortunately, after sitting there for 2 hours and getting no food we had to cancel our dinner. I’ve never had to do that at a restaurant! The table next to us had to have their entire dinner boxed up so that they could leave. The staff was very nice but seemed disorganized and considering that there were several empty tables, I’m not sure what they were doing. We ended up at the Onion after the show and it was great. Not sure if I’ll give this one a try again but if I do, I won’t have any other plans for the night.

No :-( jenifer's review (Jun 24th 2008)

Hills’........ I’d rather be anywhere else.

Yes :-) Derek's review (Nov 18th 2008)

My wife and I ate at Hills for the first time last Saturday night. We ate there primarily because of the reviews I read about on this site. The reviews didn’t disappoint There was a symphony going on so we made reservations early at 5. I liked the decor; as another reviewer said it is “Spokelegant” with a bar area showing exposed brick. I had the steak with a Gorgonzola sauce and my wife had the salmon fettuccine. Both were excellent. We also had salads, and split a dessert with coffee plus had a couple of drinks apiece and our bill came to 73.00, so the prices are good. Recommend this place as a true Spokane original.