No :-( Remi's review (Sep 5th 2008)

Despite my broken heart, I don’t hate Stir. We’re not talking a heart that was shattered to pieces here, it was more pushed off a ledge accidentally and broken that way. In fact, reading a response to the reader reviews from one of the Stir owners gives me hope that the place might just turn out OK some time in the future.

The issue with Stir’s food is not, in my opinion, so much that the chef lacks technical proficiency. Judging by my steak, I’d say the reality is quite the contrary, as it was cooked perfectly medium-rare.

With that said, it felt like the glaze and potatoes were firmly stuck in a 1992. I am all for a good sauce, but when it overpowers the meat, what’s the point of eating a steak? Medium-rare hardly matters at that point.

The mashed potatoes, meanwhile, didn’t have any flavor at all. I don’t have the menu in front of me, but I seem to recall they were supposed to be wasabi flavored. I’m almost thinking the chef forgot to put the wasabi in.

There aren’t many dining options up in North Spokane, and Stir is definitely better than its neighbor, Golden Corral. With some re-focusing I think the restaurant could end up being quite decent, but, for now, I can’t say it’s worth the trip from downtown.

No :-( Sheila's review (Aug 24th 2008)

This is a twigs knock-off. And a bad one at that. For $18 I got 4 underdone scallops and crunchy risotto. They charged me for the full dinner even though I only ordered the light version. The walnut salad was OK, but the vinaigrette paired with the bleu cheese was overpowering. Also, more expensive than Twigs and the portions were half the size. Will not go back and would not recommenced.

No :-( kadra's review (Sep 1st 2008)

We’ve been in to Stir a couple times before and actually had several great experiences but on this particular occasion we were treated so poorly that we will not be returning. From the very beginning to the end of our visit the service was horrible. One person in the group ordered a bottle of beer and instead received a draft. Another person in the group ordered a beer, and after all of the other drinks were delivered was asked three times what she wanted. We thought no big deal, it happens. Our group consisted of individuals who have all worked in the food industry for years. We all forget orders sometimes, we get it. When the food order came it wasn’t even close to what we had ordered. One person ordered a plain burger, another ordered blue cheese fries (which we’ve ordered previously), the others Mac n cheese and fried artichokes. Over ten minutes later the waitress came back and informed us that the artichokes weren’t available. So the person proceeded to order a burger. The mac n cheese came out with bacon which wasn’t advertised on the menu, and it came out before anyone else’s meals. The person who had ordered the mac and cheese was actually a vegetarian. Then the burgers came out. The one plain came out with everything but mayo, and when she dropped it off, she said she would be right back with mayonnaise. Plain means plain. We tried telling her it was supposed to be plain, but all she said was “ok I will be back with the mayonnaise”. It was as if she was not listening at all. In addition, she never fixed the burger. Five minutes later our blue cheese fries came out with a small side of blue cheese. Last time the fries were already covered with cheese. We asked her if they were accidentally a side of fries with a side of blue cheese and she responded with “no, this is how they always come”. We knew better as the blue cheese we received did not even taste the same as the cheese we had ordered on previous occasions. The fries on the burgers were hard and cold. After suffering through this service nightmare, we finally received our bill. The burgers were overcharged and the fries were rang in as a side of fries like we had asked our server about. As we waited yet AGAIN to pay, the waitress came over and we tried to explain to her about the upcharges and inform her about the food. We also tried telling her that the burger was supposed to be plain, she responded with a snotty, “she never heard that”. We had actually tried telling her on three separate occasions and still nothing was done about it. She proceeded to get her manager, which we later found out was in fact one of the owners. She came over and barely let us finish our sentence before telling us she had taken off three measly dollars off our bill. Two of which, we were incorrectly overcharged for. We have over 30 years of restaurant experience between us and we have never been talked to in such a patronizing, sarcastic, and demeaning tone. It’s really a shame, because we had all planned to make Stir a frequent stop after our restaurant shifts. It’s too bad that the great service we had received previously from one of the bartenders Rio, was jeopardized by such a poor experience by not only our server but the co-owner as well. She seemed to be more concerned with a ten dollar profit then with the fact that she was about to lose four customers. Honestly, I don’t think any of us will be back. Something we had talked up to friends and coworkers has now been ruined.

No :-( Colleen's review (Sep 24th 2008)

The first time we tried Stir, the food was really good. All four members of our party liked what they ordered, which is unusual for us. The second time, just my husband and I went. There were only 2 other people in the restaurant. I ordered fries and the pulled pork sliders. My husband ordered the steak (the same he had ordered the first time). The fries came out first (the waiter told us they didn’t have a heat lamp). About 5 minutes later the sliders were served. The meat was so dry I asked for extra sauce, which was too runny to use. About 5 minutes after that the medium-rare steak my husband ordered was served medium-well. The sauce was not as good as the first time and the side of vegetables looked and tasted like what I imagine dog food would taste like. The only redeeming thing about the meal was the friendly waiter. Unfortunately that’s not enough to make it back a third time. What a big disappointment! We had high hopes for a good Northside restaurant.

Yes :-) Kallie's review (Nov 4th 2008)

My husband I visited Stir about a month ago and had a very positive experience. We started with the artichokes as an appetizer and then shared the hamburger. I will say, the artichoke appetizer is a small portion for the price, but is extremely tasty! We both also liked the burger. It’s a mouthful! We commented that it was the best burger we’ve ever had. Drinks were not bad either, just a little overpriced.