No :-( Remi's review (May 30th 2006)

I think our mistake was going to Steelhead for food rather than drinks. With its contemporary yet inviting ambiance, it is definitely a place where I could see myself enjoying a 32 ounce beer schooner on a hot summer’s evening. But lunch was what we were there for, and that was what we tried.

The result, sadly, was not particularly good.

Spokane has plenty of good pubs and bars that serve excellent food, and The Elk has set my bar for pub cuisine. So maybe the expectations were just too high? Either way. I decided to try the steak sandwich with cream cheese and sprouts, and a side order of fries. A fairly safe meal by most standards, and certainly something a bar should be able to handle. Should be able to handle.

Now don’t get me wrong, I did not spit the food out or anything, but I certainly wasn’t in a dining nirvana. Whatever flavor the meat had was mostly drowned out by the cream cheese which I’m guessing came straight from Fred Meyer’s Philadelphia section. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with that, but I do expect a bit more when I go out to eat. If a meal can easily be made at home, then I have a hard time recommending it.

I also sampled one of The Jennifer’s fish tacos, and was not impressed. Too much stash and not enough focus on the core flavors. That might in retrospect have been for the better, as the fish seemed way overcooked.

For dessert we had to try the “deep fried cheesecake.” I mean come on, how could that not be awesome? Well, for one thing it wasn’t even deep fried. In fact, we have a strong suspicion that it was simply a frozen Sara Lee cake wrapped in some phyllo dough.

Highly disappointing.

The Steelhead Bar and Grille does have its place, but not as a restaurant. For a friendly place to enjoy a drink, however, I’m sure it is just fine.

Yes :-) Travis's review (Jun 1st 2006)

Gonna have to disagree with the No :( review. As someone who works downtown, the selection for everyday lunch and happy hour spots has been limited. For a lunch spot, I mostly am interested in good food, reasonably price, quick service. On these criteria, I like Steelhead better than the usual spots such as Red Robin, Rock City, Sawtooth, Cyrus O’Leary. Sure, I like Moxie better, but its difficult to get in and out in a reasonable amount of time. As far as happy hour goes, its tough to beat the 1/2 price appetizers. So for an everyday lunch and happy hour spot, Steelhead gets the Yes :-) nod.

Yes :-) Andrew's review (Jun 3rd 2006)

I went there the other night, met someone for a drink, I tried the smoked salmon appetizer. The cream cheese was cut into slabs and stood on end creatinga corner. In this corner they placed the smoked salmon. I liked that. The service was quick without being overbearing. Since I was still in my chefs jacket, The server mentioned that they have a new chef, so perhaps the food quality will rise. If I am wanting beer and bar food, I would go back.

Yes :-) Kelly's review (Jun 20th 2006)

I thought the atmosphere was great! The choice in wine was right on for this newbie, reasonable prices – gotta like that AND I’ll be going back for live music playing above the bar on Tuesday nights (gotta see that) – is there anything better to do on a Tuesday night in Spokane? The food may not be gourmet, but come on, I want a good atmosphere, a good drink, good music and a place to enjoy my good company! Steelhead scores high in my book!

Yes :-) Jim's review (Jul 21st 2006)

We had a great dinner at the Steelhead. We started with the Steelhead appetizer. I had the linguine with shrimp and my wife had a beef kabob. Both of us enjoyed in greatly. Would recommend it to anyone to try.

Yes :-) Tina's review (Aug 11th 2006)

I have been to the Steelhead on numerous occasions and have to say that it is my favorite place in Spokane to go for drinks and food. You can not beat the yummy 1/2 appetizers, great beer, and excellent service. The atmosphere is laid back and the prices are very reasonable. I would recommend anyone to give the Steelhead a try!

Yes :-) melissa's review (Oct 27th 2006)

I’ve been there 2x for lunch now and was very impressed especially by the excellent prices. For $7.00-$8.00 it’s a great value! I had the blue cheese burger and cajun shrimp salad. Both were great! Service was fast and efficient

Yes :-) Cassidy's review (Dec 13th 2006)

I have been to Steelhead quite a few times with friends and my husband. We love it there. The “seat yourself” is fine by us since it seems the turn over is adequate. The 1/2 price appetizers are the way to go and the steak is one of the best I’ve had for the price. Not too many good steak places that are reasonably priced in the Spokane area. The French fries are key. And the prices are great. The bartenders are hard workers and the atmosphere is great.

No :-( Heather's review (Dec 27th 2006)

Unfortunatly, I would not recommend the Steelhead to anyone for the food. There are many amazing eateries downtown and Steelhead’s food was sub standard. As long at you know that going in, it is a nice place to go for drinks.

Yes :-) Chad's review (Jan 28th 2007)

Most bar and grill locations in Spokane have substandard hamburgers and chicken strips for their required food sales to offset the cocktail lounge, but I couldn’t have been more surprised at the level of food offered at Steelhead and for what a great price.

No :-( Heather's review (Feb 21st 2007)

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend Steelhead but only for it’s inconsistency. I have been there three times. The first time the food was awful and was not what was described on the menu.

The second visit was great.

I went for the third time and ordered the same appetizers as the time before and received about a third of the amount of food and noticed tables around us had larger portions. Very disappointing. For the price, we will go somewhere else.

Yes :-) I'm Hungry's review (Apr 1st 2007)

We’ve been to the Steelhead several times now and love the place. Love the atmosphere, and the food and service are great too. So far we’ve had burgers, the steak sandwich, and chicken kabobs, and all were delish. The platter of fries is awesome! One of our fave places in town.

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

Great atmosphere!! Steak and shrimp kabobs were just right. Great prices too!

Yes :-) Leio's review (May 21st 2007)

I went to the Steelhead with a friend for drinks on a Sunday. Although a bit disappointed with the beer selection, I have to say I had quite an enjoyable experience at the Steelhead. The service was great, and the prices very reasonable. I ordered the blackened chicken sandwich which had a nice spicy kick to it. My friend ordered the artichoke dip appetizer, which I recommend (the jalapeños make all the difference in transforming this appetizer from ho-hum to a cut above). One other minor gripe is the lettuce they used for my salad. Obviously crappy pre-bagged lettuce, Iceburg if I remember correctly. Minor gripes aside, This is a great place to stop for a casual lunch and drinks.

Yes :-) Adam Darling's review (Nov 23rd 2007)

I loved the service. This server named Bryan(dark hair) was great!!!Although I went back and he wasn’t there, very disappointingly. I wish he served at every restaurant in Spokane. Besides this guy, the food was pretty good. Drinks are great also. Loved the margaritas. Bartenders were hard working and quick. It was very busy and it seemed Bryan handled it very well. Thanks Bryan for the awesome service!!!

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

It’s the same cook from Wild Weasel, who used to do a great job with burgers and sandwiches but is now attempting downtown cusine with some sucess and some failures. I don’t know what’s up with the “cheese sauce” on the philly, it’s a cheese sauce with a rue for thickener and tastes horrable. When they used real cheese it was the best Philly in town, but that was 3 years ago at the Weasel. Okay happy hour & HH snacks.