McGilvra's - Reviews

My experience at this restaurant was disappointing due to the manager's behavior. While the food was not bad, the manager's nasty, rude, and unfriendly attitude significantly detracted from the overall experience. She seemed to only be pleasant to wealthy customers, and it was evident that the workers were afraid of her. The atmosphere received a low rating of 2. I would advise others to avoid this place if they want to have a good time.

My experience at this restaurant was a mixed bag. The servers here are very nice and work hard, and the location is great. However, the food quality was just acceptable.

Our first dinner stop in Seattle was unfortunately disappointing. The restaurant seemed understaffed and overwhelmed. Despite this, our waitress was truly amazing, constantly moving between tables inside and out. The table assistant/busser was also great, clearly hustling and very busy. Our meals arrived after a long wait and were unfortunately at room temperature, not even warm. The hostess attempted to help but did not seem happy about it. When she brought our remade meals, part of the order was incorrect. We let it go and enjoyed the food, which was actually very good. When thanking the hostess, she offered a disgruntled, forced smile without a word. Overall, the waitress and busser were fantastic, working hard the entire time. The hostess, however, was not very welcoming or personable and seemed to help only begrudgingly. Kudos to the waitress and busser!

This place has always been a favorite of mine, and I have to give credit where it’s due—the staff are consistently excellent, and the drinks never disappoint. On my last visit, I had a salad that was fresh and delicious, which made me look forward to trying something new this time around. Unfortunately, the shrimp special fell short of expectations, especially considering its price of $23. While the shrimp itself was cooked well, the sides left a lot to be desired. The mashed potatoes tasted like they came straight from a box, and the vegetables were clearly frozen, lacking both freshness and flavor. Together, they made the dish feel underwhelming compared to the quality I’ve come to expect here. That said, I won’t write McGilvra’s off. I’ll certainly be back for the atmosphere, service, and drinks, but I’ll be more selective with what I order next time.

My experience at this restaurant, conveniently located right by the water, offered a mix of enjoyable dishes and some areas for improvement. We savored meals including the fish sandwich, wings, Florentine Benedict, and clam chowder. While the Hugo cocktail was a bit too sweet for my taste, the clam chowder was unfortunately too watery. The service was generally friendly and good, but the frequent check-ins from the server, asking if we were doing okay, bordered on annoying.

Monday was happy all day. The service was attentive. The food was fresh and tasty. The menu has some vegetarian items, but there could be more.

My experience at this restaurant was extremely negative due to the rude waitress. When we asked to sit at a table closer to the sidewalk, she took significant issue with our request. Instead of a simple "no, " she appeared personally offended and sarcastically remarked, "go ahead, " as if we had committed a grave offense. This kind of service is unacceptable, and we chose to leave without dining. No thank you.

My experience at McGilvra's was fantastic! The staff was extremely friendly, and the menu offered more variety than I expected for this type of restaurant. While breakfast is served late on weekends, the entire menu is available. I thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast burrito, and my brother raved that the fish and chips were among the best he's had in Seattle. The atmosphere is a typical bar and lounge with a lot of wood, making it very casual, yet it was also very clean and inviting. It was clear the staff knew their regulars, but I felt just as welcome despite not being a frequent visitor. McGilvra's has become my new favorite among the many great places in Madison Park.

I ordered takeout from McGilvra's via Uber Eats, selecting a "3 piece chicken strips" option that was priced slightly higher than the children's size. I assumed this meant I would receive more than the 1-2 pieces typically found in a children's portion. Upon pickup, I discovered I had received the children's portion of 2 pieces. When I called to clarify, the staff member was incredibly rude and stated they do not offer a 3-piece option, only the children's 2-piece portion for chicken tenders. I pointed out that both Uber Eats and their website advertised a 3-piece option, which they should rectify if it's not available. The response was a curt "yeah? " instead of an apology or acknowledgment of the discrepancy. Uber Eats was unhelpful in resolving the issue. This was my first experience with McGilvra's, and based on this interaction, it will likely be my last if this is how they treat customers.

We’ve come here many times and have always had the same server who was nothing but amazing. We had someone else tonight, and before I start, I'm a server, I know how it is. Our server took our drink order, got our food, and got me another drink while dropping it off, and then never spoke to us again. She sat on her phone and ate right next to our table, even though we were the only table in the dining room. My girlfriend wanted another drink but was just going to wait. After 40 minutes of her being on her phone and eating, and having my girlfriend push her dirty dishes to the edge so she’d notice we were ready to head out, we watched her say goodnight to the bartender and leave. She never communicated she was transferring her table or if we needed anything else. We waited another 10 minutes, but I wanted to leave, so I made my partner go up and ask the bartender to get our bill. If he had the table transferred to him, all he had to do was just check and see if we were still doing okay, and we would’ve just said we needed a box and our check. I understand if you’re busy, and I'd never be upset about that, but as a server, it takes 20 seconds to ask if we’re doing okay. Super disappointing because we’ve never had a bad experience since tonight.