Skillet Diner - Official Review

 

CBC Recommendation: Pass!  

Neighborhood: Capitol Hill / Central District
1400 E Union St
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 420-7297
www.skilletstreetfood.com

Hours:

Mon-Thu, Sun 7 am – 12 am
Fri-Sat 7 am – 2 pm

Awards:

Best of Western Washington 2010 “Nominee”
 
Press:
USA Today
TIME Magazine
Sunset Magazine
Seattle Times

Official Review:
When the Skillet Diner opened up May 2011, expectations were set pretty high as there was high praise for the Skillet Food Truck.  We set to find out. 

The diner itself is on the southern part of Capitol Hill, hence why it might considered located in the Central District.  There were no big signs screaming that this is the Skillet Diner lives.  In fact it was an understated neon sign (who knew that a neon sign could be understated) and we would have missed the sign if we were not for the chairs lined up for waiting customers. 

We went during a Friday lunch time, right before 12 pm hoping to beat the lunch crowd.  Anticipation was high for one member who had never been and expectations were equally high.  Walking in, this was no dive diner.  The tattooed staff quickly greeted us and we were seated promptly.  The diner was already filling up and only a handful of tables remained unseated, with people arriving behind us.  The décor was fabulously fitted with a new urban diner feel.  The mason jar glasses were awesome and cloth table napkins helped set the stage for the burger we about to experience.  Attention to detail is evident and we’ll see if the same attention was paid to the burger. 

The single page menu contained only four burgers but we were only interested in “the basic” which was just a burger with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and American cheese.  The basic came with a choice of hand-cut fries or a salad on a Macrina roll.  We both opted for the hand-cut fries.

The burgers arrived with the same attention to detail that was so pervasive throughout the Skillet.  The burger was a beautiful site to marvel at. The Macrina (local Seattle bakery) bun was golden brown, crisp and warm.  The meat from Painted Hills (locally raised (sorta) in Wheeler County, OR) was evenly seared to a beautiful dark brown crust proportion. As a CBC member lifted the top bun to inspect the fixings, again it was thing of beauty.  A single piece of lettuce, a slice of tomato, and a pickle sliced lengthwise all laid on a canvas of meat and cheese. The fixings were obviously fresh and well portioned as they did not need the bun to stay on the burger.  With the top bun back on, a single slice through the middle revealed a juicy patty cooked to perfection.   Now it was time to taste it.  Will it live up to the reviews?  Will it live to the $14 dollar lunch price tag?

Both CBC members agreed that the burger was a thing of beauty.  It appeared to have everything going for it, the bun, meat of quality beef and fresh fixings, but it really disappointed.  Why?  For our members, the meat failed to deliver.  The meat was juicy and cooked to perfection with just the right crust but there was little to no flavor.  In our opinion, a change in salt (or seasoning) or meat cut combinations is the missing factor in this burger equation.   So it is with much regret “the burger” at Skillet is a CBC Pass.