« Magnolia, Seattle Restaurants

Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. Szmania's food and service was sub par. I didn't appreciate the unfriendly service I was greeted with and the food was truly mediocre at best. Next....

An amazing experience from beginning to end. From the moment I walked in the door I was made to feel special by all. The food was perfect, the attention to any and all needs was beyond compare.
Szmania's made my birthday the best ever and I shall hold it dear to my heart forever.

Thank you,

Linda Vieths Storbakken

I've desperately wanted to try this restaurant and finally got my wish last week. I am so sorry to report that it was very disappointing. The portions weren't generous and my meal tasted ok but not great. I really had high hopes - perhaps I built them up to high and was unreasonable? I hope so as I'd like to try them again and do hope to be "wowed". In the meantime I am sorry to report that this restaurant isn't "5 star" and frankly would rather go to other cheaper restaurants where the service is top notch and the food isn't mediocre.
Hopeful in Magnolia

Szmania's is 5 star in my book! There must be something about the relatively anonymous nature of the blogosphere that coaxes writers to unleash the snark within. Perhaps it also deludes one into believing they are a credible food critic. I enjoy a lot of lower end restaurants and dives around Magnolia and Ballard, but when I want an atmosphere of understated elegance and consistently excellent food I only want to go to Szmania's. They offer delicious, creative, and beautifully presented food. The staff is knowledgable, courteous, and yes, they are real people with a range of personalities. If I wanted cheap, clever, or to be treated like the royalty I'm not, I'd go elsewhere. I appreciate that the menu features local flavors as well as the German influenced dishes. All delicious all the time!

I've gone here twice recently (once because Chinook's was closed!) and service has sped up quite a bit. I'm pretty sure it was deliberate because the waiter was checking out our plates somewhat frequently (my aunt was eating very very very slowly, gnah). The entrees were very good, and the bread as well. The hostess was smiling a lot, but it looked a bit pasted on ... like she might need some primal scream therapy when she got home. But it was a huge improvement in service and the effort was very much appreciated :-)

I am ashamed to say that I caved. I've boycotted Szmania's for about 3 years now after horrible service, lousy food and high prices. As a long time Magnolia resident, I am very loyal to the small business owners in this wonderful area and tried to patronize Szmania's. But, I continually left dissatisfied. So, when old friends were in town that wanted to eat there I caved. But, once again I told myself to go in with an open mind and thought perhaps after 3 years things may have improved. Boy, was I wrong! Where was this wonderful Karen everyone speaks so highly of? Well, I can tell you that she was there alright but her uppity attitude was not appreciated and we were greeted with an overwhelmingly (and obvious) poor attitude that was not welcoming or polite. After seating us at the smallest table in the restaurant, it took our server 25 minutes to take our order and then another 35 minutes to get our food which was over cooked and poorly presented. I'm sorry to see that things haven't changed in 3 years. This restaurant is grossly overpriced for what you get and can guarantee I will not be returning. Sorry Szmania's. I tried, but you didn't try hard enough to win back my patronage.

Szmania's is one of the veterans in the Village, and with good reason. Ludger has remains committed to preparing top quality food in a pleasing atmosphere. The food is consistently delicious - and yes, a little pricey, but you get what you pay for. Our only negative experience a couple of years ago was when we made a reservation for a special roast goose dinner at the holidays, and were told they had run out of goose. Presumably, they were only selling it to those with reservations, so to this day we're not sure what happened. Otherwise, all of our visits have been good.

Hi there-
I just had to send a feedback email after a wonderful experience at
your restaurant last Thursday.
We were greeted by Karen and she was so friendly and welcoming.
It was Octoberfest and very festive and fun... we were not expecting
this.
We sat at the bar in front of the kitchen and Thadius was busy making
beautiful salads but he
stopped his work to say hello and welcome us.
Our server was Ken and he went beyond good service. He was
knowledgeable about the menu, the wine list and the beers. We took
his suggestions and had an incredible meal.
He kept checking on us even though it was extremely busy. He was also
incredibly friendly... just wonderful.
We were able to observe Thadius and his attention to detail on his
plates was outstanding.
We also talked to the Chef and he was so friendly and warm.

I can't say enough about your staff and restaurant.

We will be back and will tell all of our friends.

Great job!

Theresa

Check out Julie's comment on here. Yeah she seems really nice! I really want to go here! NOT!

Thumbs down!!!!!

Why all the negative comments? And, to compare Szmanias with establishments like Nikos is ridiculous! The restaurant is by far the best restaurant in Magnolia, and one of the nicer places in Seattle. Unlike many other Seattle restaurants, Szmanias does not feel "stuffy" and the people who work there are some of the finest around. We love Michelle, the bartender. We also love Karen, who always greets you when you come in and will always remember you when you come back. The servers Grant, Ken, Tracy, and Ron (to name a few) are great. This is our home away from home. Ludger and Julie take the time to get to know their customers. The food is good, and along with the friendly atmosphere, it keeps us coming back!

Been there twice. The first time was for lunch for a turkey sandwich of some sort. It was really good but overpriced, I think. Second time was for an Easter brunch thing. I thought my food was OK, though boyfriend was very dissatisfied with his. The price was outrageous though considering what we got. Also, the service wasn't great for the Easter brunch. I can't complain about the time I was there for lunch because I was pretty much the only person there.

I agree about the not very good barbecue last Sunday. Bottled barbecue sauce would be much better, Maybe it was bottled?

According to http://www.decadeonline.com/main.phtml?agency=skc, at last surprise health inspection this restaurant got 10 points, with 2 high risk violations.

Sorry but the BBQ they just had was really really poor. If you want good BBQ, I don't recommend this place and certainly not for $19. Sorry Szmania's, better luck next time.

Yeah, we tried the BBQ and it wasn't that tasty. Actually there are better BBQ places down in Sodo that do a better job, and are 1/2 the price. Next time I would just but a couple kid's chicken drumsticks for $3, and then go home and BBQ!

Great turnout for our first BBQ Sunday of the season. The grill was fired up like the Chef and we had a fun time with tasty Baby Back Ribs, Pulled Pork, Beef Brisket and a big meat Sampler plate for only $19 with all the trimmings. Next week we add BBQ Chicken with drumsticks for kids for only $3 including Bourbon Baked Beans, Corn on the Cob, Baked Potatoes and German Cole Slaw.

Poor food, poor service. 'nuff said.

I have been there twice in the past 4 years. The food was really good/ service was slow.

Valentijn's comments aren't enough to lure me back to this hole. As far as I'm concerned, it's too little too late. Szmania's service was horrible every time I patronized the restaurant and no matter what they did/do for me, I'd never go back.

We went there Saturday night, when it was fairly quiet (night before Mother's Day), and all 4 of us ordered different entrees, and they were all delicious and cooked perfectly. The service was a long way from fast, bit it wasn't sloooooow either. So maybe they're turning things around. Or we got lucky :P Someone else made the plans to go there, and I had some trepidation.

What happened to the website? It's gone from a classy and appealing website to a fast food-esqe looking website. Who on earth designs your website Julie? Did you even review it? I have to be honest. It's terrible and makes your quaint little gem look like a fly by night pit stop. Poor graphics, cheap design and very unappealing to say the least. Your restaurant seems to be deteriorating in so many ways Julie...sad but true.

Wow, I can't believe this place is still in business! Patronized this place years ago and see that things haven't changed much - and not for the better. The restaurant is overpriced, stuffy, and gives the impression that it is "classy" yet it's quite the opposite. Sorry, but I have to ask why are people still talking about this place?

Went there twice ( once for lunch and once for dinner)and both times the service was appalling slow. The food was overpriced and wasn't really that wonderful for what you got. At dinner, the waiter brought me the wrong entree, and after one forkful, I realized I was not eating what I ordered. After telling the waiter" you brought me something different...its good, but its not what I ordered"...he kinda chuckled and walked away!!!!...and he actually charged me full price for the wrong dish and it was way more than what I originally ordered. No mention of "I'm sorry, I will make an adjustment, or, are you okay with this entree instead?" It was as if he was happy that his screwup didn't involve any more interaction with me. He didn't resolve the issue with me right then. He chose to ignore it. The rest of the evening, he had the blinders on when he came near our table. I still cannot understand how they stay in business with such terrible service...which is always the kiss of death for any restaurant. There should be a manual on how to give great service in the food industry. Its not hard to do...just take care of your guests..people do not want to be ignored and they want good food at a fair price. The service should be polite, engaging and most of all prompt. If there are problems in the kitchen , come out and give your guests an update...talk to them, refill their glasses, give them more bread, but make them know you care about them and are on their side. If something goes amiss, handle it...give them a coupon or some dessert, or a whatever. That will go along way to keeping someone loyal to you. Szmania's is at the bottom of my list of places to go.

Yeah, tried this place. It was not good at all. I mean I know German food is bland, but the stuff this guy cooks, is REALLY bland. More so than what you get in Germany or Bavaria. Yeah, wouldn't recommend. I think the high prices are just there to make you think it will taste good.

I am Irish, and an international food connoisseur, and I happen to have tried Szmania's Corned Beef and Cabbage, and it tasted like warmed up Spam. Which is actually not that bad for many English folk that eat that type of food, but no way is it a good reflection of our hearty and rich, famous Irish dish. As for their German food, I would recommend Danube Restaurant in Bellevue instead, to get authentic German food. If you are interested in a weird, untasty, version, then stay at Szmania's.

Hals-und Beinbruch!!

M

It's Paddy's Day Isabelle. Not St. Patty's Day. I'm sure your service was good because no one was in their restaurant. One would hope their service would be top notch if it's empty.

Next....

My husband was in search of corned beef and cabbage on St Patty's day and after calling the typical "Irish" restaurants and being told the wait would be hours to be seated we called Szmania's and asked if they were serving it at their restaurant. They said yes, so we headed to the village and had the most AMAZING corned beef and cabbage EVER! Not only was the food awesome, but we got seated immediately and the atmosphere was calm and pleasant. Highly recommend for future St Patty's day cravings! Thank you Chef O'Szmania!

The biggest complaint is slow service - a restaurant owner of average intelligence should be able to figure out that customers prefer prompt service. I can understand a need to complain if something in cooked poorly, but what's the point in complaining about slow service when the problem should be obvious to the owners? Here's the explicit statement for owners of less than average intelligence: customers don't like to wait half an hour for a drink. Hire more waiters, prepare food faster, or whatever you need to do.

I read about how much critics rave about this restaurant, however, just picked up the Seattle Metropolitan Mag with Seattle's best restaurants, and this one wasnt named at all. I wonder what that means?

I've tried to give Szmania's a chance. I really have. My boss recommended we try this "hidden gem" and was very dissapointed in the service. The hostess wasn't friendly when she greeted us and sat us right beside the front door when the restaurant was empty! Needless to say we were cold with the door opening right beside us. The food was not too bad. I can't say as though I loved it as it was moreso just average. Then I tried it again last week and was not pleased with the portion size in relation to price. This place could certainly be overlooked that's for sure.

BTW, this website is fantastic! I love reading all the reviews for restaurants in Magnolia and Ballard.

14 out of 20 doesnt seem to be to high end, plus I find Magazine interpretations to be very different from what people actually like. Look at Niko's or Ichiro's, both have high ratings, but are not mentioned that much in magazines. Also, most restaurants know when a reviewer is in, and treat the reviewer 100x better than any of their other customers. I think you need to take their reviews with a grain of salt.

For many years Szmania's has been our special occasion restaurant, so we're surprised by the negative responses here. Here are snippets from current reviews: "#94 of 2,059 Seattle restaurants" (Trip Advisor); "No restaurant in town more brilliantly reflects its neighborhood" (Seattle Metropolitan Magazine, 3/24/09); Gayot.com current rating "14/20" (this is at the high end of their scale).

As an owner of my own small business, I am appalled at what Julie Szmania wrote, and can not believe she would expect customers to flock to her establishment when writing such a remark. She is obviously not too concerned with customer satisfaction or trying to win over those critics. That is the best part of being a small business owner, winning over critics or people that had a bad experience. Turning a negative into a positive is so rewarding, especially when you know you have regained a customers trust and support. Julie obviously doesn't understand that. And to be honest, I have tasted the food there and so I really believe they need to work on their customer service, because it won't be the food bringing back the customers, that's for sure.

Was not fan i heard about this restraunt and made a trip from lynwood to see what all the fuss was about and i have to say it did not nearly live up to my expection i strongly dont reccomend this for a dinner out unless you are either very wealthy or live in magnolia and want over cooked german dishes

And when i said poor management my only basis behind that is julie szmanias response to comments. I think its ridicoulous to yell at your past customers over the internet. Not everyone likes the restraunt Szmanias its not ok for you as an owner (i assume) to yell at people for leaving a legitimate reason not to go to your restraunt

very poor management, very loud, decent food, outrageous prices, long wait, rude waiters save yourself a night and 200$ head down a block and grab yourself some gyros from Nykos.

Wow is all I can say. There must be something either really "good" or really "bad" about this restaurant to cause such emotionally charged comments. I guess all this attention is better than no attention? I completely agree with Mag98199's last statement about moving on however, I can't say I'm impressed by the fact that numerous votes have been removed due to assumptions. These types of message boards should never be altered or deleted because everyone should be able to express their feelings and opinions and then people can form their own opinions from such. What happened to free speech? Regardless of the drama this restaurant has stirred up, I can't say as though I am impressed by what appears to be an owner response. I agree with Vanessa in that who tells people to "shut up"? I would hope the owner of this restaurant would have more couth than the suspected trolls but apparently that isn't the case.

Julie's reply was to comments that have since been removed. The comments contained inflammatory comments and false accusations about not only Szmania's, but also about other commentors. The vote count was probably adjusted after what appeared to be a stuffing of the ballot box. Their vote count went from 60+ to 90+ in a couple of days and their avg went from 3+ to 2 with those votes. If you have an opinion, share it . . but then move on.

Wow, I am amazed at the reply by Julie Szmanias. I actually didnt mind that restaurant, but her reply makes me not want to frequent that restaurant, if that is Julie. I see this emjay person posting everywhere, so I wouldn't be surprised if that was him/her.

Anyways, I suspect that is the real Julie, and the fact that she would be so abbrasive towards customers with complaints, shows to me, she doesnt have that customer service knack that great restaurants have. Take Niko's for instance, they are truly the nicest, best place in Magnolia Village, and they really know how to treat customers. Maybe Niko's could also run a Customer service course that Julie could take.

I know that we went to Szmanias once, and had printed off some specials they had on their website. When we got to the restaurant, the hostess was quite rude, and they did not honor the special on their website, and didnt even try to make up for it, so we left. And when we contacted Julie, no free meal was offered, not even the special deal or an equivalent one was offered. So it makes me wonder why Julie asks about these negative comments, when I know we got very poor service, and even gave them two chances to do something about it. We gave up and haven't returned since, but that is alright, we have found a couple gems in Queen Anne, and Ballard. I hope that Julie takes these types of comments more to heart, as it seems like a very nice place from the outside, obviously on their good days, people are happy with the food and so they might turn the service around for the positive. Good luck!

I wonder why has the ratings of Szmania's all of a sudden gone up and only has 10 votes? I recall many months back that Szmanias had more votes than any other restaurant. And then I see Julie (I guess she is the owner) Szmania's very eloquent (that's my sarcasm) reply, and I reread all the comments. Some positive and many negative about the customer service, and I think its funny that she wonders why there are people upset with the customer service. Who tells people to shut up? Unless that is not really the owner and someone pretending to be a very stern person. I know from my experience at that restaurant it wasnt too welcoming, and the food wasn't anything to write home about. Actually, I find some of the other restaurant's in Magnolia like Mondellos and Palisades having a much tastier menu and very inviting when you come in. I think too, when you have great friendly service, it seems to make the whole meal experience even better, which in turns, has a big effect on the taste. I know I have been to a lot of dives, but we had such a great waitstaff, and everything seemed to be so good, that all I recall of the mean, was that it was great! Too each their own, I guess. Good luck with the customer service!

Cheers to Julie for calling out those who choose to hide behind their computer v. deal directly with a real person to express their disgruntlements. If any of you that have chosen to wage a cyber attack on the restaurant have taken up Julie's offer and are still unhappy, let's hear it. Otherwise, maybe it's time to find a new hobby -- or, try Applebees.

No, Darcy (or is that you Michael?) I am not ChipO, but I share his good opinions about Szmania's. I was "emjay" until someone else (you?) started using the same name (see post #27, not me); so now I'm "The real emjay."

Julie, keep up the good work, we'll continue to come and enjoy! mj

If all the cowardly cyber bullies out there who are too lame to contact any business owner with a legitimate complaint, give the business constructive criticism, specific incidences which can be addressed, and a real name to apologize too, would just shut up, the world would be a better place. ChipO has never worked for us but his is one of the thousands of honest and identifiable satisfied customers over the last 19 years! Your "inside informant" could be a disgruntled former employee who was once part of nameless, faceless litany of complaints that you seem to have. Running a solid community business is about hard work and commitment, constant reassessment and improvements. Too bad those wining, negative and cowardly bloggers don't take the time to contact owners as they surely would have had a sincere apology, a promise to right any wrong and maybe a free meal. Call me anytime - I'd be happy to make amends 206 284-7305 or you can continue to hide behind your screen and attack and insult. We have an excellent, professional and hardworking staff -- the best in years - and the quality of the food we serve has never been better or more reasonably priced for the use of fresh, organic and local ingredients. From $3 Shrimp, Mahi Mahi or Steak tacos or Sirloin and Gorgonzola burgers - I dare you to try it and CALL ME if you still have a bone to pick.

We too have been going to Szmania's since they first opened and have always been very pleased with our experiences there.

I have been eating at Szmania's since they opened and have had 99% great experiences
there ,have taken alot of friends there and have always been satisfied.

Haven't been there for a few months. Took (my old boss) guests the last time and we were very disappointed - over cooked, not the quality we wanted, took a long time to get served and finish. Had bragged to the friends. Opps.
Went with Magnolia friends (again) and had the same experience. Haven't been back. Too bad, we expected much more for a bill totaling around $100 for two.

A neighborhood institution, Magnolia would not be the same without Szmanias. Having lived and enjoyed the restaurants in several Seattle neighborhoods; and also in Chicago, Vancouver BC, Boston and New York metropolitan area, I can say that Szmanias is one of the top 5 restaurants I've visited. Top in all categories: food, presentation, service and ambiance...Keep it up!

We used to count on getting a good meal at Szmania's but we've had and paid for two too many poor meals there to return. It is sad, Ludger was at the Four Seasons for years and should know what it takes to have people well served and the food consistent. It pains me to have witnessed this place slipping through the years to the point I will no longer count on it or pay the price to take a chance.

Although I somewhat agree with Native, the one conclusion we can all derive from the varied posts is that Szmanias has spotty service and food. It's definetly not consistent which makes me want to avoid patronizing the place. Customer loyalty goes a long way and if there are this many happy and unhappy customers, something must not be working.

I can't believe all these comments are about the same restaurant. I've eaten there since they opened and always had top-notch food at a great value, eager to please professional service, attentive staff and it deserves all the great accolades for the past 18 years. Don't know what you all are complaining about -

We are from out of town and ate here last week. No particular reason but it looked like a nice place to stop. Sure wish I had known what most here have said. TERRIBLE!

Definitely not the best in town by far. The meals are bland, the wine list was boring and the service was and still is horrible. I went back a couple weeks ago and it hadnt changed. Must be the owner's last jar attempt at getting some friends to try and boost their already low score. Dont be fooled, this place is over rated even at 2.5 stars!!!

Food was ok, service was awful. Nowhere close to the best and for the price I would say overall below par.

One of my favorites!! Excellent service and food. I have never been disappointed.

The lunch service and food here is always great!

The best restaurant in town. I give it a thumbs up 5 star rating for it's great food and service.

Ludger and Julie Szmania have an outstanding restaurant in little old Magnolia. Never have I had a bad meal or bad service. I find it hard to believe that there are such negative comments about what is definitely a 5 star establishment. It's truly a jewel in Magnolia.

Szmania's is a lot of fun food is always great,
Niko's is not comparable,
Szmania's has a great wine list,
There service is warm, welcoming ,
Lunch is always fun there too.
It is 5 stars,

This is by far one of the best restaurants in Seattle. The hard working chef/owner and his staff give you the best food and service possible. Can't imagine why anybody would say otherwise. I give it five stars.

Szmania's is my favorite neighborhood restaurant and I go monthly to their 'Sip & Dip' wine tasting. It is a great time to mix and meet other locals while Ludger whips up some creative dishes from around the world. What fun!

We frequent Szmanias at least twice a month. It's one of the best things about living on Magnolia. Ludger Szmania is a good chef, and his crew is great. We love going there. They make us feel like part of the family.

We went there for our anniversary recently and we had a great dinner. Excellent service and really good food. Nice place for a special night but I know people who like to hang out at the bar too.

I went there with my wife recently, who happens to be a chef. We ordered the fondue app. Which consisted of wine, a hint of cheese and mostly cornstarch or some kind of thickening agent. It had the consistency of soup. Needless to say she got sick at the table. It was hard to enjoy anything after that. The Halibut special was okay... did I say the service was terrible
For all the hype this place gets around the neighborhood we were not impressed. I had a friend who worked there in the early 90's and If my memory serves me it was a new and exciting restaurant for Magnolia. Maybe they were at the top of their game 15 years ago.

Food is poor, overpriced, and the service is poor.

I wondered what the fuss was about with this restaurant. Our friend from out of town is a vegetarian and in this day and age, you would think that a restaurant would have at least one meatless entre! To top things off, my father, who is surprisingly gay asked the waiter for extra cream sauce and boy did our service change for the worse at that point. It was a joke, sir! Homophobia is so 1999.

I cant help but disagree. I've been to the restaurant on a number of occaisions and I've always found the staff to be professional and friendly.

The menu changes seasonally and the food is the portions are more than enough for a healthy appetite. I'm not sure about the several restaurants in the magnolia. I've always found a lack of dining establishments which serve decent food.

Each to there own opinion, but I will continue going to the restaurant and recommending it. Comparing Nikos and Szmania's is really a poor comparison.

Excellent variety of food, great flavors, friendly staff, though a little slow sometimes, and getting drinks seems to take a looooong time.

Cheaper than Palisade, and better food, though less seafood options.