The Backdoor

Overall: Although the food is a bit pricey, The Backdoor is worth a shot if you're in the mood for a great cocktail. The good: Great, unique drinks. We both got the Ryan Gosling and were not disappointed. The fries were also a huge hit, I just wish there were more of them with the order. The atmosphere is dive-y yet classy, and was honestly a lot bigger than what I was expecting. We came on an empty night but I could see it being a lot of fun when there's a crowd. The not-so-good: The tacos and fries were a bit overpriced. They tasted fine, but they were too expensive for what they were. Food/drink: 8/10 Atmosphere: 8/10 Service: 8/10

I'll start with the pros, because there are very few. Pros: The ambience is beautiful! In food; the curried cauliflower and the burrata salad are winners. In drinks I liked the Apres Vous and French Pop. That's about it. It all goes downhill from here. Cons: Incorrect billing. Make sure you check your bill carefully! I have attached a copy of my bill and the menu for reference. You can see that for 2 of the drinks they charged us extra. The 14 year Oban whiskey costs 15$ on the menu & they charged us 18$ for it. Similarly Westland first Pete costs 13$ on the menu and they charged us 15$. Rude waitress. When we called our waitress to inform her about the error in the bill, she was annoyed and literally rolled her eyes at us. Service is extremely slow to say the least. It takes a while for them to take your order and even longer to get your order. They charge a 20% tip by default for this horrible service. The drinks are Bad. We were a group of 8 and nobody enjoyed their drinks. I had one of the seasonal drinks called "Winston" which was way too strong to digest. I also asked for a custom drink with egg white and chocolate which was okay and not worth the 15$ price point. Another friend also ordered a custom drink with egg white and citrus flavors that tasted awful. We also had the Power Lunch which I did not enjoy. In food; their Gnocchi was barely digestable. Extremely chewy with very little sauce. In the green beans, the best part was the candied bacon. The green beans itself was undercooked. I would not recommend this place! Seattle has a ton of speakeasys and cocktail bars that are 100 times better.

My absolute favorite cocktail bar in Seattle, tucked into downtown Fremont with a VERY cool speakeasy vibe. The decor includes varied and funky chandeliers, murals on every wall, the ambiance and staff are fun and wonderful, the food is great, and the seasonal drinks are inventive and delicious. Great for parties, visitors and date nights (I've done all of it), and a total gem of a local spot!