Twist Restaurant and Lounge

Went this after eating at Umi’s to celebrate a graduation and received the WORST service from a rude and semi-​racist server. The waitress walked past our area 3x to serve and check on the caucasian group next to us. When we flagged her down to put in an order she rolled her eyes, put her finger up and said, «uhm, i’ll be back».

I’ve been both here, and their sister restaurant, Ventana, several times during my stint in Seattle, and have somewhat mixed feelings about both. Twist has a pretty good happy hour, with a fair selection of actual food that’s well-​portioned, dessert, and drinks, all at a 20−40% discount off their usual prices.
Having tried their Caesar salad ($ 6) and rigatoni ($ 9) today, I can say that their food isn’t spectacular, but is certainly not a bad option during happy hour, especially for large groups, given how much space they have here (towards the back, especially). Drinks, on the other hand, are underwhelming, with fairly weak mixed drinks, and a bartender that will actually refuse to make you certain drinks that he disapproves of (if he thinks your choice of liquors sound gross).
And while the wait staff is friendly, keep in mind that service here can be a bit slow, since they’ve let a lot of staff go lately. Tonight, they only had one waitress and bartender handling the entire place, which led to long waits and forgotten orders as they were slammed with requests.

I really liked Twist. Granted, we came in about 9pm and the restaurant had closed down, but they quickly made adjustments to accommodate us — they opened up the back room for us. We had it all to ourselves. As a group of 12 celebrating a birthday and wandering around Belltown for the next undiscovered Gem, this place was shaping up quite nicely.
Our «room» had a huge open window looking out over (the freeway) and Elliott Bay, and was outfitted with sofas and leather chairs and end tables. The music was an interesting mix, the TV wouldn’t turn on… but luckily only one of us that was trying to catch the end of a bball game cared about that. On a Friday night, I could imagine a room like this being the LAST place I would want to be… filled with bottle-​poppers and Jersey Shore looking wannabes that call themselves «VIP» :) But, on a Sunday night, it was quiet and calm and perfect for our relaxed party of 12.
We all tried an assortment of goodies from the menu… fish tacos, lobster truffle mac and cheese, truffle grilled cheese sandwich, donut holes, red velvet cake, truffle fries (omg, to die for), a huge burger… and possibly more… ALL of the food was delicious. ESPECIALLY my truffle fries. I could practically taste the pounds coming on, and I wasn’t mad about it in the slightest.
Small lowlight, at the end of the night — they weren’t SUPPOSED to give us Happy Hour in the private room (which was never mentioned to us as we were led back) so they only charged us Happy Hour pricing on some things, full price on some of the other things. We understood the inconvenience of our surprise last minute large party, and our waitress was awesome, so we let it go without a fight… but it was a little frustrating, just because some people made a decision TO order based on the fact that: «it’s on Happy Hour… why not?»
Overall… I’ll go back again. But maybe only for the fries and the private room overlooking the water. I could get used to that.

Twist claims to be Belltown’s best happy hour and it really is. The hours and selection is great.
I always give places kudos if they have great happy hour hours… they still do, but man, I remember when they did it even on Friday and Saturday nights.
I’ve been to and had a few parties here and it’s pretty rare to find a place with no minimum and lots of space!
Truffle mac and cheese is the thing to order here. Next time, I’m ordering the truffle fries, lobster roll and deviled eggs!

A bit confusing. I usually grab a seat in the front bar for happy hour, but on our most recent visit we sat at a table in the back and now I think I’ve had the full.twist. experience. It’s something like this: low, sexy lighting, hip hop music of the kind they played at dances when I was in high school and sports games playing on the flat-​screen TVs. Like I said, confusing. The disco pig is a nice touch, though. I always appreciate a flying glitter pig.
Having said that, their happy hour deals are insane (and go on seemingly all day) and the food is delicious. Four stars for the pomegranate ribs alone! The quesadilla, wontons and crab mac ‘n cheese ain’t bad either. I generally detest the Belltown scene (yes I’m an old curmudgeon) but the clientele at.twist. isn’t terrible for this part of town. Come early, sit in the front, eat the ribs. Happy hour is happy!

I’ve been to the place twice. Their Happy Hour was good! Service was ok!
I went out with a couple of my friends to celebrate our singlehood last night. We had a table on a corner against a wall and table next to us took over our space. The music was cheesy. I don’t want to be too harsh, but I felt that the DJ was a clown!

Two words. Old Manhattans. Uggg.
I’m not huge into the Belltown scene but this place had a laid back vibe and the décor was comfy and cozy. I spent the time at the front bar and didn’t have any trouble finding a place to sit which is a nice change from the other bars in the area. The bartender was cool enough and attentive. He was cool enough to offer some drink choices and we decided on Manhattans which he made quite strong… It left me wishing I had just one less and remember only bits and pieces of my night… but, that’s what a night out is supposed to do, right?

So I came here with Ms. Darth for Halloween. We found the drinks to be of reasonable quality for the price, and the booths to be comfortable. I was willing to forgive the staff for not dropping everything to serve me, as it was the one day of year that people don’t tremble in fear at the sight of me. Besides, I forgot to recharge my lightsaber the night before due to me having to charge up my cell phone in case Queen Amidala needed to get ahold of me to request a booty call.
The Orbitz girl providing some free gum for me was a nice touch, even if she wasn’t an employee. Seriously, I’ve got some rank breath. You all saw me at the end of Episode 6, it’s hard to have proper dental hygiene when wearing this big ass mask, you know. As an aside, when she returned my helmet after borrowing it, it smelled faintly of Tresor. Just because I’m an evil overlord doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a good scent.
I am docking it a point for the fact that I could not obtain a drink on my own, but rather had to defer to a scantily clad Ms. Darth to get the server’s attention to bring me a drink and, later, a sippy straw so that I could actually drink the damn thing through the helmet. I get that Halloween can not possibly be indicative as to the level of service at a night hotspot, but I’m doing it anyways. I’m Darth Vader, b*#@$! What are you gonna do to stop me?
I give. twist 4 Deathstars.

I had a great time with the late night crew. This was one of our gazillion stops during the night and what really stood out here for me was the grapefruit cocktail. :D oh yeah, and that ginormous spinning shiny pig.
I’d like to come back and try happy hour one day. If i wasn’t in Alabama. sniff sniff

I am lovin’ the space… and, I can see potential for parties big or small looking to kick back with several drinks.
I spent most of my time seated near the front bar, but I liked what I saw of the fountain wall and the view, booths, etc in the back.
The service from the bartender was rather minimal, and it was all a bit confusing at first. It looked like there should have been a hostess, but there wasn’t. It took us several moments of standing in the front to realize we would have to figure things out for ourselves.
The happy hour beer selection was rather lacking. Session lager, Session black, rotating Full Sail, and Bud Light. The prices were low enough, however, that I just went for a Session.
The hummus was on the odd side and the pita was an odd consistency. We liked the $ 3 price point in the beginning, but quickly decided that we’d rather not have ordered it.
Parting thoughts? Dig the space a lot and the happy hour beer prices are a’ight. The selection isn’t that great, though. Not sure if I’ll ever find myself here again.

I’ve been meaning to come to this place for a while now & on a whim, we did.
Walking in, I really liked the décor. Copper walls, black leather couches in the bar area, big comfy booths in the back that overlook the sound, a wall waterfall as you walk into the back and who could miss that pig hanging from the ceiling in the back???
That’s about the only positive thing I could say about this place. Well, that and there was a really cute chef. Giggle.
We sat and waited at the reception area for quite some time. Neither the waitress in the back or the bartender made an attempt to let us know that there was no hostess that evening, even though they did see us.
We finally walked to the back and asked the waitress if we should just sit ourselves or?
She pointed to a section in the back, stated they were trying to close off an area due to all the boxes they had stacked, but we could sit there or in the front in the bar area. We opted the bar area.
We ended up having the hummus and bread appetizer.
Honestly, I was not a fan of the bread they used or the hummus.
The price was good, $ 3, but the portion isn’t that big.
I know you are asking, for $ 3, what do you expect? Well, I’ve been other places where the portion of hummus and pita bread appetizer for Happy Hour was a good portion and is the same price.
They also have Happy Hour cocktails, ranging from $ 4 to $ 7. Well drinks for $ 4. Beer for $ 2.50 and wine for $ 3.
Might go back here if given a reason too, but I was put off by the service and food.

Twist has one insane happy hour. No truly insane. I swear their happy hour is more like happy night everyday. The menu is quite extensive and the drinks they offer for their happy hour special are pretty good. Service was alright and the ambiance is decent.
The crab macaroni and cheese was pretty good, however could use a bit more seasoning and I know I will be stoned for saying this… less crab. It was more a macaroni and crab than a macaroni and cheese.
The pork spareribs were the shining moment on the menu. The meat fell off the bone and it featured a nice citrus based barbecue sauce that was nice and tangy on the palate. I could have eating a whole tray of this and not stop.
The calamari was cooked well, however the sauce they served it with was hot and very few could be able to stomach that amount of spicy-​ness.
The drinks were poured pretty well and they certainly didn’t disappoint. Especially considering they were on happy hour special.
Service was really lacking for me, the one highlight in this area was our bartender who took care of us. We were greeted by a very cold host who said to sit wherever, and as we proceeded to the rear she comes back, practically yelling, telling us we wouldn’t want to sit back there since there was a party going on and that we would be better off in the bar area. You would think she might tell us that in the first place? It just really put me off and set a bad tone… thank goodness for those ribs!
Parking can be a pain, but let’s face facts… it’s in belltown. The ambiance is pretty decent with a nature meets contemporary tone that sets a casual setting. I probably wouldn’t want to come here for a date or anything like that since it is more a place for a casual gathering of friends.
All in all a decent place to visit. Just go during their happy hour when it is far more affordable.

Twist is the perfect place for week night late night happy hour before going out elsewhere in Belltown. Drinks are good, strong, & only $ 3 – 4. There’s enough room for everyone to sit & though service can be slow it’s easy enough to go up to the bar to order drinks.
Also there is a giant seattle disco pig hanging from the ceiling… awesome.

Went here last night for the first time. Honestly, my experience was not too bad. I found it a lot easier to get drinks at the bar near the entrance as oppose to the bar at the back (which seemed pretty impossible to get through). Drinks were not too bad… my gin and tonic was pretty decent, one of my girls got a AMF that was pretty strong (we likey) and the other girl ordered a ginger ale (wasn’t impressive).
I thought the disco pig in the back was cool but I was getting annoyed when I saw some people trying to swing it and whatnot.
I’m not quite sure how their food was but that just gives me another excuse to come back. =)

Whoa, nellie. Invited here for a gathering. Hesitant due to prior vists to see meat selection while not shopping for meat, and now I’ve come to the realization I really do not know the inviter well if this was their first choice. My other half was amused, and felt taller than the average bear.
Human Element:
This crowded hole of desperation smells like cheap body spray, but surely impressed those women overheard chattering in the restroom, all who imagined themselves as the «bitches on the loose» who should have «kicked her ass, this shit is too good for her» (direct quotes). Men outnumbered women in their cheap suits, ubiquitous northface jackets and attitudes you would normally see at a pitbull fight. The four screens flashing random sporting events attracted more attention from males than pouting drunk underage females in microskirts seated next to them .
Food/​Drink:
Meh. Typical bar fare, nothing original, took FOREVER, Bonus greasy bottoms to plates and silverware on the not so fancy bent side. Drinks were not heavily poured, and getting to the bar was a nightmare. More bodily contact than anyone, even those lonely shoving singletons, could ever beg for.
Where you sit/​stand/​pee:
Nice Ikea pleather couches, with surpises in the cracks.
There was plenty of reserved seating, so majority of guests were huddling close together in upright pods.
Bathroom was filthy and toilet backs were littered with wrappers & minibar bottles by 10pm. yuk. Graffitti on bathroom stalls has graffitti on top of it in the tune of drunk girl prose with no wit :(Comet has better scratchings in the ladies lounge.
Staff:
ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE. Cocky, rude and memory like a goldfish.
Theo, the large man who kept physically pushing us around as we were ALWAYS standing in the wrong area, has some issues. There are other ways to exercise your aggression than barking at & herding inebriated twentysomethings and their older friends around like cattle. That man needs a massage and some schooling in communication. Ew.
NEVER going back here, and warning all who suggest it.

First impression: Smelled like B.O. when you first walk in.
You actually get to sit in booths & get drink service, which was really unusual for us, who are used to paying for services/​booths in SF. Very chill & calm for a friday nite. Apparently ppl don’t go out when it rains here?! They have 2 separate bar areas which is nice.
The drinks were strong. and the waitresses checked on us often. What we didn’t like were the leaking pipes that they didn’t seem to care about fixing. We kept getting dripped on, & we even mentioned it to our waitress, who, might i add, was well aware of this problem, and says it only happens when it «rains,» but i’m confused… isn’t this SEATTLE??? like the raining capital of the US? she said she would let her manager know (translation: just deal with it).

We came here again on a Saturday night and I actually had a pretty good time. Maybe because I had more drinks or something but I ordered the strawberry lemonade (yes, there’s alcohol in it) and that was tasty! I also had the mango bay and that was definitely my favorite!!! We also had touch downs and well, that’s pretty simple, just orange vodka and red bull. But I still agree that the drinks were strong and they are generous with the portions!
The crowd was mixed as usual… most people looked like they were in their 20s but then again there were some 30s in there too.

Again, another place I would just walk by.
But not this time.
I went in. I. WENT. IN.
And dove headfirst into a Bellevedere cocktail as well as jalapeño wontons & some crab mac ‘n’ cheese. And everything was close to perfect as far as appetizers & drinks go. Our server was prompt and courteous and surprisingly, the restaurant wasn’t chock full of idiots & hoochies… til about 930pm… which is when we got up to leave.
I avoid the back of the restaurant as there are usually people back there I don’t want to deal with… or HEAR, for that matter.
That being said, I do think Twist is growing on me — and I will prolly find myself back there for happy hour.

The thing that stands out most to me from my experiences at Twist is the excruciatingly slow, horrible service. The fact that the awful service left more of an impression than the large, shiny, disco pig hanging from the ceiling did says a lot about the place because this girl likes shiny things.
Twist is a see and be seen kind of place. This kind of place is not my kind of place. However, sometimes the majority rules and I find myself ordering an overpriced cocktail in Belltown. It has happened on these occasions, that my group has landed at Twist. I was most recently here after the Waterfront event. Granted we were a large group, but despite our number I cannot think of a possibly good excuse for the snail paced, inattentive and rude service. I don’t think it’d be exaggerating to say that it took at least 20+ minutes to have my drink order taken and another 20+ minutes for the drink (vodka tonic, nothing fancy) to materialize.
The only redeeming thing that Twist has going for it is their extensive appetizer menu, which features a wide variety of lighter fare on the cheap. From chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches to mac and cheese to lamb satay, there’s a little something for everybody.
Despite the appetizing appetizers, I’d like to think I won’t return to Twist, not even as a follower.

I finally made it to twist. I’m not a huge fan of the Belltown scene so this review might be sort of biased.
The food looked good although I didn’t eat it and the drinks were great. I also really liked the décor and the huge, cushy booths.
The bar in the back was pretty and the disco ball/​Rachel the pig was an awesome touch. I regretted not getting a reservation because my friends and I had nowhere to sit and were forced to stand the entire time we were there. It’s actually the reason we decided to leave. All in all it was a decent place.