It was an okay experience for my first time in there. Servers were nice. The chicken and waffles was okay, the waffles were a bit dense but that's fine for me and the sausage gravy was not that good. The chicken was really great!!!My wife ordered the Buffalo Tempe and she did not like it one bit. The "Buffalo" sauce didn't even taste like Buffalo sauce, just had the spiciness of it and that's it. The ranch wasn't too her liking either, said it had too much of an herb flavor more than anything.The thing we did like was the poutine, that was tasty!!!Vegetarian options: They had some vegetarian options for my wife.
Dan Raino
Wonderful place that captures the soul of the city. Food is both excellently crafted and a little daring at times. Staff is fun and interesting. (Apparently they haven't had their souls ground to paste like the staff at so many other places.)If you're passing thru, and looking for what makes Oly special, this is it.
Trinity H
The last time I was in WA our friend group came here for brunch and it was amazing food. We had to sit in the bar because it was so busy but it gave for a very interesting brunch . This last week we did a return visita to WA and went to the reef for brunch, again the food and service was great! Three years apart. That's either great consistency on their part or great luck on mine. My pancakes were the perfect combo of fluffy and buttery - not too dense or dry. And the bacon was delicious! Not burnt or soggy.We came for a second time the following night because it happened to be the only place open. The macaroni was honestly bomb and my girlfriend loved the cherry pie.Inevitably we went the last day of our stay in WA as the other place we wanted to go to required proof of vaccination. The last time was just as good as the very first and I can see myself stopping in again next time we're in Olympia!
Lawsland Lawsland
Food is delicious! Staff is nice. Oh the staff placed a skeleton dummy in a chair and every few minutes or so they would change the position. Pretty funny. Masks were still asked to be worn. I think that is great. The place is like a two in one. I believe there was a bar in back with a video game table. It was very cute. It is on the small size but nice. No parking in the area. It is paid parking only. On a busy day it is hard to find parking. All the little places in the area is very nice to. Talk a walk around. Sometimes can be lots of homeless people around but I never felt unsafe. Great place, great food, great environment. We went during non peak so we had parking. Carpooling here would be best.
Mstortugadelmar ..
I LOVE their fried chicken! It's all I ever get here. The cole slaw is fantastic as a side; it's made without mayonnaise and is crisp and flavorful. The biscuits are not great but they aren't what I'm here for. My friends love their menu and eat here regularly so I'm guessing the rest of the menu is also delightful but get the chicken.
Terrell Donald
Love this place but hours are a bit wonky. Like, I never know when they are gunna be open. I understand working with mandates etc but damn I wanna have my favorite dish eggs Benedict.The bar in the back is great and the staff is working hard to provide a great experience.Wish they would bring back their chicken friend steak though....If they change that I would add a star to make it a five star rating yo match their five Starr experience.
Wally Pyne
Excellent dive bar noms...fried chicken is absolutely nom nom. Nuff said.
Bonnie Y.
Great pie! Terrible chicken. The chicken pieces were very small and tasted terrible. Maybe the breakfasts are better?????
Steve Mueller
Classic diner food
Justin Chan
These guys know what they're doing. The coffee is the classic diner coffee experience and was kept topped up. I ordered the fish and chips and it was what you'd expect to find on a greasy newspaper at a chippy - in other words, excellent. The haddock is a true filet (not a pounded fish cake), was fried to a crisp and served with their house made tartar sauce. When they offered me malt vinegar, I knew this was the real deal. The cole slaw is dressed with oil + vinegar, instead of mayo! A much healthier (and tastier) alternative.
I keep coming back to the Reef because I LOVE the atmosphere inside. It's a cute little diner and it has a great location. However, the food is just okay in my opinion. The vegan ranch and fries are the best thing they have, their seitan buffalo sandwich leaves a lot to be desired. It's a good place to go with omni friends though.
Phong Lin
Choice crab, oysters, and shrimp! I also enjoyed the clam chowder. With the right seating you get a wonderful view of the inlet. Friendly staff, reasonable prices.
Robin Bennett
This place is fantastic, even during COVID. I can imagine how fabulous it would be without the pandemic! The biscuits are delicious. I could eat them every day. And the service is excellent, too.
Julie Reddick
it's a small comfortable restaurant , great food along with reasonable prices . The staff was always asking if we needed refills on beverages or if we needed any thing else .
Megan Pospisil
Such a cool place with great food! We had the Reuben and chicken and waffles and loved both. We didn't go to the bar in the back but it had cool vibes! Will definitely return
It was an okay experience for my first time in there. Servers were nice. The chicken and waffles was okay, the waffles were a bit dense but that's fine for me and the sausage gravy was not that good. The chicken was really great!!!My wife ordered the Buffalo Tempe and she did not like it one bit. The "Buffalo" sauce didn't even taste like Buffalo sauce, just had the spiciness of it and that's it. The ranch wasn't too her liking either, said it had too much of an herb flavor more than anything.The thing we did like was the poutine, that was tasty!!!Vegetarian options: They had some vegetarian options for my wife.
Wonderful place that captures the soul of the city. Food is both excellently crafted and a little daring at times. Staff is fun and interesting. (Apparently they haven't had their souls ground to paste like the staff at so many other places.)If you're passing thru, and looking for what makes Oly special, this is it.
The last time I was in WA our friend group came here for brunch and it was amazing food. We had to sit in the bar because it was so busy but it gave for a very interesting brunch . This last week we did a return visita to WA and went to the reef for brunch, again the food and service was great! Three years apart. That's either great consistency on their part or great luck on mine. My pancakes were the perfect combo of fluffy and buttery - not too dense or dry. And the bacon was delicious! Not burnt or soggy.We came for a second time the following night because it happened to be the only place open. The macaroni was honestly bomb and my girlfriend loved the cherry pie.Inevitably we went the last day of our stay in WA as the other place we wanted to go to required proof of vaccination. The last time was just as good as the very first and I can see myself stopping in again next time we're in Olympia!
Food is delicious! Staff is nice. Oh the staff placed a skeleton dummy in a chair and every few minutes or so they would change the position. Pretty funny. Masks were still asked to be worn. I think that is great. The place is like a two in one. I believe there was a bar in back with a video game table. It was very cute. It is on the small size but nice. No parking in the area. It is paid parking only. On a busy day it is hard to find parking. All the little places in the area is very nice to. Talk a walk around. Sometimes can be lots of homeless people around but I never felt unsafe. Great place, great food, great environment. We went during non peak so we had parking. Carpooling here would be best.
I LOVE their fried chicken! It's all I ever get here. The cole slaw is fantastic as a side; it's made without mayonnaise and is crisp and flavorful. The biscuits are not great but they aren't what I'm here for. My friends love their menu and eat here regularly so I'm guessing the rest of the menu is also delightful but get the chicken.
Love this place but hours are a bit wonky. Like, I never know when they are gunna be open. I understand working with mandates etc but damn I wanna have my favorite dish eggs Benedict.The bar in the back is great and the staff is working hard to provide a great experience.Wish they would bring back their chicken friend steak though....If they change that I would add a star to make it a five star rating yo match their five Starr experience.
Excellent dive bar noms...fried chicken is absolutely nom nom. Nuff said.
Great pie! Terrible chicken. The chicken pieces were very small and tasted terrible. Maybe the breakfasts are better?????
Classic diner food
These guys know what they're doing. The coffee is the classic diner coffee experience and was kept topped up. I ordered the fish and chips and it was what you'd expect to find on a greasy newspaper at a chippy - in other words, excellent. The haddock is a true filet (not a pounded fish cake), was fried to a crisp and served with their house made tartar sauce. When they offered me malt vinegar, I knew this was the real deal. The cole slaw is dressed with oil + vinegar, instead of mayo! A much healthier (and tastier) alternative.
Restaurantji Recommends
I keep coming back to the Reef because I LOVE the atmosphere inside. It's a cute little diner and it has a great location. However, the food is just okay in my opinion. The vegan ranch and fries are the best thing they have, their seitan buffalo sandwich leaves a lot to be desired. It's a good place to go with omni friends though.
Choice crab, oysters, and shrimp! I also enjoyed the clam chowder. With the right seating you get a wonderful view of the inlet. Friendly staff, reasonable prices.
This place is fantastic, even during COVID. I can imagine how fabulous it would be without the pandemic! The biscuits are delicious. I could eat them every day. And the service is excellent, too.
it's a small comfortable restaurant , great food along with reasonable prices . The staff was always asking if we needed refills on beverages or if we needed any thing else .
Such a cool place with great food! We had the Reuben and chicken and waffles and loved both. We didn't go to the bar in the back but it had cool vibes! Will definitely return