John Howie steak happy hour

Wagyu oxtail poutine? It sounds as amazing as it tastes.

Located under the Bellevue square, John Howie is one of the crown establishments in Bellevue. We decided to visit after a good bonfire at Alki Beach. The bar is also very well stocked at John Howie’s. At the entrance of the restaurant you are greeted by the meat rack. A temperature and humidity controlled meat rack showcasing the meat that the restaurant offers. Look at the marbling on the A5 NY striploin. I used to live in Texas the cattle steak so I know a good steakhouse. A good indicator is 28 day dry aged beef, John Howie offers up to 70 plus day. That's dedication. With dry aging, the beef flavor intensifies, the tissue is broken down and you get a concentrated steak. Weight is lost from dry aging so not a lot of establishments do dry aging. John Howie is special.

From the cutlery and the presentation, you know that John Howie’s is different. Only langouile style steak knives are used. You can recognize the french langouile style knives by the distinctive shape and horn based handle.

Even the presentation of water has been thought out carefully. It is a water, not a cocktail.

Happy hour is located at the front of the restaurant where the bar area is located.

Drinks

The happy hour menu offers a wide selection of cocktails and you can try them all if you’d like. Below is the classic gin and tonic and ‘just peachy’ cocktail.

Food

All the sharing plates that we tried that night were excellent. First is the pork chops. They are incredibly juicy. A very high quality pork is used and it is cooked to the right tenderness, not too tough and also very flavorful.

King crab spinach dip. The king crab taste is overpowered by the creaminess of the sauce, i did not enjoy the dish. The bread should also be sour dough to balance the dish.

Then comes the A5 tenderloin bites served with peanuts and lime. The sauce used is soy sauce based with a hint of citrus, similar to ponzu sauce. A wedge of lime is also served to cut the decadence of the tenderloin bites. The meat is cooked to perfection, charred outside and juicy inside and also extremely tender.

The Wagyu oxtail poutine with Montreal cheese curds was the highlight. Flakes of oxtail simmered in broth and onion and drizzled over gravy is heavenly. With the crunchiness of the fries and the squeaky cheese curds, you may want to order two of these.

Entrance

John Howie Steak
The Shops at The Bravern There are several entrances to the Shops, find the one close to the Hermes store
11111 NE 8th St, Suite 125
(between N 111th Ave & N 112th Ave)
Bellevue, WA
(425)440-0880
Website: http://www.johnhowiesteak.com

Parking

You can park for up to two hours for free, need to get your parking ticket validated at the concierge near the entrance to John Howie.