FareStart Restaurant

4.8

1447 Reviews

$30 and under

American

Innovative
Good for special occasions
Lively

FareStart’s flagship restaurant in the heart of Seattle is currently available for private event rentals and Guest Chef Night. This revenue helps FareStart fulfill its mission to transform lives, disrupt poverty and nourish communities through food, life skills and job training.

FareStart is a social enterprise nonprofit organization focused on job training and employment. Our food-based businesses serve as classrooms, where students gain valuable employment and self-empowerment skills that prepare them for various career pathways. Students learn and hone these skills in real-world situations while receiving wraparound social services such as housing, mental health support, transportation and more. Our holistic approach centers individuals furthest from opportunity and helps people facing barriers to employment move toward stability and economic mobility and ultimately thrive.

Not bookable

Online bookings at FareStart Restaurant can only be made directly on their website.

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American, Contemporary American
Hours of Operation
Dinner Thu 5:30 pm–8:00 pm
Phone number
(206) 267-7601
Website
http://www.farestart.org/
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Private party facilities
When you hold your events at FareStart, your dollars provide culinary job training and support to homeless and disadvantaged people working hard to transform their lives. Private banquet rooms, and the entire restaurant, are available for your events.

Location
700 Virginia Street, Seattle, WA 98101
Area
Seattle
Cross Street
7th and Virginia
Parking details
Park for free after 4pm at Amazon’s Doppler Garage located at 2000 6th Ave, Seattle. There are also several lots, garages, and limited accessible street parking available in the immediate area.
Public transit
Routes 17 and 23 have stops at the intersection of 7th, Westlake and Virginia and many additional stops within a 2 block radius. Click on the Metro King County transit trip planner for specific route information.
Additional
Banquet, Beer, Corkage Fee, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Chef Zac Reynolds Guest Chef Night
US$50.00 per person
Prepaid
9 Jan 2025 only
Please join us for a special evening as we celebrate our students, build community & enjoy an incredible meal. Guest Chef Night pairs premier local chefs with FareStart students to create a three-course meal served by volunteers. All revenue & donations from Guest Chef Night support FareStart’s job training & placement programs. Feat. Chef Zac Reynolds https://www.cookweaver.com/ Menu Amuse: Wagyu steak tartare on brioche 1st: Crab Fried Chicken- fresh crab & pickled jalapeños on collard green 2nd: Aged Steelhead Fillet- red curry braised savoy cabbage, Vietnamese vibe shrimp broth 3rd: Frozen Apple Pie- Butternut squash ice cream, apple boba & ice Veg or GF Menu is only available upon request when booking Tickets are non-refundable

What 1,447 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.8Service
4.7Ambience
4.7Value

Noise • Moderate

Diners' Choice Awards

Exclusive
Innovative
Exclusive
Innovative

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

FareStart Restaurant is a unique Seattle gem where "everyone should try Guest Chef Night." This inspiring venue combines gourmet meals with meaningful social impact by training individuals in culinary skills. Patrons enjoy "great food, great atmosphere" and dedicated service from volunteers. The restaurant's mission and community involvement make dining here a truly rewarding experience.

1,447 Reviews

M
Melissa
Seattle
27 reviews
5.0
27 reviews
Dined on 22 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
FareStart Guest Chef night was awesome! Aaron Tekulve from Surrell created an amazing menu, showcasing local, seasonal ingredients. The roasted squash and fresh herb salad was delicious, the braised beef cheek and smoked mushroom entree was tender and flavorful. Dessert was a highlight - red miso cake with apples and thyme caramel - it sounds bizarre but was so good - maybe one of the best desserts I've had for a long time. The service was provided by volunteers so a little haphazard but fine. It was great to be there for the first seating because we got to hear the director of the program, the chef and one of their recent graduates speak, which gave everyone a better appreciation of the evening. Based on the dinner, I can't wait to try Surrell and see what else they can do!
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S
Stephanie
Seattle
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on 22 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food, great service, impressive cause. Please eat here often.
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J
Jennifer
Seattle
18 reviews
5.0
18 reviews
Dined on 25 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Guest chef Victor Steinbrueck’s dinner was superb.
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K
Kelly
Seattle
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on 25 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Guest Chef night was a truly special experience, both for the beautiful 3 course meal (designed by the head chef at Local Tide in Fremont) and because we got to hear from an inspiring Fare Start grad.
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N
Nancy
VIP
New York City
112 reviews
5.0
112 reviews
Dined on 25 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Farestart is the real deal: a community gem providing important, solid job training for entry into the food industry, but also manages to support hunger programs, distributing fresh produce to communities lacking it, and several other need-based programs. On this last Guest Chef night, we were privileged to have our 3-course dinner from Local Tide chef/owner Victor Steinbrueck, alongside some of his team and Farestart students. Dinner was seafood-focused, wonderfully flavorful, and all-around superb. Can’t wait to go try Local Tide this weekend!
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N
Nancy
VIP
New York City
112 reviews
4.0
112 reviews
Dined on 4 October 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Mari Pili chef Grayson Pilar as Guest Chef crafted a totally delicious autumn meal that was very veggie centric but plenty of chorizo, sous vide pork and smoked sausage in the bean stew. Fun service and always great to eat at Farestart and support their great work.
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J
Jonathan
Seattle
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on 4 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This organization has been exceptional for the 20+ years we have known of it. Having had dinner at Guest Chef Nights about 5 times, last night was the best. The volunteers from Wells Fargo were professional & attentive. The food was delightful & the ambience was festive but comfortable. Look forward to supporting this organization for many years to come.
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B
Brigid
Seattle
27 reviews
5.0
27 reviews
Dined on 20 September 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We attended a Chef's night event. We were served three courses: an appetizer, main and desert. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. The drink menu was limited for the event but still had lots to choose from non alcoholic and beer and wine. I would highly recommend going to another event.
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M
Melissa
Seattle
27 reviews
5.0
27 reviews
Dined on 20 September 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
FareStart is an amazing organization and the meal we had was proof it's working. Guest Chef Kevin Smith of Beast & Cleaver created a delicious menu that was executed perfectly by the students working with him. First course of pork rillette was very flavorful and the mustard and apple that accompanied it were idea compliments to offset the richness of the pork. The main course of smoked onion and beef tenderloin was amazing - half an onion was smoked and then braised in a Bordeaux sauce and served with the most flavorful, perfectly cooked beef tenderloin I've ever tasted - it was a fantastic combination and the portion was very generous. The dessert was Spotted Dick with caramel cream, a classic British steamed pudding - executed well but not my fave - the GF option of rice pudding looked like something I'd prefer. The beverage selection was limited but the Shiraz was tasty and reasonably priced and worked well with the meal. Great service and an exceptional meal, all for $50 per person - you really can't beat the experience. Highly recommend checking out future chef dinners here - it's a terrific opportunity to enjoy great food at a reasonable price while helping an organization make a difference in people's lives. Win, win, win!
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N
Nancy
VIP
New York City
112 reviews
3.0
112 reviews
Dined on 20 September 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
FARESTART IS FAB, and Boeing volunteers were great!! Kevin Smith/Beast & Cleaver Guest Chef night's food, however, was disappointing. Have been to many Guest Chef nights and all have been quite good-excellent. First course was the worst: pork rillette was kinda ok but oddly lukewarm and mushy, and served with a single tiny slice of a small nectarine (really!), and two teensy crostini. It truly looked (and was) pitiful; I was embarrassed as we were hosting friends. No one finished the rillette. The main course (beef) was delicious and perfectly cooked, and bread pudding quite tasty. On average, therefore, dinner was "good", but honestly that opening course was pathetic. But Farestart is great, and I love supporting them.
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FAQs

FareStart Restaurant is rated 4.8 stars by 1447 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Not bookable

Online bookings at FareStart Restaurant can only be made directly on their website.

700 Virginia Street, Seattle, WA 98101

Additional information

Cross Street
7th and Virginia
Area
Seattle
Hours of Operation
Dinner Thu 5:30 pm–8:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American, Contemporary American
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Park for free after 4pm at Amazon’s Doppler Garage located at 2000 6th Ave, Seattle. There are also several lots, garages, and limited accessible street parking available in the immediate area.
Public transit
Routes 17 and 23 have stops at the intersection of 7th, Westlake and Virginia and many additional stops within a 2 block radius. Click on the Metro King County transit trip planner for specific route information.
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Banquet, Beer, Corkage Fee, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.farestart.org/
Phone number
(206) 267-7601
Private party facilities
When you hold your events at FareStart, your dollars provide culinary job training and support to homeless and disadvantaged people working hard to transform their lives. Private banquet rooms, and the entire restaurant, are available for your events.

FareStart Restaurant

Not bookable

There’s more to explore

Additional information

Experiences

Chef Zac Reynolds Guest Chef Night

Menu

What 1,447 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Diners' Choice Awards

Review summary

FAQs

How is FareStart Restaurant restaurant rated?

Is FareStart Restaurant currently accepting bookings?

Not bookable

Additional information