The Mark Restaurant

Went here for a private party last night. The drinks were good and the staff was fast and friendly. The food was average and nothing was bad. Had salmon and it was ok and the salad was ok. Great place to grab a drink.

The Mark is an amazing lil spot hidden in Olympia, from the elegant décor to the farm raised beef, you know you’re in a classy spot. I even had an issue with my steak, it was after hours, and the chef insisted he turn the burners back on and cook me a brand new Ribeye… I seriously could have kissed him for that! Lol Take a date and grab some cocktails the next time you feel like going out, you won’t regret it!

I am giving four stars, but really think this was probably more of a 3 ½ star review. The fact that we sat on the patio on a sunny day would have made it a five but for the pace of service and the fact that I had to send my steak back for being overcooked. The salmon was excellent, the atmosphere amazing, the staff was even pleasant enough. What left me underwhelmed was the fact that the bill was over $ 150 for two people, and I did not feel wowed at any one point during the meal. The original server left unceremoniously in the middle of our meal and we had to ask after drinks etc on multiple occasions throughout the 2 ½ hour meal. I think if they dial in some of the service consistency issue this could be a great spot to take a date, and we plan on trying it again, even just for a couple drinks. We went to the trouble of making and changing reservations when our plans changed, and it turned out to be utterly unnecessary, even on a Friday night. For a restaurant that has been open for more than a decade, I think that they have some room to improve. There is so much to like about it, I hope that they do.

Two big thumbs up for The Mark. First, the atmosphere and décor are wonderful. Beautiful wood paneled walls, a nice quiet carpet on the floor, and some well chosen jazz in the background make for easy conversation. The food was delicious. Not on the cheap side of the spectrum, but everything was obviously made from quality ingredients and prepared with care. The deserts were top notch as well. Service was friendly, knowledgeable, and respectful. All and all, a great combination – one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in Olympia.

Small and amazing… 9 tables in the whole joint… From start to finish we had a wonderful experience… Can’t wait for the tiramisu for two… «The Mark» is a must try for a romantic evening in Olympia…
Enjoy…

Waitress complained we didn’t have a reservation and acted like they couldn’t accommodate a party of four, then sat us in an area with at least 10 empty tables.
Restaurant claims to have an «extensive full bar» yet they have no beer on tap. The bottled beers they have are all available at gas stations.
It’s clean at least, so that’s something different for downtown.

We love the Mark for its super-​fresh, delicious, simple food. It never fails to deliver even when busy. We love the ambience of a martini bar with the simple décor, quiet music and gin and tonics!

Worst place ever. Literally if I had the choice to go the mark and get an overpriced, bland tasting, plate of cold noodles delivered by a waitress who’s attitude is as if her cat just died brought out to me an hour after being ordered when they aren’t even busy, OR buy a first class ticket to thailand, go to a zoo, and die by suffocation from an elephant shitting on me I would choose the latter. Seriously, the place is so uninviting and there food is so shitty you are much better off going to McDonald’s. Bye felicia

I’m torn because I love the cocktails and bites in this place.
I came here last night on a date around 9:30 pm. There were a few people around, too, so I assumed that it would be a nice place to sit and have a couple drinks.
Right when we sat down, the server tells us that they *might* be closing early depending on the traffic flow. Understandable.
What’s NOT understandable, though, is how our check was placed on the table after one set of drinks were ordered (around 9:45) with the comment of «This is just here in case you want to close out… But there’s no rush! You can order more if you want.»
Even though we were a little annoyed, we ordered one more set. They bring them to us and as we are sipping, a couple more people come in so we assumed that they would be open for at least a little while longer. But then the bartender comes up to us and says «Yeah soooo… We’re going to have to kick you guys out soon.» They close at 1:30 am (or so they say)…
How come the all of the customers are being pushed out so early?!

Expectations were not met. Food was standard, service was disappointing. Our server gave our appetizers to the wrong table and thereafter essentially forgot about us. And so, as a result, we sat with nothing but our drinks and salads for nearly an hour and a half. Felt totally ignored and eventually had to flag someone down. The owner (or so I believe) caught wind of the situation and, to her credit, tried to make things right by giving us a free dessert. That kindness prevents this from being a one-​star experience. A couple other things to mention: No hostess stand – had to ask a bartender for a table (c’mon). Also, weird décor for an Italian restaurant – wood paneling, leopard-​print chairs, and Asian caligraphy posters on the walls. Overall, not recommended.

Service is decent. The bartender didn’t seem to really know their stuff (a Manhattan with olives and a margarita with orange juice). The pasta was a bit overpriced. The salmon and veggies were delicious. The ambiance was enjoyable – wood paneling and heavy red velvet curtain partitions – though the lack of air conditioning on a 90 degree day wasn’t my favorite. I would definitely return, though probably would stick with wine and go elsewhere for after dinner cocktails.

First the Good —
This place is pretty nice as a place to go to have a cocktail. I was actually surprised how reasonable their drink prices were. They’ve tried to keep the atmosphere as chic as possible on a budget. It’s dark in there with black curtains and dark furniture. The patio outside is quite nice, although I think tables and chairs would be more suitable than folding picnic tables.
Unfortunately, here’s the Bad —
We went for a birthday party in one of the 2 reserved rooms in the back. No A/​C… Which wouldn’t be bad if it wasn’t 90 deg. out (and in). They kept the back door open with one prop fan pointed to the room… but that did little to help. They couldn’t shut the window curtains as it was already so dark that some had to view their menu’s with their phone lights. We finally moved the party out to the patio where it started to cool down.
The appetizers we’re way over priced for what you get. We purchased the cheese sampler. It came with 2 tiny little cheese wedges, 4 strips of bread, and some melted butter. For $ 17, I was quite surprised how little you got.
The main course’s were limited due to their small kitchen and they only had a couple steak options. Had everyone wanted a steak, we would have been out of luck. The food was alright, but the portions were small of what we ordered. I saw other plates with more food, so I’m assuming it was just the special that they were skimping on.
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this place for dinner. At those prices, there are many other options in the area that would provide a better experience. Ricardo’s, The Hearth Fire, Anthony’s, Mercado’s. etc.
I would recommend this place if you wanted to have a couple drinks… Although you will want to wait till it’s cooler outside.

Went to the mark for lakefair service and food were horrible on top of that they put gratuity on the bill for a party of 4 had the special which was Oliver’s little bit of meat and cheese for 17 bucks plain rip off

Absolutely delicious, we had the salumi tasting plate as an antipasto and the ragu as the main. The main course pastas are big enough to share, and are fantastic. Very busy (a good sign), they’re open for walk-​ins and the staff is charming.

Friendly service and interesting drinks, but overall, the exterior of this place far surpasses the experience inside. Granted I am a picky kid when it comes to lighting, table spacing, and food (in this case pasta) — so I was kind of 0 for 3 with these three making for an experience with much to be desired.
Love the drink menu — no problems there except one drink ordered at our table had a paper umbrella and monkey in it which seemed too party-​class for this type of higher-​class joint.
I like dim lighting for dinner — which it seems like other people complained about here — but my issue is it feels like you have a big spotlight on you at the booths. Not a relaxing environment for a date.
The feng shui in the place just seems off. I can’t put my finger on it although I feel like there should be bar stools to make some use of the front bar, more tables, and something to break the flow of energy in the main dining room. It just feels a little blah in there for such a rad exterior.
We came in a group (9 people) and had to order from a limited menu which I thought was weird. I’m mostly vegeterian so that left me with one option besides soup/​salad.
I had the pesto pasta — it was okay but overpriced for not being homemade pasta etc. also way too much oil.
Keep trying, I will come back if I see some changes made! I think I met the owner and she was really really nice so that’s worth a lot in my book!

My boyfriend took me here on Thursday evening. It is one of those places that I’ve seen a thousand times, but never had the chance to go before. I loved the interior. It is simple yet classy. It feels very intimate and is quiet enough to carry on a good conversation. This seems to be the perfect place to go to unwind and have some interesting drinks with a couple close friends, or for an intimate dinner date where you can take your time and not feel rushed.
I liked how the servers/​owner took time to talk to us and explain the food and some of the drinks to us. They were very friendly and seemed to enjoy their work. Because of their suggestion for me, I ended up ordering a lychee fruit cocktail (which was out of my box). It was really freakin delicious!
We ordered a large salad with cheese balls to share. It was really very good, but a bit pricey for a salad (next time I’d skip the salad).
For dinner I ordered the special (a pasta with slow roasted beef) and my boyfriend ordered an 8oz New York steak (they said they were sold out of their other steaks). To his delight, they ended up bringing him out a whopping 14oz steak cooked to heavenly perfection. Seriously! It was the best steak I think I’ve ever tried. Very flavorful and tender for fully grass-​fed local beef.
My pasta was delayed about 5 minutes behind the steak. I didn’t mind at all though. She brought out fresh bread and an extra plate so I could enjoy a few bites of the steak. She even brought us some samples of wine while I waited (and I’m pretty sure she didn’t charge us for the pasta at all). The pasta was to die for and well worth the wait. I’m telling you, it has been a long, long time since I’ve had that good of a food high. I left very pleased indeed.
Go and give this place a try. It’s very nice and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

The food is just so-​so, but they have really fun cocktails! Eat else where and then drink here!

Dining in the Dark.
Seriously.
Pitch black … seated next to the bar with two little kids. While it was nice to see a menu with clearly identified gluten free items — the prices were ridiculous for the starch-​ridden, heavy food.
Honestly I was disappointed after having read other reviews that loved it here. =(Bad night? Possibly — but once was enough for us.

This review is strictly about the cocktail program.
A couple years ago, I viewed The Mark as an upscale spot in Olympia to grab an interesting cocktail. Perhaps my tastes have expanded or the personnel has changed or both because my last visit left me extremely disappointed.
The Mark is dimly lit, carpeted, barely decorated, and the female servers wear a fake flower in their hair in the style of a flamenco dancer. In other words, things feel dated and this is reflected in the cocktail menu. Liquors that aren’t top shelf have their brand listed as if that means something. There are no bitters, too many flavored vodkas, and the cocktails were wildly off balanced. My friend and I had the Ginger Zinger and it tasted like a lemon ginger cough drop. Another friend had the Monkey Trouble which was passed around and which we all agreed was reminiscent of cherry flavored cough syrup. The drink recipes just didn’t have imagination and reminded me of the first cocktails you order when you turned 21, overly sweet and using too many mixers. Also, the limes wedges were not fresh.

We stopped by on Saturday night for «cocktail hour». Nearly all of the tables and all of the unoccupied booths had RESERVED signs posted. The only unreserved table was right next to the door so there we sat.
I had a very nicely made manhattan and my partner selected a cabernet from a decidedly average wine list. We also ordered the sheeps cheese and bread antipasti. The antipasti plate was a bit on the sparse side but the bread and cheese were both good.
While we were there, the reserved tables remained unoccupied.
Maybe sitting next to the door added to the rather «cold» ambiance of The Mark. Maybe not having any seats at the bar add to the overall feel… a lack of soul.
We left The Mark and walked two blocks to another restaurant where we pulled up a seat at the bar and immediately were drawn into a raucous conversation with another couple and the bartender.
Exactly the vibe we were looking for and didn’t find as The Mark missed.