Allister's brings something new and needed to Mercer Island

Hi guys! For today's post I am going to be talking about my recent trip to Allister's on Mercer Island, and all the dishes I had there. There is a lot to love about Mercer Island, but the restaurant scene hasn't been one of those things, so new restaurants are definitely welcome.

Now let's get started on this food adventure. This was a quick trip with my mother for snacks, so we didn't have a huge meal, but I was really excited to go. Especially when I saw they had Steak Tartare on the menu. But we didn't just order that, we also had a salad, the Pomme Dauphine, and some carrots. It also sounds simple, but the restaurant is so beautiful and they've been in development for a while so I had high hopes.

So how was it?

The steak tartare at Allister's looked promising but ultimately fell short of expectations. The presentation was minimalist, with a small portion of finely chopped beef topped with an egg yolk and garnished with herbs and crispy onions. While the dish had a nice visual appeal, the flavors were underwhelming. The beef lacked seasoning, leaving it tasting a bit too plain, and the textures, while varied, didn’t elevate the dish.

The grilled bread was perfectly toasted, adding some much-needed crunch, but it couldn’t make up for the lack of boldness in the tartare itself. The pickles on the side, were a nice touch, but even they didn’t bring enough sharpness to balance the dish. Overall, it was a bit bland, and I found myself wishing for more seasoning or an extra something to make the tartare really stand out. A little more attention to flavor could have made a big difference.

I would only give the Tartare a 5.5/10.

We also had the Allister's Salad, and I gotta say, it was kinda meh. It looked super nice with all the greens and feta crumbled on top, but the flavor? A bit boring. There was balsamic dressing on it, but it wasn’t that flavorful. It was just sort of there, you know? The greens were crunchy, which was nice, but the balsamic didn’t do much to make it exciting.

The pickles on the side were probably the most interesting part they had some really nice tang, but it wasn't enough. It wasn’t bad, but definitely not something I’d remember. It’s one of those salads that looks pretty but tastes kinda plain.

Rating: 5/10

The Pommes Dauphine on the other hand were amazing. They were like crispy little potato clouds, and I’m not even kidding! Each one had this perfect golden-brown crust that crunched when you bit into it, and the inside was all soft and fluffy, like mashed potatoes but even lighter. They were super addicting, and I could’ve easily eaten the whole plate by myself.

But the real magic happened when you dipped them into the Allister's sauce. The sauce was creamy and smooth, and it definitely had some flavor, but I couldn’t figure out what it was! It was one of those sauces that makes you keep dipping because you’re trying to figure it out! Together, the crunchy, fluffy potatoes and the sauce were like a perfect bite every time!

Rating: 9/10

We also had some carrots to be healthy and they were kind of meh. They were just plain boiled carrots with not much going on. Not much seasoning, no sauce, nothing that made them stand out. They looked bright and colorful, but honestly, they were kind of bland and boring.

Rating: 2/10

The service there is really confusing. I mean the servers at Allister's were so nice! Like, every time they came to the table, they were super friendly and made sure we were all good. They also smiled a lot, which made the whole experience feel really welcoming. But with only a few things ordered, it took like 10 minutes to get each dish. Like they brought a side of carrots on their own. It was confusing because it wasn't like these were four courses. It wasn’t a huge deal, but after a while, I was kind of like, “Where’s my food?” because I was excited to try everything. Still, the people were really sweet and the place is brand new, so they are just figuring things out and I expect that will get a lot better.

Overally, I would give the service a 7 because they were so nice.

Will I go back. For sure.

Will my expectations be a little smaller next time. Yeah ... and that is a bit disappointing, but I am still very happy it's on Mercer Island. Great to have new places, and I am expect it will just get better and better and better with time.

Allister's - https://www.allister-mi.com/