Bothell's Small Town Diner

October 9th, 2007
By: Grant Y

Open for just over a decade, the Kozy Corner Cafe seems like a popular spot for the local senior citizen population. We saw plenty of newspapers, coffee cups and elderly individuals leisurely enjoying their meals during our visit. While it appears that there is a steady stream of customers, it's not quite as packed as other breakfast restaurants such as Brown Bag Cafe or The Original Pancake House.

While the quaint downtown Bothell can make one reminisce for a slower pace of life, we weren't quite ready to accept slower service as part of our meal. The service wouldn't be classified as bad, but the lack of attentiveness on the part of the wait staff was a noticeable issue-for example the mustard we requested didn't make it to the table until after our meal was over, and the wait for our bill took so long that we had to walk to the front to request it. Aside from issues like these, the staff was friendly and easygoing.

The interior can be summed up quite easily as simply unremarkable. Booths and tables are all mellow green and purple, while walls and everything else are light beige. There was not a lot of decor to speak of, so the interior was pretty plain except for the view, which I think actually is nice for people watching.

Overall value is just okay, as prices are in line with better breakfast restaurants, but quality and quantity aren't up to the same par. It's not a bad deal, but you could probably do better elsewhere.

Bryan says:

The Turkey French Dip was decent, but a bit on the small side. The turkey meat was sweet but slightly dry, though the au jus sauce helped moisten up the meat. The bread would also have been a bit tough and dry without the sauce. Really, the sandwich shouldn't rely on the sauce to carry the meal, which is what is happening here.

At $8, the lunch plate seems like a good value, but in this case the sandwich was a bit small. There were enough French fries to satisfy my tastes, but the sandwich was just a bit on the small side and of course, plain. A strip of bacon, a bit of cheese, or something along these lines would have help spice up the value and the taste.

Grant says:

I opted for the Oakie's Breakfast, which included biscuits and gravy, hash browns, eggs and a sausage patty. The hash browns were the way that I liked them - evenly crispy. No overcooked or soggy hash browns here. The eggs were fluffy and tasted fine, but the real test was the gravy, which was rich and loaded with sausage. It tasted thick and meaty, but it was loaded with fat and I could already see the gravy coagulating quickly after being served.

The biscuits were a bit dry, but in any regard were nothing special. The sausage patty seemed cooked dry on both sides for patty and was a bit salty. I imagine this was a frozen patty slapped on the grill, which would explain the dry and salty aspects (oh, the wonders of frozen foods).

I was happy with my meal value, at $8 for my plate. It's a decent amount of food and while the food isn't terrific, it isn't bad.

Steve's says:

I had the Taco Omelet, which tasted just like a taco wrapped in an omelet. The egg was very fluffy and tasted pretty good. The meat was seasoned with a little bit of spice and the rest of the ingredients seemed fresh. The entree also came with a choice of home fries or hash browns and choice of toast or a biscuit. The hash browns servings were pretty big, taking up half the plate. Nicely baked, they were evenly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The toast consisted of four pieces, buttered and with a choice of jam. Very filling meal.

The price of the omelet was about $9 and to me, felt like a decent value. The meal was very filing and left me very satisfied. If rated against other places, I would describe it as being a few steps above Denny's and with a more personal feel.