Post navigation

Prev: (05/30/10) | Next: (05/31/10)

Highline opens on Capitol Hill, but what happened to the Lamborghini?

I was passing by on Saturday night and decided to pay the newly opened Highline a visit.  The friendly door person, Zach was happily perched on his stool outside the door.  He boasted of the new place and its vegan menu.  I had to run an errand, but now I wanted to come back and get some food.  I hopped down the stairs and met the owner, the affable Howie Clark (who was proprietor of Georgetown’s now defunct vegan restaurant Squid and Ink).  He said he was excited to replace a former venue that was so hostile to the neighborhood. 

Word is the Lamborghini is a shell of what it used to be.  It sat high atop the building where the notorious Club Lagoon once sat.  That club’s failure to connect to the Capitol Hill community caused its downfall.  They only had six people patronize them during Pride weekend one year. This was when other restaurants, bars, and clubs were packed to the brim with neighbors, visitors, and tourists. The hostile clientele did not help, either.  Well now sitting on the second floor of this building at 210 Broadway East is the Highline, above Castle Super Store.  Yeah, now you know where it’s at.

I came back a bit later with a friend, a vegan who is looking for a place that serves more than just one or two things on their menu.  We ordered our drinks and were eager to eat something.  To our delight, the menu is completely vegan.  It has sides, sandwiches, and appetizers.  It serves late until midnight.  Our sandwiches were delicious.  I’ve had some bad experiences at vegetarian/vegan restaurants back in the days when I was madly vegetarian.  I had three bad meals at a place on Roosevelt.  Those experiences made me never return to that place.  First impressions mean something (and I gave that other place two more chances).  Highline did not let us down.  I ordered the Howie sandwich.  It’s a scrumptious bacon inspired club sandwich, only the bacon and ham here are vegan.  Our pleasant server, Lance, reminded us that they also serve brunch.

Clark’s ambition to replace the negative place that was once there seems to have come true.  He wants to serve vegan food to the community, but mostly he wants the Highline to be a Capitol Hill bar to hang out and have a good time.  It opened on Thursday and the crowd tonight is exuberant and lively.  A group of about twenty people celebrated their friend’s birthday.  You would never know this bar had only been open a few days. 

The space is roomy.  Inside the bar, there is one of those photo booths where sweeties can take pictures of themselves smooching.  I could hear the classic sounds of air hockey playing in another section.  There is seating on the balcony that overlooks Broadway with sliding doors that will allow for pleasant summer breezes.  However, on this cool evening they are shut. 

As for the Lamborghini, well that is gone.  Clark cut it down and dismantled some of it.  He gave it to a friend who plans to use the frame for a bike-art project.  Maybe we will see it soon at Fremont Solstice.  The memory of the tilting Lamborghini will fade fast as crowds visit a new spot high above Broadway, the Highline. 

The Highline is located at 210 Broadway E. Yes, above the Castle Super Store.

Subscribe and support CHS Contributors -- $1/$5/$10 per month

10 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Jenn
Jenn
13 years ago

-Another Sunday brunch spot, yes!

-Been there with people a few times all weekend so we had a chance to try a lot things off the menu. Pulled pork sub, the Crazy Train and the Howie are definitely my favorites.

-Definitely a step-up from Squid n Ink. It’s bigger and way closer to me than Georgetown.

-No mean vibes here. Get a beer, play some pinball.

...
...
13 years ago

Concept is great, but why go in when the whole block is slated for a teardown soon? BofA is getting ready to move out. This is the last year for the farmers market. Don’t quite understand why you’d put new money into a project that has a finite life in this spot?

jseattle
jseattle
13 years ago

The 230 Broadway project stops at Cafe Septieme/Pho/Noah’s building and won’t include the home of Castle, Bleu, American Apparel and Highline.

Here’s a diagram:
http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2010/05/10/qv3nlmvjieczu4d9x5lyqajc0ei/gssgzyhu9gxcqdaan7inmmfpe.png?media-size-id=100

Here’s latest on the project: http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2010/05/10/230-broadway-de

john
john
13 years ago

we ate there yesterday. great food and great bartender. our new favorite place on the hill

Me
Me
13 years ago

Did someone say air hockey? *drool*

noL
noL
13 years ago

As a long time vegan and Capitol Hill dweller…this is my dream come true. I went here with another long time vegan friend Friday night and was blown away not only by the reasonably priced drinks, but the awesome food, awesome friendly staff and yes, AIR HOCKEY.

It’s about DAMN TIME the hill got a place like this that serves vegan brunch AND that serves vegan food well into the twilight hours. Not to mention..A BAR!

Highline…thank you thank you thank you.

screw vegans
screw vegans
13 years ago

Hopefully this place will go under pretty quick.

c.love
c.love
13 years ago

“Hatred is the coward’s revenge for being intimidated.”

Cb
Cb
13 years ago

f u ( |

patty hamilton
patty hamilton
12 years ago

Thank you for the great food and easy going staff ! We really enjoyed our time sitting on the balcony this evening !
I will return again :)

Patty