https://www.facebook.com/116732661299248/

Two-Too Old Guys Food Critics, 307 N Pearl St, Ellensburg, WA (2026)

08/07/2026

We have enjoyed many culinary delights over the years! Here are just a few, stay tuned as we post some new intriguing visits:

07/21/2026

They Come and They Go!
We have spoken before about how difficult it can be to open a restaurant and survive. With over 30 percent of new restaurants failing in their first two years and 70 percent not making it past their 5th Anniversary Nation wide this is not a myth.
Certainly, Yakima has not escaped this trend but there are some new operations opening recently which is encouraging!
So, what are some of the reasons that restaurants fail? Probably the biggest reason is lack of funding. It can take a while to turn a profit so having some money in the bank will help. You need Capital to start!
But here are some other observations:

Lack of experience- Many people think that opening a restaurant should be easy. My grandma’s meatball recipe, my family’s BBQ, I’m a good cook, or I love to eat. Be ready for some blood, sweat and tears, long hours, government challenges and critiques from the community. Yakima, like many other smaller communities, are hungry (pun intended) for new restaurants and they will knock your doors down for the first 90 days. First impressions are key during this critical time. You must gain the consumers’ trust and have them wanting to return. If you lose them, you might just lose them forever. And if you lose them watch out and pay close attention to your social media feed, listen and learn.

Lack of a business plan- What are your company values, what are your goals-short term-long term, what will success look like, if you need to pivot what is plan “B”. Proforma based budgets that are realistic. What will be your pricing structure. Who is your customer and how do you plan to communicate with them.

Lack of a marketing plan- Social media is great but what is the image and how do you produce consistency in your posts. How do you create a call to action where your customers feel as though they have to come. Traditional marketing through TV, Radio and Newspaper should not be overlooked.

Lack of staff training and poor hiring decisions- Such a key part of the hospitality industry is hiring people who enjoy serving people and are team players. But once you make the hiring decision you must spend the time and money on training your staff to execute your vision. Hospitality is like inviting people into your home for the first time. You must welcome them with that warm embrace, make them feel comfortable in their new surroundings, find out what they like and don’t like, and then give them what they want. Sounds simple but it’s hard and especially hard to train your staff to execute on that vision every time repeatedly. Set expectations high and don’t settle for mediocrity. You’re not looking for perfection; you are looking for excellence in every detail.

Here are some examples of the coming and going of local restaurants in the last few years in Yakima.

Valle Duardo- We visited and critiqued this operation in February of 2025. Unfortunately, they closed a few months later after only being open for around 7 months. The location was recently taken over by Xochimilco as their fifth location.

Chez Torrez (shay tore-ray) – We visited this establishment in September of 2024, and they closed in the spring of 2025 after about one year in operation. No one has leased out the space next to Rosauers grocery store on 72nd ave.

Norms- Based on the character for the TV Series Cheers, Norms opened to a strong reception. Our understanding was that the original owner sold it to members of the management team and shortly after they closed in April of 2023. The space was vacant until last month when Gatlin’s Breakfast Café opened. Stay tuned for a critique coming soon.

Willow Café- 3512 Tieton Drive Closed last year after an obvious financial struggle by ownership who publicly took to social media asking the community to somehow bail them out. Unfortunately, the ship was already sinking. The location is still empty today.

Here are some new spots to check out
El Benny Cuban Restaurant- Located in the old Starbucks location at Chalet Place. Stay tuned for a critique.

Once or Twice Cocktail Bar- Not sure of the food offerings which are required by state liquor laws, but we have heard the craft cocktails, b**r and w**e selection are good. Located at 31 North Front Street, it is good to see some new life in this part of town. Stay tuned for a critique.

06/16/2026

“Y” Kitchen and Bar
Visited June 9, 2026
2201 W Lincoln Avenue, Yakima

It has been a minute since we have posted as our busy lives have taken priority.
Y Kitchen and Bar was opened in 2023 by Cecillia Oseguera in the former site of Mercedes Family Mexican Restaurant and prior to that it was home to Sharky’s Pizza.
We arrived at 11:45 am to an empty parking lot and frankly we thought that maybe they were closed. A tug on the front door found that they were indeed open, but we were the first to arrive and subsequently we would find out that we would be the only guests in the restaurant during our visit. Service should be great!
We were greeted immediately by the server/bartender from behind the bar and asked if we wanted to sit in the lounge or “the kitchen” which we assumed was the restaurant. The ambience of the lounge was a bit dark, so we chose the kitchen. Here the restaurant felt a bit cold with little to no art, fluorescent ceiling lights and not descript chairs and tables. The server joined us and offered menus and an extensive drink list. As is our MO we were interested in any local b**rs on tap but were informed that only b**r by the bottle and nothing local which we felt was a missed opportunity given all the breweries in the Yakima Valley. We settled on Pacifico and Shock Top. Unfortunately, the server returned with the bad news, “Out of Shock Top” so a Modelo was substituted. We were pleasantly surprised when she returned with both b**rs pre poured into an iced cold pounder glass garnished with a fresh lime.
The menu is extensive but not overwhelming. Traditional Mexican food dishes but nothing that stood out as their specialty. We ordered:
Tortas with Adobada / Seasoned Pork , Mayo, lettuce, cheese, tomato, onion, jalapeños, with house dressing. With fries.
Sampler Taco Plate (not offered on menu but should be) A shrimp, beef and chicken taco.
The food came out in a reasonable timeframe, and the food was hot and delicious. The taco portions were rather small and with no side dish offered left you feeling a bit hungry.
The service was good but not memorable. This is a neighborhood restaurant and may have a local following but honestly there is nothing here that sets the Y Kitchen and Bar apart from all the other Mexican restaurants in Yakima.
We give Y Kitchen and Bar :
👍👍👍 for Ambiance
👍👍👍 for Service
👍👍👍 for Food and Beverage
👍👍👍 for Cleanliness
👍👍👍 for Value

Overall, Three Thumbs Up out of Five available

Our Rating system
👍
Five thumbs = Excellent Would Highly recommend
Four thumbs = Good , would recommend
Three thumbs = OK, may not recommend but maybe we caught em on a bad day
Two thumbs = Would not recommend but take your chances
One thumb = Needs work definitely would not recommend

08/03/2025

The Huntsman Tavern
Visited July 24, 2025
307 N Pearl Street, Ellensburg

This month’s review takes us to the quaint town of Ellensburg.
The Huntsman Tavern officially opened on October 6, 2021. It is located in the heart of the historic district. The tavern specializes in meat dishes, including steaks and rotisserie chicken cooked over a wood-fired grill, and features craft cocktails, a wide selection of w**e and b**r, and a wh***ey bar.
On Jan 20, 2024, tragedy struck! The fire suppression system burst on the 3rd floor of the building causing significant damage to The Huntsman on the main floor, almost to the point of having to gut the entire restaurant. This caused the restaurant to be closed until May 3rd of this year.
Full transparency, the Executive Chef has worked for one of us at two separate locations in our careers, so we had some foresight into the food quality we were about to experience.

We entered the restaurant at 11:45 and were greeted by a friendly hostess, who we found out later was also our server and our bartender. Julliette was amazing, friendly and professional.
Chef Efrian came out to say hello and we settled in with the menus, a Pfriem IPA and a glass of L’Ecole Chardonnay.
Chef is truly a representation of the American Dream. Immigrating from Mexico and gaining his US Citizenship. He is now one of the most sought-after Chefs in the region. While he loves cooking, He shared with us his true passion is farming and raising animals.

The menu is extensive but a good portion of it is “dinner only” so we searched the salads and sandwich section for our lunch entrees. Chef sent us a bowl of steamed clams with a demi loaf of crusty bread for dipping. Possibly the highlight of the entire lunch!

Our order: The Huntsman Burger- $22. Notable because they grind their own beef. Other than that, a pretty basic burger. Prime Rib Dip-$26. Hmm seems very close to a sandwich we have had in downtown Yakima. Served with au jus and homemade horseradish. Both entrees came with fries, and we took Julliette’s recommendation for the sides of Huntsman Fry sauce $1.25 each. Nice upsell!
The restaurant has a 19th century feel and is a good fit for downtown Ellensburg, which takes pride in its heritage as an early cattle town. The back bar is huge, and they claim to have the largest library of wh***ey brands in the state of Washington.
The food came out of the kitchen in a reasonable amount of time. The burger was cooked to perfection and had a great flavor profile. Our only frustration was that the patty fell apart as bites were taken which can happen sometime when you are grinding your own beef without a binder. The prime rib was medium rare, au jus flavorful, but ran low after one half sandwich. A refill was not offered. The fries were crispy and very hot, and the fry sauce was worth the extra cost.
We feel that the pricing was a bit high especially for a town the size of Eburg. This can cause your repeat business to stretch out as customers will limit their number of visits to counteract the budget.
We will return with the wives for dinner to try out their steaks in the future.

We give The Huntsman :
👍👍👍👍👍 for Ambiance
👍👍👍👍👍 for Service
👍👍👍👍👍 for Food and Beverage
👍👍👍👍👍 for Cleanliness
👍👍👍 for Value
Overall, Four and 1/2 Thumbs Up out of Five available

Our Rating system
👍
Five thumbs = Excellent Would Highly recommend
Four thumbs = Good , would recommend
Three thumbs = OK, may not recommend but maybe we caught em on a bad day
Two thumbs = Would not recommend but take your chances
One thumb = Needs work definitely would not recommend

07/23/2025

Zesta Cucina
Visited July 16, 2025
5110 Tieton Drive Yakima

It has been a minute since we have posted as our busy lives have taken priority.
Zesta Cucina was opened in 1999 by Wendy Rodriguez and Lucho De La Combe. It is in a beautifully refurbished fruit warehouse built in 1910 and known today as Glenwood Square. As of April 1, 2025, Zesta Cucina is under new ownership by Robert Lowden and Matt Brady, owners of the Ellensburg Pasta Company. They aim to honor the restaurant's history while introducing fresh and innovative offerings.
While we have visited this establishment many times in the past, we thought the timing would be good to check out the new ownership and to see what has or has not changed.
On this visit we chose to enjoy dinner and bring our wives.
We entered the restaurant at 5:30 and were immediately seated in a large booth near the North windows. We were soon greeted by Shelia, one of our favorite servers. Shelia is the consummate professional, attentive, efficient and considerate. We knew we would be in good hands.
Three of us decided on our standard summer cocktail, Tanqueray and Tonic while the fourth chose a glass of Gilbert Cellars Unoaked Chardonnay.
Beverages arrived and we chose to relax before ordering and to spend some time with the new menu and the fresh sheet.
While many of the old favorites still exist, we decided on a mix of standards and new items.
Here is what we ordered:

Starters: Side Chopped Salad and Two Blue Cheese Wedge Salads

Wagyu Short Rib -$35 (fresh sheet)
72 hour sous-vide short rib, garlic whipped potatoes, cabernet-port demi glaze sauce served with baby carrots

Vodka Cappellini – $20 (standard menu item)
Cappellini pasta tossed in vodka sauce with sauteed asparagus and crushed tomatoes

Steak Gorgonzola – $28 x’s two (new item)
Charred marinated beef tenderloin over penne pasta in creamy gorgonzola sauce with zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and topped with a balsamic drizzle

The timing of the food delivery was impeccable as our entrees arrive just as we were finishing our salads. The food was beautifully presented, hot and delicious! The short ribs were fork tender and the marinated beef tenderloin was cooked exactly to temp.
Although we were completely full and satisfied with our dinners, Sheila talked us into a special dessert, Pear Bread Pudding. We ordered four spoons.
One observation we could make to help the new ownership is that Zesta has always been a hometown Yakima restaurant. What has made it successful over the last 25 years is the personal touch that we received from the owners as they would work the restaurant and touch the tables. We have often talked about hospitality being about your guests feeling like they just came to your house for dinner.

We give Zesta Cucina:
👍👍👍👍👍 for Ambiance
👍👍👍👍👍 for Service
👍👍👍👍👍 for Food and Beverage
👍👍👍👍👍 for Cleanliness
👍👍👍👍 for Value
Overall, Four and 3/4 Thumbs Up out of Five available

Our Rating system
👍
Five thumbs = Excellent Would Highly recommend
Four thumbs = Good , would recommend
Three thumbs = OK, may not recommend but maybe we caught em on a bad day
Two thumbs = Would not recommend but take your chances
One thumb = Needs work definitely would not recommend

04/12/2025

We gained 590 followers, created 8 posts and received 612 reactions in the past 90 days! Thank you all for your continued support. We could not have done it without you.
TTOFG

03/30/2025

Hello everyone! Hope your weekend is awesome! We need 16
More followers to break 600. Can we do it before April Fools Day?
Invite your friends, family, relatives and coworkers to join our journey. We have some great post coming up maybe some from the lower valley. Be sure to lock in now!
TTOGFC

03/24/2025

Cowiche Canyon Kitchen and Icehouse Bar
Visited March 18, 2025
202 East Yakima Ave. Yakima

Although we have spent some time at CCK before, we have never done a review until now. We had heard that they had just introduced a new menu as well as a new Executive Chef so we thought now would be the perfect time to let our readers know our impressions. Full disclosure, we do have intimate knowledge of this establishment as we know many of the principals involved.
Cowiche Canyon Kitchen and Icehouse Bar originally opened in Yakima in 2015 to great fanfare and interest. The restaurant’s opening was seen as a significant step in the revitalization of downtown Yakima. The architecture of the building, by Graham Baba architects from Seattle, used exposed structural steel, board framed concrete and heavy timber to reflect a Northwest Chic style that Yakima has not seen before or since.
For those of you who have regularly followed along with our adventures you know we typically do the lunch thing. But today we felt compelled to shake things up a bit.
We arrived around 5:30 pm and were greeted by a friendly and enthusiastic staff. The restaurant was about half full and we chose to sit at the bar. Cocktails were offered and we chose two of our favorites, Tanqueray Tonics. It should be mentioned that CCK has an extensive craft cocktail menu, but we choose to be more traditional, because we are Two Too Old Guys. We noticed simultaneously that the drinks were missing the traditional garnish, a lime squeeze, and once requested it was corrected.
Menus were offered and accepted and because the menu was new, we chose to spend some time perusing the menu to find out what was new and possibly what had disappeared. A few notable new items were Octopus and Rotisserie Chicken. A few items that have lost their place were the Lateral A Salad and the Hong Kong Chicken Salad. We get it! New Chef new direction, it is a healthy thing.
We decided to start with an appetizer, Mushroom Toast: Sourdough Bread, Melody Mushrooms, Romanesco Sauce, Lemon Zest, Chives. The dish came out of the kitchen at a reasonable time and was hot and delicious. The mushrooms were tender, and the Romanesco sauce added just the right kick.
Time for w**e. Each a glass of Lecole #41 Chardonnay.
For dinner we both ordered the Prime Rib Dip, one with cheddar cheese, both with fries. Here is where it got a bit interesting. When the sandwiches arrived, the one with cheddar cheese had a side of grated cheddar cheese on the plate. Believing it was our fault in communication, we asked for the dish to be corrected. We were told that the kitchen only had grated cheddar cheese. This was odd because the house burger states on the menu that it comes with cheddar cheese, and we assume it is not grated. We also noticed that the Prime Rib could have been a bit hotter..
By this time the restaurant was full as was the bar and we could see that staff were beginning to be a bit stretched. Still a good experience and we recommend !

We give Cowiche Canyon Kitchen:
👍👍👍👍👍 for Ambiance
👍👍👍 for Service
👍👍👍👍 for Food and Beverage
👍👍👍👍👍 for Cleanliness
👍👍👍👍 for Value
Overall, Four and 1/3 Thumbs Up out of Five available

Our Rating system

Five thumbs = Excellent Would Highly recommend
Four thumbs = Good , would recommend
Three thumbs = OK, may not recommend but maybe we caught em on a bad day
Two thumbs = Would not recommend but take your chances
One thumb = Needs work definitely would not recommend

Two-Too Old Guys Food Critics

08/07/2026

07/21/2026

06/16/2026

08/03/2025

07/23/2025

04/12/2025

03/30/2025

03/24/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request