They had multiple curb cuts in the parking lot, and the tables weren’t too close together for easy wheelchair access.
Noise Level
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We had an early dinner, so it wasn’t very crowded or noisy.
Food
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The food was very good. They changed the coleslaw recipe, so it wasn’t as good as we remembered.
Hello, everyone! Sorry I haven’t made a blog post in a while, but my life has been kind of crazy. At the beginning of October, I went to El Paso to help my grandparents move. I was sad to see them leave Denver, but I got to eat a lot of great food, like the food at Great American Steakburger.
Right from the start, the parking lot was very accessible, and had several curb cuts. The restaurant itself was very spacious as well. Since we went for an early dinner, we had our choice of seating, and we chose a booth in the corner. It was the perfect height for me in my manual wheelchair, and my tray slid right over the table. It was a big table too, so I didn’t feel like I was in the way of the server. Since it wasn’t too busy, the noise level was very low, and I was able to hear everyone at the table. They also have a patio, but it was too hot for us to eat outside, so I’m not sure if it’s accessible.
The food was great! Mary Kate was really excited about the fact that they served sweet tea, instead of giving her plain iced tea and sugar packets. I ordered the brisket sandwich, which normally comes with steak fries, but I substituted coleslaw. Their brisket was very tender and juicy. I liked that they put the sauce on the side so you can decide how much or how little you want. The coleslaw was ok, but I tried my mom’s steak fries, and I preferred those. My mom had the Blue Cheese Kobe Burger with steak fries. She really liked the burger. She said the blue cheese wasn’t too overpowering, but was very flavorful. Mary Kate had the Mushroom Cheese Steakburger with sweet potato fries. She said it was one of the best burgers she has ever had. The patty was very juicy, and it was cooked exactly how she ordered. She shared a few of her mushrooms and fries with me, and I have to agree that she made a good choice. My Uncle John ordered the New York Strip with coleslaw, a baked potato, Great American beans, and grilled jalapeños. He was very happy with his meal, and he was the only one who didn’t taste the difference in the coleslaw. He was also very impressed with the grilled jalapeños. He was originally going to order the grilled green chiles, but decided against it since they had raised the price. But as it turns out, he thought the grilled jalapeños were better than the grilled green chiles. Grandpops ordered the New York Strip as well, with coleslaw and a baked potato. He really loved his steak, and said it was very tender and juicy, but he was disappointed in the coleslaw.
I would highly recommend Great American Steakburger if you are ever in El Paso! It’s a classic American steakhouse for a very reasonable price. And don’t forget to visit my Baba & Grandpops while you’re there!!!
Brisket SandwichBlue Cheese Kobe BurgerMushroom Cheese SteakburgerNew York Strip, Baked Potato, Coleslaw, Beans, and Grilled Jalapeños
I love United Airlines because they are so nice to me. I know airlines are getting bashed right now, but I want to tell you all about what they have done for me and how much I like them.
A long time ago, I used to travel in a large sized car seat. A U shaped bar fell off when I went from Denver to El Paso. The crew in El Paso went to look for it but the plane already left to go back to Denver. That crew called to Denver to have them find it. Denver is a hub for United, so they have tons of planes at the airport. The Denver crew said they would look when the plane got back to Denver. We really didn’t think they would look, but they did. They found the bar, tagged it and sent it back to El Paso. Once it got back to El Paso, the people at the United counter called us to say it was in and we went to pick it up. We were really impressed that they took the time to find such a small thing and take care to get it back to me.
Another time (also a long time ago), when they still gave you a paper ticket, they went way over and above. My mom and I were, again, going to El Paso, but on Frontier Airlines. My mom messed up and thought the flight was at 9 am, but it was really at 9 pm. We got to the airport and went to check in and they told us we couldn’t because it was too early. My mom kind of freaked out and knew 9 pm was too late for me to travel. We found there was a noon flight on United so we went to their ticket counter to see if we could get on that flight. At that time, they accepted Frontier tickets. The United representative said we could get on the flight, but she needed our paper tickets. We couldn’t find them anywhere and realized the Frontier representative did not give them back to us. So, we went back to Frontier to get the tickets. They claimed they didn’t have them and made my mom empty all our bags to show that we didn’t have them. Frontier was so rude and told us they didn’t have them. We think they threw them away. We went back to United to ask what we could possibly do. The United representative was so nice and said she would mark them as lost and give us full credit for them and get us on her United flight. My mom was sure it was more expensive and she said she would pay the difference, but the amazing United representative would not let us pay. She got us on the flight and made sure we got to the gate with no problems. My mom was almost in tears, but the wonderful lady at United hugged her and would not let her cry. They were amazing!
As I got older and bigger, my mom and I flew alone to Boston to see my dad; he was working there for about a year while we stayed in Colorado. The ground crew in Denver made sure we were able to board the plane and helped get me in and settled. We were in the bulkhead seats and the flight attendants in first class gave me the warm cookies and some food from first class. They kept making sure I was doing ok. When we landed in Boston, they made sure we got off the plane ok and had all our things. They did the same when I went back to Denver. My mom was so worried about our first trip alone when I was in a bigger wheelchair and no longer in a car seat. United made sure we were comfortable and well taken care of.
Whenever we fly United, they always take good care of us. They let us know what is going on if there is a delay. They let me get settled in my seat before letting everyone else on. They are just always so nice to me. I LOVE UNITED!!!
We took a ferry to Bainbridge Island while we were in Seattle. I would highly recommend going there. It is very pretty and easy to walk around. We shopped, had coffee and pastries, but the highlight was our lunch at Amelia Wynn Winery Bistro.
There are two patios at the restaurant and we sat on the back patio. It was really quiet and pretty. There were and umbrellas and that was good because it was sprinkling. We stayed dry and it was nice. There was plenty of room for us to sit comfortably. I am not sure that the front patio is accessible, but the back patio was just as nice. The inside of the restaurant is small, but there would be room for a wheelchair if you had the right table. Bainbridge Island doesn’t seem too busy, so it was nice and quiet. It had a very relaxing feeling.
We were able to walk right up, but for dinner, we heard them on the phone turning away reservations, so a reservation is probably a good idea.
They had really good octopus (but don’t tell my cousin Diana–we saw an octopus at the aquarium that she really loved). It had a spicy aioli and salad on top and served with potatoes. The octopus was grilled really well and the sauce was great! We all split a charcuterie board and empanadas. The empanadas had beef, potato, green pepper and olives in a puff pastry–YUM!!! My parents split a beet salad that they said was great. My mom tasted some of their wines and said they were amazing. She bought a few bottles to bring home. We could have sat there all day and tried everything on the menu; it was so good!
Bainbridge Island was a really good place to go and explore. I would highly recommend going and definitely have a meal at Amelia Wynn Winery Bistro. You will be happy you did!!!
Charcuterie condimentsCharcuterieBeet saladOctopusEmpanadas (2 missing–ate them too fast)
When I was in Seattle, I went Ivar’s twice for lunch and I would go back to Seattle just for Ivar’s clam chowder (and other food) because it was so good. We went there twice because it was so easy to get in and around the restaurant in my wheelchair. It is a big restaurant and wide open so it is good for a big group. At our first lunch we had 10 people and at our second lunch we had 18 people. We never felt crowded or in the way. It was easy to get up to the table and the staff of the restaurant never ran into me. The front door is wide and the entry has plenty of room, even if people have to wait in the lobby. It was very easy to maneuver the restaurant.
This location of Ivar’s is very big, so there is some noise in the restaurant, but it is not too bad. I could hear the people close to me at the table and had no problem having a conversation. There really wasn’t anything that was over stimulating in the restaurant. It was very pleasant and I enjoyed being with my family and friends.
Ivar’s is known for its clam chowder and it didn’t disappoint. I had it both times we were there and it was delicious! It is now my favorite food. If I could eat it everyday, I would be a happy man. I had my mom find a recipe online that claimed to be theirs and she made it for me; it was really good and I really want more. The chowder is super creamy, the clams are really meaty and there is bacon–you can’t go wrong with bacon. If you see it at your Costco, you should buy it! They sell their chowder at some Costcos.
We ordered the calamari as an appetizer. The coating was really crispy and delicious. It was served with a spicy aioli. It wasn’t too spicy and it was good with the coating. My dad and I split fish and chips one day and fish tacos the next. The fish was flaky and delicious in the fish and chips. We had the cod, you can also choose halibut at this time of year. The fish tacos were good, but I like the sauces I get back home better. Everyone enjoyed the food they had; there were too many people for me to remember what they all had, but everyone seemed happy with their food. We would all recommend Ivar’s for the food and atmosphere.
I am sorry I didn’t get any pictures of my food. I was really busy catching up with all my friends and family and enjoying the food that I forgot to photograph. You can visit their website to see some photos of their food. I would highly recommend that you go to Ivar’s if you are in Seattle.
Enjoying family and excellent foodFriends and family are the best
This hotel was amazing. We chose this hotel because we weren’t going to rent an accessible van for the trip and this one looked like it was in a good location. We were wrong, it was in a GREAT location!!! We were able to get everywhere we needed by walking. We went to restaurants along the waterfront, we walked to the Mariners’ ballpark, to Pikes Place Market, to the ferry to Bainbridge and to the Great Wheel. We did a lot of walking, but it was easy. Seattle has a lot of hills and there was an elevator one block down from the hotel that allowed you to miss going up a really steep incline. We didn’t venture much into downtown, so that might have been harder, but to do the touristy stuff, it was great.
The accessibility of the hotel was great. My mom remembered to get an accessible room this time and it was really roomy. We had a large entryway and the beds were spaced nicely. I could get anywhere in the room and not feel cramped. The bathroom was big and easy to use. We got a nice view of the water and the huge cruise ships coming and going. The hotel was easy to maneuver. They have large sliding glass doors at the entry and a very spacious lobby. This is a good thing because it is very busy due to the cruise ships. A lot of people who are cruising stay at this hotel for a night or two and then all check in and out at the same time. I never had a hard time getting through, even when it was really crowded. They had a side sitting room with a fireplace and lots of seating that was easy to get around. I didn’t use the pool, but went and looked at it. It had a chair to get in and out of the water and was easy to get around the pool deck. Next time, I’ll bring my bathing suit. They had an M Lounge that we can use because of my dad traveling a lot; these usually have breakfast, snacks and drinks all day. Due to Covid, this hotel had just snacks and drinks throughout the day, nothing hot. It was well laid out and had lots of seating that I could get to. It had a large automatic door and I could get around easily.
The beds were really comfortable and the room stayed nice and cool. The blackout shades worked well and I slept great! It is amazing how quiet the room was. There was a train down below and we never heard it. They have some construction going on in the hotel, but we never heard it in our room. The hotel is being remodeled and the areas that we were in (including our room) were finished. The lobby and common areas look great. Our room was very nice too. We had flooring in ours probably because it was accessible and it was easy to move around. We did stop on the 2nd floor for the pool and gym. I don’t think this floor was done yet as its colors and furnishings were a little dated. Once it is all done, it will be great!
I am not going to do a separate review of the restaurant, so I will talk about it here. We ate here a lot. We had breakfast everyday and 3 dinners here. They claim to have excellent clam chowder and they do. I had it 3 times and loved it. My mom ate their salmon and risotto twice because she liked it so much. They had flatbread pizzas that were really good. The only thing we didn’t like was their house salad; it wasn’t anything special.
The breakfast was really good. I shared with Mom and Dad. My mom loved their waffles with lemon, berries and butter, so we had that a few times. It was really tasty. My dad and I split crab Benedict and that was delicious. The hash they make is great; it doesn’t look like a typical hash. It had chunks of meat, potato and vegetables. We did not go wrong with any breakfast selection.
We have to give a shout out to Chris and Hank, who work in the restaurant. They are so short staffed, but you would not know it by the service you get. Chris and Hank were there every morning when we went down to breakfast. We started chatting with them and found out how many hours they are working. They are there all the time and giving awesome customer service. The hotel has not been able to open the full restaurant for lunch or dinner due to staffing shortages, so you order and eat in the bar area. It works out just fine, but I feel bad for all the people who are working so hard. At this hotel, we never felt like the staff was overworked (which we are sure they are). They did not let it show to the guests. Everyone was nice and accommodating, but we have to really thank Hank and Chris for all the great service, conversation and recommendations they gave.
If you are going to Seattle, I highly recommend this hotel. I will be back!!!
(I will get better at remembering to take food photos before we start eating; we are just ready to dig in).
Clam ChowderSalmon, risotto & broccoliniMeat FlatbreadHash WafflesFamily in the lobby
I went to Seattle June 8-13; I flew from Denver to Seattle on United Airlines. I got to see lots of family and friends while I was there. My Great Uncle Hart came from Portland with his daughter Diana (my dad’s cousin) and her husband Don. Hart is 92 and doing great and I want to be like him. We walked all over the city (in the rain) and he really kept up!!! Diana and Don arranged the trip around a Seattle Mariners game. They were there the whole time we were. Then we saw other family members and friends throughout the time.
We flew out Wednesday and I got to ride the cool train at DIA, which I love, a lot! My flight was delayed so my mom and I wandered all the concourses. If you ride that train, drop me a comment and let me know if you got the man or the lady on the train. I will do a full review of my flights later, but United is always good to me. We got there around 5 pm and went to our hotel, the Seattle Marriott Waterfront. By the time we got there, we had dinner, unpacked and went to bed. We were ready for our big adventures.
On Thursday, it was raining a lot, but I didn’t mind because I got to see Steve and Marcy. They drove down from the Tri Cities to meet us for lunch; very nice of them because it is a 3 hour drive each way. Steve was my dad’s best man and they have known each other a long time. I love you both! Please come visit Colorado soon.
Steve and Marcy
After lunch, Diana, Don, Uncle Hart and my family walked along all the waterfront and decided to go to the Seattle Aquarium because it was indoors! Don had to move his car, so he missed it, but we had fun. The aquarium was really cool. I was really relaxing in there. There were lots of exhibits and the colors and the water made it really relaxing. I really liked seeing the octopus they have. It was amazing to see him move around the tank. After the aquarium, we went back out in the rain and walked to an ice cream place that was attached to a fish restaurant. I started with ice cream and then finished with a crab cocktail. By the time we were done with this, Uncle Hart was kind of tired. We walked over 10,000 steps already and I was tired too. It was after 6:00, so we went back to the hotel and had some dinner.
Don, Dad, me, Mom, Diana and Hart at the ice cream/fish restaurant
On Friday, I spent the day with Mom and Dad. My dad had a meeting in the morning, so my mom and I walked along the water and looked for rain ponchos. Turns out, they are very hard to find in Seattle. When he was done, we took a ferry to Bainbridge Island. It was not as rainy as Thursday and just rained a little off and on until we were ready to head back to the city. The ferry was very accessible. I couldn’t go on the top deck, but they had decks on the front and back that I could go out on. There was plenty of room for me to move around within the ferry.
Bainbridge Island is really quiet and nice. We got off the ferry and were able to easily walk to the main street. We had lunch at a neat bistro and sat outside (reviews to follow). The weather was really nice while we were here. After lunch, we kept walking and did some shopping. Still looking for rain ponchos; we bought plastic garbage bags instead. They had a really nice market and we bought a few things. Then we got stuff for my dogs and my friends at some little boutiques. We finished by getting coffee and pastries before we had to go back on the ferry. It was pouring rain on the ride back, but it slowed down by the time we got back. We walked along the water and ended going into a restaurant along the pier for dinner; it was called the Crabpot. After dinner, we went back to the hotel for rest. We got over 18,000 steps that day (my mom is counting).
Ferry back to Seattle
Saturday was a big day for seeing people. My Great Aunt Mary, Uncle Dave, Aunt Kristen and my cousin Moira drove from Portland to meet us for lunch. Kristen and Moira stayed for the Mariners game that night. My dad’s cousin Christina and her husband David met us for lunch and so did LeAnn and her son JJ (my dad’s second cousin and son). It was a big, fun group. This is the group in the photo at the top. I love this group!!! It reminded me of what family really means. Please come visit me.
We ate at Ivar’s for this lunch and the first one with Steve and Marcy. Great place for big groups.
After lunch, some of us went to ride the Seattle Great Wheel. One bonus of being in a wheelchair was that my group got to go to the front of the line and get loaded into the cars. We could not all fit together, so I went with Mom and Dad and the other 6 got into another car. It was cool to see the city from up there! It was fun and easy for me to get in and out of.
After this, we walked on to the ballpark for the Seattle Mariners vs Boston Red Sox baseball game. There was a little bit of teasing my dad since he is a Red Sox fan. Our friends that used to live in Colorado, but now live in Seattle went to the game and we were able to visit with them for a few innings. I didn’t get a picture with Shawn and Amy, but I really do miss them. (I hope I get to go back and see their house there soon. It sounds cool.) We left the game before it was over because I had to walk back to the hotel and it was getting late.
On Sunday, Diana and Don went to another game, so we went to the Pikes Place Market and did lots of shopping and eating. It is a very busy and crowded place. I really liked it, but it old and not very easy to get around in a wheelchair. People were coming from all directions, it felt like. But there was a lot of cool stuff there. I bought presents for friends and family and got some things for myself. We had coffee and snacks and had lunch at a biscuit place. It was a lot of fun. That night, Diana, Don and Hart met us for dinner at our hotel. Thank you Uncle Hart for buying my dinner. After dinner, we packed and got ready to leave tomorrow.
Last evening together
On Monday, we had breakfast at the hotel (like we did everyday) and headed to the airport. It was a good travel day. We had a nice lunch in the United Club Lounge and a good flight. I got to ride the train at DIA again and then see my dogs. Mary Kate took great care of them while I was gone.
This was a great trip with lots of great visits. Thank you Diana and Don for getting it started and arranging the baseball game. Thank you everyone who came to see us. It was a huge deal for some to get there and I really appreciate it (so do my mom and dad)!!! I loved seeing everyone and hope we get to do another trip soon.
Large restaurant, very busy and crowded, so lots of noise.
Food
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Really, really good chile rellenos.
Chile Rellenos with rice and beans
I went to Los Dos Potrillos for lunch on May 14th with our friend, Shawn. He lives in Seattle now and was in town for a visit and we met for lunch. My mom and dad came too.
This location is big and always busy. The tables are really tight. We sat at a table by the exit door because it was the most out of the way table. I got bumped a few times as people left and I think our waitress had a hard time because our table was close to another one. She really had to get close to serve our 2 tables. There is not a patio at this location, but they do have them at others.
Because it is always so busy (because it is so tasty), it is loud. There are a lot of people inside and so it is mostly crowd noise. There wasn’t any blaring music, just talking. I was able hear the conversation at our table. If you have sensory issues, the crowd may be overwhelming, but the noise is manageable.
Their rellenos were really cheesy and gooey; I love cheese. (My dad and I shared them because we went out to dinner later that night with some other friends). We ordered them crispy and smothered in green chile. YUM!!! It is one of my favorite places for rellenos and rellenos are my favorite Mexican food. My mom ordered the tacos al carbon. She really liked them and said there was a lot of food. It was very fresh. Shawn ordered the chicken burritos and he said they were really good.
It would really recommend going to Los Dos Potrillos for excellent Mexican food.
Little tight to move through. Comfortable at table.
Noise Level
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Could have conversations. No sensory issues.
Food
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Really good Sheperds Pie.
I went to Slattery’s on April 29th (I’m a little late posting) with my friends–Jenn, Kelly, Carson, Jill, Moira and my mom. I hadn’t seen Carson in years; it was fun to see him. He has a beard now. We will make sure it won’t be that long before I see him again.
It was easy to get into the restaurant, but the tables were a little hard to maneuver through. The staff was really good about helping us get to a table and made sure we were comfortable once we got there. I was able to sit without getting bumped or feeling like I was in the way. One time we were able to sit outside and the patio was really accessible. The noise level was good; I was able to hear conversation. Only problem was Carson was at the other end of the table, so it was hard for us to have a conversation. After we ate, we moved around a bit so we could talk. Great to catch up!
The food was really good. I had Shepherds Pie; theirs is made with brisket and vegetables topped with mashed potatoes. It tasted really wonderful. The gravy that it was in was very flavorful. It was a really good combination. It came with a choice of soup or salad and I got the clam chowder. It was excellent.
I have known Tanner for 18 years and he was my neighbor (his parents still live down the street). He is marrying this beautiful lady, Jessica. I am very proud of him because he got a good one.
They are getting married in California in June so his parents had a party here in Colorado so that his local friends could celebrate with him.
The food was amazing. It was catered by Cloud Nine Catering and the chef is John Olde. It was a greek theme, but they also had some really yummy Mac and cheese that you could put bacon on top of. It was so good. There were also gyros with all the fixings, salads and bacon wrapped figs. I liked all of it.
For dessert, there were cookies, candy and cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes. I had some of everything and it all was really good.
Tanner’s parents know how to throw a really good party. There were games set up in the backyard and lots of tables to sit and eat. We got to see some of our neighbors and some friends from my high school. It was great to see Adam, who is now working at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Tanner’s mom set up some fun games for Tanner and Jess. They played the newlywed game and then a game where we had to guess if a statement was about Tanner or Jess. It was a fun way to get to know them.
It was a really nice afternoon and a great party.
Congratulations Tanner and Jess. I wish you the very best.
I went to the Sawmill Market on April 23rd (a Saturday) and it was a wonderful experience. It reminded me of Faneuil Hall in Boston, but really newer. There were food stalls, flowers shops, bars and ice cream. It was very big and open. However, there wasn’t a lot of room to stop and look at menus. I felt like there was no good place to be with my power chair because it is so big and bulky. There were people milling around, looking at menus and talking with their groups; it was hard to tell who was in a line for food or just deciding on food. It was awkward with my big chair.
It was kind of noisy, but not bad. I could talk about food choices inside. We found a nice table outside and it was very easy to talk. There was a good amount of shade, so we didn’t get too hot. It was easy to get into the building on either side and easy to go outside to the patio. They have a few patios and all are accessible. If you have sensory issues, it may be a bit overwhelming with the crowds.
I ordered the shrimp tacos from Flora Taco To-Go. They were easy for me to eat because sometimes I have swallowing issues. The tortillas were like a fluffy pillow, the shrimp was juicy and tender and there was crunchy slaw and a yummy sauce. The tortillas are homemade. My mom and dad also ordered from here. They got the carne asada tacos, which are marinated steak with guacamole and onion and cilantro. They loved their tacos. They really liked the watermelon margarita that they made at Flora. It was made with watermelon aqua fresca and was really delicious they said. Moira got Pho from Kulatntro. She liked it, but said it was salty at the end. She is a Pho connoisseur. Emily also ordered from Kulantro and got a chicken noodle bowl that she really enjoyed. Katie got a brisket sandwich from 135 degree BBQ and loved, loved, loved it.
Of course, with all these choices, we had to go get dessert. We started with a pastry selection from Blue Door Patisserie. I had key lime cheesecake that was to die for. It was basically like an amazing key lime pie. It was really creamy and delicious. My mom got a snickerdoodle that she said was the best she ever had. Then, there was ice cream from Neko Neko in fish cones (you should look it up). Katie had pistachio, Moira had chai ice cream, and my parents had cherry. Everyone loved it and the fish cake cones (just the shape, not the flavor) were really cool.
If you are in Albuquerque, I think you should try it. There is something for everyone!
Hold On and Get Ready for Take Off 