Thanks to a CHS reader for the picture
A major reboot in the Capitol Hill food and drink scene that pretty much invites you to make connections to the state of Seattle’s dining economy as a whole will reopen in March.
Seattle all-star chef Renee Erickson’s E Union steakhouse Bateau and its sibling Boat Bar on the backside of Pike/Pine are being reborn as Jeffry’s, a simplified, toned-down restart that will still focus on “in-house dry-aged steaks” but with a streamlined business including nods to the incredibly high cost of eating out in the city. One example? Jeffry’s will launch with a “Humble Cuts” program including “more affordable and lesser-known cuts of beef.”
Jeffry’s will reopen March 11th.
The changes are about more than cow meat.
The United Creatures of the Sea union group representing workers at Erickson’s Sea Creatures restaurant group projects says it has been pushing for a fair contract and has made the closure and restart at Bateau a point of contention. “Former Bateau and Boat Bar employees will be welcomed back to the restaurants, and Jeffry’s will continue to operate as a unionized workplace — as planned and announced when Bateau and Boat Bar closed for remodeling in June 2025,” the restaurant group’s announcement of the reopening reads. We’ll have more from United Creatures soon.
Named for a yellow lab, it really will be called Jeffry’s – not Jeffrey’s as the Seattle Times typo’d it
CHS reported in June on the surprising shutdown as the decade-old Erickson-helmed complex of new era steakhouse Bateau, its sibling bar, and the first location of General Porpoise doughnuts was shuttered for what the ownership group said would be a multi-month refresh more in line with current-era Capitol Hill food and drink economics.
The doughnut shop is now set to be part of the reopening as “a dedicated private dining section.”
In November, Sea Creatures partner Jeremy Price said the reopening would take a temporary backseat as the restaurant group shuttered other locations and opened a new complex venture with the Lowlander Brewery, Un Po Tipsy Pizzeria, and the My Oh My “European-inspired restaurant” in new development on Occidental Ave near the stadiums.
Price told CHS, Bateau, as it had been configured, was operating at a loss for the past two years and said recent efforts for Sea Creatures employees to organize were not a factor in the changes.
The reopening will bring a new set of leaders for the Capitol Hill venue. Jeffry’s opening Chef de Cuisine will be Grant Montague, formerly of Lioness, Bateau, and The Willows Inn. Leading the front of house will be General Manager Breck Gault, formerly of Willmott’s Ghost, Deep Dive, The Butcher’s Table, and The Walrus and the Carpenter.
Erickson says Jeffry’s stripped down approach will be an opportunity to reconnect with some of the creations of her past including “the rustic french flavors and preparations I fell in love with at Boat Street Café” in a space overhauled to feel “casual, warm, and lighthearted, blending polish with approachability.”
The reboot will also have scaled back hours. Jeffry’s will operate five-days per week, Wednesday through Sunday, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
Its debut will knock an entry off the list of 13 Capitol Hill food and drink joints to look forward to in 2026. CHS reported here on others that have already debuted including pizza by the cut Roma Roma on 12th Ave, and Seattle’s first Thai coffee shop Nudibranch Coffee at 12th and Madison.
Jeffry’s will open in March at 1040 E Union. Watch @jeffrysseattle for updates.
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