Department Bento, located on the second floor of Nordstrom Bellevue Square, is now closed. This was the first partnership for Tom Douglas outside of the city of Seattle.
The restaurant, which opened in 2018, took the place of Nordstrom Grill, which closed in March of 2018. Douglas’ eatery allowed customers to dine by choosing between a bento box, rice bowl or salad, and then adding rice, vegetable and a main like salmon or tofu. The menu also offered beverages, sake slushes and more.
Tom Douglas has partnered with Nordstrom to open a restaurant in their Fashion Show mall store in Las Vegas. Additionally, Tom Douglas and Ethan Stowell will open restaurants in Nordstrom’s New York City flagship store later this year.
Department Bento was designed by Seattle-based Graham Baba Architects.
Nordstrom Bellevue has other food options like Ebar, Marketplace Cafe, Espresso Bar and Habitant. Habitant also offers cocktails in a lounge setting.
Bring back the Grill!
Finally. Now, bring back the grill!
Great news. Bring back The Nordstrom Grill. It has been greatly missed!
Well, it took long enough!…but at least it finally happened. As others have said – bring back The Grill !!!!!
Agree! Bring back the Nordstrom Grill. It has great food and staff and is sorely missed!
Bring back the Grill!!!
Is finally time to bring back the grill?
Is it finally time to bring back the grill?
WHY ever argue with success???
Thank the heavens this place is closing.
Please bring back the. Nordstrom Grill!!!
GRILL, GRILL, GRILL!!!
Never should have tried to mess with the grill! It was nostalgic and perfect – and you can’t get elevated food like that elsewhere in the store! Bring it back!
Agree… bring back the Grill!
I’m a big fan of Tom Douglas, but this Bento concept was misguided and doomed from the beginning. Something more like Lola would have performed much better.
Another sad misstep by the current generation. Where are they finding information on what their most valued customer wants ? Why not start with their Icon members ? They should reach out to some of us and just ask !
I also admire Tom Douglas and was very excited to FINALLY have one of his restaurants in Bellevue . When I saw this venue , I found it to be a poor choice , especially in light of the fact that it was replacing the beloved Grill . Perhaps Mr. Douglas could expand into the now closed Palomino ?
Bento Box was poor choice and bad idea! Glad it’s finally! Bring back the Grill, the love of Bellevue 🙂
Glad it’s finally CLOSED!
Yippee!!!! All my Negative feedback I posted everywhere must have done the trick along with my friends who loved the GRILL!!! I said from the start this was a costly, horrible mistake! Who was right? Oh yes, a Customer, not a Nordstroms Executive!!!
Best choice ever! Such a waste of money. Updating the Grill interior at the time would have saved money and heartache. Our adult family ate at The Grill a couple times a month normally and after it closed we have eaten in the Cafe maybe 2-3 times and Habitant a couple when visiting Bellevue.
I agree, bring back the Grill!
1: Bring back the Grill as soon as possible
2: Fire the people responsible for inflicting Department Bento on the good people of Bellevue in the first place.
I actually talked to Tom Douglas a few months ago when he was seated with a couple of guys at his bento restaurant. I said that the grill was a successful place and a destination that old Seattle residents and young people all loved the grill. He said he had never frequented it. I observed that the bento place was bare whereas we usually had to wait to get a table at the Grill. Sounds like Nordstrom listened?
I actually talked to Tom Douglas a few months ago when he was seated with a couple of guys at his bento restaurant. I said that the grill was a successful place and a destination that old Seattle residents and young people all loved the grill.
Great news! Whoever made the decision to close The Grill and open a pathetic Tom Douglas restaurant should be unemployed. The Grill was beloved and always busy. Now let’s hope they don’t screw up The Grill when they re-open it. Keep Tom Douglas as far away as possible.
Hopefully when The Grill returns to Nordstrom in Bellevue it will have a similar comfortable atmosphere . I so enjoyed having lunch or dinner in a quiet non trendy restaurant with friends before or after shopping, or alone. Good food, good warm atmosphere. Don’t spoil it again Nordstrom!