Eric Donnelly, the owner and Executive Chef of CircleSpey Restaurant Group, which includes RockCreek Seafood & Spirits, FlintCreek Cattle Company, and Bar Sur Mer, opened the second RockCreek location in Kirkland in April. He also plans to open a third RockCreek in Woodinville in late 2025, near Chateau Ste. Michelle winery.

The Kirkland RockCreek is located in a historical brick building steps from the waterfront and includes many of the Fremont flagship’s classic dishes. With a larger kitchen at this location, the menu is also expanded to include Dungeness crab with fried garlic, whole roasted branzino, sesame-crusted yellowfin tuna and an oyster bar.

The 5,000 square foot space seats 90, with an additional 60 seats outdoor (scheduled to open at the beginning of July), and a private dining area with a private bar that seats up to 45.

We are longtime fans of the Fremont location, and have celebrated many occasions there, including birthdays and Father’s Day, as well as everyday dining—going out for a nice dinner or brunch to celebrate making it to the weekend. We’ve been looking forward to the Kirkland opening since we saw the sign on the building during a visit to the waterfront earlier this year.

On our recent visit to the Kirkland location, we were met with warm service, with many stopping by to say hi to our little one that we brought along. It was a nice day and the combination of the sun streaming through the windows, the peek-a-boo views of Lake Washington, and diners in a good mood (the sun really makes us all more pleasant, doesn’t it?), the vibes were good and it felt like a relaxing summer night. For a Wednesday night, the space was bustling with groups enjoying happy hour at the bar and folks trickling in closer to 6:00 pm and filling up the rest of the restaurant. It was busier than I expected and I would recommend making a reservation in advance to secure a table if you’re planning to come in during peak hours.

We love ordering a variety of small dishes to share and some of our favorites are:

—Grilled Mackeral Salad with roasted eggplant, mint, basil, tomatoes, and ngoc cham
—Heirloom Cauliflower with farro, pine nuts, calabrian chili, celery, white balsamic, and pecorino
—Japanese Yellowtail Hamachi Crudo with sweet onion vinaigrette, bonito-sesame pickles, and shiso leaf
—Barbecued Spanish Octopus with fingerling potatoes, roasted tomatoes, olives, cannellini beans, and olive aioli
—Totten Inlet Mussels Bruschetta with a saffron aioli, garlic confit, and dill

For larger entrees, the Chilean Sea Bass and the Grilled Grecian Branzino are our top picks and if you’re not feeling seafood for a main, the Meyer Ranch MT Hanger Steak is cooked to a perfect medium rare and finished with roasted walnuts, bleu d’auvergne, and caramelized onion marmalade.

View the full menu here.

RockCreek Seafood & Spirits is located at 89 Kirkland Avenue, and open Sunday – Thursday from 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm, Friday – Saturday to 11:00 pm; daily happy hour from 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm. Weekend brunch is slated to start on June 8.