Metropolitan Grill
Metropolitan Grill is a privately held, 45-employee fine dining steakhouse in downtown Seattle's historic Marion Building (since 1983), serving USDA Prime and rare Japanese A-5 Wagyu to affluent diners and Seattle corporate clients. It operates a Grand Award-winning wine program and four private dining rooms under owner Jim Rowe's E3 Co. Restaurant Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Metropolitan Grill does
Metropolitan Grill is a privately held fine dining steakhouse operating from a single location in the historic Marion Building (built 1903) at 820 Second Avenue in downtown Seattle, established in 1983. The restaurant serves USDA Prime beef (less than 2% of U.S. production) supplemented by exclusive Japanese A-5 Wagyu programs including Hokkaido Snow Beef, Sanuki Olive Wagyu, and Ohmi Gyu, made available through proprietary supply relationships that position it among only two U.S. restaurants offering certain cuts. Core technical capabilities include a proprietary Himalayan salt-lined dry-aging room, a signature E3 seasoning blend, and tableside preparation techniques such as Chateaubriand carving and flambé desserts.
The business operates a hybrid revenue model combining dine-in service (with a mandatory 20% service charge), a 60-foot bar, four private dining rooms accommodating 6 to 75 guests, online ordering via ToastTab, retail sale of the proprietary E3 seasoning, and gift cards. The wine program spans approximately 3,000 selections (640 Washington wines specifically) and has earned the Wine Spectator Grand Award for nine consecutive years (2018-2026), held by only 99 restaurants worldwide. Custom bourbon blends are produced annually in partnership with Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, and Blanton's.
Metropolitan Grill is owned and operated by Jim Rowe through E3 Co. Restaurant Group, which acquired the venue in 2018 from Consolidated Restaurants Inc. (the Cohn family, who held it for nearly 70 years). The restaurant employs 45 staff and serves two primary customer segments: affluent diners seeking premium celebratory experiences and Seattle's corporate community for business entertainment, with documented clientele including Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Melinda Gates, and Russell Wilson. Distribution channels are concentrated at the single downtown Seattle location, supplemented by retail products and event hosting.
Metropolitan Grill firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Metropolitan Grill
- Legal name
- Metropolitan Grill
- Website
- https://themetropolitangrill.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Metropolitan Grill is a privately held, 45-employee fine dining steakhouse in downtown Seattle's historic Marion Building (since 1983), serving USDA Prime and rare Japanese A-5 Wagyu to affluent diners and Seattle corporate clients. It operates a Grand Award-winning wine program and four private dining rooms under owner Jim Rowe's E3 Co. Restaurant Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Metropolitan Grill industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fine Dining Steakhouse
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Food Services and Drinking Places (722)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA), Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK)
Keywords
Where Metropolitan Grill is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Metropolitan Grill business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Dine-in Restaurant Service: Full-service fine dining with food and beverage sales. 20% service charge included on all checks.
- Private Dining Events: Catering and hosting private events in multiple dedicated spaces accommodating groups from 6 to 75 guests, including the Wine Cellar, Chairman's Room, Board Room, and Vintage Room
- Retail Products: Sale of proprietary E3 Seasoning blend for home cooking, available in-store at The Met Shop
- Gift Cards: Gift card sales with promotional bonus ($100 bonus for every $500 spent)
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Wine Dinner Events |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Spirit Tasting Events |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Cocktail Class Events |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium Japanese Beef - Hokkaido Snow Beef |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sanuki Wagyu Olive Beef |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Custom Woodford Reserve Bourbon |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Metropolitan Grill product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Metropolitan Grill is a classic fine dining steakhouse serving USDA Prime beef and exclusive Japanese A-5 Wagyu cuts in the historic Marion Building in downtown Seattle since 1983. The core offering is full-service on-premise dining, including lunch, dinner, happy hour, and weekend brunch, complemented by a Wine Spectator Grand Award wine program of approximately 3,000 selections. The restaurant also hosts private dining events for groups of 6 to 75 guests across four dedicated event spaces.
Product overview
Metropolitan Grill is a classic fine dining steakhouse offering a unified restaurant experience centered on USDA Prime beef and premium Japanese A-5 Wagyu steaks, complemented by award-winning wine, craft cocktails, and private event services. The core product is the dine-in restaurant experience at the historic Marion Building (since 1983), supported by additional service modules including Happy Hour in the bar, Private Dining with four event spaces, and Game Day Brunch events. The company also extends its brand into retail products through The Met E3 Seasoning (proprietary spice blend), gift cards, and custom bourbon collaborations with distilleries like Woodford Reserve and Buffalo Trace. Wine program features approximately 3,000 selections and has earned Wine Spectator's Grand Award for nine consecutive years.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dine-In Restaurant Services Full-service fine dining experience featuring USDA Prime steaks, Japanese A-5 Wagyu, American Wagyu, award-winning wine list, craft cocktails, and classic steakhouse cuisine served in an elegant setting in the historic Marion Building since 1983.
- Private Dining and Events Private event hosting across four unique spaces including the Met Wine Cellar (up to 6 guests), Chairman's Room (up to 75 guests), Board Room (up to 50 guests), and Vintage Room (up to 30 guests), with full-service event planning from menu selection to wine pairings for corporate and personal celebrations.
- Lunch Service Midday dining served Tuesday through Friday from 11:00am to 3:00pm exclusively in the bar area, featuring midday steaks, proper cocktails, and full bar service on a walk-in basis.
- Happy Hour Weekday happy hour service in the bar area from 3:00pm to 5:30pm featuring specially priced cocktails, beer, wine by the glass, and bar bites.
- Game Day Sunday Brunch Special weekend brunch events during NFL home games featuring elevated breakfast classics, premium cuts, and craft cocktails.
- The Met E3 Seasoning Proprietary chef's blend seasoning developed by original Metropolitan Grill chef Earl Owens, available for retail purchase in-store for seasoning steaks, burgers, chicken, and vegetables at home.
- Gift Cards Gift cards redeemable for dining experiences at Metropolitan Grill, available with a promotional offer of $100 bonus value for every $500 purchased.
- Ensemble Cabernet Blend Custom Cabernet blend created in partnership with Doubleback Winery, available exclusively to Cellar Club members as a quarterly allocation release.
- Sanuki Wagyu Olive Beef Exclusive 5 oz cut of rare olive-fed Wagyu beef from Shodoshima Island, Japan, offered at $135 per cut and available at only two U.S. restaurants.
- Hokkaido Snow Beef Premium 5 oz cut of rare Japanese Wagyu beef from Hokkaido offered at $110, available at only two select U.S. restaurants.
Quantifiable outcome
- Wine Spectator Grand Award for 9 consecutive years, held by only 99 restaurants worldwide
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Metropolitan Grill
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Metropolitan Grill technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
Metropolitan Grill partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.
- Upsidedown Wine Co. & Kitzke Family VineyardsminorSeth Kitzke winemaker dinner featuring wines from Candy Ridge Vineyard on Candy Mountain and Upsidedown wines, paired with multi-course dinner at $215 per guest.
- Doubleback Winery (Drew Bledsoe & Josh McDaniels)flagshipCollaboration to create 'Ensemble' - a custom cabernet blend exclusively for Metropolitan Grill. First-ever restaurant private blend from Doubleback, released in January 2020 to Cellar Club members. Blend is 78% Cabernet from Lafore Vineyard in Rocks District plus 22% Malbec from Bob Healy Vineyard.
- Double R RanchcoreExclusive partnership for USDA Prime beef supply. Double R Ranch operates on 70,000 acres in Okanogan region of northern Washington State. Their family ranchers Kent & Lana Clark provide the highest quality Prime beef that forms the backbone of Metropolitan Grill's steak program.
- Woodford ReserveflagshipAnnual partnership since 2013 where Metropolitan Grill team travels to Kentucky to select and blend custom bourbon. Under Master Distiller Chris Morris, they create three custom blends (sipping, cocktail, dessert) which are hand-bottled with batch numbers and Metropolitan Grill signature. Current batches are number 15-17.
- Buffalo TracecorePartnership for custom bourbon offerings alongside Woodford Reserve and Eagle Rare. Part of the restaurant's acclaimed bourbon program.
- Eagle RarecorePartnership for custom bourbon offerings alongside Woodford Reserve and Buffalo Trace. Part of the restaurant's acclaimed bourbon program.
- Blanton'scoreSingle barrel bourbon selection program. The restaurant selects specific barrels of Blanton's bourbon, which changed the whiskey industry by being the first commercially sold single barrel bourbon nearly 40 years ago.
- Sound Sustainable FarmsminorSustainability partnership where Metropolitan Grill provides food scraps for compost, receiving fresh local produce in return including Shuksan strawberries used in seasonal desserts.
- W.T. VintnersminorWoodinville winery featured on wine list. Grapes sourced from Destiny Ridge Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills, Yakima Valley. Featured with skirt steak pairing.
- Domaine SereneminorOregon winery featured for wine pairings, particularly with seafood dishes like black cod.
- Côte BonnevilleminorWashington winery whose rosé is recommended for summer pairing.
- Kerloo CellarsminorWashington winery whose rosé is served by the glass at Metropolitan Grill.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Metropolitan Grill competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Capital Grille: Upscale steakhouse chain under Darden with dry-aged steaks, award-winning wine lists, and private dining. Comparable to Metropolitan Grill on premium beef program, wine program recognition, and corporate client entertainment positioning.
- Canlis: Seattle fine dining institution operating since 1950 with a Wine Spectator Grand Award (30 consecutive years, the only other Washington State recipient). Directly comparable to Metropolitan Grill as a peer-level fine dining destination serving affluent diners and corporate clients in the same Seattle market.
- Morton's The Steakhouse: Classic American steakhouse chain featuring USDA Prime steaks, tableside service, and private event spaces. Directly comparable category competitor to Metropolitan Grill in the upscale steakhouse segment with similar customer use cases (celebrations, business dining).
- Peter Luger Steak House: Iconic historic New York steakhouse (since 1887) operating on heritage reputation, dry-aged USDA Prime beef, and cash-only old-world service. Highly comparable to Metropolitan Grill as a heritage destination steakhouse with multi-generational brand equity and premium beef program.
- Eddie V's Prime Seafood: Upscale steakhouse and seafood chain featuring prime steaks, extensive wine lists, and live jazz. Comparable to Metropolitan Grill in premium positioning, wine program emphasis, and special occasion dining use cases.
- Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse: Premium steakhouse concept known for extensive wine lists, private dining, and corporate entertainment. Comparable to Metropolitan Grill in tier (premium steakhouse with strong wine program) and customer base (corporate clients, affluent celebrants).
- El Gaucho Seattle: Seattle-based upscale steakhouse serving Wagyu, USDA Prime steaks, and tableside service with private dining. Directly comparable regional peer in the same Seattle market competing for the same affluent and corporate clientele.
- Smith & Wollensky: Historic American steakhouse group featuring USDA Prime dry-aged steaks, award-winning wine programs, and private event spaces. Directly comparable to Metropolitan Grill in product, format, and corporate dining use cases.
- Ruth's Chris Steak House: National chain of upscale steakhouses offering USDA Prime beef, private dining, and full bar programs in a fine dining format. Most directly comparable U.S. steakhouse chain to Metropolitan Grill in terms of core product (premium steaks) and customer segments (celebrations, corporate dining).
Broad incumbents
- Bonefish Grill: National casual-upscale seafood and steak chain owned by Darden. Comparable to Metropolitan Grill in category overlap (premium protein, wine programs) but operates at a lower price point and broader demographic, making it an incumbent rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Metropolitan Grill social profiles
Digital presenceMetropolitan Grill financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Metropolitan Grill leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Metropolitan Grill funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Metropolitan Grill M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Metropolitan Grill
What does Metropolitan Grill do?
Metropolitan Grill is a classic fine dining steakhouse serving USDA Prime beef and exclusive Japanese A-5 Wagyu cuts in the historic Marion Building in downtown Seattle since 1983. The core offering is full-service on-premise dining, including lunch, dinner, happy hour, and weekend brunch, complemented by a Wine Spectator Grand Award wine program of approximately 3,000 selections. The restaurant also hosts private dining events for groups of 6 to 75 guests across four dedicated event spaces.
Is Metropolitan Grill a public or private company?
Metropolitan Grill is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Metropolitan Grill founded?
Metropolitan Grill was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Metropolitan Grill based?
Metropolitan Grill is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Metropolitan Grill make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Dine-in Restaurant Service is the primary driver. The others are private Dining Events, retail Products and gift Cards.
Who are Metropolitan Grill's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Capital Grille, Canlis, Morton's The Steakhouse, Peter Luger Steak House, Eddie V's Prime Seafood, Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, El Gaucho Seattle, Smith & Wollensky and Ruth's Chris Steak House. Bonefish Grill is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Metropolitan Grill have an API?
No public API is recorded for Metropolitan Grill.
What industry is Metropolitan Grill in?
Metropolitan Grill's product category is Fine Dining Steakhouse. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAE, Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants, with a secondary code of THAFACAA, Fine Dining Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.