Jak's Grill   

For years, JaK's (named for founders Jeff Page and Ken Hughes) quietly built a loyal following in West Seattle and Issaquah before opening just east of the University Village Mall. Inside a room of dark wood booths, diners are made to feel like welcome family members -- due in no small part to the fact that, for one modest price, you get salad, bread, seasonal veggies, potato of choice (baked, French fried, garlic mashed, pancake) with a corn-fed, Nebraska raised steak. Try the USDA prime top sirloin or prime 'Delmonico,' but if beef doesn't suit your mood, opt for the pork chop marinated in bourbon and brown sugar, grilled prawns, or chicken breast with Jamaican chutney. Vegetarians aren't entirely bereft; grilled vegetables are available. Lighter appetites can order a petite cut steak, one of a quartet of sandwiches, or a London broil-style steak salad. The wine list, almost exclusively West Coast, is notably affordable by the bottle or glass. Dessert? Yeah, there are three to choose from, but where will you put it? Finish with cognac or port instead.