Cafe Lago FAQ

We are open for dinner every night of the week. Our hours are  Sunday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday, 5 to 9 p.m., and Friday/Saturday/Monday, 5 to 9:30 p.m. 

We are closed on certain holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day, and New Year's Day. We are also closed on the 4th of July, Labor Day, and Super Bowl Sunday. Please check our banner on the website's opening page for other closures.

Carla@cafelago.com is happy to help with any questions or arrangements.

1)    Do you take reservations?

Yes, we recommend them. You can make a reservation online on our website. You can also call us at (206)-329-8005.

2)    How about walk-ins?

We accept walk-ins on a case-by-case basis, depending on availability. We do not set any tables aside for walk-ins, so we can only guarantee a table with a reservation. We have a limited number of seats at the bar that are always first come, first served for guests aged 21 years and up.

3)    Do you offer take-away?

While we offer take-away food we are primarily a dine-in establishment, and we always prioritize our guests who are dining in-house. If the Chef believes that take-away orders would affect the kitchen in a way that might negatively affect the experience of our dine-in guests, we will discontinue taking those orders. For this reason, we cannot guarantee take-away will always be available.

When available, we offer take-away for pickup. You can go to our website and click "Order Online for Pickup" in the top right corner of the screen, or call us at (206)-329-8005. Pizza is never available for take-away on Mondays because of our discounted pizza night.

4)    Do you provide parking?

Our location in a 100-year-old building in a primarily residential neighborhood prevents us from providing on-site parking. There is usually ample parking on the surrounding neighborhood's residential streets and convenient public back-in-angle parking on E Lynn Street on either side of 24^th Ave E.

Parking in the neighborhood is restricted by zone permits on Husky Football home games.

5)    Do you allow bottles of wine from home? Is there a corkage fee?

Yes! We would be happy to open your bottles for a fee of $30 per bottle (magnums will be $50). Bottles must be sealed upon entering the restaurant 

6)    We’re having a celebration! Can we bring a dessert from home? Is there a fee?

Yes, with limitations. We can accept outside desserts made in a commercial kitchen, such as a stand-alone bakery, or a larger operation like Safeway or Costco.

The King County Health Code and liability issues prevent us from being able to accept homemade desserts at Café Lago. Unfortunately, there are no exceptions to this rule. If you would prefer to purchase a dessert from us, we will happily provide one order of gelato for your celebration (birthday, anniversary) free of charge.

If your outside dessert meets these criteria, we can serve it. You can call ahead to coordinate any special instructions you may have. We can refrigerate your dessert if needed, and we will present it to your specifications when the time comes. After that, we will slice, plate, and serve the dessert. The fee is $2 per plate.

7)    I can’t seem to make a reservation online for more than six people. Do you accept larger parties?

Yes! We accept parties of up to 16 people every day except Monday. Please call the restaurant at (206)-329-8005 to inquire about availability.

8)    Why can’t I make a reservation for more than six on Monday?

Monday is our $15 Pizza Special day, one of our busiest days of the week. At Café Lago, we strive to provide the best service possible daily. We found it challenging to meet that goal with the mixture of large parties and high traffic. To limit wait times, we have imposed this policy. Depending on availability, we may be able to seat your large party at separate tables, but we cannot guarantee they will be near one another. We generally don’t make exceptions to this rule for things like birthdays or other everyday events, but if you have an extenuating circumstance, you can call (206)-329-8005 or email kyle@cafelago.com, and we can see what we may be able to do for you.

9)    Is Café Lago kid-friendly?

Yes! We are a family restaurant and always have been. Kiddos of all ages are allowed, although the dining room section closest to the bar is designated for ages 13 and up to maintain a quieter atmosphere.

We want to provide an excellent experience for all, so we ask that parents discourage their kids from engaging in disruptive behavior to benefit our other guests. We also ask that kids stay at their table when not using the restroom (we understand kids can be hard to handle; we just ask that everyone do their best). Working restaurants can be dangerous places for kiddos; we’re moving fast with heavy and hot items, and little ones getting underfoot could be disastrous. Let’s keep everyone safe together!

We love kids here at Café Lago. We have watched children who ate here in highchairs grow up and bring in their own babies. The families in our community make us who we are. 

10)    Do you cater?

Yes! We offer various menu items for takeaway catering, including sheets of our famous Lasagne. The Catering Menu is available on our website under the News/Events tab and our menu page under Catering.

11)    Can we rent out Café Lago for a private event?

Yes! We accept reservations up to 16 people, but any more than that would require a buy-out. Our dining room is split into three sections. We offer single-section buy-outs for up to 30 or full restaurant buy-outs for up to 90. The dining room bar area is not available for single-section buy-outs. 

To inquire about pricing or availability or any other questions you may have, email kyle@cafelago.com.

12)    How can I buy a gift card?

We sell physical gift cards in the restaurant or purchase one on our website. 

Here’s the way:

If you are on your phone, there is an oval "e-gift card" button located on the cafelago.com home page right under "order for pickup" and "order for delivery" right above the photo of a family having dinner.

On your computer screen, the button is on the upper right side above that photo.

Press the button, and buying the gift card is simple. The card can be sent immediately to the recipient's email address or phone number, printed from there, or presented to us on your phone. 

Both physical and digital gift cards never expire and can be used for either takeaway or dine-in.

13) Do you have gluten-free options?

Be sure to alert your server when ordering gluten-free so our cooks can prepare. We'll try our best not to cross-contaminate. Most people with gluten allergies are fine, but it all depends on how sensitive you may be. We do not recommend dining at Lago if celiac disease is an issue.

• The antipasti can be made without bread- the antipasto platter without crostini and the salads without croutons.
• Our meatballs contain breadcrumbs.
• We do not offer gluten-free pizza dough. 
• We offer Gluten-Free pasta with a choice of sauces.
• Our steak and fish entrees are gluten-free. 
• For dessert, there is gelato.

 Please look at our menu on the website for a more detailed account of our current menu.