Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 6, Issue 12, December 2002

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Don't mess with success
is motto at Wedgwood Broiler

By JAMES BUSH

Are big changes in store for the Wedgwood Broiler?

Nope.

The family steakhouse in the heart of the Wedgwood neighborhood's commercial area is still the same place that owner Derek A. Cockbain remembers visiting as a neighborhood boy.

"We don't want to change the menu," he says. "People come here because it's the way it is."

The restaurant's successful formula includes steaks "by the ounce," prime rib served every weekend, and a spacious bar featuring the Broiler's trademark martinis and manhattans.

Long stays are the norm for many employees, including Cockbain, who first hired on as a dishwasher in 1981. He worked himself up through the kitchen hierarchy, first to pantry cook, then weekend chef, before taking over as the top chef/kitchen manager in the late 1980s. He jokes that, during his long years of service behind the kitchen counter, he knew many of the regular customers more by face than by name.

When former owner Jim Anderson decided to retire in 1996, Cockbain was the obvious choice to take over the business. On March 1 of that year, he purchased the restaurant, moving from the kitchen to the owner's office.

The original restaurant building was constructed by Albert Balch in 1965. It was first known as the Sir Wedgwoodthe initials "S" and "W" can still be seen on the carved door handles at the Broiler's north entrance.

Embry W. Rooks took over the operation of the business in late 1968. The following year, he brought in Anderson and partner Glen Jensen, who operated the successful Blaze's Broiler in Ballard, to give the place a full makeover. They created the restaurant's current configuration and the new name "Wedgwood Broiler."

The dining room booths and other fixtures remain much the same as they were when Cockbain grew up in the Wedgwood neighborhoodattending Our Lady of the Lake School and graduating from Nathan Hale High School. His parents still make Wedgwood their home.

The interior of the restaurant is now decorated with early 1900s pictures of logging scenes from the Olympic Peninsula and Mount Baker area, framed by another neighborhood business, Robert Groves' Art Treasures Framing Center. The woodsy theme is a bit of a stretchthe Wedgwood neighborhood actually owes its name to Mrs. Albert Balch's beloved Wedgwood China.

While seafood and other entrees round out the offerings at the Broiler, the restaurant's reputation still rests on its steaks, says Cockbain. "We've made some changes over the years, but we've basically stuck with our original menu and kept it simple." His goal as owner remains the same as it was during his term as chef: "To continue serving good food at a good price."

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The Wedgwood Broiler is located at 8230 35th Ave. NE. Dining room hours are 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The bar remains open until 1 a.m. most days. Breakfast is served weekends only from 11:30 to 2 p.m. No reservations taken.