Wanderfish and Co. Goes Belly Up on Capitol Hill

Wanderfish and Co., known as Wanderfish Poké until a revamp last fall, has closed on Capitol Hill. A tipster alerted Eater to the news; chef James Pech and owner Tim Lee did not respond to requests for comment by press time. The restaurant’s website has been taken down, and the restaurant’s phone line has been disconnected.

Wanderfish opened in October 2016 as a sustainably minded fast-casual poke restaurant with chef Jason Velasquez in the kitchen, focusing almost exclusively on the Hawaiian raw fish salad that has so thoroughly captured diners’ attention in Seattle and beyond. At one point, the restaurant was even poised to expand to a second location. In October 2017, the restaurant announced a name-change and an expanded approach under Pech, whose resume has highlights like Hitchcock, Altstadt, Blind Pig Bistro, and Osteria La Spiga.

The restaurant’s efforts to branch out beyond poke included the addition of waffles on a stick with flavors like Toasted Samoan (inspired by the Girl Scout cookies sometimes known as Samoas, other times as Caramel Delites), Rainbow Wand (topped with Froot Loops cereal and drizzled with white chocolate), and Goo Tang Clan (the restaurant’s take on a sticky bun).

There’s no word yet on the next steps for Lee or Pech, or on what the space at 1620 Broadway may hold next.