Seahawks legends open restaurant in downtown Bellevue

Two Seahawks legends will debut their new sports bar, Legion, Tuesday evening in Bellevue’s Lincoln Square. Unfamiliar with downtown Bellevue? Just look for the sea of No. 25 and No. 31 Seahawks jerseys as Legion of Boom fans jostle for a peek at new barkeepers (and former All-Pro defenders) Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor.

Legion management remains mum on whether the two former Seahawks players will be at the restaurant when doors open at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Restaurateur Leilani Wong rounds out the ownership roster of the ambitious 7,500-square-foot restaurant, souped up with 25 televisions to catch the big games.

The sports bar is one of the bigger openings in downtown Bellevue this year, with a menu showcasing Southern cuisine under the helm of chef Jacob Howell, formerly of the critically acclaimed bistro En Rama in Tacoma.

The usual wings and smash burgers will be on the menu, but the restaurant is pushing its “elevated soul food”: Louisiana barbecue shrimp toast, catfish nuggets, chicken cracklings and pimento cheese, along with Southern staples like braised collards, cornbread and green tomato chow.

Legion can hold at least 300 in the dining area and lounge. The restaurant is currently in soft opening mode, not Beast Mode, so expect a limited menu with a rookie staff in training. You might want to give it a week until the crowds die down.

Legion, located at 700 Bellevue Way N.E., opens at 5 p.m. from Oct 3-8, with plans to launch lunch service Oct. 9., starting at 11 a.m. The bar-restaurant intends to stay open until midnight Monday-Saturday and will close at 11 p.m. on Sundays.