If there was a city I wish we went to for Cheap Eats, Seattle is certainly one of them. I first went up to Seattle more than two decades ago and got a taste of the famous salmon, beer scene and local produce. Times have changed and the food scene while venerable is also pretty pricey.
Thanks to Happy Hours and general thriftiness, I ate my through 10 restaurants that I’m sharing below.
The Vitals:
the spot: Dick’s Drive In locations throughout Seattle, tested at the Wallingford location
the eats: double cheeseburger, fries
the bucks: $
the full nelson: a local burger institution that tastes best if you grew up on it
I’ve been hearing about Dick’s for years now. With locations throughout the city and burgers served till 2am, I had no excuses not to try it. And I’ll probably never go back.
Dick’s isn’t bad it’s just not that great. Some may say it is better than In-N-Out and they aren’t wrong when it comes to the fries(although half were overcooked). Where Dick’s fails me is also it’s strength: no modifications.
The double is simple enough and that is the charm: cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped pickle and mayo. I was fine with the easy going toppings but I would have added a patty or two. I needed two burgers just to call it a meal. And I can find better places to spend $11 in Seattle.
Dick’s has its charm and its place and no doubt has its fans. But in the current era of Smash Burgers, Dick’s Drive In feels like an iPod in a world of iPhones.
The Vitals:
the spot: Ladd and Lass Brewing 722 NE 45th St, Seattle, WA 98105
the eats: Two Beta IPA
the bucks: $$
the full nelson: an excellent brewery in an excellent beer town
When I went to Seattle, more than two decades ago, craft beer was called micro brewing and Seattle was a West Coast epicenter along with the rest of the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. Ladd and Lass was walking distance from our hotel and our first taste of the Seattle beer scene.
It would be one of many good beers we would try in Seattle. But a special shoutout is due because of the service. We were asked thoughtful questions and steered exactly to the hops we needed. Great beer is everywhere in Seattle but at Ladd and Lass, you also get great vibes too.
The Vitals:
the spot: Moto Pizza locations throughout Seattle, tested at T-Mobile stadium
the eats: Root Pizza
the bucks: $$
the full nelson: My fav version of Detroit style pizza to date
And we had it at the baseball game no less. Pro Tip: sit in the 300 section of T-Mobile park and you will be rewarded with great views of the game, the city skyline and Moto Pizza.
With inspiration from Detroit style deep dish pizzas and some serious culinary creativity(dungeness crab was sold out sadly), Moto is the rare bird that makes me think vegetarian pizzas are just as good as meat ones. This one had mushrooms and while I wanted try the the sold out sausage or cupped pepperoni, one bite of this pizza and I didn’t miss a damn thing.
This is probably one of my fav pizzas of the year. And it was at a stadium.
The Vitals:
the spot: Taste of Xi’an 4523 University Wy NE, Seattle, WA 98105
the eats: Roasted Oysters, Cumin lamb, dumplings, hand pulled noodle soup with lamb
the bucks: $$
the full nelson: Killer Chinese for the college kid district
Great Asian places can be found throughout the city. Because we were staying by University of Washington, House of Xi’an was the convenient choice. Given that consideration, House of Xi’an hit the right notes. Just being able to order Cumin lamb skewers are a win, even if they weren’t as well charred as I would have liked.
Service was great here, very accomodating for our son’s peanut and tree nut allergy and sensitive to my wife’s hesitation about Szechuan peppercorn. There might be better Xi’an restaurants in town but I certainly wish I had a place like this in Austin.
The Vitals:
the spot: Schultzy’s Bar and Grill 4114 University Wy NE, Seattle, WA 98105
the eats: Beer and Brats
the bucks: $-$$
the full nelson: Happy Hour survival in Seattle 101
I think a few beers and a brat makes for a perfect happy hour. It’s a little saucey for lunch, maybe a little lacking for dinner but a great setup for Happy Hour. Our primary reason for going to Seattle was taking our kid to Volleyball camp which meant picking him up at 8:30pm every night, cutting into primetime dinner hours. Enter Schultz’s Bar and Grill which like Taste of Xi’an, is also in the U District(University of Washington).
For $9 you get a large house made bratwurst on a toasted Amoroso roll with grilled onions and schmear of stone ground mustard. Solid all around sammich. Beers were local and most important we got great local insights from the staff at this family owned bar and grill. Good peeps here so check it out.
The Vitals:
the spot: Matt’s Fish Basket 305 Harrison St Seattle, WA 98109
the eats: Cod and Fries
the bucks: $-$$
the full nelson: Fish and Chips craving in a tourist food hall
Short on time and heavy with hunger pangs, we rolled the dice on lunch at the Seattle Armory. I was nervous. There were fast food chains in this renovated food hall but I wanted fish and chips. Thankfully it all worked out.
Everything seems to be cooked to order. Without much of a line, we waited like 10+ minutes for our cod and fries. And it was worth it. Priced at $17, it wasn’t cheap but enough to share. The pieces of cod were large, buttery and the batter was outstanding. Even the thick cut fries(i like ’em skinny) hit hard too. I’d eat here again.
The Vitals:
the spot: Pho Shizzle 4235 University Wy NE, Seattle, WA 98105
the eats: Pho
the bucks: $
the full nelson: Pho for the College kid set
Post Volleyball camp my kid was craving Pho. On our way back to the hotel we stopped off at Pho Shizzle for a quick bite. I wasn’t even hungry and I still got a bowl.
A small combo will run you like $14 and I had leftovers. My kid really like Pho Shizzle because the broth was so aromatic. I’m sure we barely scratched the surface of the Pho scene in Seattle but Pho Shizzle was the Shizzle we needed considering we needed a meal at 9pm on a weeknight in the U district.
The Vitals:
the spot: Kokkaku 6904, 2208 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103
the eats: HH menu
the bucks: $$
the full nelson: my fav restaurant in Seattle
I love steak and Japanese food. Kokkaku bills itself as a Japanese meat house which is a nice way of separating itself from those Teppanyaki restaurants that bill themselves as Japanese steakhouses. Now onto the happy hour.
Oysters were $1.75 each and while they didn’t say they were Kumamotos they sure tasted like the prized creamy oyster. The $5 Wagyu sushi was equal parts generous and spectacular to see as they were seared table side with a creme brulee torch.
The place resembled a NYC bistro or SF bar in design. They had plenty of whiskey and steaks too. God I want to go back so bad for dinner.
The Vitals:
the spot: Post Alley Pizza 6904, 2208 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103
the eats: Italian Cold Cut Hoagie
the bucks: $$
the full nelson: the pizza joint that crushes hoagies with a secret ingredient
J. Kenji Lopez’s post put Post Alley Pizza in my brain. And it wasn’t for the pizza, it was for the sandwich. He hyped the hoagie so I had to try it.
The bread is pretty impeccable, as is the sandwich build. I believe the meats are ham, capicolla and salami. They play well together with just enough shrettuce and some provolone as well. For $18 I would expect prosciutto and sopressata but one has to factor in the size which was easily shareable for two.
But the secret weapon here is the jazz sauce. The blend of Calabrian chiles, Castelvetrano olives, anchovies and I’m sure magical pixie dust. The stuff is pure gold and I’m so obsessed with it. It’s optional but make sure you exercise the option to order it.
I’ll say this about any pricey hoagie: I want a chef driven sauce. Not something I can find in my fridge or pantry. Post Alley Pizza’s Jazz sauce checks that box.
The Vitals:
the spot: Ludi’s 120 Stewart St, Seattle, WA 98101
the eats: Filipino Diner
the bucks: $-$$
the full nelson: Seattle staple diner
I have a lot to learn when it comes to Filipino food. I’ve tried a few landmark dishes like Lumpia but I know I’ve only gotten a small taste of what’s in store for me.
On our way to the airport we stopped off at Ludi’s for a hearty breakfast that would set us up for a long day of travel. Filipino food is stick to your ribs and so is diner food so this seems like a good match. I had a Silog combo which featured a pork chop, two kinds of longaniza(pork sausage), lumpia(a meaty egg roll, eggs and a rice tossed in a garlic oil.
Yes it was as good as it sounds. My kid’s french toast was a banger too. Best part was the hot sauce station where I double downed on this vinegar that was steeped with chiles, onion, garlic and more flavor bombs. Ludi’s is a Seattle legend and man it would have been a perfect place to feature back in the Cheap Eats days.
Seattle is a top tier food town that comes with a cost. A cheap meal means $20 a person out the door. That being said . . . the seafood, the beer and Asian offerings are truly great. Personally, I’ll be doing my best to replicate Post Alley Pizza’s Jazz sauce and do look forward to going back to Seattle.
Shoutout to the public transit as well. We used the train and bus pretty frequently and it’s a great way to get to and from the airport.
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