George's Sausage and Delicatessen
$
For nearly 40 years, George's has sold delicious deli sandwiches in a small market filled with Polish and Eastern European groceries.
6 Best Restaurants in Seattle, Washington
Sorry! We don't have any recommendations for Seattle right now.
Thanks to inventive chefs, first-rate local produce, adventurous diners, and a bold entrepreneurial spirit, Seattle has become one of the culinary capitals of the nation. Fearless young chefs have stepped in and raised the bar. Fresh and often foraged produce, local seafood, and imaginative techniques make the quality of local cuisine even higher.
Seattle's dining scene has been stoked like a wildfire by culinary rock stars who compete on shows like Iron Chef, Top Chef, and regularly dominate "best of" lists. Seattle chefs have won big in the prestigious James Beard competition, with Renee Erickson of Bateau, Walrus and the Carpenter, and the Whale Wins taking the "Best Chef Northwest" title in 2016 and creative genius Edouardo Jordan named one of Food and Wine Magazine's "Best New Chefs." The city is particularly strong on new American, Japanese, and Vietnamese cuisines. Chefs continuously fine-tune what can best be called Pacific Northwest cuisine, which features fresh, local ingredients, including anything from nettles and mushrooms foraged in nearby forests; colorful berries, apples, and cherries grown by Washington State farmers; and outstanding seafood from the cold northern waters of the Pacific Ocean, like wild salmon, halibut, oysters, Dungeness crab, and geoduck. Seattle boasts quite a few outstanding bakeries, too, whose breads and desserts you'll see touted on many menus.
Seattle is also seeing a resurgence in American comfort food, often with a gourmet twist, as well as gastropub fare, which can mean anything from divine burgers on locally baked ciabatta rolls to grilled foie gras with brioche toast. But innovation still reigns supreme: local salmon cooked sous vide and accompanied with pickled kimchi or fresh-picked peas can be just as common as aspic spiked with sake and reindeer meat. Many menus feature fusion cuisine or pages of small-plate offerings, and even high-end chefs are dabbling in casual ventures like pop-up eateries or gourmet food trucks. Many, if not most, of the top chefs own their businesses as well, and in recent years they’ve spread their talents around, operating two or three complementary ventures (or, in Ethan Stowell’s case, more than a dozen and counting, while Tom Douglas has nearly 20, plus a cooking school and farm). The trend toward informality and simplicity particularly plays out when it comes to dessert; most neighborhoods boast branches of at least one of the city’s popular, independently owned cupcake, doughnut, or ice-cream shops. Regardless of the format or focus, one thing's for sure: chefs are highlighting their inventions with the top-notch ingredients that make Pacific Northwest cooking famous.
Katy's Corner Café
$
This tiny, unpretentious neighborhood espresso bar has a classic coffeehouse vibe, with red walls, eclectic local art, a comfy worn sofa, and a few small tables. You'll find standard coffee drinks here along with homemade pastries, quiches, and sandwiches.
Ken's Market
$ | Phinney Ridge
The deli counter at Ken's turns out surprisingly good sandwiches, like an Italian stuffed with cured meats and a chicken banh mi loaded with pickles, all made on fresh bakery rolls, plus a smash burger on Thursdays. The small, nicely stocked neighborhood grocery store also offers a good selection of local baked goods (doughnuts, muffins), coffee, and beer, wine, and canned cocktails.
Recommended Fodor's Video
Rachel's Bagels & Burritos
$
What began as an effort to clear the fridges during a pandemic shutdown resulted in a new concept for this small Ballard café. Some of the city's best bagels come stacked into towering sandwiches slathered with traditional toppings like cream cheese and lox, and creative originals like scallion cheddar spread with baked egg, kale, and king oyster mushrooms. The one-pound breakfast burritos all start with scrambled eggs and include fresh salsas that show the restaurant's commitment to making everything from scratch starting with excellent ingredients.
Royal Grinders
$
Just steps from Fremont's Stalin statue, Royal Grinders serves hearty hot subs on pillowy rolls. We're talking classic combos of meat, cheese, and veggies piled high and baked in the oven. The Crown and the Italian are the best.
Valhalla Sandwiches
$ | Greenwood
If you visit Valhalla for lunch, be sure to bring a Viking-size appetite. The sandwiches are enormous, like the piled-high house BBQ pork with chipotle sauce, or El Duderino, which features chicken topped with chorizo, avocado, and jack cheese. The sides are hearty as well: macaroni salad, tots, and slaw. If you want to save a few calories, you can order the sandwiches bowl-style. You’ll still leave stuffed.
