You can take a look at our scores down below. Our favorites are the biang biang noodles without soup. Our favorites are Mount Qi Pork and the Spicy Lamb Cumin. If you do decide to eat at Xian’ Noodles do try their noodles in soup. It’s not exactly conducive to taking out, but perfect for eating in. Their starters are also quite good and a great value-we like the cucumbers, bean sprouts and garlic broccoli. Their “burgers” are simply meat and bread, but you can see from the pictures below they stuff it with a lot of meat. Cumin Beef is our favorite here. The one area they fall short when comparing to other Seattle restaurants are the won tons and dumplings, which are not up to par with places like Dough Zone or Little Tings.
Seattle Coffee Works
Description on Seattle Coffee Works website : Seattle Coffee Works is a place to experience and experiment with coffee in its richly diverse forms and varieties. Wine connoisseurs have tasting rooms; beer aficionados have brewery tap rooms; fine dining enthusiasts have five-star restaurants. Our goal is to create a dedicated tasting space for specialty coffee. All of our locations commit unrelentingly to making coffee better and providing resources to help our customers make and explore better coffee.
Neighborhood:Downtown
Address: 108 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101
What we ate/drank: Macchiato
Comments: Seattle Coffee Works has moved one block away from Pike St to Pine St. Some things haven’t changed. The Drinking Man neon sign is still outside, it’s still close to Pike Place Market, they still have a slow bar area.
There are some things that are very different about the new Seattle Coffee Works location. The main thing is that it’s not as dark as the previously location. Their new location is really bright and where the old location felt a bit cramped, this location feels spacious and airy. White walls, big front windows letting in tons of light also help with the open feel. I also notice there are many more electrical outlets in case you need to work or study.
Check out our old Seattle Coffee Works post that talks about their website that has Authenticity Reports that shows transparency of how much they paid and how much they ordered from each of their farms.
The new Seattle Coffee Works puts it much closer to the decor and atmosphere of it’s sister locations, Capitol Coffee Works, and Cascade Coffee Works.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: The above mentioned Authenticy Reports and Second Pay policy.
Atmosphere: 4.25
Service: 4.50
Food Options: 3.75
Extra Credit: +1.25 for Authenticity Report and Second Pay
Overall:4.50
Xi’an Noodles
Recommended by: We met a couple at a house warming party that we had just seen at Mike’s Noodle House right before. We asked for some of their other favorites. They recommended Xian Noodles in the University District as a place that specializes in biang biang noodles at a reasonable price. After visiting, we’ve made it our main take out spot.
Description on the Xian Noodles’ website: Authentic Western Chinese Food from Xi’an City, hot pot, dry hot pot.
Neighborhood/Type: University District
Address: 5259 University Way, Seattle, WA 98105
What we ate/drank: Cumin Beef Burger, Cumin Lamb Burger, Stewed Pork Burger, Garlic Cucumber Salad, Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles, Stewed Pork Hand-Ripped Noodles, Won Tons in Chili Sauce, Mount Qi Pork Hand-Ripped Noodles, Bean Sprouts Gluten Salad, Dumplings(Chive/Shrimp/Pork), Stewed Pork Rice
Comments: We’ve eaten at Xian Noodle’s exactly one time, but we have done take out quite a few times since discovering this place. It’s one of our go-to take out places. We ain’t gonna lie, the simple aesthetics(we are talking about The Ave after all) of Xi’an Noodles space, make it a perfect place for take out.
Xi’an Noodles is known for their biang biang noodles, which are named after the sound the noodles make as it’s being slammed against the table/counter while being made. The noodles are wide, thick and hand ripped that allows sauce to stick to the noodles.
They also have “burger” or Rou jia mo that are also quite good. It’s marinated meats between crispy flatbread.
If the Chinese food you’re expecting is General Tsao’s Chicken, Egg Foo Young or Egg Rolls, open your mind and try some authentic Chinese food. We have friends who we’ve introduced to Xi’an Noodles and had to “trick” them into trying some dishes by not telling them what’s in it until after they’ve tried it and all have been converted. After saying they enjoyed the dish, we then tell them it was lamb or intestines and explain what makes the dishes “tingly”(Sichuan Peppers, illegal in the US untill 2005).
All dishes here are below $10, but to be transparent most are at the $9.99-$9.95 price, but still pretty good value.
Recently Xian Noodles made Seattle Met’s 100 Best Restaurant. Honestly, one of the reasons Xi’an Noodles is our go to take out spot is proximity, but it also has to do with bang for the buck, how easily you can split up the dishes for a family/group and because it just simply tastes really good.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.00
Service: 4.25
Food/Drinks: 4.75
Bang for the Buck: 4.75
Overall: 4.50
Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.
-
- Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
- Most locals know about it
- Locals “in the know” know about it
- Only those who live close by know about it.
- You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!
Servers Cashier recommendations to visit in the future: When we asked the cashier, Eldon, if he could recommend another place that he enjoys eating at, he advised he doesn’t go out to eat much, but the place across the street, Snowy Village, has really good shaved ice desserts. We can’t pass that up. Visit coming soon.
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Best Donut Variety Award: The Donut Factory
Recommended by: In our quest to find the best doughnut in Seattle, we came here after our neighbors told us about The Donut Factory replacing a long standing donut shop that closed down. We had also just recently visited Half N Half Doughnut and wanted to compare.
Description on the Donut Factory’s website: Don’t Worry, Be Happy. We exist to help everyone achieve delightful experiences. We believe in quality, especially when it comes to a donut, taste is the key ingredient to happiness.
Neighborhood/Type: University District
Address: 4336 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105
What we ate/drank: See various pics below
Comments: We consider ourselves doughnut connoisseurs. It’s one of the few foods we feel we can call ourselves, “experts”. You can see our review on the two Seattle doughnut empires, Top Pot and Mighty-O, the trendy, General Porpoise Doughnuts and the secret doughnut spot that nobody seems to talk about, Tempesta Coffee (RIP) We also just tried new Half N Half Doughnut Company and Raised Doughnuts. We’re also fans of Family Donut Shop.
When we heard Ly’s Doughnuts suddenly closed down, we had a moment of silence. Ly’s was really good at basic doughnuts and most importantly was open 24 hours, so we could do a doughnut run late at night or early in the morning. This was especially convenient when our kids were infants and waking us up at all times of the day. So when we heard that another doughnut spot would open in it’s place, we were intrigued.
The Donut Factory opened up in the little strip mall where Ly’s used to be. They had a store out in Lynnwood and were expanding to Seattle. You can see from this Seattle Magazine article that Donut Factory won their social media poll for Best Doughnut in Seattle.
So to say that we were giddy with anticipation was an understatement. The Donut Factory in the University District opened in May of 2019 and almost instantly their one-of-a-kind doughnuts started popping up on Instagram. Similar to when Cinnaholic opened, we waited awhile for the buzz to die down before we made our way to The Donut Factory.
First thing you’ll notice is the huge variety they have. I never thought I’d say it, but there are more choices than Top Pot. From what I can tell the doughnuts on the right are your standard singles like your old fashioned, raised glazed, sprinkle, etc and the doughnuts on the left are your fancy doughnuts. If you happen to have a Husky Card, Orca Card or Military Card you get a 10% discount, which is a great feature.
- Single – $2, Half dozen $11, Dozen $21
- Fancy – $3, Half dozen $15, Dozen $31
- Extra fancy -$4
They also have some combo deals:
- Wake & Cake which is premium coffee(latte, mocha, etc) + 1 donut -$6.25
- Perfect Combo is 16 oz drip + 2 donuts – $5.75
I’m typically a fan of cake doughnuts so I normally get old fashioned glazed or a an apple fritter. You can see from the pictures below our daughter consistently picks the blueberry sprinkle and mom, the mango filled.
Unlike Ly’s, Donut Factory is not open 24 hours, but it is open a respectable 5am to 10pm.
The service has been great. They’ve been patient when you have so many choices, offer suggestions and on a few occasions have given us an extra donut. They’ve asked, “Was there one that barely missed the cut?” And when I’ve mentioned it, they’ve given it for free. Also, I don’t think it hurts to have a cute toddler with you. They asked her to pick an extra one for herself.
One other service that we will likely utilize in the future is their customs made to order doughnuts that can be shaped into letters. The custom made doughnut can be any flavor or filling and they are huge. They ask for 48 hours notice.
Pretty much all the Seattle doughnut shops are on the higher end price wise. We’d say The Donut Factory is in the Mighty-O price range and definitely more bang for the buck than General Porpoise or Top Pot. The variety of doughnuts can’t be beat and their unique and creative doughnuts are one of a kind that out of town visitors have never seen before. Their discounts for UW, Orca and military is a nice touch as well as the service of custom made letter doughnuts that we can’t wait to order for our daughters’ birthdays.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.00
Service: 5.00
Food/Drinks: 4.50
Bang for the Buck: 4.25
Overall: 4.35
Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.
-
- Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
- Most locals know about it
- Locals “in the know” know about it
- Only those who live close by know about it.
- You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!
Servers recommendations to visit in the future: A reader tipped us off to another doughnut(actually a mochi doughnut) place that opened in the International District called, Dochi.
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Best One-Of-A- Kind Doughnut Award: Half N Half Doughnut Company
Recommended by: Nobody. We saw it on our way to Skillet Diner. Little did we know, it had just opened two days earlier.
Description on the Half N Half Doughnut Company’s website: We hope HnH doughnuts delight you. Our passion is creating beautifully crafted flavors for the products made right here in our kitchen. We value providing compelling taste and quality in equal measure. So, our products are always fresh, made from scratch, with Northwest organic whenever possible and always with a strong commitment to non-GMO.
Neighborhood/Type: Capitol Hill
Address: 516 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122
What we ate/drank: Banana Foster Filled($3.85), Pineapple Fritter($3.95), Vanilla Old Fashioned($2.75), Georgette Cinnamon Twist($3.25). Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit Sandwich($6.95)
Comments: We consider ourselves doughnut connoisseurs. It’s one of the few foods we feel we can call ourselves experts. You can see our review on the two Seattle doughnut empires, Top Pot and Mighty-O, the trendy, General Porpoise Doughnuts and the secret doughnut spot that nobody seems to talk about, Tempesta Coffee (RIP) We also have an upcoming post for the newly opened Donut Factory in the University District and Raised Doughnuts in the Central District.
We knew nothing about Half N Half Doughnut Company. We happened to wake up early one morning(having two kids under 3 yrs old will do that) and decided to have breakfast at Skillet Diner down the street. On the way to Skillet we saw some folks waiting outside Half N Half Doughnut Company and decided we’d stopped by after eating breakfast.
We found out that Half N Half Doughnut Company had only been open for two days and is the creation of one of the co-founders of Top Pot Doughnuts. As you will see, the doughnuts are a bit more experimental than Top Pot’s.
Half N Half Doughnut Company is right on Pike St in Capitol Hill so parking can be a problem. Look for the storefront with the moped and kid mannequins in the window.
The interior is small with no tables or chairs and has a 1950s soda shop vibe to it. They even have manual pull espresso machines. We’ll get to the doughnuts in a second, but first they also have cookies, biscuits, breakfast sandwiches and surprisingly, sous vide eggs. Cookies we understand. Biscuits and breakfast sandwiches is a little strange, but okay. Sous vide eggs? We’re not aware of any other establishments that serve sous vide eggs to go.
Anyways, on to the main attraction, doughnuts. The selection is not as robust at Top Pot, Mighty O or Donut Factory, but the choices are all very “experimental” and none that you have ever tasted before. You won’t find your standard doughnuts like maple bars or chocolate glazed. You will find doughnuts such as Churros, Smores and Banana Foster filled. They also have mini doughnuts which they call, “bombs”. We ended up getting the following:
- Banana Foster Filled($3.85) -Score: 4.75/5.0
- Pineapple Fritter($3.95) – Score: 4.65/5.0
- Vanilla Old Fashioned($2.75) – Score: 4.65/5.0
- Georgette Cinnamon Twist($3.25). Score: 4.25 /5.0\\
- Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit Sandwich($6.95) <<we got this for our friend who we were visiting after. We didn’t try it but he loved it.
The people there were very good about explaining each of the doughnuts and were very willing to advise their favorites, which we appreciated. As you can see the doughnuts are all different prices. We have to say, the doughnuts at Half N Half Doughnut Company do seem to be bigger than your normal doughnut, but so are the prices.
We enjoyed the fact that you will not find these types of doughnuts anywhere else. The banana foster filled was our favorite, but the pineapple fritter was a nice spin on your normal apple fritter and their vanilla old fashioned was also better than your normal old fashioned.
Due to it’s location it does take some effort to come to Half N Half Doughnut Company, but the unique types of doughnuts they have has a “special treat” type feeling to it. Even the packaging with individual wrapping for each doughnut and sturdy boxes have a “special treat” feeling to it.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.25
Service: 4.75
Food/Drinks: 4.65
Bang for the Buck: 4.25
Overall: 4.45
Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.
-
- Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
- Most locals know about it
- Locals “in the know” know about it
- Only those who live close by know about it.
- You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!
Servers recommendations to visit in the future: As mentioned in our quest to find the best doughnut in Seattle, we visited The Donut Factory out in the University District after our neighbors told us about it replacing a long standing donut shop that closed down.
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Sazon Kitchen
Recommended by: Back in the spring, a friend of ours mentioned a new Mexican restaurant that opened on 15th Ave NW that served breakfast everyday. He couldn’t recall the name of the place, but on the way to one of our Watson’s Counter visits, we saw Sazon Kitchen and tried it out a couple times.
Description on the Sazon’s Yelp section written by the owner: Clean, newly renovated and open kitchen concept makes Sazon Kitchen a great breakfast and brunch option. Specialty dishes like Machaca de Res, eggs-clusive items and the grain casserole are just an example of our northern Mexico Cuisine delights.
Neighborhood/Type: Ballard
Address: 7301 15th Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98117
What we ate/drank: Rox’s Signature Eggs – Motul style eggs, fried tortilla, beans, ham, criolla sauce, queso fresco, chicharron, cilantro, avocado, fried sweet banana, picked red onion. Machaca De Res- Shredded Beef, Chimi Potatos, Chiloquil, Two Eggs, Tortilla. Grain Casserole – Mix of grains in criolla sauce, braised tri-tip and eggs. Toppings include chicharron, cilantro and pickled red onions + greens and bread.
Comments: As mentioned above we heard Sazon Kitchen a new Mexican restaurant opened and served breakfast daily opening at 7:00am. As you know from our Varsity Inn and Senor Moose reviews, Mexican + Breakfast = instant visit.
Here’s a history of Sazon Kitchen per the owner from their Yelp page, “ Sazon started as pop up food vendor at a number of events like bumbershoot, bite of seattle, hempfest and others… Last year we invested in a food trailer but for health laws trucks need to be parked at a commissary kitchen overnight and driving and pulling a 20′ trailer back and forth was too tiring and time consuming. Luckily after looking for a place to make our truck stationary we end up finding a good place to open our dream breakfast place where we can also have our lunch and dinner taqueria.”
As mentioned, Sazon Kitchen is open everyday(except Wed) at 7am. Each time we’ve been we’ve been able to get a seat very easily. There are tons of outdoor seating, but we chose to eat inside. It’s very bright due to having windows on all three sides. You pay at the cashier, they give you a number, you choose a seat and they’ll bring it out to you. As soon as we sat they brought over some glasses and provide an individual glass bottle of water for the table, which is a nice touch.
They have an open kitchen and on multiple occasions we were entertained with the chopping while prepping the dishes being in sync with the beat of the music being played. Over the kitchen you’ll see a collection of French presses. We’ve not ordered a French press opting for either drip or cortados during our visits. The coffee being served is from Caffe Vita.
The owner mentions specialty dishes, Machaca de Res, eggs-clusive items(Rox’s Signature Eggs) and the grain casserole, so those are the three dishes we’ve had so far.
Lot going on on the plate. garnish of onion, avocado, radish. Makes for good presentation but ingredients involved from the main portion of the dish to the garnishes. You can see all the ingredients involved in the description under each photo of the dish.
We enjoyed all the dishes we’ve had so far. All are really flavorful and due to the number of ingredients/garnishes, you can practically experiment with different combinations of spoonfuls of flavors. Almost on every dish, I wished there were a little more pickled onion or avocado or banana or chicharron. We would say the Machaca De Res was the simplest and most familiar of the dishes with the least amount of ingredients. The machaca was moist and tender and with the beans, potatoes, eggs and tortillas make a great breakfast option.
Rox’s Signature Eggs is a dish you won’t find anywhere else. It’s served Motul style which means the tortilla is on the bottom and the egg is on top. In between was the ham.
The best of the bunch is another dish you won’t find anywhere else. It’s the Grain Casserole. I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but this is the dish I’d order again on return visits. It was braised trip tip and some peppers and onions over a bed of various grains- I think lentils, beans, long rice and regular rice? I’m not sure, truthfully, but with the sauce and generous topping of protein and veggies, it was so delicious. The one minor thing, I’d prefer is tortillas instead of bread accompanying this dish. Perhaps the abundance of grains wouldn’t be a good match with tortillas? At $18, I was a bit hesitant since it’s bit on the high side, but after tasting it, I’d get it again.
We’ll definitely keep Sazon Kitchen on our list of breakfast/brunch options that’s served all week. Although Senor Moose has a relaxed atmosphere, Sazon Kitchen is even more informal and a good option for us to take the entire family due to the large outdoor area. We’re also looking forward to return during lunch or dinner hours since we’ve only come during the mornings.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.25
Service: 4.75
Food/Drinks: 4.50
Bang for the Buck: 4.25
Overall: 4.40
Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.
-
- Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
- Most locals know about it
- Locals “in the know” know about it
- Only those who live close by know about it.
- You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!
Servers recommendations to visit in the future:
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*****NOTE: Not more than 48 hours after posting this, we were told that this spot is becoming a Peruvian place and BBQ Smith is going to Catering Only*****
Recommended by: After we claimed that Tavolata had the best Happy Hour in Seattle, a reader suggested checking out BBQ Smith’s Happy Hour. We took her up on her suggestion.
Description on the BBQ Smith’s website: Seattle Barbecue/Texas-Inspired
Neighborhood/Type: Roosevelt, Maple Leaf
Address: 7919 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
What we ate/drank: Texas Cheese Fries – Crispy Fries loaded with house made gouda cheese and topped with brisket. Texas Style Brisket, Pulled Pork, Corn Bread, Mac & Cheese, Miso Collard Greens, Half pound of pulled pork(smoked 10 hrs) and half rack of pork ribs(smoked 5 hrs), Mama Moon’s Kim Chi, Cornbread, Brown Sugar Beans, Hardcore corn- smoked to the core on the smoker with butter/cheese/sour cream/tajin mixture
Comments: We’ve always passed BBQ Smith on our way to Chiang’s Gourmet right down the street. It’s in an odd spot right in the middle of a neighborhood(Maple Leaf) with not a whole lot of parking. Truthfully we had it on our radar to try, but it was never a priority. That is until a reader saw the blog post claiming that Tavolata had the best Happy Hour in Seattle. She begged to differ and suggested BBQ Smith. So of course we needed to check it out.
The first thing we noticed when coming to BBQ Smith was the Chuck’s Hop Shop sticker and discovered that Chuck of Chuck’s Hop Shop fame is actually the owner! One of the best kept secrets is that there is a little satellite Chucks’ Hop Shop in the back. It doesn’t have the selection that the regular shop has, but it does have a really great beer selection for a small bbq joint.
Before visiting BBQ Smith, take a look at their website . They have Google Slides embedded and starting around page 4 they start talking about their bbq preparation-how long it’s prepared, cooked, rests and served. They also talk about the types of cuts. See below.
The style of bbq served here is Texas style bbq, which means they rub the meat with spices and cooked on low heat over long periods of time over indirect heat, which means the meat is not cooked directly over the flame, but to the side or higher above the flame. This leads to some yummy tenderness. Also sauce is not typically slathered on the meat, because it’s not needed. You can see it represented in their cook times. The pork ribs are smoked for 5 hours, the pulled pork is smoked for 10 hours and the brisket is smoked for 12 damn hours!
We’ve eaten both indoors and although their patio is not the most “finished”, it’ll do on a nice summer evening for sure.
You can order your bbq as a plate or by the pound. We’ve ordered so many different sides and types of meats, we won’t go into a lot of detail, but suffice to say all the bbq is tender, oh my god how tender, moist and smokey.
Sides – Score : (4.0/5.0). Nothing really blew us away except maybe the corn. The collard greens were interesting with it’s Asian twist. Everything was good, but not mind blowingly good.
- Mama Moon’s Kimchi – Secret Kimchi recipe passed down from generations.
- Brown Sugar Beans – Slow cooked pinto beans with brown sugar, jalapenos, tomato and spices
- Mac & Cheese – Asiago Cheese, smoked gouda and black pepper
- Miso Collard Greens – collard greens, bacon ends, onion, sugar and garlic slow cooked with an Asian twist
- Hardcore Corn- smoked to the core on the smoker with butter/cheese/sour cream/tajin mixture
- Cornbread
BBQ:
- Half pound of pulled pork(smoked 10 hrs). Score: (4.75 / 5.0)
- Half rack of pork ribs(smoked 5 hrs). Score: (4.25 / 5.0)
- Texas Style Brisket(smoked 12 hrs). Score: (5.0 / 5.0)
Appetizer: Score: (5.0 / 5.0)
There’s one last dish which we got during happy hour and this might be the best happy hour dish in Seattle. The Texas Cheese Fries is $4! You read that right. During happy hour the Texas Cheese Fries are $4.00. Check out how massive this tray is. There’s no way two people can finish this. Also got a Bodizafa from Georgetown Brweing for $3. Holla! Back to the dish. So they give you a huge tray with a layer of fries and these fries are no ordinary frozen Ore Ida fries. Then they put a layer of their 12 hour brisket and they are not chintzy with it and then a layer of their home made cheese. One time we ordered it and the brisket was on top and the next time we ordered the cheese was on top. No matter, trust me.
One thing we haven’t tried are the sandwiches, but honestly why add bread to the mix when you can fully enjoy the bbq on it’s own.
They also just started serving brunch on the weekends, although we haven’t tried it yet.
I wouldn’t say Seattle is the hotbed of bbq, so I wouldn’t consider ourselves experts, but we know what we like and we have had our fair share of bbq in Seattle at Bitterroot, RoRo’s, Drunky’s Two Shoe, Cask & Trotter and Peco’s Pit. And also Bourbon & Bones and Kickin Boot Whiskey may they rest in peace. So for now Smith BBQ has become our go to bbq joint in Seattle due to the hidden Chucks Hop Shop bar in the back, one of the best happy hour dishes in Seattle and just plain good bbq. One last thing, no cash accepted.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 5.00
Service: 5.00
Food/Drinks: 4.75
Bang for the Buck: 4.50
Overall: 4.75
Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.
-
- Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
- Most locals know about it
- Locals “in the know” know about it
- Only those who live close by know about it.
- You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!
Servers recommendations to visit in the future: Maggie
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