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.
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Snowy Village
Recommended by: When we asked the cashier, Eldon at Xi’an Noodles, 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(bingsoo) desserts. We can’t pass that up.
Description on the Snowy Village’s website: Snowy Village USA only uses the freshest ingredients available. This keeps customers coming back for more and enjoying our product again and again.
Neighborhood/Type: University District
Address: 5264 The Ave, Seattle, WA 98105
What we ate/drank: Strawberry Bingsoo, Mango Bingsoo, Green Tea Bingsoo, Espresso Bingsoo
Comments: Very similar to when Cinnaholic and The Donut Factory opened, if you looked on Instagram the first week that Snowy Village was open all you saw was photo after photo of food shots coming out of Snowy Village.
Snowy Village is a chain from Korea that specializes in Bingsoo and Taiyaki. Bingsoo is the Koran version of shaved ice. It’s typically flavored with milk, chocolate or green tea and topped with fresh fruit, red beans, cookies, cake crumbs and rice cakes. It also typically comes with condensed milk that’s poured over the shaved ice. Taiyaki is a Japanese cake normally bought on the streets and in the shape of a fish. There’s normally a filling of azuki beans, but can also include chocolate, custard or sweet potato.
This is Seattle Snowy Village location is only the 4th in the US. The others being in LA, San Diego and Houston.
First thing you need to know is that Snowy Village is located at the northern end of The Ave(University Ave) near UW and it’s always packed. They opened in May of this year and waited for the hype to die down. Whenever we went there we always ordered our Bingsoo to go and ate it at home because there was always a line for seats. They have seating for maybe 25 people? Don’t come here expecting to get a seat anytime soon if you have a party of more than 4.
All throughout the summer we took our Bingsoo to go and thought when autumn comes around and the tempature goes down, we’ll then be able to eat inside since the crowds have all tried it and people wouldn’t want Bingsoo when it’s cold. We were wrong. Even now as the tempatures get down to the 30’s, we’ve been able to eat inside exactly one time. They do have an ipad to check in, so the process for waiting is at least automated.
Another thing you should know is that they make everything from scratch. You can actually see them peeling mangos and cutting strawberries. This means it will take some time to make your bingsoo. My friend told me she brought her family there and when they saw how crowded it was and ordered 3 bingsoo to go. They made one bingsoo and she took it to her family who were waiting in the car. IT was taking so long to make the second bingsoo , the first one was melting and they had to furiously eat it in the car. They finally finished making the 2nd bingsoo and took that one to the car and her family had to do the same thing because the third one also took a long time to make. She was not too pleased, but we thought it was hilarious. Rookie mistake. She thought 3 workers would be making the 3 bingsoos simultaneously, but apparently how their system works is that one worker completes the entire order, so the same worker made all three bingsoo one after the other.
If you look at the pictures of the bingsoo, you can tell why it takes so long to make and why it’s so photogenic for Instagram.
The real distinction is that the ice in the bingsoo at Snowy Village is 100% milk, not water like most shaved ice.
You can see the variations of bingsoo from their website up top. That’s not even all of them. There’s more than that. Some of the choices are seasonal like watermelon or honey dew melon, so it may not be available in the fall/winter.
They have 3 different sizes single($5.95 fruit/ $5.45 other) for one person, regular($8.95 fruit/$7.95 other) for 2-3 people and large($11.95 fruit/$10.95 other) for 4-5 people.
For our family, Snowy Village is synonymous with bingsoo. We jumped for joy when we heard Snowy Village was coming to Seattle. And now, our entire family gets excited when we decide to come here on a whim. We’re so lucky to live nearby so when ordering one large bingsoo to go, we don’t have to worry about it melting. The fruit based Bingsoos are the showstoppers and the most popular amongst our family. The Green Tea Bingsoo isn’t really my cup of tea, but the rest of the family likes. The Espresso Bingsoo is Snowy Village’s version of the affagato. It’s a perfect dessert choice.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.25
Service: 4.50
Food/Drinks: 5.00
Bang for the Buck: 4.50
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 recommendations to visit in the future: A reader advised us of a new challenger to Snowy Village called, Kakigori that also specializes in Instagramable bingsoo.
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With two little ones under the age of three, we’ve had a lot of early mornings where the whole family is awake. In many of these instances, we’ve decided to treat ourselves and go out for breakfast, so we’ve visited a lot of spots over the years. Seattle has some really great breakfast spots and people ask us what our favorite restaurants are all the time.
In order to be eligible for our list of Favorite Seattle Breakfast Spots, the restaurant has to be open for weekday breakfasts. There are a lot of restaurants that only serve breakfast on the weekends. None of those places make the list. A true breakfast spot serves breakfast everyday.
Without further ado, here are our Favorite Seattle Breakfast Restaurants.
Wandering Goose(RIP 2020)-Eating here is a treat. It feels like your eating at a farmhouse. House-made pastries and Southern-inspired meals!- Stone Way Cafe– We’ve been here at least 12 times. Spacious with lots of seats. Great food options. A really relaxed and casual atmosphere.
- Senor Moose– This is the Seattle Godfather of Mexican food. Always crowded, but for a reason-tasty dishes not only breakfast, but lunch & dinner.
- Toulouse Petit-Cajun-influenced and home of the famous Pork Cheeks Confit Hash. Trip Advisor named it their 5th Favorite Restaurant in the US and 10th in the world!
- Watson’s Counter– Newly opened. Intimate and modern. Great coffee drinks. Limited menu, but that Loco Moco though!
- Seattle Biscuit Co.– It’s got that shack in the swamp feel to it. Southern raised owners put their spin on fried chicken and waffles, biscuit sandwiches and grits with pulled pork. Make sure your stomach is empty when you come, you’ll need the space.
- Porkchop & Co.– Bright, airy and casual. Wide variety of foods French, Mediterranean, Asian, American. They smoke, cure, pickle and preserve everything in house. Impressive.
- The 5 Spot– It’s been a Seattle mainstay for so long, we take it for granted, but cavernous space for Seattle. Has a real diner feel. They specialize in American food, but have a roaming menu, so you’ll be assured of something different on every visit. Their Big Nashty fried chicken sandwich ain’t no joke.
- Portage Bay Cafe– According to Lyft, Portage Bay Cafe has more driver requests than any other breakfast spot in Seattle. The constant line of people waiting outside for a seat is proof of their popularity. Locally sourced ingredients. Super family friendly. Claim to fame: their bottomless breakfast bar of fruits, nuts, butter, syrup and sugars.
- Easy Street Records & Cafe – Review forthcoming. Such a cool place. A cafe in a record store. Hilariously named music inspired dishes.
- Brother Joe– This was a new discovery for us in the Georgetown area. Inventive coffee drinks. Surprisingly delicious variation of a loco moco and chile verde. We loved the playful human-like animal portraits.
- Square Knot Diner-Right down the street from Brother Joe. This was our traditional breakfast spot when going to Seatac airport. Friendly staff. Straight forward breakfast fare. U-shaped counter harkens back to old time diner. On more than a few occasions, jazz is being played, which is perfect for this laid back diner. Great corned beef hash and their cinnamon roll is a monster.
- Fat Hen– Get there early. This place is tiny, but mighty. Get ready to post that Alla Boscaiola on Instagram. Their fried chicken sandwich ain’t no slouch either. One of those places that feels like it’s for locals only.
- Citizen Cafe– This is the most underrated on the list. Don’t hear people talking about this place. An old fire station turned into a café/restaurant. They have French toast, farmers breakfast, scrambles, breakfast sandwiches, but we really enjoyed their breakfast tacos-the Korexican, a Korean/Mexican fushion and the pulled pork.
- Sazon Kitchen– Another new comer that just opened. Mexican cuisine with what seems like 20 ingredients in each dish. The décor isn’t much, but the food is outstanding. The grain casserole is like nothing we’ve ever tasted. Too of their other dishes we enjoyed was the shredded beef and eggs and the Rox’s signature eggs with tortilla, ham, beans and a billion other ingredients.
- Varsity Inn– A traditional American diner with a secret Mexican breakfast menu. Super friendly servers. We’ve had the shredded beef enchiladas, beef fajita omelette and carnitas w/tomatillo sauce. Shhhh. None are on the written menu. Also, order the cinnamon roll. You won’t be sorry.
- Honorable Mention: Kona Kitchen, Roxy’s Diner, Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery, Skillet Diner, Voula’s Offshore Cafe, North Star Diner, Blue Star Cafe, Beth’s Cafe, Bang Bang Cafe, The Dish, Oddfellows Cafe , Biscuit Bitch, Glo’s Cafe, Lost Lake Cafe.
- Haven’t Visited Yet: Nue, Meet the Moon, Café Presse.
Thanks for reading Our Favorite Seattle Breakfast Spots blog post.
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Caffe Ladro – Roosevelt
Description on Lighthouse Roaster’s website : One of Seattle’s original roaster cafes, Lighthouse has spent more than twenty years creating a loyal following of coffee lovers by treating the coffee buying, roasting and drink-making as a noble calli
Description on Caffe Ladro’s website : Caffe Ladro Ravenna joins a thriving neighborhood; it is situated on the corner of 65th Street and Brooklyn Avenue. Stop in for the modern vibe and enjoy amazing coffee at one of the windows, or outside in one of the Adirondack chairs. If you’re seeking excellent Ravenna coffee, sample any of Ladro’s signature drinks (Medici, Gibraltar, or Shakerato), try one of their house-baked pastries, or take some beans to brew at home.
Address:1222 NE 65th St Suite 103, Seattle, WA 98115
What we ate/drank: Gibraltar, Mocha, Bacon & Caramelized Onion Quiche, Ham and Cheese Croissant, Medici
Comments: They call it Caffe Ladro – Ravenna on their website but it’s actually located in Roosevelt. Like other new additions to the Roosevelt neighborhood, Santo Coffee and Armistice Coffee – Roosevelt, this Caffe Ladro is located on the ground floor of a brand new apartment building. This one being Brooklyn 65th.
Caffe Ladro is probably our favorite coffee purveyor in Seattle, so we were thrilled when one opened in our neighborhood. They are now up to 16 locations in the greater Seattle area, so it’s easy to get the benefits of their coffee card program where you get two free drinks for every 10 you purchase.
They have a limited amount of pastries that become half price after 4:00pm.
Here are reviews of some of the other Caffe Ladro locations:
- Caffe Ladro – Union St
- Caffe Ladro -The Jetsons Ladro
- Caffe Ladro – Fremont, The Library Ladro
- Caffe Ladro- 1800, The Amazon Ladro
The Caffe Ladro – Roosevelt location is on par with some of the smaller Ladro locations like Union Street, Lower Queen Anne and Pine Street. Although it’s small in size, it still manages to have a little living room area, an L shape counter and one 4 seat table in the middle
More than any other Caffe Ladro, the Caffe Ladro – Roosevelt location really emphasizes the use of it’s outdoor space. There’s gotta be at least 20 Adirondack chairs in front of the store as well as a bench seating. The Adirondack chair is a staple of many of the Caffe Ladro in the area -Fremont, Upper Queen Anne, Lower Queen Anne locations have them, but only a few.
The Caffe Ladro – Roosevelt is a good grab-and-go spot. It opens early at 6:00am. It’s not a place I’d stay and do work on a laptop. The way most of their seating is arranged your back is exposed and people can see what you’re working on. It shouldn’t be a big deal, but I like having my back against a wall for some privacy. They say this is why dogs often sleep against big objects or prefer enclosed places-too protect their back. I guess I’m the same way.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: The over 20 adirondack chairs and outdoor space
Atmosphere: 4.00
Service: 4.75
Food Options: 4.00
Overall: 4.25
Eavesdropping Convo: None
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Skillet Diner
Recommended by: The last time we met up for brunch with some local friends at Portage Bay Cafe, they mentioned Skillet Diner as having the same type of vibe and also having great brunches.
Description on the Skillet Diner’s website: The award-winning Skillet Diner opened in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle in 2011. We’re a neighborhood joint doing our best to make the place feel relaxed, service attentive and easy, and the food approachable yet focused. We use fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and continually redefine the meaning of comfort.
Neighborhood/Type: Capitol Hill
Address: 1400 E Union St #4150, Seattle, WA 98122
What we ate/drank: Breakfast Burrito -fried chicken, three eggs scrambled, cheddar, hand-cut fries, pico de gallo, flour tortilla. Deconstructed Corned Beef Hash-brisket, roasted potatoes and carrots, onions, fennel, two eggs*. Kids pancakes and fruit.
Comments: Skillet Diner has been around since 2011 and before that it was food truck, an Airstream Trailer called, Skillet Street Food since 2007. It’s located in Capitol Hill, so parking can be a bitch, but we luckily found street parking across the street. Tall ceilings make the space seem spacious and the open kitchen gives the space energy. Like a traditional diner, there’s lots of counter seating, but also a lot of booths.
I can see why our friends we met at Portage Bay recommended Skillet Diner. Their interiors are very similar-the lighting, the casual family atmosphere, the décor. There’s a random piece of art hanging on the back wall with John F Kennedy looking out the back of a bus. I was curious, so I asked our server about it, but he didn’t know anything about it.
Your utensils and napkin are placed in mason jars, which are then used as your water glass. You’re also provided a dedicated water bottle, so you don’t have to wait for your server to refill your water. Caffé Vita is served here, so a win there.
My wife got the breakfast burrito, which includes fried chicken, three eggs scrambled, cheddar, hand-cut fries, pico de gallo, flour tortilla. We liked the inclusion of the fried chicken. For normal breakfast burritos you normally get bacon, sausage or sometimes shredded beef. Having fried chicken was a nice change. The hand-cut fries were too over-seasoned and almost impossible to eat because it was too spicy.
fried chicken, three eggs scrambled, cheddar, hand-cut fries, pico de gallo, flour tortilla
I got the Deconstructed Corned Beef Hash, which includes brisket, roasted potatoes and carrots, onions, fennel, two over easy eggs. The pieces of vegetable and meat were a bit large, but tasty. Now, Seattle brunch spots have a strong “hash” game in this town. Portage Bay Cafe‘s Farmer’s Hash, Toulouse Petit‘s Cured Pork Cheeks Confit Hash, Porkchop & Co.‘s Kimchi & Steak Hash and Roxy’s Diner‘s Pastrami Hash all come to mind. If I’m garding on the curve I would put Skillet Diner’s Deconstructed Corned Beef Hash in the middle of the pack. The Seattle hash game is fierce. It’s sorta like being in the SEC in college football.
Our daughter got the pancakes and fresh fruit from the kids menu, so happy camper in the house!
We’ve also had the fried chicken and waffles which is also quite good.
Service gave us recommendations, came around frequently for coffee refills and chased after us out the door when we forgot our to go box of leftovers.
They also have locations in South Lake Union, the Seattle Center and Seatac Airport. Surprisingly, they closed their Ballard location after the building they were in flooded. Skillet Diner is a bit out of the way for us at the border of Capitol Hill and the Central District, but it’s a good brunch alternative if we are in the area. It’s also nice to know you have a good local option in touristy Seattle Center and Seatac airport.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.50
Service: 5.00
Food/Drinks: 4.00
Bang for the Buck: 4.00
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 customer recommendations to visit in the future: We mentioned to the customer next to us that we were at Skillet early in the morning, because our daughters woke up early. They mentioned that Lost Lake Cafe down the road is actually open 24 hours so if they wake up really early, this could be an option.
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Armistice Coffee – Roosevelt
Description on Armistice Coffee’s website:Her dream was big but the journey was long, pulling hundreds of thousands of shots and waking up earlier than the rooster for years, she pushed on and overcame. Now in the role of head roaster, manager, and basically everything else Rebecca Smith has been running Armistice Coffee for 1 year and has two locations in Seattle.
Neighborhood:Roosevelt
Address: 6717 Roosevelt Way NE UNIT A, Seattle, WA 98115
Music Playing: Poison by Brent Faiyaz
What we ate/drank: Cortado, 12 oz Americano, blueberry scone, ham & Swiss croissant, mocha, mighty o sprinkle doughnut
Comments: This is the 2ndlocation for Armistice Coffee in addition to their other location in Eastlake. Some of the observations we made in our review of the Eastlake locations was that we felt it wasn’t really conducive to working on a laptop due to the limited work style seating. The Armistice Coffee – Roosevelt has no such restrictions.
It has a multitude of seating areas and types of seating areas. It has counter seating near the serving area, counter seating looking out on Roosevelt, individual tables, a community table with two separate outdoor seating area, one that includes a fire pit.
Armistice Coffee – Roosevelt is located on the ground floor of the brand new Lucille on Roosevelt apartments, so they probably had complete control of the design, which we really like. We’ve already mentioned the variety of seating, but take a look at our photos and you can see the details. Chic modern lighting, outdoor lighting that from a distance look like fireflies, being surrounded on all four sides by windows, the coffee roasting equipment on display.
My understanding is that as of now, the roaster is not being used. The cashier mentioned that an alteration may need to be made for exhaust purposes but she wasn’t really sure. I think it’s a real treat when you get to witness the roasting process at places like Herkimer Coffee, Elm Coffee Roasters, Lighthouse Coffee Roasters and Victrola Coffee Roasters. I think it’s really a great “Seattle”experience for visitors who come form areas that don’t have local coffee roasters like we do in coffee-centric Seattle.
Armistice Coffee – Roosevelt also sells alcoholic drinks- wine, beer, sipping tequilla, whiskeys(Basil Hayden, Jameson, Glenlivet 12 yr) and a few simple mixed drinks such as gin and tonic, vodka and soda and Irish coffee.
They also have croissants, muffins, scones, quiches, and a few pre-made sandwiches and salads from White Knuckle. Sign say Mon-Fri 6-10 and Sat and Sun 7-10, so open pretty late.
The music they’ve played during our visits are pretty soothing music. Examples – Escape by Kehlani,Tainted by Alina Baraz, Apple Juice by Jessie Reyez.
On a few of my visits the wifi has been a little inconsistent, so take note if you intend to work there and need to Facetime/Skype.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: The various seating areas both inside and out.
Atmosphere: 4.75
Service: 4.75
Food Options: 4.75
Overall: 4.75
Eavedropping Convo: Two guys sitting next to each other on separate tables with their laptops. Seems like they might be acquaintances who see each other at Armistice Coffee – Roosevelt a lot and might recognize each other and make small talk. Both made business calls while we were there, so this might be one of their working spaces.
Guy 1(G1) – Check out this thing I just got on Amazon.
Guy2(G2) – Looks over. Whoa, that’s pretty cool! And wow, it’s a pretty reasonable price.
G1 – Oh, man. It’s not reasonable. This is cheap!
G2 – The next time my mom orders something on Amazon, I’ll ask her to add one to her cart for me. I don’t have an account, so I just use hers and pay her back.
G1- Dude, you gotta get on that! Prime is so cheap and they deliver to your doorstep in one day! Don’t put your poor mom through that – ordering, paying and handing the packages. C’mon.
Related:
- Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Seattle Coffee Shops
- Best Seattle Coffee Shops For Each Stage of Dating
- Part 4 – Best Seattle Coffee Shops to Impress Visitors, Impress Visiting Coffee Snobs, Make Visitors Feel Like Locals.
- Part 5 – Best Seattle Coffee Shops for Food Options, Friendliest Service
Junebaby – The Hype is Real!
Recommended by: When doing some research on Kamonegi I noted that it was named one of the Top 50 New Restaurants in Bon Appetit Magazine in July. Another Seattle restaurant on this list was Junebaby. Not only that but Chef Owner of Junebaby won two James Beard Awards for Best Chef : Northwest, but also Best New Restaurant. This was not Best New Restaurant in Seattle, but in the entire US!
Description on the Junebaby website: Food with Roots – Southern food’s humble beginnings embarked when West Africans were taken from their home and were forced across the middle passage to North America. The term soul food originated during American slavery to not only describe a type of cuisine but also a period of time of oppression and overcoming hardships. It is traditionally cooked and eaten by African Americans of the Southern United States and merges influences from West Africa, Western Europe, and North America. As a result, America’s culinary history was built on corn, rice, peas, and the hog; many of the ingredients associated with Southern food.
Neighborhood/Type: Ravenna
Address: 2122 NE 65th Street, Seattle, WA 98115
What we ate/drank: Chicken Gizzards & buttermilk dressing $9, Pulled Pork with pikliz, Carolina vinegar sauce & aioli $12, Fried Catfish with pickled onion & tartar sauce $12, Chitlins & rice -$7.
Comments: This post should have been written probably a year and a half ago. That’s when the Edouardo Jordan hype was in full effect. Chef Jordan is the owner chef of Junebaby. Salare, his other restaurant had been open since 2015 in a rather odd place, the Ravenna neighborhood which will never be confused with the restaurant-centric neighborhoods of Capitol Hill, SLU or Ballard. Salare had received much acclaim, so when news got out that Chef Jordan was opening another restaurant on the same street, the anticipation was built up.
As soon as Junebaby opened accolades and four star food critic reviews from all over the country started piling up. From the very beginning, lines formed daily.
- Time Magazine named it one of 2018s “Worlds Greatest Places”
- Bill Addision, a James Beard Award-winning restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times named it to his best new restaurant list.
- The New York Times gave Junebaby, Seattle’s first ever 3 star review.
- Junebaby was voted a Top 50 New Restaurants in Bon Appetit Magazine
- Chef Jordan won James Beard Awards for Best Chef : Northwest and Best New Restaurant.
We don’t really need to go on about the food being good, do we?
Here are some of the reasons that make Junebaby special:
- I think part of its appeal of Junebaby also had to do with a lack of Southern food in Seattle. Coastal Kitchen comes to mind, but definitely not many.
- They don’t take reservations unless you are a group of 8 or more, so if you really wanted to and came early enough you could get a seat for this renowned restaurant. If you want it bad enough, you can eat here and not have to wait months due to reservations being booked up.
- Junebaby’s quality dishes has “Special Occasion” written all over it due to all it’s awards, but the spot has a very unpretentious atmosphere you might not expect. It feels like home. It doesn’t have that modern, sleek decor like some of the other popular new places like Sawyer, Cortina, Archipelego or Copine. Junebaby is relaxing.
- Along the same line as the above. They are located in Ravenna, a quiet little neighborhood not known as a food mecca. I’ve read articles where Chef Jordan wanted to have restaurants that were accessible to the community and families. And Ravenna is family-central and close to us! Woot Woot! He really took a risk opening up his restaurants in an out-of-the-way area. It shows great confidence in his abilities that if he builds it, they will come.
- Check out the encyclopedia on their website. I’ve provided links in our meal description. It not only gives information about the food at Junebaby, but also foods from all over.
A couple more details about Junebaby
- They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Wed through Friday they serve dinner only. On Saturday and Sunday, they serve lunch from 11-3pm and have something called, Moonshine Hour from 3-5pm. This is when they are prepping between lunch and dinner and are only serving a limited food menu.
- They have a 20% service charge and they are very transparent about how this is split up, which we appreciate. 62.5% is distributed as gratuity to employees directly serving guests. 20% is distributed to employees not directly serving guests. The remaining 17.5% is retained by the house to provide higher wages and benefits.
- On certain nights, they have special dishes.
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Wednesdays – Turkey Leg
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Thursdays – Mac n’ Cheese with Newsom’s Ham
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Fridays – Brisket Dinner
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Saturdays – BBQ Dinner
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Sundays – JuneBaby’s Fried Chicken
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- Chef Jordan’s has two other establishments, Salare and Lucinda Grain Bar, located on the same street as June Baby.
2021 Updates: Take out from June Baby
Ratings
Atmosphere: 4.75
Service: 5.00
Food/Drinks: 4.75
Bang for the Buck: 5.00
Overall: 4.85
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: Waiter talked about going to a restaurant that was $1000 but it was his dream and he saved up to do it.
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Tamari Bar
Recommended by: After a reader read our post about Kokkaku they suggested another upscale Japanese restaurant, Tamari Bar. Took us a year to get out there, but we finally tried it.
Description on the Tamari Bar’s website: No comments, but their Instagram says, “Capitol Hill’s IZAKAYA, “Japanese Tavern &Eats”
Neighborhood/Type: Capitol Hill
Address: 500 E Pine St, Seattle, WA 98122
What we ate/drank: Shokado Bento Box, The Rockin’ Wagyu Beef, Sashimi 7 Sampler, Seafood Bibimbap, Sapporo Beers.
Comments: The presentation of the dishes that we ordered at Tamari Bar are so beautiful that it’s almost as if the owner said, “Let’s create some dishes that will be plastered all over Instagram!”
Tamari Bar is right down the street from their sister restaurant, Suika, on Pine Street in Capitol Hill. The space is rather oddly shaped. It has a patio in front, a huge bar area and some tables and a couple seating compartments on a second level.
We started out with the The Rockin’ Wagyu Beef, which is served with a smooth hot rock that you put the pieces of raw thin zabuton on to cook. The thin pieces of wagyu beef cook very quickly, so no worries about the rock cooling down before you can cook all of it. The beef is served with a Japanese bbq sauce, garlic flakes, wasabi. This is a fun dish with the novelty of cooking on a sizzling rock. Be careful not to overcook which will keep the beef tender and tasty.
Next up was the Shoka-do Bento Box, which is limited to a certain count every evening. This was surely the highlight of the night. There are a total of nine squares with each being the perfect size for two bites, making it the perfect date night dish. You get nine different dishes, nine different flavors. It’s fun having so many choices at once and then discussing which are your favorites. Or both of you can try each grid at the same time and discuss after each tasting.
From the top and left to right with scores out of 5:
- Fried Crispy Salmon(4.25), Wagyu Beef Tataki(4.5) , Potato Salad (4.0)
- Aburi Scallop Carpaccio(4.5), Tamari Bar Sushi Roll(4.5), Aburi Salmon(4.5)
- Fried Oyster(5.0), Zuke Maguro(marinated)-(3.0), Tuna Tatsuta(fried)-(5.0)
Each appetizer was beautifully presented and each had at least 5 different ingredients and it was a good mixture of fried and raw. We just really enjoyed this concept.
On the way to our table we saw another table had the Seafood Bibimbap with seared salmon, salmon caviar, salmon flakes, umami soy, sea urchin(uni), butter on rice and knew we had to try it. Like traditional bibimbap, it’s served in a hot stone bowl and was mixed on our behalf by the server. It turned into more of a fried rice than a bibimbap but we were surprised even after all the mixing of the ingredients you could really taste the uni, one of our favorites.
The Sashimi 7 Sampler is the most photogenic of the dishes. It’s presented on a wooden staircase with garnishes of ikura, tobiko, cucumber and onion. What can you say about fresh sushi? You can’t beat it. If I could change one thing, I’d swap out the octopus for another fish sashimi. Just a personal preference.
From bottom to the top -Mackerel, Shrimp(Ama Ebi),Tako, Hamachi, Scallop, Tuna, Salmon.
It appears they put just as much effort into their cocktails, but we just had pints of Sapporo. Their sake list is extensive as you might have guessed.
Our server told us we got 3 of the 4 most popular dishes. The only one we didn’t get was the Aburi Wagyu+Uni Nigiri Sushi, nicknamed the The Best Bite, which we’ll be sure to get on our return visit. Some other interesting dishes we’d like to order on our next trip to Tamari Bar are Crazy Journey, which is their spicy fried chicken and the Dan Dan Ramen, which they call, The Living Legend. Got to give Tamari Bar credit for over-the-top dish names.
The proof is in the pudding when it comes to Tamari Bar dish presentations. Instagram is littered with photos of the 7 Tier Sashimi, the Shoka-Do Bento Box and Rockin’ Marinated Wagyu Beef. But the dishes are just not pretty pictures, there’s substance behind it. All are tasty, the Rockin’ Marinated Wagyu Beef is fun, we love the variety the Shoka-Do Bento Box provides and the 7 Tier Sashimi is memorable for it’s unique presentation.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.25
Service: 4.50
Food/Drinks: 4.75
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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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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