Anyways, to get back to my story of the relatives who were underwhelmed by other burger joints in Seattle that were publicized on the Food Network. Of course after trying Uneeda Burger, they admitted, “You were right, Seattle Unexplored, this is much better and one of thee best burgers we’ve ever had”. Uneeda Burger is the perfect place to bring any visitor who craves a burger. It’s low key enough to bring my parents who want simplicity, but has the superior ingredients for those snooty friends who have a more discerning palate. I’ve brought friends from France, my parents, my wife’s family from overseas, country bumpkin friends whose ideas of a good burger is Burger King, my snooty co-worker who dismissed Uneeda Burger prior to stepping foot in the place(“There’s no way this is as good as Palace Kitchen). Every single person is won over by the end of their meal.
Caffe Vita – Fremont
Description on their web: By creating an environment where the customer can see, touch, and taste the coffee they purchase, we provide a unique learning opportunity that allows our coffee to speak for itself. Caffe Vita is always fresh, imported directly from the farm and roasted on-site.
Neighborhood: Fremont
Address: 4301 Fremont Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
Music playing: I Really Like You by Carly Rae Jepsen
What we ate/drank: Espresso and an apple strudel
Espresso & Apple Strudel
Comments: You may recall the fiasco where I made a fool of myself at the Caffe Vita in Pioneer Square when asking about their logo. There was no such embarrassment this time around, just a relaxing visit in my old neighborhood.
I actually lived a few blocks away from this location when I first moved to Seattle. Every single business on this cross section of Fremont Ave and N. 43th St has changed and in most cases multiple times. The only businesses that have not changed is the coin operated laundry mat and Eyes on Fremont. The Caffe Vita – Fremont location is no different. When I first moved here, this spot was a hair salon and it’s the spot I used to get my hair cut. It’s now odd looking out the window from Caffe Vita – Fremont and remembering the exact view when I was getting a hair cut.
This spot is much smaller than their Pioneer Square location, but the service is just as friendly and it definitely has a neighborhood feel versus a quick grab-a-coffee-to-go commuter spot. A lot of cafes near downtown/SLU/Cap Hill/Pioneer Sq can sometimes turn into a place for work meetings or freelance workers. Caffe Vita -Fremont feels like a place for neighbors to get a quick respite for relaxation. While here, there was a couple in which one was teaching the other how to read Chinese, a grandfather and grandson grabbing a hot chocolate(?) and few folks who stopped by for a coffee pit stop while walking their dogs.
On this visit, I had an espresso and an apple strudel. Caffe Vita – Fremont is a corner, so there’s lots of light that comes in through the windows. There are a couple of tables/seats out on the sidewalk and about seating for maybe 25 people on the inside.
If you are interested in the history of Caffe Vita and it’s owner, I encourage you to read this fascinating article from the Seattle Met Magazine. I had no idea the owner was also a restaurateur and behind Via Tribulani. It also references the relationship between he and the owner of Herkimer Coffee(a co owner of Caffe Vita at one time) and the owner of Espresso Vivace (a mentor).
Ratings(Scale 1-5)
Favorite Thing: It’s nice to have a neighborhood spot from one of the premier Seattle coffee roasters.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 5
Food Options: 3
Overall: 4
Eavesdropping Convo: None
Related:
MIlstead & Co.
Description on Milstead & Co.’s website: A Rocket. Lenin. The Troll. Fremont has a unique personality all its own. For Fremonsters and visitors alike, every day in Fremont offers something new and different. And that’s why we’re here too.
Neighborhood: Fremont
Address: 754 N 34th St, Seattle, WA 98103
Music Playing: Let’s Get Physical by Olivia Newton John
What we ate/drank: Macchiato, Apple Pecan Muffin from Macrina Bakery
Comments: Milstead & Co. is a clean modern industrial café in the same vein as Elm Coffee Roasters, Broadcast Coffee, or Slate Coffee Roasters. It’s a multiroaster, which means they carry a variety of beans from a rotating list of roasters. I believe Convoy Coffee has a similar model. It’s been open since 2011 and is named after the owner, whose last name is Milstead.
They had a few pastry items from Macrina Bakery. I got the Apple Pecan Muffin.
The space is a big cube with a massive beam in the middle of the space, concrete floors and exposed venting. There’s plenty of seating, but the best seating is the high counter at the front of the store, that has you looking right onto Lake Union. Even with it’s industrial features, Milstead & Co. has a warm feeling about it due to the numerous hanging globe lightings. There are also floor to ceiling windows that keep the space bright and airy. We went in the winter, but I’m sure when the garage door located on the east wall is opened it would make for a nice breezy atmosphere that would be great in the summer. The opening would give access to the big patio that’s located right on Troll Ave, which means if you wanted to take a break, you can go up the hill to visit The Troll.
There’s a few things that stood out to me when visiting Milstead & Co.:
- They have two La Marzocco stations. The only other place I can recall that has two stations is Espresso Vivace . This must keep the line moving pretty quickly when busy.
- They had 3 people working on a Saturday morning at 7:30!
- I’ve got to think a little harder, but Milstead & Co has got to have the best view of any café in Seattle. Lake Union right under the 99 Overpass.
Back in 2014, Food and Wine, listed their favorite Seattle Coffee Shops, one of which was Milstead & Co. They had a Coffee Snob Factor for each coffee shop listed. Milstead & Co. was the only coffee shop to get a perfect score of 5/5. They don’t really explain why Milstead & Co. garnered this snobby score, but I really don’t get that vibe here. It seems they’re really serious about the quality of their drinks, but that doesn’t make them snobs in my book. Perhaps it’s because they don’t offer decaf options?
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: Dat View!
Atmosphere: 4.50
Service: 4.50
Food Options: 4.00
Overall: 4.40
Eavedropping Convo: None
Related:
Roxy’s Diner
Recommended by: Mark at Uneeda Burger
Description on their web: Real Eastcoast on the Westcoast. We mean it. Owner Peter Glick, a native New Yorker, brings classic Jewish deli staples to Seattle.
Neighborhood/Type: Fremont / Breakfast
Address: 462 N. 36th Street, Seattle, WA 98103
Music playing: Someday Soon by Harlem
What we ate/drank: Pastrami hash- Pastrami and home fries cooked crisp and topped with 2 poached eggs and a toasted bagel. Chicken Fried Steak- country fried steak w/gravy served with 2 eggs, home fries and a toasted bagel or toast. Caffé Ladro coffee. Roxy’s Deli Scramble w/Tots and pastrami.
Comments: We had a early Saturday errand to run near Fremont and looked for some breakfast places that would be open at 7:30am. We remembered Mark from Uneeda Burger suggested this place. There’s a parking lot next to Roxy’s which is rare for Fremont. Once you are seated at Roxy’s ask for a parking ticket, they’ll give you the ticket to put in the pay box in the parking lot.
The menu is extensive with 6 pages of choices. Their specialties are definitely brunch and corned beef / pastrami sandwiches. As you can see from the pictures their portions are huge. We turned the pastrami hash into one meal at the restaurant and 3 meals from the left over portions.
This is the type of place we’d bring our parents when their in town-a very straight forward hearty breakfast. Kind of in the same vain as Voula’s or Vera’s. The coffee they serve is Caffé Ladro.
Up for a once-in-a-lifetime drink? Order the Restraining Order if you dare!
The Restraining Order is a shot of Jim Beam(I think it used to be tequila) and a slap in the face by a server of your choosing. I asked if a lot of people ordered it and found out that it’s very common for both men and women and was advised to go to Youtube to check it out. So here you go…..
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 3.5
Service: 5
Food/Drinks: 4
Bang for the Buck: 4.5
Overall: 4.25
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!
Eavesdropping Convos: None
Servers recommendations to visit in the future: Our server, Carmela(?) suggested Square Knot Diner as another family friendly and early opening breakfast place to visit.
Related:
Lighthouse Roasters
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 calling.
Neighborhood: Fremont
Address: 400 N 43rd St, Seattle, WA 98103
Music Playing: Lady by D’Angelo
What we ate/drank: Espresso and Cinnamon Apple Roll
Comments: When I first moved to Seattle I lived exactly one block away from Lighthouse Roasters right on the same street, Phinney Ave.
There were many a time where I missed my bus(5 going into downtown), so I would walk to Lighthouse Roasters for a cup of coffee and wait for the next one. Who wants to wait outside in the cold winter when you can see the bus stop from Lighthouse Roasters window? This was back in the day where there was no app to monitor the buses arrival. I’d get my coffee and listen for the bus coming down the street and then run out the door to catch it.
The layout of Lighthouse Roasters has changed since then, but there is one thing that has not-the old time general store feel. You ever see the movie, Doc Hollywood, where a big time doctor gets stuck in a small town where everybody knows everybody. Go into Lighthouse Roasters on any given morning. Rarely do you see anybody drive up and get a cup of coffee. Most of the people who go there walk from the surrounding neighborhood and they come every single day like it’s a part of their daily routine. Just sit there and watch. People talk to the baristas like old friends. Patrons recognize other patrons and small talk.
The last time I was there, I counted. There were six separate people reading newspapers! Not there looking at their phone, but actually reading a newspaper. That’s what makes it feel like a small town general store where the locals gather and hang out. For me that’s the allure of real neighborhood style coffee shops like Seven Coffee Roasters and Analog Coffee. You’re going through a neighborhood and they are right in the middle of it, like it shouldn’t be there. There are no other businesses near Lighthouse Roasters, only houses. Preserve and Gather and El Diablo Coffee(RIP) also have that neighborhood feel, but those are on main thoroughfares.
It’s really hard to explain why I like it so much. It’s the hustle and bustle of patrons ordering and talking, neighbors constantly walking in coming and going, the sound of the roasting process going on in the background, even the music -Lady by D’Angelo fit in with the vibe of the coffee shop. You add in their smooth and rich espresso and an apple cinnamon muffin and it’s perfect.
It’s one of the few places that I can recall that regularly has the coffee roasting process going on and is a part of the environment. There are places that have the roasting process on site but in a separate room(Café Allegro, Victrola Coffee,), or the roasting process is done on premises in the coffee shop(Elm Coffee Roasters), or some places have small roasters, which don’t make much noise due to it’s size(Armistice). I think having the roasting process right there and having the noise in the background adds something to the atmosphere.
And even if you’ve never been to Lighthouse Roasters, chances are you’ve had their coffee. Off the top of my head I know Bauhaus, Eastern Café and Voxx uses their beans.
The space is not big, but there are probably about 25 normal seats, 6 stools at the counter(my favorite so you can watch the baristas) and the standing counter looking out on the street that has room for about 5 standing patrons. This was my spot when watching for the bus. And I’ve said in posts before, I’m partial to coffee shops on corners due to the light in brings in from two directions.
They have a small selection of pastries, but that’s about it.
Writing this really brought back some memories when I lived down the block. Those were the good ole days when I was younger and dumber.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: The small town feel and hustle and bustle of making coffee, but also roasting beans.
Atmosphere: 5.00
Service: 4.75
Food Options: 4.25
Overall: 4.75
Eavesdropping Convo: See above
Related:
Ezell’s vs Heaven Sent – Battle of Seattle’s Best Fried Chicken
vs 
The Ezelll’s vs Heaven Sent story is very much like the Paseo vs Un Bien story. Except we’re not talking Caribbean sandwiches. This is the Best Seattle Fried Chicken competition which is the next in our Seattle Food War Series. And it has a doozy of a soap opera story behind it. And after doing our taste test, much like the Top Pot vs Might O doughnut competition, you can’t go wrong with either.
The History Behind Ezell’s and Heaven Sent
As soon as I moved to Seattle in the late 90’s, I heard the story of a fried chicken place all the way up here in the PNW that was so good that Oprah Winfrey declared it the best she’d ever tasted and would fly in the chicken from Seattle to Chicago so she could enjoy it. This place was Ezell’s, which had opened in 1984.
Apparently, after many years of having a successful business, there was a falling out with the co-founders and Ezell Stephens of the Ezell’s namesake was forced out of the fried chicken chain that was named after him. So what did Ezell Stephens do? He opened up his own Ezell’s fried chicken chain. So for a time, there were two sets of Ezell’s owned by each co-founder. Of course, lawyers got involved. You can actually read the offical court documents here.
–
Once the dust settled, Ezell Stephens opened his chain of Heaven Sent Fried Chicken. And ever since then there’s been a debate in Seattle over who has the better fried chicken. It’s eerily similar to the Paseo vs Un Bien story, isn’t it? We’re here to settle the score once and for all. There’s even trash talk involved, “Their chicken is called Ezell’s,” said Mr. Stephens. “It’s not Ezell’s. Hell, it was only Ezell’s when Ezell was there.” and Mr. Stephens points out he’s the person who cooked for Oprah on her birthday in 1990.” On Facebook, the company declares “you will only find Ezell Stephens, the person who cooked for Oprah at Heaven Sent Fried Chicken.”- WSJ. These quotes are from an article from the Wall Street Journal that actually did a article about the feud. I love it!
If Oprah’s endorsement wasn’t enough, Esquire Magazine named Ezell’s the Best Fried Chicken in the US and it won by a massive margin. You’d think that the best fried chicken would come from the South, but Ezell’s whooped the other nominees from places like Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana.
Here’s the tale of the tape:
- Distance from our house: Ezell’s: 2 miles vs Heaven Sent: 4.5 miles
- Locations:
Ezell’s: 13 locations: Bellevue, Kent, Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Renton(3x), Wallingford, Rainier Valley, Central District, Spokane, Tacoma, Woodinville
Heaven Sent: 3 locations: Lake City, Renton, Everett
The Order– For this Ezell’s vs Heaven Sent taste test, we tried to compare apples to apples so we got the 3 piece meal with a side of slaw and rolls. We tried to get mac & cheese also, but Heaven Sent didn’t have any prepared at the time of ordering. We ordered the spicy chicken version at each location. We had tried the original version before at each location prior and liked the spicy version better. Both locations were very close to our taste testing location, so we were able to compare fresh servings side by side.
The Rating System: For this Ezell’s vs Heaven Sent tasting, we decided to rate the meal based on the below. We gave an increased weighting to Value(2x) and Taste(3x) since we feel these are more important.
1. Appetizing/Appearance – Comparing on appearance only, Ezell’s golden dark brown pieces were more appealing. We think maybe Ezell’s chicken having a bit more batter also adds to the appeal. Winner: Ezell’s(1)
2. Crispiness- If it’s fried, it better be crispy, right? Again, having the extra batter on the chicken made all the difference. What a satisfying sound it is to hear that first bite into crispy fried chicken. Winner: Ezell’s(1)
3. Juiciness– After taking two big bites of each, Heaven Sent’s chicken was clearly juicier. So moist. I wouldn’t say Ezell’s was dry or anything, but it was less juicy. Winner: Heaven Sent(1)
4. Sides-
- Roll– The rolls tasted exactly the same to us, but Heaven Sent’s were much bigger, much fluffier and not as dense. Both were sweet with a nice brown hue on the outside. Our personal preference is fluffy instead of dense. Winner: Heaven Sent(1)
- Cole Slaw– Again, very similar tasting, but Heaven Sent’s slaw was a bit juicier and had slightly more spice, more peppery. This was super close, but… Winner: Heaven Sent(1)
5. Taste- We ordered a 3 piece meal at each place.
- Ezell’s: 3 piece meal. Comes with 2 sides and a roll. They didn’t ask what type of pieces I wanted, but they do give a choice of original, spicy or combination of both. They gave us a drumstick, wing and a breast.
- Heaven Sent: 3 piece meal comes with one side, a roll and a drink. They give you the option of 2 thighs and a drumstick or 2 breasts and a wing.
We found Heaven Sent’s batter more flavorful and the spices made it a bit more tasty than Ezell’s. The Heaven Sent chicken’s spiciness is perfect, not too hot, but enough to put a tingle on the tongue. I also like the fact that we were given a choice of the 3 pieces. We like chicken breasts, so we’re happy to get two at Heaven Sent. Winner: Heaven Sent (3)
6. Value for 3 piece meal including tax
- Ezell’s: $12.10. They not only give you an extra side dish, but it’s $2.50+ cheaper than Heaven Sent. Perhaps it’s cheaper because it’s take out only and they don’t have the extra expense of maintaining a sit down eating area?
- Heaven Sent : $14.64. They only give one side dish for this particular 3 piece meal, but they do give a drink from the soda fountain which Ezell’s doesn’t.
Extra side dish and $2.50+ cheaper? Winner: Ezell’s(2)
The Final Tally
| Category | Ezell’s | Heaven Sent |
| Appetizing/Appearance | 1 | 0 |
| Crispiness | 1 | 0 |
| Juiciness | 0 | 1 |
| Sides -Rolls | 0 | 1 |
| Sides- Cole Slaw | 0 | 1 |
| Taste | 0 | 3 |
| Value | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 4 | 6 |
Summary: There’s a constant comparison of Ezell’s and Heaven Sent for a reason-the Oprah story, the longevity of Ezell’s, the tumultuous history between the two, but there’s a main reason the comparisons persist. They both make damn good chicken. Both were fast. Both had service that was spot on. Truthfully, there is no loser, but a winner must be declared. So by a score of 6 to 4, Heaven Sent is the Winner!!!
Related Articles:
Uneeda Burger – The Best Burger in Seattle
Recommended by: Nobody. We discovered Uneeda Burger on our own.
Description on the Uneeda Burger’s website: Uneeda Burger is a casual, roadside-style burger shack with seriously delicious burgers, sandwiches, sides and shakes created by Chef Scott Staples. A great selection of fine wine and craft-brewed beers complement the menu’s premium quality and locally sourced beef burgers, chicken and veggie options.
Neighborhood/Type: Fremont
Address: 4302 Fremont Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
What we ate/drank: #8 Crimini Mushrooms Burger – porcini & black truffle salt, shallots, gruyere cheese. Croque Madame -black forest ham, gruyere, dijon-mayo & truffled shoestring potatoes with sunny-side egg.
Comments: Update 9/22/19: Uneeda Burger just made Seattle Met’s 100 Best Restaurant
From our very first visit to Uneeda Burger, it’s always been our favorite burger joint in the city. Red Mill Burger has been here longer and gets most of the national pub outside of Seattle. They’ve been featured on many shows, including Man vs Food. Lunchbox Laboratory has also gained some national exposure with their Burger of the Gods being named #1 Burger in all the US on the Food Network.
I’ll never forget the moment that my wife’s family visiting from outside the country were watching Food Network during the episode and my wife and I were gobsmacked when the #1 Burger in the US was from Lunchbox Lab. Of course her family insisted on visiting Lunchbox Lab and also had Red Mill Burger on their Seattle To Do List. After visiting both, they were a little underwhelmed. Perhaps, unfairly, the publicity and build up played a role in their feelings. It’s not that the burgers were bad, but not mind-blowing. Once their feelings of being underwhelmed were known, we suggested our favorite, Uneeda Burger. They were skeptical. How could this place be better than Lunchbox Lab and Red Mill Burgers when those two places were publicized on the Food Network?
Uneeda Burger is housed within an old automotive/boat repair garage, which explains why it looks like a garage with huge garage doors, concrete floor and bare bones walls. The name of the former garage was Uneeda Auto & Boat Rebuild, hence the name Uneeda Burger. The actual signage from Uneeda Auto & Boat Rebuild was actually incorporated into the counter at which you order your food.
Keeping the original garage feel gives it a laid back atmosphere. The outside patio are simple wooden picnic tables, the inside have simple tables made from 2 X 4s and the chair are of simple metal. You line up and order at the counter, then find a table after ordering and then they’ll bring your burgers out to you. One note is that all burgers are cooked to medium, but the cashier always asks how you want it cooked. This laid back atmosphere definitely invites a family-friendly atmosphere. I guess you can say this of most burger joints, but one Seattle food critic once said something to the effect that the parents who let their kids run rampant at Uneeda Burger, “don’t need a burger, uneeda babysitter”.
I enjoy Uneeda Burger so much that during my last birthday, my wife asked where I wanted to celebrate? It wasn’t Revel, Junebaby, Adana or Sushi Kashiba. It was Uneeda Burger. I don’t know, I’m just simple that way.
We’ve tried most of the burgers here, but we’ve settled on our favorites, so we always order the same burgers over and over again- The Crimini Mushroom Burger and the Madame Burger. This is why you see only two pictures of burgers. It’s all we ever get.
I’m a huge fan of the French breakfast staple, the Croque Madame and of egg yolk in general. Add a hamburger patty to this breakfast staple and you’ve got me hooked. Everything about it is perfect. The egg yolk and burger of course, but also the gruyere cheese, black forest ham, truffled shoe string potatoes and the switching of a burger bun to buttered toast.
The Crimini Burger is my wife’s favorite. She’s a huge fan of mushroom burgers in general, but she loves the truffle flavor added to it and of course the gruyere cheese tops it off.
We also sometimes get a side order of fries, chile cheese fries or poutine. These sides are nothing to write home about, but what are burgers without fries? So they’ll do.
Poutine – fries topped with beef gravy & cheese sauce (3.75/5)
I would say the ingredients they use are not innovative or trend setting, but definitely quality ingredients from the burger patty to the cheese, ham and sauce. This plus the preparation is what sets it apart from other burger joints. You can increase the quality of your patty for $2 or $3 more. I actually have never done this, but some local Food Critics swear buy it. Maybe I should try a regular burger and an “upgraded” burger as an experiment to see if it’s really worth it.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.50
Service: 4.50
Food/Drinks: 5.00
Bang for the Buck: 4.75
Overall: 4.70
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: The order taker at Uneeda Burger, Mark, suggested a place down the street called, Roxy’s Diner for good pastrami sandwiches.
Related Articles:
Northlake Tavern & Pizza
Recommended by: The cashier at Stone Way Cafe suggested Northlake Tavern & Pizza for what she called the “best pizza in town”
Description on their web: The special kind pizza we feature here is from an old Italian recipe. It happened one day as the original owner of this establishment expressed his dissatisfaction with the pizza. “Pshew, what garbage!” he exclaimed. “I’ll bet I can make a better pizza than this.” So a bet was made.
Neighborhood/Type: University District / Pizza
Address: 660 NE Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98105
Music playing: None. Trailblazers game was playing.
What we ate/drank: Logger Special Pizza- Canadian bacon, Italian beef sausage, black olives, fresh cut green peppers and onions. Combo – Pepperoni, Italian beef sausage, black olives and mushrooms
Comments: This place had been recommended to us by the cashier at Stone Way Cafe. And although I had been here before, my wife had not. It had been at least 20 years since I’d been there, so you’d think the décor would have been upgraded since then. But stepping into Northlake Tavern & Pizza is like stepping back in time. It had not been changed one bit. The cartoons on the wall are still there, the tables covered in plastic picnic table coverings are there, the bar is exactly the same. I guess you could say this is both good and bad. Bad because nothing has been upgraded and refreshed. Good because it’s nostalgic and not having any upgrades means hopefully no substantial increase in prices. Northlake Tavern & Pizza has been open since 1954 and I would not be surprised if there have been no renovations since then, but that’s part of it’s charm. As mentioned there’s the old cartoons on the wall, there’s UW sports memorabilia and autographs, the neon beer signs are not Fremont or Georgetown Brewing, but Pabst and Budweiser. I’ve already mentioned the plastic picnic table covering, but all you get with your pizza is a paper plate and fork. You read that right, a paper plate.
Let’s get down and dirty. We know there’s a lot of good pizza in Seattle and the sheer number of pizza places make the competition for pizza pretty ferocious. To separate themselves some have carved out a specialty or niche- Deep dish Chicago style, Fusion, Northwest spin, Neapolitan, Vegan. Just off the top of my head for pizza places we’ve been to or ordered from in the last few years-Serious Pie, Flying Squirrel, Pagliacci, Alibi Room, Windy City Pies, Frelard, Dino’s, Rocco’s, Zeeks, China Pie, Turnpike, Veraci, Ridge. So where does Northlake Tavern and Pizza stand out in the Seattle pizza landscape?
- Ambiance? No
- Exceptional Service? No
- Fast Service? No
- Great Location? No. It’s directly under the I5 going over Lake Union
- High end ingredients? No. There’s no truffle cheese or pecorino sadro
- Unconventional ingredients? No. There’s no clams, mandarin oranges or chocolate hazel nut spread.
- Cheapest price? No
- Kid Friendly? No
- Place to impress your first date, in laws or hip/trendy friends? No, no and no.
- Massive amounts of toppings? YES YES YES
This is the place to go for just plain ole great pizza. The one thing that makes it stand out is the massive amount of toppings. The diameter size of the pizza is like any other pizza place, but the huge toppings make the height taller than any pizza in Seattle. For this reason, we always get a small size pizza, because after eating two slices, we’re full. Due to the weight of the toppings, it’s difficult to eat a slice with your hands, so having fork comes in handy. Our go-to pizzas here are the Logger Special Pizza and the Meat Eaters(see below pics for ingredients). And although we know what’s coming, whenever the pizza arrives to our table we always say, “Wow!”
The atmosphere is very relaxed and informal and you get the feeling that most of the patrons have been coming here for not years, but decades. On a particular Saturday night visit we noticed that 80% of the patrons seemed to be 40 years or older, so it really does seem like a place that has some history among those who go there.
One callout, because it’s technically a tavern, you must be 21+ to enter, so no kids. There was a 6 week stretch where our neighbor watched our kids so we could go out on a few date nights. We had a hankering for pizza and came here three times. I mentioned I had not been here in 20 years. I kind of just forgot about Northlake Tavern & Pizza as an option, but the Stone Way Cafe cashier’s suggestion to come here rekindled my affection for their pizza and gave my wife an opportunity to try their pizza for the first time. Coming here 3 times in 6 weeks shows it’s in the forefront of our mind now.
The one area we’d like to see is improvement in would be the time it takes to make the pizza. Perhaps, with the size of the toppings it can’t be helped. On average I would say it takes 45 minutes to an hour for the pizza to be made. Granted, we’ve always come on a Friday or Saturday night which are definitely busier. There’s not a lot of small talk from the servers. It’s pretty much taking the order, which is fine by us. There was one time where the server gave my wife a free soda, because our pizza was taking a long time to come out, which was a nice of her.
If we want ambiance, we might go to Via Trib. Fast service, we might do take out from Zeeks or Pagliacci. Great location, we might go to Dino’s in Capitol Hill. High end ingredients, we might go to Flying Squirrel. Unconventional ingredients, we might go to Serious Pie. Kid friendly location, we might go to Freland Pizza. But when we have a hankering for a relaxed environment with just plain old great pizza, we’ll come to Northlake Tavern & Pizza.
Atmosphere: 3.5
Service: 3.75
Food/Drinks: 5
Bang for the Buck: 4.5 (Small pizza is $23, but it’s so filling due to the huge amount of toppings. This is really 4 meals)
Overall: 4.25
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:
Related:
Kamonegi – Best Soba in Seattle
Recommended by: Friends we went to dinner with at Junkichi Robata Izakaya
Description on the Kamonegi website: Our soba, traditional japanese buckwheat noodles, are made by hand in the nihachi style of 80 percent buckwheat flour and 20 percent all-purpose flour. our restaurant is one of the few in the nation to showcase handmade soba noodles. unless otherwise specified, our soba can be ordered as seiro (cold noodles with warm dipping sauce) or nanban (hot noodles in hot broth, like soup noodles). we also feature bukkake soba dishes with all toppings, noodles, and sauce together in one bowl.
Neighborhood/Type: Fremont
Address: 1054 N 39th Ave, Seattle, WA 98103
What we ate/drank: Creamy morel mushroom and pork belly soba, Yakitori duck tsukune with soft egg, Shrimpcado Bukkake – shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, daikon oroshi, wasabi, Anago Tempura -(sea eel), curry salt, lemon
Comments: Update 9/22/19: Kamonegi just made Seattle Met’s 100 Best Restaurant
My wife and I were always big fans of Miyabi 45th. In fact, we had one of our first “getting-dressed-up” dates there. It was the first place, I’d ever laid my eyes on a Yamazaki Whiskey bottle for the first time. So we were heartbroken, when we heard that the chef/owner was stepping away from the restaurant, although it was to care for her daughter, so you can’t begrudge a parent for making that decision.
We were so happy to hear that Chef Mustuko Soma was opening a soba restaurant in the old Art of the Table space. We never had issues getting into Miyabi 45th, so we decided to drop by Kamonegi on a random weekend, but the place was packed. So we tried the following weekend. Same result, it was packed. We soon learned that this Kamonegi became a “hot spot” and had to learn the hard way that you either need to get there super early or make a reservation. We were unaware that Kamonegi had accumulated some accolades over the summer.
- It was named one of the Top 50 New Restaurants in Bon Appetit Magazine in July.
- It was also featured in a New York Times article (along with Analog Coffee), What To Do in Seattle.
- A co-worker of mine also mentioned Kamonegi was featured on a popular TV show in Japan that revolves around Japanese people who move overseas and become successful, so visitors from Japan also want to visit.
We normally decide to eat out on a whim, so it was difficult to really time our visit to Kamonegi without a reservation, but we finally did.
We got there on a Friday at 3:45pm. I suggested to my wife that we just wait in the car and go in right when it opened at 4:00pm. She wasn’t having it and wanted to get to the door early and she was right. As we walked up to the door, there was a line already forming. When the doors opened, there was a total of 15 people in line. The host asked if we had reservations. We didn’t, so the host asked if we can make it quick and get out by 5:00 because she had a reservation for our table. We had to pick up our daughter from daycare by 5:15, so we told her we’d be out by then.
The space is shaped like a triangle which makes the configuration of the restaurant a little odd and cramped. You’ve got the bar area to the right, which seats about 4 people, you have the 5 seat high counter where you can watch the chefs prepare the dishes, there are 3 seats at the middle window and to the left is the main seating area that with a wooden bench and individual tables. This area probably seats around 18 people.
Soba and Tempura are the stars here, but the dish we enjoyed the most was the Yakitori Duck Tsukune w/soft egg. This was taken from the Happy Hour menu. This is normally a $14 dish, but I believe it was $9 during Happy Hour. I love me some egg yolk. Add that with tender duck tsukune meatballs with shishito peppers and you got me licking the plate for every last drop of yolk. The next plate we had was the Anago Tempura. I’ve never had Anago(salt water eel) in this fashion before. The curry salt was a good compliment instead of the usual Tempura dipping sauce. I don’t normally get my soba in the bukkake style(cold noodles and broth), but it was super hot in Seattle the day we went, so ordering the Shrimpcado Bukkake made perfect sense. We also ordered the Morrel Mushroom and Pork Belly Soba Seiro(hot) style. This was also a hit with us. The morrel mushroom really comes through in the dipping sauce and the pork belly is so tender. The hot dipping sauce was really concentrated and flavorful so when it came time to pour in the sobayu(the left over water from cooking the soba noodles that has the expelled nutrients that they give you later in the meal), it turned into the perfect consistency for a soup. This dish really makes me look forward to their Fall/Winter soba dishes.
Creamy morel mushroom and pork belly soba 5/5
We’re definitely interested to come back in the winter to try some of warmer soba dishes with denser soups. We’ll be making reservations in the future, because I don’t think Kamonegi is going to get any less popular.
BTW, “Kamonegi” is Japanese proverb used when a stroke of luck happens. The literal translation is “a duck comes along carrying a leek on its back”. Duck soup is made with duck and leeks, so having the two main ingredients appear at once is a stroke of luck. That explains the duck and leek on their signage.
UPDATE: 3/19/20 -Take out during the COVID-19 Shutdown
Japanese Vegetable Curry-Vegetarian curry, potato, bell pepper, carrot, onion, side of rice w/pork katsu
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.75
Service: 5
Food/Drinks: 5
Bang for the Buck: 5 (hand made soba, cmon! If you want a true appreciation of what you’re eating see the video below)
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!
Eavesdropping Convos: None. But here’s a Youtube video of the chef making the soba
Servers recommendations to visit in the future: The hostess at Kamonegi mentioned Kokkaku in Miyabi 45th former location, as having interesting presentations on Wagyu beef and staying within the Japanese food theme.
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Stone Way Cafe
Recommended by: Nobody. We found it on our own.
Description on their web: A family owned Cafe in the heart of Fremont offering the finest in quality hand crafted coffee & espresso, pastries & food, craft beer, cider & wine. Relax and enjoy the good vibes of local performing artists, family, friends and neighbors. Our warm, friendly staff aim to please and are here to ensure a most pleasant stop at the Stone.
Neighborhood/Type: Wallingford / Breakfast
Address: 3510 Stone Way N, Seattle, WA 98103
Music playing: Lovers’ Carvings by Bibio
What we’ve eaten:
- Sandra’s Special-Eggs, Pork, Poblano Peppers, Onions with Potatoes & Toast.
- Pulled Pork Cheesesteak-pulled pork, provolone, caramelized onions, grilled poblano peppers, and aioli sauce on a cuban roll.
- Breakfast Burrito- eggs, 3 cheese combo, choice of bacon/ham/sausage/pulled pork/chorizo/veggies, pico de gallo, chipotle lime sauce, and home fries.
- Fried Chicken & Waffles w/sausage gravy and pure maple syrup
- Pulled Pork Breakfast Sandwich-egg, mixed greens, savory herb tomato sauce, pulled pork on a brioche bun
- Special-Pulled pork scramble
- Rosalia’s Biscocho-cheddar & jalapeno biscuit, egg, avocado, tomato, mango aioli, mixed greens served with home fries
- Steak & Egg Breakfast Sandwich- Steak, egg, caramelized onion, tomato with home fries.
-
Sandra’s Special-Eggs, Pork, Poblano Peppers, Onions with Potatoes & Toast 
Pulled Pork Sandwiches 
Breakfast Burrito-toasted on the outside. 
Fried Chicken & Waffles w/gravy
Comments: Caveat: This review is only for breakfasts. Why? Well about 2 years ago our daughter was born. Before she arrived, whenever driving down Stone Way we’d pass by Stone Way Café and see people hanging out on the small little patio. I would say to myself, “What a cute little café. We should go check it out some day”. Well, we never did.
Until…….our daughter was born. She would wake up super early and we’d check for places that were open early so we could get some breakfast. I remember searching for a place and reminding my wife about Stone Way Café since it opened at 7:00am. It’s now become our go-to breakfast place. We probably go there once a month. There are times where we go 3 times a month, so we’re very familiar with their breakfast offerings.
The first time going to Stone Way Cafe I was shocked how big the place actually is. From the outside it looks very small due to the small patio, but on the inside it’s huge. The second thing that shocked us was the type of food they were serving. We were expecting a few pastry items and if they did serve “real” meals, it would be standard eggs and bacon or pancakes and waffles.
They actually have friend chicken and waffles, breakfast burritos, Cajun benedict, enchilada stacks, cheddar & jalapeno biscuits and gravy and much more. The coffee they serve is from Victrola Coffee Roasters. There is no server. You look at the menu on the wall, order and pay the cashier and then grab your dish at the kitchen counter when they call out your number.
Stone Way Café checks all the boxes for us. It’s close to where we live, ample parking early in the morning, quality dishes for every craving, good local coffee, opens early on the weekends, and a very casual, family friendly atmosphere.
From the outside, Stone Way Café is in a nondescript square building painted entirely black. The inside is the exact opposite, a airy bright space with revolving works of art, a huge warehouse-like seating area with counter seating, normal individual tables, leather seats and a bigger table for groups and a massive wall painting with the state of Washington. If you sit at some of the tables you have a nice view of the 99 bridge.
Because we only go for breakfast, we’re missing out on a lot Stone Way Café has to offer. Almost every night there is either live music or an open mic night. I’ve mentioned some of the breakfast menu, but they also have salads, tacos, sandwiches, wraps and even a muffuletta. They also have a very impressive beer menu stocked with local breweries-Popluxe, Stoup, Lowercase, Reuben’s, Machine House, Fremont Brewing to name a few. They also have ciders, wine and kombucha.
The thing we like about Stone Way Café is that it’s the type a place we can bring any visitor or meet any friend and feel confident that they’ll like the food and atmosphere. We can bring our parents who just want a simple traditional breakfast, our out of town foodie friend or our friends with kids who want a relaxed family friendly environment. We’ve brought out of towners, new-to-Seattle friends and longtime Seattle folks and they’ve all enjoyed their experience here.
Ratings:Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Food/Drinks: 5
Bang for the Buck: 4.5
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!
Eavesdropping Convos: None
Servers recommendations to visit in the future: The cashier at Stone Way Cafe suggested Northlake Tavern & Pizza for what she called the “best pizza in town”
Related:
The Great Debate- Paseo vs Un Bien
This is the first of our Seattle Food Wars series. It’s safe to say, the most popular sandwich in Seattle is Paseo’s Caribbean Pork Roast Sandwich. With apologies to Salumi, Tats, Delicatus, Rain Shadow Meats, Mammoth, I think most locals would say Paseo is the king. But which “Paseo” sandwich? First a little history lesson about Paseo.
The Scandalous History of Paseo
Who would have ever thought that a sandwich place would have such a scandalous soap opera-like story? Here’s a short version of the history of Paseo
- Paseo opened in the late 1990s and quickly garnered attention for their Caribbean Pork Sandwich. There were lines out the door and if you arrived too late in the day, they would often run out of bread to make the sandwiches. Once the bread ran out, you were screwed. No sandwich. The place was so successful that they could afford to close down for a month every year, so the owner could take a vacation. The other thing you always had to remember, is that they were closed on Sundays and it was cash only.
- In 2014, Yelp came out with their top 100 places to eat in America. Paseo was ranked #2!!
- Over the years I took out-of-towners to Paseo and told them that I would put Paseo sandwiches up against any sandwiches in the world for best sandwich and more times than not, they agreed. If it wasn’t the best sandwich they ever had, it was in the top 2 or 3.
- In November of 2014, Paseo suddenly closed without explanation! My heart sank. I remember being at work and news spread through the office and we all wondered, how it was possible? With lines out the door every day, how could they have been in financial trouble? I won’t go into the sordid details of the closing, but you can read about it here:
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/day-after-closing-paseo-files-for-bankruptcy/
- I’m not exaggerating when I say this was front page news in the Seattle Times for at least the next 3 or 4 days after the announced closing and sleuthing by reporters as to why Paseo closed. That’s how popular this place was.
- This is where it gets good. About a month and a half later an investor bought the Paseo name, building and equipment for $91k in a court house auction. He hired the old Paseo workers, who helped him recreate the recipe and worked with the exact same bread and meat suppliers from the original Paseo. He didn’t change anything on the menu and then opened back up in January of 2015. There was much rejoicing!
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/allyoucaneat/2014/12/12/paseo-to-reopen-new-owner-plans-no-changes/
http://seattle.eater.com/2015/1/8/7518153/paseo-is-open-again
- So what does the family of the original owners of Paseo do? In July of 2016, the sons of the original owner of Paseo decided to open their own place with the original recipe and called it Un Bien.
http://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/paseo-and-un-bien-a-tale-of-two-sandwiches/
Now there’s always been a debate amongst my local friends, which Caribbean Pork Sandwich is better. Paseo with its recreated sandwich or Un Bien with the “original recipe” sandwich. Without tasting the sandwiches side by side at the same time it’s impossible to determine. Well we’re putting this damn debate to rest.
Both places are small and I don’t think either place would want the rival’s food in their establishment, so a neutral field is picked. The venue-Reuben’s Brewery. I met up with friends and we had a taste test to figure out once and for all who had the better sandwich.
The tally:
| Scale of 1-5 | Paseo | Un Bien |
| Bread | 4 | 5 |
| Onion/Cilantro | 5 | 4 |
| Pork | 3.5 | 5 |
| Sauce | 4 | 5 |
| Size | 5 | 5 |
| Overall | 21.5 | 24 |
The Winner!! Un Bien
Update 9/22/19: Un Bien just made Seattle Met’s 100 Best Restaurant
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