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This steak house incorporates high-quality beef into the culinary traditions of northern Mexico. Barley-fed Australian Angus and American, Japanese, and Australian Wagyu hit the grill, while USDA Prime meat goes into tacos and tortas. The salsa bar and appetizers show the finest ingredients and flavors, along with a touch of tradition in the handmade guacamole. Along with a strong wine list, the bar stocks a superb selection of mezcals that includes niche and rare bottles.
5405 Leary Ave. NW, Seattle, Washington, 98107, USA
Known For
- Varied mezcal collection
- Colorful salsa bar
- High-quality beef
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations recommended
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Perhaps the best-kept secret in the city, this neighborhood Lebanese joint is adorable and affordable. Whitewashed walls sparsely populated by old-world art match the white tablecloths, which are topped with intricate metal candleholders. The menu offers Middle Eastern classics, such as the sizzling lamb-topped hummus, a few pastries, and some kebab options, but its true expertise lies in the vegetable mezze. Seasonal ingredients weave into Lebanese flavors, creating a cross-cultural feast: pears with tahini and pomegranate, eggplant with fresh cheese and honey, tabbouleh with cauliflower instead of bulgur. As an extra treat, the chef keeps a fascinating collection of whiskey and offers one on special each week. On Sunday, the menu is prix-fixe, chef’s choice.
2408 NW 80th St., Seattle, Washington, 98117, USA
Known For
- Hummus with lamb
- Beautiful decor
- Whiskey specials
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch, Reservations recommended
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Brandon Pettit spent years developing his thin-but-chewy pizza crust, and the final product has made him a contender for the city's best pies. Neighborhood families and far-flung travelers alike line up before opening time for seasonal pizzas topped with anything from fresh sausage and local clams to blistered padrón peppers and cremini mushrooms. The small wine list is well edited and elegant; desserts are simple but inspired—the homemade chocolate chip cookie with sea salt is delicious. Long wait? Pop next door to charming Essex, the couple's artisanal cocktail bar. A coveted few reservations are permitted via Tock.com.
1415 NW 70th St., Seattle, Washington, 98117, USA
Known For
- Quality pizza toppings
- Welcoming service
- Wonderful desserts
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch
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Only in Seattle would rice porridge qualify as a beach eat, but like Sam I Am, you should eat this anywhere. In 2022, this congee-only shop moved from a shared space into its own location on Golden Gardens, where it continues to use its single dish as a canvas on which it paints museum-worthy flavors. Each bowl comes stuffed full of plump shrimp, tender fish, or spicy beef, and the only side is fried dough for dipping: nothing more is needed, as these are meals unto themselves.
6301 Seaview Ave. NW, Seattle, Washington, 98107, USA
Known For
- Crispy fried dough
- Southeast Asian flavors
- Creative congee
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner
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An Instagram-perfect brunch spot, this Ballard charmer deals in trends like thick ricotta toast, and classic comforts like Benedicts and cheesy egg bakes. The light-filled café offers house-made baked goods and coffee from the marble countertop. Once seated, brunchers dig into house-made yogurt, granola, and the legendary crispy potatoes, and, later in the day, heartier savory lunches. As befits such a great morning spot, fresh-squeezed juices and a well-curated wine list make for excellent day drinking of all types.
1418 NW 70th St., Seattle, Washington, 98117, USA
Known For
- Hearty brunch
- Comforting egg bakes
- Stunning ricotta toast
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner, Reservations essential
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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This stunning gastropub is the quintessential neighborhood restaurant, built on warm service and great food. Seated in the white wooden chairs or on the bold turquoise benches, to eat here is to be welcomed into the dining room of a long-lost friend. The signature dish is their bread—thick cut and buttered, served as if it were a steak—which sets the tone for the simple-sounding, but impressively prepared menu items. The menu leans heavily on fresh seasonal vegetables and local seafood. When the weather is nice, the garden patio behind the dining room is one of the most coveted cocktail seats in town.
425 NW Market St., Seattle, Washington, 98107, USA
Known For
- Good cocktails
- Garden patio
- Well-prepared seafood
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Tues.
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This small, casual bakery gets patrons from across the entire city thanks to its "I swear I'm in Paris" croissants with buttery, flaky perfection. Weekend lines are long, but if you score a table, you'll be in heaven. You can also, of course, take pastries to go, which is perfect if you're en route to Golden Gardens. Apple turnovers, pain au chocolat, decent espresso drinks, quiches, and sandwiches round out the offerings.
5909 24th Ave. NW, Seattle, Washington, 98107, USA
Known For
- Flaky croissants
- Beautiful pastries
- Lovely jam
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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Looking like a cross between a truck-stop diner and a Tex-Mex restaurant, this tiny café has outstanding breakfast options—including traditional favorites from every region of Mexico. Wait for a space in the tiny dining room, belly up to the counter, or just watch the frenetic activity as everything from soup to salsa is made from scratch. Lunch and dinner are just as good as breakfast (served daily from 9 to 3). Try delectable pork carnitas; chorizo from the state of Michoacán; mole negro over pork or chicken; rockfish with cinnamon and guajillo chiles; and mouthwatering chilaquiles—tortilla chips cooked in green or red salsa and topped with cream.
5242 Leary Ave. NW, Seattle, Washington, 98107, USA
Known For
- House-made salsas and moles
- Strong margaritas
- Excellent breakfasts
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Autumn Martin, formerly head chocolatier at Theo Chocolate, specializes in creative, high-quality desserts (including vegan options) such as a s'mores molten chocolate cake with house-made marshmallows and caramel, and cookies with house-smoked chocolate chips. Thick, rich milkshakes come in gourmet seasonal flavors like Meyer lemon with lavender, or grownup boozy shakes like smoked chocolate and scotch. Hot Cakes is open late night, too. A few long communal tables make for casual dining. The company's take-and-bake mason-jar desserts make a great gift.
For a lighter bite, head north to Martin's plant-based ice cream shop, Frankie & Jo's at 1411 NW 70th St.
5427 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle, Washington, 98107, USA
Known For
- Molten chocolate cakes
- Take-and-bake desserts
- Extravagant shakes
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True to its name, this low-key, bustling Ballard favorite serves traditional Mexican cooking with Oaxacan accents. The mole negro is a must, served with chicken or pork; another standout is the albóndigas (a spicy vegetable soup with meatballs). The menu is mostly small plates, which works to your advantage because you won't have to choose just one savory dish. The small, casual space has an open kitchen enclosed by a stainless-steel bar, the walls are covered in gorgeous black-and-white photos. It gets very crowded on weekends and stays busy until late, though if you have a small party you usually don't have to wait too long for a table.
5431 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle, Washington, 98107, USA
Known For
- Excellent margaritas
- Savory albóndigas
- House-made mole
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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Convincing Seattleites to forgo their pad Thai in favor of the spicy, herb-filled Isan cuisine of northern Thailand was a tough battle, but with a sleek, modern restaurant, skillful cooking, and plenty of peppers, Pestle Rock succeeded handily. Today, the tables are filled with locals knowingly ordering the house-made sausage, the coconut-milk curry noodles called kao soi, and pungent papaya salads, all filled with local ingredients such as wild salmon, Dungeness crab, and thoughtfully sourced meats. For a simpler meal or if lines are long, head next door to the restaurant's sibling noodle bar, Sen.
2305 NW Market St., Seattle, Washington, 98107, USA
Known For
- Chicken wings
- Elegant atmosphere
- Kao soi
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What began as an effort to clear the fridges during a pandemic shutdown resulted in a new concept for this small Ballard café. Some of the city's best bagels come stacked into towering sandwiches slathered with traditional toppings like cream cheese and lox, and creative originals like scallion cheddar spread with baked egg, kale, and king oyster mushrooms. The one-pound breakfast burritos all start with scrambled eggs and include fresh salsas that show the restaurant's commitment to making everything from scratch starting with excellent ingredients.
5451 Leary Ave. NW, Seattle, Washington, 98107, USA
Known For
- Enormous breakfast burritos
- Creative sandwiches
- Seattle's best bagels
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
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The view of Shilshole Bay might be the main draw, but the seafood is also fresh and well prepared. Perennial favorites include grilled salmon, Kasu sake–marinated sablefish, Dungeness crab, and regional oysters on the half shell. Ray's has a split personality: there's a fancy dinner-only dining room downstairs (reservations essential) and a casual café and bar upstairs. Be forewarned that during happy hour in high season, the café's service can suffer greatly because of the crowds.
Sure, it's touristy, but snagging a spot on the sun-drenched balcony to watch the boats floating past after an afternoon exploring the Ballard Locks is quintessential Seattle summer fun.
6049 Seaview Ave. NW, Seattle, Washington, 98107, USA
Known For
- Local seafood
- Classic elegance
- Excellent view of Shilshole Bay
Restaurant Details
Reservations essential for dining room
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The charming old house smack in the middle of Ballard's main drag stands out among the shops in much the same way that San Fermo's menu of classic Italian dishes made with seasonal ingredients stands out with its simple, elegant excellence. Appetizers of grilled vegetables and snacky starters pair perfectly with glasses of Prosecco on the porch that wraps the side of the restaurant, while rustic house-made pastas and hearty meat dishes match the Italian red wines and low light of a late dinner in the dining room.
5341 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle, Washington, 98107, USA
Known For
- Regional Italian cuisine
- Great porch seating
- Seasonal vegetable starters
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Reservations essential
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The "Staple" side of this Ethan Stowell restaurant might mean gnocchi with corn and chanterelles or a whole grilled branzino. But visitors to the glam, remodeled, historic brick building are best served by going "fancy," meaning the chef's menu dinner where diners are presented with several courses (technically four, but the appetizer usually consists of a few different plates) of whatever the cooks are playing with on the line that night—cured meats, salads of exotic greens, handmade pastas, seasonal desserts. You won't know what's coming next, but it's usually remarkably good.
4739 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle, Washington, 98107, USA
Known For
- Multicourse menu
- Northwest and Italian dishes
- Pasta
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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Stylish and swimming in light, the oak paneling, dark accents, and wide windows onto bustling Ballard Avenue give this quasi-Italian joint an exciting vibe. The menu keeps one foot firmly rooted in Italy, with sections for pizza and pasta on the menu full of Mediterranean sensibilities. But it also pays heed to Northwest ingredients like Hama Hama clams in the soup and local mushrooms on pizza. Astute eaters will also find hints of global influence: gojuchang, poblano peppers, and fish sauce. The excellent bar boasts, in addition to traditional drinks, a wide variety of nonalcoholic cocktails.
5214 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle, Washington, 98107, USA
Known For
- Family-friendly
- Sunday brunch
- Pizzas
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Tues.
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Renee Erickson was inspired by the casual oyster bars of Paris to open this bustling shoebox of a restaurant. Seats fill fast at the zinc bar and the scattered tall tables where seafood fans slurp on fresh-shucked Olympias, Blue Pools, and other local oysters. The menu also offers refined small plates like grilled sardines with shallots and walnuts or roasted greengage plums in cream. In true Parisian style, the service can be disappointing, but for those in search of stellar seafood, it's still worth the slog. Arrive soon after the 4 pm opening or you may be in for a long wait, though you can get on the waitlist via their website before you head over. If you do have a long wait, kill time at Erickson's tiny Barnacle bar next door.
4743 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle, Washington, 98107, USA
Known For
- Variety of oysters
- Small plates
- Very popular
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted, No lunch
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A sibling spot to the Mexican steakhouse next door, this ode to Mexican coffee serves a single-origin bean grown by a cooperative in Oaxaca and roasted locally by Fulcrum. Fresh-squeezed orange juice and tres leches cakes complete the feel of a contemporary Mexico City café, but a few touches keep it Seattle, including the assortment of locally baked pastries.
5405 Leary Ave. NW, Seattle, Washington, 98107, USA
Known For
- Fresh-squeezed juice
- Single-origin Mexican coffee
- Local pastries
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Watson's Counter keeps things quirky: the Fruity Pebs French Toast tends to go viral on Instagram, but the Korean-style fried chicken (alone, on waffles, or in a sandwich) and assorted eclectic breakfast foods keep this spot from one-hit-wonder status. Friendly service, excellent coffee, and a spare, modern look make it an easy place to love. Just don't fall too hard: the crowds mean they sometimes enforce time limits on tables that linger too long.
6201 15th Ave. NW, Seattle, Washington, 98107, USA
Known For
- Excellent coffee
- Korean fried chicken
- Fun French toast
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner, Reservations available only on weekends and holidays; recommended
