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Enjoy traditional Italian-style espresso, pastries, and paninis at this full-service wholesale roaster and flagship retail location for the local brand. Set in a historic brick building with indoor and sidewalk seating, the café also serves Italian beer and wine.
320 Occidental Ave. S, Seattle, Washington, 98104, USA
Known For
- Good people-watching
- Gelato (because it's always time for gelato)
- Expertly pulled espresso
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With a handful of locations throughout Seattle, this local roaster gets coffee just right: smooth, bold, and full of flavor. Breakfast items at the laid-back café include same-day-fresh Seattle Bagels with schmear and bagel (or pita) egg sandwiches, while the lunch menu features gyro and falafel sandwiches as well as a signature Persian rice bowl with house-made yogurt, pickled vegetables, and a choice of beef or eggplant.
2719 1st Ave., Seattle, Washington, 98121, USA
Known For
- Friendly service
- Bagels and Middle Eastern fare
- Reliably good coffee
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Cheerful two-tone drawings on the walls and blue tile on the counter both evoke the nearby waves that lap at Alki Beach in this multi-roaster cafe, demonstrating its effort to embody the spirit of the neighborhood. Between brewing coffee from local favorites Boon Boona, Dorothea, and Olympia, and serving pastries from Seawolf Bread, this spot brings together some of the city's best, while the view from the dark wood tables in the loft make it a great place to watch the rhythm of life in North Admiral.
2206B California Ave. SW, Seattle, Washington, 98116, USA
Known For
- Seawolf pastries
- Favorite local coffee beans
- Subtle nautical ambience
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Tues.
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Attached to Serious Pie, this fragrant bakery will make you reconsider cookies as a valid breakfast choice. The coffee, fresh pastries, and breakfast sandwiches here are delicious, but Dahlia is particularly famous for its peanut butter sandwich cookies. The decadent coconut cream pie is also a local favorite. Lunch items including sandwiches, soups, and salads are served until 3 pm.
According to lore, the late director Nora Ephron was such a fan of the peanut butter cookies while filming the iconic rom-com "Sleepless in Seattle" that she requested the recipe and briefly even had the sweet treat named for her.
2001 4th Ave., Seattle, Washington, 98121, USA
Known For
- Convenient lunch options
- Coconut cream pie
- Peanut butter sandwich cookies
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You won't find a quicker or more affordable snack than a few burgers and a milkshake at this Seattle classic. The only location of the local chain (dating back to 1954) that offers indoor dining, its bargain-basement prices and late-night hours make it an enduring favorite.
500 Queen Anne Ave. N, Seattle, Washington, 98109, USA
Known For
- Fair pay for employees
- Seattle institution
- Beloved burgers (even if they're not the best in town)
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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This local chain of hamburger drive-ins with iconic orange signage has changed little since the 1950s. The fries are hand-cut, the shakes are hand-dipped (made with hard ice cream), and the burgers hit the spot. The most popular burger, the Dick's Deluxe, has two beef patties, American cheese, lettuce, and onions, and is slathered in Dick's special sauce, but many folks swear by the frill-free plain cheeseburger. Open until 2 am daily, these drive-ins are particularly popular among students and late-night bar-hoppers.
115 Broadway E, Seattle, Washington, 98102, USA
Known For
- Classic burgers
- Fun scene
- Iconic local staple
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This home-grown chain that started in Bellevue lives up to its name, serving freshly made carb-filled delights of many types: noodles, flatbreads, crepes, and dumplings. The signature steamed juicy pork dumplings and fried jian buns, both filled with a meat and soup filling, have earned it a reputation and helped it expand to locations around the city and along the entire West Coast. This flagship location opened in 2021, not far from the original, and is the only one with a bar (plus accompanying happy hour) and expanded options.
10300 Main St., Seattle, Washington, 98004, USA
Known For
- Soup dumplings
- Quick service
- Big flavors
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$ | International District |
What started as a small dumpling restaurant has grown into a juggernaut local chain, with this location as its flagship. Crowds pack in for juicy pork dumplings, crisp-bottomed q-bao, and artfully arranged noodles and vegetables. With a large, modern space, affordable prices, and the kinds of foods locals once drove to Canada or flew to China for, this spot packs in the crowds during weekday lunches. Service is friendly and efficient, though, making sure everyone gets their meaty soup dumplings in time to get back to the office. For visitors, arriving at an off-hour is recommended; you can also join the waitlist via Yelp.
504 5th Ave. S, Seattle, Washington, 98104, USA
Known For
- Juicy pork dumplings
- Traditional flavors
- Friendly and efficient service
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This hypebeast destination calls itself a concept store and sells sneakers and streetwear, but the lines stretching out the door are for its popular bubble tea and soft-serve stand. Eye-catching three-color beverages, bear-shaped takeout bottles, and "designer blend" smoothies show off creative combinations of fruit, boba, syrup, and ice cream. For the full experience, order the soft-serve in the bear-shaped waffle pastry, called "bearyaki," too.
416 10th Ave., Seattle, Washington, 98122, USA
Known For
- Colorful drinks and ice cream
- Over-the-top bubble tea
- Bear-shaped bottles
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A large outpost of the famed Capitol Hill roaster, the Vivace coffee shrine in South Lake Union is right across from the REI megastore. Grab a seat, order an expertly prepared espresso beverage, and munch on a small variety of snacks—this is a perfect stop after an exhausting jaunt through REI.
227 Yale Ave. N, Seattle, Washington, 98109, USA
Known For
- Café Nico
- Great latte art
- Precisely pulled espresso
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Vivace is widely considered to be the home of Seattle's finest espresso. The long, curving bar and a colorful mural add some character to a space in the upscale Brix condo complex. The place definitely has great energy—it's lively and bustling, with Hill residents tippity-tapping on laptops and students holding study groups. Pastries are a bit lackluster, but the espresso beverages more than make up for it.
If the weekend line is too long, there's also a Vivace sidewalk stand just south of here at Broadway and Harrison Street.
532 Broadway Ave. E, Seattle, Washington, 98102, USA
Known For
- Classic coffeeshop feel
- Lively space
- Excellent espresso
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Though slammed at lunchtime thanks to the high school across the street, this fast-food restaurant (the original location of a popular local chain) serves up some of the best fried chicken in Seattle—Oprah once had the founders fly to Chicago to make it for her birthday. Both original and spicy flavors are terrific, but be warned that the spicy is exactly that. The rolls are big, fluffy, and baked in generously greased muffin tins.
501 23rd Ave., Seattle, Washington, 98122, USA
Known For
- Perfectly crispy fried chicken
- Fluffy rolls
- Classic sides like coleslaw
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Sample gelato in seasonal flavors like honey lavender and fig vanilla at this small, sweet family-owned shop. Locals in the know skip the big lines at other local chains and come here instead for a quick and delicious frozen treat.
1903 N. 45th St., Seattle, Washington, 98103, USA
Known For
- House-made gelato
- Artisan flavors
- Quick service
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Offering a taste of New Orleans in the Central District, Fat's Chicken & Waffles serves authentic Southern cuisine in a hip spot filled with furniture and murals made by local artists. Helmed by a chef with deep Louisiana roots, Fat's serves shrimp and grits, fried okra, red beans and rice, and other soul food classics in addition to the namesake chicken and waffles.
2726 Cherry St., Seattle, Washington, 98122, USA
Known For
- New Orleans–style fare
- Trendy space
- Filling comfort food
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$ | International District |
For a nice pastry or quick lunch, pop by this street corner window for passionfruit malasadas or a chicken katsu sando. A Japanese artisan bakery at its core, Fuji happily (and expertly) dabbles across cultures and styles, making everything from twice-baked almond croissants to bacon-and-cheese breads, plus stunning desserts such as filled cream puffs, fruit tarts, and souffle cheesecakes. The beef curry-stuffed kare-pan paired with a hojicha tea latte makes an excellent afternoon perk-up.
526 S. King St., Seattle, Washington, 98104, USA
Known For
- Japanese-style sandwiches
- Fluffy baked goods
- Huge variety
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For nearly 40 years, George's has sold delicious deli sandwiches in a small market filled with Polish and Eastern European groceries.
907 Madison St., Seattle, Washington, 98104, USA
Known For
- Pierogi plate
- Eastern European deli
- Housemade sausages
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No dinner
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This update to the classic American burger shop manages to be both an ode to the Northwest and an example of how fast food can be done right. Organic, grass-fed beef is broken down and ground in-house, organic milkshakes are made from local ice cream, and the crinkle-cut fries feel like a nostalgic nod to childhood. Local sodas and beers flow from the taps. The bright colors, well-lit space, and service speed take cues from the fast-food industry, but the flavor is a cut above.
2014 7th Ave., Seattle, Washington, 98121, USA
Known For
- Organic burgers
- Cheerful decor
- Local ingredients
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In a time when many of the corner-store style shops serving Seattle's unique signature teriyaki are fading into the rapidly modernizing city, Grillbird keeps it classic as it hopes to show that the affordable plates of chicken in sauce, rice, and salad, still matter to the city. Stop by for a quick lunch and for a taste of the city's typical workday lunch dish. Though teriyaki exists all over, the specific serving style and sweet sauce used at most Seattle joints was developed here and once dominated the menu of every lunch counter and mini-mart.
6501 35th Ave. SW, Seattle, Washington, 98126, USA
Known For
- Simple meals
- Quick lunch
- Seattle-style teriyaki
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Try the fried plantains and pupusas (corn pancakes stuffed with meats, veggies, or beans).
4106 Brooklyn Ave. NE, Seattle, Washington, 98105, USA
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$ | Phinney Ridge |
Herkimer Coffee's Greenwood outpost is a favorite of coffee connoisseurs, with baristas who know their stuff but won't give you side-eye for dumping sweetener in their creations. The coffee shop has some seating, but it's also a great spot to grab a cup to go.
7320 Greenwood Ave. N, Seattle, Washington, 98103, USA
Known For
- Perfectly pulled espresso
- Knowledgeable baristas
- Locally roasted beans