A Foodie’s Guide to Seattle

If you’ve looked through the Travel section of my blog, you’ll see that I post my favorite places to eat for about every trip I take. I think eating great food is one of the best parts of a trip, and Seattle, Washington was no exception! It seems like Seattle is the go-to place for foodies as there are so many popular places to try. Here’s a list of what I think are the best places to eat in Seattle!

Pike Place Chowder

If you search Clam Chowder on Yelp in the Seattle area, Pike Place Chowder is one of the first highly-rated places you’ll see! There are two locations in Seattle; one is located near Pike Place Market and the other is only a few blocks away. We went to the one near Pike Place!

Their clam chowder is seriously one of the best I’ve ever had. For non-seafood lovers, there is southwestern chicken and corn chowder option but it is only available at the Pacific Place location. The Pike Place location is known to get very busy so I suggest getting there early or going during non-peak hours as there is minimal seating. If you’re able to snag a seat, there is both indoor and outdoor seating to choose from!

Japonessa

If you are looking for a place to have a nice dinner, check out Japonessa! There are two locations; one is located in downtown Bellevue and the other is in downtown Seattle (also near Pike Place Market!). We decided to try it out because we wanted to go somewhere nice for my dad’s birthday, and we figured that the fish would be fresh/great quality since we were in Seattle.

Although it was packed, we had great service and fantastic food. The waiter suggested different sushi rolls for us to order and answered our numerous questions about the menu. My mom doesn’t like seafood, but she absolutely loved one of their sushi rolls with pickled veggies. Check it out!

My two pieces of advice from our experience are to make a reservation ahead of time, and come for happy hour. We had to wait almost two hours because we didn’t make a reservation on their website. Although the wait was incredibly worth it, you can avoid this by thinking ahead and making a reservation! Also, their happy hour menu prices are great so I suggest coming then (Open – 6:30pm, and 10pm – Close).

Portage Bay Cafe

I absolutely love breakfast, but when I’m eating it at a restaurant, I find it to be very oily and unhealthy. Portage Bay Cafe was the exact opposite! They pride themselves on cooking with fresh, organic, local ingredients and it definitely shows. I also love that they have a wide variety of menu items, both sweet and savory, as well as a toppings bar! If you order their pancakes or French toast you can go to the toppings bar (filled with fruit, nuts, coconut, whipped cream and syrup) and top your food to your liking! They have 4 Seattle locations; we visited the one near South Lake Union.

Last but not least, our service was great. We were quickly seated and our server, Betty, was fantastic. We told her it was our first time and she guided us through the menu, answering our questions and giving suggestions on what to order. I recommend anything on the menu because I tried just about everything! My family and I shared our plates; from pancakes, to egg scrambles, to bacon and toast, you can’t go wrong at Portage Bay Cafe!

Starbucks Reserve Roastery

I knew that we had to visit the first Starbucks located near Pike Place Market, but I had also heard about something special called Starbucks Reserve Roastery. We decided to check it out and it was even better than the original store! Seattle’s Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room is very unique; they brew their own coffee on-site, and their menu items differ from a normal Starbucks. They have the typical Starbucks food options like pastries, but they also have cool options like pizza! As for drinks, they have countless type of coffee and teas, including coffee with alcohol! Here are the drinks we ordered at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room:

Whiskey Barrel-Aged Cold Brew – Guatemalan beans, tended carefully throughout the aging process in Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey barrels. Crafted to bring out rich notes of chocolate, stone fruit and oak. Sweetened with barrel-aged vanilla syrup.
Sparkling Citrus Espresso – Espresso shaken with ice and poured over sparkling tonic and aromatic bitters, served over ice and garnished with lemon.
Undertow Latte – Espresso suspended above chilled half-and-half and vanilla-bean syrup.
Shakerato Affogato – Espresso shots poured over Mora’s (locally made) ice cream, finished with vanilla syrup and a mint sprig.

Make sure you go to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room at 1124 Pike Street to get the full experience. This one is located 9 blocks from the original Starbucks store in Seattle, and is only one of a few Reserve Roasteries in the world. There are a lot of other locations in Seattle with a similar name but they don’t roast the coffee on site (they are known as “Starbucks Reserve” not “Starbucks Reserve Roastery”). To find out more about Seattle’s Reserve Roastery, click here to go to their website!

Pike Place Public Market

Pike Place Market has a wide variety of food being sold, including fruits and vegetables, pastries, and even seafood that is TSA-approved!

Within Pike Place Market building there is a brewery named The Pike Brewing. We stopped here for a beer in the afternoon and we enjoyed our experience! We were surprised to find an entire brewery inside the market, but we found that the market is much bigger than you think from just looking at the outside. They have a great beer flight, and although we didn’t try the food, others around us seemed to like it.

Seattle is a fantastic place to visit with a lot to offer, and I think the food is a big part of that! If you have visited Seattle and have a food favorite, please post it in the comments below. I’d love to try new places for my next visit!