Seattle’s Best Restaurants for Cheap Eats

Seattle Happy Hours Around the Clock

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 05:00:00 -0700

1 AM / Wann Japanese Izakaya Late-night happy hour at one of Seattle’s best izakaya bars means adventurous snacks like takoyaki and tempura-fried brie cost only a few bucks. In the often-dubious realm of cheap sushi, the whoppingly big $6 rolls are some of the best around. wann-izakaya.com

2 AM / 13 Coins So it’s nobody’s culinary destination. It’s pretty much the only place to go when you’ve got wee-hour cravings for high-end food. A happy hour menu of $5-to-$7 snacks that mixes classy (Gorgonzola cheesecake) with functional (cheese fries) is in effect until last call. 13coins.com

3 AM / Big Mario’s What, you’re looking for a deal at this time of night? Get to Capitol Hill for a giant, and satisfyingly greasy, slice of whatever pies are waiting at the window and call it good. bigmariospizza.com

4 AM / The Hurricane Cafe Desperate times call for desperate measures. This sunlight-averse dive doesn’t technically discount its food, but the burger-and-breakfast menu can be a lifesaver for both liver and wallet. 206-682-5858

5 AM / Memo’s Mexican Restaurant The 24-hour menu of booze-soaking burritos (and all-day breakfast) is serviceable and dirt cheap. Memosmexicanfood.com

6 AM / The 5 Point Cafe Hey, look—a reason to frequent the 5 Point while the sun is up. A weekday breakfast happy hour offers morning fuel like a $3.50 plate of bacon, eggs, and toast, and a pile of tiny doughnuts for $2.50. the5pointcafe.com

7 AM / The Crumpet Shop This early in the morning, caffeine is the first order of business. Every day from 7 to 8, this sweet Pike Place Market landmark will sell you any type of latte, any size, for $2.50. The odds of resisting the call of a warm crumpet are just about nil. 206-682-1598

8 AM / The Lucky Diner The Lucky 7 weekday breakfast means egg-filled burritos, omelets, biscuits and gravy, and chicken-fried pork and eggs all go for $7 apiece. No booze deals, but did you really want a drink at 8am? theluckydiner.com

9 AM / Toulouse Petit Kitchen and Lounge French- and Creole-tinged  breakfast creations in this gorgeous sunlit spot are dazzling at full price, and a cheap-eating miracle during morning happy hour, when every  dish costs $8. toulousepetit.com

10 AM / Peso’s Kitchen and Lounge Dios mío. The originator of the Seattle breakfast happy hour has a vast menu of French toast, breakfast sandwiches, and huevos aplenty, priced at $6.50. pesoskitchen.com

11 AM / Matts’ Rotisserie and Oyster Lounge Redmond Town Center’s mealworthy happy hour runs all day Sundays. If you need sustenance beyond the $1 shucked-to-order oysters, 14 plates, ranging from seafood chowder to a mega plate of rotisserie nachos, are nearly half price. mattsrotisserie.com

12 PM / Japonessa: Sushi Cocina Happy hour begins at 11:30am, making this a major downtown lunch destination for ample $8 sashimi plates with a side of sleek, urban ambience. japonessa.com

• • •

1 PM / Ocho Daytime visits feel odd, since the seductive, Spanish vibe makes for a perfect nighttime hideaway. But you’ll get over it fast upon spotting the menu of $2 tapas, like jamón Serrano on toast and pan-fried potato cakes, on offer weekends from noon to 6 (weekdays from 4 to 6). ochoballard.com

2 PM Taylor Shellfish Farms Taylor Shellfish Farms Designing your own platter of oyster varieties, grown up and down the Puget Sound region is educational, indulgent, and, with the $4 shucking fee waived, a tremendous value. taylormelrose.com

3 PM / RN74 This hour marks the start of happy hour prime time, and Michael Mina’s joint has rapidly established its bona fides with sophisticated bites like a ragout of short rib and bone marrow smeared on toast and a tray of dippable, single-bite falafel for five bucks apiece. michaelmina.net

4 PM / MistralKitchen Even though prices hover between $2 and $5, a session of charcuterie, cheese, oysters, and a perfectly simple Margherita pizza still feels like an elegant outing. Don’t you dare skip the soft pretzel. Or the cocktails. mistral-kitchen.com

5 PM / Serious Pie Westlake Beat the inevitable pizza-seeking dinner crowds by ducking in early for $6 mini pies, with that same sublimely salty crust and familiar topping combos like potato, pecorino, and rosemary.  seriouspiewestlake.com

6 PM / Poppy A snack version of Poppy’s signature Northwest-influenced thali plates? Brilliant. The evening happy hour menu consists of just one food item—a $6 platter of assorted snacks, spreads, and bites. The drinks are marvelous, too. poppyseattle.com

7 PM / Ivar’s Original Acres of Clams The downtown location’s Clam Digger Lounge cuts prices on its bar menu from 3pm until closing, which means a full meal—perhaps chowder and cod tacos or a salmon BLT and oyster shooters—comes complete with a water view and a bill barely over $10. ivars.com

8 PM / Sushi Kanpai Have a civilized dinner on the cheap: First Hill’s go-to neighborhood sushi restaurant runs its discounted menu of rolls, sashimi, and appetizers all day long on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. sushikanpai.com

9 PM / El Gaucho Now this is a happy hour worth dressing up for. Bar food prices reflect the steak house’s elegance, but the repast of baby back ribs, ahi tartar, mac and cheese and escargot is half price on Sunday and Monday nights (and other weeknights from 5 to 7). elgaucho.com

10 PM / Bastille Masterful $7 cocktails, an elegant list of bistro snacks like pate, beef cheek gougeres and a drippy, aioli-slathered burger make this place king of the Ballard happy hour; a late-night version kicks in right about now on Sundays through Thursdays. bastilleseattle.com

11 PM / Lecosho Owner Matt Janke is all about happy hour, which is why he cuts prices twice a day, every day. Most plates run between $5 and $7 and the food (think spaetzle with brown butter and deeply porky rillettes) are as elegant as the surroundings. lecosho.com

12 AM / The Matador Quesadillas, tacos, wings, spicy prawns, and a massive plate of nachos all ring in at $5 at this hopping meat market, making it easy to do your tequila-fueled math when the bill arrives. matadorseattle.com

Meal Deals

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 05:00:00 -0700

Image: Paul Kooiman

Tried  ’n’  Trues

Bakeman’s Restaurant
It doesn’t get much realer downtown than the classic turkey sandwich that’s been freshly made in this basement deli line for 42 years. Real as in roast turkey and shredded iceberg on soft wheat bread with mayo; real cheap as in $4.95. Bakemanscatering.com

Mama’s Mexican Kitchen
Sometimes only the least-authentic Mexican food will do. The hard-living grande dame of Seattle’s Mexican restaurants is a microcosm of its Belltown environs—loud, rowdy, freely flowing with booze. Sop it up with a honking burrito or prawn and cilantro quesadilla. Mamas.com

Pecos Pit BBQ
When a joint is lunch only and outdoor seating only, and there’s always a line—you’ve hit cheap eats pay dirt. Here it’s in the form of sloppy barbecue pulled pork or brisket sandwiches, ferociously sauced on a hardworking onion bun. 206-623-0629

Red Mill Burgers
In its 18 years, Red Mill has collected as many fans as any joint in town, for burgers thick with fixins (check the mountain of bacon by the stove!) and made with care. redmillburgers.com

Spud Fish and Chips
Even on the dreariest Seattle day, summertime can be achieved by sitting in a plastic booth, contemplating both the watery view (body of water varies by location) and a crisply breaded piece of halibut perched atop a pile of fries. spudfishandchips.com

Cheap Cheap Slice at Ballard Pizza Co.
You can visit Ethan Stowell’s new Ballard slicery in the wee hours of the weekends, but customers need not be buzzed to enjoy the massive, fold-it-up wedges of pizza, which start at $2.50. Ballardpizzacompany.com

Hot Dog at Costco
Seriously: It’s not weird for nonmembers to visit Costco just to eat a hot dog. Quarter-pound beef franks cost $1.50, which includes bottomless soda and unobstructed views of the tire sales center. Scoff if you must, but this would cost $10 at the ballpark. costco.com

Burger at Dick’s Drive-In
The Holy Grail of cheap eating in this town, requiring but couch-cushion change for thin-patty, soft-bun burgers redolent of ketchup and sweet pickles; fries flimsy and greasy and loaded with salt. ddir.com

Tamales at El Paisano
Pssst: The best tamales in town come from inside a big steel warming drum in a Mexican butcher shop in White Center. Thick corn crusts conceal zingy surprises like queso panela, jalapeno, and pulled pork, at a buck apiece. 206-763-0368

Banh Mi at Saigon Deli
The grilled pork banh mi at this International District joint—mouth-shreddingly crispy baguette, charry marinated pork, crunchy pickled vegetables, searing jalapeno—packs more flavor into $3 than any other spot in Seattle. Period. 206-322-3700

Wee Hours Gyros at Aladdin Falafel Corner
The small gyro ($5) at this hardworking Ave outfit is plenty big enough when it’s 1am and you want a soft sandwich that loves you back. Take it to go. 206-548-9539

Cheesesteak at Calozzi’s
Philly-born Al Calozzi serves up $8, foot-long hangover antidotes until 4am on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. He preaches the gospel of Cheez Whiz without being pushy—and he just might make you a convert. 206-467-9449

Pizza at Hot Mama’s
Highly scientific afternoon research has confirmed that these Pike/Pine slices aren’t just delish when wolfed at 2am—their springy light crusts and vivid toppings (we are partial to the pesto) are legitimately terrific, and therefore underpriced, all the time. hot-mamaspizza.com

Dumplings at Pel’Meni Dumpling Tzar
The most exotic eats you’ll find at 2am, this haunt near the Lenin statue features Russian dumplings called pelmeni —filled with beef or potato and served with curry, vinegar, sour cream, cilantro, and brown bread. Pelmenirestaurant.com

Tacos at Taco Gringos
The most sophisticated drunk tacos in town make a fitting end to a night of $10 cocktails on Capitol Hill. Three daily tacos include fillings like rabbit or goat. They’re $2 each and on the dainty side, so order accordingly. tacogringosseattle.com

Cheap Dates

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 05:00:00 -0700

Image: Paul Kooiman

The Elegant Night Out: Cafe Munir
A casual decorum suffuses the white-tablecloth Loyal Heights destination—archways, filigreed pendants—and the result is a Lebanese restaurant of worldly pleasures and modest price tags.

Falafel with tomatoes  and tahini — $5.00
Shish taouk — $10.00
Kosheri (rice, lentils, and  caramelized onions in spicy  tomato sauce and yogurt) — $10.00
Glass of Chateau  Ksara Blanc de Blanc — $9.00
Le Alnaz Lebanese beer — $4.00

Subtotal — $38.00
Tax — $3.61
Tip — $8.32

Grand Total — $49.93
206-783-4190

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The Exotic Escape: Pan Africa Grill
Deep terra cotta walls and African appointments take you far, far away from West Seattle in this extraordinary pan-African destination. Prices strain at the bounds of “cheap” but servings are enormous: splittable, with plenty of leftovers.

Plantain chips — $6.00
Flame-grilled, piri piri–spiced  half-chicken with greens  and red lentils (to split) — $16.95
Glass of Ethiopian Hakim Stout — $6.00
Glass of Man Chenin Blanc — $6.00

Subtotal — $34.95
Tax — $3.32
Tip — $7.67

Grand Total — $45.94
panafricagrill.com

• • •

The Twilight Picnic: Picnic
What kind of date spot closes at 6pm? The kind stocked with all you need for a meal in a meadow. This sophisticated Phinney Ridge charcuterie holds bright cases filled with passionately selected meats, cheeses, salads, and (affordable) wines. Spread your blanket at nearby Woodland Park or Green Lake to savor by twilight. Does it get more Seattle?

Tuscan kale side salad  with pecorino and walnuts — $5.00
House pate with pickled onion,  cornichon, and crostini — $10.00
Mortadella sandwich  with aged fontina and Dijon — $9.00
Chocolate chip cookie — $3.00
Salted peanut butter cookie — $3.00

Subtotal — $30.00
Tax — $2.85
Tip — $6.57

Grand Total — $39.42
picnicseattle.com

• • •

The Neighborhood Drop-In: Judkins  Street Cafe
True Americana lives in this affably tattered Central District hub, where families and couples and neighbors gather for warm community, live jazz some weekends, carefully sourced ingredients, and genuinely solid home cookin’ for a steal.

Fried chicken dinner — $10.00
Judkins burger with fries — $9.00
Chocolate chip cookie — $1.75
Manny’s Pale Ale — $4.00
PBR — $3.00

Subtotal — $27.75
Tax — $2.64
Tip — $6.08

Grand Total — $36.47
judkinsstreetcafe.com

• • •

The Alfresco Date: Tamarind Tree
A restaurant huddled in the corner of an intractable parking lot might not sound romantic, but this Vietnamese stalwart crafts an oasis of greenery, a gently splashing water fountain, and a patio that’s more Indochina than International District. The menu of dishes familiar and otherwise goes on, and on—and on…

Tamarind Tree rolls — $6.00
Tamarind prawn satay — $5.00
Braised pork  with coconut juice — $9.95
Glass of riesling — $5.00
33 Export beer — $4.00

Subtotal — $29.95
Tax — $2.85
Tip — $6.56

Grand Total — $39.36
tamarindtreerestaurant.com

Cheap Eats World Tour: Noodles

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 05:00:00 -0700

Image: Jordan Bonney

CAMBODIA
Battambang’s Favorite Noodles
Phnom Penh Noodle House Seattle’s original Cambodian restaurant features this dish of soft pleasures, tangled with skinny rice noodles, peanuts, ground shrimp, fresh sprouts, boiled egg, and cilantro, along with frisky pickled cucumbers. Like pad Thai, only more interesting. phnompenhnoodles.com

• • •

ITALY
Pasta
Il Corvo Along the Pike Street Hillclimb is this pasta pop-up inside a gelateria—a fitting stage set for nine-buck, cash-only, open-till-the-food-runs-out lunches. The chef crafts three daily noodle-and-sauce combos using whatever’s freshest at Pike Place Market, like tagliatelli with house-cured pancetta and Tuscan kale. ilcorvopasta.com

• • •

JAPAN
Tonkotsu Ramen
Samurai Noodle Three local outposts serve up porky, chewy lessons in Japan’s myriad regional ramen styles, choosing to educate via $8 bowls of deeply flavored broth and firm noodles cranked out on an in-house noodle machine. samurainoodle.com

• • •

MALAYSIA
Mee Goreng
Satay Craveable Malaysian street grub awaits in this sophisticated Wallingford spot—notably a killer mee goreng: thin egg noodles sauteed with tofu and bitter sprigs of yu-choy in a black bean sauce pulsing with umami. satayseattle.com

• • •

SICHUAN PROVINCE
Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles
Seven Stars Pepper Szechuan Restaurant The main event in this second-floor stalwart in the heart of the International District: noodles in a pepper-laced peanut sauce, thick with pork, cabbage, and green onions. Noodles are hand-shaved, sliced unevenly off a ball of dough for delectable chewiness and substance. 206-568-6446

• • •

VIETNAM
Pho
Pho Bac This soup is perhaps Seattle’s cheapest fine noodle dish—and the best comes from the red boat landlocked at the intersection of Jackson and Rainier. Each rice noodle carries the broth’s meaty richness, along with tender meat and blasts of onion, cilantro, basil, lime, and jalapeno.  206-621-0532

Cheap Eats World Tour: Sandwiches

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 05:00:00 -0700

Image: Jordan Bonney

AMERICAN EAST COAST
Tat’strami
Tat’s Delicatessen Sweet meets savory in this brick-lined Pioneer Square storefront’s headliner sub ($8 or $11.50). Think lots of thin-sliced pastrami piled onto a soft roll along with melted swiss, cole slaw, and Russian dressing. Oy. On sunny weekdays the lunch line can encircle the room. tatsdeli.com

• • •

AMERICAN SOUTH
Po’boy
Where Ya At Matt A painter’s drop cloth would come in mighty handy when navigating one of Matthew Lewis’s fully dressed po’boys. The buns (faintly crusty and utterly cooperative) come stuffed with crisp-fried oysters and bacon, or slow-smoked pork butt and slender sticks of Granny Smith apple, performing a balancing act in both the literal and flavor sense, with lettuce, red pepper, and housemade mayonnaise. whereyaatmatt.com

• • •

CUBA
Caribbean Roast
Paseo Many big-name chefs say Paseo’s pair of cash-only takeout shacks purveys the single finest menu item in Seattle: the Caribbean Roast ($8.50), dreamy marinated and slow-roasted pork shoulder with aioli and cilantro on a baguette. paseoseattle.com

• • •

GREECE
Gyro
Mr. Gyro’s Flawlessly welcoming—friendly hello and hot mint tea while you wait!—this Greek–Middle Eastern joint redefines fast-food as good food in two cheerful neighborhood spots (Greenwood and Ballard). The fragrant, hearty gyro is a screamin’ deal at $5.49. mrgyroseattle.com

• • •

MEXICO
Barrigóna
Barriga Llena Tortas are the sandwiches of Mexico City, and this authentic color-splashed tortería in Greenwood (with trucks, too) does them up with mouthwatering largesse in spectacles like the Barrigóna ($8.99): breaded steak, housemade chorizo, pork steak, hot dog, cheese, and avocado, with lettuce and tomatoes and mayo and a garnish of pickled peppers in a grilled bolillo-style roll. labarrigallena.com

• • •

TRINIDAD
Jerked Chicken Sandwich
Pam’s Kitchen In this sunny corner of the Ave, a reggae backbeat is the soundtrack to a room of happy diners tearing into jerked chicken sandwiches ($9.50). Hunks of marinated fall-off-the-bone meat fill Pam’s own coco bread: sweetened slightly with coconut, then fried to a crispy finish. Delectable. pams-kitchen.com

• • •

TURKEY
The Berliner
Berliner Döner Kebab Fladenbrot is at once cracklier and thicker than pita bread, and stands up to the goo that makes up a döner, a lamb and yogurt sauce sandwich invented by German Turks. Two locations (Pioneer Square, South Lake Union) attract wage slaves by the millions. berlinerseattle.com

Cheap Eats World Tour: Fried Chicken

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 05:00:00 -0700

Image: Jordan Bonney

AMERICAN SOUTH
Fried Chicken
Heaven Sent Fried Chicken When Ezell Stephens cut loose from Ezell’s Fried Chicken, he opened the nearly identical Heaven Sent, both home to spicy and original chicken, sweet yeasty rolls, and peach cobbler. Right now the performance edge goes to Heaven, which offers a crunchier crust bursting into juicier, more consistently greaseless meat. The newest location in the Rainier Valley even has a few tables. heavensentfriedchicken.com

• • •

CHINA
Fried Butter Garlic Chicken Wings
Hue Ky Mi Gia Teeming with Chinese families all hours of the day, this sunny International District noodle house just happens to fry up the finest chicken in town. For $7 you get a towering pyramid of meaty wings glistening with garlicky chili sauce—you’ll need a fork for the scallions and garlic and crispy bits. huekymigia.com

• • •

JAPAN
Tokyo Classic (with Chicken)
Katsu Burger The Japanese breaded and fried meat for centuries before chef Hajime Sato decided Americans might enjoy those traditional tonkatsu cutlets inside hamburger buns. His sandwiches are massive masterpieces of tempura, panko breadcrumbs, and ingenuity. katsuburger.com

• • •

KOREA
Fried Chicken
Stone Korean Restaurant Bring friends—$17 buys you an entire bird, wings, thighs, and drumsticks piled high after a rendezvous with extra-hot oil that leaves each piece deceptively nongreasy with skin crisp as a potato chip. stonerestaurant.net

• • •

PUERTO RICO
Mofongo con Pollo Frito
El Pilon Some of the best homecooking in town comes from this friendly Rainier Valley dive, where matriarch Doña Marta makes the rarely seen Puerto Rican dish mofongo: garlicky plantains mashed with pork rinds and served with fried chicken. 206-397-3300

• • •

THAILAND
Crispy Garlic Chicken
Buddha Ruksa The signature dish at this sleek, date-nighty West Seattle spot is fried chicken sauteed with caramelized garlic and served with crispy basil leaves. The flavors are vivid; the crust every comfort-lover’s dream—and if the chicken is dry (it sometimes is) it probably won’t be next time. buddharuksa.com

• • •

VIETNAM
Crispy Drunken Chicken Baguette
Baguette Box The sandwich shops that put banh mi on steroids take a heaping helping of drunken chicken (the spicy-juicy signature of mother restaurant Monsoon) and cram the crisp morsels inside a crackling baguette with caramelized onions and cilantro sprigs. baguettebox.com

Cheap Eats World Tour: Savory Pastry

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 05:00:00 -0700

Image: Jordan Bonney

EL SALVADOR
Queso con Loroco Pupusa
Guanaco’s Tacos Pupuseria El Salvador’s street food of choice is the pupusa—a thick corn tortilla stuffed with cheeses and meats and just the right amount of grease—and Seattle’s pupuseria of choice is a pair of adorably authentic checked-vinyl-tablecloth spots called Guanaco’s, in the cheap-eats ghettos of Broadway and the U District. We love the queso con loroco, a tropical herb-inflected cheese, and we love it on the No. 1 plate. guanacostacos.webs.com

• • •

INDIA
Samosa Chaat
Travelers Thali House Restaurant It’s the closest Seattle comes to authentic, home-cooked Indian food, served in a house on Beacon Hill, to be enjoyed as thali (multiple small plates to create a meal, a $15 deal) or chaat, the cheap street snacks of Delhi. The samosa chaat is a smart $4 trade: Not only is the potato-and-pea-filled pastry a warming, flaky marvel—it’s even better smashed and slathered with curry and yogurt. travelersteaco.com

• • •

JAPAN
Curry Bun
Fuji Bakery The display cases here are filled with cunning, jewel-like creations and delicate notes of green tea and chocolate, and yet the confection that inspires unignorable cravings resembles a really good-looking meatball. It’s filled with housemade curry, coated in Japanese panko breadcrumbs, then fried so each bite packs crunch. fujibakeryinc.com

• • •

RUSSIA
Piroshky
Piroshky Piroshky The Pride of Pikeplaceistan, the handheld pies from this Russian bakery are not only under-$5 cheap—they’re gloriously portable. Lucky you if you can spy the woman fashioning the dough from your spot in the inevitable line snaking out the door; luckier you if she’s made the smoked salmon mousse piroshky with the dill-speckled crust—nowhere near authentic but a charming and tasty regional spin. piroshkybakery.com

• • •

USA
Chicken Potpie
Pie No matter where you stand on the “pie is the new cupcake” debate, only one of these confections begs to be filled with chunks of chicken and potato, peas, and creamy sauce. This Fremont shop’s thick stew and buttery crust is a $5 blast of Grandma’s kitchen. sweetandsavorypie.com

• • •

VIETNAM
Pâté Chaud
Ba Bar One silver lining of France’s occupation of Vietnam was the creation of pâté chaud, a mix of ground pork and diced vegetables in a sheath of puff pastry. At Ba Bar, the stylish bar-cafe specializing in Saigon’s street food, the pork is Carlton Farms, the vegetables are carrots and caramelized onion, the shattering pastry is wicked with butter—and the price is $5. babarseattle.com

Seattle’s Best Restaurants for Cheap Eats: Directory

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 05:00:00 -0700

Image: Paul Kooiman

Aladdin Falafel Corner 4541 University Way NE, University District, 206-548-9539

Altaye Ethiopian Restaurant 8135 Rainier Ave S, Rainier Valley, 206-353-5157

Ba Bar 550 12th Ave, Capitol Hill, 206-328-2030; babarseattle.com

Baguette Box 1203 Pine St, Capitol Hill, 206-332-0220; baguettebox.com

Bakeman’s Restaurant 122 Cherry St, Pioneer Square, 206-622-3375; bakemanscatering.com

Ballard Pizza Company 5107 Ballard Ave NW, Ballard, 206-659-6033; ballardpizzacompany.com

Barbeque Pit 2509 E Cherry St, Central District, 206-724-0005

Barriga Llena 7815 Aurora Ave N, Greenlake, 206-782-1220; labarrigallena.com

Bastille Cafe and Bar 5307 Ballard Ave NW, Ballard, 206-453-5014; bastilleseattle.com

Ben Thanh 2815 S Hanford St, Mount Baker, 206-760-9263

Berliner Döner Kebab 221 First Ave S, Pioneer Square, 206-838-0339; berlinerseattle.com

Beth’s Cafe 7311 Aurora Ave N, Greenlake, 206-782-5588; bethscafe.com

Big Mario’s 1009 E Pike St, First Hill, 206-922-3875; bigmariospizza.com

Buddha Ruksa 3520 SW Genesee St, West Seattle, 206-937-7676; buddharuksa.com

Burger Madness 4117 Fourth Ave S, SoDo, 206-623-3178; burgermadness.com

Cafe Munir 2408 NW 80th St, Ballard, 206-783-4190

Calozzi’s 115 Occidental Ave S, Pioneer Square, 206-467-9449

Costco Food Court 4401 Fourth Ave S, SoDo, 206-674-1220; costco.com

The Crumpet Shop 1503 First Ave, Downtown, 206-682-1598

Dick’s Drive-In 115 Broadway E, Capitol Hill, 206-323-1300. 9208 Holman Rd NW, Greenwood, 206-783-5233. 12325 30th Ave NE, Lake City, 206-363-7777. 500 Queen Anne Ave N, Lower Queen Anne, 206-285-5155. 111 NE 45th St, Wallingford, 206-632-5125; ddir.com

Dot’s Delicatessen 4262 Fremont Ave N, Fremont, 206-687-7446; dotsdelicatessen.com

8 Oz. Burger Bar 1401 Broadway, Capitol Hill, 206-466-5989; 8ozburgerbar.com

El Camión 5314 15th Ave NW, Ballard, 206-297-1124. 11728 Aurora Ave N, Northgate, 206-367-2777. 1021 Occidental Ave, SoDo, 206-659-0236. elcamionseattle.com

El Gaucho 2505 First Ave, Belltown, 206-728-1337. 450 108th Ave NE, Bellevue, 425-455-2715; elgaucho.com

El Paisano Rosticeria y Cocina 9615 15th Ave SW, West Seattle, 206-763-0368

El Pilón 5303 Rainier Ave S, Columbia City, 206-397-3300

The 5 Point Cafe 415 Cedar St, Belltown, 206-448-9991; the5pointcafe.com

Fonda la Catrina 5905 Airport Way S, Georgetown, 206-767-2787; fondalacatrina.com

Fuji Bakery 526 S King St, International District, 206-623-4050; fujibakeryinc.com

Gordito’s 213 N 85th St, Greenwood, 206-706-9352; gorditoshealthymexicanfood.com

Gourmet Noodle Bowl 707 Eighth Ave S, International District, 206-264-8899

Gourmet Dog Japon Second Ave & Pike St, Westlake Center, Downtown. Second Ave & Bell St, Belltown; @gourmetdogjapon

Green Leaf 418 Eighth Ave S, International District, 206-340-1388. 2800 First Ave, Belltown, 206-444-3318

Guanaco’s Tacos Pupuseria 219 Broadway E, Ste 14, Capitol Hill, 206-328-6288; guanacostacos.webs.com

Heaven Sent Fried Chicken 14330 Lake City Way NE, Lake City, 206-363-1167. 509B S Third St, Renton, 425-917-3000

Hot Mama’s Pizza 700 E Pine St, Capitol Hill, 206-322-6444; hot-mamaspizza.com

Hue Ky Mi Gia 1207 S Jackson St, International District, 206-568-1268; huekymigia.com

The Hurricane Cafe 2230 Seventh Ave, Belltown, 206-682-5858

Il Corvo 1501 Western Ave, Ste 300, Downtown, 206-622-4280; ilcorvopasta.com

The Independent 4235 E Madison St, Madison Park, 206-860-6110; theindiepizzeria.com

Inner Sanctum of the Temple of Porcine Love 3207 California Ave SW, West Seattle, 206-932-4211; swinerymeats.com

Ivar’s Original Acres of Clams 1001 Alaskan Way, Waterfront, 206-624-6852; ivars.com

Japonessa: Sushi Cocina 1400 First Ave, Downtown, 206-971-7979; japonessa.com

Judkins Street Cafe 2608 S Judkins St, Central District, 206-322-1091; judkinsstreetcafe.com

Katsu Burger 6538 Fourth Ave S, Georgetown, 206-762-0752; katsuburger.com

La Carta de Oaxaca 5431 Ballard Ave NW, Ballard, 206-782-8722; lacartadeoaxaca.com

Lecosho 89 University St, Downtown, 206-623-2101; lecosho.com

Little Uncle 1509 E Madison St, Central District, 206-329-1503; littleuncleseattle.com

Loretta’s Northwesterner 8617 14th Ave S, South Park, 206-327-9649; lorettasnorthwesterner.com

The Lucky Diner 2630 First Ave, Belltown, 206-805-0133; theluckydiner.com

The Matador 2221 NW Market St, Ballard, 206-297-2855; matadorseattle.com

Mama’s Mexican Kitchen 2234 Second Ave, Belltown, 206-728-6262; mamas.com

Marination Station 1412 Harvard Ave, Capitol Hill, 206-390-8591; marinationmobile.com/station

Matts’ Rotisserie and Oyster Lounge 16551 NE 74th St, Redmond, 425-376-0909; mattsrotisserie.com

Memo’s Mexican Restaurant 4743 University Way NE, University District, 206-729-5071

Mezcaleria Oaxaca 2123 Queen Anne Ave N, Queen Anne, 206-216-4446; mezcaleriaoaxaca.com

MistralKitchen 2020 Westlake Ave, South Lake Union, 206-623-1922; mistral-kitchen.com

Mr. Gyro’s 8411 Greenwood Ave N, Greenwood, 206-706-7472. 5522 20th Ave NW, Ballard, 206-782-7777; mrgyroseattle.com

Ocho 2325 NW Market St, Ballard, 206-784-0699; ochoballard.com

Olivar 806 E Roy St, Capitol Hill, 206-322-0409; olivarrestaurant.com

Oma Bap 120 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, 425-467-7000; omabap.com

Pacific Inn Pub 3501 Stone Way N, Wallingford, 206-547-2967

Pam’s Kitchen 5000 University Way NE, University District, 206-696-7010; pams-kitchen.com

Pan Africa Grill 5905 California Ave SW, West Seattle, 206-971-0698; panafricagrill.com

Paseo 4225 Fremont Ave N, Fremont, 206-545-7440; paseoseattle.com

Pecos Pit BBQ 2260 First Ave S, SoDo, 206-623-0629

Pel’Meni Dumpling Tzar 3516 Fremont Pl N, Fremont, 206-588-2570; pelmenirestaurant.com

Perché No Pasta and Vino 1319 N 49th St, Greenlake, 206-547-0222; perchenopastaandvino.com

Peso’s Kitchen and Lounge 605 Queen Anne Ave N, Lower Queen Anne, 206-283-9353; pesoskitchen.com

Pie 3515 Fremont Ave N, Ste B, Fremont, 206-436-8590; sweetandsavorypie.com

Pike Street Fish Fry 925 E Pike St, Capitol Hill, 206-329-7453; pikestreetfishfry.net

Piroshky Piroshky 1908 Pike Pl, Pike Place Market, 206-441-6068; piroshkybakery.com

Phnom Penh Noodle House 660 S King St, International District, 206-748-9825; phnompenhnoodles.com

Pho Bac 1314 S Jackson St, International District, 206-323-4387. 415 Seventh Ave S, International District, 206-621-0532

Picnic 6801 Greenwood Ave N, Greenwood, 206-453-5867; picnicseattle.com

Poppy 622 Broadway E, Capitol Hill, 206-324-1108; poppyseattle.com

Proletariat Pizza 9622 16th Ave SW, White Center, 206-432-9765; proletariatpizza.com

Red Mill Burgers 312 N 67th St, Phinney Ridge, 206-783-6362. 1613 W Dravus St,
Interbay, 206-284-6363; redmillburgers.com. Red Mill Totem House 3058 NW 54th St NW, Ballard, 206-784-1400; redmillburgers.com/redmilltotemhouse.htm

Red Star Pizza 7514 35th Ave SW, West Seattle, 206-923-0555; redstarpizza.com

RN74 1433 Fourth Ave, Downtown, 206-456-7474; michaelmina.net

Saigon Deli 1237 S Jackson St, International District, 206-322-3700

Samurai Noodle 606 Fifth Ave S, International District, 206-624-9321; samurainoodle.com

San Fernando Roasted Chicken 900 Rainier Ave S, Beacon Hill, 206-331-3763
Satay 1711 N 45th St, Wallingford, 206-547-0597; satayseattle.com

Serious Pie 316 Virginia St, Downtown, 206-838-7388; tomdouglas.com. 401 Westlake Ave N, South Lake Union, 206-436-0050; seriouspiewestlake.com

Seven Stars Pepper Szechuan Restaurant 1207 S Jackson St, International District, 206-568-6446

Shabu Chic 1032 S Jackson St, Ste 202B, International District, 206-329-0988; shabuchic.com

Sitka and Spruce 1531 Melrose Ave, Ste 6, Capitol Hill, 206-324-0662; sitkaandspruce.com

Slim’s Last Chance Chili Shack and Watering Hole 5606 First Ave S, Georgetown, 206-762-7900; slimslastchance.com

Spud Fish and Chips 2666 Alki Ave SW, West Seattle, 206-938-0606; 6860 E Green Lake Way N, Greenlake, 206-524-0565; 9702 NE Juanita Dr, Kirkland, 425-823-0607

Stone Korean Restaurant 16857 Redmond Way, Redmond, 425-497-0515; stonerestaurant.net

Sushi Kanpai 900 Eighth Ave, First Hill, 206-588-2769; sushikanpai.com

Tacos Chukís 219 Broadway E, Capitol Hill, 206-328-4447

Taco Gringos 1510 Olive Way, Capitol Hill, tacogringosseattle.com

Tamarind Tree 1036 S Jackson St, Ste A, International District, 206-860-1404; tamarindtreerestaurant.com

Tat’s Delicatessen 159 Yesler Way, Pioneer Square, 206-264-8287; tatsdeli.com

Taylor Shellfish Farms Melrose Market, 1521 Melrose Ave, Capitol Hill, 206-501-4321; taylormelrose.com

Thai Curry Simple 1122 E Madison St, Capitol Hill, 206-325-1494. 406 Fifth Ave S, International District, 206-327-4838. 400 Boren Ave N, South Lake Union, 206-682-7771; thaicurrysimple.com

13 Coins 125 Boren Ave N, South Lake Union, 206-682-2513; 13coins.com

Tokyo Dog 425-998-6020; tokyodog.com,  "@tokyodogtweets":https://twitter.com/#!/tokyodogtweets

Toshi’s Teriyaki Grill 509 S Third St, Renton, 425-687-5938; toshisgrill.com

Toulouse Petit Kitchen and Lounge 601 Queen Anne Ave N, Lower Queen Anne, 206-432-9069; toulousepetit.com

Travelers Thali House Restaurant 2524 Beacon Ave S, Beacon Hill, 206-329-1465; travelersteaco.com

U:Don 4515 University Way NE, University District, 206-453-3788; freshudon.com

Wann Japanese Izakaya 2020 Second Ave, Belltown, 206-441-5637; wann-izakaya.com

Where Ya At Matt 2701 First Ave, Belltown, whereyaatmatt.com

World Pizza 672 S King St, International District, 206-682-4161; worldpizza.tumblr.com

Yang’s Dumpling House 509 156th Ave SE, Bellevue, 626-400-9256

Zippy’s Giant Burgers 9614 14th Ave SW, White Center, 206-763-1347, zippysgiantburgers.com

Seattle Cheap Eats, A to Z

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 05:00:00 -0700

Image: Paul Kooiman

AASADA Carne asada, that is. Particularly one that harkens back to the days when food trucks were frill-free affairs, before we started expecting them to produce crepes, Native American frybread, and jambalaya. El Camión (elcamionseattle.com), one of the city’s earliest mobile kitchens, is a throwback to the days when street food was just another way of saying “tacos.” The truck still tempts lunchers to the parking lot of a North End Home Depot, as well as newer Ballard and SoDo outposts. The bait: An unassuming list of tacos that will rock your world. Double-stacked corn tortillas filled with carne asada or beef cheeks, whitefish, or pork—run you from $1.45 to $2; both the menu and the half dozen salsas encourage mixing and matching.

BBIG BEEFY BURGERS In a burg where burger brilliance has long been determined by the fixins—see Dick’s, Burgermaster, Red Mill—a new standard has arisen: the beef. At the no-frills West Seattle lunchtime courtyard Inner Sanctum of the Temple of Porcine Love (swinerymeats.com) —trust us, the name will make sense once you’re eating—grass-fed, grass-finished, antibiotic-free beef makes impossibly flavorful burgers, especially when embellished with smoked sea salt or fresh bacon from the adjoining butcher shop, the Swinery. An outpost of the 8 Oz. Burger Bar (8ozburgerbar.com) chain extends the boutique carnage onto Capitol Hill, where herkin’ half-pounders are crafted of a sirloin, tri-tip, short rib, and chuck blend—that is, the ones that aren’t made of grass-fed beef or Snake River Farms Wagyu—and accompanied by insanely flavorful Kennebec potato fries. If these joints seem pricey for burger bars—Inner Sanctum $7 to $9; 8 Oz. $11 to $15—just think of them as cheapskate steak houses.

CCOCHINITA PIBIL In its five-month life, Fonda la Catrina (fondalacatrina.com) has become the toast of cheap-eatin’ Georgetown for its dazzling sense of place and its original take on a taco. Exhibit A: The cochinita pibil, the traditional Mexican slow-roasted pork dish, is a delectable plate of three corn tortillas filled with tart, Cara Cara orange–kissed Carlton Farms pork, frisky with habanero pepper and achiote seed and pickled onion. Nobody’s street food—tortas are on Macrina bread, tamales and posole are crafted of grass-fed, hormone-free meats—Catrina boasts a culinary reach that’s up there with its breezy, whitewashed, citizen-of-the-world ambience. Sipping margs on the back patio will get you somewhere with a date.

DDELICATESSENInside Dot’s Delicatessen (dotsdelicatessen.com), the friendliest little butcher shop in Fremont, is charcuterie for the rest of us—no highfalutin’ attitude here; just authentic, blue-ribbon franks and steaks and pastrami and more, crafted in-house into outlandishly tasty hot dogs on fresh herb-flecked rolls, $14 steak frites with, oh mercy, peanut-oil fries, and mile-high Reubens to make you take the Lord’s name in vain, loudly. Miles James is the meat maestro in this 18-seat house, and he’s as personable as he is skilled—entertainingly narrating a meat-grinding moment while grilling a New York steak and popping a Mexican Coke. Leave without some of his pate and you are a fool.

EETHIOPIAN Only slightly larger than Altaye Ethiopian Restaurant (206-353-5157) proprietor Titi’s smile, this dive along a particularly international stretch of Rainier Beach is tiny but significant. Here Titi cooks the doro tibs (chicken stew) and split red lentils and beef kitfo (raw beef with pepper) the way her mother, a restaurateur herself, did in southern Ethiopia. Her mother must be one amazing cook. Particularly notable are the chili-fired tibs—some of the most nuanced in a region of wonderful Ethiopian food—and the Altaye sampler platter, a $13 spread of enough vegetables and stewy meats and injera bread to stuff two and fill the fridge.

FFISH AND CHIPSHow are we supposed to choose among the three best fried fish joints in town? By scoring ’em in a dead heat. Truth is, each has something unique to commend it. Wallingford’s Pacific Inn Pub (206-547-2967), a storied Stone Way pub with plenty of suds and genuine geezer cred, fries its wild Alaskan cod in panko, then undercharges for it at three crispy pieces with a mess of fries for $8.99. The old Totem House (redmillburgers.com/redmilltotemhouse.htm) in Ballard has its own long reputation for fried fish, only now done to the exacting specs of its new Red Mill owners, who drape the hand-cut cod in a cornmeal-matzoh flour—craggy, greaseless, redolent of Old Bay and thyme—then fry it in supremely flavorful peanut oil, for eating in at one of a few tables or, better, carrying across the street to the ship canal locks for a grassy picnic. Finally, Capitol Hill’s fish of choice comes from a joint wedged into the Pike/Pine thicket, Pike Street Fish Fry (206-329-7453), where hipsters line up into the wee hours for the freshest halibut, catfish, cod—even oysters—cloaked in an angelically fluffy golden batter, then fried to greaseless perfection. Served up with your choice of madcap dips—we prefer the chili mayo—and a terrific view of your car getting a ticket.

GGREASY SPOONS Heartwarming is the dive that makes shiny new Seattle feel gritty and old school; throw in terrific underpriced grub and you’re practically in West Philly. At the wood-paneled Loretta’s Northwesterner (lorettasnorthwesterner.com) in South Park, the beer’s dirt cheap, the vintage Airstream out back is yours for the sittin’, big cheeseburgers start at $3—and the only inauthenticity is that they’re worth eating. Over at The 5 Point Cafe (the5pointcafe.com) near Seattle Center (motto: “Alcoholics Serving Alcoholics Since 1929”), the huge menu stars chicken-fried steak—$11.50 worth of savory breading, real meat, and sausage gravy to feed you for three days—which the hipsters, families, suits, and derelicts eat in affable community, 24-7. The homemade pie may be the best in town. Like all greasy spoons worth their sodium—both places serve breakfast.

HHOT POTS Hot pot is a rare bargain meal that’s not designed to eat on the move, or after a night at the bars. Swishing thinly cut meats and other accompaniments through bubbling broth is interactive, demands focus, and comes with an element of strategy. At Gourmet Noodle Bowl (206-264-8899), offering hot pot seems a mere formality, since servers wouldn’t be able to hear you decline over the clinking of metal chopsticks as the roomful of diners dredge newly cooked meats out of steaming broth. The Chinese restaurant’s $15.95-per-person cost is similar to other establishments, except it includes more meat than you could possibly eat—but somehow you do. The standard dinner includes chicken and pork, along with rib eye and other usual suspects (tofu, udon noodles, greens). For a Japanese version, Shabu Chic (shabuchic.com) does individual pots and burners. The menu is small, but meat eaters need only concern themselves with the rib eye and its companion spicy miso broth.

IINVENTOR OF TERIYAKI His name is Toshihiro Kasahara, he gave Seattle its first teriyaki joint in 1976, he addicted the city, he franchised the concept, he triggered a trillion competitors and in 2003 he disappeared from the business. Since December the man that invented Seattle’s signature fast food is back, quietly running his sole property, Toshi’s Teriyaki Grill (toshisgrill.com), in the cleanest, brightest little storefront in Renton. You’ll note the difference right away: no cloying teriyaki syrup on overcooked chicken—but flame-grilled-to-order (it takes a minute) strips of moist bird, with a thin sweet sauce bright with ginger, a side of very good cole slaw, and Toshi’s old trademark: a football-shaped mound of rice. Nothing on the seven-item menu tops $6.35 (here portions are sane, not supersize like in most teriyaki joints).

JJAPANESE HOT DOGS The Pacific Northwest’s contributions to the nation’s culinary canon consist mostly of pristine ingredients…and teriyaki. One gloriously outlandish exception: hot dogs with Japanese-inspired toppings. The concept may have originated in Vancouver, but 140 miles to the south, Gourmet Dog Japon (@gourmetdogjapon) piles its beef franks with riotous combinations like bonito flakes, Kewpie mayo, pickled ginger, and grilled cabbage, while Tokyo Dog (tokyodog.com) food truck uses smoked-cheese bratwurst as a jumping-off point for grilled onions, bacon bits, furikake, Japanese mayonnaise, and tonkatsu sauce. These combinations may sound gimmicky, or even gross, but the best versions elevate the humble hot dog to something complex, artful, and usually $7 or less.

KKOREAN-HAWAIIAN FUSIONIt’s the age-old Seattle success story—Korean-Hawaiian fusion taco truck entrepreneurs go brick-and-mortar and win acclaim—and the result is big culinary intrigue at little (as in nothing over $7.50) prices. Sure, at Marination Station (marinationmobile.com/station), you could comfort yourself with the Spam sliders—here, Spam is food—but by some krazy koincidence the “K” foods shine brightest: fierce kimchi fried rice crowned with a sunny egg, smoky shreds of kalua pork on sweet Hawaiian rolls with slaw and sauce, and best of all, aromatic kalbi beef tacos with fresh crunchy vegetables. The Capitol Hill space is tiny, packed, and closes at 8.

LLITERALLY A CLOSETThis Madison Street counter is where the term hole-in-the-wall was invented. Little Uncle (littleuncleseattle.com) is the project of chefs Wiley Frank and his wife Poncharee Kounpungchart, who celebrate her Thai heritage with sauteed-to-order servings of pad Thai ($8.80), accoutered with fresh vegetables and organic eggs; braised beef cheeks with pickles and fried garlic in soft steamed buns, kind of like Thai hum bao tacos ($3.30 each); and more, off a short rotating menu. The couple packages dishes in waxed paper if you take them to go—which you must in this nearly table-free zone. Just don’t go far; the noodles will get gummy. Parking is nonexistent, so call in your order first and bring your driver.

MMONDAY NIGHT POP-UPSPssst: A growing number of, uh, noncheap Seattle restaurants go all economical on Monday nights, when the restaurant is closed but a guest chef transforms the space into an ethnic joint. The formidable Sitka and Spruce (sitkaandspruce.com) is our best-known exemplar, its James Beard Award–winning proprietor handing over the reins to Mexico native Alvaro Candela-Najera to produce his milk-soaked beef belly and al pastor tacos and more, at prices around $10. Other restaurants with affordable pop-ups have included the usually Italian Perché No Pasta and Vino (perchenopastaandvino.com), which has dedicated the last Monday of each month to Malaysian street food (cooked by Perché No’s owner); and the usually Spanish Olivar (olivarrestaurant.com), where the last Monday of the month has featured Harvest Vine line cook Irbille Donia’s Filipino cuisine, at prices mostly under $15. Schedules, plans, prices, and even days of the week vary crazily; pop-ups are, after all, the phenomenon Twitter built. Consult accordingly.

NNOODLE BOWLSThe U:Don (freshudon.com) noodle shop on the Ave is constantly full of college students, but the menu most definitely appeals to diners who aren’t part of the shower caddy set. The owner took a page from Chipotle’s playbook, sending customers down an assembly-line kitchen counter to decree which sauce, broth, and toppings will dress up the thick housemade noodles. The end result can range from a heat-packing curry broth to chilled noodles, simply sauced and topped with a runny-yolked egg. Bowls cost between $5 and $8, and in the realm of cheap eats, U:Don’s menu is surprisingly light and healthy, if you manage to restrain yourself from the self-serve station of fried chicken and tempura vegetables, though this approach is not recommended.

OOMG BIBIMBAPAs Korean food continues its steady march toward Next Big Thing, Bellevue’s Oma Bap (omabap.com) provides a shiny fast-food template for How It’s Done. In this sparkling spot along Bellevue Way, diners choose among meats to top the spicy veg-rice-egg dish known as bibimbap, the noodle-vegetable bowls called jap chae—even the fusion innovations loaded with cilantro and kimchi and fire that they call Korean tacos. (They’re inspired.)

PPIZZA How do you define cheap pizza? If it involves an 18-inch housemade Italian sausage, chopped garlic, mozzarella, and Mama Lil’s Peppers pie on a thin and golden-bubbled crust to feed four ravenous folks for $19—then make straight for Proletariat Pizza (proletariatpizza.com) in the heart of White Center, where a young family can dine for the price of a single Andrew Jackson. If cheap for you evokes something a little closer to, say, a hot mess of bacon cheeseburger toppings—ground beef, cheddar, bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes; mustard optional—piled high atop 14 inches of golden puffy crust, delivered from a fun-loving, coupon-happy West Seattle takeout joint for $16.99…then your choice might be the fanatically beloved Red Star Pizza (redstarpizza.com), whose pies price out at about $4 per eater. As for those times when only Madison Park–level cheap will do, the tiny, triangular Independent (theindiepizzeria.com) is your spot for generous personal size pies, burnished with smoke and topped with beauties like crimini mushrooms and Genoa salami, for under $13 per person. Beer (off a great list) is extra.

Q’QIf sparkly, immaculate surroundings signify soulless BBQ, then it’s easy to understand why the ribs at the Barbeque Pit (206-724-0005) are downright thrilling. Dining niceties may be nonexistent here, but the personality of the owner, known as Pookey, is everywhere. His sagelike presence and funktastic music collection put this nine-month-old establishment on the fast track to Central District icon status. He tends the titular pit, a cavernous indirectly heated brick number that’s been in the building for decades, and serves spare ribs that are ribboned with fat, smoked until the meat easily parts ways with the bone, and slathered in sweet sauce. These practices violate some barbecue dictates from various regions in the South, but after one bite it’s really hard to muster any indignation. Your mouth will be too full anyway. Ribs like this demand time and effort, so the fact that a half pound runs you $8.50 (a dinner with two sides is $12.50) feels like a cheap eats miracle.

RROADHOUSE REDWhy yes, cowboy, there is a bona fide roadhouse within Seattle city limits—and the bikers and beer guzzlers and barmaids and hillbilly headbangers who fill Slim’s Last Chance Chili Shack and Watering Hole (slimslastchance.com) couldn’t believe it when Bon Appétit sashayed in to pronounce its chili one of the 10 best bowls in the land. We believe it. The Texas Red ($8.75) is a fathomless bowl of feisty all-meat chili, by far the best in town, with such relentless intensity of flavor a cup ($5.75) might really do you. It’s not hot so much as it is spicy, and tastes particularly right lavished across jalapeno mac and cheese. A grassy lawn out the side door turns this screaming stretch of urban Georgetown into a little patch of back 40.

SSMOKY ROASTED CHICKENWe’ve not tasted finer roast chicken than the marinated, rotisseried bird at the tidy Peruvian San Fernando Roasted Chicken (206-331-3763) outlets in Lynnwood and the Rainier Valley. Smoky flavor suffuses the meat, from savory crackling skin all the way through (moist!) breast. Get a half ($9) or quarter ($7), served with forgettable fries and a dear little iceberg salad. Or dine the way the Peruvians do on salchipappas (beef franks sliced over papas fritas) and an Inka Cola (“Tastes like bubble gum!”). The long menu reflects Peruvian cuisine’s diversity of influences—spaghetti with soy sauce anyone?—and devotion to all things starch, corn to rice to cassava to beans to potatoes.

TTACOSThat cliche that Seattle has no authentic Mexican food is now officially ridiculous: Tacos Chukís (206-328-4447), hidden in the upstairs warrens of the Broadway Alley building, drags eaters by the taste buds on a cheapo’s tour of Mexico City. Yes there are $3.70 baby burritos and $4.20 quesadillas in this slight and sunny second-floor slot (the latter, crafted of flour tortillas and carne asada, boast more mere aroma than your typical quesadilla has flavor)—but your first order of business has to be the two-buck tacos, swaddled in their corn cradles with plenty of cilantro, onion, salsa, and guacamole. And meat, like the deeply marinated adobada pork—carved off a vertical rotisserie and served with a slice of caramelized pineapple—which doesn’t wear its tingly, fiery flavor so much as exhale it. If there is a single more compelling taco in this city—bring it.

UUNBELIEVABLY CHEAP MOLEForgive the visual, but after much debate we’ve concluded that the mole negro from sister restaurants La Carta de Oaxaca (lacartadeoaxaca.com) and Mezcaleria Oaxaca (mezcaleriaoaxaca.com) is the Seattle sauce we’d most like to bathe in. You know, if anyone asked. Matriarch Gloria Perez’s velvety concoction of ground nuts and chilies and chocolate and a thousand or two bracing aromatics is such a nuanced composition of fires and sugars, it ought to be flung much farther and wider than it currently is in a couple of howling storefronts. But for now we’re just happy we can get it at either place, draped across plates of spoon-off-the-bone chicken with rice and corn tortillas, for a stunningly underpriced 10 bucks.

VVIETNAMESEWe hereby proclaim Vietnamese Seattle’s best-all-around affordable ethnic restaurant food, and our proliferation of banh mi and pho shops are only part of why. Everyone loves—see, they’re all ahead of you in line—the classic Green Leaf (206-340-1388) (now in the ID and Belltown), mostly for its $6.95 shrimp-packed banh xeo pancakes, but also for its salads, vermicelli bowls, and aromatic pho. Our newer obsession is Ben Thanh (206-760-9263) in the Rainier Valley, a sprawling place filled with Vietnamese diners licking chicken feet (and frog legs, and “pork inner part”…) off their fingers. Less adventurous diners will have a better time with the masterful pho, or the careful, beautifully sauced broken rice dishes topped with charbroiled short ribs or prawns.

WWORLDLY PIEPeople walking down King Street crinkle their nose, confused. Yes, that’s pizza you smell in the heart of the International District. The slice-and-pie spot that reigned in 1990s Belltown has been reincarnated in this unexpected address. Everything at World Pizza (worldpizza.tumblr.com) is bright—the red walls, the orange pleather couch, the spicy pizza sauce, even the Sriracha bottles that nod to the neighborhood’s palate. The pies are all meatless with crackerlike herbed crusts—a vegetarian’s reward for walking by the roasted ducks hanging in the window at nearby Kau Kau—but the signature potato, rosemary, and Gorgonzola combo somehow channels the complexity of spicy salami in thick disks of roasted red potatoes. Order a $3 slice or commandeer one of the dark wooden booths in the back and take down a whole pie and a few pints of Manny’s.

XXL PORTIONSSometimes you’ve just gotta have it—a six-egg omelet, a 10-patty burger, a burrito big as a baby. Nobody’s naming these beasts the finest this or most authentic that—anyone jonesing for a 10-patty cheeseburger probably isn’t stressing the whole grass-fed thing—so we sincerely hope nobody’s too put off by the, shall we say, laid-back service at the all-night diner Beth’s Cafe (bethscafe.com), where there’s also a 12-egg omelet, but it’s not truly cheap. Or the fact that those who successfully eat the big kahuna 12-patty burger at Burger Madness (burgermadness.com) get their picture plastered on the wall. Or that at Gordito’s (gorditoshealthymexicanfood.com), a $9 burrito grande really is the size of a newborn human. (Just for the record, those burritos are made with fresh produce, lardless beans, grilled meats, and vegetarian rice—for those times when only the healthiest overeating will do.)

YYELLOW CURRYSo it’s cash-only and there’s always a line. At Thai Curry Simple (thaicurrysimple.com) you’re already getting away with murder paying no more than $6-ish for Thai street curries this authentic and complex. The expats who run this show (now in South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, and the International District) make their own curry pastes from lemongrass and galangal imported from the Mother Country, and the discerning palates who pack the place can taste the difference. The yellow curry, often with tofu, appears in a rotation along with green curry and panang and massaman; don’t despair if your favorite isn’t on the card when you come. They’re all exceptional.

ZZIPPY’S It’s the ultimate retro dive—hand-lettered sign, Pac-Man and gumball machines, red glitter banquettes—in the grim little heart of White Center. But the real nostalgia at Zippy’s Giant Burgers (zippysgiantburgers.com) is the prices—$4.50 to $10—which completely belie “you get what you pay for” economics. Burger meat is hand-ground daily, packed into fat mounds, charbroiled to smoky excellence, topped with crunchy iceberg and onion and tomato and Thousand Island–y sauce, served on a Kaiser roll, and guaranteed to make you rethink your position on American cheese. (Pssst: Spend your calories on the hand-dipped shakes, not the average fries.)