Seattle is the largest city in Washington and the seat of King County. A city of steep hills, Seattle lies in western Washington between two bodies of water—Puget Sound on the west and Lake Washington on the east, and encompasses thousands of acres of parkland (hence its nickname, “Emerald City”).
I was a bit hesitant to add Seattle to my summer travel lineup, for fear of daily rain storms and grey skies. Instead I was greeted with awesome weather, breath taking scenery, *legal marijuana dispensaries* and some of the best food in the country.
Join me as I share the Savory and Sweet sides of Seattle!
**HONORABLE MENTION **
Tacos Chukis
Address: 219 Broadway E, Seattle, WA 98102
Tacos Chuki is a no-frills pick for counter-served Mexican street food, including tacos, quesadillas & burritos. You can’t go wrong with their tasty tacos y tortas. Pro Tip: This is a great place for cheap eats. Make sure you try an Aguas Fresca! They are made fresh, in house, daily. It’s a total hidden gem, only the “cool kids” know about this hot spot!
WINE, BARS + SPIRITS
Rumba
Address: 1112 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101
This “Caribbean Queen” offers flavorful island fare and over 200 unique rum selections. If you’re familiar with Houston’s “Lei Low” then you’ll really dig this place. These rum based cocktails are strong, sweet and dangerously delish. Pro Tip: Their daiquiris, “Baller Pina Colada’ s” and baked empanadas are the keys to success here.
Ba Bar Restaurant
Address: 550 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
Ba Bar is the perfect place for late night grub in Seattle. This upscale Vietnamese restaurant serves innovative cocktails and damn good Phở. Pro Tip: Ask for two Chinese donuts. These soft, fluffy pillows of carb-y goodness will change your life for the better.
POCO wine + spirits
Address: 1408 E Pine St, Seattle, WA 98122
We visited POCO wine + spirits after a long day of walking, A.K.A “Seattle hill climbing” and all I wanted was a WHOLE bottle of wine, some imported cheeses, and meats. POCO was a fantastic option! Pro Tip: Sit on the second floor and play Mario Cart while you sip!
“MUST SEE” – PLACES & SPACES
Pike Place Market
Address: 85 Pike Street, Room 500 Seattle, WA 98101
Pike Place Market is a public market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, Washington. The Market opened August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers’ markets in the US. You have to visit this place, or your trip to Seattle is worthless. It’s everything you could ever need or want, all under one roof. Pro Tip: Arrive early or visit during the week. This place is bananas on the weekends. Also, if you can avoid it, don’t drive. Tons of traffic and congestion in the area because.. well.. people are eating and drinking while they roam about the bustling streets surrounding the market.
Because there is so much to see at the Market, let make it easy for you. The three places to stop, shop and sample are: Tiny’s Organic Apple Cider, Mick’s Pepporri and Chukar Cherries.
Tiny’s Organic Apple Cider was quite delicious and refreshing. They have a sample station where you can savor all of their various flavors. The Apple Pear, stole the show and was located directly next to Chukar Cherries, Seattle’s Chocolate Covered Cherry making company. Now, I don’t like chocolate but these were the perfect gifts for my friends and family back home! Our last stop in the Market was Mick’s Pepporri, where my husband and I over indulged in pepper jam samples served on little, tongue depressor type sticks. We bought 4 bottles of the ginger pepper jam of which we pour atop melted brie and serve with crackers. Oh yea!
Garage
Address: 1130 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122
Seattle’s GARAGE is by far one of THE most awesome places in the Capitol Hill area. The Garage was once a Plymouth dealership and automotive garage, but has since transformed in to an all inclusive, pool hall, bowling alley and bar! In fall 2008, the second addition was finished, completing a mixture of 20 bowling lanes, 25 pool tables, 6 bars, 3 private rooms, and plenty of lounging room for a night out.
We really enjoyed how chill the Garage was, and given all the various activities under one roof, we could have literally hung out here all day. Pro Tip: This place is great for the whole family, private parties and/or weekend “kick backs” with the gang. I highly recommend a cold beer and a game of pool.
Hours of operation are 3 p.m. until 2 a.m., daily. The kitchen is open from 3 p.m. to midnight weekdays and to 1 a.m. on weekends. Garage is a 21 and over establishment to bowl or play pool. Prior to 10 p.m., minors are welcome in the restaurant area only for dining!
SAMMIES + BURGERS + PIES
Meat & Bread
Address: 400 Fairview Ave N #110, Seattle, WA 98109
Looking for delicious, high quality sandwiches in Seattle and Vancouver? Well, check out the menu at Meat & Bread Co. It changes weekly, but If you see their Spicy Cajun Chicken or Vegetarian Sammie on the menu, start there and pair with a Seattle craft beer! Pro Tip: Grab a couple of Meat & Bread Co.’s jarred, house-made sauces & rubs. Their mustard, Sambal and salt rubs were gifted to me during my visit and I literally use them everyday on something.
Sizzle Pie
Address: Seattle, WA 98122, 1009 E Union St, Seattle, WA 98122
Visit Sizzle Pie for regular & vegan pies, draft beer, loud music & late-night hours. You have the option of getting you pie to go, ordering a pie and sitting on the patio OR enjoying it at the “Dark Bar” next door. Authentic Italian to be exact. LOL. Pro Tip: Dark Bar proudly serves, pie, salads and bread sticks from Sizzle Pie, and they offer Happy Hour daily from 4pm -7pm.
Li’l Woody’s
Address: 1211 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101
My husband and I walked for what felt like HOURS to get to Li’l Woody’s, but in actuality it was only five minutes from our AirBnB. We met these really cool guys at this thrift shop on Pike and they suggested this place for really good burgers and “crack”. Yup, they sale crack, but not the “Ronald Reagan” kind, the sweet, rich, cold and creamy crack! At Li’l Woody’s you can order a cup of ice cream to dip you fries or burger in. If you’re into that whole savory/sweet mix, I highly recommend you try it.
SEATTLE COFFEE…not Starbucks
Of course I had to try a couple Coffee shops in Seattle, none of which were Starbucks. The original Starbucks Coffee opened at Pike Place Market in 1971. Starbucks was packed and I thought to myself, “don’t you all have a Starbucks on literally every corner of your home town?” The last thing I wanted was Starbucks, so I made it my mission to get coffee from other places. I’m not knocking Starbucks, at all, I just wanted to try something different.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters
Address: 616 E Pine St, Seattle, WA 98122
One thing I love about Coffee shops that I don’t get from Starbucks is “coffee art.” I seem to enjoy my coffee much more when the barista takes the time to make a leaf or kitty cat in the froth. My husband really enjoyed Stumptown’s the chocolate cold brew with milk. Literally the best chocolate milk ever! We were bouncing off the walls for literally 17 minutes.
Zeitgeist Coffee
Address: 171 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104
Zeitgeist Coffee has a killer assortment of morning pastries to pair with their roasted coffees. Zeitgeist provides a place different from the typical “out of a box” corporate coffee shop. The vibe is warm and the coffee is hot, great place to bring your laptop and watch the busy “hustle and bustle” of the downtown strip. Their sprinkled, cake donuts and white chocolate mocha (soy) top my list.
Thank you for reading my Sweet + Savory Seattle Travel Guide…
