I’ve been coming to some of the best restaurants in West Seattle since I moved here more than a decade ago. I always loved this neighborhood’s laid back vibe and access to beautiful Puget sound water views. But now more than ever it’s become a foodie destination thanks to the surge of new restaurants.
No matter what cuisine you fancy, there’s something for everyone in West Seattle. Here’s my list of the best restaurants in West Seattle worth seeking out.
Best Restaurants in West Seattle
Many of these are next to each other, so consider turning it into a self-guided food tour!
9th & Hennepin
website | get directions | cuisine: doughnuts | what to get: the sample pack
Justin Newstrum used to be a chef at some of the best brunch places in Seattle, but he fell in love with the idea of selling doughnuts hot after visiting the famous Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. He finally made his dream a reality when he started selling doughnuts at farmers market under the brand 9th & Hennepin, named after a popular Tom Waits song about New Orleans (though weirdly the street corner was inspired by him sitting in a doughnut shop in Minneapolis).
You can only pick up Newstrum’s doughnuts hot Friday through Sunday before noon. The menu changes weekly and you pre-order online. I highly encourage you to just eat them on the street as soon as you get them so you can enjoy their yeasty goodness warm as he intended them to be served. Get the sample pack of one doughnut of each flavor that week. You won’t be disappointed.
West of Chicago Pizza
website | get directions | cuisine: deep dish pizza | what to get: The Original
Served out of the same community kitchen as 9th & Hennepin is West of Chicago Pizza. This is some of the best pizza in Seattle. It’s deep dish, which many of my east coast brethren would argue isn’t pizza, but I love all pizza no matter the style. Theirs has a slightly sweet flaky crust like a biscuit.
Definitely get The Original with the caramelized onions. It adds this rich, deep flavor that will keep you coming back for more.
Lady Jaye
website | get directions | cuisine: barbecue | what to get: bulgogi short rib melt
If you love smoked meat, make sure to stop at Lady Jaye, one of the best restaurants in West Seattle. It was founded by friends Sara Rosales, Tyler Palagi, Evan Carter, and Charlie Garrison, some of the talent behind Radiator Whiskey and White Swan Public House. You can smell barbecue as soon as you enter thanks to the huge smoker on their dope outdoor patio.
They have a few staples and special dish only available one day a week. Lucky for you the bulgolgi short rib melt is a staple. It’s honestly one of the best sandwiches in the Seattle area. It’s full of juicy, flavorful meat. And is like a cheesesteak and Korean bulgogi had a baby. It’s messy as hell and a belly bomb, but it’s totally worth the wet wipes you’ll need after.
Bakery Nouveau
website | get directions | cuisine: French bakery | what to get: double-baked almond croissant
This bakery serves some of the best desserts in Seattle, so I can’t believe I hadn’t been to it until recently. They’ve been open since I moved here more than a decade ago, with one location in West Seattle and another in Capitol Hill.
When I finally had the chance to go, I looked up what people recommend getting because I’m admittedly not the biggest pastry fan. I’ll be honest that I was disappointed that everyone said to get the double-baked almond croissant. I don’t even like croissants. But I got it anyway.
Let me tell you, even if you don’t like croissants you will love this one. The double-bake process changes the texture of the croissant to something chewier. It’s as if a cinnamon roll and a croissant had a baby and I did not hate it. Make sure you get this when you come to this West Seattle restaurant!
El Chapulin Oaxaqueno
website | get directions | cuisine: taco food truck | what to get: carne asada tacos
This food truck is tucked behind the popular Lula Coffee off California Ave. I’m not sure how I found it, but they’re serving some of the best street tacos in Seattle. The tortillas are flavorful, the meat extra juicy, and the salsa top notch. I rarely like carne asada because the meat turns out dry, but not at El Chapulin (Spanish for grasshopper, if you’re curious!).
Supreme
website | get directions | cuisine: NY-style pizza | what to get: pepperoni
This pizza spot has the vibe of a sports bar. You can order slices or pies of New York-style pizza that are large like the ones I remember grabbing during drunken evenings in New York City growing up.
Make sure to get the pepperoni. They use really great quality pepperoni that shrivels into a perfect pocket when it cooks. That means each will have a little dollop of oil in it that makes for an extremely satisfying and flavorful bite.
Grillbird Teriyaki
website | get directions | cuisine: Japanese | what to get: chicken & katsu
West Seattle resident Matthew Parker opened Grillbird in early 2020, right before the pandemic hit. It’s his first restaurant, but he was the creative director at Westward and Great State Burger, where he met restauranteur Josh Henderson who advised him.
He has a small menu featuring teriyaki and katsu options, including gluten free and vegan dishes using tofu sourced from Vashon Island, one of the best islands off Seattle with a great restaurant scene.
I don’t even really like teriyaki, as I find it often way too saucy. So I appreciate how Parker’s isn’t smothered in sauce, but rather puts extra on the side to accommodate more tastes. And his katsu is some of the moistest I’ve had. Oftentimes this is an overdone hockey puck after thought at a sushi restaurant. But here, it really shines.
Mashiko
website | get directions | cuisine: Japanese | what to get: sashimi sampler
Founder Hajime Sato is said to have brought sustainable sushi to Seattle. He sold his popular sushi spot to employees, but they continue the tradition of only serving fish that can be traced back to a sustainable fishing source. If you love sushi, definitely make sure to visit this place and see how fresh the fish is with a sashimi sampler.
Il Nido
website | get directions | cuisine: Italian | what to get: pasta
Mike Easton is the godfather of pasta in Seattle. He got his start selling his handmade pasta to long lines of lunch time crowds in Pioneer Square at the casual Il Corvo, but he’s since closed that location to focus on his Alki Beach location that is one of the best fine dining restaurants in Seattle.
He took over the popular cabin called The Homestead that housed multiple restaurants before his and turned it into one of the nicest fine dining restaurants in the Seattle area. He’s no longer affiliated with the restaurant, but the employees he sold it too continue his legacy and add their own flare.
The menu features more than just pasta, and many people will recommend getting the slow cooked meats like lamb shank. However, I will always recommend pasta whenever Mike Easton is involved. The menu changes regularly, so get whatever looks good when you go.
Falafel Salam
website | get directions | cuisine: Middle Eastern | what to get: The Hesitator
Chef Shimi Kahn started serving his incredible Middle Eastern food out of the Fremont Farmers Market, then moved to a food truck, and now has two permanent spots in Georgetown and West Seattle. He makes his pita fresh daily and sources as much locally as possible, including his garbanzo beans.
In addition to being one of the best restaurants in West Seattle, it’s also one of the best cheap eats in Seattle hands down. So much is good on the menu that your best bet is to get The Hesitator plate that includes a little bit of everything: falafel, chicken shawarma, gyro, etc.
Seattle Fish Company
website | get directions | cuisine: seafood | what to get: chowder poutine and salmon chowder
This fish market next to Ma’ono on California Ave is one of the best places to buy seafood in Seattle, but it’s also one of the best fish restaurants in Seattle thanks to its yummy seafood shack menu.
While they serve a lot of yummy items I grew up eating down the shore in New Jersey, like clam strips and crab cakes, their chowder is the must get here. You can get it as a soup a la salmon chowder, which has some tomatoes in it so it’s a beautiful pink hue with chunks of fresh Pacific Northwest salmon. It’s like a cross between clam chowder and cioppino, the popular Italian tomato-broth based fish soup.
Or you can get it on top of fries for a Seattle take on the classic poutine. These fries are huge and enough to serve 2 people, but no one would judge if you punish them all yourself!
Itto’s Tapas
website | get directions | cuisine: Spanish-Moroccan fusion | what to get: paella
This small restaurant serves Moroccan and Spanish-inspired tapas in large portions. You’ll find classics like tortilla de patata and croquetas alongside staples in Moroccan cuisine like pastilla (a favorite I discovered when I studied abroad and visited Marrakech).
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The majority of the dishes I’ve tried are awesome. Standouts include the paella, eggplant dip, scallops, croquetas, and Moroccan chicken. In fact, I liked the croquetas so much I ordered another round!
Husky Deli
website | get directions | cuisine: American | what to get: ice cream
You might never guess this convenience store is serving some of the best ice cream in Seattle, but it is. The shop has been in Jack Miller’s family since the early 1900s and has kept its roots as a place people come to shop everyday. But it evolved to making ice cream in 1936 when the Seattle Public Schools advertised a program looking for people to make ice cream for kids lunches.
They created cones that were kind of like muddy buddies, vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate and nuts, but they called them huskies. They were so popular that ice cream became engrained in Husky’s Deli’s DNA, and now you can find a ton of interesting flavors.
Buddha Ruska
website | get directions | cuisine: Thai | what to get: crispy duck
Buddha Ruska is one of the best Thai restaurants in Seattle. It serves really authentic, yummy dishes like khao soi, curries, and some of the best fried bananas I’ve ever had.
In terms of a meal, my favorite dish to get is the crispy duck. You can get their signature dish prepared in a few different ways, but I recommend the panang curry with red peppers and string beans. I love this traditional red curry usually served with beef, and it’s elevated to a whole new level when served with duck!
Jet City Beignet
website | cuisine: dessert | what to get: beignets with powdered sugar
Jet City Beignet is owned by couple Greg and Tiffany. They turned their love of New Orleans into a popup business right at the start of the pandemic. You can find them serving pillowy beignets smothered in powdered sugar at various locations, most often in West Seattle or Greenwood.
They also sell sauces on the side, such as lime curd, berry, or chocolate. However, I find their beignets are so good, you don’t even need them!
Marination Mai Kai
website | get directions | cuisine: Hawaiian fusion | what to get: Kalhua sliders
Owners Kamala and Roz started Marination as a food truck roaming Seattle in 2009. They now have two brick and mortar locations, including this West Seattle spot with an incredible patio featuring views of the Puget Sound and Seattle skyline. It’s one of my top Seattle restaurants for views.
Given I spend 5 days in Maui every year, I’m all over the Hawaiian comfort food coming out of this best restaurant in West Seattle. They have favorites like loco moco and spam musabi, but my absolute favorite is the pork sliders.
Other West Seattle restaurants to try
Here are the restaurants still on my list to try that I hear are excellent.
- Pizzeria 22 – Another pizzeria near Alki Beach said to be awesome
- Raccolto – General Harvest’s other West Seattle Italian restaurant
- Jak’s Grill – A steakhouse said to be quite good
- Easy Street Records & Cafe – Hidden diner inside a record shop
- Peel & Press – One of the many pizza spots I need to try
- Mioposto Pizza – Yet another pizza spot with a few Seattle locations
- Luna Park Cafe – 50s diner under the bridge known for milkshakes
More restaurants worth seeking out
Once you’ve made your way through the best restaurants in West Seattle, give these a try.
- Seattle Dessert Delivery for When That Craving Hits
- Seattle’s Best Bagels, Ranked
- Best Food Delivery in Seattle
- Where to Find Healthy Restaurants in Seattle
- The Dishes in Seattle You Must Try
