8 Dishes to Try Before You Leave Seattle
Ranked by how much they say about this city — dishes that tell the story of its people
1
If America has a "coffee capital," it's Seattle — Starbucks was born at Pike Place in 1971 and grew into the world's biggest coffee chain. But real Seattleites drink third-wave coffee from local roasters: pretty latte art, intense espresso, and quality cold brew. The city's drizzly weather turns cafes into everyone's living room. Visit the first Starbucks for the photo, but the genuinely great coffee is at Victrola, Vivace, and Storyville.
2
Salmon is the food symbol of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest — wild salmon (King/Sockeye/Coho) caught from rivers and sea in summer, with deep orange-red flesh and a rich, mellow flavour. At Pike Place Market, fishmongers throw big salmon as a crowd-pulling show. Try cedar-plank salmon in the Indigenous style, or lox (smoked salmon) on a bagel for breakfast. It tastes very different from farmed salmon.
3
The cool, clear waters of Puget Sound and the Washington coast produce oysters connoisseurs rate among the best in America — tiny sweet Kumamoto, native miniature Olympia, and large creamy Pacific. Eat them raw on ice with lemon and mignonette (shallot vinegar), or grilled with garlic butter. Many oyster bars run happy hours with oysters at USD 1.5–2 each in the afternoon — a golden window for oyster lovers.
4
This is the city's fast-food dish, hard to find elsewhere — Seattle teriyaki emerged in the 1970s from Japanese-Korean immigrant shops. Grilled chicken in a thick, sweet-savoury teriyaki sauce (stickier than authentic Japanese sauce), served with hot steamed rice and cabbage salad. Cheap, filling, fast. Hundreds of small teriyaki shops dot the city, making it Seattle comfort food — ask a local for their favourite and everyone has an answer.
5
Seattle has a large Vietnamese community, and the pho here is the real thing — a beef broth simmered with bones for hours, fragrant with spices (star anise, cinnamon, charred ginger), soft rice noodles, thin-sliced beef, served with a plate of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, basil, lime, and chili. Little Saigon (in the International District) is full of pho shops, banh mi spots, and Vietnamese coffee. A warm bowl on a drizzly Seattle day is the most fitting meal there is — well-priced and filling.
6
Dungeness crab is named after the town of Dungeness in Washington State — large, with sweet, firm meat, caught in the cold Pacific Northwest waters. At Pike Place and waterfront seafood spots you'll find fresh crab boiled whole, eaten with lemon-butter dip, or made into crab cakes and crab rolls. Try Ivar's or The Crab Pot, where seafood is dumped on the table for you to crack by hand — a fun Pacific seafood experience.
7
Seattle is one of the densest craft-beer cities in America — Yakima hops from Washington are a premium ingredient that makes the region's IPAs renowned. Ballard and Fremont are full of small breweries pouring their own. Try a tasting flight (several small pours to compare) at a taproom to find your favourite. The vibe is relaxed, often with a food truck parked outside. A great stop after a day of sightseeing.
8
A Dutch baby is a pancake baked in the oven (not pan-fried) until it puffs up with tall edges like a bowl, then deflates when it comes out — crisp edges and a soft, custardy centre, dusted with powdered sugar and lemon juice. The dish was popularized by Manca's Cafe in Seattle in the early 20th century and became a city brunch staple. Some places do savoury versions (with cheese or mushrooms). It's puffy and photogenic when served — eat it warm with coffee on a drizzly morning.