All Photos Courtesy of Listed Establishment
If you haven’t been eating in Eastlake recently, you’re messing up. Almost entirely anchored around one street (bet you can guess which one), Eastlake is studded with several pretty superb food spots all along the way as it wraps Lake Union. Here are my favorites, loosely ranked by how much I want to be there right now.
Upper Eastlake
2968 Eastlake Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98102
206.547.0937
Mon – Thu 5:00pm – 9:30pm
Fri – Sat 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Sun 5:00pm – 9:00pm
Weekend Brunch: Sat & Sun 11:00am – 2:00pm
The vibe: Indulgence and curiosity, with plenty of regulars who have seen the light
The company: Your friend with the expense account
The order: Omakase if you can, as Chef Taichi Kitamura has been known to fly in hairy crab, set aside matsutake broth, and generally create some of the most top notch sushi you could imagine. It’s great if you order off the menu, too, but you should eat Omakase at least once if you can swing it.
121 E Boston St
Seattle, WA 98102
(206) 859-4155
Monday – Thursday 5:00pm – 12:00am
Friday – Saturday 5:00pm – 1:00am (Bar till 2:00 am)
The vibe: So many first dates and a lot of girls’ nights, minus the “Woo!” girls. With a bunch of sections to the restaurant, you can kind of tuck away to different microuniverses.
The company: um, a first date or your girls… Or your vegetarian friend who you usually hate sharing with, because their veg game is on point.
The order: The crispy brussels sprouts with spicy date molasses is so good. And get a cicchetti (3 small dishes) of roasted eggplant with tahini and za’atar; pistachio-feta dip; and Pomegranate Muhamarrah. Add the beef tartare if that’s your thing, because it’s great. If you still have room, get the falafel or one of their daily flatbreads.
2043 Eastlake Avenue East
Seattle, Washington 98102
Phone: (206) 323-0807
DINNER
Monday – Thursday 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Friday – Sunday 5:00pm – 11:00pm
LUNCH
Monday – Friday 11:30 – 2:30pm
SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH
Sunday 10:00am – 2:30pm
Bar until 2:00am nightly
The vibe: A lot of couples at night, business lunches during the day
The company: Your S.O.’s parents, the first time you’re meeting; a long-time love.
The order: Uovo con Acciughe to start. They’re soft-boiled eggs with white anchovy and parsley sauce and they taste crazy indulgent. Then Ravioli di Zucca for the main course. It’s chestnut pasta stuffed with butternut squash and swimming in brown butter sauce.
2238 Eastlake Ave E
Seattle, WA 98102
206-329-2744
Sunday – Thursday 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Friday – Saturday 5:00pm – 11:00pm
The vibe: lovers of good food, paired up and eagerly anticipating the arrival of their small plates or ranking their choices.
The company: someone who won’t bat an eye when you order one of everything.
The order: uh, one of everything. You can order the whole shebang for around $45 a person. And don’t forget a glass or two of wine.
2236 Eastlake Ave E
Seattle, WA 98102
(206) 329-2744
Lunch: Tuesday – Friday 12:00pm – 3:00pm
Dinner: Nightly 5:00pm – 12:00am.
The vibe: casual but confident operation ready to impress any sort of clientele walking through the door.
The company: a friend for a drink, a Tinder date, or your brother who is in town for the week.
The order: cocktails for sure, because they’re delicious and thoughtfully made. The food is designed to go well with drinks, like way better bar food. The menu rotates all the time, so just ask the helpful staff for their picks.
2301 Eastlake Ave E.
Seattle, WA 98102
(206) 329-3277
Daily: 1:00pm – 2:00am
The vibe: lively bar full of laughing groups on the weekends, far chiller during the weeknights with smaller groups, beer pint rings everywhere except on the ping pong tables.
The company: a big group or first date you want to test out on their bar-sport prowess.
The order: a pitcher of craft beer or something cheap, depending on who’s paying, and enough quarters for a night of fun. Plus dollars so you can run next door for shots if your date is going poorly.
2501 EASTLAKE AVE E.
SEATTLE, WA 98102
(206) 946-1065
Daily: 11:00am – 11:00pm
The vibe: they’re still so new, it’s a little unclear how it’ll shake out. So far, a mix of sandwich and beer loving folk (aka American patriots mawing hard on giant orders and washing em down with a pint), take out heroes, and families.
The company: someone who will go halfsies.
The order: the Saber Tooth: smoked pork from sister restaurant Bitterroot, ham, swiss, charred onions, pickles, dijon, aioli. Well, any of the meat-piled selections are great. And don’t forget a growler of beer from one of their plentiful taps.
3230 Eastlake Ave E
Seattle, Washington, 98102
(206) 328-6523
Tuesday – Saturday 7:00am – 6:00pm
Sunday 8:00am – 6:00pm
The vibe: a lot of people stopping by to pick up coffee and pastries on the run mixed with cafe hangers who savor a quick bite for a while.
The company: your mom or aunt or friend who has their shit together.
The order: one of the mini tarts, or a dozen. A croissant. Definitely a baguette for later. Fuck it, get an eclair too.
1629 Eastlake Ave E.
Seattle, WA 98102
(206) 322-6174
Monday – Thursday 11:30 am – 10:00 pm
Friday 11:30 am – 11:30 pm
Saturday 3:00pm – 11:30 pm
Sunday 3:00pm-10:00pm
The company: someone who will appreciate their excellent decor
The vibe: families sharing plates, businessmen meeting up, dates… It’s a big mishmash punctuated by an occasionally rowdy bar crowd.
The order: depends on the time of day. Their killer happy hour begs to be ordered en masse. The seasonal mango and sticky rice is better here than most.
2379 Eastlake Ave E.
Seattle, WA 98102
(206) 325-0081
Monday – Thursday 7:00am – 11:00pm
Friday 7:00am – 12:00am
Saturday 8:00am – 12:00am (or later)
Sunday 8:00am – 3:00pm
The vibe: 100 people trying to get into brunch so they can sit across from each other and not talk.
The company: your boyfriend you’ve been dating too long and are considering breaking up with. And the sports section. Better yet, go during the week and chill.
The order: A really well made cup and the breakfast salad if you’re feeling crazy. If you drank a lot the night before or have time for an afternoon nap, get the biscuits and gravy or biscuit sandwich.
2245 Eastlake Ave.E.
Seattle 98102
206-324-2778
Monday – Friday: 6:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday and Sunday: 7:00am – 6:00pm
The vibe: a lot of people “working from home”
The company: your Macbook Air will get along fine with the PCs and janky notebooks shielding your compatriots.
The order: something you can sip on all day, plus a breakfast burrito. They’ll heat it up for you.
2865 Eastlake Ave E
Seattle, WA 98102
(206) 397-4940
Tuesday – Thursday 11:30am – 11:00pm
Friday 11:30am – 12:00am
Saturday 4:30pm – 12:00am
Sunday 4:30pm – 9:00pm
The vibe: people who really want to look at the water, which is admittedly very lookatable from the picnic tables on the back deck (patio opens for summer April 1st!).
The company: your friend who has an extra parking place in her building nearby, cuz you’re outta luck otherwise. Maybe someone who will appreciate it when the server mentions their sustainable meats and produce.
The order: corn chips and salsa. Ask for the corn chips so they don’t give you the flour ones. Definitely margaritas. If you want more substantial food, they often have delicious ceviche and their torta ahogada is pretty good, though the prices are high for Mexican food. But again, it’s hashtag sustainable.
2922 Eastlake Avenue East
Seattle, Washington 98102
206-323-3005
Monday – Friday 10:00am – 5:30pm
Thursday 10:00am – 7:00pm
Saturday 11:00am – 5:00pm
The vibe: Well, it’s a caviar shop, so it’s a little bougie. But the owners know everyone and are super cool, so their friends are definitely gonna be there.
The company: your boss’s credit card or your SO who wants to spoil you, or yourself on Treat Yo’Self Day
The order: depends on your budget. Go for ikura (salmon roe) or golden whitefish if you’re a little hesitant to shell out. Paddlefish is a great entryway and tastes pretty excellent. Siberian sturgeon will definitely make you fit in on the right side of any tracks.
Lower Eastlake
609 EASTLAKE AVE NE
SEATTLE, WA 98109
206-420-2320
Monday – Friday 11:00am – 3:00pm
The vibe: hungry, excited people from all over town stoked that Pam moved from the U District to the new location.
The company: your friend who told you about this place and can’t wait to tell you they knew you’d like it.
The order: can’t choose, can’t make me. If I could move in and have Pam cook me lunch every day, I would. Then I’d bring you in and wait to tell you how much I knew you’d like it. We’d probably start with the jerk chicken or the roti with lamb curry (get the dhalpuri roti), maybe the pork belly sandwich…
