Georgetown is where to go if you want to feel like the grunge movement never ended. You’ll find industrial dive bars, lots of graffiti, and maybe even the occasional tumbleweed. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Especially because there are a ton of great spots to grab a meal or a drink here while feeling just a little bit punk—even though you might be wearing Sperrys and jeans that someone else ripped on purpose in a factory. If you're looking for some of the best sushi, bánh mì, cake, soft serve, and Mexican food in town, your search ends in Georgetown.
THE SPOTS
This cafe doesn’t serve too many types of bánh mì, but the ones on their menu are some of the best for a couple of reasons. Seek out their pork sausage sandwich that comes on crackly bread and gets filled with a juicy and lemongrass-studded patty, a slick coating of mayo, tangy pickled vegetables, a shake of black pepper, and mint. The mint in particular is a genius addition, adding a pop of freshness that you might appreciate if you’re part of the soapy cilantro collective. Rounding out Voi Cà Phê’s menu are phenomenal cold drinks, like a cinnamon-kicked, phin-dripped latte on the rocks with foam and a shining example of the perfect Thai iced tea. It all makes for a tremendous takeout lunch that you’ll want to repeat five days a week.
photo credit: Nate Watters
This grab-and-go Japanese deli and market serves very good sushi for less than $20. They work wonders with mayo-mushed imitation crab and buttery sashimi that rivals the fish at Seattle’s fanciest omakase operations (and costs a twelfth of the price). During the midday rush, you might have to linger in hopes someone will replenish the refrigerated shelves. It's well worth waiting a few minutes for fresh packs.
photo credit: Nate Watters
The layer cakes and cupcakes at Deep Sea Sugar And Salt are on the pricier side ($110 for a nine-inch), but there's a reason that this is one of the best bakeries in Seattle. The cakes are beautifully made, and have phenomenal flavor combinations like dark chocolate with a savory kick of rich porter from Georgetown Brewing, or earl grey with honey syrup and bergamot mascarpone cream. The best one, however, is the Funfetti, layered with vanilla bean warmth, an onslaught of rainbow sprinkles, cream cheese frosting, and the tiniest hit of almond. If you don’t feel like lining up before they open to buy slices a la carte, you can order same-day slices on their website from 8am-11am. And if you're planning a birthday party or wedding, you can order whole cakes well in advance.
Star Brass Lounge is a low-key dive bar with solid, inexpensive bar food. But then again, we wouldn't expect less from the same team behind Loretta's Northwesterner. Packed with locals and serving excellent local beer, it’s one of the best spots in Georgetown to spend a few hours. The double-tavern burger is great, and we could tear through their shoestring fries like popcorn at the movies. Come with friends for drinks and dinner before a night out.
You might not expect to find one of the most romantic spots in Seattle under a highway near some train tracks and a baseball diamond, but that’s exactly where the Corson Building is. This restaurant in an early-20th-century home has everything you could possibly want for celebrating a relationship milestone: candles, a garden veranda with string lights, excellent service, a fancy American menu that changes daily, and a Sunday tasting menu. Not to get ahead of ourselves, but they also host weddings here.
photo credit: Erin Lodi
The next time anybody tells you Seattle doesn’t have good burritos, blindfold them, put them in the backseat of your car, and take them to Chilolos. The best thing that Chilolos serves is their grilled burrito with carnitas, which forces us to cancel our plans to eat here before they close at 6pm. In each bite, you’ll get some red rice, tender chunks of carnitas, pinto beans, and the ideal amount of sour cream and pico de gallo—all of the elements perfectly distributed like a parent packing Christmas stockings for twin toddlers. Your friends will thank you for the introduction—after forgiving you for blindfolding them.
Matcha Man used to be a pop-up, and while it sure was fun chasing them around the Puget Sound, it's even better to know that we can stop in their Georgetown shop anytime (well, during opening hours at least) for a freshly-griddled taiyaki with excellent matcha soft serve dispensed inside. The green tea ice cream is clearly the standout, but we'd use their cereal milk flavor in our morning Cornflakes every day if we could.
Once you get past the slightly disconcerting wall mural featuring part-satanic, part-whimsical characters like a demonic cat wearing a rugby sweater, eating dinner at Ciudad is actually very pleasant. Come with a few friends and share marinated and charcoal-grilled meats, as well as flatbreads, mezze, and five-spice mojitos.
Before Mezzanotte showed up, the fresh pasta options in Georgetown were slim to none. So if you find yourself in the neighborhood, it's a romantic spot where you can share reginette with pork and beef ragu, candy-like charred carrots with ricotta and rye crisp shards, and cocktails that have a great balance of refreshment and bite. It's especially useful if you want some silence and candlelight (and bolognese) on your next date night.
It’s hard to find, it’s not much on the inside, and there’s a good chance you’ll trip up the front step like we did, but the little shack on the side of the road known as Calozzi’s Cheesesteaks will take care of any craving you might have to visit Philadelphia. Their cheesesteaks are made with pencil-shaving-thin slices of beef piled so high that you’ll have to dust some off in order to fit the sub in your mouth, and while the meat can be on the dry side, the flavor is great. Always add fried onions, and get the cheese whiz as long as you’re wearing clothes you’d normally paint in.
