What are some foods/restaurants you’d like to see on the Eastside? I’d love a halal chicken spot (old school Halal Guys not the crappy franchises they’ve rolled out) and a Yoshinoya type place. I think these would do really well.
Oh yeah and a legit American fried chicken spot. Ezell’s sucks.
California Mexican food
This.
Señor Taco in Bellevue is pretty good
These are pretty good. I want more though. Lots of metro areas all over the place have multiple viable breakfast burrito spots in reasonable driving distance from everywhere. Here not so much.
Agreed
Aceituno's in Kirkland?
California Mexican Food near Bellevue Children’s Academy?
We tried them 3x. They were terrible IMHO
They range between overrrated and bad each of the times I've been there.
Breakfast/brunch food here is severely lacking
Torchy’s?
Or a Trudy’s?
Ooba tooba used to have them at the BLV location before it got demolished, those were pretty good.
Los chilangos on 140th ad 8th does breakfast burritos.
I miss Ooba Tooba.
Californian reporting in that I never knew the true Californian food was breakfast burritos until I left California and realized I can never find a good one 🥲 I would love this.
Is a Texas breakfast taco just a lazy burrito?
Rudy’s breakfast tacos anybody? Is Texas and/or Oklahoma in the building?!
Jewish deli with good bagels
Ever tried Bagel Oasis? It's not perfect but I feel like that's the one that comes closest out hete
Need that NYC style water
I'd love a good Cuban restaurant.
There's a Paseo in issaquah now. It's not really a full fledged sit down restaurant and of course it's not as good as it was 10 years ago, but it's still pretty great.
Paseo is what Americans think Cuban food is.
That’s not authentic at all. If the sandwiches are in a baguette instead of Cuban bread, it’s a no go
Have you tried Twisted Cuban in Woodinville? I haven’t been in years so I have no idea if it’s any good but it has been open for a long time so maybe it’s decent?
It's not.
Dang but with a name like Twisted Cuban it did seem like a stretch.
Not great.
I miss when it was Twisted Sandwich. That owner was eccentric as hell and made some great sandwiches.
Seriously. That would be amazing.
Paseo issaquah?
An Italian sandwich place in the style of All’antico Vinaio. Gilbert’s is a spectacular sandwich, it’s an nyc deli sandwich which is a different thing. https://www.allanticovinaio.com/il_menu_en/il-menu-generale-en/
Oh my lord antico vinaio is breathtakingly good
I'd kill for an authentic Italian Sandwich place. Probably the best thing I ate on a recent Italy trip.
So many so-called “Italian” delis in WA offer Italian subs that only have salami and you can’t any other cured meats or even a drizzle of pesto.
Like the pork store in my old hood back in Jersey.
I’d love a good Ethiopian spot like Cafe Selam…haven’t been impressed with current options in the Eastside. Also, I’m dying for a Pel Meni spot like the one on Bellingham or Cap Hill. Piorshky’s in Crossroads has them but their passible at best.
This is what I was going to write. I wish there were more Ethiopian food locations...and not a bunch but all in a few blocks of one another.
Bring good Ethiopian restaurant to the east side!
There's like zero African places on the Eastside. Closest I've found is a Cuban place in Woodinville (Caribbean food has some African influence).
nando’s peri peri chicken
Holy hell yes. I've made the drive up to Vancouver more than once to get Nando's, The border guards are always weirded out by my reason to visit Canada.
Vancouver has Nandos??? Didn’t know. Only had it in the United Kingdom
Ohh my god i wish to have this
Yesss to Yoshinoya. I would grab Gyudon all the time Uwajimaya does sell it for lunch next to the deli along with Katsu Curry but I rarely shop there any more
Edit: also Porto’s. Thank goodness they opened more locations in SoCal so we stand a chance to get some every time we visit family but it would be amazing to have here. Yes i know we technically could have some shipped but it’s not the same
A Korean BBQ up here in Issaquah/Sammamish area please!
Peruvian
There was a Peruvian place in downtown Kirkland but it had the weirdest hours
there’s a family in bothell that serves peruvian by the plate and it is INCREDIBLE. i think it’s called iqueño and they have a facebook page!
Oh man, thanks for the heads up!!
A good deli. A good sub shop.
Culver’s - anywhere in the PNW would be grand.
Torchy's Tacos
I keep hearing these guys are the Chipotle killer
It's TexMex. Not my first choice but I'd be happy to have them for the breakfast tacos alone.
I'd kill for a good italian beef place. Why nobody has opened a Portillos branch here, I do not understand.
There's one place I know of in Seattle and it's fairly mid.
Portillos would absolutely kill here with all of the Midwest transplants
Chicago Pastrami in Issaquah.
This thread is a a gold mine for all the restaurateurs out there.
The cost of doing biz is too high around here. It’s unfortunate. I’d love to see more food court concepts on the eastside.
Kau Kau, Pho Bac, A+ Hong Kong Kitchen, Jollibee's
Famous Kitchen in Issaquah is as close to Kau Kau as you can get. Really good.
From where I am in Bellevue it takes the same time to drive to Kau Kau. Having a parking lot is a plus though.
Yeah, I'll second this, I was kind of blown away when I tried these guys on a whim. Super, super solid.
Recommended dishes at Famous Kitchen?
Heavy on jollibees
There is a location in South Center, but living up in Bothell definitely makes it a bit of a trek down for us
We love it though. Probably will grab some the next time I have to goto SeaTac
A really great real Shawarma place
Mediterranean Kitchen is my all time favorite take out.
Mediterranean Kitchen is amazing!
Nothing better than Farmer's Chicken. But you have to like garlic.
You don’t like Shawarmaniac in Kirkland?
Never heard of it, will investigate immediately
Right next door to Teriyaki Plus which is the best I’ve had
For teriyaki, id recommend teriyaki bowl in Woodinville!
They do not make a good shawarma. Garlic crush is decent though.
Super gyros in Kirkland is great! Their hummus awesome!
Santorini Greek Grill in downtown Kirkland.
We usually grab some from Gyro Stop. It’s aight but I would love to get more options in the area.
Their gyro fries are amazing tho…
I also dislike Ezell's. Heaven Sent is decent. What I really want is Cane's Supposed to be one coming to U-District 🤞
I second whoever said Portillo's.
Hattie B's Nashville Hot Chicken (though I do like Dave's Hot Chicken and Ma'ono, and Sweet Radish has a good hot chicken sandwich; Big Chicken is alright as well)
I've never had a great gyro or philly cheesesteak up here.
Sinbad Express, Fremont.
Canes also opening next to Wendy’s in Renton I believe.
Philly Ya Belly just opened in downtown Kirkland. I had it last weekend and was impressed.
A good Jewish deli. A vegan pizza place.
I’d love to do some damage to some knishes and pastrami
I'd kill simply for a good (or any) half-sour.
Raising Cane's!
I’d love a bakery like Tartine. Any good Mexican food. Inventive asian or Mexican fusion. Better grab and go hot breakfast options. A German beer hall with good sausage. Ice cream with fun flavors like ube etc. More interesting healthy food. Southern soul food or creole / cajun. A legit Philly style Italian hoagie. Really good pastrami (I’d take a dingfelders in a heartbeat).
Ta Joia for some excellent teriyaki fusion. Their Chicken Teriyaki with Pico Salsa along with their Shrimp bowl with green sauce is our current favorites. Their poke bowl is also good.
As far as tacos go, La Sabrosa on Bothell Everett is probably the best I’ve had in the area
Been to Farine?
I have! It’s definitely solid. Not on Tartine level imo, but I do like it. I just don’t crave it the way I did Tartine’s morning buns etc.
I like Farine but I need some folks to open some more decent bakeries because Farine is always either slammed or sold out of most stuff. Clearly we can support another bakery!
Btw Somi Somi often has Ube soft serve
I second everything you wrote … practically drooling now ha!
I would love a Boston-style roast beef spot.
I would also realllllllly love a Jewish deli that’s close to even the mediocre ones on the east coast. The menu at Goldberg’s in Factoria was the closest thing I found.
The kicker is this deli has to have fresh deli meat & my personal requirement is a rare roast beef sandwich on a Kaiser roll. Salt bagels, whitefish salad that you crave, latkes. Yes I’ve tried the ones we have in Seattle.
I realize rent and land prices in general contribute to the lack of comfort food, but damn I miss it.
I’m from the south where a “meat and three” would satisfy even the pickiest eaters when you couldn’t figure out where to go for lunch/dinner. Think of Cracker Barrel’s entrees where you can choose 2-3 vegetable sides. That’s the general idea.
I’d honestly settle for a few decent American food places. Growing up my kids really liked The Keg. Closest ones is in Lynwood now.
I’m also from the south. Meat and three is exactly what I had in mind!
In SoCal there’s this place called Urban Plates and I WISH someone would open one here. It’s a good blend of healthy, fast casual and comfort.
Portillos
Torchys tacos
Just give me a few CAVA and more Sweetgreen locations
Kirkland Sweetgreen too far for you?
The Kirkland Sweetgreen is a bit of a disorganized mess. The food is pretty good, but the portion sizes and even what ingredients you get seems to change with every order, and food prep is very slow and selection limited.
I blame whoever designed their kitchen line. There's a very narrow countertop (maybe 20"?) that the food moves across, but mise en place is in drawers under the counter (or shelves above), so there are like half a dozen people running back and forth along the line trying not to run into each other, bending down to open drawers or standing on tippy toes to reach shelves just to prepare each dish.
The food prep area should look like this:
Edit: Whattaya know. We picked up there last week, and they've rearranged the kitchen along the lines I suggested; and our food was ready quicker than usual.
Cantonese
Dunkin’ Donuts
A craft cocktail bar
An outpost of “Fire on the Mountain” Buffalos Wings from Portland
A good family owned Italian restaurant. I’ve fallen out of love with the options we have.
Broiler Bay?
Jollibee
Those fruit pies are crack
Vegan restaurants. We barely have any on the Eastside that aren't Asian inspired
Seriously! I was so sad when the Kirkland Plantiful closed down last year 😭 It was one of the few places we had nearby.
I didn't even know they closed! That sucks
This was mine too. Vegan American comfort food on the Eastside would be great.
At this point I'll take a veggie grill if something else isn't going to open.
Vegan pizzeria like Pi Vegan Pizzeria would be amazing.
oh my god I almost cried when flying apron’s Redmond location closed 😭 goodbye vegan bakery I love you forever
In-N-Out In-N-Out In-N-Out In-N-Out In-N-Out…
4x4 animal style no tomatoes, well done fries nom nom
KUNAFE!
Thats a tough one.
A breakfast restaurant we love in Scottsdale-'The Breakfast Club' should open here. Before "Brown Bag closed, it was almost as good but I've never found another restaurant like it. People wait for an hour or more for a seat at "The Club" and believe me, it's worth the wait. Seattle has a restaurant with the same name but have no idea how good they are. Look how busy Chase's in Bellevue is. Brown Bag in Kirkland was always mobbed too, at least until the fire and their closure.
What happened to Brown Bag? I thought it was good, then it fell apart, failed and sat empty forever.
Mom and pop Chinese fast food places. Think Panda Express' setup but it actually tastes good and they aren't stingy about portions. They are all over Southern California. Wish we had them here.
Also Flame Broiler. I miss the magic sauce.
Bakeries and cafes!!!
Check out Farine. Dote has great coffee
I just want a casual place for salads and sandwiches under $20 that has good outdoor seating. Not outdoor seating in a parking lot. A big garden patio with nice shady spots thanks to mature trees overhead, like San Francisco Street Bakery in Olympia.
Vegetarian South Indian THALI please.
How's MTR? Heard mixed reviews
Good but pricey as usual
I order them from Swagath in Bellevue on the regular.
MTR thali is as good as it gets.
In n Out
Soon. They are launching in Vancouver WA and will creep north
As soon as they manage to get a distribution center closer to here they will.
More vegan food please! It’s like a vegan desert over here 😭
A good local elevated gastropub would be great…. Bonus points for great wings
Edit: ALSO good creole food! Gumbo, jambalaya, and etoufee. REALLY missing yatz in Indianapolis.
Georgian khachapuri
I go to Skalka downtown whenever I can, but I want it closer and I want it to have imeruli style khachapuri, lobiani, and khinkali.
Firehouse
I'd love to see Cava in Washington in general. Not specific to eastside though
Paella takeaway and Cajun/creole like Toulouse Petit
Dave’s Hot Chicken. I’m in Palm Springs and just had it for the first time yesterday and it was awesome! Super juicy and the hot was at my comfort level which is quite spicy for most people. They have two levels above that.
I’m going to miss it when I get back to Redmond.
Legit street tacos. Would love some Cuban grills too.
All-you-can eat soup and salad bar. I like Met Market/Whole Foods salad bar, but I’d like a casual dining, family-friendly place chock full of salad, soup, and garlic bread where everyone can pick and choose. I’m always craving a huge, crunchy salad in the summer.
Hurray for Met Market, the only store in the NW that carries Scrapple.
Some other Cuban restaurant. Twisted Cubans pretty good but that’s the only one around. Raising Canes and more Del Tacos besides all the way in Federal Way. More Ethiopian restaurants would be nice too.
Good Dim Sum; the place across grom Safeway in Belleview was quite nice. It changed hands, bobbled and came on strong. Always busy. I heard immigration issues?
Triumph Valley in Kent is good for Dim Sum.
I had high hopes for Sun Sui Wah Seafood in Bellevue, but wasn't impressed the one time I visited.
Cava
Peri peri, decent bbq place, a steak house that os good doesn’t charge a kidney
Never been but I ppl love Texas Roadhouse
I love it, it’s the definition of good and affordable steakhouse!
A tapas place.
Chili's :o
Legit BBQ. In N Out
I read Jack’s BBQ just opened
On the Eastside?
Yes bel red area
Haven’t been to the new location but the one in SLU is ok. I’d love true Texas quality bbq
Less Indian and Chinese restaurants. It’s insane.
Hawaiian poke. Currently I drive to Edmonds for Ono but I think it would also do really well here.
Dude there’s a ton of poke spots on the eastside
I know but they are alright, not really authentic poke…
There is a new place in Duvall called Kona Poke House, I haven’t been there yet, but the reviews are all very high. 100 reviews 4.9 on Google is unusually good.
uzbek food for sure
A Tim Hortons or something. Not because it’s high quality or tastes good, but because I like getting a coffee, sandwich, soup, and donut in one place.
Fried chicken! I love Cookie’s Country Chicken in Ballard, would love to see something like that out here :)
Spanish food!
i want a Borracchini's level bakery. doesnt need to be in seattle. id drive 3+ hours for that same quality cake again
I want some place that will put hot pastrami on a burger
Paella takeaway and Cajun/creole like Toulouse Petit
Dicks further east. Like snoqualmie valley
Burgermaster taking over the XXX
Never had burger master. Is it like dicks lol
A falafel spot like Falafel Salam in w Seattle. I've tried all the falafel at med places and feel they don't compare. Also an Ethiopian spot would be nice. I love Adey Abeba in Seattle and would be nice to have something like that in this side of the lake.
Earth bowl for acai
TK Noodle please. https://www.tknoodle.com/
It’s more a type of food, but kolaches
Burmese food.
A place to get a really good Moroccan tagine.
Ethiopian veggie rolls.
Shahana Steakouse, Burgers & Gyros does a great fried chicken. I think they're halal-- they do Ramadan specials every year.
Ramen Danbo
lol all these Texans wanting their food! Torcheys!
Next Level Burgers! There’s just nothing like it on the eastside.
Tommy Bahamas
A left wings place
Id solely keep a Wahoo’s Fish Tacos in business
Marugamei Udon/Seimen - simple and delicious
Woodinville's best Indian place, Clay Oven, closed down a few months ago. So I'd want that back.
Maybe a Uyghur place? And an Irish burrito restaurant.
Is Irish Burrito code for something??
Damn it. Okay.
In the late 80's, when I was a teenager, I took a road trip to see Pink Floyd in Philadelphia. While there, we ate at an Irish burrito restaurant. Sounds crazy, right? But it was good, and gave me a little story to tell.
Cut to... some time in the last year. I swear to bleeping god, I either read something or talked to somebody, suggesting that "Irish burrito restaurants" are an actual thing. With a quirky history and explanation and all that.
Frankly, I was hoping I'd say "Irish burrito restaurant" and someone would chime in, and then I could ask them for the whole story.
That's not what happened, obviously. So now I'm sort of questioning my memory and/or sanity, because I can't find any articles about how "Irish burrito restaurants" are a real phenomenon. Now, there IS an Irish burrito chain called Boojum. I may have just read about that and extrapolated it in my imagination, I don't know.
Maybe if we keep talking about it, we can meme it into reality. That place in Philly was great.
😂 this is quite a tale
Bring back Chantanee or King and I!
We have always had a 'standard' breakfast go to joint in our life across the country, but never fount The Place in PNW. Odd.
The first and last time I went to Chace I was angry! There’s Original Pancake House in Redmond I suppose if you are down bad
Halal guys!
German in the style of Prost/Feierabend, Queen Anne Beerhall, and Rhein Haus (just chuck it at the bottom of a 5 story mixed use or an office tower, they've proven popular - I don't know why there aren't any in Bellevue).
decent breakfast burritos