Seeking: Seattle's best cheap eats with charm
Moody lighting, minimal spending
Hello! Hope you liked my last newsletter and got to try out a cheap eat or two.
This week, I’ve put together a list of my favorite affordable places to eat that actually have a little ambiance! I’m leaning on happy hours for this, but there are a few that are vibe-y and easy on your wallet at any time of day (+ scroll to the bottom for a new biz that will help make outings cheaper).
Ambiance is in the eye of the beholder, but the places I’ve shared below either have nice lighting, a unique energy, cool people, or a combination of all three. They do skew a little pricier than the convenient options, but that’s to be expected, I think.
Have something to add to this list? Please share it with me in the comments!
*This is a long one so it might get cut off in your email—don’t forget to expand!
💎 Local Gems
These are the places that I’ve been to myself and can vouch for. Organized in alphabetical order.
Matador HH (4-6 pm, after 10 pm) | Multiple locations | Under $10 🍽 | Chains tend to feel anti-ambiance to me, but Matador’s mysterious vibe and $7 grande nachos are the exception — they are truly massive. No deals on drinks, but the prices aren’t too bad ($12-15). They also have $7 taco duos and other apps for $6.
Antipasto misto ($14) and free bread at Barolo Barolo HH (3-6:30 pm, 9-11 pm) | Belltown | Under $30 🍽🍸 | This is a great pre or post-event spot if you’re catching something downtown. It’s candlelit, elegant, and the service is excellent! During HH, the food menu is 50% off and you can get a glass of wine for $7.50 or a martini for $7. I came here with my mom and sister recently and we split the antipasto misto ($14), calamari ($11), and meatballs ($10) with a bottle of wine ($27) and spent under $30 each after tax/tip.
Donna’s HH (4-6 pm) | Capitol Hill | Under $30 🍽🍸 | At Donna’s you’ll find a disco ball, moody lighting, romantic seating arrangements, loud music (could be a plus or minus depending on how you feel), AND $10 pastas and cocktails. You could split a salad or app with your date, get a pasta and cocktail, and get out of there for under $30 each.
Rondo HH (2-5:30 pm) | Capitol Hill | Under $15 🍽🍸 | Their ten-bero set has got to be the craziest deal on this list: for $10, you get an app trio (chef’s choice), a 16oz Sapporo, and 5oz of sake (!!!). I also love the Rondo 224 Curry ($10) and Rondo Maze-Men ($12) if you want something a little more filling. This is a great place for groups because the energy feels pretty close to a real Japanese izakaya.
Linda’s Tavern HH (4-6 pm) | Capitol Hill | Under $20 🍽🍸 | Linda’s is one of my favorite places in Seattle. It’s a dive bar that feels more cozy than dingy and has a great back patio. I feel cool when I’m here. Regular prices are reasonable, but I love their daily specials and HH, where you can get a “happy meal” or a pitcher of PBR for $10.
El Fogón HH (3-6 pm) | Capitol Hill | Under $20 🍽🍸 | Always lively and full of people having a good time, Fogón kicks off your visit with a free bean tostada, which you can quickly follow up with chips and salsa (also free). All their HH food options are $7 and include tacos, ceviche, and flautas while the drinks are equally affordable. You can get a margarita for $9, a Mexican draft beer for $5, or a tequila shot and a 32oz Mexican beer for $12. ¡Salud!
Delish Ethiopian Cuisine | Columbia City | Under $20 🍽 | When you want to try something unique, go to Delish. I wouldn’t recommend a first date here because all the food is eaten with your hands, but I would recommend ordering one of their combination platters, either the special veggie ($28) or meat combo ($34), so you can try a little bit of everything. It’s enough food for 2-3 people, and if you’re with a group, you can get the delish combo which is one of each ($42.50).
Zig Zag Cafe HH (5-6 pm) | Downtown | Under $30 🍽🍸 | This pick is a little pricier, but worth it to be bathed in their sexy red lighting. It’s located in Pike Place under the market and feels like a hidden jazz club (they do, in fact, have live jazz on Sunday and Monday nights!). Their famous cocktails are $14 during HH and you can also get a martini for $11. For food, I recommend getting the parmesan frites ($8), brussels sprouts ($11), or green tomato burrata ($18).
Fremont Bowl | Fremont | Under $20 🍽 | This is kind of a fast-casual spot since you order via a kiosk and the interior isn’t fancy, but it reminds me of the intimate ramen joints in Japan, so it’s on the list. I got the chicken teriyaki ($12.50) and my bf got the sukiyaki beef don ($16.25) the last time we were there, but next time I want to get the sake don ($15) with its big slabs of salmon over rice and salad.
Red Star Taco Bar HH (4-6 pm, after 10 pm) | Fremont 🍽🍸 | Under $20 | Another great place to come with friends, the food has never blown my socks off, but it’s good enough and the energy always feels like a party. They do have a beverage requirement for HH, but it includes nonalcoholic options, and their NA menu is pretty extensive compared to other places. I’d get a couple tacos ($3.5 each) and a margarita ($9) with some chips + guac + salsa ($9) for the table.
El Sirenito HH | Georgetown | Under $30 🍽🍸 | I wrote about this in a previous newsletter, but had to feature it here too! For ambiance, they have a magical covered patio that’s great any time of year and intimate indoor seating if you want to be cozier. The HH is solid ($3 tacos, $1-2 off drinks), and on Wednesdays, their mezcal list is half off.
Wonton soup + popcorn chicken at Gan Bei Gan Bei | C-ID | Under $30 🍽🍸 | There’s nothing I love more than eating the best wonton soup ($15.50) in the city in a dive-y setting. They also have a weekday HH that offers a smaller but cheaper version of the soup ($10) and drink deals ($6-7 for well drinks + wine), but you have to remind them of it because they tend to forget it’s going on. Other highlights are the 1 leg 1 thigh chicken and gravy plate ($13) and the chili wontons ($13).
Happy Lamb Hot Pot | C-ID | Under $30 🍽 | This one will get cheaper the more people you have to split the costs and, in general, just makes for a great group outing. It’s on the second floor which feels like a rarity in Seattle. There’s something about eating above ground level that elevates the experience for me (literally and figuratively). And if you go during HH (2-5 pm or after 9 pm), all-you-can-eat is $25 for the classic and $37 for the prime option.
Billiard Hoang | Columbia City | Under $10 🍽 | I love a unique setting, and this pool hall that serves Vietnamese food certainly checks that box. We almost exclusively get the bánh mì ($7) here and eat it by the tropical fish mural while we people-watch.
Magnuson Cafe & Brewery | Sand Point | Under $25 🍽🍸 | This feels like one of the rare places where you can be water-adjacent and not spend a small fortune on mediocre food. This is a burger ($7.50-13) + beer ($7+) kind of place and that’s what I’d stick to, although I’ve enjoyed the brussel sprouts ($9.50), cauliflower popcorn ($9) and garlic fries as well ($7). Can get busy with long lines on weekends or if it’s an especially sunny day!
Ivar’s Salmon House HH (3-6 pm daily) | Northlake | Under $25 🍽🍸 | This is my summer go-to when I’m with a group and we want to be near the water. It’s a good backup when Gasworks Brewing is stuffed and you don’t want to blow a bunch of money at Westward (I still love both!). You can usually sit on their patio without a reservation, even on a nice day. The food is fine (you’re here for the water + sun remember), but I like getting the fish tacos ($5/taco) and a glass of rosé ($7).
Loretta’s Northwesterner | South Park | Under $20 🍽🍸 | Not only is their tavern burger ($7) one of the best burgers in the city, it’s also one of the cheapest. If you split fries ($5) with a friend and get a drink, you can still stay around the $20-25 mark. Loretta’s has a similar vibe to Linda’s in that it’s dive-y but still cozy, and has a great heated patio in the back that you can enjoy almost year-round.
Mamma Melina’s HH (3-9 pm Su-Th, 3-6 pm F-S) | U District | Under $30 🍽🍸 | This was my broke go-to in my 20s because it felt like a fancy, candlelit place where you could pay dive bar prices. It’s gotten a little pricier since then, but it’s still a pretty great deal—during HH, the bar menu is 50% off which means you can get pasta dishes for $11-14, pizza for $15, and glasses of wine for $8 (or a bottle for $30!). Same ownership as Barolo = same deals.
Marination Ma Kai | West Seattle | Under $20 🍽 | This is where I take all my out-of-town friends when they come to visit. It’s cheap, it has an incredible view of the city, and it feels so quintessentially Seattle! The food is also solid—I like getting one of their lūʻau plates ($13) or the kimchi fried rice ($14) and finishing it off with a coconut pop ($4). Their HH (3-6 pm) only knocks a dollar off alcohol, but you can get a beer for $7-8 or a cocktail for $10-14.
Easy Street Records & Cafe | West Seattle | Under $20 🍽 | What’s a better ambiance than eating in a super hip record store? This could have been a tourist attraction with jacked-up prices, but instead, it’s a community institution that puts out a great breakfast at a reasonable cost. And there are so many options! I like the Eggy Pop ($10) which is my ideal breakfast combo of protein + fiber with a latte ($4). You can’t find cheaper coffee prices anywhere else in the city!
👀 On my radar:
These are the places I haven’t been to yet, but are on my list!
Due’ Cucina Italiana | Capitol Hill, Roosevelt, West Seattle | Under $30 🍽🍸 | There has been a cheap pasta hole ever since Il Corvo left the scene, and I’m not saying Due’ is filling it… but maybe it could help? Pastas run from $10-15, change seasonally, and can be fully customized based on your dietary needs. Vibes look a little sterile, but maybe after a few Aperol spritzes ($10) or glasses of wine ($8), it’ll feel more intimate.
Herb & Bitter Public House HH (4-6 pm) | Capitol Hill | Under $30 🍽🍸 | This place can be pretty spendy during regular hours (mains are $26+, cocktails are $17+), but you can get a taste of things at a much more reasonable price during HH. They have a beautiful wood-paneled interior and cute back patio to enjoy cocktails ($11 or $39 for a flight of 4), wine ($7) or beer ($5).
Gainsbourg HH (4 - 6 pm) | Greenwood | Under $20 🍽🍸 | French food is not known for being affordable, but multiple people have told me this place has the trifecta of food, ambiance, and reasonable prices. Their regular prices are honestly not that bad (steak frites for $21!) but the HH is crazy — their famous “gainsbourger” for $7, fries for $3, roasted beet salad for $5, and all drinks are $1 off.
Issian HH (4:30-6:30 pm) | Wallingford | Under $20 🍽🍸 | My favorite thing about Tokyo was all the little yakitori bars, and I wish we had more of that culture here. Thankfully, Issian exists and is grilling little meat sticks for less than $2 each and slanging plum wine for $4.50. Their HH menu is stacked with tons of tasty apps for $7.50 and under. According to reviews, it fills up quickly during HH, so get there early to secure a table!
☕️ New biz alert: Urbanbuzz
As you might know, I don’t do paid sponsorships or collaborations, so when I share something here, it’s because I’m genuinely excited about it! And it feels relevant to this week’s topic, as it’s all about making it more affordable to do things in the city.
Urbanbuzz is a deal provider that gets you discounts as credit card refunds so you don’t have to mess with coupons, codes, or receipts. I’ve tried many Seattle deal services and they usually end up disappointing me, so I’m hopeful about Urbanbuzz 🤞
Here’s how it works:
Receive handpicked experiences and deals in your inbox.
Select the experiences and deals you like at no cost or obligation.
Hit the town and have a great experience.
Get your reward instantly on your credit card after you pay. No need for coupons, codes or receipts.
Repeat and keep saving.
🎁 GIVEAWAY
To celebrate their upcoming launch, we’re running a giveaway for my community! Sign up for their email list and be entered to win dinner for two at Donna’s ($65 value, one of my picks on this list), plus dessert to-go from R+M Dessert Bar ($20 value)—all paid for by Urbanbuzz.
*Giveaway closes on Thursday, May 1st at midnight. The winner will be announced in the May 8th newsletter.
Next time: a new-ish format and the return of event round-ups!
Would recommend due cucina! The vibes are meh but the pasta is delish
The Gainsburger is so, so good. The best HH burger, in my opinion. A+ vibes too. Their mac&cheese is usually pretty top notch as well.
Mamma Melina has been our favorite recent discovery for great HH. The two of us will often order three pastas (usually Gnocchi al gorgonzola, Rigatoni al sugo di carne, and Tortellini boscaioalla), then eat some of each and get the rest boxed to go (essentially cheating the "eat in only" aspect of the HH deal).