Hello there! I’m happy to finally be sharing my Seattle food guide with mini reviews for each place (worth mentioning) that I’ve visited on my trips out to Washington. Last month, I put out a Plano Food Guide showcasing everywhere I ate, what’s a smash, and what to pass.

Similar to that review, below you will find the standout places that I ate while in Seattle; “Pass” free. Each spot will receive a 1-5 rankings (1: fine, but don’t go out of your way — 5: must add to your list) and a brief summary on my experiences. Without further ado, let’s get started!

Cactus South Lake Union: 2

If you are a lover of good taco, Cactus is a nice place to add to your list! Lively on the weekdays, you can find a large variety of tequila based drinks, tacos, and much more. What stood out to me the most was surprisingly the chicken tortilla soup!

Rachel’s Ginger Beer: 4

Now I am not a fan of ginger beer, but this is a place to add to your list! At RGB there’s a long list of flavors to try and a cocktail list for the non-beer drinkers. Each drink is hand crafted, and the aesthetic of this spot is quite amazing.

Cuoco: 1

This Italian spot is located over by Amazon park and has a very calming atmosphere. However, I was unimpressed by the squid ink linguine with clams. Why did this spot make in onto the list? The Herb flat bread with grilled apricot, fennel honey and burrata was worth the dining experience!

Frankie & Jo’s Capitol Hill: 5

If you are reading this and in Seattle, stop. GO GET ICE CREAM NOW. For those of you planning a trip, this is a must stop for some unique and delicious dessert! I had the California Cabin & Gingered Golden Milk; both flavors were incredible. To my midwestern friends, this is like the Jeni’s of Seattle.

Kigo Kitchen: 3

This Asian fusion fast food chain is good for a quick and fulfilling lunch. Just be sure to ask them to add extra sauce / spice it up!

General Porpoise Doughnuts: 5

GPD quickly became my favorite spot in Seattle. Serving us filled donuts and delicious tea, this is a perfect breakfast or snack spot for your trip. The filling flavors change semi-frequently; my favorites included: lemon curd, blueberry-peach, honey crisp apple, and vanilla.

Shaker + Spear: 2

Not a spot that I would normally write home about, but I must say that Shagbark really knows how to prepare octopus. It was my favorite dish that I tried followed by the shrimp. I don’t recommend the mac n cheese, but there are many other sides on the menu for you to check out.

Lao Cuisine: 3

First up of the food trucks, Lao dishes out some delicious bao! My recommendation is to try the Big Lebowski (pork belly). However, it is hard to go wrong with most selections.

Poppy: 5

This spot was suggested to me by my good friend Sasha and I am so glad I went! From delicious hand crafted drinks to beautiful presentation and carefully thought out flavors, Poppy is another must try when in Seattle. This New American eatery serves Thali-style platters with an array of tasty options.

Beecher’s: 5

Located over by Pike Place Market (not too far from Rachel’s Ginger Beer) is the paradise for all cheese lovers. Beecher’s cheese products, grilled cheese, and mac n cheese are all extremely delicious! I had my fist Beecher’s experience in 2017 in NYC and was so excited to visit one of their facilities. Definitely add this one to your Seattle list!

DinTai Fung: 5

Some of you may have seen my instagram speech on this spot, but in case you missed it here is a quick recap: Din Tai Fung is AMAZING! Nuff said. My boss showed me this place because she had eaten at one of their original location in Hong Kong. I loved it so much that when we went back a second I was still over the moon. Since then I have emailed them to open a location in Chicago. They say they want to expand slowly to preserve quality, so everyone keep your fingers crossed that Chicago is at the top of that list!

Delfino’s: 4

Not to much to say on this Chicago style pizza food truck. It hits the spot when you are craving a slice, and the Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza is very yummy! In fact it is the only one I will repeatedly order. Delfino’s is the truck to visit if you are looking for a quick and tasty workday lunch.

Top Pot Doughnuts: 3

Another friend recommendation, Top Pot is a good and (busy) location to grab some breakfast. After visiting a couple locations I can tell you they are all PACKED early in the morning. Some flavors are more unique, but overall this is the spot to pick if you are looking for a more traditional / large crowd pleasing donut shop.

Cinque Terre: 3

Another Italian spot from my trips to Seattle was the lively Cinque Terre. I preferred the food experience here to that of Cuoco. Shout outs go to the cuttlefish (top left) which was a table hit and the burrata (bottom right)!

re:public: 5

One regret I have is not going back to re:public. This meal was eaten family style with my team with so many dishes tried and many of excellent. Below are the pictures I was able to scrape up from the dining experience. I hope to go back one day, and if I do the Garlic Chili Prawns will be the first thing I order.

The Pink Door: 4

I wanted so badly to give this spot a 5… After 2 months of failed attempts, I finally sat down one day and made a reservation to Pink Door (32 days in advance). Needless to say, the anticipation was high. Day of dining: every tasted great, the portions were worth the price & wine was exquisite. However, in the 36+ hours that followed I suffered the worst food poisoning I had ever experienced in my life.

Since then I have had some friends who have eaten at Pink Door (based on my recommendation) with not health issues to report. I hope it was just a freak accident, but be ye warned! Pink Door is delicious with the slim chance of some danger.