How to Enjoy Seattle’s Food Scene on a Budget?
Stretching Your Dining Dollars in Seattle
Seattle is a foodie heaven with fresh food, creative chefs, and food from everywhere. But with so many delicious options, you can blow your dining dollars in an instant. Don’t worry, cheap foodies! As a Seattle foodie myself, I’ve found many ways to enjoy the city’s food without breaking the bank. Ready to eat the best of Seattle? Here are my budget tips. And if you want to have more time and energy to eat in Seattle, hire a reliable cleaning company in Seattle to keep your home in tip-top shape.
Brunch Like a Boss
Saturday and Sunday brunches are famous in Seattle but getting that meal as served in the popular restaurants may prove very expensive. For a more budget option, the best traditional brunch places are found eating establishments such as Ballard’s The Dish where the prices of scrambles and stacker pancakes remain below $15. Or try Morsel at the university area for ‘breakfast heroes’ which are made gourmet style and costs less than ten pounds. If you avoid walking to the mimosas bar and instead, opt for drip coffee, then you will only be able to spend quality money on a brunch but not the whole day’s food bucks.
Dive Into Delicious Happy Hours
Seattle players have long boasted about their powerful happy hour culture, wherein even some pricey eateries cut the sharpest prices on their spirituous concoctions and diverse appetizers when certain hours are struck. For relatively pocket-friendly prices, List is located in Belltown – here, you can order fabulous $6 cocktails and small plates that range from $2 to $8; options include truffled gnocchi and wagyu beef sliders. Or drop on by Rockcreek Seafood & Spirits in Fremont such as $1 oysters that are available in this city or $7 fish tacos. Once again, the best advice with some of these happy hours is to get there early as many of them tend to fill up quite quickly.
Sniff Out Hole-in-the-Wall Gems
Pizzeria, coffee shops, courtyard cafes, and other so-called fast food outlets serve many of the more succulent dishes found in Seattle at very reasonable prices. If you want a slice of mouth-watering Sichuan cuisine, you must try Seven Stars Pepper in the International District where for under $20 you can order spicy boiled fish and noodles all made with hand. Or grab some curry at Thai Curry Simple in Capitol Hill, a now counter-service spot that serves some primo green, red, and yellow curries for $10. Don't be fooled by these restaurants' no-frills digs – their flavors are world-class.
Become a Food Truck Fanatic
Seattle is now home to hundreds of food trucks – From high-end gourmet Sandwiches, Philly Steak, grilled cheese, foie gras, pizza, cupcakes, frozen yogurt to favorite Mexican Street food. If you embrace nontraditional meal and would like to eat outside with friends or alone, you can check the Westlake Park and grab foods from food trucks that provide exotic foods from various countries and continents at even cheaper prices compared to restaurants that provide you with a limited menu. And now a few of my all-time favorites that everyone just has to taste: Bumbu Truck with real Indonesian foods, Off the Rez with their Indian frybread tacos, and Yumbit with Korean-Mexican flavors. The most important thing to remember is to make sure you have cash because some of the trucks do not accept payment via credit card.
Cook Up a Storm at Home
One of the best ways to save money and still eat Seattle is to cook at home. Go to Pike Place or University District Farmers Market to buy fresh, seasonal produce, artisanal cheese, and local seafood. Then put your own spin on Seattle classics like cedar plank salmon, geoduck sashimi, or foraged mushroom risotto. By cooking at home, you can taste the Pacific Northwest without breaking the bank.
With a little creativity and insider know-how knowledge, you can taste your way through Seattle's world-class food scene on even the tightest of budgets. So get out there and start eating!
