Cheap Food Critic

225 12th Ave South
Seattle, WA 98144
Mon-Sun 7:00 am – 7:00 pm

And

22618 Hwy 99
Edmonds, WA 98026
Mon-Sun 8:00 am – 8:00 pm

In Seattle we are lucky to have some really good Vietnamese deli spots.  One of my favorites is Seattle Deli.  My normal order here consists of the vermicelli noodle salad and a banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich).  The vermicelli comes with grilled pork and meat balls or egg roll atop a bed of rice noodles which is atop a bed of vegetables.  Fish sauce and pickled daikon radish and carrots are also provided on the side.  As for the banh mi the chicken is my favorite but the bbq pork is also pretty damn good.  The sandwiches come with your ordered meat along with jalapenos, pickled daikon radishes and carrots, cilantro, and fresh daily baked bread.  For way under $10 you can get a banh mi, vermicelli noodle salad, and a Vietnamese coffee (dark French roast drip coffee with condensed milk).

Notes – Both locations are to go only and only accept cash.  Also, check out Saigon Deli around the corner and compare for yourself.  A review of Saigon Deli will come soon.

Update 08/10/12 – I just got one of the new items, a shrimp tempura spring roll. It was fricking awesome. It’s probably my new favorite items here. Get it if you can. They normally only make 6 of these a day and once they are out that’s it.

Seattle Location:
Yelp – 4/5 Stars (191 Ratings)

Edmonds Location:
Yelp – 4/5 Stars (62 Ratings)

6226 Seaview Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107

And

4225 Fremont Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103

Tue-Fri 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sat 11:00 am – 8:00 pm

If you are from Seattle and have not heard of Paseos, you really have been living under a rock (to quote the Geico commercial).  This place is soooo good.  The reviews on Yelp do not lie.  My favorites are the Cuban Press (fka the Midnight Cuban Press) and the Smokin Thigh Sandwiches.  The Midnight Cuban Press is filled with plenty of peppers, cheese, and pork that is so moist and juicy that it will fall apart when you eat it.  The Midnight Cuban will take a little longer to prepare compared to the other sandwiches but it is worth the wait.  The Smokin Thigh Sandwich is filled with flavorful dark chicken meat with caramelized onion.  Both sandwiches comes in the same harder-than-normal bread that soaks up all that juicy run off from your veggies, cheese, and meat.  You cannot go wrong with The Midnight Cuban Press or the Smokin Thigh but make sure you grab plenty of napkins though…trust me you’ll need them.

Note – With good food comes long lines.  However, you can call ahead and order over the phone to avoid the long lines.  You can also head to the second location down near Shilshole Bay/Ballard area.  The Shilshole Bay location has a few more seats and much better scenery being next to the water.  On those nice summer days definitely head to this location and take your sandwich to the beach/park to eat.  If you are looking for a Paseos fix in the winter time you may be out of luck.  These guys are normally closed for 2-3 months in the winter.

Also, remember both locations are cash only and have very limited seating (like 10 seats).

Fremont Location:
Yelp – 4.5/5 Stars (1578 Ratings)

Ballard Location:
Yelp – 4.5/5 Stars (378 Ratings)

11064 Lake City Way NE
Seattle, WA 98125

And

4400 168th St SW, Suite 201
Lynnwood, WA 98037

Mon-Sat 10:30 am – 7:00 pm
Sun 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

My old friend Tubs. As newer sandwich places have come and gone you have always been there serving up some of the most consistently good sandwiches in Seattle. Although I have never had a sandwich I did not like here my two favorites here are the Firecracker and the Godfather. The Firecracker is a jalapeno turkey sandwich served with hot BBQ sauce…yum. The Godfather is a roast beef sandwich like no other I have had before. Along with the roast beef, the sandwich also contains pesto and salami…double yum.

For under $10 you can get a small Firecracker or Godfather and a drink. Don’t let the word “small sandwich” fool you. This should be filling enough for most people. The small is actually the regular/medium sandwich and the small was the mini (before they took the mini away).

Lake City Location:
Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Stars (134 Ratings)

Lynnwood Location:
Yelp – 4.5/5.0 Stars (89 Ratings)

1412 Harvard Ave
Seattle, WA 98122

Mon-Sat 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sun 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Depending on which location you go to you are either in a small restaurant in Capital Hill or at a food truck in some random location (check their website for current location).  No matter where you are, either location will be serving up delicious Asian style tacos, Spam sliders, and kimchi fried rice (my favorite).  The fried rice comes with chunks of kimchi as well as an egg to top it off.  I normally also add pork to my fried rice to make it a little more filling.  For their tacos they have a pork, beef, chicken, and tofu.  I thought all of the meat tacos (have not had the tofu yet) were good but the clear winner for me was the pork.

For under $10 you can get the kimchi fried rice with your choice of meat and a taco or a Spam slider.

Yelp – 4/5 Stars (176 Ratings)

Cheap Food Near You

5825 Airport Way S
Seattle, WA 98108

Tue-Fri 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Sat 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Who would have known such good food could come out of a truck in Georgetown?  If you are in the area (because it is a little out of the way for most people) the Shawarma Sandwich is the winner here.   It’s a perfect combo of lamb, beef, tzatziki, and a pickle?  Yup a pickle.

I have not found anywhere as good as this place yet for shawarma/gyro/falafel type food.  I know there are going to be people that argue that Mr. Gyro’s is better but I believe most of those people just have never ventured down to Georgetown to try Hallaval Falafel yet.

For under $10 you can get a Shawarma and a soda pop.

Keep in mind though, this is a food truck.  You will have to endure the weather to get this delicious food.  They do have a tiny covered area and seating for about two people.  But it is best to get this to go or find a nice summer day to try it out.

Yelp – 4.5/5 Stars (90 Ratings)

Cheap Food Near You

516 6th Ave S
Seattle, WA 98104

Mon-Sat 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Only one dish you need to order here…HOUSE SPECIAL FRIED RICE!  I have had many items on the Green Village menu (Juicy Beef Soup, Chicken Cold Noodle, Chow Mein, etc.) all were delicious but the fried rice is probably the best fried rice anywhere.  The portions are large and the service is great. What else can you ask for? Maybe longer hours for these guys. If it were not for the early closures every day I would go here a lot more.

For under $10 you can get an order of the House Special Fried Rice and a soda pop.

Make sure you bring cash.  No checks or credit/debit cards

Yelp – 4/5 Stars (107 Ratings)

418 Maynard Ave S
Seattle, WA 98104

Tue-Thu, Sun 9:30 am – 8:00 pm
Fri-Sat 9:30 am – 9:00 pm

This is my go to spot for congee in the Seattle area.  I have never been disappointed with the cod congee here, except for when they run out.   For those who are not familiar with what congee is, it is soupy white rice dish also commonly known as porridge.  Doesn’t sound too glamorous but it is great for those cold, dreary, rainy Seattle days.

The wonton noodle soup is also one of the best in the Seattle area.  The wontons are meatball sized and well worth the money. For less then $10 you can get a bowl of congee or wonton noodle soup as well as a Chinese doughnut (pretty much just deep fried bread).

Be aware that this place is not the biggest restaurant and during lunch or dinner rush you probably will be waiting a little bit.  No worries though, customer turnover is normally pretty quick.

Yelp – 4/5 Stars (276 Ratings)

Cheap Food Near You