Cheap Food Critic

6400 Martin Luther King Jr Way S
Seattle, WA 98118

Mon-Tue, Thu 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Wed 3:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Fri 11:00 am – 12:00 am
Sat 10:00 am – 12:00 am
Sun 10:00 am – 11:00 pm

If you are looking for good Vietnamese food in Seattle people are probably to tell you go to Green Leaf or Tamarind Tree in the International District.  Both are pretty good but are also pretty pricey for Vietnamese food.  I guess you have to pay a premium for the fancy decor.   Rainier Restaurant and BBQ on the other hand is a no frills restaurant on MLK Jr. Way. Rainier BBQ has a large selections of Vietnamese and Chinese food. I normally go for the number 11 – Com Rainier or the Beef Stew with a baguette along with a Vietnamese coffee. The Com Rainier consists of a mix of BBQ shrimp, short ribs, and pork along sides of rice, fish sauce, and a sunny side-up egg. The beef stew comes huge chunks of beef in stew (duh) with cilantro, bean sprouts, and a french baguette to dip into the stew. Either the BBQ plate or the beef soup with a coffee will set you back less than $10 at Rainier BBQ, compared to $10 for just the entrees at Green Leaf or Tamarind Tree.

Update (06/25/12) – I forgot to mention in my initial post that you should expect pretty bad service here. Mostly because they are always busy and there are normally only one or two waitresses.

Yelp – 3.5/5 Stars (44 Ratings)

Thai Curry Simple
406 5th Ave S
Seattle, WA 98104

Mon-Sat 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

So this is a relatively new entry into the cheap food scene in the Seattle-Area…well new to me at least. The store-front sits right across the street from the bus/light rail station in the international district (definitely a grimy part of the ID). From the front the store it may look closed but once you get inside it has the feel of a cozy little coffee house (not Starbucks). The wall to the right as you walk in has all of the menu items and the specials. I have had the lunch specials Panang Curry Chicken and the Pad Thai. Both were pretty good but definitely not as good as Thai Tom (on the Ave). If you are in the area and looking for a cheap lunch (about $6) Thai Simple Curry is a very good option for delicious Thai food. During lunch there will be lines and you will be sitting very close to people.

Yelp – 4.5/5 Stars (147 Reviews)

King Noodle (formerly Homestyle Hong Kong Cafe)
615 S King St
Seattle, WA 98104

Mon-Thu, Sun 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Fri-Sat 11:00 am – 12:00 am

I normally would not do a review of a place this new but I was very impressed with the food at this place. Concept is pretty cool as well. Upon sitting down instead of getting a normal menu you receive a pencil/crayon and a paper menu with check boxes. You select the type of noodle, broth, protein and veggies for your order…kind of the Subway of Chinese noodle houses. I have been here twice already since its initial open. I had the congee with fish and fish cakes the first time and rice noodles, Szechuan broth, bean sprouts, and beef and fish balls the second time. Both were awesome! And amazingly cheap…for under $10 you can get a noodle soup with your choice of veggies and protein ($6.99) or congee with your choice of 2 proteins ($5.99). I am a little torn now. Prior to coming to this place I was all for Mike’s Noodle House as the best congee in the city but this place definitely gives Mike’s a run for the money (especially because of the customization options and lower price point).

Yelp – 4/5 Stars (21 Ratings)

Noodle King – Congee

660 S King St
Seattle, WA 98104

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

Many people probably have never had Cambodian food before but it really reminds me of Chinese food mixed with Vietnamese food.  This place is probably a little more on the Chinese side then others but whatever its good food.  There are a lot of really good items on the menu but I keep coming here for the Foursome and the Sate Beef Noodle soup.  Something about the combo of the broth and the soft wide-rice noodles that makes these two dishes soooo delicious.  Also, the hot soup on cold rainy days in Seattle really hit the spot.

For under $10 you can many items on the menu but I would go for the Foursome or the Sate Beef Noodle soup.

Yelp – 4/5 Start (170 Reviews)