Cheap Food Critic

500 NW 65th St
Seattle, WA 98117

Mon-Fri 8:00 am – 3:00 pm
Tue-Fri 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Sat 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sun 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

I haven’t had many savory crepes in my life and the ones I have had only contained cheap store bought deli hams with shredded cheese out of a bag. I really have been missing out this whole time. The Ridgeback was my fist really great experience eating a savory crepe.

I came to the Ridgeback Cafe on a lazy Saturday before heading out to grab a few drinks with friends. The crepes were good sized yet not too filling where I could not drink later on. I got the Ridgeback Crepe which came with some seasoned roasted potatoes on the side for about $10. The filling for the crepe came with sausage, caramelized onions, avocado, sautéed mushrooms, cheddar cheese, spinach, and an egg. It is then topped with poblano sauce and crème fraiche (just writing this is making my mouth water). The sausage was a little salty but it was a nicely balanced with the avocados. The outer-layer of the crepe was also nice and crunchy. The side roasted potatoes on the other hand were a little on the hard-side, but not a big deal I didn’t really need them…the crepe were filling enough.

These guys are also one of the few places in the area that offer Secret Aardvark Sauce as a condiment on every table. This sauce adds a nice little kick to the food. To me this stuff is like Siracha/Rooster Sauce, you can eat it with almost anything.

In addition to the food it’s actually a great place to start your drinking as well. They have $3 beer special in the evening. The restaurant was very spacious with plenty of seating if you are meeting up with a large group of friends.

Yelp – 3.5/5.0 Stars (117 Ratings)

3517 Rainier Ave S
Seattle, WA 98118

Mon-Sun 10:00 am – 10:00 pm

This place may look like a broke-down school bus on Rainier (and it maybe) but who really cares…the Mexican food being served from it is damn good. When coming here it’s pretty hard to miss but if you didn’t see the big white school bus keep an eye out for the racks of old car tires; that’s how you know you are close. If this is your first time here skip the menu and just order the torta and/or the mulitas with asada or chicken (both are probably some of the best if not the best in Seattle). The torta and 2 mulitas will cost you a “whopping” $8.50 after tax.

The torta is pretty much the Mexican version of a sandwich. My favorite part of the tortas here are the super buttery roll that are toasted on insides to give them a nice little crunch. Inside the bun these guys also pack in a generous amount of meat with slices of tomatoes, diced onions, jalapenos, lettuce, and mayo. One downside, because the buns are so soft they will break apart especially with the amount of stuff they pack into them. Not a huge issue, just grab a handful of napkins before you leave the bus.

I was never a huge fan of mulitas because they are pretty much just tacos with two tortillas (twice the carbs). But these guys toast up the tortillas to a super crunchy state. It’s almost like eating a perfectly packaged nacho with your choice of meat, a slice of avocado, cheese, and cilantro. I could probably eat these everyday.

In summary, overlook the junk yard feel and get the best tortas and mulitas in Seattle.

Note – There’s probably 6 seats inside the bus and 2 covered benches outside. But you probably drove here (because no one walks in Rainier) just eat in the comfort of your own car.

Yelp – 4.5/5.0 Stars (179 Ratings)

401 Westlake Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109

Mon-Fri 7:00 am – 3:00 pm
Sat-Sun 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

One of the many Tom Douglas restaurants in the Seattle area, Serious Biscuit is one of his more affordable places. It’s located in the Dalia Workshop, which is actually just a collection of Serious Pie, Serious Biscuit, and some wine place downstairs. I’ve had pizza from Serious Pie before and thought it was good but a little pricy. They do cure their own meats for some of the pizzas so I understand the higher price point but I guess I’m more of a $1.99/slice Costco pizza person. So coming to the Dalia Workshop I knew I would going for the biscuits.

My first time here I was able to beat the lunch time rush and grab a table for my party instantly. I ordered the Fennel Sausage Biscuit which comes with fennel sausage (of course), a fried egg, pepper relish, and fontina for about $9 after tax.
There were so many good things about this dish. First off, the biscuit was super flaky and in my opinion had just the tiniest hint of lemon. The sausage was also really good. The fennel was very present but did not over power the other flavors in the dish. Kind of made the sandwich taste like a pizza. And of course the egg. You put an egg (or bacon) on anything and its instantly better. Needless to say I really enjoyed this dish. So much so I came back 2 days later.

The second trip here we hit the lunch time rush and had to wait half an hour before being seated at one of the large community tables with a two other parties (it gets pretty cozy). I decided to switch it up this time and ordered the Zach, which is the Fried Chicken Biscuit (fried chicken, Tabasco black pepper gravy) with the addition of bacon and an egg for $10.90 after tax. Another delicious combo of flavors but for fried chicken in a sandwich it’s not quite as good as the Fried Chicken Sammy from Skillet.

Note – There’s no reserved seating downstairs. You just get in line to order your food and pray a table will open up. If you go up stairs there’s tons of large communal tables where a server will wait your table.

Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Stars (199 Ratings)

658 NE Northlake Way
Seattle, WA 98105

Mon-Fri 6:00 am – 3:00 pm
Sat-Sun 8:00 am – 2:00 pm

This is the spot for breakfast in the University of Washington area. I’m normally not a huge breakfast-brunch person…oatmeal and some coffee normally satisfies my morning fix. But I wanted to see what he big fuss was about this place by my alma mater.

Having ample parking space in their own private lot was a great first impression. Anyone that’s been to this area knows parking is horrible (I guess this is the case with most of Seattle) so these guys get big props for having a huge FREE parking lot for customers. Once you’ve parked there will likely be a wait of 15-25 mins during weekends. No worries though these guys have free coffee for individuals waiting for a table…very nice touch. It makes the wait a little more manageable.

Fare warning, once seated it maybe a little cramp depending on where you are placed. If you do not have the room to open your menu just go a head and order the Pinata Benedict or the Greek Hobo. By far everyone’s favorite here. I ordered the Pinata Benedict this time around. When it arrived it looked like any other eggs Benedict you’ve had in the past. Of course there’s the normal stuff like eggs, hollandaise sauce, and English muffin but what makes this -ish so damn good is the smoked pork. For the most part the smoked pork was just bacon but in bigger chunks of meat. It was also a little less greasy than normal bacon but the juices are still enough to add a little smokiness of the pork gets into everything in the dish. The eggs are cooked over easy adding more flavor to the hollandaise sauce. If you need a little spiciness these guys have a Chipotle hot sauce that goes great with the Pinata Benedict.

The Pinata Benedict also comes with a huge plate of hash-browns which I barely even touched because I was so damn full. I just took it the left overs to go. So with tax everything totaled just under $12.

Note – Next time I’m coming for the Greek Hobo. I bummed a little of the Greek Hobo from my friend and it tasted like a gyro with eggs. I’ll do a full review on this next time I’m here.

Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Stars (276 Ratings)

305 Harrison St
Seattle, WA 98109

Mon-Sun 8:00 am – 8:00 pm

Skillet is one of my favorite places to eat in Seattle. I first started following them when they were just a food truck (Skillet Mobile). Now, they also have Skillet Diner in Capital Hill and Skillet Counter in Queen Anne. For the most part you can get their most popular items at all of the locations. The biggest difference between each of the locations is the type of service you get and price of the food.

Skillet Counter is the newest of the Skillet locations and is located in the Armory aka the Center House in Seattle Center. It’s more of a fast food style restaurant than the Diner location. Not a big deal for me since they have the Fried Chicken Sammy and the Bacon Jam Burger on the menu. My last trip here I got the Sammy and it was delicious as always. The Sammy comes with a huge piece of fried chicken breast with a fennel seed crust, jalapeño aioli, and kale all in a potato bread bun. The jalapeño aioli along with the fennel seeds gives the sammy just a little bit of heat but still do able for most people. The meal also comes with a side of french fries that have been tossed with kosher salt and cilantro. I normally like my fries more on the soggy side (like Dick’s Burger’s fries) so these were perfect for me. Flavor on these guys are also really good. Probably one of the better french fries in the Seattle-area.

The grand total for all that food was $10.90 after tax. This is about $2 cheaper than the diner location. Plus there was no wait for a seat since there plenty of seating in the Armory. So if you don’t mind busing your own table and eating in more of a food-court style location save yourself a few bucks and head to Skillet Counter.

Yelp – 3.5/5.0 Stars (25 Ratings)

22315 Hwy 99, #E
Edmonds, WA 98026

Mon-Thu, Sun 10:00 am – 9:30 pm
Fri-Sat 10:00 am – 10:30 pm

This place is my go to spot for congee in the North end. Rock Cod Congee is my favorite item on the menu here. Always perfectly seasoned and the cod is always smooth and almost fall apart tender. The wontons are also probably the best in the north end. Just depending on if I want something more filling I would go for this in a heartbeat. The wontons are not as big as Mike’s but the flavor in them is undeniably good (plenty of shrimp in the wontons).

Everyone that comes here probably has the same first impressions…this place looks like Mike’s Noodle House. The color and the faux brick walls look very similar; however, it’s not just the look the food itself is very similar which leads me to wonder if they share some kind of common ownership or cooks. But whatever, it’s all good food. There are some minor differences you will notice, price-wise it is a little bit more expensive but you can take advantage of the free and plentiful parking here. Mike’s on the other hand there is only street parking that will run you $2.50/hour (and that’s if you find a parking spot). By avoiding the parking cost it will probably be cheaper coming here (depending on what part of the city you live in). These guys are normally not as busy as Mike’s, which means no waiting for a seat…Yeah!

I got my food to go this time but was afraid of spillage in my car (specially with the liquid menu items). However, they packed everything securely in tightly sealed plastic containers. Not a single drop spilled on the way home.

Note – Don’t forget a little white pepper will give it a very nice kick. Min charge of $15 for credit cards otherwise a $.30 charge will be applied.

Yelp – 4/5 Stars (60 Ratings)

14330 Lake City Way NE
Seattle, WA 98125

Mon-Sun 10:00 am – 9:00 pm

All this media attention about how Ezell’s Famous Fried Chicken was named the America most life-changing fried chicken by Esquire magazine and the restaurant’s separation from Mr. Ezell Williams himself. I think it’s only fitting I compare the original Ezell’s and the new Heaven Sent fried chicken (started by Mr. Williams).

First impressions of the place. From the menu, the tables, and the colors it looks almost exactly the same as Ezell’s. The quality and taste of the food on the other hand was a little different.

I really love the rolls that comes with the dinner meal. They were sweet like Hawaiian rolls. BBQ Beans were pretty good but not spectacular. Mash potatoes and gravy I really did not like. The gravy had good flavor but the mash had this weird watery consistency. Like it comes from instant mix or something.

As for the chicken I got the 2 piece white with spicy batter. The crust/skin was nice and crunchy but the meat for one of the pieces was a little dry while the other one was nice and juicy. Maybe it was a fluke but there should be better quality control on their food. Overall I thought it was a big “OK.” I guess I would come back if I was really craving some fried chicken and was in the area and but I don’t think I would seek this place out. The damage was $8.30 after tax.

Yelp – 3.5/5.0 (11 Ratings) Under new name.  Yelp – 4.0/5.0 (90 Ratings) Under old name
(Urbanspoon has not updated the name yet)

9811 15th Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98106

Mon-Sun 10:00 am – 11:00 pm

This place is pretty far from downtown Seattle but if you happen to be in the West Seattle area (specifically the White Center area) you have to give it a try. This place is one of the best values in Seattle. Not only is it really cheap it is also really really good. I had the five taco combo which comes with a drink for under $6. I selected two beef, two spicy pork (my favorite), and a chicken taco. The combo comes with a grilled onion and pepper. I made the mistake of taking a bit into the pepper will all the seeds intact. After the burning stopped I was able to really enjoy the tacos. The spicy pork also has a little kick to it but is definitely do able for most people. The beef was also very tender and seasoned perfectly.

These guys are known for their tacos but there are so many other items on the menu I want to try. I’ve heard the torta is suppose to be amazing here. The Lengua (cow tongue) is also suppose to be really good if you are into that stuff.

So if you want one of the best values and probably one of the best taquerias in Seattle give this little taco truck in West Seattle a try.

Yelp – 4.5/5.0 Start (78 Reviews)

14513 Aurora Ave N 145th St
Seattle, WA 98133

Very very newcomer to the mobile food truck race. I had pretty high hopes for this place since they are so close to where I live. Prior to coming here I wasn’t able to scope these guys out on Yelp, Urbanspoon, or their website because they were so new. So I was going in completely blind and hoping for the best.

My first trip here I got the gyro for $6.56 after tax. There was nice flavor to the meat and the pita was nicely grilled. There was a perfect amount of tomatoes, onion, meat, and green stuff. It was a little messy though, but I guess it comes with the territory.

My second trip here I realized that these guys were starting to get quite a following. I was here at 8:45 at night at there was a line of 4 people here and another 8 people already eating. Still working out the kinks still but I see improvement since the first time I came here on day one of opening. This time I got the Falafel for $6.01. It was also pretty good but it was no falafel from Gonzo’s in Portland. The pita was nice but the “meat” was a little too grainy for me. That just maybe personal preference so i wont knock them for that. The overall flavors were good though. I do wish they had a little more of the sauce since it’s a pretty dry sandwich

Although they still have some kinks to work out, as long as they keep pumping out the good food I keep coming here. But I’ll keep and eye out for these guys and update later on.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/curbside-kebab-seattle

14705 Aurora Ave N
Shoreline, WA 98133

Mon-Fri 9:30 am – 7:00 pm
Sat 10:30 am – 7:00 pm

Hidden in a strip mall on Aurora site a little Vietnamese deli/restaurant that has really redeemed itself. I first came here when they just opened and was so disappointed. But recently I came back here on a whim craving some banh mis but didn’t want to drive all the way to Edmonds or Chinatown. My initial gripe about this place was that they used way way too much onions in the sandwiches and not enough meat. But since coming back they seem to have perfected the ratio of meat to toppings (especially the onions).

I had their signature sandwich, the iSandwich for under $4.00. It came with all the normal banh mi fixings (jalapenos, pickled carrots and daikons, and cilantro) on a roll with curry chicken. That’s right…curry chicken. No complaints about this sandwich at all. Everything was perfect: the chicken was infused with the curry, the bread kept all the juicy goodness inside (similar bread as Yeh Yeh’s, and the fixings were all flavorful.

One other great thing these guys did was add other traditional Vietnamese dishes, like vermicelli bowls and a beef stews dish. I have not had the vermicelli dish yet but the beef stew (with bread) was awesome. I think it was actually better than the sit down restaurant next door’s, Pho Tic Tac’s. The beef stew was about $7.50 and came with carrots, pineapples, and beef along a french roll for dipping into the stew. The pineapples was something I was not expecting. I’ve had my fair share of Vietnamese beef stews but never have I had it with pineapple. Really, the only complaint I had was there was not enough beef.

The restaurant, although small is normally empty. Most people get their food to go so if you need to dine-in there’s five tables to chose from.

Note 1 – These guys make this stuff fresh so be prepared to really wait. If there’s a lunch rush it could take up to 20 mins. If you are really in a hurry make sure you call ahead to get your order in first.

Note 2 – you can add a fried egg for $1 more to your sandwich. A must try for next time. Also, there is also teriyaki here? Doesn’t seem to fit but I’ve been looking for a place that serves teriyaki on a Sunday. For some reason all the teriyaki places in North Seattle close on Sundays.

Yelp – 4.5/5.0 (34 Ratings)