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)

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)

4302 Fremont Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103

Mon-Sat 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sun 11:00 am – 8:00 pm

If you are looking for a monstrous burger and a beer for lunch or dinner this is the spot to go. Located in the North-end of the Fremont neighborhood it is also a great place to start off a night of drinking (they also serve local beers on tap here). Make sure during nice sunny days to take your burger and beer outside to their large patio. If you prefer to avoid the skin cancer there’s also plenty of seating inside.

I haven’t had anything here but the burgers so I can’t speak to the sandwiches salads, or soups. But with burgers this good why stray away from them? My favorite here is the BBQ Smash which comes with charred onions, bacon, cheddar, and bbq sauce all for about $9. The meat in the burger was cooked perfectly at a medium, leaving a juicy and tender consistency. However, when you reach the charred onions (fried onions) and you get a nice crunch to offset the tenderness of the meat and softness of the hamburger bun. And don’t forget about the bacon! It was probably my favorite part of this burger. There were about 3 thick strips of bacon that added the much needed saltiness to the burger.

Obviously this place does draw some comparisons to Red Mill Burger. However, I really don’t think it is fair to compare the two. I believe both places are serving up some of the best burgers in town and trying to compare them would like splitting hairs. Whichever is better is really up to personal opinion. So try them both for yourselves.

Note – There is a parking lot which is nice but it is pretty difficult to maneuver yourself out of the lot when it is filled up.

Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Stars (351 Ratings)

8102 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103

Wed-Sun 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Fri-Sun 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Halleluiah! After years of searching for an awesome ramen place to call my own I have finally found it. Aloha Ramen has been around for a few years now but I never thought to go to Greenwood to get good Asian food. Shame on me for not giving them a try way back when. But now I know, I will be here every week.

So what’s so great about this place? It’s definitely not because it has plenty of seating, there are no lines, or they have awesome hours. There’s only six tables and counter with 6 more seats. Come here during dinner time and you WILL have to wait. But wait, these guys are only open for dinner most days. So just come here expecting to wait at least 10-30 minutes…guaranteed. But the wait is absolute worth it.

As for the food. It is simply the best ramen in Seattle. I got the Pork Katsu Tan Tan Ramen for about $9. The broth had a delicious salty-creamy-spicy flavor to it. The noodles were the perfect consistency…a little soft but not so much that they are mushy. The Katsu was also really crunchy even though it sat in the broth.

I also tried the Garlic fried rice here. The garlic flavor was not too overpowering and they loaded it up with your choice of meat (I chose chicken). The fried onions sprinkled on top was also a nice touch. It was delicious but definitely not the best fried rice I’ve had. It was really an afterthought compared to the ramen.

Note – Also, they give you sooooo much food.

Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Start (263 Reviews)

11020 8th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125

Mon-Sat 10:30 am – 10:00 pm
Sun 11:00 am – 9:00 pm

With so many great gyro places in Seattle its been difficult to pull myself away from the proven good locations and try some of these other less know locations. Gyro Hut has been around for awhile now and I finally had a chance to give them a try. I got the beef and lamb gyro for $6.59 after tax. Once unwrapped the gyro was probably one of the most neatly prepared gyros I have ever had. The meat was cut exactly the same length and thickness and layered neatly on top of a bed of lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and tzatziki sauce all wrapped up in the pita bread. At most places they are in such a rush to make to gyros that they fall apart and are very messy. This was not the case here. Everything was contained in the pita bread and only little bits of lettuce dropped from the sandwich. Flavor-wise, it was good. There was not anything that really popped out at me but I would probably come back here again.

The restaurant had about 3 tables and four seats at the window bar. Being in a strip-mall there was plenty of parking.

Overall, very viable spot for a quick and cheap lunch in the Northgate-area without having to deal with the mall traffic.

Yelp – 4.0/5.0 (91 Ratings)

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

I’m really not trying to sway anyone’s decision on which is better (Ezell’s or Heaven Sent). I personally was curious as to what the difference was between the two. These are my observations from my trip to Ezell’s but I would recommend everyone try both places out and decide for themselves.

Although a little out of the way for me I trekked down to Ezell’s newest location down in Kent. For those of you that don’t know, the OG location is in the Central District (across the street from Garfield High School). I ordered the 2 piece white with BBQ baked beans and mash and gravy (same thing I ordered at Heaven Sent).

Lets start with the sides. The Mash and gravy is the biggest difference between the two restaurants. Ezell’s is serving up homemade mash and gravy. You can really tell it is homemade and fresh. My only complaint is that there was not enough of that delicious gravy. This is in contrast to Heaven Sent’s watery mash that seemed like it came from powder mix. The BBQ baked beans and the rolls seem to be pretty similar (both places have the same sweet rolls).

As for the fried chicken at Ezell’s, both pieces were extremely juicy even though I got the white meat. This is in contrast to the one juicy and one dry pieces of chicken I got at Heaven Sent. I could not really taste a difference between the spicy/Cajun skin…it was very similarly. The whole meal cost me just under $8 and it came with two piece fried chicken (white meat), two sides and, a dinner roll.

The store itself looks very similar to Heaven Sent as well. The difference being the Ezell’s store seemed a lot brighter and cleaner.

Note – Won Esquire Magazine’s Most Life-Changing Fried Chicken in America

Seattle Location:
Yelp – 4.0/5.0 (367 Ratings)