Fresh Pacific Oysters The icon
The Walrus and the Carpenter / Ballard · $$
Photo: Zach Mueller
Why it made the list: The cold waters of Puget Sound grow some of the best oysters anywhere, briny and sweet, and there's no better place to slurp them than The Walrus and the Carpenter, the beloved Ballard oyster bar that helped define modern Seattle dining.
Wild Pacific Salmon The must
Ray's Boathouse / Ballard · $$$
Photo: Ray's Boathouse
Why it made the list: Wild Northwest salmon, ideally cedar-planked or simply grilled, is the definitive Seattle plate, and Ray's Boathouse serves it with a picture-window view over Shilshole Bay and the Olympics. It's the classic special-occasion salmon dinner.
Seattle-Style Teriyaki The local secret
Toshi's Teriyaki · $
Photo: Em V
Why it made the list: Seattle has its own homegrown fast food: sweet-glazed grilled teriyaki over rice, sold at hundreds of little shops citywide. Toshi's Teriyaki is where it all started in 1976, and it's still the benchmark for a cheap, only-here lunch.
Pike Place Clam Chowder The classic
Pike Place Chowder · $
Photo: Arj Seriniyom
Why it made the list: A cup of thick, creamy Pacific Northwest clam chowder is the perfect grey-day Seattle bite, and award-winning Pike Place Chowder, tucked in Post Alley, is the one people line up for, market bustle and all.
A Dick's Deluxe The rite of passage
Dick's Drive-In / Capitol Hill · $
Photo: Dick's Drive-In
Why it made the list: A thin, griddled, gloriously old-school burger from Dick's Drive-In, a Seattle institution since 1954 with cash-cheap prices and lines at midnight. It's the beloved late-night, only-in-Seattle burger.
⭐ Bonus Pick: Coffee & a Piroshky
Two more Seattle essentials: the city runs on coffee, and a latte from a serious local roaster like Espresso Vivace on Capitol Hill beats the tourist line at the original Starbucks, and a warm, flaky piroshky from Piroshky Piroshky in Pike Place Market is the perfect market snack.
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