Hidden Hot Spots
By Elizabeth Mortenson, Citysearch Contributor
You like them because they make you feel in the know. You love them because they expose you to the best of the best—the local’s choice. You need them because you get tired of eating at the same five places in a city with hundreds of restaurants to choose from. Variety is the spice of life.
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El Quetzal
3209 Beacon Ave S, Seattle, WA
This Beacon Hill joint is small and bright; a neutron star powered by the family that runs it. Concealed on a residential street, little kids dart around as you enjoy your food, feeling like you’ve dropped by someone’s house for dinner, and the mom insists on serving you gigantic portions. -
The Hideout
1005 Boren Ave, Seattle, WA
The name is literal. It’s hard to find but inside are the cool kids that never gave you the time of day when you were in high school, sipping down expertly made cocktails that you’ve grown up to be able to afford. All within walls cluttered by original art. -
Chez Gaudy
1802 Bellevue Ave, Seattle, WA
Eclectic, hidden Capitol Hill bistro serves Italian dishes and an assortment of tapas to an in-the-know foodie and hipster crowd. -
Nine Pound Hammer
6009 Airport Way S, Seattle, WA
By virtue of being further south than Safeco Field, this beloved dive bar doesn’t attract much attention. But if you want somewhere to go and spit peanut shells on the floor as you drink a cheap Rainier with the locals, this is your bet. -
Salvadorian Bakery
1719 SW Roxbury St., Seattle, WA
Sequestered in the unpretentious wasteland that is White Center, this bakery is where all your friends want to chow down on authentic South American food, but they can’t figure out how to get there. Bonus points for ordering tamarindo: a drink they hand make in the shop, and worth the drive.
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Tini Bigs Lounge
100 Denny Way, Seattle, WA
The young, hip and single gather for a '50s cocktail culture with '90s attitude. -
Umi Sake House
2230 First Ave, Seattle, WA
Casual Japanese Izakaya-style dining goes upscale at this trendy-but-welcoming Belltown sushi and sake house.
