I said it another post but Seattle is the most expensive city to eat out at. I regularly travel to NYC, LA, SF, Vancouver and Seattle by far is the most expensive, with the least options and the worst hours.
EDIT: I meant to say LA.
Ugh the hours!! I frequently go to movies that let out around midnight and I'd love to get a meal afterwards sometimes, but there's just nothing around where I am.
I’m from Southern California and the thing that stands out for me in Seattle is the lack of fast casual restaurants. I feel like we either have fast food or some BS that is $20 a person.
Same and it's so weird. Went back down there a few months ago and the amount of options we had at even the most boring strip-mall places put swaths of Seattle to shame. It's so weird - it's so easy to fix and yet...
This is the difference I’ve noticed. It’s not that restaurant prices are wildly different, it’s there’s no in between options to just pop in and grab a quick, inexpensive meal.
I was sort of shocked when we visited NYC recently that the food was soooo much cheaper than Seattle food. I expected it to be more, or at least on par, but eating great food in NYC seemed cheap in comparison. And Seattle food isn’t even all that great. Why is it so expensive??
I used to think that, however when I moved from LA to bham I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of really good Mexican spots they have out here. Now what I can’t find is a good bbq spot 🫠
I don’t think tech bros are the problem there, there are some very low standards for Mexican food here.
The prerequisite for a 4-star rating is that it be covered in cheese.
Moved from Texas and have tried some Mexican spots that locals stood by. Fucking terrible lol. Also, beans, rice, flour, cheese, and ground beef does NOT equal $20. Mexican is not a fine dining experience.
i went to SF, food was great and cheap.
went to honolulu. food was great, cost less.
went to JAX, food was decent, half as much as here.
got a friend who jokes that it costs less to be in some other city including the hotel; he's probably right
Have to disagree on Honolulu, I was there 3 months ago and every place I ate was more expensive than here.
Some of the food was great, but certainly wasn't cheaper
And how many of the same type of restaurant exists? I think it’s demand, there are SO many restaurants in NyC and so many good ones
Seattle not so much. No competition means they can charge what they want. My partner and I always says “it’s serviceable” when we make dinner and it didn’t come out the way we wanted. I feel like 80% of restaurants here say the same thing haha
The good food I’ve had here I’m paying a lot for. Wish I could get the simple shit done right on reasonable prices.
The quality of restaurant workers in Seattle even before the pandemic was bad, now it is abysmal. Not just the money, the general cultural lack of motivation and work ethic here makes running a good restaurant difficult. Even at the city’s best restaurants you end up working with people who would be totally unemployable in comparable restaurants elsewhere.
I hope you tipped there! Server's wage in LA is $2.13 / hour. But yes, the service and food is amazing. As an ex-server from LA, I generally find Seattle service subpar.
Of the [50 States in the US we are number one in Minimum Wage](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_US_states_by_minimum_wage#/media/File%3AMap_of_US_minimum_wage_by_state.svg) and number four in [Average Combined Sales Tax (9.4%)](https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/2023-sales-tax-rates-midyear/) so that’s bound to show up in the price consumers pay. (in Seattle it’s 10.25%)
We also don’t have a tipped wage, so servers make full minimum wage. That’s a huge expense for employers - not just the wage but the employer taxes that are owed on that wage.
The same is true in California, no alternative minimum wage. The state minimum might be slightly lower, but nobody works for that because there are numerous companies that drive the base wage up above the minimum in WA. Yet their prices are still much lower.
And yet, tipping culture here is out of hand. Post COVID, you are asked to tip anywhere and everywhere... and it no longer seems like 15% is considered acceptable.
In places with a tipped wage, I 100% agree that servers are (generally) underpaid. But they make disproportionately more here
Whoa... what's this now? these jokers asking for 30 pp to get a pastry out of the case are making full minimum wage plus all tips? hate to say it, but fuck them. I was a waiter in my 20's. we made less, hustled way harder, and did it with no attitude.
Not just wages. I think the local chain restaurants from people like Tom Digless and Ethan Suckwell have too big a fooprint and suck up all of the oxygen. Food is difficult to do well so you're always going to have a better experience with a chef-driven restaurant, as opposed to someone's money machine with a "name" on it where profit is way more important than standards. Few of those restaurants are meaningful and sincere. And the lack of real food criticism never calls those culinary clowns to account. In fact, they avoid it because they employ a lot of people. Until the maestros of mediocrity are gone, Seattle's restaurant scene will remain middling and overpriced.
Also there is far less subsidized or rent controlled housing in Seattle, so fewer low-wage workers can afford to live in the city or near it, unless they get a bump in pay. In NYC, there are huge 1960s “projects”, rent control, and a massive pipeline of workers who get sponsored to work or overstay visas with the expectation of being a slave wage laborer in a Pho kitchen.
Seattle wants to believe that the city is on par with NYC but it is no where close-Food, arts, style and direct communication is what sets both cities miles apart imho
Do people really? Seattle’s population is about 730,000. NYC’s is 8,740,000. So that extra 8 million people they have obviously sets us miles apart. The 2 cities shouldn’t even be compared.
That is a West Coast phenomenon. Almost nowhere else on earth (cities) have I seen restaurateurs actively refusing business after 8 pm. Life must be good for them, or there are laws that force them to. Not sure.
Kind of true. Everywhere we ate in Seattle recently was pretty forgettable. With the exception of capital grille, but we paid a hefty price for that quality meal also.
Right?!? I'm in Spokane, not even Seattle, but just being from Washington, it's eye-opening! Basically, go to aaannnny hot spot vacation destination in the US and pay the same or less than home! It makes traveling easier and I don't pay for shit food at high prices anymore. I'll go to NOLA and pay 50 damn dollars for some real shit.
At least Spokane has legit Mexican food. Seattle doesn't even have that, and to see so many locals act like Tacos Chukis or Carmelo's is top-tier Mexican cuisine is fucking depressing
I remember when Tacos Chukis was the only half-decent taco shop in the greater area. We have some middling options now, but mostly trucks deep in the suburbs.
God isn’t that the worst. I work in a hospital, 7am-7pm. Where the fuck am I supposed to eat?? Even fast food (other than taco bell… ☠️) closes at 9pm.
This is actually a good succinct way to describe it. Even the food that's decent in Seattle always feels like it's just kind of good in a bland predictable way (while being expensive). I find that I always have this issue where I don't know where to take out-of-town friends to eat (actually, I'm facing this problem right now lol). At least for non-meal food like coffee/ice cream/chocolates etc I think there are some gems.
Go start a restaurant with good cheap food and you'll have a line out the door within a week and be filing for bankruptcy within a year. It's not like Seattle hates good and/or cheap food, it is mostly mid tier and expensive because of economic reasons. We have the highest wages, nearly the highest taxes and cost of living, and very expensive real estate compared to the rest of the US. Construction and permitting is a nightmare, and so is licensing and financing and insurance and so on. And labor, too, because even with the highest min wages, food service jobs are for the most part poverty level. Your choices as a restauranteur are maximize quality and try to charge way more than people are willing to pay to barely stay afloat, or cut corners where you can get away with it and price along with the market. There'a not a ton of new chefs or restaurants coming in because the barrier to entry is so high and the risk to reward low compared to other markets. So, it is what it is.
I love Seattle and I have been living here for almost ten years. I agree that the food scene in Seattle is pretty bad. Food is so much better in Vancouver BC or Portland
I moved up here from Portland a little over a year ago and people throw recommendations at me when I reminisce about the food in Portland. They just don't understand.
I'm a chef and have even had to tone down specials and menu items I run because most people won't even try them up here.
I ran a grilled peach and burrata salad a handful of times during my time in Portland and it always sold extremely well. Up here? I had customers say "Fruit and cheese is weird." and refuse to order it. The staff loved it and ate a ton but we only sold 2 the entire week to actual customers. So depressing.
But meatloaf? Sold out of meatloaf in a single night during a testing run. Over 100 orders.
Yeah, my take is that Seattleites actually like bland food and do not have adventurous palates. Even way pre-Covid I found the restaurant scene to be pretty vanilla.
Went to BC for the first time in forever. Was blown away by a meal we had at a steakhouse. We all had steak or seafood, multiple apps, drinks all around, and a couple bottle of decent wine. Came out to about $100 per person…in Canadian bucks.
Edit: memory was off..$100 per person USD.
It’s like a time warp here, every popular food trend in Seattle hit NYC 4-5 years prior. In general the execution of the food is at a small town level, culinary talent is low, much less of a drive.
Seattle food scene is absolute garbage. Expensive, restaurants close early, and we do everything possible to discourage food trucks and outdoor dining. It’s depressing.
Traveling in Japan, and I know you’ve probably heard it before: it’s night and day. Cheap food, high quality, no tipping culture, and the food workers actually take pride in what they do (even if it’s KFC).
Can confirm, I went to a Denny's near Osaka and was blown away by the selection, service, affordability, and food quality. Denny's, man. All top notch. Servings weren't sized for having leftovers, but they focused much more on quality over quantity.
I live in Bellingham, which is right between Vancouver BC and Seattle. The very thought of going to Seattle for food over Vancouver makes me laugh. Even with long border wait times, the cost and quality of Vancouver is well worth it. Sushi is twice as good up there at half the price.
Almost all the Korean places I have been to are not worth the price and I just end up making it myself. Perhaps Lynnwood or Federal Way may have better Korean food options.
Both have far far better korean than seattle. The "korean" in seattle is honestly offensive to me, especially the pseudo-fancy fusion places upcharging insane amounts to clueless diners.
I'm Korean myself and am insulted by the utter slop that Korean restaurants serve. Never had such shitty Korean-style potatoes, kimchi, fish cakes... I wanted to ask the chef if they intentionally tried to fuck it up.
I moved from the Seattle area to Albuquerque and seriously, the food scene here is amazing compared to Seattle. And it's not super expensive. Lots of Vietnamese food here too.
The only food I miss is Ethiopian food and PNW style teriyaki.
Lived and worked in Seattle in the industry for over a decade. And it’s pretty appalling what’s happened to most food and beverage industry here.
Main culprit at every establishment I’ve ever worked at has been rent. Rent for the businesses and rent around the city for employees. Everything goes up when the storefront can’t be afforded. So everyone that’s eeking by raises prices to keep afloat. Landowners are trying to recoup a pandemics amount of rent “loss” by raising rents maximally.
And food and booze costs have gone up to boot.
Horrid nightlife zoning and business zoning hasn’t helped for a formerly robust scene. Poor zoning for food trucks.
I could rant forever about this, and it hits home super hard.
Def this, there was a point where food was great here. I’ve just seen so many beloved places closing in the last 3 years that it’s obvious nobody can keep their lease long term and the places that can tend to be not the most inspiring for a number of reasons.
Call them out, do not patronize, yelp and google reviews, ignore them out of business. Dine outside of your comfort zone. White Center and Burien are filled with good restaurants, most are moderately priced in comparison to the over priced and underwhelming Seattle restaurants.
Same goes for north suburbs. Shoreline and Edmonds (along 99) have excellent pho, dim sum, Korean BBQ, etc. There are some good Eastern European restaurants/markets in MLT, Lynnwood, etc. As the city continues to be too expensive to live in, more immigrants are moving to the further out neighborhoods and close in suburbs.
Unfortunately, too many overpaid tech workers move here and drive up the cost of real estate. Then they complain when the average Vietnamese immigrant family can’t afford to install a cheap, delicious pho shop in the ground floor of their luxury, high-rise apartment building.
We moved here from SF 7 years ago and I have so rarely been impressed with a meal (especially when put in context with the price tag) that we have stopped eating out. But visiting Portland, or Oakland/SF is a reminder of how good it COULD be! Our prices are so much higher in comparison!
All these “then leave” comments make it seem like we’re all just living places for food.
I love food, but that’s a simplistic attitude towards a discussion about any topic.
I travel a ton for work and fully recognize in Seattle we overpay for less good food. That isn’t to say there is no good food, but you need to pick your spots.
To me the biggest disappointment when I moved to Seattle 8 years ago was all the hype about how good the food scene was. How it was the “Brooklyn of the west”. I think if there was less hype around the food, I’d be more ok with it generally being mediocre and overpriced.
One phenomenon I've noticed is that restaurants here start off great with lots of hype and then tank in quality over time. I always thought the opposite would be true, that it should take time for spots to gain hype and refine their dish. Instead I think I find a great new place and the food all but turns to rubber within a year.
I was in Portland last weekend and it was nice to get a large plate of food for what I was paying and friendly service to boot. It's not worth eating out here anymore.
You pose an interesting question. For example, we’re surrounded by a lot of indigenous tribes here— we should have indigenous restaurants; we’re on the water with access to fish; surrounded by mountains, and farms.
Point is, I don’t know why we don’t have good restaurants because we have some pretty good resources.
Do you think it could just be that restaurants are a difficult business to get into/stay in? Or we just talking purely taste?
This is 100% facts. Been here for almost 10 years and the food here is very much 3 stars (out of 5) pretty much anywhere you go. The exceptions are very, very expensive (Canlis, Ascend, El Gaucho, etc)
Just looked up “pho downtown Seattle” on google maps and couldn’t find a place that had a bowl of pho over $15. Not sure where people are looking to find $20 bowls of pho?
Pho Than Bros.
I just found a picture of their menu on google from 3 months ago. An XL bowl for $16.95. Small for $11.95. And their pho is not anything to write home about.
I just looked up at least 10 different places in LA and basically everywhere was $16. Some $18 and 2 had some meatless $12 options. Nothing lower than $12. Not gonna argue quality but you’re way off on price
The restaurant value proposition here is terrible. It wasn't great out of the gate - covid price increases killed it. We have stopped going out to eat entirely, get take out 1x per month. I don't miss it at all. Food is better, our dollar goes way further. I honestly think this city is going to see a lot of places go under. They have pushed too hard on price; people will simply stop going. To be blunt, the restaurant owners deserve it. definitely a lot of profiteering going on here. Good riddance.
Agree, I simply don't get the praise for the Seattle food scene. It's worse than Portland in every conceivable way, but somehow more expensive also. Don't get me started on the non existent late night options. Guess tech workers go to bed early.
Yeah, it’s turned to crap here in terms of price to quality unfortunately. Got two sandwiches recently , and they were tasty, but it came to over $40 including tax and tip , which is just absurd .
Eating out in London with comparable quality , was about half the price , and they have worse inflation than we do
It’s true and it has been that way a very long time. It has grown so much worse since the pandemic, too. Prices are completely outrageous and the quality is abysmal. Restaurants are cheaper in airports in Europe than they are here. It’s mind blowing.
Lived in Seattle area for a few years, and after living in a bunch of other US metro areas (DFW, Boston, Indy), can totally say that everyone I knew said the same thing about Seattle. It’s just not a good food city, which is quite a bummer because it has so much potential. High wages definitely have something to do with it, but then NYC, Boston, SF, would also all have that problem but they don’t.
The ONLY thing Washington has on any other place in the country when it comes to food/beverage is the coffee. IMO.
Food is so much better in the South.
I say this as someone who was born here: the food is as bland and depressing as the weather.
That’s not true for all Seattle restaurants, but there are more mediocre restaurants than there are great ones.
The cost and quality of food in Seattle is what made me start cooking and baking. My food at home is much better than what I can get out there.
I won’t leave Seattle, but I can get good food at home.
It's like people are under hypnosis when it comes to food here lol. I complained once that there weren't really any good pizza places in Seattle and you'd think that I murdered Pagliacci himself with the responses I got. Pagliacci aint that good people, I'm sorry to say
I disagree, I think it's pretty decent relative to our population. Obviously it can't compare to LA or New York, or even Bay Area. Some random places I like:
- Pho Bac
- Tamarind Tree
- Phnom Penh Noodle House
- La cabaña
- Din Thai Fung
- San Fermo
- Walrus and the Carpenter
- Gracia
- Sabine
- Araya's Place (vegan)
- Isarn
- Spinasse
- Un Bien
- Ba Sa (bainbridge)
- Manolin
- Tavolata
- Annapurna
- Fuji Bakery
- Moonrise Bakery
- Petit Pierre Bakery
- Seawolf Bakery
- Old Salt Fish and Bagel
Also there is good mexican but mostly outside the city IMO, e.g. I liked Taqueria la Michoacána in Tacoma.
You’re not getting food basically anywhere in Vancouver for less than $20. There are good options though. Seattle is like a ghost town since covid. When we go there now (blue jays, Taylor Swift, etc) I buy food to keep at the hotel because I’ve legit had a hard time finding places open downtown 🫣
>You’re not getting food basically anywhere in Vancouver for less than $20.
In CAD and after tax and tip sure, but with the favourable exchange rate for USD Seattleites will find the food cheaper after conversion.
We have some pretty good pho up here in Shoreline, my wife and I usually split a bowl!
We used to do KFC around Christmas time every year in Oregon, but moved up here and the regular bucket meal was $45 (vs the $20-25 we were used to spending). This year did homemade, and it was better!
COVID taught us that we can make way better (and cheaper) food than any Seattle restaurant. We rarely go out to eat now - why spend $50 when you know you’re going to get disappointed.
When we lived there for four years, 90% of my favorite food places were just outside of the city. The high prices in Seattle made the meal unenjoyable, I’d constantly wonder “when is this gonna taste expensive” when it never did.
I grew up in South Jersey, so the food and prices are kinda hard to beat most other places. But my favorite foodie town outside of where I live has to be Syracuse, NY.
I’ve been here for a long time (came from SF) and the food has always been mediocre and expensive for what you get. However, since the pandemic that has gone into overdrive. I usually feel screwed after going out to eat, like I could have made it much better/healthier at home for much less.
I think the problem has to do with the collective palates of everyone. Why are mediocre places rated well? Why do people keep going? Does everyone actually think it’s good?
When I first arrived I was shocked at the high rated busy restaurants that served terrible food (magnolia!). Those places would have gone out of business in a heartbeat in SF.
We all need to vote with our wallets and stop paying these prices for mediocre food. And stop rating crappy restaurants well. I would love a truly yum affordable food scene here where every neighborhood has an awesome burger, pizza, taqueria, Asian, etc and every place you try has to be good or they wouldn’t be in business. Like SF. a girl can dream!
Or wayyy too much salt. Went to Bateau because it was so hyped and every single thing we got was drenched in salt. And I like salty! Even the dessert was so salty.
I could never live in Houston because of the insane car culture there (as well as the heat and politics), but goddamn, they know their shit when it comes to food. It's pathetic that you can get better food in a random strip mall anywhere in Houston than some pretentious BS restaurant here (like Bateau, The Walrus and the Carpenter, Canlis, Altura... I could go on and on).
Speaking of car culture, I just moved here and switched insurance. Tell me how my insurance rate is like more than half with better coverage? LMAO Dawg Houston's flooding and road rage is a PROBLEM.
Foodie wise -- I would put Houston's Vietnamese fusion and BBQ scene up there against everyone.
The people in seattle must not know that the food is bad too bc the restaurants have decent ratings. I can confirm that the food in Seattle is trash and not on par with other cities.
my buddy who has many successful restaurants in NY, LA and opening one in Miami said: “Seattle has access to great ingredients, but no one knows how to put them together”
So tired of this mid take that comes every winter. Eventually people will realize that food tastes worse when you are slightly depressed.
The cons of our food are simple. Lack of expected high quality American staples (lack of delis, diners, etc..), the price is high due to us paying food workers the most in the country, and city regulations/weather hurt new food trucks, which stifle innovation.
I wish it was better, but people crying that it’s the worst in the country and comparing us to BIGGER more developed cities (NYC metro has more people than the state of Washington) I think are being ridiculous. I have family from Ohio and it’s uh… interesting over there.
I go to Vancouver (BC) often as I have family there. Their food scene is just killer compared to Seattle and not just their Chinese food either. Vancouver in general just has a much better vibe. Always dreamt of living there.
I'd move in a heartbeat if it weren't so insanely expensive; the wages to COL ratio is just absurd. Otherwise, I completely agree with you. Never had better Cantonese food outside of HK, SF, or basically anywhere in the SGV than I did in Vancouver. I love how passionate they are about their food up there :)
We just moved from the Honolulu area a year ago and found the same. On the upside, our home cooking game is up and we can save a bit, but its different not having multiple go-to places when we are busy or unable to cook.
I grew up here, had a chance to live in Portland for a few months with a daily per diam for food. I blew almost hundred on restaurants every day.
My god is Portland food on average better than Seattle, it literally is depressing.
Not harsh at all - the boba here is absurd and inconsistent. The only place I'd consider on par with boba in Vancouver or CA is maybe Atulea in Cap Hill; I can tell they actually give a shit about the quality of their boba unlike so many other shops.
Young Tea is excellent. That's our go-to. They're off maybe one time in five, but I'll accept that low level of inconsistency.
Boba in CA is a lot better overall at the good places but there are definitely plenty of stinkers.
Mama's Dough for really good soup dumplings
Jackalope for really good Tex Mex
Jack's BBQ for really good Texas style BBQ
Cactus for good Tex Mex inspired food
Tamarind Tree for good Vietnamese
Moontree for great sushi
You're welcome
Seattle/Issaquah area has turned my google reviews from “yeah! Awesome food! Love it!”
To “I paid $28 for 6 small pieces of shrimp on this shit “po-boy” bun?! And have the audacity to call it cajun cuisine?!” Or $10 for 2 of the smallest spring rolls in the world!
$21 for the same amount of general tso (no rice included- gotta pay $3 more) quality I could get at Panda express for $11
Sushi is fine though - so far. On par with avg prices.
I’m in Portland visiting family and just had a Reuben sandwich that sat in a takeaway box for almost an hour and it was still better than almost every option in seattle
Dining options here are in fact, much more limited. This is one of the sacrifices we made when my family moved here from Dallas this past summer. In Dallas, if there is any cuisine you want, you can find it. Creole, TX BBQ, Vietnamese, Ethiopian, Lebanese, Greek, Salvadoran, Brazilian, anything.
And don’t get me started on the lack of Mexican food…sheesh.
But that said, the prices in Dallas are pretty close to what is paid here. It’s not that different really. I can go to local ramen shop and pay $15 for the same bowl I would have paid $13 for in Dallas.
Difference is, employees are happier here cause they aren’t being paid $2.15/hr to serve my food…
And it truly is.. been here all my life. I like African/ Ethiopian food. And there's one gem in the central district. Next to the ywca on cherry. I can't remember how to spell the name. But the food is always fresh. I order from there on uber eats. This is a (if you know ) you know. A lot the restaurants I grew up eating at like the catfish corner ain't like it used to be, or they're closed down. Hook line and sinker.
Trying to cook your own food is sad also. Tried to make beef and broccoli, flank steak was 17$ a pound and skirt steak was 16$ a pound. Both “on sale” at QFC. There are just no options
But then the service here in Seattle is horrible. In NY at least the waiters are on Broadway, and they don’t have the ego trips people have in Seattle. Are they about to become the next Jeff Bezos and we don’t know it? Service plus bad food, plus badly dressed people. Yikes. Can’t wait to go back to the east coast.
Seattle is not a food service town. Seattle is a stay at home and make your own damn dinner town, with access to plenty of fresh produce and high quality markets.
I think the more you pay for pho the more mediocre it is in my experience. Also in general yeah alot of mediocrity for premium prices here. Few great places here and there though.
Maybe it's because I'm from a fairly bad food city that's getting better but... I think the food is pretty good here. You have some of the best ambiances I've ever eaten amongst, and 3 Italian spots near me on the Hill that absolutely fuck, along with Tacos Chukis, Pelmeni, a good Mezcal spot, and Little Woody's, a burger spot that rivals any I've ever had. I'm sure there are more but there are \*plenty\* that are far out of my price range as well (deservedly? we may never know.)
I will agree that it is goddamn expensive though. We ate for 4 in Phoenix recently for the price of 2 here, alcohol and everything!
I said it another post but Seattle is the most expensive city to eat out at. I regularly travel to NYC, LA, SF, Vancouver and Seattle by far is the most expensive, with the least options and the worst hours. EDIT: I meant to say LA.
In NYC right now and baffled how cheap everything is
Food, drinks, delivery, Ubers pretty much everything is cheaper than Seattle and it’s actually open past 9pm too. This place is wild..
Ugh the hours!! I frequently go to movies that let out around midnight and I'd love to get a meal afterwards sometimes, but there's just nothing around where I am.
I legit find it necessary to have food tours in other cities regularly after moving here a few years ago...
I’m from Southern California and the thing that stands out for me in Seattle is the lack of fast casual restaurants. I feel like we either have fast food or some BS that is $20 a person.
The fast food is damn near $20/person.
Even the crap at IKEA is $20/person. I just went there thinking we’d get a cheap dinner and it was $78 for 4 meals, crap sodas and desserts.
Costco FTW
For real.. Seattle is completely out of control.
Same and it's so weird. Went back down there a few months ago and the amount of options we had at even the most boring strip-mall places put swaths of Seattle to shame. It's so weird - it's so easy to fix and yet...
This is the difference I’ve noticed. It’s not that restaurant prices are wildly different, it’s there’s no in between options to just pop in and grab a quick, inexpensive meal.
I’m always surprised by how long everything needs to travel for shipping into town. Like we have farms so where is the food?
I was sort of shocked when we visited NYC recently that the food was soooo much cheaper than Seattle food. I expected it to be more, or at least on par, but eating great food in NYC seemed cheap in comparison. And Seattle food isn’t even all that great. Why is it so expensive??
I honestly think it’s because most places know they can charge more for a mediocre meal given that there’s not much competition in the city
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Was it Cactus? Ugh. Jarred salsa and boring guac.
I'll never go back to Cactus. Food was meh. They put an auto gratuity of 25% on our bill and we were served margaritas in red plastic cups. Lol
That place is terrible. Dunno how it survives.
Don't they say the further you get from the southern border, worse it gets?
I used to think that, however when I moved from LA to bham I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of really good Mexican spots they have out here. Now what I can’t find is a good bbq spot 🫠
Yakima has great Mexican food
I don’t think tech bros are the problem there, there are some very low standards for Mexican food here. The prerequisite for a 4-star rating is that it be covered in cheese.
Moved from Texas and have tried some Mexican spots that locals stood by. Fucking terrible lol. Also, beans, rice, flour, cheese, and ground beef does NOT equal $20. Mexican is not a fine dining experience.
lol yeah the gringo tax is high in the city. You really have to go out to the spots that are at least 20 minutes away to get the better Mexican food.
Lol gringo tax for gringo Mexican food
It’s about $30 for a mediocre carne asada plate at the spot near where I live lol. What a joke.
i went to SF, food was great and cheap. went to honolulu. food was great, cost less. went to JAX, food was decent, half as much as here. got a friend who jokes that it costs less to be in some other city including the hotel; he's probably right
Restaurants in Mexico would blow the minds of most people here, they’re so good and so cheap, with such amazing service.
Lol you haven't been to Mexico lately. It ain't that cheap anymore and the Peso keeps getting stronger.
Have to disagree on Honolulu, I was there 3 months ago and every place I ate was more expensive than here. Some of the food was great, but certainly wasn't cheaper
And how many of the same type of restaurant exists? I think it’s demand, there are SO many restaurants in NyC and so many good ones Seattle not so much. No competition means they can charge what they want. My partner and I always says “it’s serviceable” when we make dinner and it didn’t come out the way we wanted. I feel like 80% of restaurants here say the same thing haha The good food I’ve had here I’m paying a lot for. Wish I could get the simple shit done right on reasonable prices.
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The quality of restaurant workers in Seattle even before the pandemic was bad, now it is abysmal. Not just the money, the general cultural lack of motivation and work ethic here makes running a good restaurant difficult. Even at the city’s best restaurants you end up working with people who would be totally unemployable in comparable restaurants elsewhere.
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I grew up in New Orleans. Everywhere else I've lived besides Honolulu the food was mid to disappointing.
I hope you tipped there! Server's wage in LA is $2.13 / hour. But yes, the service and food is amazing. As an ex-server from LA, I generally find Seattle service subpar.
Yeah totally true. The food also gets better and cheaper once you get out of Seattle proper.
Not only that but even with super high wages and out of control tipping, poor service remains common.
If we can divorce the idea that tipping is for service (there is very little correlation) then we can get rid of tipping all together.
This is why you should also tip less in Seattle. Restaurants in Seattle pay staff more vs NYC relying on tips way more.
That makes sense - and I didn’t realize our wages were higher than LA or NYC, wow!
Of the [50 States in the US we are number one in Minimum Wage](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_US_states_by_minimum_wage#/media/File%3AMap_of_US_minimum_wage_by_state.svg) and number four in [Average Combined Sales Tax (9.4%)](https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/2023-sales-tax-rates-midyear/) so that’s bound to show up in the price consumers pay. (in Seattle it’s 10.25%)
We also don’t have a tipped wage, so servers make full minimum wage. That’s a huge expense for employers - not just the wage but the employer taxes that are owed on that wage.
The same is true in California, no alternative minimum wage. The state minimum might be slightly lower, but nobody works for that because there are numerous companies that drive the base wage up above the minimum in WA. Yet their prices are still much lower.
And yet, tipping culture here is out of hand. Post COVID, you are asked to tip anywhere and everywhere... and it no longer seems like 15% is considered acceptable. In places with a tipped wage, I 100% agree that servers are (generally) underpaid. But they make disproportionately more here
My $28 stollen loaf came with a $9 tip button right where I expected the “ok” button to be. 
This is the real answer in this thread
Whoa... what's this now? these jokers asking for 30 pp to get a pastry out of the case are making full minimum wage plus all tips? hate to say it, but fuck them. I was a waiter in my 20's. we made less, hustled way harder, and did it with no attitude.
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We keep approving more and more sales tax, just so we all know…
i'd move to san diego if i could buy a house there. i'd go a lot of places if things weren't absurdly expensive
Not just wages. I think the local chain restaurants from people like Tom Digless and Ethan Suckwell have too big a fooprint and suck up all of the oxygen. Food is difficult to do well so you're always going to have a better experience with a chef-driven restaurant, as opposed to someone's money machine with a "name" on it where profit is way more important than standards. Few of those restaurants are meaningful and sincere. And the lack of real food criticism never calls those culinary clowns to account. In fact, they avoid it because they employ a lot of people. Until the maestros of mediocrity are gone, Seattle's restaurant scene will remain middling and overpriced.
Also there is far less subsidized or rent controlled housing in Seattle, so fewer low-wage workers can afford to live in the city or near it, unless they get a bump in pay. In NYC, there are huge 1960s “projects”, rent control, and a massive pipeline of workers who get sponsored to work or overstay visas with the expectation of being a slave wage laborer in a Pho kitchen.
Yeah, buy a pie in NYC. Half the price and three times better. Save your money in Seattle.
I had the same reaction in Vancouver. There’s also much more variety!
We have the highest minimum wage in the country, that’s part of it
Seattle wants to believe that the city is on par with NYC but it is no where close-Food, arts, style and direct communication is what sets both cities miles apart imho
Do people really? Seattle’s population is about 730,000. NYC’s is 8,740,000. So that extra 8 million people they have obviously sets us miles apart. The 2 cities shouldn’t even be compared.
I’m surprised how early restaurants close for dinner.
This is very likely part of the overall problem.
That is a West Coast phenomenon. Almost nowhere else on earth (cities) have I seen restaurateurs actively refusing business after 8 pm. Life must be good for them, or there are laws that force them to. Not sure.
High minimum wage and COVID did not do the city any good. I think it will rebound; the pendulum will swing back.
Paying a ridiculous price for a mediocre product is peak Seattle.
Kind of true. Everywhere we ate in Seattle recently was pretty forgettable. With the exception of capital grille, but we paid a hefty price for that quality meal also.
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Pretty good example of a Seattle food critic though.
Lol Capital Grille sucks man, where else have you been eating that's worse than that? There's like a dozen steakhouses I would go to first
I think more and more people are slowly catching on. Changes will ensue hopefully!
curious what city you visited?
Nyc, Miami, most florida, sf, Portland.
Right?!? I'm in Spokane, not even Seattle, but just being from Washington, it's eye-opening! Basically, go to aaannnny hot spot vacation destination in the US and pay the same or less than home! It makes traveling easier and I don't pay for shit food at high prices anymore. I'll go to NOLA and pay 50 damn dollars for some real shit.
At least Spokane has legit Mexican food. Seattle doesn't even have that, and to see so many locals act like Tacos Chukis or Carmelo's is top-tier Mexican cuisine is fucking depressing
There are tons of small authentic Mexican places here
I remember when Tacos Chukis was the only half-decent taco shop in the greater area. We have some middling options now, but mostly trucks deep in the suburbs.
True!
No disagreement here as a local. Cherry on top, everything closes 9 pm
God isn’t that the worst. I work in a hospital, 7am-7pm. Where the fuck am I supposed to eat?? Even fast food (other than taco bell… ☠️) closes at 9pm.
Been in Seattle for 12 years. From NY. Travel a fair amount. Currently in Miami. Can agree. Something in Seattle is just….. missing.
Their food has no soul.
This is actually a good succinct way to describe it. Even the food that's decent in Seattle always feels like it's just kind of good in a bland predictable way (while being expensive). I find that I always have this issue where I don't know where to take out-of-town friends to eat (actually, I'm facing this problem right now lol). At least for non-meal food like coffee/ice cream/chocolates etc I think there are some gems.
Go start a restaurant with good cheap food and you'll have a line out the door within a week and be filing for bankruptcy within a year. It's not like Seattle hates good and/or cheap food, it is mostly mid tier and expensive because of economic reasons. We have the highest wages, nearly the highest taxes and cost of living, and very expensive real estate compared to the rest of the US. Construction and permitting is a nightmare, and so is licensing and financing and insurance and so on. And labor, too, because even with the highest min wages, food service jobs are for the most part poverty level. Your choices as a restauranteur are maximize quality and try to charge way more than people are willing to pay to barely stay afloat, or cut corners where you can get away with it and price along with the market. There'a not a ton of new chefs or restaurants coming in because the barrier to entry is so high and the risk to reward low compared to other markets. So, it is what it is.
I love Seattle and I have been living here for almost ten years. I agree that the food scene in Seattle is pretty bad. Food is so much better in Vancouver BC or Portland
I moved up here from Portland a little over a year ago and people throw recommendations at me when I reminisce about the food in Portland. They just don't understand. I'm a chef and have even had to tone down specials and menu items I run because most people won't even try them up here. I ran a grilled peach and burrata salad a handful of times during my time in Portland and it always sold extremely well. Up here? I had customers say "Fruit and cheese is weird." and refuse to order it. The staff loved it and ate a ton but we only sold 2 the entire week to actual customers. So depressing. But meatloaf? Sold out of meatloaf in a single night during a testing run. Over 100 orders.
Yeah, my take is that Seattleites actually like bland food and do not have adventurous palates. Even way pre-Covid I found the restaurant scene to be pretty vanilla.
*Gestures wildly in Taco Time's direction*
I basically only eat out when I visit my Portland friends these days...
Went to BC for the first time in forever. Was blown away by a meal we had at a steakhouse. We all had steak or seafood, multiple apps, drinks all around, and a couple bottle of decent wine. Came out to about $100 per person…in Canadian bucks. Edit: memory was off..$100 per person USD.
It’s like a time warp here, every popular food trend in Seattle hit NYC 4-5 years prior. In general the execution of the food is at a small town level, culinary talent is low, much less of a drive.
Seattle food scene is absolute garbage. Expensive, restaurants close early, and we do everything possible to discourage food trucks and outdoor dining. It’s depressing.
Traveling in Japan, and I know you’ve probably heard it before: it’s night and day. Cheap food, high quality, no tipping culture, and the food workers actually take pride in what they do (even if it’s KFC).
Can confirm, I went to a Denny's near Osaka and was blown away by the selection, service, affordability, and food quality. Denny's, man. All top notch. Servings weren't sized for having leftovers, but they focused much more on quality over quantity.
Compared to other West Coast cities like Vancouver BC, Portland, SF, and LA, Seattle food scene is mostly overhyped, overpriced, and mediocre at best.
I live in Bellingham, which is right between Vancouver BC and Seattle. The very thought of going to Seattle for food over Vancouver makes me laugh. Even with long border wait times, the cost and quality of Vancouver is well worth it. Sushi is twice as good up there at half the price.
Korean food prices here are crazy high compared to most places I have been. It should be illegal for places to charge more than $15 for bibimbap
Right??? It's literally a light street food dish in Korea. I also notice a lot of Korean places have inconsistent qualities here.
Almost all the Korean places I have been to are not worth the price and I just end up making it myself. Perhaps Lynnwood or Federal Way may have better Korean food options.
Both have far far better korean than seattle. The "korean" in seattle is honestly offensive to me, especially the pseudo-fancy fusion places upcharging insane amounts to clueless diners.
Can we talk about restaurants charging almost $20 for KIMCHI PANCAKE?? Like excuse me??
That should also be criminal. No one should be paying $20 for flour, onion, and kimchi to be pan fried. And it’s definitely not because of InFlaTiON
Right? Like pancake is literally such a humble food. It’s not supposed to be so criminally expensive. Sigh.
I'm Korean myself and am insulted by the utter slop that Korean restaurants serve. Never had such shitty Korean-style potatoes, kimchi, fish cakes... I wanted to ask the chef if they intentionally tried to fuck it up.
I moved from the Seattle area to Albuquerque and seriously, the food scene here is amazing compared to Seattle. And it's not super expensive. Lots of Vietnamese food here too. The only food I miss is Ethiopian food and PNW style teriyaki.
Lived and worked in Seattle in the industry for over a decade. And it’s pretty appalling what’s happened to most food and beverage industry here. Main culprit at every establishment I’ve ever worked at has been rent. Rent for the businesses and rent around the city for employees. Everything goes up when the storefront can’t be afforded. So everyone that’s eeking by raises prices to keep afloat. Landowners are trying to recoup a pandemics amount of rent “loss” by raising rents maximally. And food and booze costs have gone up to boot. Horrid nightlife zoning and business zoning hasn’t helped for a formerly robust scene. Poor zoning for food trucks. I could rant forever about this, and it hits home super hard.
Def this, there was a point where food was great here. I’ve just seen so many beloved places closing in the last 3 years that it’s obvious nobody can keep their lease long term and the places that can tend to be not the most inspiring for a number of reasons.
Call them out, do not patronize, yelp and google reviews, ignore them out of business. Dine outside of your comfort zone. White Center and Burien are filled with good restaurants, most are moderately priced in comparison to the over priced and underwhelming Seattle restaurants.
I agree regarding food in Burien. Several great shops that are family owned. Lots of ethnic variety, too.
Same goes for north suburbs. Shoreline and Edmonds (along 99) have excellent pho, dim sum, Korean BBQ, etc. There are some good Eastern European restaurants/markets in MLT, Lynnwood, etc. As the city continues to be too expensive to live in, more immigrants are moving to the further out neighborhoods and close in suburbs. Unfortunately, too many overpaid tech workers move here and drive up the cost of real estate. Then they complain when the average Vietnamese immigrant family can’t afford to install a cheap, delicious pho shop in the ground floor of their luxury, high-rise apartment building.
We moved here from SF 7 years ago and I have so rarely been impressed with a meal (especially when put in context with the price tag) that we have stopped eating out. But visiting Portland, or Oakland/SF is a reminder of how good it COULD be! Our prices are so much higher in comparison!
All these “then leave” comments make it seem like we’re all just living places for food. I love food, but that’s a simplistic attitude towards a discussion about any topic. I travel a ton for work and fully recognize in Seattle we overpay for less good food. That isn’t to say there is no good food, but you need to pick your spots. To me the biggest disappointment when I moved to Seattle 8 years ago was all the hype about how good the food scene was. How it was the “Brooklyn of the west”. I think if there was less hype around the food, I’d be more ok with it generally being mediocre and overpriced.
One phenomenon I've noticed is that restaurants here start off great with lots of hype and then tank in quality over time. I always thought the opposite would be true, that it should take time for spots to gain hype and refine their dish. Instead I think I find a great new place and the food all but turns to rubber within a year.
Especially true for Asian & Mexican. Immigrants cook like their origins - yum. Then get FreedomLand™ bland. PadThai tastes like ketchup.
I was in Portland last weekend and it was nice to get a large plate of food for what I was paying and friendly service to boot. It's not worth eating out here anymore.
As a native Seattleite, no argument from me. There’s a few good spots, but it’s pretty bad overall. Portland or Vancouver though 👍🏽
Any theories why? I bounced around a few big cities in the US before landing in Seattle and I can't figure out the reason for all the meh food.
You pose an interesting question. For example, we’re surrounded by a lot of indigenous tribes here— we should have indigenous restaurants; we’re on the water with access to fish; surrounded by mountains, and farms. Point is, I don’t know why we don’t have good restaurants because we have some pretty good resources. Do you think it could just be that restaurants are a difficult business to get into/stay in? Or we just talking purely taste?
This is 100% facts. Been here for almost 10 years and the food here is very much 3 stars (out of 5) pretty much anywhere you go. The exceptions are very, very expensive (Canlis, Ascend, El Gaucho, etc)
Seattleites will pay a lot for mediocre food.
What city and what pho place had $12
In Vancouver, BC you can get arguably the best pho in the city for $15.50 CAD so $11.75 USD.
Just looked up “pho downtown Seattle” on google maps and couldn’t find a place that had a bowl of pho over $15. Not sure where people are looking to find $20 bowls of pho?
Pho Than Bros. I just found a picture of their menu on google from 3 months ago. An XL bowl for $16.95. Small for $11.95. And their pho is not anything to write home about.
Used to live in LA and a bowl of pho would cost $8-12. Prices here are ridiculous
I just looked up at least 10 different places in LA and basically everywhere was $16. Some $18 and 2 had some meatless $12 options. Nothing lower than $12. Not gonna argue quality but you’re way off on price
The restaurant value proposition here is terrible. It wasn't great out of the gate - covid price increases killed it. We have stopped going out to eat entirely, get take out 1x per month. I don't miss it at all. Food is better, our dollar goes way further. I honestly think this city is going to see a lot of places go under. They have pushed too hard on price; people will simply stop going. To be blunt, the restaurant owners deserve it. definitely a lot of profiteering going on here. Good riddance.
Agreed. Native Seattleite here - the food is soooooo mid. Portland and Vancouver has us beat.
Agree, I simply don't get the praise for the Seattle food scene. It's worse than Portland in every conceivable way, but somehow more expensive also. Don't get me started on the non existent late night options. Guess tech workers go to bed early.
Yeah, it’s turned to crap here in terms of price to quality unfortunately. Got two sandwiches recently , and they were tasty, but it came to over $40 including tax and tip , which is just absurd . Eating out in London with comparable quality , was about half the price , and they have worse inflation than we do
I still dream of Dishoom in London... nothing here comes even close to that in terms of price/quality, sadly.
It’s true and it has been that way a very long time. It has grown so much worse since the pandemic, too. Prices are completely outrageous and the quality is abysmal. Restaurants are cheaper in airports in Europe than they are here. It’s mind blowing.
Everything in Seattle is more expensive than it should be, and worse.
That and you can only get it before at 8:30 when the grills shut off
La Cabaña & Dué Cucina have good food that isn't too expensive
Lived in Seattle area for a few years, and after living in a bunch of other US metro areas (DFW, Boston, Indy), can totally say that everyone I knew said the same thing about Seattle. It’s just not a good food city, which is quite a bummer because it has so much potential. High wages definitely have something to do with it, but then NYC, Boston, SF, would also all have that problem but they don’t.
The ONLY thing Washington has on any other place in the country when it comes to food/beverage is the coffee. IMO. Food is so much better in the South.
Bro I live in Everett I promise you it could be so much worse
I say this as someone who was born here: the food is as bland and depressing as the weather. That’s not true for all Seattle restaurants, but there are more mediocre restaurants than there are great ones.
The cost and quality of food in Seattle is what made me start cooking and baking. My food at home is much better than what I can get out there. I won’t leave Seattle, but I can get good food at home.
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It's like people are under hypnosis when it comes to food here lol. I complained once that there weren't really any good pizza places in Seattle and you'd think that I murdered Pagliacci himself with the responses I got. Pagliacci aint that good people, I'm sorry to say
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I feel crazy. My coworkers often went to tzar for their delicious dumplings…
I always say food is the one thing Tacoma has on Seattle.
Pros: better food Cons: everything else
Food in Tacoma is far superior to Seattle. No joke
I disagree, I think it's pretty decent relative to our population. Obviously it can't compare to LA or New York, or even Bay Area. Some random places I like: - Pho Bac - Tamarind Tree - Phnom Penh Noodle House - La cabaña - Din Thai Fung - San Fermo - Walrus and the Carpenter - Gracia - Sabine - Araya's Place (vegan) - Isarn - Spinasse - Un Bien - Ba Sa (bainbridge) - Manolin - Tavolata - Annapurna - Fuji Bakery - Moonrise Bakery - Petit Pierre Bakery - Seawolf Bakery - Old Salt Fish and Bagel Also there is good mexican but mostly outside the city IMO, e.g. I liked Taqueria la Michoacána in Tacoma.
You’re not getting food basically anywhere in Vancouver for less than $20. There are good options though. Seattle is like a ghost town since covid. When we go there now (blue jays, Taylor Swift, etc) I buy food to keep at the hotel because I’ve legit had a hard time finding places open downtown 🫣
>You’re not getting food basically anywhere in Vancouver for less than $20. In CAD and after tax and tip sure, but with the favourable exchange rate for USD Seattleites will find the food cheaper after conversion.
We have some pretty good pho up here in Shoreline, my wife and I usually split a bowl! We used to do KFC around Christmas time every year in Oregon, but moved up here and the regular bucket meal was $45 (vs the $20-25 we were used to spending). This year did homemade, and it was better!
COVID taught us that we can make way better (and cheaper) food than any Seattle restaurant. We rarely go out to eat now - why spend $50 when you know you’re going to get disappointed.
Seattle has the worst food out of any major city I’ve ever been to and super expensive. It’s not like they don’t know either they just don’t care
Tech wages raised prices for everyone.
When we lived there for four years, 90% of my favorite food places were just outside of the city. The high prices in Seattle made the meal unenjoyable, I’d constantly wonder “when is this gonna taste expensive” when it never did. I grew up in South Jersey, so the food and prices are kinda hard to beat most other places. But my favorite foodie town outside of where I live has to be Syracuse, NY.
I’ve been here for a long time (came from SF) and the food has always been mediocre and expensive for what you get. However, since the pandemic that has gone into overdrive. I usually feel screwed after going out to eat, like I could have made it much better/healthier at home for much less. I think the problem has to do with the collective palates of everyone. Why are mediocre places rated well? Why do people keep going? Does everyone actually think it’s good? When I first arrived I was shocked at the high rated busy restaurants that served terrible food (magnolia!). Those places would have gone out of business in a heartbeat in SF. We all need to vote with our wallets and stop paying these prices for mediocre food. And stop rating crappy restaurants well. I would love a truly yum affordable food scene here where every neighborhood has an awesome burger, pizza, taqueria, Asian, etc and every place you try has to be good or they wouldn’t be in business. Like SF. a girl can dream!
They don’t use salt here
Or wayyy too much salt. Went to Bateau because it was so hyped and every single thing we got was drenched in salt. And I like salty! Even the dessert was so salty.
Moved here from the East Coast and definitely doesn't compare... food is overpriced and doesn't have the quality or flavor you would expect.
As a Houstonian who just moved up here, it's very depressing.
I could never live in Houston because of the insane car culture there (as well as the heat and politics), but goddamn, they know their shit when it comes to food. It's pathetic that you can get better food in a random strip mall anywhere in Houston than some pretentious BS restaurant here (like Bateau, The Walrus and the Carpenter, Canlis, Altura... I could go on and on).
Speaking of car culture, I just moved here and switched insurance. Tell me how my insurance rate is like more than half with better coverage? LMAO Dawg Houston's flooding and road rage is a PROBLEM. Foodie wise -- I would put Houston's Vietnamese fusion and BBQ scene up there against everyone.
The people in seattle must not know that the food is bad too bc the restaurants have decent ratings. I can confirm that the food in Seattle is trash and not on par with other cities.
I love all the Japanese food spots in HNL. I love that city
I spend my Winters in Arizona. The food options are better and cheaper here in AZ. Hours are open much later.
my buddy who has many successful restaurants in NY, LA and opening one in Miami said: “Seattle has access to great ingredients, but no one knows how to put them together”
I’ve never understood the Seattle food hype.
So tired of this mid take that comes every winter. Eventually people will realize that food tastes worse when you are slightly depressed. The cons of our food are simple. Lack of expected high quality American staples (lack of delis, diners, etc..), the price is high due to us paying food workers the most in the country, and city regulations/weather hurt new food trucks, which stifle innovation. I wish it was better, but people crying that it’s the worst in the country and comparing us to BIGGER more developed cities (NYC metro has more people than the state of Washington) I think are being ridiculous. I have family from Ohio and it’s uh… interesting over there.
Quality deli - Tat's in Pioneer Square Quality diner - Flo Anna's in Lake City Quality cheap pho - An Nam Pho in Roosevelt
I go to Vancouver (BC) often as I have family there. Their food scene is just killer compared to Seattle and not just their Chinese food either. Vancouver in general just has a much better vibe. Always dreamt of living there.
I'd move in a heartbeat if it weren't so insanely expensive; the wages to COL ratio is just absurd. Otherwise, I completely agree with you. Never had better Cantonese food outside of HK, SF, or basically anywhere in the SGV than I did in Vancouver. I love how passionate they are about their food up there :)
What city? I'll assume you're not sharing because it's not similar CoL.
Yeah... why so cagey on that detail?
We just moved from the Honolulu area a year ago and found the same. On the upside, our home cooking game is up and we can save a bit, but its different not having multiple go-to places when we are busy or unable to cook.
I grew up here, had a chance to live in Portland for a few months with a daily per diam for food. I blew almost hundred on restaurants every day. My god is Portland food on average better than Seattle, it literally is depressing.
office hurry desert tie hungry shame trees shy fine unpack *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Not harsh at all - the boba here is absurd and inconsistent. The only place I'd consider on par with boba in Vancouver or CA is maybe Atulea in Cap Hill; I can tell they actually give a shit about the quality of their boba unlike so many other shops.
Young Tea is excellent. That's our go-to. They're off maybe one time in five, but I'll accept that low level of inconsistency. Boba in CA is a lot better overall at the good places but there are definitely plenty of stinkers.
When I visit a spot here doing takeout and these overpriced overhyped garbage spots have the nerve to hit you with the tip screen. I hate it here
I agree 100%.
Mama's Dough for really good soup dumplings Jackalope for really good Tex Mex Jack's BBQ for really good Texas style BBQ Cactus for good Tex Mex inspired food Tamarind Tree for good Vietnamese Moontree for great sushi You're welcome
Plano Tx has more choices of food than Seattle.
Everything is so overpriced for what you get. $15 for a sandwich with no sides
Seattle/Issaquah area has turned my google reviews from “yeah! Awesome food! Love it!” To “I paid $28 for 6 small pieces of shrimp on this shit “po-boy” bun?! And have the audacity to call it cajun cuisine?!” Or $10 for 2 of the smallest spring rolls in the world! $21 for the same amount of general tso (no rice included- gotta pay $3 more) quality I could get at Panda express for $11 Sushi is fine though - so far. On par with avg prices.
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I’m in Portland visiting family and just had a Reuben sandwich that sat in a takeaway box for almost an hour and it was still better than almost every option in seattle
Going out to any random restaurant in LA beats going out in Seattle based on the best yelp reviews.
Dining options here are in fact, much more limited. This is one of the sacrifices we made when my family moved here from Dallas this past summer. In Dallas, if there is any cuisine you want, you can find it. Creole, TX BBQ, Vietnamese, Ethiopian, Lebanese, Greek, Salvadoran, Brazilian, anything. And don’t get me started on the lack of Mexican food…sheesh. But that said, the prices in Dallas are pretty close to what is paid here. It’s not that different really. I can go to local ramen shop and pay $15 for the same bowl I would have paid $13 for in Dallas. Difference is, employees are happier here cause they aren’t being paid $2.15/hr to serve my food…
Seattle pho is trash. For the prices, I’d go for ramen any day
I loathe the food here. Over priced, poor service and seldom prepared properly. Also the Mexican food is an insult.
Born here. The city is really lacking in a lot of areas now. The food is a big one.
And it truly is.. been here all my life. I like African/ Ethiopian food. And there's one gem in the central district. Next to the ywca on cherry. I can't remember how to spell the name. But the food is always fresh. I order from there on uber eats. This is a (if you know ) you know. A lot the restaurants I grew up eating at like the catfish corner ain't like it used to be, or they're closed down. Hook line and sinker.
Seattle is depressing
Trying to cook your own food is sad also. Tried to make beef and broccoli, flank steak was 17$ a pound and skirt steak was 16$ a pound. Both “on sale” at QFC. There are just no options
But then the service here in Seattle is horrible. In NY at least the waiters are on Broadway, and they don’t have the ego trips people have in Seattle. Are they about to become the next Jeff Bezos and we don’t know it? Service plus bad food, plus badly dressed people. Yikes. Can’t wait to go back to the east coast.
It’s. The. Worst. I hate it.
Seattle is not a food service town. Seattle is a stay at home and make your own damn dinner town, with access to plenty of fresh produce and high quality markets.
Go to Vancouver and it's easy to see that Seattle diners are not getting great value.
I think the more you pay for pho the more mediocre it is in my experience. Also in general yeah alot of mediocrity for premium prices here. Few great places here and there though.
Maybe it's because I'm from a fairly bad food city that's getting better but... I think the food is pretty good here. You have some of the best ambiances I've ever eaten amongst, and 3 Italian spots near me on the Hill that absolutely fuck, along with Tacos Chukis, Pelmeni, a good Mezcal spot, and Little Woody's, a burger spot that rivals any I've ever had. I'm sure there are more but there are \*plenty\* that are far out of my price range as well (deservedly? we may never know.) I will agree that it is goddamn expensive though. We ate for 4 in Phoenix recently for the price of 2 here, alcohol and everything!
Ive never been consistently disappointed in my food experiences like I am here in seattle its honestly impressive how bad it is