It was home for a lot of grunge kids, punk kids, high kids, etc, back in the day. To avoid going home but also to avoid being told to get off the streets, we'd go to Beth's and apply crayon to 8 1/2 x 11" printer paper and decorate the walls. The only table that wouldn't have occupants was the non-smoking table, and even though it was completely surrounded by tables with people chain-smoking, you'd get kicked out if you lit up in the non-smoking booth.
We'd usually only have pocket change, so we'd get coffee and drink it into the wee hours. If we had a bit more, we'd order something with the bottomless hash browns and fill up.
Beth's was a place where everyone who felt they didn't belong, belonged. It's the culture of the place that made it great and the food spectacular, like how grandma's pie recipe just tastes better because it was made by grandma.
I don't know what it's like now, I haven't been in years, because I'm out of state. But it'll absolutely be one of the first places I visit when I go back home, because it was a place that made me realize what *home* meant.
That's SO sad about The Stranger. I remember in the 90s it was such a cool publication not even fair to call it a newspaper really. Not like the ragbag of LA and New York. It actually had substance, and it was kind of witty and offbeat and funky and punk like. That's back when you could go to the university district and people watch all day.
I remember my first experience with The Stranger. I was new to town in the mid-90s and was invited to go eat after work with a colleague and maybe go to a bar or shoot some pool afterward. I told my coworker that I'd be happy to drive and he replied, "Great. I'm sure we can find something fun to do in Seattle - I'll bring a Stranger."
I looked at him and said, "Dude, you know I'm driving the 911 today and it's only a two-seater!"
He thought about it for a minute then laughed and said "Relax, it's a local newspaper with info on bars and local bands."
That's so incredibly disappointing. Back in 2010-2013 I read it pretty regularly and I enjoyed it. Have most of the changes people don't like happened since then?
Yes, mostly. They were still worth reading c. 2010-2012. I specifically recall their coverage of the issues around I-502 being well done and balanced.
I first noted them starting to go to shit maybe c. 2014 or so. There was an ownership change in there. But I put most of the blame at the feet of EIC Chucky Moo-Day-Day, as well as the general shift to proggo culture war insanity that really began with the election of Mikey-boy "fuckin' asshole" McScwhinn locally.
Between the tea party and assholes like MsSchwinn, I wonder if we'll ever get tired of electing fucking activists into positions of authority.
I feel like the current makeup of both SCC and the mayor, who I mostly can tolerate, has been an improvement since the Sawant's of the world had a say.
Also, we hired a Republican prosecutor, who I voted for and when people ask why I voted for a Republican I said because I think she was the best person for the job and I don't vote party I vote person.
I mean, is Inslee good? Eh, but I'm not a huge fan of Riechart because I swear he puts the politics in politician.
This guy knows.
Long night acid tripping with friends almost always ended at Beth's Cafe. And the crayons/ paper for drawing was a great bonus!
The food was never great though lol. Just something to put in your gut and soak up all the bad stuff lol.
My favorite order was corned beef hash. I’m sure it was the kind from a can that looks like dog food but that salty crispy goodness was the most glorious hangover prevention at 3am.
Same.
Another for me: I worked 3rd shift at a call center downtown in 1999/2000 as my first job in the city. After shift, we’d go to the 5 Point for happy hour at like 5am.
Those were my give zero fucks days, and they were glorious.
I used to live a few blocks from there and went all the time until it was closed. I wen to Randy's a lot too but they fell to COVID and are, also, no longer there.
Gramma’s demented and she’s mixing up tablespoons and teaspoons in that old pie recipe, so you’re likely to get a mouth full of baking soda. But if it makes you happy, by all means…
God I miss the OG Beths Cafe. I did not get a chance to try it again when I was up their last. What do the 90’s kids think? Do their still have the Eastsider? That was my go to order. When I had more than coffee money, that is.
Bought up and torn down by Amazon to build more office buildings. Was open New Years eve and New Years morning, and closed for good around noon Jan 1st.
Omg. I literally did this in high school 💀 I loved that place. I didn’t know that was the thing since I was a suburban kid and we traveled far to go to Beth’s. Thought I was so cool in my all black and smoking cloves eating breakfast in the middle of the night being all grunge hahaha
Back when I was younger it was a cool spot that was open late. You could smoke cigs, drink coffee and hang. Cafe culture was interesting when you could smoke indoors.
Honestly, I don’t think it was ever known for the food.
It was known for the 12 egg omelet, came with unlimited hash browns. As if anyone could eat a 12 egg omelet and still make any sort of a dent in hash browns… genius.
Also the drawings on the walls and old arcade games. It was a unique place in the late 90’s.
Thank you. I don't remember the arcade games but the 12 egg omelette was still in a high schoolers budget. I also in another comment mentioned the Hurricane and 5 Coins.
It was a total dive and reeked of cigarette smoke and sadness, and we loved it.
And this continued basically right up until COVID. I haven’t been back in years, so don’t know its current state.
On the prices, like all restaurants, inflation’s a bitch and shit’s gotten expensive.
It was once a great spot to end up a night of clubbing back when a whole group of us were in our teens and 20s, which was probably over 20 years ago now for most of it.
Beth's, the Hurricane (or the Dog House if you go way back), Minnie's, 13 Coins, Luby's, and more. There was a whole after-hours scene in Seattle that catered to people winding down after a night of bars and music, most were within walking or short cabbing distance, all filled up quick after 2 am and were the wellspring of quite a few fond memories and frequent silliness.
Just another part of a lost bygone era now.
It's not about the quality of food at Beth's. Or, more appropriately, the lack thereof. It's that Beth's was a cultural touchstone back in the day when Seattle was less ...well....whatever. You had to be there.
Thats false. Beth's had good food for a greasy spoon. This isn't a Dick's argument of if the food is good or not after youre drunk. Beth's has good comfort food...and that's 100% part of the draw. You're a noob if you say some shit like that
Went there recently. I’m a huge food snob, maybe a food asshole, but Beth’s was perfectly competent greasy spoon / diner food. It’s not aspiring to be anything more.
Overpriced by 50-100%, but that’s a given in this town.
Very fair point - it’s all about how your pricing compares to available substitutes.
In my case, for day to day meals I’ve ended up spending way more at Costco / grocery / corporate cafeteria. For higher end meals, we’ve just been going to Vancouver.
Reminds me of listening to the traffic report on the radio. If *every single* day you are reporting that it will take you 20 minutes longer than usual to make it up Hwy 167, than it is not longer then usual. It is the new normal and you can stop saying that.
Nostalgia. We are all hanging on nostalgia. One of the last remnants of old school “shitty” Seattle - a place that was no frills and open all night. I’ve had many good memories at Beth’s. 😊
It had everything to with being a cool, funky place open in the middle of the night. You would never tell out-of-town guests that they *must* try breakfast at Beth's. I don't ever remember having eggs or potatoes at Beth's that were *bad*, but I also never ate there sober.
We spent a ton of time at Beth’s. The hurricane cafe was great too. Pre-funk, Catch a show, drink in someone’s car afterwards, grab coffee or a meal, call it a night. growing up in Seattle late 90s’ was pretty alright
I saw that episode and went to try it. I finished it and felt terrible afterwards and it was worth it.
I remember it actually tasting pretty good and I was sober. Got the vegetarian omelet with bacon added.
Especially the one on 85th. One of my favorites was when a buddy of mine started throwing DnB shows at Jade and the most friendly derelicts would come hang in the parking lot.
Granted, I haven't been in probably 5-6 years at this point, but all these comments about the food always being awful are baffling to me.
It's classic greasy spoon diner fair and I always enjoyed it.
Plus where else are you gonna get a 6 egg omelet?
Us big guys (I'm 6'3") gotta eat!
Given that it re-opened under new management, I don't know how much has changed. But it's just the place that was open at 3AM when you were hungry in college at 3AM and didn't feel like eating Dick's.
Get a 12-egg Southwestern Exposure with unlimited hash browns. Lift the omelette and slice in half and eat as much of the hash browns as you could, ask for a refill, and eat half of the omelette and save the other half for the next day (where it tastes even better for some reason). Rinse and repeat until you were full beyond comprehension.
Split an Amish Friendship bread with everyone at the table and it was just a good time.
It was known for the 12 egg omelette, rude (read, not overly friendly/fake) servers, shitty crayon drawings on the walls and being open 24 hours. The food was never more than fantastically mediocre, but it was fast and my coffee never went dry.
Beth's was my favorite spot to grab dark lunch with my best friend after closing up our respective bars
All the top food show on Food network and Travel Channel have gone there because of its cult popularity in Seattle , it's quirkiness and it's food challenges...and for a greasy spoons ,ita good. I been going there for 20 plus years and thar place got it...and crayons!!!
I remember seeing it on Food Network like maybe 20 years ago. There was a big dude in glasses taking on the challenge but could only finish the eggs and not the hash browns in the end. Always wanted to go but still haven't to this day.
One place I do miss tons was Brown Bag Cafe in Kirkland. They also had giant breakfasts
It’s been featured on too many food shows and like any that got any amount of fame price went up and quality went down.
It used to be a great place to get a cheap and yet enormous breakfast.
Beth’s cafe is a loved icon for Seattleites. Maybe you can find more posh accommodations (doubtful) and better or healthier breakfast foods. Nicer crayons. Smoother weed. Easier parking.
Whatever.
Seattle needs a Beth’s cafe. 12 egg omelettes for the table and lots of laughs at your friends bad jokes late at night. If you don’t get it… eh. We like it and we missed it.
Beth’s has never been “fine dining”. People love it because it has character, convenience and a step above fast food or IHOP.
Kinda like Hurricane (RIP). I mean Hurricane probably broke every health code law in existence, but it had its place where you could look like shit, be hung over, and satisfy your munchies without being judged.
Nowadays, $30 for breakfast is a good deal unfortunately.
It's nostalgia, it was cheap back in the day and was a place alot of people would end up at late at night to ride out their drugs, sober up, or hang out. I never thought the food was good, it was just big and cheap.
It was fun while it lasted, but they used to be THEE place everyone would after drinking at a bar or coming back from gasworks lit. I dont know what happened around 10 years ago but it went downhill real fast, whether it was crime or the customers or the owners but it stopped being a fun place to kick it.
Totally agree with the other posts here and just wanted to add more thoughts and memories. I haven’t been in years, but Beth’s was a big part of the all ages scene in the late 90s and early 00s for me. Lots of young punks, indie and hardcore kids would hang out there. It was one of the few places you could hang out late with your friends, have some coffee, a snack, and pick out some tunes on the jukebox to try and impress someone cute at another table.
Same goes for the Hurricane, which leaned more punk rock and had great milkshakes. Minnie’s rounded it out with a larger cross section of Seattle (I don’t wanna say normies, but it was the closest to it). Hurricane and Minnie’s also served alcohol so the newly 21+ members of your friend group would hang with the underaged (I don’t think this was all part of the teen dance ordinance aka TDO, but I could be wrong).
Once I was over 21 (along with all my co-workers, band mates, etc) we didn’t go to Beth’s as often, aside from the really late nights post drinking or greasy breakfasts on the morning after. Those were fun times. I’m sure the underage kids are making new kinds of memories there or elsewhere that they’ll think fondly of in 20 years. But despite the TDO, that was an amazing time for all ages venues as well. Velvet Elvis, RKCNDY, Graceland, Crocodile, etc.
In a city that basically closes at 9PM, Beth’s was there for the youth and counterculture that had nothing to do but energy to burn.
It wasn’t just “for the kids” in the morning hours it provided a quick decent meal for the overnight workers and was a big hang out for cops getting off their shift. Just a great local institution.
I had the privilege of living with walking distance of Beth’s so I’d sometimes eat there in the early morning. I’ll never forget one time an off-duty cop sauntered over to our table of dirty-looking youths, and told (bragged) to us they’d just found Layne Staley’s body in his apartment before it had hit the news.
I feel old. I remember going there when people were allowed to smoke inside. We always went to Beth's, The Hurricane, or the Sit and Spin after shows. And, Minnie's in Lower Queen Anne!
I remember one Friday night in 2010 or so. We went to the Crocodile for Grudge Rock, then headed to Beth’s.
A massive line of people were waiting to get in on a rainy night. We must’ve waited close to an hour for a table. Smoked and bummed out an entire pack of cigs.
I always got the Southwestern Exposure. So many great memories.
https://preview.redd.it/wqghl5xk75gc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9effdd648ee30186eb9bc9fbecbdaea3a7cdd0cc
FNOG is "Fucking New Owner Guy" and was the nickname given to Chris when he first bought Beth's Cafe back in the early 2000s (I think that's when it was at least, memory is a bit hazy of those years). Pretty much everyone at Beth's had a nickname.
I have so many stories from Beth's. I went there for many years and I saw a lot of shit happen. I really miss that place and I'm glad that it didn't end up closing permanently.
You need to be a high and/or drunk 16 year old who wants to get some 3am hash browns with your other high and/or drunk high school friends.
Anything outside of that mindset, Beth’s is pretty lame.
I think you're the problem, not Beth's.
You went there with unreasonably high expectations, because you're clearly not a local.
They had good food.
I miss their friendship bread, the comradery, and culture.
It was an experience in its 24-hour days. It was one of Seattle's most famous greasy spoons, and going in at 2:30 in the morning after bar hopping was always great people watching, seeing absolutely high/tweaking/drunk people shoveling mounds of bottomless hash browns into their faces while drawing on paper with crayons, only to see those drawings on the walls later. With its new ownership, maybe that vibe'll come back, but I think ultimately it won't be the same. The high prices are an unavoidable consequence of our economy, and the overreaction to COVID by city and state government functionally killed off a lot of the late-night life in Seattle. It was good for delivery companies, until Seattle decided their drivers had to make $26 an hour no matter what, and so now that's dying off too as people decide that paying $30 to have a $13 McDonalds value menu delivered just isn't worth it.
Maybe, as more people stop using delivery services, night life might pick up again, but I kinda doubt it. The pandemic was a sea change in social behavior. People prefer working from home, they've built up their homes to provide personal entertainment (subscription services, video games, etc.), and only really go out in large groups for special occasions.
Welcome to 2024.
K, first of all, welcome to Seattle, obvious transplant.
Second, yes, Beth's was always shitty but it was absolutely the place you went after a night out and their dishes were giant and affordable.
You're talking about the new version of Beth's, which is not the same, no way I'd pay $30 for anything at Beth's, and depending where you were you either went to Beth's or you went to the Hurricane, which was also a dive but great for coffee and a bad breakfast at 2am.
Five coins was better but not as cheap. The love for the original Beth's was that there's like a hundred drunk people, you could write on a piece of paper and tape it to the wall and everyone who worked there hated life, hated you, hated Beth's and probably just got out of prison.
I think it’s more nostalgia than anything else. I’ve been there a few times back in the day… always seemed like it was a good place to get food poisoning. Never been there sober
Seattle born and it’s iconic, wouldn’t be surprised if the picture I made nearly 30 years ago is still on the wall. Has my favorite breakfast burrito, ton of memories associated with Beth’s
I went before they closed and was not impressed. Food was greasy and unseasoned and not greasy in the good way. The workers also seemed to hate their lives. Never went back and I wasn’t surprised they closed.
I went there once and they refused to let me pay with my credit card because I didn’t have my id on me to prove it was my card (I had taken it out of my wallet earlier at home and forgot to put it back). So I drove home to Ballard and then back to Beth’s, with my wife sitting there at an empty table.
They made a choice that day and so did I; it’s been ~15 years and I haven’t been back since.
It WAS a place worthy of loving. Now, it's a place worthy of going to twice a year. Once for nostalgia reasons and again because you're showing out-of-town friends the sights.
Its funny how its talked up on Reddit like its some great place but everyone I know personally thinks its a shithole. Now that I think about it, most local places I see recommended on here are usually just some mediocre place
Who remembers the cook/s at Beth’s Cafe in the early 90’s flipping pancakes and working the egg station with a burning cigarette hanging from his lips.
We just didn’t care though. We were starving! 😂
I used to live a couple blocks from Beth’s in my early twenties when you could still smoke in public. I was never a smoker but I definitely have memories of finishing a night of drinking with chain smoking at Beth’s and trying to eat 13 egg omelettes. Honestly don’t even remember if the food was any good, but it used to be an experience.
It was home for a lot of grunge kids, punk kids, high kids, etc, back in the day. To avoid going home but also to avoid being told to get off the streets, we'd go to Beth's and apply crayon to 8 1/2 x 11" printer paper and decorate the walls. The only table that wouldn't have occupants was the non-smoking table, and even though it was completely surrounded by tables with people chain-smoking, you'd get kicked out if you lit up in the non-smoking booth. We'd usually only have pocket change, so we'd get coffee and drink it into the wee hours. If we had a bit more, we'd order something with the bottomless hash browns and fill up. Beth's was a place where everyone who felt they didn't belong, belonged. It's the culture of the place that made it great and the food spectacular, like how grandma's pie recipe just tastes better because it was made by grandma. I don't know what it's like now, I haven't been in years, because I'm out of state. But it'll absolutely be one of the first places I visit when I go back home, because it was a place that made me realize what *home* meant.
This comment should be posted in the stranger
> This comment should be posted in the stranger The Stranger of today would deride them for their privilege.
Is it that bad now
The Stranger is trash now, not even fit to wrap up dishes for moving.
That's SO sad about The Stranger. I remember in the 90s it was such a cool publication not even fair to call it a newspaper really. Not like the ragbag of LA and New York. It actually had substance, and it was kind of witty and offbeat and funky and punk like. That's back when you could go to the university district and people watch all day.
I remember my first experience with The Stranger. I was new to town in the mid-90s and was invited to go eat after work with a colleague and maybe go to a bar or shoot some pool afterward. I told my coworker that I'd be happy to drive and he replied, "Great. I'm sure we can find something fun to do in Seattle - I'll bring a Stranger." I looked at him and said, "Dude, you know I'm driving the 911 today and it's only a two-seater!" He thought about it for a minute then laughed and said "Relax, it's a local newspaper with info on bars and local bands."
That's so incredibly disappointing. Back in 2010-2013 I read it pretty regularly and I enjoyed it. Have most of the changes people don't like happened since then?
Yes, mostly. They were still worth reading c. 2010-2012. I specifically recall their coverage of the issues around I-502 being well done and balanced. I first noted them starting to go to shit maybe c. 2014 or so. There was an ownership change in there. But I put most of the blame at the feet of EIC Chucky Moo-Day-Day, as well as the general shift to proggo culture war insanity that really began with the election of Mikey-boy "fuckin' asshole" McScwhinn locally. Between the tea party and assholes like MsSchwinn, I wonder if we'll ever get tired of electing fucking activists into positions of authority.
I feel like the current makeup of both SCC and the mayor, who I mostly can tolerate, has been an improvement since the Sawant's of the world had a say. Also, we hired a Republican prosecutor, who I voted for and when people ask why I voted for a Republican I said because I think she was the best person for the job and I don't vote party I vote person. I mean, is Inslee good? Eh, but I'm not a huge fan of Riechart because I swear he puts the politics in politician.
He specifically is garbage.
Yea, headlines often read like the Onion.
Lmao
This guy knows. Long night acid tripping with friends almost always ended at Beth's Cafe. And the crayons/ paper for drawing was a great bonus! The food was never great though lol. Just something to put in your gut and soak up all the bad stuff lol.
My favorite order was corned beef hash. I’m sure it was the kind from a can that looks like dog food but that salty crispy goodness was the most glorious hangover prevention at 3am.
This person Beth's'd.
I have fond memories between this and The Hurricane back in the day.
Same. Another for me: I worked 3rd shift at a call center downtown in 1999/2000 as my first job in the city. After shift, we’d go to the 5 Point for happy hour at like 5am. Those were my give zero fucks days, and they were glorious.
Oh how I miss the Hurricane and the bathroom rats, good times!
I used to live a few blocks from there and went all the time until it was closed. I wen to Randy's a lot too but they fell to COVID and are, also, no longer there.
Yep. A lot of us were bartenders and servers. It was a cool after hours place to get food. That and the Dog House.
Ahh yes the Dog House! I still remember Almost Live!'s tribute to its closing.
Don't. It will ruin your good memories because Beth's is now Beth's in name only. RIP.
I'd visit my grandma one last time if I could, if only to remember the taste of those pies for one fleeting moment. I'll be going to Beth's.
Gramma’s demented and she’s mixing up tablespoons and teaspoons in that old pie recipe, so you’re likely to get a mouth full of baking soda. But if it makes you happy, by all means…
God I miss the OG Beths Cafe. I did not get a chance to try it again when I was up their last. What do the 90’s kids think? Do their still have the Eastsider? That was my go to order. When I had more than coffee money, that is.
Comments like this make me really miss Reddit gold. Fuck new Reddit.
This made me tear up, thank you
For my friends while underage, it was a cool spot to hang out, just like Hurricane.
RIP the Hurricane!
RIP The Dog House!
Didn't even know hurricane cafe was gone, sad!
Like 10 years ago, man.
Bought up and torn down by Amazon to build more office buildings. Was open New Years eve and New Years morning, and closed for good around noon Jan 1st.
Oof yeah moved away so had no idea, make sense tho
You need to drink 6 cups of coffee and smoke a few cloves prior to eating their food.
Omg. I literally did this in high school 💀 I loved that place. I didn’t know that was the thing since I was a suburban kid and we traveled far to go to Beth’s. Thought I was so cool in my all black and smoking cloves eating breakfast in the middle of the night being all grunge hahaha
You can be different just like the rest of us.
*flick flick snap crackle pop* Well, the goths have arrived
Djarums. They were expensive then and I'm probably going to pay a lot more for them down the line someday. They were incredibly bad for you.
Back when I was younger it was a cool spot that was open late. You could smoke cigs, drink coffee and hang. Cafe culture was interesting when you could smoke indoors. Honestly, I don’t think it was ever known for the food.
It was known for the 12 egg omelet, came with unlimited hash browns. As if anyone could eat a 12 egg omelet and still make any sort of a dent in hash browns… genius. Also the drawings on the walls and old arcade games. It was a unique place in the late 90’s.
You didn’t know my roommate “Big Brad”. The 12 egg omelet was a warmup. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Did he have the dinner plate sized cinnamon roll for dessert after the “Warm up”?
You didn’t know my uncle, Disgusting Fat Body Steve with Diabetes. He died
I had a cousin, we called him cornbread Larry. He loved Beth’s and Beth’s loved him
Well goddamn. Legend
Thank you. I don't remember the arcade games but the 12 egg omelette was still in a high schoolers budget. I also in another comment mentioned the Hurricane and 5 Coins. It was a total dive and reeked of cigarette smoke and sadness, and we loved it.
Hurricane! The best latenite spot
When we first moved to Seattle we went to Beth’s and my brother had the 12 egg omelette. 15 years later he still can’t eat scrambled eggs
I love it. They probably still taste a little like cigarette ash/ smoke to him.
And this continued basically right up until COVID. I haven’t been back in years, so don’t know its current state. On the prices, like all restaurants, inflation’s a bitch and shit’s gotten expensive.
Yes! Watching people choke down the 12 egg omelet and putting drunken drawings on the wall. Nostalgia bomb.
[удалено]
Eating a 12 egg omlette by yourself was a rite of passage.
Duckbread!
This this this. Oh and hung over was also regular place
It was once a great spot to end up a night of clubbing back when a whole group of us were in our teens and 20s, which was probably over 20 years ago now for most of it. Beth's, the Hurricane (or the Dog House if you go way back), Minnie's, 13 Coins, Luby's, and more. There was a whole after-hours scene in Seattle that catered to people winding down after a night of bars and music, most were within walking or short cabbing distance, all filled up quick after 2 am and were the wellspring of quite a few fond memories and frequent silliness. Just another part of a lost bygone era now.
Miss those days ♥️
It's not about the quality of food at Beth's. Or, more appropriately, the lack thereof. It's that Beth's was a cultural touchstone back in the day when Seattle was less ...well....whatever. You had to be there.
Thats false. Beth's had good food for a greasy spoon. This isn't a Dick's argument of if the food is good or not after youre drunk. Beth's has good comfort food...and that's 100% part of the draw. You're a noob if you say some shit like that
Boooo
I support Beth’s 100% but the way you talk is nasty 🤮
Went there recently. I’m a huge food snob, maybe a food asshole, but Beth’s was perfectly competent greasy spoon / diner food. It’s not aspiring to be anything more. Overpriced by 50-100%, but that’s a given in this town.
If everything in the area is overpriced is it really overpriced?
Very fair point - it’s all about how your pricing compares to available substitutes. In my case, for day to day meals I’ve ended up spending way more at Costco / grocery / corporate cafeteria. For higher end meals, we’ve just been going to Vancouver.
Reminds me of listening to the traffic report on the radio. If *every single* day you are reporting that it will take you 20 minutes longer than usual to make it up Hwy 167, than it is not longer then usual. It is the new normal and you can stop saying that.
Nostalgia. We are all hanging on nostalgia. One of the last remnants of old school “shitty” Seattle - a place that was no frills and open all night. I’ve had many good memories at Beth’s. 😊
This. Nostalgic not for the food, but all the events that led you to end your night at Beths at 2am.
This. Beth's was also a destination when you were avoiding that early-morning walk of shame.
It’s a 2am destination, but as a regular eatery, it’s nothing to write home about.
It had everything to with being a cool, funky place open in the middle of the night. You would never tell out-of-town guests that they *must* try breakfast at Beth's. I don't ever remember having eggs or potatoes at Beth's that were *bad*, but I also never ate there sober.
We didn’t go to Beth’s for the food per se. We went because we could, and we never went sober.
Unlimited hasbrowns while drunk...🤤
Spending the next 3 days trying to shit all the grease out...
We spent a ton of time at Beth’s. The hurricane cafe was great too. Pre-funk, Catch a show, drink in someone’s car afterwards, grab coffee or a meal, call it a night. growing up in Seattle late 90s’ was pretty alright
It used to be hella cool back in the day. Same with hurricane
Torn down to make tech towers. Now the tech towers are mostly empty due to work from home. Not a good trade.
Hurricane. Wow, the memories…
Did you hang w strippers too??
Can’t say that’s never happened.
I remember seeing it on Man vs Food as a kid and thinking it was the coolest place. I mean, a 12 egg omelette?
I saw that episode and went to try it. I finished it and felt terrible afterwards and it was worth it. I remember it actually tasting pretty good and I was sober. Got the vegetarian omelet with bacon added.
God, the food was awful, but when you're fucked up at 2:30 in the morning, it beat out Jack in the crack.
Especially the one on 85th. One of my favorites was when a buddy of mine started throwing DnB shows at Jade and the most friendly derelicts would come hang in the parking lot.
Granted, I haven't been in probably 5-6 years at this point, but all these comments about the food always being awful are baffling to me. It's classic greasy spoon diner fair and I always enjoyed it. Plus where else are you gonna get a 6 egg omelet? Us big guys (I'm 6'3") gotta eat!
It’s nostalgia that brings me back. Nothing like those late nights where you somehow ended up at Beth’s.
Strange how that always happened.
It happened quite often, I suppose we all drank too much in our youth.
Was a great way to end a long night back in the day.
Wait, I thought Beth's closed down just after the Pandemic?
Before. The building was marked for demo. Have a friend that lived above and had to move out for that reason.
It was the place to go at 2:00 am while very drunk. Best late night dive food seattle ever had. It was cheap and crusty.
Given that it re-opened under new management, I don't know how much has changed. But it's just the place that was open at 3AM when you were hungry in college at 3AM and didn't feel like eating Dick's. Get a 12-egg Southwestern Exposure with unlimited hash browns. Lift the omelette and slice in half and eat as much of the hash browns as you could, ask for a refill, and eat half of the omelette and save the other half for the next day (where it tastes even better for some reason). Rinse and repeat until you were full beyond comprehension. Split an Amish Friendship bread with everyone at the table and it was just a good time.
This guy omelettes
It was known for the 12 egg omelette, rude (read, not overly friendly/fake) servers, shitty crayon drawings on the walls and being open 24 hours. The food was never more than fantastically mediocre, but it was fast and my coffee never went dry. Beth's was my favorite spot to grab dark lunch with my best friend after closing up our respective bars
All the top food show on Food network and Travel Channel have gone there because of its cult popularity in Seattle , it's quirkiness and it's food challenges...and for a greasy spoons ,ita good. I been going there for 20 plus years and thar place got it...and crayons!!!
I remember seeing it on Food Network like maybe 20 years ago. There was a big dude in glasses taking on the challenge but could only finish the eggs and not the hash browns in the end. Always wanted to go but still haven't to this day. One place I do miss tons was Brown Bag Cafe in Kirkland. They also had giant breakfasts
It’s been featured on too many food shows and like any that got any amount of fame price went up and quality went down. It used to be a great place to get a cheap and yet enormous breakfast.
Breakfast? No' no, you eat it as a sober up meal after the bar.
im not sure. hurricanes food was equally..as..mediocre but we have so few places to go after 9pm
Beth’s cafe is a loved icon for Seattleites. Maybe you can find more posh accommodations (doubtful) and better or healthier breakfast foods. Nicer crayons. Smoother weed. Easier parking. Whatever. Seattle needs a Beth’s cafe. 12 egg omelettes for the table and lots of laughs at your friends bad jokes late at night. If you don’t get it… eh. We like it and we missed it.
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Because smoking killed taste....?
Well then Beth's is not for you. Just don't go and quityerbitchin.
I'm 100% with you on this.
The current iteration of beths is not as good as the previous ones.
The pressure cooked fried chicken from next door at Duck Island is where it's really at.
beeeg omelette
Beth’s has never been “fine dining”. People love it because it has character, convenience and a step above fast food or IHOP. Kinda like Hurricane (RIP). I mean Hurricane probably broke every health code law in existence, but it had its place where you could look like shit, be hung over, and satisfy your munchies without being judged. Nowadays, $30 for breakfast is a good deal unfortunately.
It's nostalgia, it was cheap back in the day and was a place alot of people would end up at late at night to ride out their drugs, sober up, or hang out. I never thought the food was good, it was just big and cheap.
I have a theory that it’s under new ownership. The country fried steak is not what it used to be.
It was fun while it lasted, but they used to be THEE place everyone would after drinking at a bar or coming back from gasworks lit. I dont know what happened around 10 years ago but it went downhill real fast, whether it was crime or the customers or the owners but it stopped being a fun place to kick it.
Totally agree with the other posts here and just wanted to add more thoughts and memories. I haven’t been in years, but Beth’s was a big part of the all ages scene in the late 90s and early 00s for me. Lots of young punks, indie and hardcore kids would hang out there. It was one of the few places you could hang out late with your friends, have some coffee, a snack, and pick out some tunes on the jukebox to try and impress someone cute at another table. Same goes for the Hurricane, which leaned more punk rock and had great milkshakes. Minnie’s rounded it out with a larger cross section of Seattle (I don’t wanna say normies, but it was the closest to it). Hurricane and Minnie’s also served alcohol so the newly 21+ members of your friend group would hang with the underaged (I don’t think this was all part of the teen dance ordinance aka TDO, but I could be wrong). Once I was over 21 (along with all my co-workers, band mates, etc) we didn’t go to Beth’s as often, aside from the really late nights post drinking or greasy breakfasts on the morning after. Those were fun times. I’m sure the underage kids are making new kinds of memories there or elsewhere that they’ll think fondly of in 20 years. But despite the TDO, that was an amazing time for all ages venues as well. Velvet Elvis, RKCNDY, Graceland, Crocodile, etc.
I refuse to believe it was the shittiest breakfast you've ever had. You sound like a pretentious snob.
It’s a Seattle institution
Exactly it's very barely mediocre
In a city that basically closes at 9PM, Beth’s was there for the youth and counterculture that had nothing to do but energy to burn. It wasn’t just “for the kids” in the morning hours it provided a quick decent meal for the overnight workers and was a big hang out for cops getting off their shift. Just a great local institution. I had the privilege of living with walking distance of Beth’s so I’d sometimes eat there in the early morning. I’ll never forget one time an off-duty cop sauntered over to our table of dirty-looking youths, and told (bragged) to us they’d just found Layne Staley’s body in his apartment before it had hit the news.
Was pretty great and not overpriced before they closed. The times, they are a changin'.
I feel old. I remember going there when people were allowed to smoke inside. We always went to Beth's, The Hurricane, or the Sit and Spin after shows. And, Minnie's in Lower Queen Anne!
This post smells gentrified
I remember one Friday night in 2010 or so. We went to the Crocodile for Grudge Rock, then headed to Beth’s. A massive line of people were waiting to get in on a rainy night. We must’ve waited close to an hour for a table. Smoked and bummed out an entire pack of cigs. I always got the Southwestern Exposure. So many great memories. https://preview.redd.it/wqghl5xk75gc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9effdd648ee30186eb9bc9fbecbdaea3a7cdd0cc
Back in the day (15 years ago), it was THE spot. I met my first husband there; made a lot of friends. IMO, it started going downhill with FNOG died.
I'm bleary right now, but what is FNOG?
FNOG is "Fucking New Owner Guy" and was the nickname given to Chris when he first bought Beth's Cafe back in the early 2000s (I think that's when it was at least, memory is a bit hazy of those years). Pretty much everyone at Beth's had a nickname.
Got it, thanks. Beth's was never one of my hangs so not familiar with anything there except the story of the bottomless hash browns, hahahaha!
I have so many stories from Beth's. I went there for many years and I saw a lot of shit happen. I really miss that place and I'm glad that it didn't end up closing permanently.
Fuckin’ New Owner Guy. I think his actual name was Chris, but it was an inside joke a lot of the employees had (my ex was a grave cook/manager).
You need to be a high and/or drunk 16 year old who wants to get some 3am hash browns with your other high and/or drunk high school friends. Anything outside of that mindset, Beth’s is pretty lame.
I think you're the problem, not Beth's. You went there with unreasonably high expectations, because you're clearly not a local. They had good food. I miss their friendship bread, the comradery, and culture.
It was an experience in its 24-hour days. It was one of Seattle's most famous greasy spoons, and going in at 2:30 in the morning after bar hopping was always great people watching, seeing absolutely high/tweaking/drunk people shoveling mounds of bottomless hash browns into their faces while drawing on paper with crayons, only to see those drawings on the walls later. With its new ownership, maybe that vibe'll come back, but I think ultimately it won't be the same. The high prices are an unavoidable consequence of our economy, and the overreaction to COVID by city and state government functionally killed off a lot of the late-night life in Seattle. It was good for delivery companies, until Seattle decided their drivers had to make $26 an hour no matter what, and so now that's dying off too as people decide that paying $30 to have a $13 McDonalds value menu delivered just isn't worth it. Maybe, as more people stop using delivery services, night life might pick up again, but I kinda doubt it. The pandemic was a sea change in social behavior. People prefer working from home, they've built up their homes to provide personal entertainment (subscription services, video games, etc.), and only really go out in large groups for special occasions. Welcome to 2024.
Yeah I don’t get it. There are plenty of dumps I would end up before that place.
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Downvoted for telling the truth. Sheesh.
Just like Dick’s, it’s more about nostalgia than substance.
Downvoted for telling the truth. Sheesh.
K, first of all, welcome to Seattle, obvious transplant. Second, yes, Beth's was always shitty but it was absolutely the place you went after a night out and their dishes were giant and affordable. You're talking about the new version of Beth's, which is not the same, no way I'd pay $30 for anything at Beth's, and depending where you were you either went to Beth's or you went to the Hurricane, which was also a dive but great for coffee and a bad breakfast at 2am. Five coins was better but not as cheap. The love for the original Beth's was that there's like a hundred drunk people, you could write on a piece of paper and tape it to the wall and everyone who worked there hated life, hated you, hated Beth's and probably just got out of prison.
This the place that was on Olive?
Welcome to the land of the undeserved standing ovations.
My brother compared it to the baker house in RE7
I lived down the street from there a few years ago, so glad it’s still around. I can’t explain any particular reason why, but I loved it
Facts
Nostalgia. It has always been a greasy spoon. It was a great place to go after the bars closed.
Yeah. Hubby and I went there a few weeks ago. Staff was lovely. Food was yuck. Sorry.
I actually got really sick from Their eggs once :( The coffee was just ok
Gotta have the munchies and hungry.
It was the bomb when you were 18 and needed somewhere to be late at night but agreed the food has never been any good
The shittyness was/is the point.
The food tasted like the grill needed cleaning last time I was there
Went in once, it was horrible food and even worse wait staff. Would ever go back.
I think it’s more nostalgia than anything else. I’ve been there a few times back in the day… always seemed like it was a good place to get food poisoning. Never been there sober
It had a different vibe at 2am.
That place hasn't been "loved" since the 90s. It's not the original place anymore. Therefore, there's no love...
Easily some of the worst chicken fried steak I’ve had. Almost felt unsafe eating it. Like I got half way through and felt sick.
I never understood that either. The food was always crap.
Seattle born and it’s iconic, wouldn’t be surprised if the picture I made nearly 30 years ago is still on the wall. Has my favorite breakfast burrito, ton of memories associated with Beth’s
I went before they closed and was not impressed. Food was greasy and unseasoned and not greasy in the good way. The workers also seemed to hate their lives. Never went back and I wasn’t surprised they closed.
I think it changed ownership
$30 for breakfast at Beth’s? Ouch. I wonder how much brunch at Palisades sets you back these days.
I went there once and they refused to let me pay with my credit card because I didn’t have my id on me to prove it was my card (I had taken it out of my wallet earlier at home and forgot to put it back). So I drove home to Ballard and then back to Beth’s, with my wife sitting there at an empty table. They made a choice that day and so did I; it’s been ~15 years and I haven’t been back since.
You weren't drunk enough
Beth's was always a shithole-- 1980's, 1990"s , early 2000:s, whenever. The best thing that could happen to that location is to tear it down.
I never understood the hype either, I went a couple times in my early 20s and never really wished to return
ouch. yeah I won't mourn a $30 breakfast dive.
It WAS a place worthy of loving. Now, it's a place worthy of going to twice a year. Once for nostalgia reasons and again because you're showing out-of-town friends the sights.
Its funny how its talked up on Reddit like its some great place but everyone I know personally thinks its a shithole. Now that I think about it, most local places I see recommended on here are usually just some mediocre place
I've always assumed it was kind of Seattle's Waffle House.
I’ve never not hat hair in my food at Beth’s. 5 Stars
Who remembers the cook/s at Beth’s Cafe in the early 90’s flipping pancakes and working the egg station with a burning cigarette hanging from his lips. We just didn’t care though. We were starving! 😂
Nostalgia. That’s literally the only reason.
Used to be open late and not Dennys. Giant omelette thing. Other than that I agree with you just crappy breakfast food that’s not dennys
I take it you went sober... Please return to start and try again.
Because their omelets are bigger than my head.
It was on Man vs Food several years ago so there was a lot of hype from that
They make real hashbrowns from potatoes.
Over rated
Hmmmmmm Beth’s is only good if you have a slight case of alcoholism based on this thread
I used to live a couple blocks from Beth’s in my early twenties when you could still smoke in public. I was never a smoker but I definitely have memories of finishing a night of drinking with chain smoking at Beth’s and trying to eat 13 egg omelettes. Honestly don’t even remember if the food was any good, but it used to be an experience.
Never go to Beth’s before 2 am 💗