Chances are, you’ve heard folks say, “Once you move to West Seattle, you never leave.” That’s primarily because there are enough great restaurants in this slice of the city for the neighborhood to function as a self-sufficient bubble—bridge or no bridge. Between ice cream from a deli that’s been around for almost a century, a Thai restaurant with crispy garlic chicken we can’t stop thinking about, and a Hawaiian spot that has some of the best skyline views in town, there are more than a few reasons to spend time in the west.
THE SPOTS
$$$$Perfect For:Casual Weeknight DinnerBig Groups
We could scream from the rooftops about Buddha Ruksa’s sticky garlic fried chicken. Unfortunately, we’d be interrupted by a bunch of other people also on rooftops screaming about it. All you need is one trip to this dark wood-filled spot to know it’s special. They’ve got all the Thai classics, like a lime-heavy pad thai and fragrant panang curry that hold their own. But don’t ignore their “Signature Dishes” section of the menu, where you’ll find must-orders like crab fried rice and prawns in a silky pumpkin curry. Come with a group for dinner, knowing tensions may get high when it’s time to decide who takes the leftovers home.