6 Seattle all-star restaurants within walking distance of T-Mobile Park
Whether you’re a visitor excited for the illustrious MLB All-Star Game happenings or just a resigned local planning to catch the Mariners doing their best in the rest of the regular season, some great food — and drinks! — either before or after can only increase the fun. Here, our food writers make their calls for recommendations for some of Seattle’s best restaurants within striking distance of T-Mobile Park, including a new Thai sensation, the city’s best mapo tofu and the debut of a tasty taco spot.
Pro tip: If the line at any of these places looks like it’s going into extra innings, head to Seattle’s Uwajimaya, a beloved local Asian supermarket with an excellent selection of hot and cold grab-and-go stuff, plus a food court with even more.
Onibaba
515 S. Main St., Seattle; 206-467-4004; onibabaseattle.com
Onibaba is new in Japantown, but also already a beloved hometown hero — Seattle sushi fans knew and revered it for 29 years as Tsukushinbo, a family-run spot where you might just find Ichiro hanging out. As the second generation running the place, sister-and-brother team Marin and Sho Caccam decided to change it up, and Onibaba is the happy first step of their plan for even more eating-and-drinking greatness.
There’s not much by way of signage (Tsukushinbo never had one, either), but peek in the window and you’ll know you’re in the right place — look for the demon mascot depicted on the wall holding the place’s specialty, onigiri. That’s the traditional snack of rice formed into a 3D triangle, stuffed with tasty fillings and wrapped in nori. Biting into one is like giving yourself a gift, with your choice of more than a dozen varieties such as perfectly seasoned Japanese-style fried chicken (karaage, $6.50), extra-delicious tuna salad (tuna mayo, $6) and plenty of veggie options ($5.50-$6.50). Musubi, a pad of rice topped with more delicious stuff, also features prominently here — the Spam tama makes for a savory, stacked-up treat with the famous canned meat grilled and sandwiching a layer of fluffy omelet, or try the luscious combo of broiled eel, egg and rich unagi sauce ($6-$10).
The sushi bar is gone, but the new menu’s got lots more to try, including rice bowls, spicy curry udon, beer, sake and Japanese whiskies. That’s if you’re able to score a table — Onibaba’s a small place and already hugely popular. But luckily, all kinds of onigiri and musubi are available to go, waiting in neat rows in a shiny glass case, perfectly packaged for eating while strolling to the ballpark. (And never fear, Seattle sushi fans — the next generation of Tsukushinbo is set to debut soon right next door as Kakurenbo, with a Shōwa era–styled izakaya, too.)
— Bethany Jean Clement
Chengdu Taste
504 Fifth Ave. S., Ste. 106, Seattle; 206-333-0457 (look up Chengdu Taste Seattle under fetail.com/storev2/shop?store_id=31 or any of the third-party delivery apps for the full menu)
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The undisputed best mapo tofu ($17.99) in Seattle resides at this corner cafe in the Chinatown International District. It’s creamy from the silky tofu and salty from a medley of different fermented beans. And the mapo tofu comes with a heavy dose of Sichuan peppercorns to tingle your lips and let you know you’re alive. The chili oil here is like none other in the city — nutty and salty, with enough heat to numb your tongue. But this oil will still go down easy with all the floral sweetness and MSG. Try that sauce with the boiled beef ($22.29) dish or the wonton with red chili sauce ($11.99) and draw your own conclusions. Just know that the kitchen stays mum on any questions about its chili oil. This Los Angeles-based chain guards its chili oil recipe like a national security secret. Only the chef knows all the ingredients in it.
— Tan Vinh
E-Jae Pak Mor
504 Fifth Ave. S., Unit 118, Seattle; 206-694-3561; ejaefoods.com
Rookie Thai restaurant E-Jae Pak Mor is looking like all-star material in its first season, with its signature street-food specialty already a TikTok sensation since opening this past April. A 13-minute walk from T-Mobile Park in Seattle’s historic Chinatown International District, this counter-service spot would be right at home in a modern Bangkok high-rise mall, meaning fun design, neon-bright colors and Thai pop music. A mini-jumbotron shows a video of the intricate yet speedy process of pak mor — a relative of Vietnamese rice-roll favorite bánh cuốn — being made, but you’ll probably want to take your own. Catch the rice-flour batter swiftly poured onto a fabric-topped steamer, creating the nearly translucently thin crêpe-noodle that gets topped with your filling of choice — two involve ground chicken and pork sausage, one’s krab with a K ($9.50-$15.95) — then wrapped into photogenically rippled oversized dumplings.
But you’re here to eat, and pak mor is a home run of both taste and texture, invitingly silky outside and umami-savory inside. Don’t neglect the accompanying sauces, for dipping or drizzling, to add limey-mint or extra-tangy zip. Also on offer: chicken-and-rice classic khao mun gai ($14.95), actually-great-on-a-hot-day spicy beef noodle soup ($16.95) and more not-your-usual-pad-Thai choices. And for your pre-gaming needs, Thai beer ($6) and house wine ($7) are available (with the pour on the latter a nice big one).
— Bethany Jean Clement
Tacolisto
119 S. Jackson St., Seattle; 206-623-0109; tacolistoseattle.com
It’s about a 10-minute walk from T-Mobile Park up Occidental to Tacolisto, a casual counter-serve spot for agua frescas, tacos and queso. There’s plenty of seating in the dining room — but there’s also a cool back patio if you’re looking to dine al fresco. The music is pumping and the vibe is very festive here, so if you’re amped up after the Home Run Derby, you’ll fit right in. Tacos are slightly larger than a typical street-sized taco and made with fragrant heirloom corn tortillas. The pollo asado ($5) is topped with a garlic-marinated chicken, slivers of grilled spring onion, a jalapeño garlic cream sauce and salsa macha, a spicy, nutty salsa that packs a nice, crunchy punch. The al pastor ($6) is heaped with tender hunks of red chili-marinated pork and topped with an impressive amount of pineapple and chopped white onion for a sweet/salty bite. The cauliflower pipian ($5) is a super saucy, tangy taco filled with roasted cauliflower, a green chili pipian thickened with pumpkin seeds and chimichurri.
There’s also quite a few sides — the charred broccoli ($7) with toasted almonds and lime yogurt sauce is especially good, as is the queso ($7) with freshly fried tortillas — plus ceviche, tres leches cake and arroz con leche. The drink menu is a real MVP with cervezas, mangonadas, margaritas and micheladas plus limeade, horchata and watermelon agua frescas.
— Jackie Varriano
Burbs Burgers
Located inside Quality Athletics in Pioneer Square; 121 S. King St., Seattle; 206-395-5616; burbsburger.com
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This is one of the cheapest smash burgers around town, and it’s as good as many of the higher-priced versions. The patty gets smashed on the griddle and sizzled until the edges form a thick, charred crust for that Maillard reaction. The Classic ($4.50) will taste five times better if you make it a double (for $2.50 more). For that, you’ll get two crisp discs with a thick glob of neon yellow American cheese that doubles as an adhesive to keep all the slippery ingredients in place for a layered, cheesy bite. You can also get the Burbs Special ($5) with pickles, shredded lettuce, grilled onions and all the works, and it will taste like a Big Mac without the middle bun. I prefer the double cheeseburger with none of the add-ons for a cleaner, beefy taste.
— Tan Vinh
Vinason
1521 First Ave. S., Seattle; 206-403-1827; vinason.net
This Vietnamese hot spot is so close to T-Mobile Park that two All-Stars could play catch between the front door of the restaurant and the main entrance to the ballpark. Located on First Avenue, this family-friendly spot has tons of seating and a giant screen showing games. There’s also a shelf filled with board games.
You’ll want to head here for the impressive pour-your-own beer wall that features 40 taps of local beer, wine, hard seltzer and soda, priced per ounce. Prices range from 30 to 60 cents per ounce. You can get a prepaid card from one of the kiosks right near the entrance. Food is also ordered through the kiosks. The menu is centered on classic Vietnamese dishes, with plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options. The crispy marinated tofu Tater Tots ($12), topped with sriracha mayo are incredible. There’s also crispy fried chicken wings doused in fish sauce ($12), lemon grass pork banh mi ($11.50) and big bowls of steaming pho with your choice of beef, chicken or vegetarian broth bases ($13.50-$15).
— Jackie Varriano
Source: The Seattle Times
