Where To Eat & Drink In Sodo - Seattle - The Infatuation (2024)

photo credit: Nate Watters

Sodo is short for “South Of Downtown,” and it’s the only real neighborhood abbreviation that exists in Seattle. In this small area, you’ll find Starbucks HQ, Lumen Field, and T-Mobile Park, and otherwise, it’s pretty industrial—except for a handful of great restaurants, wineries, and breweries. Whether you’re looking for somewhere to grab lunch or dinner before heading to a game, or you’re just bored and need a new area to explore, this guide is for you.

THE SPOTS

We know people who claim they’ll defend Dick’s to the grave, and then they try a cheeseburger from Pick-Quick and change their mind. It’s a drive-through spot that serves burgers, fries, and soft serve root beer floats. Pick-Quick is great when you’re strapped for time, or when you don’t want your significant other to resent you for spending too much money on food.

This is our favorite Jack’s location, and that's not just because this BBQ staple has ceiling mirrors above the cutting boards where you can watch the oddly intoxicating reflection of brisket being chopped. The food here is also much better than the other Jack’s outposts. They have tender pork ribs coated in a thick pepper crust that peels off like tree bark, and the jalapeño cheddar hot links are so snappy that it sounds like a poetry slam in there. However, it's the excellent side of corn pudding with sweet whole kernels suspended in a cornmeal custard that should grace every stainless steel picnic tray. Enjoy it all among the wooden beams, neon beer signs, and one too many animal skulls.

Right across the street from Jack's is Raney’s Bar & Grill—yet another BBQ spot. And while that may seem repetitive, they are two very different restaurants. This small bar with a profound lack of tourists has plenty of bottles of Jameson beyond the bar, sports playing on the TV, and a concise menu of four meats in different forms—sandwiches, burgers, plates, and a la carte. The pulled pork sandwich is particularly tasty. It’s light on the sauce, and topped with grilled onions, tart cabbage slaw, and sliced white cheddar that adds a nice salty pop, all smashed on sturdy ciabatta. A side of peppery mac salad ties it all together and proves that less is more when it comes to BBQ sides.

If you go to Vinason before a Mariners game, you might not make it to T-Mobile Park. Between the Capri Sun-style pouch co*cktails, oysters baked in an herby lemongrass vinaigrette, and cheesy shrimp bánh mì toast, it’s easy to have much more fun here. You'll find the same phở and bánh mî as their otherlocations, as well as Vietnamese sports bar-inspired snacks. Must-orders include the phở tater tots topped with beef fried in phở fat, extra-spicy fish sauce wings, and a side of garlic noodles (to ease the pain of said wings). This spot is also almost completely self-serve, thanks to ordering kiosks at the front, pour-it-yourself wine and beer taps, and a digital jukebox. Wow, machines really are taking all of our jobs.

Slice Box doesn’t look like much from the outside (or the inside while we’re at it). But if you’re on a mission for some of Seattle's best pizza, it shouldn’t matter that you have to eat it in a strange back room covered in posters advertising gardening supplies. The New York-style pies in here have a great flavor and crispy crust, and the Sicilian pepperoni slice is an absolute winner. The best part about Slice Box is that the staff will grate cheese on top of your pizza from a fresh hunk of parmesan, even if you’re just grabbing a slice to-go.

We’re happy to report that gluten-free brewery Ghostfish not only has good wheatless beer (brewed with things like amaranth and quinoa), but good wheatless snacks, too. You’ll find caesar salad with pork belly croutons, ahi tuna street tacos, and a burger with bone marrow aioli on a bun that doesn’t taste like wet cardboard and sacrifice. Cheers.

Derby is a car club that also happens to serve good food. You do need to be a member of the car club to valet your Porsche in the adjoining showroom or use the private game room, but anyone can order a round of beers and some classy pub food in the restaurant. Get the smoked brisket poutine, or the BLT stuffed with avocado and some very serious candied bacon.

This colorful Cuban restaurant serves tasty cubano sandwiches that stay crunchy on the outside and melty on the inside, even if you order takeout. You’ll also find things like tostones and rice and bean plates, but we find the sandwiches and fries here to be most satisfying—especially with the cilantro sauce that comes on the side.

We always get a little too excited when we see Seapine on a beer list at a restaurant. Their Sodo tasting room is a lot like other beer spots in Seattle: string lights, picnic tables, a garage that opens up into the street, and of course, the taps. Everything they brew is great, but the peach gose is practically designed for summertime (or at least for pretending that it is).

You already know Macrina Bakery. Their Sodo cafe has a nice space that’s perfect for getting some work done, which is a real anomaly in this neighborhood unless you want to try getting a parking spot at the teeny Starbucks on 1st Ave S. Good luck with that. At lunch here, you’ll find sandwiches on their fresh bread, as well as salads and pasta. If you’re lucky, the cake samples will come out.

You might be with some people who are interested in checking out the Sodo Starbucks Reserve. While they stare at coffee beans for an hour, grab lunch at Princi, a cafe that originated in Italy. Their focaccia pizza slices are delicious, but you could also get a croissant sandwich, pasta, or fancy chocolate ganache tart.

Dona Queen is a Sodo classic. This Korean deli opens at 4am sharp and instantly gets filled with early morning folks who are there solely to pick up a breakfast sandwich or a plate of spicy pork bulgogi. But it's the glass case of wall-to-wall donuts that you should prioritize. The donuts here are split into two distinct categories—“regular” and “fancy”. Regular donuts could mean glazed or iced, while the fancier donuts could mean a fritter or something filled. Make sure you pick up a bear claw with apple filling that tastes precisely like warm pie. It's fancy.