A Local's Take on the Best Cheap Eats & Casual Restaurants in Seattle

When I moved here over a decade ago, it wasn’t difficult to find casual restaurants in Seattle serving cheap eats. But with the proliferation of tech, Seattle has become quite an expensive city for food (don’t even get me started on how I feel about grapes being $7 per pound!).

Yet locals know that you can still find cheap restaurants in Seattle if you know where to look. To make it easier for you to find, I’ve curated my list of the best cheap eats in Seattle for when you’re craving food that won’t break the bank.

Best Cheap Eats and Casual Restaurants in Seattle

All of these cheap restaurants in Seattle feature menus with items under $15, and in some cases under $10. Save this to Pinterest for later, as I’ll keep it updated with more finds!

Spice Waala

website | neighborhoods: Capitol Hill, Ballard, and Columbia City | what to get: kathi rolls, papdi chaat, and soft serve ice cream | cost: ~$5.50-$8.50

Spice Waala used to operate out of farmers markets before opening a permanent spot in Capitol Hill a few years ago. Now they also have a spot in Ballard, a testament to why they’re one of the best Indian restaurants in Seattle.

Owners Aakanksha Sinha and Uttam Mukherjee started selling the Indian street food they grew up eating on a quest to evoke the nostalgia of their youth. And as someone who has been to India, I can tell you their menu is really authentic to the types of things you can find there.

They feature kathi rolls, chaat, and bhel puri on their menu, all dishes you’ll rarely see at typical Indian restaurants in the US. It’s dishes like these that marry sweet, spicy, and crunchy into the perfect affordable bite beyond the sauce-y/stew-like dishes most of us expect from Indian food.

When you go, definitely get the papdi chaat “nachos” and kathi rolls as your main meal. My favorite rolls are the aloo potato and chicken tikka (the latter of which is spicy). And make sure to get extra sweet tamarind sauce, spicy green chutney, and yogurt. I slop it on everything.

The papdi chaat is one of my favorite dishes on their menu. It’s a medley of perfectly-cooked potatoes, crunchy fried chips, cilantro, yogurt, and tamarind sauce. Don’t be surprised that it’s room temperature. That’s traditional!

Lastly, don’t miss their soft serve. It’s some of the best ice cream in Seattle give its creamy texture. The flavors change regularly, but if they have coffee or mango lassi when you visit, GET IT.

Pro tip: All of Spice Walla’s meat is halal, so they’re also on my list of the best halal restaurants in Seattle.

Fuji Bakery

website | neighborhoods: Interbay and Chinatown-International District | what to get: egg salad sando, beef curry bun, and crunchy cream doughnut | cost: ~$4-$8

You’ll be hard pressed to find cheap eats under $5 in Seattle, but Fuji Bakery is one of those places that won’t break the bank. It’s main bakery is on an unassuming area of Elliott Ave in Interbay that’s easy to fly by on the busy road. But it’s worth a stop for their impeccably executed sweet and savory baked goods.

The must gets here are the egg salad sando, beef curry bun, and crunchy cream doughnut. They’re all super flavorful booth with their filling and their bread. If you haven’t been here yet, it’s one of the best casual restaurants in Seattle, so get here soon!

Frelard Tamales

website | neighborhood: Fremont | what to get: chorizo, bean, or chicken tamale | cost: ~$7

This under-the-radar tamale shop is one of the newer additions to my list of best casual restaurants in Seattle. It serves authentic, larger-than-average tamales that are honestly some of the best I’ve ever had. All others I’ve tried are smaller and denser, but somehow Frelard Tamales makes a fluffier, lighter version with exceptional fillings.

My favorites are the chorizo, bean, and chicken ones, but really you can’t go wrong with any of them. The only mistake you can make is not getting extra fresh salsa and pickled carrots.

I asked Frelard Tamales owners how they make such darn good tamales. The answer was in their history. Owners Osbaldo Hernández and his husband Dennis Ramey used to make tamales with Osbaldo’s mom, Eva, back home. They couldn’t find any authentic style tamales in north Seattle so they started making their own.

Their tamales are distinct because they weight half a pound and use real corn husks tied at the ends. They also keep to tradition by using lard for the meat options, but try to source local ingredients from the Pacific Northwest (for example their meat comes from Washington and Oregon).

At first they just sold to people in Ballard or Fremont in church parking lots, but things really took off when they started selling at the Fremont Farmers Market. They now have a location in Fremont, but what’s super cool is both Osbaldo and Dennis still work full time. Their staff helps run the business on the weekdays, but you can find them there on weekends helping create authentic tamales for the masses.

Frelard Tamales offers free takeout and delivery in Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond, which you can order directly from them (preferred!) or third-party delivery apps. These items make excellent frozen meals…if you can control the temptation to gobble them all up!

El Camión

website | neighborhood: various | what to get: carnitas and fish tacos | cost: ~$3.50

El Camión is one of my OG cheap eats recommendations in Seattle. They started as one tiny food truck years ago in Ballard, but have since expanded to have food trucks around north Seattle, Laurelhurst, and West Seattle. They’re so good I’ve also included them on my list of the best West Seattle restaurants.

My go-to order is a plate of 2 carnitas tacos and one grilled fish taco. I go to San Diego every year, one of the taco capitals of America. And every year I make sure to add an aggressive taco crawl to my San Diego itinerary. Even in taco capitals like San Diego, I have yet to find a carnitas taco I like better than at El Camión.

Heaven Sent Fried Chicken

website | neighborhood: Lake City or Everett | what to get: fried chicken | cost: ~$3.25 per piece

Heaven Sent is a fried chicken spot opened by the famous Ezell Stephens whose name still graces his original venture into the restaurant world, Ezell’s Famous Chicken. However, he’s not associated with EFC anymore. I think both fried chicken spots are great, but Heaven Sent wins out ever so slightly for consistency in their chicken being top notch.

You can get a 2-piece chicken combo with a side, roll, and drink for under $10, but I prefer to buy individual pieces so I can get all thighs, since those have the best flavor. I also splurge the extra ~$2.50 to get the mac and cheese side because it’s my favorite.

If you’re looking for a casual restaurant in Seattle, don’t miss this spot! It’s one of the best Black-owned restaurants in Seattle.

Want even cheaper fried chicken?

Check out Quick Pack Mart in the Central District. They’re making beautifully-seasoned, crunchy wings and legs for under $2 each!

Mr. Gyros

website | neighborhood: Ballard or Wallingford | what to get: chicken shawarma or lamb gyro | cost: ~$11.50

I used to only ever get the chicken shawarma at Mr. Gyro’s (which is still awesome!), but I’ve recently converted to their lamb gyro sandwich because of how flavorful the meat is. I love it so much that I included them in my Ballard self-guided food tour.

This is one of my favorite cheap restaurants in Seattle, and others would agree. It’s been voted one of the most-loved casual restaurants in Seattle according to Yelp reviews in all of the US!

Another fun fact? I just learned they’ve opened up locations on the Big Island in Hawaii. While I usually travel to Maui every year, I’m definitely adding them to my list when I visit the Big Island to see if it’s as good. Stay tuned!

Need another cheap, but fancier gyro option?

Another great spot to get lamb gyros for about the same price is Taki’s Mad Greek in Crown Hill. It’s another spot for cheap eats in Seattle with a touch more ambiance than Mr. Gyro’s, which can be a good option if you’re hosting parents who aren’t always down with the typical vibe at cheap eat spots but still want one of the best casual restaurants in Seattle.

Monkey Bridge

website | neighborhood: Ballard | what to get: pork banh mi | cost: ~$11.75

Monkey Bridge is one of my favorite casual restaurants in Seattle. I used to go all the time with my sister and brother in law when I first moved here. Their menu is extensive, serving every type of traditional Vietnamese dish you can think of. But the dish I hone in on is the banh mi.

Their banh mis are huge. You’ll find them overstuffed with meat and the perfect combo of spicy and sweet. They’re served with beef, chicken, tofu, and pork, but my absolute favorite is the pork. Add their addictive mango salad and this is enough for two people to share!

Kiriba Sushi

website | neighborhood: Shoreline | what to get: salmon toro hand roll | cost: ~$7

Kiriba Sushi on N 145th St up in Shoreline is located inside a tiny yellow house converted into an unassuming sushi restaurant loved by locals. Seriously, when we went to pick up our order we were amazed at how many people were walking from the neighborhood streets nearby to grab their takeout from this local casual restaurant in Seattle.

I don’t even know what made me order this hand roll, as I wouldn’t say I order these a ton. But I am SO glad I did. This one is served with salmon toro, which means it’s a fattier cut of fish. That fat, when given a quick sear, takes on a whole new juicy flavor. It went beautifully with the fresh, simple filling.

Golden Daisy Restaurant

website | neighborhood: Beacon Hill | what to get: fried dumplings | cost: ~$1-$9

Golden Daisy is a dim sum hole-in-the-wall in South Seattle. It’s one of the best takeout restaurants in Seattle considering they don’t have indoor seating, but it’s well worth ordering even if you have to drive 45 minutes before eating (that was me and everything was still delectable).

There are so many goodies on the menu and everything is so cheap. The duck, sesame balls, and dumplings are all worthy orders. However, my must-get are the dumplings. They’re fried in this gummy-sweet dough and stuffed with savory meats. for only about $1 for two, this may be the cheapest eats in all of Seattle!

Spice Bridge

website | neighborhood: Tukwila | what to get: stews and savory pastries | cost: ~$4-$10

One of the best casual restaurants in Seattle is Spice Bridge, a food hall near the airport serving food from women of color and immigrants who are part of Food Innovation Network’s incubator program. They work with 8 vendors to teach skills about running a successful food business. Any given day you’ll find 4 of them serving authentic cuisine from their culture.

Some of my favorite items are the goat or chicken stew from Moyo Kitchen and beef stew from Taste of Congo. This place is perfect for trying a bunch of items and doing a mini food crawl, so come hungry!

Bongos

website | neighborhood: Green Lake | what to get: shrimp po’ boy | cost: ~$12

Bongos may be one of the most-loved casual restaurants in Seattle. They have a serious cult following for their comforting Caribbean food. I really enjoy their spicy shrimp, either via a plate of po’ boy sandwich, but they’re also known for their braised pork that often runs out.

If you’re looking for a casual restaurant in Seattle that also has great ambiance, Bongos has a killer outdoor patio area that’s perfect for chilling in the sun with your group.

Due’ Cucina

website | neighborhood: various | what to get: cacio e pepe pasta | cost: ~$10-$14

Due’ Cucina is also on my honorable mentions list of the best pasta in Seattle. It was created by two Tuscans who studied at MIT on the quest to develop a healthier pasta leveraging healthy grains. They succeeded and chose Seattle as their base for a new casual restaurant in Seattle.

The dish I like best is their cacio e pepe. First, the reason I like this is that they serve this traditional Roman dish in the actual traditional way: no cream! This dish tricks you into thinking it’s cream based, but it’s actually an emulsion of cooked pasta water, Parmesan cheese, and egg yolk. Yet a lot of US restaurants add cream as a short cut.

The second reason I think this is one of the best cheap eats in Seattle is because this cacio e pepe is also different. Traditional cacio e pepe adds a heavy dose of black pepper to the pseudo cream-based sauce, but Due’ Cucina’s uses pink peppercorns. I love the subtleness of this type of pepper, and it’s not something I’ve ever seen done before. So if you’re in Capitol Hill, make sure you stop by this spot because I consider it one of the best casual restaurants in Seattle!

Beacon Hill Shell Station

website | neighborhood: Beacon Hill | what to get: fried catfish | cost: ~$7

You heard that right: one of the best casual restaurants in Seattle is in a Shell station. Most people wouldn’t ever thing to get food from a gas station, but the Beacon Hill location is churning out fire fried foods.

The must get here is the catfish. It’s huge and served in just a plastic bag so you can bite it sans utensils. I love how you can really get a sense of the cornmeal texture in the well-seasoned batter. And the catfish doesn’t taste like soil, as it often can if not prepared properly.

Pro tip: I haven’t had them, but other locals have told me the gizzards here are great too.

Maruta Shoten

website | neighborhood: Georgetown | what to get: nigiri sushi | cost: ~$6-$8

This Japanese grocery store is an honorary mention in my Georgetown self-guided food tour. It serves super cheap but excellent quality sushi, ramen, and hot plates. My go-to are the nigiri pieces because I like how they have more fish than the rolls, but you really can’t go wrong with anything!

Un Bien

website | neighborhood: Ballard | what to get: Caribbean roast sandwich | cost: ~$13.25

If you’re a Seattle local, you likely remember when Paseo in Fremont closed due to non-payment and treatment of workers and then its employees went to open Un Bien. Paseo is now open again under new ownership, but Un Bien is better (likely thanks to the OG employees bringing their recipes over).

This Caribbean sandwich spot along busy 15th Ave NW is a super fast casual Seattle restaurant. You order at a window and sit in a covered outdoor area. It’s also casual in the sense that these are some messy sandwiches. Bringing hand wipes isn’t a bad idea.

But even with the mess, this is one of the most flavorful pork shoulder sandwiches you’ll ever have. It’s served on a crispy baguette with mayo, jalapeños, cilantro, and grilled onions. It’s a place I recommend all out-of-towners visit on their culinary adventure, so make sure to add this cheap restaurant in Seattle to your list!

Blackstar Kebabs

website | neighborhood: various (food truck) | what to get: large beef kebab | cost: ~$7-$12

This food truck is owned by arguably the cutest older gentleman ever, Priestwick Sackeyfio. He used to be a semi-professional soccer player in Ghana and told Seattle mag in a 2019 article that it’s common to drink beer on the beach and enjoy skewered meat after games. Seattle didn’t have options for experiencing African street food, so in 2015 he opened up Blackstar Kebabs, named after the national Ghanian soccer team’s nickname.

The menu at Blackstar is straightforward: you get a plate of joloff rice (jasmine rice stewed in onions, cayenne, vegetables, and tomato paste), fried plantains, and your choice of either beef, chicken, or lamb skewers. The skewers are heavily seasoned with a spicy 11-ingredient spice mixture that is so proprietary, even Sackeyfio doesn’t know what’s in it. That’s because he sources it from friends in Ghana with food stands. He slathers it all over organic meat before grilling, which helps ensure it stays juicy and tender.

These skewers are incredibly flavorful, super spicy, and the perfect accompaniment to a beer, which is why you’ll find Sackeyfio parked outside popular Seattle breweries. And pro tip, get extra plantains. They’re sweet and the perfect cool down to the skewers.

More cheap eats in Seattle

Looking for more affordable ways to explore Seattle’s culinary scene? Here are some of my other guides you may find helpful after you finish trying the best casual restaurants in Seattle.