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Top 25 Restaurants on The Ave

The 1.5 year journey has finally come to an end! After visiting 67 different restaurants between 40th St and 50th St, we’ve consolidated a list of the best 25 places to eat on The Ave. From the sketchiest dives to best-in-class restaurants, we’ve been to them all. So read up and then eat up because you’ve likely been missing out on a whole lot of fantastic food. Who’s hungry?

Tribute to the greatest love movie of all time.

67 Burger Hut

Never. Ever. Go here. Whomever you voted for in November, imagine that eating here would result in your vote retroactively being cast for your worst political enemy. Oh the horror.

25 BBQ Chicken

Traditional Korean food. No actually. Read an article on how popular KFC is in Japan and Korea.

24 Shawarma King

Solid Shawarma in a place where shawarma competition is stiff.

23 Yummy Bites

Decently yummy Chinese food.

22 Nasai Teriyaki

Self-explanatory.

21 Samir’s Mediterranean Grill

Mom and pop Greek-ish food. Excellent service!

20 U Don Noodles

Vaguely reminiscent of a Chipotle for noodles.

19 Samurai Noodle

Nice noodles. Better broth.

18 Cafe on the Ave

One of only a few breakfast stops. Good, but a bit pricey.

17 EJ Burger

Old faithful.

16 Best of Bento

Best sushi on The Ave.

15 Little Thai

On a street filled with Thai food, this little gai stands out.

14 Schultzy’s Bar & Grill

Brats and beer. Indulge your German side.

13 I See Food

Who knew The Ave sported Cajun food.

12 Rancho Bravo Tacos

Better than Chipotle? You decide.

11 Thaiger Room

The best-laid name of thais and zen.

10 Kai’s Bistro & Lounge

Extensive fine alcohol selection. Great food. Kai is the man!

9 Sizzle & Crunch Vietnamese Grill

Vietnamese Chipotle to spice up your day.

8 Arepa’s Venezuelan Kitchen

The best description of an arepa: a greasier, yummier gyro.

7 Ruzhen Mongolian Grill

Best bang for your buck on The Ave!

6 A Burger Place

Burgers made to order.

5 Sarducci’s Specialty Subs

Best sandwich on The Ave. Large selection and portions. Also serves crêpes!

4 Shalimar

Best Indian on The Ave. My Top restaurant. Fairly expensive, but top-notch service and food!

3 Thai Tom

Best Thai on The Ave. Best Pad Thai I’ve ever baht. Acrobatic meal prep.

2 Korean Tofu House

Best Korean on The Ave. Love the seafood pancake. A definite dark horse.

1 Mr. Lu’s Burgers & Seafood

Best Burger and Best Overall restaurant on The Ave. Mr. Lu’s is what the Tour de Ave is all about: deluxe food, unique menu, affordable prices, mom and pop shop, and hidden gem. And just to top things off, it accomplishes all of these things while looking as sketchy as possible. Gotta love it. Gotta try it. Go to Mr. Lu’s for lunch/dinner today.

I’d like to thank my two trusty food critics, Bobby and Alex, for a fun ride, stp. TripAdvisor and Yelp Elite have nothing on us.

But all jokes aside, we hope that the Tour de Ave has been and will be oddly inspiring for readers. On any given day, you too can grab a group of friends and begin a multiyear journey into whatever you’d like. We aren’t special. We just decided to do it.

Top 25 Restaurants on The Ave

Tribute to the greatest love movie of all time.

67 Burger Hut

Never. Ever. Go here. Whomever you voted for in November, imagine that eating here would result in your vote retroactively being cast for your worst political enemy. Oh the horror.

25 BBQ Chicken

Traditional Korean food. No actually. Read an article on how popular KFC is in Japan and Korea.

24 Shawarma King

Solid Shawarma in a place where shawarma competition is stiff.

23 Yummy Bites

Decently yummy Chinese food.

22 Nasai Teriyaki

Self-explanatory.

21 Samir’s Mediterranean Grill

Mom and pop Greek-ish food. Excellent service!

20 U Don Noodles

Vaguely reminiscent of a Chipotle for noodles.

19 Samurai Noodle

Nice noodles. Better broth.

18 Cafe on the Ave

One of only a few breakfast stops. Good, but a bit pricey.

17 EJ Burger

Old faithful.

16 Best of Bento

Best sushi on The Ave.

15 Little Thai

On a street filled with Thai food, this little gai stands out.

14 Schultzy’s Bar & Grill

Brats and beer. Indulge your German side.

13 I See Food

Who knew The Ave sported Cajun food.

12 Rancho Bravo Tacos

Better than Chipotle? You decide.

11 Thaiger Room

The best-laid name of thais and zen.

10 Kai’s Bistro & Lounge

Extensive fine alcohol selection. Great food. Kai is the man!

9 Sizzle & Crunch Vietnamese Grill

Vietnamese Chipotle to spice up your day.

8 Arepa’s Venezuelan Kitchen

The best description of an arepa: a greasier, yummier gyro.

7 Ruzhen Mongolian Grill

Best bang for your buck on The Ave!

6 A Burger Place

Burgers made to order.

5 Sarducci’s Specialty Subs

Best sandwich on The Ave. Large selection and portions. Also serves crêpes!

4 Shalimar

Best Indian on The Ave. My Top restaurant. Fairly expensive, but top-notch service and food!

3 Thai Tom

Best Thai on The Ave. Best Pad Thai I’ve ever baht. Acrobatic meal prep.

2 Korean Tofu House

Best Korean on The Ave. Love the seafood pancake. A definite dark horse.

1 Mr. Lu’s Burgers & Seafood

I’d like to thank my two trusty food critics, Bobby and Alex, for a fun ride, stp. TripAdvisor and Yelp Elite have nothing on us.

#TourdeAve #university of washington #university ave #theave #UW #foodtour #restaurants #seattle #burgers #thai #indian #vietnamese

A Vietnamese Chipotle, A Grand Opening, and A Forgotten Restaurant

I’ve been slacking. Life gets in the way like that. Though the blogs have slowed, the Tour de Ave has not. In fact, it has accelerated in anticipation of a panel member’s imminent departure. That means we will have visited all 50+ restaurants between 40th Ave and 50th Ave (including side streets) by Spring Break 2017. Our final blog will list the Top 25 Restaurants on the Ave. Be on the lookout.

Sizzle & Crunch

Type: Vietnamese Grill Food: 4.4/5 Cost: $7 - $9

In 1993 (a tremendous year), Steve Ells of Colorado set out to demonstrate that the restaurant business could find a happy medium between high margins and McDonald’s quality--or the lack thereof. And he did it. But more recently, he is just known for giving a bunch of people E. Coli. WHICH has been shown to be the fault of produce suppliers, NOT a failure to comply w/FDA food safety standards. So go get a burrito and support my shares of CMG. Also, GMOs are fine. Science has repeatedly confirmed it and if we stand any chance of feeding a world of 9 billion people we will need whatever frankenseed Monsanto can Mustard. Fun Fact: Did you know Monsanto made Agent Orange when it use to be a chemicals company? Not to mention Aspartame, Dioxin, DDT, PCB.... No wonder people hate them! But don’t let emotion cloud your judgement about GMOs. In and of themselves, GMOs are 100% fine. Lastly, Sizzle & Crunch is a slightly cheaper and comparable in quality Vietnamese version of Chipotle, offering Bánh mì (a word originating from French colonial Indochina) and rice bowls.

Rancho Bravo Tacos

Type: Mexican Food: 4.1/5 Cost: $6 - $9

I’m not sure how I had never heard of Rancho Bravo Tacos before their opening on The Ave. Touting the motto “Simple, Home-Style Mexican Cooking,” they actually have multiple locations across Seattle, including Capitol Hill, Fremont, and a walk-up window in Wallingford. Many a UW student hath recently claimed that Rancho Bravo Tacos > Chipotle. Let’s not get carried away. The reason Rancho Bravo has attracted sizable fanfare is likely due to the fact that Seattle generally serves as a basket of deplorable Mexican food--except for Chile Pepper. Disagree? Go live anywhere south of Redding, CA for a year and open your eyes to real Mexican food. Nevertheless, Rancho Bravo bided/bode/bid (grammatically they are all correct here, but I couldn’t decide which one sounded best) well with our judges. Prices and portions are on par if not slightly cheaper and slight smaller than Chipotle. Did you know the original Chipotle E. Coli episode came from the Chipotle on The Ave? What is this? A Chipotle blog or somethinggg?

Website: http://ranchobravotacos.com/

Madeleine Bread & Desserts

Type: Japanese+Bakery Food: 4.1/5 Cost: $8 - $10

Given its name, none of the members on our team thought Madeleine Bread & Desserts served lunch. I have a hunch that we weren’t the only ones because Madeleine recently added a sign outside advertising their lunch menu. It worked on us. Food options were standard...meat over rice (Don as it is called in Japan). The food was above average, but Madeleine Bread & Desserts set itself apart by delivering on its name: Bread and Desserts. Colorful macaroons greet guests upon entry in addition to an assortment of pastries. I can’t say we tried any of them--the Tour has been getting a bit expensive lately--but the dichotomy of an artistic bakery nestled inside a fairly generic University Ave restaurant was a pleasant surprise. Say what you will, but I’ve never seen a bakery inside a Japanese restaurant before.

Thanks to all those who have read our blog entries. Finish the series with us and keep a lookout for The Top 25 Restaurants on The Ave.

#THEAVE #university ave #university of washington #restaurants #food #chipotle #japanese #vietnamese #monsanto #agent orange #don

Best Burger on the Ave

The Ave has 5 burger joints to choose from, but only 3.5 are worth your time and money. This week we breakdown Burgerhut, CaliBurger, A Burger Place, EJ Burger, and Mr. Lu’s Burgers & Seafood.

5 Burgerhut

Type: Burger Food: 2.3/5 Veg-Option: Yes Cost: $5- $8

Burgerhut may be the worst place we have eaten during the Tour de Ave. The word worst is relative though. The food is certainly edible as denoted by the tolerable 2.3/5, but the overbearing grease was a turnoff. The burgers have a Middle Eastern flare to them, sporting spices and seasonings that are normally associated with falafel or kabob. With that in mind, their falafel might not be half bad. Just don’t get a burger here.

Website: http://burgerandkabobhut.com/

(WARNING: Food looks deceptively good on website #BigMacSyndrome)

4 Caliburger

Type: Burger Food: 2.9/5 Veg-Option: Maybe? Cost: $5- $8

CaliBurger is famous for their ongoing attempt to imitate Inn-and-Out Burger. Having been raised in California, the first indicator that it’s a cheap--actually, not that cheap--knockoff of Inn-and-Out is the name CaliBurger. Nobody from California uses the term Cali. Nobody! It’s not our fault that most of us can ski at sunrise and be on the beach by sunset. So stop using Cali, come visit, and eat the real Inn-and-Out. The ONE redeeming feature about this wannabe chain is their tech-friendly infrastructure. Brace yourself: they have wireless charging stations built into their tables. Mind blown.

3 A Burger Place

Type: Burger Food: 3.5/5 Veg-Option: Yes Cost: $7-10

How do you like your burger? At A Burger Place, customers have the opportunity to customize their burgers with their choice of toppings, sauces, and condiments. Think of Which Wich but for burgers. A visitor marks down all of his/her requests on his/her order sheet and out comes a burger designed just for him/her. In an increasingly personalized world, A Burger Place is extending that megatrend to food and we like it.

2 EJ Burger

Type: Burger Food: 4.1/5 Veg-Option: Yes Cost: $7-$10

There is nothing particularly original about EJ Burger (hence this short description), but what they lack in originality they make up for in quality. Solid burger. Solid price. No qualms.

1 Mr. Lu’s Burgers & Seafood

Type: Burger Food: 4.8/5 Veg-Option: Yes Cost: $7- $9

If you follow the Tour de Ave, you’ll recognize Mr. Lu’s from earlier this year. And despite meeting worthy opponents such as EJ Burger and A Burger Place, the incumbent reigns. I just went back to Mr. Lu’s last week to try a deep-fried salmon burger and--insert sounds of ecstasy here. Once you’ve overcome the sketchy establishment vibes, the rest is history. Mr. Lu’s is going to be a serious contender when it comes down to the final rankings for the Top 25 Restaurants on the Ave. Believe it or not, the Tour is winding down!

Next Blog: Ice cream and Shawarma!

#theave #UW #university of washington #burgers #tourdeave #mrlus #ejburger #burgerhut #aburgerplace #caliburger #bestburger

Eat More. Spend Less.

Ruzhen Mongolian Grill

Type: Mongolian BBQ Food: 4.1/5 Veg-Option: Yes Cost: < $8

If the Tour de Ave has taught me anything about U-District cuisine, it’s that the best bistro does not always have the best building. With this freshly-developed stereotype in mind, I knew Ruzhen Mongolian Grill would be a team favorite. The low-profile sign, unremarkable aesthetics, and general ambiguity are exactly what we look for when trying to discover a diamond in the rough. The more skeptical we feel, the more reason to try the restaurant (i.e. Hawaii BBQ). If a diner is succeeding in the U-District while sporting the blue abomination below, it’s probably because their food more than makes up for the paint job...or so goes the theory.

Luckily, we’re more concerned with Ruzhen’s food than their sufficiently dull decor. Classic Mongolian stir-fry (actually invented in 1950′s Taiwan) goes at a per pound rate or roughly $8 for the all-you-can-eat lunch special. Usually I’m a shameless victim of the unlimited food ruse, but this time I refrained, ringing up a bill of less than $7! The food per $ ratio is unbeatable, which is why I recommend skipping the all-you-can-eat option. Just as Cliff Mass is “the weather’s answer to Neil deGrasse Tyson,” Ruzhen is the Ave’s answer to the constrained college budget.

Valuable Mentions:

Hawaii BBQ

University Kitchen (Lunch Special only)

SomTam Thai

Next Blog: Best Burger on the Ave!!!

#UW #TourdeAve #mongolianbbq #hawaiianbbq #cheap food #seattle #udistrict

Top Thai Food

The Ave is home to four Thai restaurants: Thai 65, Thaiger Room, Somtam Thai, and Thai Tom. Now, having sampled all four of them, read our Top Thai Rankings to find where your meals can be best spent!

4 Thai 65

Type: Thai Food: 3.0/5 Service: 2.8/5 Veg-Option: Yes Cost: $8- $12

In the restaurant business competition is fierce. There are winners and there are losers...Thai 65 is decidedly a loser. As the only Thai restaurant on the Ave earning a ‘hard pass’ from our reviewers, we believe your time and money would be much better spent at any of the other three contenders--all of which are decided winners. Customarily our raters, order the ever-popular Pad Thai in order to keep reviews consistent across Thai restaurants, but this time we opted for the lunch buffet. Admittedly, buffets are are a risky endeavor. Quality is often traded for quantity, and that’s exactly what we found at Thai 65. That said, I am a firm believer that people (and restaurants) usually deserve a 2nd chance. Perhaps the buffet (even though it had Pad Thai) did not offer a fair assessment of Thai 65...but I won’t be back to double-check any time soon.

Website: http://thai65seattlewa.com/8502

3 Thaiger Room

Type: Thai Food: 4.1/5 Service: 3.6/5 Veg-Option: Yes Cost: $8- $13

If our restaurant reviews had a category devoted to wittiness the Thaiger Room would obliterate the competition, but alas, food is more than just a play on words. Nevertheless, the brilliant name is a sure seller when it comes to marketing. Who isn’t tempted to visit a restaurant called the Thaiger Room? We recommend that you give in to that temptation and treat yourself to a worthwhile meal (two-thumbs up for the pineapple prawn curry). If criticism is to be had, the price is a bit on the high side for most menu items and the Pad Thai sits a bit heavy in the stomach, but all in all, the Thaiger Room rises to the occasion with enjoyable food, online ordering, and that irresistible name.

Website: http://thaiger-room.com/

2 Somtam Thai

Type: Thai Food: 4.0/5 Service: 3.4/5 Veg-Option: Yes Cost: $6-$9

But how can Somtam Thai be ranked #2 when it has lower food and service ratings,?? Well that’s because the Tour de Ave takes a holistic approach to our rankings in order to make sure that you not only get the best food and the best service, but also the best bang for your buck. Somtam Thai provides all three with satisfying food, acceptable service, and preservation of your pocketbook. Their Pad Thai is the cheapest on the Ave and tastes better than the Thaiger Room’s. Located a few doors down from Mr. Lu’s and Arepas Venezuelan Kitchen, the north end of the Ave continues to prove that it can compete with the primetime venues located in the busier and less sketchy south-side.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/somtamthaiseattle/

1 Thai Tom

Type: Thai Food: 4.5/5 Service: 4.3/5 Veg-Option: Yes Cost: $10-$14

All hail Thai Tom, King of the Thais. Okay, not actually. But Thailand does, in fact, have a king. Bhumibol Adulyadej is his name. He’s the longest serving current head-of-state in the world. Yes, that’s right, even edging out Queen Elizabeth by 6 years despite being one year her junior. If he could see the way Thai Tom is representing his nation's culinary craft, King Adulyadej would have much to be proud about. The flare, the fun, and of course the food that Thai Tom brings to University Way surely makes it a Top 5 restaurant on the Tour de Ave thus far and perhaps even higher.

Picture a very small, crowded version of Benihana (you know, the place where the chefs flip pans, juggle eggs, and make volcanoes out of your onions). The sole chef sends flames towering at the massive gas stove as he prepares every order all by himself. After each meal is served, he throws the dirty pan almost violently at a designated dish-catcher who then passes it to the one dishwasher who in turn provides a steady supply of kitchenware to the chef. It’s quite a show when you consider how few people are running the entire restaurant. Kudos to them; especially given that they continue to produce lines of customers (show up by 11:15am if you don’t want to wait) even when nationally recognized Benihana has since shut the doors of its only Seattle site. Thai Tom’s prices are above average, but remember, you’re paying for entertainment along with the meal. The Pad Thai easily surpassed that of Somtam Thai, Thaiger Room, and Thai 65, presenting patrons with a one-of-a-kind taste not found at the other restaurants. Even Thai Tom’s menus were unique, displaying their different dishes on wooden tablets with prices unmarked. The Pad Thai came in at $10.95 which means that every entree is $10.95, or $10.95 is the low end of the price spectrum. Though a bit harder on the wallet, the intersection of food, entertainment, and atmosphere make this experience well worth the dollar signs.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thai-Tom/116869645004757

Next Blog: Authenticity--Hawaiian BBQ & Red Pepper Chinese

Next Ranking: Top Shwarma/Falafel

#tourdeave #UW #theave #thaitom #somtamthai #thaigerroom #thai65 #restaurants #food

Costa’s Restaurant

Type: Greek Veg-Options: Yes Price: $10 - $16 Stars: 4.4/5

The Tour took a quick pit-stop for finals, but now the journey continues. Although the Ave is not generally associated with upscale dining, Costa’s offers an exception to the rule. For readers who have visited Greece, the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to Greek cuisine is hospitality. Restaurants customarily serve complimentary tzatziki (yogurt-based dipping sauce) with pita bread. But who cares about free bread when day or night you are bound to be given gallons of free alcohol. Ok, not gallons... but 2 shots of Raki (anise-flavored--it’s a flower) or Ouzo (black-licorice) per person per meal is a common occurrence. So visit Greece...but not Athens. Not impressed. Plus political unrest is high. Go for Crete instead. 10 out of 10, would recommend. Despite the fact that intoxicating hospitality is commonplace in Greece, this is America. So don’t expect any free booze at Costa’s. Do expect fantastic breakfast food (served all day!), traditional Greek-themed decor, and large portions. Though they were stingy on the pita, Costa’s doesn’t hold back on the entree size. Vegetarians will also be happy to try the mousaka--a classic Greek lasagna/pot pie hybrid. Given the pricier menu, however, it may be a good idea to go Greek if you’re looking to eat at Costa’s with friends.

Website: http://www.costasontheave.com/

Next Week: Hawaiian BBQ

#tourdeave #restaurants #foodtour #udistrict #greek #raki #ouzo #UW

Mr. Lu's Burgers & Seafood

Type: Burgers Veggie: Limited Price: $6-$8 Stars: 4.4/5

When it comes to looking like a sketchy establishment, Mr. Lu's Burgers and Seafood does a fantastic job. Lucky for us, they also do a fantastic job at making what I would say are the most original--and perhaps the best--burgers on the east side of the Ave, edging out EJ Burger, Burger & Kabob Hut, and possibly A Burger Place as well. The addition of salmon, cod, and other seafood burgers to the menu is what makes Mr. Lu’s unique among its competitors. To complement their burgers, Mr. Lu's has 2 deluxe options for fries: classic Canadian poutine (fries w/gravy & cheese curds) and Phoenix fries (fries smothered in cheese, bacon, and jalapenos). The one downside to this restaurant is the frightening bathroom. Coming in at 4.4 stars, Mr. Lu’s is an easy 4.5+ if they clean up their act. But don’t let that ruin your appetite. This is definitely one of the Ave’s best hidden gems.

Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/mr-lus-burgers-and-seafood-seattle

#UW #food #restaurants #theave #tourdeave #burgers

Arepa Venezuelan Kitchen

Back in October of 2015, I tried the Thaiger Room on University Way with a few friends. University Way, or “the Ave,” as UW students have affectionately dubbed it, hosts a colorful mix of hole-in-the-wall restaurants. That September day at the Thaiger Room inspired what has now become a more than 6 month journey sampling every “diner, drive-in, and dive” on the Ave--akin to Guy Fieri’s TV show (blonde spiky-haired Food Network guy). Having now eaten at every establishment (coffee shops not included) on the east side of the 10 block stretch from 40th to 50th, it occurred to me that other students, faculty, and local patrons of the Ave might be interested in this journey. We have visited 23 restaurants to-date and have more than 30 to-go! Expect a new restaurant each week along with a few backblogs about the best places on the Ave’s east side. For the first official blog, we have the last restaurant before 50th on the east side of the Ave: Arepa Venezuelan Kitchen.

Type: Venezuelan Veg-Options: Yes Price: $6-$8 Stars: 4.6/5

In an ocean of Thai, Vietnamese, and other Asian eateries, Arepa Venezuelan Kitchen is a Hispanic island oasis. Authentic Hispanic food (no, Memo’s doesn’t count) is few and far between in Seattle. Arepas were a welcome change of pace. Pictured above, an arepa can be thought of as a cross between a gyro and a kebab. Pork or shredded beef were the most common fillings, but bean and cheese options also offer a non-meat option. A Top 5 Restaurants list is still in the works for the Ave, but I would feel comfortable putting Arepa Venezuelan Kitchen on that list thus far. The atmosphere has a true Latin America feel to it and Spanish speakers are sure to find a friend to converse with in order looking to keep those multilingual skills fresh.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/arepa.venezuelankichen

What’s Up Next:

More restaurants reviews coming in addition to Top Burger, Top Thai, Best Buy, and Best Overall awards!

#TourdeAve #restaurant #foodtour #udistrict

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