Lunch around Seattle near I5

[thecook]

We will arrive SeaTac about noon..picking up rental car for driving I5 to Vancouver. We want to have lunch (sit down casual) along the way... any suggestions??? Thanks in advance:o

[NW Mom]

Hi -

 

There are several restaurants around the Southcenter Mall which is on the East side of I-5 near SeaTac (airport is on the west side). Or there is 13 coins (a Seattle favorite, but I haven't eaten there) near the airport.

 

Or, you could drive north on I-5 from the airport and take the Mercer exit to eat at Chandler's Crabhouse on the South end of Lake Union. If it is sunny, you could eat on the patio next to the water. One of my favorites and worth the stop and it is not too far off the freeway.

 

Further north is the Northgate Mall with several chain restaurants.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Stephany

[love2cruiseseattle]

Depending on the day of the week you will be heading up I-5, if it is a weekday I would strongly suggest getting out of the Seattle/Everett area as soon as you can, traffic can be very heavy. There are places to eat all along I-5, just North of Marysville is a big casino with a buffet that is not too expensive with lots of variety.

 

What type of food are you looking for?

[thecook]

We are just looking for a quick sandwich or lite meal...nothing fancy. We will be hungry and also thought we would kill an hour...looks as if the traffic at the border is lighter at 4 or 4:30 rather than 3. DH doesn't mind driving, but hates sitting in traffic. Thanks for the help...:D

[love2cruiseseattle]

We are just looking for a quick sandwich or lite meal...nothing fancy. We will be hungry and also thought we would kill an hour...looks as if the traffic at the border is lighter at 4 or 4:30 rather than 3. DH doesn't mind driving, but hates sitting in traffic. Thanks for the help...:D

 

http://www.anthonys.com/restaurants/info/SqualicumHarborBellingham.html

One of my favorite local places is Anthony's and they have one in Bellingham (Hearthfire Grill). I have never been to this one, but it doesn't seem too far off of the interstate. Great views of the water and the food and service is always good (at least at the others I have been to:p )

[thecook]

Anthony's sounds great..thanks for the suggestion!!!

[love2cruiseseattle]

Anthony's sounds great..thanks for the suggestion!!!

 

If you do go to Anthony's you won't be too far from the border, so you can sit and relax and know the majority of your drive is past you.

 

Have a great visit to the beautiful Northwest.

[Gardyloo]

If your flight arrives around noon, by the time you fetch your bags and collect your car it will probably be 12:30 - 1:00, so waiting until Bellingham means you'll be having lunch around 3. If that's okay, swell, otherwise you might want to think about alternatives.

 

There are umpteen restaurants around Southcenter, a big shopping mall district very close to the airport, but that won't speed you on your way especially. Northgate, another freeway-side mall at the north end of Seattle city has already been mentioned, as has the Tulalip Casino buffet. Those would be 30 min. and 60-70 min. north of the airport respectively. The Tulalip buffet is very good, but of course the ambiance is that of a casino buffet - dark and surrounded by slot machines making slot machine noises.

 

One possibility if you don't mind some very minor concessions to traffic lights is to get off I-5 at the Mercer Street exit at the north end of the downtown Seattle core, go down the ramp and turn right at the bottom onto Fairview Avenue. Fairview runs alongside the east shore of Lake Union, and there are several good sit-down casual restaurants, including Daniel's Broiler, its sister Chandler's Crab House, the Bluwater Bistro, and the very good I Love (Heart) Sushi, all right on the lakefront with great views.

 

Getting back to the freeway is slightly more complicated owing to some one-way streets, but it's quite easy once you're on the ground. Or, you can continue north on Fairview past the houseboat jungles (Sleepless in Seattle etc.) and get back on I-5 at the NE 45th Street ramp, and on your way from there. Google maps or mapquest.com can give you easy directions.

[thecook]

Thanks to all for your suggestions....I guess we will play it by ear as to how hungry we are...We are bringing our GPS with us..so we should be able to find our way around. Looking forward to the Northwest and cooler temperatures...hot as all get out here!!!

[love2cruiseseattle]

Thanks to all for your suggestions....I guess we will play it by ear as to how hungry we are...We are bringing our GPS with us..so we should be able to find our way around. Looking forward to the Northwest and cooler temperatures...hot as all get out here!!!

 

Send the hot weather our way, it is overcast and 50 degrees. The weather here has been much cooler than normal. The new stations are calling June, Juneuary:p .

No matter where you decide to eat you will have a wonderful time in our neck of the woods.

[Ron & Kristy]

I'm not sure where it's located exactly but we had a most excellent meal in February at Voula's Offshore Cafe, 658 NE Northlake Way. We actually had breakfast there but they also serve lunch. It was beyond a doubt the best breakfast I've ever had. This restaurant has been featured on a Food Network show called Diners, Drive-ins and Dives with Guy Fiere. It would come under the "diner" heading, it's certainly not a dive. Anyway...I can't wait til I get back to Seattle so that I can eat there again.

 

Kristy

[thecook]

Thanks to all..I have printed out your suggestions to take with me. We are off to Seattle early Sat. morning..then on to Vancouver to board the ship on Sat. I will report back when I arrive home in July..

[Sally Forth]

My vote is always for Chuckanut Drive south of Bellingham and the oyster places. They have no problem if you just order an appetizer and a glass of wine, especially if you go in non-peak hours. They also have good non-seafood dishes and one of them has really good sweet potato fries. It's easy to get back on I-5 if you continue north on Chuckanut to the historic Fair Haven part of Bellingham, and the views are spectacular.

 

Viv