The Tangletown neighborhood, which is technically part of Wallingford but actually sits much closer to Green Lake, is a tiny neighborhood with a lot to offer. If you have ever tried to navigate the streets around Tangletown it will be fairly obvious how this part of town gets its name. The streets do not follow the standard "grid" pattern and instead are a messy bunch of sideways streets, dead ends, twists and turns. It once took us 30 minutes to find our way out and we actually live by the neighborhood. Okay, fine, maybe it wasn't 30 minutes but it definitely involved pulling over and using Google Maps just to figure out which way was north.
Despite the streets, there are plenty of reasons to head over to Tangletown and check out this cute neighborhood. Here are our recommendations for your visit.
Diggity Dog Hot Dog & Sausage Co.
Mmmmm...hot dogs. Is there a better lunch than a hot dog? Diggity Dog is a legit spot equipped with top notch meat and a variety of choices. They have everything from your standard all-beef kosher to chicken sausages to specialties such as the "Hot Mess," which features cream cheese, bacon, tomatoes, onion straws, and spicy mayo. Are you a Seattle purist and just want your dog with cream cheese? They have that too.
Elysian Brewing has several locations in Seattle and the one in Tangletown is definitely the sleepiest. But a quiet brewery is good for a few things. Quick, attentive service and your choice for seating! Beyond the quiet nature, it's a spot that has all the Elysian beers we love on tap. Our favorite is the Space Dust IPA and Superfuzz Blood Orange Ale.
Mkt.
Ethan Stowell is a Seattle god in our opinion. We are big fans of his restaurants and we feel so fortunate that he has graced north Seattle with a spot. Fun fact: Mkt. stands for Meridian (the traditional name of the neighborhood), Keystone (the name of the building the restaurant is in) and Tangletown (the current neighborhood name). The restaurant is tiny (and popular) and serves up a menu of fish, meat, pasta, and vegetables all of the quality you are used to from this Seattle chef. It's a perfect date night spot.
Mighty-O Donuts
Mighty-O is the only vegan donut shop in the city, and we love this place because they have fun flavors (try chocolate peanut butter or french toast!) and because of their ingredients, manage to be not quite so sweet as your standard donut (which means we can eat more). The fact that they use sustainable and organic products and work hard to create zero waste means you can totally have more than one and not feel guilty.
Hiroki
Hiroki is a tiny Japanese bakery that basically can do nothing wrong. They have unique savory and sweet pastries with an international flare. We recommend the green tea matcha tiramisu and the orange cinnamon roll, which has the perfect balance of citrus notes and icing without being too sweet.
Leny's Place
Every neighborhood needs a no-fuss dive bar, and Leny's has you covered. They claim to have the best hamburger in Seattle, and while we probably have to disagree, it IS a really good burger. It's the place to go to watch a game, cure a hangover, get a stiff drink, munch on some tater tots, or simply hide away in a dark corner. They have trivia on Tuesday nights, video games, and pool. Everything you want in a classic dive.
Himalayan Sherpa House
Stuffed naan bread. We repeat, stuffed naan bread. If there is one reason to go to the Sherpa House, this is it! Have you ever even heard of such a thing? The cheese, garlic, and onion stuffed bread does not disappoint, and we could happily order a second round and make that our meal. Of course, then you would be missing out on the momos (Tibetan dumplings), which are spicy and delicious.
This is a go-to spot for pretty much any of your dining needs. Brunch, lunch, dinner or happy hour, they have what you need. Rotating drinks, chicken and waffles, poutine, Wagyu burger, shrimp po'boy...do we need to go on? Did we mention the portions are large to boot? See you there.
Zoka Coffee
This lovely coffee shop only sells coffee that has direct trade with the family of growers that sell high-quality crops. You can find coffees here from all over the world and feel good about drinking them too! They also only sell coffee that scores above an 85 on the coffee scoring scale. We don't understand exactly how that works, but apparently that means it's reeeeeeeeally good. This place gets mega crowded on the weekends (and it's a large space, so that's saying something!), so try and get there early if you want to grab a seat. Otherwise take your coffee to go along with a Mighty-O Donut (see above) and head down to the lake.
Kisaku Sushi
Chef Nakano has been working as a chef for the last 15 years and takes a lot of pride in his neighborhood sushi joint. This straight-forward spot has all of the standards that you know and love as well as chef specials such as spicy oysters, tofu dengaku, and seasonal delicacies. If sushi isn't your thing, they also serve a wide selection of yakisoba dishes.
