Eats and Joe near Ace Hotel (Seattle)?

May 19, 2009 12:55 PM

Seattle eats- cheap, cheerful, and coffee walking distance from the ACE Hotel?

Hi- I'm eagerly looking forward to his first time in Seattle since 1985(!) this coming Saturday, have a week at Ace Hotel (loved, loved the one in PDX so giving this one a spin). I'll be on my own and like ethnic, especially Mexican which is thin on the ground up here (Calgary, and Canada in general), but also just about any stripe as long as it's good value, anything unpretentious and casual enough for shorts and runners (and comfy for a solo diner); and am a huge coffeegeek whose tastes run to places like Stumptown. Thanks!

posted by ethnomethodologist to Travel & Transportation around Seattle, WA (12 answers total)

You'll be just down the street from one of my fave seattle mexican places, Mama's. There's quite a bit on first ave, as you get closer to downtown, Ohana's does Hawaiian, the new Frontier Room does a decent BBQ, but might be overpriced in your book, it's certainly a bit pretentious compared to the original Frontier Room. Jai Thai has a place on first that's decent and close by, but if you want really cheap eats, you can head to Mae Phim for some of the most awesome cheap Thai in the city.
posted by nomisxid at 1:08 PM on May 19, 2009

I will second Mama's Mexican. The Elvis Burrito is my favorite.

Macrina Bakery is great for breakfast / lunch. Their baked goods are amazing, and their food is very good.

Cafe d'Arte is a great place to go for coffee.

Two Bells has pretty good sandwiches and a good casual atmosphere.

And of course in your hotel is The Cyclops which has great food most of the time as well. Very good ingredients.
posted by jeffamaphone at 1:23 PM on May 19, 2009

I had a great Italian sandwich at an italian deli right around the corner from there recently. Can't remember what it's called, but they should be able to point you there.
posted by YoungAmerican at 1:59 PM on May 19, 2009

Mama's is great for margaritas, but the food is pretty greasy, IMO. If you go on a Monday, I think they have a pair of guitarists play at each table.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:05 PM on May 19, 2009

Buffalo Deli is pretty tasty. Perfect for grabbing a sandwich before heading to the Steinbrueck Park for a nice outdoors lunch.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:09 PM on May 19, 2009

If you like beer, hot dogs and pinball, stop by Shorty's. It's almost next door to Mama's.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:12 PM on May 19, 2009

It's a bit of a walk from Belltown, but you might check out Victrola on Pike and Bauhaus for coffee, if you explore downtown.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:15 PM on May 19, 2009

It's a further walk from Belltown, but if you really, really like coffee, hop on the 10 or 43 bus up to Capitol Hill and check out Vivace.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:18 PM on May 19, 2009

Top Pot Donuts on fifth (their "downtown" location). Delish handforged doughnuts, good coffee.
posted by Sublimity at 3:47 PM on May 19, 2009

another vote for Mama's--they've got the best guacamole I've ever had in a restaurant. And they fry their tacos with the meat inside!
posted by QuakerMel at 4:36 PM on May 19, 2009

Best answer: I love Belltown (I actually live a block from Ace hotel), but it's not the best spot for Mexican food. IMHO Mama's is really mediocre food. It's a fun place to grab happy hour, but really the food is nothing to write home about. If you want cheap/casual ethnic restaurants, walking up to Lower Queen Anne (the neighborhood just west of the Space Needle) has better cheap/casual ethnic food (more in the Thai/Vietnamese realm... not sure about Mexican).

Belltown has some other awesome restaurants. They are slightly less casual, but this being Seattle, you could wear shorts anywhere and probably be okay. A few solid options include Txori (a tapas bar on 2nd and Blanchard), Black Bottle (a small plates wine bar on 1st and Vine), Casuelita's (Jamaican/Caribbean food on Western and Vine), and Cyclops (burgers and the like, in the same building as Ace). Some of these places are a little trendy, but they're all still fairly affordable/casual. And, with the exception of Txori, they all have good bars to sit at, so good for solo diner.

One other recommendation is to take the short walk (about 6 blocks) to Pike Place Market, where there are a TON of other options.

Good luck, and feel free to send me a PM if you have other questions.

Also, @nomisxid, the Jai Thai on 1st closed a year or two ago... it's now a restaurant called Cellar's.
posted by stilly at 9:45 AM on May 20, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks stilly- pace everybody who mentioned Mama's, a check of their website shows "crispy" tacos. Not what I'm looking for, for tacos at least as I do love a good American-style burrito. What about taco trucks?

Pike Place is absolutely on my radar but I didn't realise it was so close!
posted by ethnomethodologist at 9:59 AM on May 20, 2009