Food around Seattle King Street Station

[Richie Allen]

I have a brief layover in Seattle before boarding #8 to Chicago next Monday (11/18/19). Anyone have tips on lunch/food options within walking distance of the station?

 

[erierail]

I don't know much about Seattle, but we walked over to China Town. Some great little places thier.

 

[Seaboard92]

How brief is brief?

 

[niemi24s]

I always rely on Trip Advisor for such info - its map for location/distance from station and its current customer reviews.

 

[Richie Allen]

How brief is brief?

If # 500 arrives on time about 4 1/2 hours

 

[crescent-zephyr]

If you can store your luggage, I would highly recommend having lunch at Pike Place. You can just walk along the market and buy whatever looks good to you. Fresh seafood (and I mean... fresh), Pierogis, Beechers Cheese, Bakeries, everything you can think of is at Pike Place and it's a very fun experience. If you are into Starbucks at all, the original store is located there.

 

[Bob Dylan]

If you can store your luggage, I would highly recommend having lunch at Pike Place. You can just walk along the market and buy whatever looks good to you. Fresh seafood (and I mean... fresh), Pierogis, Beechers Cheese, Bakeries, everything you can think of is at Pike Place and it's a very fun experience. If you are into Starbucks at all, the original store is located there.

Seconded!!!

 

[Seaboard92]

Smith Tower has a lovely restaurant on the observatory level. Highly recommend it

 

[Rail Freak]

What exactly is it?

 

[crescent-zephyr]

What exactly is it?

What exactly is what?

Seattle King Street Station is Amtrak's Station in Seattle WA.
Pike Place Market is a public market in Seattle famous for flying fish and Starbucks Coffee (and everything else).
Smith Tower is a skyscraper in Seattle that has an observatory restaurant and bar.

 

[Sauve850]

There are not too many places close to the station. You should google and read. Pike Place is about a mile and its not a flat walk but a cool place with many choices for food.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

www.13coins.com is right behind the station

 

[fredevad]

Second on 13 Coins - love their pasta.

Alternatively, there's another in walking distance from the SeaTac link station if your so inclined to ride more rails.

 

[John Santos]

3 or 4 years ago, I left my large duffel bag at King St station before returning my rental car. (I didn't want to lug it back the mile+ from the rental place after dropping off the car.) They charged me $5 or $10 for watching it for 2 hours before the EB departed. Some stations will let you leave your luggage for free (CUS, MSP, NYP, Washington Union Station in my experience), especially if you are in a sleeper, but Seattle isn't one of them. On the other hand some stations won't let you leave luggage at all.

 

[tricia]

3 or 4 years ago, I left my large duffel bag at King St station before returning my rental car. (I didn't want to lug it back the mile+ from the rental place after dropping off the car.) They charged me $5 or $10 for watching it for 2 hours before the EB departed. Some stations will let you leave your luggage for free (CUS, MSP, NYP, Washington Union Station in my experience), especially if you are in a sleeper, but Seattle isn't one of them. On the other hand some stations won't let you leave luggage at all.

A few years ago, when I day-checked a bag there and told them I'd be in a sleeper, they waived the fee.

 

[Skyline]

In May 2017, I left baggage at King Street Station for a few hours prior to #8s departure. I was in a roomette on #8. No charge for leaving luggage there that day. Not sure if that was because I was in a sleeper tho.

We were able to walk, Uber, and monorail around the downtown. Breakfast at Pike Place, late lunch atop the Space Needle. (The latter's revolving full service restaurant is currently undergoing a very ambitious complete reimagining, but a cafe serving light fare, coffee, tea, beer, and wine is open on the upper level and did not require reservations the last time I checked.)

 

[ehbowen]

If you want a local place with character and a full menu just a couple blocks from the station, check out
McCoy's Firehouse. Recommended as long as they're not too busy (Very long wait our last visit).

 

[tricia]

Zeitgeist Coffee, a short walk away from Amtrak on Jackson St., makes good sandwiches and is a pleasant place to hang out.

If you've got more time and are willing/able to go farther afield, I'd definitely second the recommendations for Pike Place.

 

[fredevad]

... lunch atop the Space Needle. (The latter's revolving full service restaurant is currently undergoing a very ambitious complete reimagining, but a cafe serving light fare, coffee, tea, beer, and wine is open on the upper level and did not require reservations the last time I checked.)

We were there last August, the rotating restaurant is completely gone and replaced with an enclosed glass floor viewing platform. It was lots of fun! They have mini glass floor Zambonis tooling around to keep the view clear.

 

[flitcraft]

It's annoying that King St Station has no food options at all--you'd think with the Cascades and Coast Starlight and Empire Builder, they could support at least a coffee shop...

But, since they don't, here are my recommendations. If you go up to the second floor and leave via the exit there, you are on Jackson St in the far end of the International District. My go-to restaurants within a five minute walk are Dough Zone, with great xiao long bao dumplings and even greater Q bao fried dumplings (really sheng jian baos, if you're familiar with Shanghai baos), in a modern hipster atmosphere. For a more traditional Chinatown joint, right by Dough Zone is Hong Kong Kitchen, doing a pretty good set of Cantonese offerings. Save room, though, for dessert at 85 C Bakery, on Jackson about two blocks east of King St Station. It's an outpost of a Taiwanese chain, serving fancy coffees and teas and OMG the best pastry you'll ever put in your mouth, including buns, cakes, and tarts--Taiwan style, Japanese style, and European style. Don't miss the Macao egg tart--so creamy and unctuous!

OK, if Asian food isn't your thing, think about Taylor Shellfish, about a 7 minute walk west from the station, on Occidental and Jackson. Best and most reasonably priced oysters going anywhere in the city--I'm partial to the Kumamotos myself. But there's something for everyone there, great salads, a gooey grilled cheese sandwich, fried oyster po-boys, terrific wines and beer, and a smoked oyster dip that is killer.

Now I'm getting hungry...better get dinner on the go!

 

[Skyline]

We were there last August, the rotating restaurant is completely gone and replaced with an enclosed glass floor viewing platform. It was lots of fun! They have mini glass floor Zambonis tooling around to keep the view clear.

According to the P-I, the main restaurant's reopening has hit snag after snag, missing two projected opening dates, and no new date has been announced. The rotating glass-floored level will be incorporated in a version of the main restaurant when completed.

Personally, I had dinner there in 1987 and thought everything was fabulous as is, and it wasn't horribly overpriced. Fast forward to lunch in 2017, prior to closing, and none of that was true. I hope the new restaurant is once again fabulous but not a budget buster.