Comfort Classics
When there’s a nip in the air, warm up with a plate of soul-nourishing comfort food at these convivial restaurants.
Cookies Country Chicken phot by Justin M Kim
Sisters and Brothers
This Interbay spot slings out Nashville hot chicken (you can order it from “naked” without heat up to the fiery “insane” level), along with fried green tomato sandwiches, and down-home sides like hushpuppies, fried okra, and smoked Gouda mac and cheese.
13 Coins
Slide into the comfy high-backed booths and swivel bar chairs at the Pioneer Square location of this beloved nearly 60-year-old institution. Breakfast brings plenty of omelet options, steak and eggs, waffles, and French toast—try the decadent, cinnamon-battered bananas Foster version, topped with caramelized bananas and brown sugar.
Grillbird
Seattle-style teriyaki is locally revered fast comfort food invented by Japanese immigrant Toshi Kasahara in 1976 and known for its sweet and savory sauce generously infused with garlic and ginger. This West Seattle takeout spot offers a fresh take on this grilled chicken or beef classic. Most of the menu is gluten-free, using tamari instead of soy sauce and rice flour on the breaded items like spicy garlic chicken. An additional location opened recently in Phinney Ridge.
Wood Shop BBQ
The pitmasters at this acclaimed spot are particular about the details, from the sourcing to the actual slow cooking. Hickory from the Ozarks and post oak from Texas infuse the incredibly tender brisket, pork, and chicken. The main restaurant is in the Central District, but a truck roams about, delivering smoky goodness to other neighborhoods.
Darkalino’s
Check out this bustling Pioneer Square favorite for its housemade focaccia and an extensive selection of stick-to-your-ribs Italian classics, from cheesy chicken parm to bucatini with local clams, garlic, white wine, and calabrian butter. Bambinos can opt for a simple pasta bowl with butter or red sauce.
Cookie’s Country Chicken
With a vibe forged in Louisiana, this former fried chicken pop-up has expanded to restaurants in Ballard and Pioneer Square. Sample a small or large bag o’ bites—Cookie’s version of chicken nuggets—and satisfying accompaniments like the pot o’ gold: sweet corn topped with a scoop of mashed potatoes and chicken gravy.
Ooink
Slurping a bowl of ramen on a rainy Seattle day is a local tradition, and some of the tastiest versions of this delectable meal in a bowl are served at this hip eatery with locations in Capitol Hill and Fremont. Ooink refers to chef-owner Chong Boon Ooi’s name and his bowls’ rich pork-based broth (there’s also a miso version for vegetarians). Customize your meal with flavorful add-ons like garlic-peanut oil, bamboo, scallions, and soft-boiled eggs.
Moto Pizza
Seattleites love to debate the merits of the city’s myriad styles of what some consider to be the ultimate comfort food: pizza. Will it be East Coast-inspired thin-crust or perhaps Chicago-style deep-dish? Moto specializes in its own version, hefty Detroit-style square pies (fit for two) with caramelized-cheese edges and either traditional or more innovative toppings, like Filipino beef adobo or the PNW-themed crab and lemon. There’s also a meatless version, and you can always sub vegan cheese.
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