The Best Restaurants In South Lake Union, Seattle

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Restaurant, Steakhouse, American, Vegetarian, $$$
Thanks to its location on the shores of South Lake Union, guests at Daniel’s Broiler can enjoy waterfront dining with stunning views of Lake Union, Gasworks Park, and Queen Anne, as well as seaplanes and sailboats. The restaurant has happy hour twice daily, live piano music, an outside deck, private dining rooms, and an award-winning wine list. It exclusively serves USDA Prime Steaks, the top two percent of all graded beef in the nation, complemented with traditional steakhouse favorites like cold water lobster tails, fresh North Pacific King Salmon, and other specialties including lamb and chicken. Folks love to dine at Daniel’s when celebrating special occasions thanks to the classy ambiance, great service, and amazing food. Besides the steaks, patrons also rave about the lobster mashed potatoes, popcorn shrimp, and truffle fries, as well as the coconut fudge sundae and Granny Apple tart with homemade caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Bar, Restaurant, Mexican, $
A small Seattle chain restaurant, Cactus Restaurants started in Madison Park in 1990, where it became Seattle’s first tapas bar. Since then, the success of the innovative and exciting Southwestern, Mexican, and Spanish food has led to the opening of four other restaurants. The one in South Lake Union opened in the fall of 2011, and it has become an incredibly popular place. It does have an upstairs, though, so it can fit a good amount of people. Tex-Mex lovers flock to Cactus for the delicious butternut squash enchiladas, smoked chicken quesadilla, steak fajitas, and shrimp tacos, just to name a few of their popular menu items. Their homemade sauces and inventive flavors makes Cactus stand out among other Mexican restaurants, and the friendly and attentive service keep customers coming back again and again. Patrons love the complimentary chips and salsa, the happy hour deals, and the great cocktails, which include prickly pear mojitos, sangria, and Bloody Marys.

Restaurant, Caribbean, $
With two locations in Seattle, Pam’s Kitchen aims to educate the neighborhoods about what Trinidadian food is and how to eat it. Over 20 years ago, owner and chef Pam Jacob was living in her native country of Trinidad and operating a small establishment called Pam’s Snack Shack, but she dreamed of coming to the Pacific Northwest to open a full restaurant. Though she moved to Seattle in 1994, it wasn’t until 2006 that she was finally able to open the first Pam’s Kitchen in the University District, thanks to the support of local fans of her cooking. The first restaurant was so successful that in late 2013, she opened up the South Lake Union location. Locals have since flocked to the restaurant, eager to get their hands on the delicious jerk chicken, geera pork sandwich, aloo pie, chicken and goat curries, coconut fried baked sandwiches, and of course, the famous tender and soft roti. They also have fantastic sorrel that is blended in-house, as well as an amazing rum cake with house made Guinness ice cream for dessert. If you love Trinidadian food, Caribbean food, or even simply spicy food, Pam’s Kitchen is the place for you.