Situated on the Pacific Northwest coast, Alki Beach is Seattle’s best-kept secret; it’s a two-mile-long section of beach within easy reach of downtown and offers some of the best eateries and drinking spots in the city, catering for both fine diners and more casual outings. We have compiled a list of our ten best restaurants along the beach; let’s look.
Seattle’s 10 Best Alki Beach Restaurants for Dining and Drinking:
- Harry’s Beach House
- Marination Ma Kai
- Cactus Southwest Kitchen and Bar
- Salty’s On Alki Beach
- El Nido
- Christo’s On Alki
- Duke’s Seafood
- El Chupacabra
- Driftwood
- Alki Pho & Bar
10 Best Alki Beach Restaurants For Grabbing a Bite
Alki Beach has several top-quality restaurants and eateries. There is fine dining as well as more casual options available, and what they all have in common is fantastic food accompanied by well-curated drinks menus.
1. Harry’s Beach House
Harry’s is a must on every Alki Beach restaurant list. They combine fine dining and comfort food that echoes a fusion of beachside relaxation and Capitol Hill sophistication. Harry’s Beach House is, after all, the more down-to-earth sister of Harry’s Fine Foods.
What we love about the Alki beach iteration is that Harry’s has perfected the beach vibe with a patio section closest to a surf shack outside of Southern California. The interior is light and airy and has a fresh feel to it that is complemented by roughened and distressed wooden furnishings.
The art sets a nautical theme on the walls, including many paintings of sailing boats, seaside villages, and harbors. The premises give a curated but homely feel that goes well with the food offerings.
Harry’s Beach House offers a lunch and dinner menu and one of Seattle’s best weekend brunch experiences. An eclectic menu anchored in seafood dishes offers a delicious accompaniment to an extensive drinks menu that includes cocktails, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic options.
Harry’s is the perfect place to escape city stress while enjoying a good meal. The cuisine is far from basic, yet, it has no unnecessary fuss, and you feel both sated and treated.
Website: harrysbeachhouse.com
Address: 2676 Alki Avenue SW Seattle
Phone Number: (206) 513-6297
Hours: Monday to Thursday 11h00 to 21h00, Monday to Friday 11h00 to 22h00, Saturday 09h00-22h00, Sunday 09h00-21h00
2. Marination Ma Kai
With its roots going back to a 2009 food truck, Marination Ma Kai is an easy placement in our top ten restaurant listing. It’s like enjoying a little slice of Hawaii in Seattle. Marination Ma Kai brings island beach vibes to the area and is well-placed near the Water Taxi terminal.
The restaurant provides the perfect outdoor dining experience. It’s laid back and casual, and the views from the patio are spectacular no matter time of day. During the evening, the Seattle skyline lights up and twinkles in the background, and during the day, you enjoy the sights of the sea and harbor.
Marination Ma Kai offers a comforting indoor area and a fantastic bar, perfect for enjoying a drink while watching the sunset on the bay. The atmosphere is vibrant, and you will leave every visit with a broad smile.
Thanks to the Hawaiian element, everything is served with a good aloha, friendliness abounds, and the staff makes one feel like family; it’s a delightful vibe.
The Marination Ma Kai menu is a Korean Hawaiian fusion with tacos; what’s not to love? The cuisine is delicious and comforting and offers simple, relaxed dishes like sliders, tacos, and fried rice, amongst other options.
They have a comprehensive drinks menu with truly excellent beer options, making it the perfect spot to relax after a day at work or to spend some time over a weekend.
Website: marinationmakai.com
Address: 1660 Harbor Avenue SW Seattle
Phone Number: (206) 328-8226
Hours: Monday to Thursday 11h00-21h00, Friday 11h00-22h00, Saturday 09h00-22h00, Sunday 09h00-21h00.
3. Cactus Southwest Kitchen And Bar
Cactus has several outlets in the Seattle area, with its brand beginning as far back as 1990. The Alki Beach restaurant opened in 2002 after it became clear that beach views mix well with Cactus’s Mexican, Midwestern, and Spanish flavors. After all, beachside environs work a treat with tapas and hand-crafted cocktails.
The menu at Cactus is an eclectic mix of Mexican, Spanish, and Midwestern, with exquisite flavor and superb presentation. Everything looks (and is) delicious thanks to fresh produce. The bright and vibrant meals complement the décor, which has a funky, relaxed beach vibe. A large patio opens directly onto the beach: colorings are greens, blues, and yellows, which pull the ocean views inside by mirroring them.
The menu is seasonal, so it’s a great place to revisit, and the Crispy Squash Blossoms are a favorite; fresh blossoms are stuffed with herbed goat cheese, basted and deep fried, and accompanied by a Fresno aioli. It’s a delicious combination of flavor and texture. The Dungeness Crab Tamales is another top dish that is well worth a try.
No good meal is complete without some top refreshments to accompany it, and Cactus prides itself on its cocktails, where agave is a main ingredient. Cactus specializes in margaritas, and the Cactus Margarita is a must for sundowners. A fantastic selection of Mexican and locally brewed draft and bottled beer also exists.
The wine menu is a little limited, but the options they carry are well thought out and include wines from California, Oregon, and Washington, as well as international wines from Argentina and France. For those looking for non-alcoholic options, Cactus has a good No-Sin Cocktail menu.
Website: cactusrestaurants.com
Address: 2828 Alki Avenue SW West Seattle
Phone Number: (206) 933-6000
Hours: Monday to Friday 11h30-22h00, Saturday and Sunday 10h00 to 22h00, Weekend Brunch 10h00-14h00.
4. Salty’s On Alki Beach
Salty’s on Alki Beach is the ultimate beachside eatery that showcases local seafood dishes that are super fresh and delicious. They have a wide range of menus covering lunch, dinner, brunch, and even a café bar offering. This largess is served in a truly scenic setting with views out over the water from a multi-tiered deck.
Salty’s is a family-owned business that has been going strong for over four decades, with the initial name starting as Salty Pickerel’s & Angus McHereford’s. After many years of popularity, the name was shortened to what it stands for today, and the restaurant remains favorite both with locals and international visitors.
The seasonal menus provide you with the best seafood for every time of year. Salty’s celebrates various fish food festivals, including the Dungeness “Crack Me Up” Crab Festival. Oysters, salmon, halibut, and oysters are all celebrated during their respective seasons, making Salty’s On Alki Beach a worthwhile repeat visit.
Salty’s has also put together a great wine list with top cultivars from Oregon and Washington, complemented by a fantastic selection of wines from around the globe for those who like to accompany their seafood with great wine. For those to whom wine may not be the first choice, Salty’s also has a good range of draft beer, ciders, and cocktails with non-alcoholic varieties available,
Website: saltys.com
Address: 1936 Harbor Avenue SW Seattle
Phone Number: (206) 937-1600
Hours: (Lunch) Tuesday to Friday 11h30 -15h00, Saturday and Sunday 10h00-14h30 (Dinner) Monday to Thursday 16h30-20h30, Friday 16h30 to 21h00, Saturday 10h00-21h00, Sunday 10h00 -20h30.
5. Il Nido
One of Alki Beaches’ fine dining gems is situated in the historic Alki-Homestead Il Nido. Previously under the curatorship of famed chef Mike Easton, it continues to delight locals and visitors alike. The setting makes it worth a visit. The Alki Homestead is a quaint but spectacular 1904 log cabin providing a unique and comfortable environment for top-class culinary offerings.
Il Nido focuses on handmade pasta, which has earned considerable fame. The pasta is unbelievably tasty and beautiful and has that perfect silky texture. Some of the pasta is almost too pretty to eat! The meat dishes are equally delectable, with the seared rib eye being a much-talked-about item on the menu.
Every meal is stunningly presented, with clever use of fresh ingredients chosen for taste, color, and richness. It is a pure culinary experience.
The restaurant has indoor dining, a cozy patio setting, and a fully stocked bar. We recommend making reservations for dinner, be it the dining room or patio, as Il Nido is popular. The bar also doubles as a dining area but has no reservation option and is always open to walk-ins.
El Nido is also one of the better restaurants to visit in the winter months thanks to a sizable fore place that adds to the comforting ambiance.
The bar area provides an intimate space for sundowners which is complemented by a delicious antipasti menu which is available only during the aperitivo hour between 4 and five in the afternoon.
Website: Ilnidoseattle.com
Address: 2717 61st Ave SW Seattle
Phone Number: (206) 466-6265
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 16h00-21h00.
6. Christo’s On Alki
Christo’s provides classic Greek fare and hospitality, meaning you will leave happy with a full belly and great memories. The Fotopoulos family runs Christo’s On Alki and specializes in home-style Greek dishes with the odd bit of Italian flair thrown in.
Situated right next to the beach, Christo’s gives its diners spectacular views with both an outdoor patio and indoor dining. It’s an excellent place for a casual dinner and drinks. The Fotopoulos family are superb hosts that make you feel like part of the family. The experience is perfect for a truly relaxed and comfortable outing.
The dishes are simple but done to the highest caliber. This is proper Greek comfort food made from fresh ingredients, and servings are generous. Christo’s has various pizzas, pasta, calzones, burgers, and subs, in addition to their traditional Greek dishes.
The lamb chops are memorable and highly recommended, with a vast selection of salads. Another dish that caught our fancy was the Spanakopita Special; the phyllo pastry is incredibly light and crisp, perfectly complementing the spinach and feta stuffing; as far as Spanakopita goes, the Christo’s version is brilliant.
Christo’s on Alki has a standard drinks menu catering to beer drinkers, wine lovers, and cocktail enthusiasts alike. While the bar offerings are not such as it stands out, it’s more than sufficient to accompany a meal and enjoy a cold one while watching the sun go down.
Website: christosonalki.com
Address: 2508 Alki Avenue SW West Seattle
Phone Number: (206) 923-2200
Hours: Monday to Friday, 15h00-21h00, Saturday to Sunday, 08h30 to 21h00.
7. Duke’s Seafood
Duke’s Seafood has been a Seattle staple for over two decades now and has seven restaurants in the Seattle area. Duke’s Seafood Alki Beach is one of the more picturesque locations, with the restaurant on the beach offering both a deck and beachside patio.
The setting provides exquisite views of Puget Sound; at night, the Seattle skyline provides a glittering light show. Duke’s Seafood is fantastic for a nice long summer lunch or brunch and also makes for a top spot for evening sundowners. Winters can be just as enjoyable, with warm and comfortable indoor dining options available.
Duke’s has a vibrant social atmosphere, plus you can be sure of enjoying your time there.
As the name suggests, the menu is primarily seafood based, and wow, Duke’s knows how to do seafood. The variety is impressive. The food is all sustainably sourced with lots of local options meaning that you know it’s freshly caught.
From chowders and line fish to salads and shellfish, Duke’s has a wide variety of options and caters to the gluten intolerant. The Clam Chowder stands out as a top dish, as do the Dungeness Crab ‘Un’Cakes, which have been voted the 2023 best Crab Cake in Seattle.
Duke’s has a massive drinks menu that caters to all tastes. The comprehensive wine list offers reds, whites, bubbles, and everything in between. A good beer menu includes drafts, bottles, and additional rotating options. Duke’s also has its famous Duketails, in-house variations on classic cocktails.
Website: dukesseafoodalki.com
Address: 2516 Alki Avenue SW West Seattle
Phone Number: (206) 937-6100
Hours: Sunday to Thursday 11h30-23h00, Friday and Saturday 11h30 to 24h00.
8. El Chupacabra
El Chupacabra was born of an absence of burritos in Seattle. Initially started in 2005, Greenwood, the popularity of a good burrito, eventually led to the opening of the beachside branch in Alki in 2011.
El Chupacabra is a restaurant and cocktail bar that gets going from dusk. Situated overlooking the beach, it has both a beachside patio and an upstairs bar and deck. Chupacabra has a dark décor theme that complements a nighttime feel; sitting out on the patio for an afternoon meal and drink is highly enjoyable.
This restaurant has a strong party vibe, and you can expect a bar vibe from when the sun starts dipping; there is seating and dining for those under 21s. Chupacabra is relatively dog friendly, but dogs must be kept on leashes and secured away from the patio.
One of the highlights of this restaurant is that you can watch seals from the patio during the winter months.
Chupacabra delights in Mexican cuisine, with the burrito being the menu highlight. They do also do tasty tacos and enchiladas. Chupacabra is a must-visit if you are a tequila fan as they have a vast selection of top-quality tequilas in the bar. In addition to this, they also do margaritas as well as the usual bar staples.
Website: elchupacabraseattle.com
Address: 2620 Alki Avenue SW West Seattle
Phone Number: (206) 933-7344
Hours: Tuesday to Thursday, 17h00-21h00; Friday and Saturday, 17h00 to 22h00, Closed Sunday and Monday.
9. Driftwood
Driftwood is an upmarket seafood restaurant that opened this year in the old premises of Alki Beach Pub. Where the pub was very much a dark dive bar, Driftwood is a bright, refreshing, and elegant eatery where as much effort has gone into the ambiance and décor as it has into the menu.
Husband and wife team Dan and Jacki Mallahan run the restaurant. Driftwood is a beautiful modern take on a beach restaurant. The color scheme is a mix of sea and teal blues and whites with furnishes in rattan and wood. Brass is also used effectively to bring warmth to the room.
Dan has a long history in the food industry, having worked as a chef in a number of top culinary cities. That experience and expertise show in the menu. Driftwood is about sustainability and using seasonal produce, from seafood to greens. The menu is based on what is readily available each season and showcases local catches. Therefore, the menu will change often, which is a fantastic excuse to revisit.
The menu is eclectic and superb, ranging from salads to small side dishes to the mains and the Raw Bar, which comprises delicate but delicious starters with a central focus on raw ingredients. Driftwood offers fine dining without pretension. This a community-focused establishment, and that love for the area comes out in the cooking.
Good food needs equally good refreshments, and Driftwood has maintained these standards admirably. A comprehensive wine list includes a great selection of wines, beers, cocktails, and mocktails.
As their tagline states, the restaurant and its offerings are ‘community-driven from mountain to sound’ and thoroughly embrace the local character of Alki Beach.
Website: driftwoodseattle.com
Address: 2722 Alki Avenue SW West Seattle
Phone Number: (206) 420-7381
Hours: Thursday to Monday, 17h00-22h00
10. Alki Pho & Bar
Alki Pho and Bar is a relatively new offering to Alki Beach, having just celebrated its first anniversary. It looks to be a long-term resident as this is the second offering from the owners Bien Le and Lynda Nguyen, who already have a very successful Pho restaurant in Renton.
Set just across the road from the beach, the Alki Pho & Bar has fantastic views, and the restaurant opens onto a sidewalk patio. The interior is simplistic yet elegant with warm, comforting lighting, and the bar area livens up after dark.
The Alki Pho & Bar provides delicious traditional Vietnamese dishes and quality cocktails to the Alki Beach scene.
The dishes are vibrant and packed with beautiful and subtle Vietnamese flavors using fresh local ingredients. It’s the perfect addition to the Alki Beach strip. There’s just something about the crisp freshness of Vietnamese cuisine and a beach.
The seasonal menu ensures that only the freshest produce makes the cut. Bien Le has an exclusive arrangement with several local producers to provide the highest quality product. Buns, sauces, and soups are made fresh daily.
Lynda Nguyen has added a genuinely inspiring cocktail menu. Her mixology is quite impressive, and she creates unforgettable drinks that revolve around specific ingredients and processes to pull out the most magical flavors.
Another unusual but delicious meal is the betel leaf-wrapped grilled beef accompanied by fresh greens and anchovy and pineapple dipping sauce. The dish bursts with a myriad of flavors that work together beautifully.
Other dishes include Pho noodle soups, rice dishes, vermicelli bowls, and salads. Other than the cocktails, the bar also has wine and beer, with several Asian beers included in the offerings.
The Alki Pho & Bar provides a great addition to the Alki Beach food scene.
Website: alkiphoandbar.com
Address: 2808 Alki Ave SW West Seattle
Phone Number: (206) 453-4000
Hours: Monday to Sunday, 11h00-21h00
Conclusion
Alki Beach is the perfect spot for fantastic food and ambiance. The seaside vibe and spectacular views provide the ideal backdrop, and diners can forget they are just a stone’s throw from downtown Seattle. Be it fine cuisine or comfort food Alki Beach has something for everyone.
