Seattle is the home of the Space Needle, Mount Rainier, the original Starbucks, and some of the best Paleo restaurants in the Pacific Northwest! It’s a city brimming with culture and beauty, making it an amazing tourist destination.
But a trip to the Emerald City doesn’t mean forfeiting your Paleo diet as there are many fantastic, diverse restaurants serving Paleo dishes, from burger joints to sushi places.
Seattle has a number of incredible cafes and restaurants focused on locally sourced, seasonal, real food, and below you’ll find 15 of the best. In Seattle, following the Paleo diet is an easy, fun and – most importantly – delicious endeavor!
As a gluten-free gastro pub, Capitol Cider is pretty unique. Their kitchen is not only 100% gluten free but emphasizes local, seasonal ingredients.
If you want to grab a drink, they also have an extensive selection of hard ciders on tap and in bottles, with a knowledgeable staff who we’re sure will be able to find the exact drink you’re in the mood for.
Capitol Cider is the perfect place to unwind with friends and family. The building it’s located in is over a century old and has a dark, but welcoming public house interior.
The dining hall is high-ceiling and grand, but the bar at the basement level is a fun, chill place to kick back. It’s also worth checking their schedule before you plan a visit, as they also host live music and art events.
Porkchop & Co.
5451 Leary Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107
Porkchop & Co. offer locally sourced, seasonal, and insanely delicious food in an inviting, wood-clad venue filled with natural light. They smoke, cure, pickle, and preserve everything in house, closing the gap between production and preparation.
Although not specifically Paleo, you won’t have a problem finding something to satisfy your Paleo appetite, from the pork belly hash, to the steak and kimchi hash, to the house pickle plate and pork chop deluxe, you’re sure to find something to tickle your taste buds.
Porkchop & Co. is only open for breakfast and lunch.
One of the hardest things to give up when starting the Paleo diet is all that sweet stuff, so when you hear about a dairy free ice cream so good you can hardly tell the difference, you have to try it out.
Frankie & Jo’s is a vegan, gluten-free ice cream shop in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. They serve ice cream made from coconut milk or sprouted cashew milk, and in mouth-wateringly delicious flavors like Chocolate Mint Brownie, Gingered Golden Milk, and Tahini Chocolate.
Their website and store menus list very clearly what goes into every ice cream, so you know exactly what to expect from your scoop! Not only is the ice cream gluten-free, but the waffle cones are gluten free too!
SOUTH LAKE UNION: 1091 Thomas St. Suite C Seattle, WA, 98109
Lil’ Woody’s is transforming fast-food, serving Northwestern grass-fed beef and hand cut Washington potato fries. Although you’ll have to ask for a few adjustments to make your meal Paleo, such as forgoing the bun and the sauce, you’re still getting a good quality burger.
With a couple of locations, it’s an easy stop for a quick, satisfying lunch or dinner.
Cultivate is actually a part of the University of Washington campus, and is a high-quality, affordable place to eat. It’s a member of Smart Catch, a program committed to sourcing sustainable seafood, and shines a spotlight on local and seasonal ingredients so you’re sure to get a fresh meal.
The menu ranges from salads and burgers, to more unique dishes like an a la carte protein menu. So you can either add some protein to an existing menu, or create your own meal from their protein and vegetable-based sides.
Cultivate also clearly labels their items as gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian, which takes the guesswork out of ordering.
Although it’s half an hour or so north from downtown Seattle, Revolve is worth the drive.
They sum up their Paleo-friendly approach to food like so: “All menu items are free of gluten, grains, MSG, preservatives, trans fats, refined or cane sugar, emulsifiers, GMO and soy. Revolve serves only animal proteins that are natural and raised humanely, without the use of antibiotics and added hormones.”
So with that food philosophy, you can feel confident ordering any item off the menu!
Portage Bay Cafe is a solid breakfast or lunch option, serving Paleo-friendly hashes to the more indulgent gluten free pancakes. They even have an ‘add your own’ toppings bar! Portage is kind of like a health-conscious diner, offering something for everyone, from sweet dishes to savory.
Portage Bay’s motto is ‘Eat like you give a damn,’ and with their local, seasonal ingredients, they definitely take that motto to heart. You can see this in the list of local farmers they work with that is displayed on the front page of the menu.
With multiple locations, Pagliacci has become a staple in Seattle. But it’s not just locations that Pagliacci has plenty of, they’ve also won plenty of awards too!
Seattle has given a lot to Pagliacci, and they’re giving back to the city too. As well as their composting and recycling practices and commitment to deliver only compostable or recyclable items, Pagliacci has also purchased green power from both Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy since 2006.
These local utilities draw renewable energy from resources located in the Pacific Northwest such as the Washington State dams, the Stateline Wind Project, and Hanford Solar Facility.
Pagliacci also uses several Green Seal certified cleaning chemicals and are working on receiving LEED certification for their newest delivery kitchen in Madison Park.
Rancho Bravo Tacos started out as a food truck on Seattle’s East Side in 2002, and since then have established four locations in Wallingford, Capitol Hill, Fremont, and now on the Ave near the University of Washington.
Their core belief is that food doesn’t need to be expensive to taste good, and everything from their salsa to their tamales are made from scratch. For a Paleo friendly option try their tortilla-less tacos!
6501 Roosevelt Way NE (at NE 65th St), Seattle, WA
Rain City Burgers is a fun, friendly restaurant serving delicious burgers. They serve only fresh and natural beef patties with no added hormones, no antibiotics, and with a 100% vegetarian food diet.
For a Paleo-friendly option, go for their lettuce wrapped burger with no bun.
Located in Ballard, north of Salmon Bay, Asadero started as a food stand in Kent in 2014 but was forced to close down after the venue it was housed in suddenly closed. But Asadero had become so popular that it lived on.
Chef and owner David Orozco soon found brick and mortar space in Kent, Washington, and it still draws in customers from far and wide.
Asadero is probably most famous for its steaks and Carne Asada, which you can find at both of their locations. Their steak is cooked on high using mesquite wood that gives the meat a distinct Mexican flavor you just have to try.
For Caribbean sandwiches and lunches that are always made fresh from local artisan ingredients, look no further than Paseo on Fremont near Aurora Avenue.
Established in 1994, Mashiko has always pushed the boundaries when it comes to food. Most notably on August 15 2009, Mashiko became Seattle’s first fully sustainable sushi bar.
Your favorite cuts of meat are slowly and expertly cooked over an open flame at The Grill from Ipanema. For a true Brazilian experience, your meat is also served with fresh ‘mesa de frios,’ an assortment of fruits, vegetables, and salads that you can also enjoy on their own.
What’s more, The Grill from Ipanema is all-you-can-eat, so you can eat to your heart’s content while enjoying their signature drinks, and finish it all off with one of their mouthwatering desserts.
The Grill from Ipanema is a unique, affordable dining experience serving the freshest and highest quality local ingredients.
Tiliikum is a Euro-based bistro and restaurant based in a classic building that started with an idea to create dinner quality food for breakfast. At Tilikum you’ll be welcomed with an array of fresh, handcrafted meals.
