There are many great places to eat near the courthouse. Whether you are looking for a quick coffee, a sweet treat, or a full meal, downtown has you covered. As the new Outreach Services Librarian at KCLL, I’ve been eating my way through the restaurants and cafes around the courthouse. This new section of the website hopes to highlight the amazing places to grab a bite around downtown.
Click on the images below to see a walking map from the courthouse to each restaurant
August 2026 Featured Eatery
This month’s featured eatery takes us east to 300 Fifth Avenue where Deli-Cut Subs resides. This unassuming sandwich and snack shop is a bonanza of inexpensive breakfast and lunch sandwiches, salads, soups, fresh fruit, snacks, drinks, and select pastries. I’ve enjoyed their turkey with bacon sandwich, chicken bacon ranch sandwich, mixed fruit cups, and cookies. They bake their bread fresh daily and their fresh fruit is perfectly ripe and crisp. They also have a wonderful selection of breakfast sandwiches made with freshly cooked eggs. Their snack selection cannot be beaten for the courthouse area and includes several dozen chip varieties and a good-sized variety of candy for that afternoon sugar pick me up. You can also get your passport photo taken while you wait for your sandwich to be made!
July 2026 Featured Eatery
This month’s featured eatery takes us back to Columbia Tower to Jack’s BBQ and their pared-down menu for breakfast and lunch at this location. I enjoyed their Pulled Pork sandwich flavored with a dry rub and creamy coleslaw on the bottom paired with their Queso Mac N Cheese and Remoulade Coleslaw. Their BBQ sauces are a 'choose your own adventure' for topping your sandwich after picking up your order. Everything was tasty with the BBQ sauces complementing the dry rub on the meat nicely and the coleslaw more savory than sweet.
June 2026 Featured Eatery
This month’s featured eatery takes us to TOASTED, a new addition to the Pioneer Square area. TOASTED has a variety of bagels, sandwiches, coffees, teas, and more with a Mediterranean spin. Throughout their menu you can see the influence of their roots from their inclusion of Za’atar and Harissa to their pairings of Labneh and dates in their dishes. I tried the Date & Labneh bagel which stars with a Medjool date spread base topped with a Turkish labneh, walnuts za’atar and a drizzle of olive oil. The sweetness of the dates paired amazingly with the tangy labneh and earthy za’atar while the walnuts provided another layer of flavor and texture. I paired my bagel with the Cardamom Honey Latte which had just the right sweet and spice mixture that complimented the coffee perfectly. They are perfect for a quick bite or drink.
May 2026 Featured Eatery
This month’s featured eatery takes us to Pan De La Selva at Fourth Avenue and Cherry Street. They offer a lovely variety of Mexican and Central American pastries, quiche, and drinks. Their restaurant space is bright and colorful with lots of seating that can accommodate larger groups as well as offering pre-orders of 6 or more pastries for pickup. I had their Semita (a guava-rhubarb y queso Salvadoran pie tart), Puerquito, and a Salvadoran Horchata. Everything was a delightful treat for all your senses. The Semita’s pairing of guava and rhubarb is perfect for a tart and slightly sweet pastry that hits the spot for those afternoon pick-me-ups. The Puerquitos are an adorable pig-shaped cookie that is complemented nicely by the ginger cream filling & grapefruit curd. The Salvadoran Horchata is slightly darker than a traditional Horchata and includes morro seeds that gives it a nuttier and more complex flavor.
April 2026 Featured Eatery
This month’s featured eatery takes us to Rojo’s Mexican Food. Rojo’s is a delightful plant based Mexican restaurant located on James St. and 3rd Ave. They have a variety of offerings from burritos to tacos to rice and beans. They also have a lovely selection of Agua Frescas. During my visits I’ve had both their Horchata and Jamaica Agua Frescas. The Horchata is creamy with a nice kick of cinnamon and not too sweet, while their Jamaica is tart and fruity with just the right touch of sweetness. Their Cremosa Burrito is a hefty portion of rice, beans, avocado, sour cream, and your choice of protein. I chose the Asada protein which complemented the rest of the burrito components nicely and had just enough of a kick to make you notice. I also had their Loaded Burrito, which has the same fixings as the Cremosa Burrito but with guacamole and lettuce added to it. This was again a hefty portion and very tasty with the Al Pastor protein option. All in all, Rojo’s Mexican Restaurant is great place to grab something to bring back to the courthouse or to dine in.
March 2026 Featured Eatery
This month’s featured eatery is the ever tasty and iconic Tat’s Delicatessen. They are located on the corner of Yesler and 2nd Avenue. They offer a wide variety of East Coast-inspired hoagies, sandwiches, soups, wings, sides, and more. There are both breakfast and lunch items on the menu with portions to satisfy even the hungriest of appetites. You cannot go wrong with their Reuben, which has the perfect pairing of corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese on Rye. Their Eggplant Parm is a great vegetarian option with a wonderfully crispy coating on the eggplant that does not get soggy under the delicious marinara sauce and cheese. Their cheesesteak sandwiches are also a great selection with both beef and chicken options that pair perfectly with either macaroni salad or coleslaw.
February 2026 Featured Eatery
This month’s featured eatery takes us back to Columbia Center. Sushi Kudasai offers a variety of sushi rolls, sashimi, ramen, poke, and salads. I enjoyed their California Roll and their monthly special roll with eel sauce, avocado, cucumber, cream cheese, and crab. Both rolls were tasty, and the service was quick. Sushi Kudasai has a variety of special rolls and soups that also seem like good bets for a quick, filling lunch.
January 2026 Featured Eatery
This month’s featured eatery offers luscious, savory, and sweet spreads. Lune café is located on First Ave near Yesler. They have a wonderful selection of sandwiches, waffles, crepes, pastries, shakes, teas, coffees, energy drinks, and smoothies. They have a decently sized seating area and are quick for takeout. I ordered the Dubai Chocolate Strawberries, Avocado Addiction, and the 4 Seasons Waffle. The Dubai Chocolate Strawberries are a great, quick treat if you want something slightly sweet. It's topped with a crispy pistachio Knafa topping. The Avocado Addiction takes avocado toast to a new level with roasted tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and balsamic glaze It made a great light lunch, while the 4 Seasons Waffle was a fantastic mix of Biscoff, Oreo, Pistachio, and Strawberry flavors in waffle sections. It wasn’t overly sweet and had a good balance of crispy toppings with creamy sauces on a warm fluffy waffle.
December 2025 Featured Eatery
This month’s featured eatery takes us in a new direction from the courthouse. This month we’re heading northeast to the Columbia Center to check out Piroshky Piroshky, a purveyor of Eastern European turnover sandwiches. They have a variety of sweet and savory pastries, including several seasonal and frozen take home offerings. While there, I enjoyed a smorgasbord of piroshkies including the bacon cheeseburger, Swedish meatball, rhubarb, Moscow roll, Oscar star, chocolate cream hazelnut, beef and potato, and cherries & cream. All of them were tasty and filling. My favorites were the cheeseburger and rhubarb piroshkies. The cheeseburger piroshky came with a mayo & tomato-based burger sauce with a little kick, while the rhubarb was a sweet and refreshing treat with just the right balance of sweet & tart.
November 2025 Featured Eatery
This month’s featured eatery is Pass D’ Jollof, a tasty Nigerian establishment located on First Avenue, near Main Street. They have a wide selection of dishes featuring Jollof, plantains, Nigerian Fried Rice, Chin-Chin, Fufu, soups, stews, and more. I chose a variety of dishes, including the Jollof Rice & Beef, Plantains, Fufu, Meat Pie, Chin-Chin, and Okra Soup. Everything was delightful; the Fufu complemented the Okra Soup perfectly. The Meat Pie had a buttery crust and a meat and veggie filling that was reminiscent of a Cornish pasty, but with more hearty seasonings. The Jollof Rice & Beef featured a tomato-based sauce with just the right amount of kick, while the beef was super tender. Desert consisted of the plantains cooked in cinnamon, sugar, and other spices, along with the Chin-Chin, which has an almost cracker-like consistency and is flavored with sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla. Both are delicious separately, but I combined mine to create a crunchy plantain and Chin-Chin mixture that complimented each other nicely.
October 2025 Featured Eatery
This month’s featured eatery takes us to Fusion Bistro Indian Cuisine on the corner of 2nd and James. They offer ample indoor seating, delivery, and take-out options. I tried the Aloo Tiki Sliders, Rasmalai, Chicken Tikka Masala, and a Mango Lassi. The Aloo Tiki Siders had a nice mixture of flavors with just a hint of heat, which paired well with the cooling Mango Lassi. The Chicken Tikka Masala came with a hefty portion of rice and sauce that allowed for two meals. The sauce complemented the well-seasoned chicken, which made for a great bite when paired with the rice. Overall, Fusion Bistro offers a wide range of options to suit your palate and party size.
September 2025 Featured Eatery
This month’s featured eatery takes us on a short walk down Yesler to Fresh Falafel, a delightful spot featuring shawarma and more. They have a variety of plates, wraps, and desserts. I had the Chicken Shawarma plate, Palestinian Rice Pudding, Haryseh, Falafel plate, and Greek fries. The portion sizes were more than enough for one person and provided leftovers for lunch the next day. The Chicken Shawarma wasn’t too spicy and came with a small salad, pita, and hummus with pepper sauce. It had a nice combination of spices that paired really well with the garlic sauce and hummus. The rice pudding was a nice, sweet treat with a toping mixture of pistachios, golden raisins, and coconut while the Haryseh was a lightly sweetened honey cake with coconut that paired well with an afternoon tea from the office.
August 2025 Featured Eatery
This month’s food journey takes us to Saigon Drip. They are located a few blocks southwest of the courthouse, offering Vietnamese food. Their Banh Mi Drip is one of their most popular sandwiches, melding the flavors of a French dip sandwich with Vietnamese pate and bone marrow dipping sauce. It was one of the best bites I’ve had in a while, with a crusty bread and perfectly seasoned meat and fillings. They also carry a variety of teas ranging from milk to Thai to Matcha in addition to their Vietnamese coffees. I tried their iced Café Sua, which was delightfully refreshing.
July 2025 Featured Eatery
This month's featured eatery is Pinoyshki's on Pine. Pinoyshki's is a wonderful bakery that combines the best of Filipino cooking with amazingly fluffy piroshki dough. They have a wide variety of baked goods featuring both savory and sweet. While this restaurant is a bit of a trek from the courthouse, they do deliver, which is great for those days when reserving one of our conference rooms for lunch.
They offer a variety of both classic and Filipino-inspired baked goods. Their guava cream cheese flake crust pastry has the right amount of guava to cream cheese ratio inside a tender flaky pastry dough. The Beef & Cabbage Piroshki is also a great bite with lots of seasonings. You also can’t go wrong with the poppy seed roll.
June 2025 Featured Eatery
This month's featured eatery is the Alaskan Cafe. It's newer bakery and coffee shop that opened on the corner of 3rd and Yesler. It has variety of tasty baked goods, fruit cups, sandwiches, and drink options. If you’re in for breakfast I highly recommend one of the scones or breakfast sandwich which has eggs, bacon, and cheese on an English muffin. If you’re needing a sweet treat, you cannot go wrong with the lemon bars. There are a variety of other options from parmesan bacon biscuits to apple tarts that are also well worth a try. Overall, it’s a nice spot that's just across the street from the courthouse.
May 2025 Featured Eatery
This month’s featured eatery is Shawn O’Donnell’s. O’Donnell’s is located on 2nd Avenue and Yesler a short walk from the courthouse. They serve lunch and dinner pub food with an Irish flair. Their menu highlights both traditional Irish food such as boxties and corned beef & cabbage. O’Donnell’s has a $13.99 lunch special from 11 am-3 pm which features fish & chips, a pub burger, chicken pot pie, Guinness beef stew, or shepherd’s pie. My favorites are the Corned Beef Rueben Boxty and the Irish Bread Pudding. It’s perfect for a quick lunch or drink after you’ve finished your business at the courthouse.