Oh, The Places You Will Eat!

Every year, our local TV station hosts a "Best of Western Washington" contest.  They ask viewers to vote for their favorite establishments in a wide range of different catagories.  Once voting ends, the winners get bragging rights for a year (and probably an uptick in business).  The Best of Western Washington contest has been going on for years, but I've never voted until this year--though I only voted for a handful of my faves.

I'm not going to go into all my picks, but here are my top three places to get your grub on in the greater Seattle area:

BEST PLACE FOR SANDWICHES: Tub's Gourmet Subs
From the preliminary voting results, it doesn't look like Tub's has a chance of winning, but that's ok.  I love them no matter what...and I don't even like sandwiches that much.  Here's why they rock: everything is made fresh when you order it.  All their subs are served toasted.  Their bread is beyond amazing--crunchy and flavorful, it really makes the sandwich. 

I have my husband hooked on Tub's.  And even though their menu offers a great selection of sandwiches, we always seem to get the same thing.

Me: A mini Caesar Chicken (chicken, lettuce, provolone, garlic mayo and Caesar dressing)

The Mister: A small or large Joker (roast beef, ham, turkey, bacon, cheddar, mayo and lettuce with a side of BBQ sauce for dipping)

If you go, prepare to be fed well.  And don't forget a breath mint.  You'll need it!

BEST PLACE FOR PIZZA: The Rock Wood Fired Pizza
Their motto is "Hell Yeah...That's Good Pizza!" And that sums up the whole experience.  We've been going to The Rock for over 5 years now, and in that time they've expanded their business.  The atmosphere is "rock 'n roll"...there are murals of the Beatles painted on the brick walls, classic rock album covers hang over booths, and Neil Young plays on the speakers. 

The pizzas are delicious.  Their sauce is made of real tomatoes (you can see chunks of them on your pie) and is slightly sweet.  The dough is yummy--thin but not cracker-thin--and it gets added flavor from the wood fired oven they use.

While they have a ton of toppings and specialty pizzas to order, we like the Classic Rock (cheese and pepperoni) or a cheese with meatballs.  They also sell burgers and sandwiches, but why bother with that when you can get an amazing pie instead? 

Oh!  I forgot to add: The Rock also has a few special microbrew labels that are Rock exclusive.  They have an extensive alcoholic beverage selection and sell something called a Bucket.  I'm not a big binge drinker, so I just go for the food.

BEST PLACE FOR BURGERS: Dick's Drive-In
Dick's has been in Seattle for ages, serving up handcut french fries, milkshakes made from actual ice cream, and some of the yummiest (and cheapest) cheeseburgers in town.  I am not a big fan of their fries (probably because I am not a big fan of the potato in general), but their burgers and shakes are crave-worthy. 

The majority of their locations are drive-up only, so you have to eat in your car after you order.  That's kind of fun and adds to their appeal.  Their only sit-down restaurant on Queen Anne is a bit run down and dodgy, but that, too adds to the appeal.

Dick's recently announce that it's going to expand operations and move to either the North End (where I live!), the South End (near the airport), or the snooty Eastside (where I used to live!).  They asked people to vote for the location of their choice, and there was so much traffic on their website that it crashed several times.  Then someone figured out how to hack into the voting software to rig the votes.  After all the kinks were worked out, voting picked up again and as of today, the North End is well in the lead (woo-hoo!).

Dick's is so good and so cheap that when I took my hubby there the first time he said he was glad he had to travel to get to it...that having one too close to work or home would be dangerous.  He's probably right.  Dick's rocks!