The Best Pre-Show and Post-Show Spots in Seattle

Seattle offers a live experience for every sort of fan. And it should be a crime to eat or drink at home on a game day or show night in Seattle — there are simply too many great options for pre- and post-event indulgence. If you’re heading to any of the city’s excellent venues, be sure to brush up on your best options before hitting the town.

Best Bars & Restaurants Near CenturyLink Field

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CenturyLink Field is surrounded by some of Seattle’s most vibrant neighborhoods, so the only issue you’ll have is deciding exactly where to go.

• Holding down Pioneer Square to the north is German beer hall Altstadt (209 1st Ave. S) with its mountains of wurst and piping hot pretzels.
• South in SoDo, Paseo (1760 1st Ave. S) slings Caribbean sandwiches stuffed with grilled meat, gooey cheese and pickled peppers.
• Eastward in Chinatown is Dough Zone Dumpling House (504 5th Ave. S), beloved for its handmade bao and noodles.
• And in the middle, there’s Triangle Pub (553 1st Ave. S), a historic brothel that’s now the premier home of the gameday drink special.   

Best Bars & Restaurants Near The Gorge

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The Gorge Amphitheatre‘s food and drink offerings vary from event to event — and campsite to campsite — but nearby town Quincy has reliable brick-and-mortar options.

• Tacos Mi Pueblo (800 1st Ave. SW) is loved for its stuffed gorditas.
• Mike’s BBQ & Smoked Meats (900 13th Ave. SW) serves its zesty grub à la carte, in sandwiches, or piled on baked potatoes.
• Wash either down with a red blend at Beaumont Cellars (8634 Rd. U NW), where you can fill a jug to go.
• Head to Tendrils (344 Silica Rd. NW) at the Cave B Inn & Spa for a proper sit-down meal with a view of the valley below.
  

Best Bars & Restaurants Near Tulalip Amphitheatre

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Tulalip Amphitheatre patrons looking for nearby food and drink needn’t look too hard — the venue is part of the greater Tulalip Resort Casino, which contains myriad options.

• The resort’s best options are its fanciest: oyster flights and seared ahi at Blackfish, or bone-in ribeye and cacio e pepe from Tula Bene (both at 10200 Quil Ceda Blvd.).
• For more affordable fare, try the brisket chili at Jeff’s Texas Style BBQ (9214 State Ave.), or the many-meat-supporting street tacos of La Terraza (9501 State Ave.).
• Up the road, take your pick of top-notch liquid refreshment at the Whitewall Brewing Company (14524 Smokey Point Blvd.), where they have crisp cream ales, juicy IPAs and tart hard ciders.

Best Bars & Restaurants Near The Moore Theatre

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The Moore Theatre‘s location in Belltown ensures that show goers won’t go hungry or thirsty.

• For quick and easy, there’s Serious Pie (316 Virginia St.), a pizza joint known for its truffle cheese.
• Those in search of a more involved Italian experience can venture to The Pink Door (1919 Post Alley), where saucy cioppino and raviolis may be accompanied by surprise burlesque shows, depending on the night.
• A few steps south, the James Moore Bar & Kitchen (1920 2nd Ave.) has a delectable enchilada verde, while PennyRoyal (2000 2nd Ave.), across the street, mixes up superb drinks, from flaming tiki riffs to powerful whiskey concoctions served on a single rock. 

Best Bars & Restaurants Near Neptune Theatre

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The Neptune Theatre is nestled in Seattle’s University District — which means cheap, delicious eats abound.

• U:Don (4515 University Way NE) fills bowl after bowl with thick, steaming noodles and offers a generous selection of self-serve sides.
• Chi Mac (4525 University Way NE) churns out fried chicken wings however you like them: sweet, spicy or salty, and with or without a mug of frosty beer.
• Meanwhile, spots like Just Burgers (4510 University Way NE) and Aladdin Falafel Corner (4541 University Way NE) keep their offerings simple, sauced and portable. 

Best Bars & Restaurants Near Paramount Theatre

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Members of the Paramount Theatre‘s Paramount Club gain access to a downstairs lounge complete with coat-check, cocktails and complimentary bites from the nearby Carlile Room. Non-members are hardly out of luck though.

• The Grilled Cheese Experience (909 Pike St.) is just around the corner and serves its sandwiches on parmesan-crusted sourdough.
• For a sit-down situation, Daawat Grill (820 Pike St.) specializes in fluffy flatbreads and rich curries.
• The Tribeca Kitchen & Bar (809 Olive Way) is known for hearty pastas and chocolate cheesecake.
• A block away, Caribbean bar Rumba (1112 Pike St.) pours rummy punches and daiquiris.

Best Bars & Restaurants Near Marion Oliver McCaw Hall

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As part of the Seattle Center, the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall is brimming with pre-show meetup spaces whether you’re looking for bites or drinks.

• As the name suggests, Big Mario’s Pizza (815 5th Ave. N) serves its slices New York-style: thin, covered with all the classics and large enough to fold.
• The Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar (124 Republican St.) similarly stays true to its name with a super-fresh raw selection, plus local Dungeness crab.
• Sal Y Limón (10 Mercer St.) pairs homey Mexican classics, from pozole to churros, with powerful margaritas — don’t miss happy hour.
• Check out Triumph Bar (114 Republican St.) for upscale apps and cocktails.

Best Bars & Restaurants Near Showbox SoDo + The Showbox

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Showbox SoDo may appear a bit isolated by its industrial environs, but pizza abounds.

• Slice Box (1727 1st Ave. S) serves the pre-show crowd its heavily topped thin-crust pies.
• Hooverville Bar (1721 1st Ave. S), though better known for beer taps and free peanuts, slings personal pans to late-nighters.
• Down the road, Daddy G’s (1950 1st Ave. S) does fancier pies like garlic alfredo.
• The original Showbox downtown has even more options, from Japonessa Sushi Cocina (1400 1st Ave.) with its wild array of colorful rolls, to Radiator Whiskey (94 Pike St.), which specializes not only in the titular booze, but also in scrumptious meats like fried pork shank.

Best Bars & Restaurants Near Tractor Tavern 

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The humble Tractor Tavern happens to be in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, which has some of the best dining options in town.

• Take the Asadero Ballard (5405 Leary Ave. NW), a Mexican steakhouse that serves bone marrow at a bargain.
• Sawyer (5309 22nd Ave. NW) playfully remixes familiar fare like buffalo wings and choco tacos.
• The deviled eggs at the local gastropub, Bramling Cross (5205 Ballard Ave.), are dressed up with salmon roe.
• If you’re looking for truly simple, though, Macleod’s Fish & Chips Scottish Pub (5206 Ballard Ave. NW) batters a tasty fillet and pours a couple hundred different scotch whiskies.

Best Bars & Restaurants Near The Crocodile

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The back bar at The Crocodile is a destination unto itself thanks to its wood-fired pizzas, but the surrounding Belltown blocks offer stiff competition.

• Check out the cream-cheese-stuffed frankfurters at the Monster Dogs stand (1st Ave. and Bell St.) 
•  Build your own salmon bowls at FOB Poke Bar (220 Blanchard St.).
• Watering holes vary delightfully too: Shorty’s (2222 2nd Ave.) is nothing less than a clown-themed dive bar complete with vintage pinball machines.
• Bathtub Gin & Co (2205 2nd Ave.) is a crafty speakeasy hidden in the basement of an old apartment complex.