View Comments so far ↓

• 1 xtevex // Dec 10, 2009 at 8:33 pm

  If that's the same company that runs Hollywood Burger Co. downtown at 3rd and Marion, it's definitely not anywhere near the same quality as Zak's or the Counter. Add fries and a drink to that burger & you're looking at $8-10. Good luck to them if they find a niche, but if it's the same company they'll need it, plenty of better burger options in the 'hood.

• 2 IntegralPoker // Dec 10, 2009 at 8:37 pm

  Well, I love Hamburger Harry's… seriously good burgers, and a good place to watch some sports while eating and drinking. But competition is always fun, and I'm looking forward to what's going on here.

  And they're all better than McDonald's and Burger King. Hamburger Harry's, The Counter, Lunchbox Laboratory, Zak's, now Seattle Burger, and even Red Mill up on the Ridge… from low-end to high-end Ballard is truly blessed in the burger department.

• 3 BallardDINK // Dec 10, 2009 at 9:12 pm

  Don't forget Ballard Brothers! Awesome burgers, especially the (wild) salmon. And they're giving the restaurant interior a facelift.

• 4 impliedobserver // Dec 10, 2009 at 9:46 pm

  That niche is already filled with Scooters.

• 5 back2ballard // Dec 10, 2009 at 10:08 pm

  How many more burger and pizza joints does Ballard need? I am not complaining? I am just saying!

  Good to see new businesses open shop in Ballard. I will definitely check it out. Although if would be nice to have something different.

• 6 Wolfie // Dec 10, 2009 at 10:47 pm

  It'd be nice to have an affordable burger joint in the area. Folks in Seattle just don't know what a good burger is and I'm tired of paying over $10 for a supposedly gourmet burger that ends up being sub par.

• 7 kim // Dec 10, 2009 at 10:56 pm

  it would be nice to have two hour parking back.

• 8 name // Dec 10, 2009 at 10:59 pm

  I can only laugh and shake my head at the proliferation of these $25-burger joints.
  Puh-lease.

  I like Scooters on 24th. Great quality, reasonable price, nice local folks, clean, fast, and best of all, no pretentiousness.

• 9 // Dec 10, 2009 at 11:12 pm

  I would like another Mexican place. While Milena's has ridiculously good steak tacos, and la Carta is pretty decent (regional) cuisine, overlooking Azteca (never crosses my mind when I want real Mexican food) and Matador…well…at least the tequila is good. I need to try Senor Moose, as I've walked by and it smells good and looks like it could be more what I'm thinking of. What I seek is a beautiful bowl of menudo and a good affordable mexican tequila with some tongue tacos. Now, taqueria tequila can do all of these (not bad menudo) but thats up in greenwood. I'm still in search of a killer menudo that has hominy in it. I haven't found a place in Seattle which prepares it in this style.

  My favorite burger around is the black angus / blue cheese burger from Hale's. But it can get messy, like all good things.

• 10 glutton // Dec 10, 2009 at 11:29 pm

  i didnt like the counter at all….at all.. i like scooters ALOT….but looking forward to this place opening..lets see what 4$ gets ya…

• 11 yayunicorns // Dec 10, 2009 at 11:36 pm

  ok, i'm done with burgers, thai, sushi and cupcakes. can someone, for the love of food, open a jewish deli!!!!!

• 12 // Dec 10, 2009 at 11:40 pm

  Yes. A deli would be killer (kosher or not). I can't think of one in the city. (the one in Fremont is not what I have in mind…Roxy's). The Other Coast is tasty, but that's also not really a “deli”. I love a good deli sandwich.

• 13 Cosmo King // Dec 10, 2009 at 11:47 pm

  Ain't that the truth. There are so few places in Seattle to get a *real* bagel. Noah's does not count, and while Roxy's is Jewish, their bagels are hard as rocks and they only serve light cream cheese. That's Fremont for you…

• 14 PhinneyNotBallard // Dec 10, 2009 at 11:48 pm

  I know its not Ballard, but Tacos Guyamas sure sounds like your place.

• 15 // Dec 10, 2009 at 11:54 pm

  I've never been impressed by Roxy's, and I've eaten there at least 4 or 5 times in since they opened. Mainly because it was the only place in Fremont to get a breakfast bagel sandwich. I think true delis are, unfortunately, just much more of an Eastern thing.

• 16 sweetrose // Dec 11, 2009 at 12:14 am

  No respectable, authentic menudo would contain hominy. Are you sure you are not thinking of posole?

• 17 SPG // Dec 11, 2009 at 12:42 am

  Yakitori! Anyone wanting to open something that will take off and hasn't been done to death should just import a real yakitori stand from Japan. See Zakoshi in Vancouver for a reference.

• 18 ethel // Dec 11, 2009 at 12:47 am

  I like Burrito Loco a lot better than Guaymas.

• 19 sweetrose // Dec 11, 2009 at 1:04 am

  I laugh too name. Idiots will eat anything and enjoy it too…as long as it's trendy. Scooters I do like. I think whoever owns it used to work at Zestos before they tried to get too rich.

• 20 watergirl // Dec 11, 2009 at 1:06 am

  Well, as long as we're creating a wish list, how about Polish food? I'm not sure I've ever seen a stuffed pepper or cabbage on a menu in Seattle, let alone pierogies or other Eastern European yummies. Or German food? People's Pub is ok as the only thing going, but their menu is kind of light on the variety.

  As for hamburgers? How many places do we need? My goodness!

• 21 mijolm // Dec 11, 2009 at 1:13 am

  Growing up in Los Angeles, EVERYONE I knew put hominy in menudo. I grew up on it. It's about style, not “respectability.”

• 22 sweetrose // Dec 11, 2009 at 1:21 am

  Hmmm I have never seen anyone put hominy in menudo in LA East LA or anywhere else for that matter.

• 23 sweetrose // Dec 11, 2009 at 1:27 am

  To be honest here I would not eat it with or without because I loathe all offal. I also do not eat blood tacos. Disgusting.

• 24 eric // Dec 11, 2009 at 1:28 am

  its really quite alarming how any announcement of a new business is met byinstant yammering about “what we really need”. jeez man, do it then.

  ok, maybe not alarming. weird. yeah.

• 25 Name // Dec 11, 2009 at 1:31 am

  why must any new business posting be met with “what we really need is…”? how strange. all these business masterminds oughta put their money where their mouth is imo…

• 26 Name // Dec 11, 2009 at 1:32 am

  whoa. troubles posting. error. sorry for repeat

• 27 trizzle // Dec 11, 2009 at 6:10 am

  I already have a business, and kids, and am tapped out in the money department, as well as the time department. I am all for supporting local businesses, hell I own one. But maybe someone who has the $ and the time will read this and do something good with someone's idea. I do think a real jewish style deli would do well. I think Korean food is seriously lacking in the north end, unless you head out to shoreline, and would also do quite well here in Ballard. Some South American, ie Peruvian, or Argentinan(sp?) would be good. Finally I think some ethiopian, or more middle eastern food, as the whole genre is really not available locally.

• 28 Hmmf // Dec 11, 2009 at 6:32 am

  Or, “I'm from ____ and you're not, so I know best. I ate at this little place in the alley in _____. A top secret place. You have to be a member. Someone has to nominate you. Then you're blindfolded and ostriches take you through secret caves. Anyway, they have the best ____. But, you'll never know, will you?”

• 29 Reba1 // Dec 11, 2009 at 3:33 pm

  There is a place at the pike market that serves pierogies (russian, not polish) but darn good. I know they also have other things there as well, I only get the pierogies.

  I've been thinking about making myself a batch of pierogies for the “holiday” but thats an epic long process.

  On capitol hill, there is a pseudo restaurant for polish food. Polish Hall.

  Hope that helps.

• 30 watergirl // Dec 11, 2009 at 3:39 pm

  Thanks, Reba!

• 31 Barney Stinson // Dec 11, 2009 at 4:16 pm

  “It'd be nice to have an affordable burger joint in the area. Folks in Seattle just don't know what a good burger is and I'm tired of paying over $10 for a supposedly gourmet burger that ends up being sub par.”

  I absolutely LOVE comments like this.

  Pray tell, where are you from and what does a REAL burger taste like?

• 32 sparky107 // Dec 11, 2009 at 5:31 pm

  No one mentioned my favorite burger place – sorry if it's supposed to be a secret: Sloop Tavern. Bacon Cheeseburger and fries $5.75. Add a Slooper mug (28 oz.) of Manny's for an additional $5. Sure, you're up over $10 but you've got a really good burger and giant beer, darts, TV, pool, and crusty old sailors at the bar. What more could you ask for?

  SPG: thanks for the tip on Yakitori in Vancouver – will check it out. Maybe what we need is a Yakitori Truck – mobile meat on a stick.

• 33 // Dec 11, 2009 at 5:39 pm

  Good ideas

• 34 // Dec 11, 2009 at 5:41 pm

  I had never eaten menudo without hominy until I moved to Seattle. It's a crime.

• 35 // Dec 11, 2009 at 5:41 pm

  Well you sound like a real party.

• 36 stopthebuzz // Dec 11, 2009 at 7:00 pm

  Where are all of these $25-burger joints?

• 37 stopthebuzz // Dec 11, 2009 at 7:18 pm

  go ahead!

• 38 SPG // Dec 11, 2009 at 8:40 pm

  Yakitori is one of those great social foods. Get some friends together, order a bunch of stuff, have a couple beers, order some more stuff. If we had a yakitori place equal to even a mediocre one from Japan you'd have a hard time getting me to leave. There's a couple of izakaya joints in Seattle, but they're too expensive and too far from Ballard to make a habit of.
  Zakkushi on Denman St (Near Robson) in Vancouver is awesome. Authentic from the “Irashai!” when you walk in, good food, and still very affordable. If we could take a crane and steal the whole thing to transplant here I would…but how do we explain dragging a restaurant at the border?

• 39 xtevex // Dec 11, 2009 at 8:43 pm

  “No respectable, authentic menudo would contain hominy. Are you sure you are not thinking of posole?”

  I'm 3rd gen Mexican American … I've never had menudo without hominy in it, grandparents made it that way, parents too.

  Are you sure you know what you're talking about? The same person who claims to be an authority on tripe soup who also hates offal?

  Congrats on clowning yourself there.

• 40 stopthebuzz // Dec 11, 2009 at 8:50 pm

  I beg to differ.

• 41 sweetrose // Dec 11, 2009 at 10:53 pm

  x I know third generation Italians who eat Ragu. I don't eat it because I loathe offal why is that a concept that confuses you?

• 42 ballardmom5 // Dec 12, 2009 at 1:33 am

  Bagel Oasis in Ravenna has the BEST bagels. Worth the drive across the city. Get them hot out of the oven and they taste like a real New York bagel, for real!

• 43 ethel // Dec 12, 2009 at 6:42 pm

  There's a new Greek place just off Market, Plaka Estiatorio. I haven't been there, but it sounds good from the reviews I've seen.

• 44 // Dec 12, 2009 at 8:20 pm

  I rate it a 5/10. Costa's is better.

• 45 toofmonster // Dec 13, 2009 at 6:43 am

  hmm…so, i'm not business savvy in the least, but my friends and I have been talking for ages (actually, just the two years since we've moved here) about how my boyfriend, who is here from Japan on a work visa and makes cho oishii Japanese dishes, could set up some kind of stand and um…not get deported?

  any ideas, send me an email at rohnhayden@gmail.com

  thanks!

• 46 Name // Dec 14, 2009 at 1:17 am

  Do you mean Zakkushi?

• 47 fuzzbeans // Dec 15, 2009 at 5:08 am

  There's a pretty good Jewish deli in Portland up on 23rd (on the streetcar line!). I don't remember the name, but I think their motto is “Shut up and eat!” My kinda place.

• 48 yellowjeep95 // Feb 18, 2010 at 8:03 pm

  I think it's about time someone put a hault to the mondo money burgers. The only other reasonably priced burger joint I am aware of is Wibbley's in Bellevue. I agree that restauranteurs need to be profitable, but when it comes to a hamburger, I think anything pushing $10 is a bit much.

• 49 j // Feb 20, 2010 at 5:41 pm

  Has the $25 Burger joint replaced the mythical $5 cup of joe from Starbucks? Please help, I've got 30 bucks burning a hole in my pocket & I can't find either one.

• 50 Ema // Feb 23, 2010 at 6:17 am

  I just tried Seattle Burger Company, and I really liked it. The BBQ chicken burger was probably the best chicken burger I've had at a fast-food place. A half chicken breast, cooked just right, with a nicely spiced bbq sauce. Also tried their onion rings, which I can definitely recommend (they're made with panko!). The chicken burgers cost a bit more than the beef burgers, but I still got out for under $10.

Leave a Comment (read our comment rules)