Best Restaurants in Edmonds, WA You Must Try

I’ve lived in Seattle for more than a decade, but it took me a while to explore the best restaurants in Edmonds, WA. That’s because when I first moved here, this small town in Snohomish county was not much more than a small downtown area that you passed through on the way to the ferry terminal.

But since I’ve moved here, the Edmonds area has become one of the low-key best restaurant destinations near Seattle. I’ve had the pleasure of exploring it more in recent years and have come to love many of the places I’ve tried.

If you’re looking for a unique places to eat within a 20-minute drive north of Seattle, here are my favorite restaurants in Edmonds, Washington.

Best Restaurants in Edmonds, WA

Save this to Pinterest for later, as I’ll add more Edmonds restaurants as I try them.

Ono Poke

website | 10016 Edmonds Way | best for: raw fish goodness

Ono Poke is so good it made it on my list of the best poke in Seattle and the best restaurants worth the drive from Seattle.

Owner Steve Ono hails from Oahu, Hawaii, so you know the poke here is legit. He sources sustainable, fresh fish from BC, Hawaii, and Japan, creating 4-6 poke options that change daily depending on the catch.

The quality of the fish is incredible and melts in your mouth. Whatever you order is going to highlight the fish because Ono sells poke “Hawaiian style”…meaning it’s more about the fish than the sides.

You don’t get any options for mix-ins here. Instead you choose from a deli case of pre-made pokes and the only sides you get to pick is between edamame, kimchi cucumbers, seaweed salad, or mac salad to be served on, well, the side.

If you can only make it to one restaurant in Edmonds, WA, make it this one!

The Market Fishmonger & Eatery

website | 508 Main St | best for: fish shack fare

Another type of restaurant I miss from the east coast is the seaside shacks serving the coastal version of street food: fish tacos, clam strips, fish rolls, etc. I love how this is one of the best restaurants in Edmonds, WA serving all the menu items I grew up eating at the Jersey Shore.

The Market is a fishmonger with a few bistro seats lining the walls. It’s owned by Feed Me Hospitality Group, which actually owns a bunch of the Edmonds in restaurant like Salt & Iron, Potlatch Bistro, Bar Dojo, etc.

This place is tiny, so if it’s cold and the outdoor patio is closed, you may have to wait on the weekends. But it’s just as good as the best fish restaurants in Seattle, so it’s worth the wait!

When you go, get the lobster roll if still available (it sells out) and the Baja-style fish tacos. I remember this first time I went I was super disappointed that they were out of the lobster roll, so I left. But the next time I got the fish tacos and fell in love. They are crunchy and perfectly seasoned, rivaling some of the best fish and chips in Seattle.

Barkada

website | 622 5th Ave S | best for: Filipino mixed plates

Barkada is a Filipino-Hawaiian restaurant selling mixed plates that I’ve grown to love thanks to my annual 5 day Maui trip. “Barkada” means “group of friends” in Filipino, which is fitting given this Edmond restaurant’s laid-back ambiance. They have a cute covered and heated patio out front, perfect for enjoying with friends.

You have options when it comes to what to order since their mixed plates let you choose from a few different items like pork belly, kalua pig, and poke. Everything I’ve had is good, but make sure to get the garlic shrimp as one of your options. The shrimp are huge and the butter garlic sauce is so irresistible. You’ll be sopping up every last bit of it that soaked into the rice!

Pro tip: They have a good happy hour daily from 3 to 5 PM that gets you 50% off plates and discounted drinks.

Kuzma’s Fish market

website | 21104 70th Ave W | best for: raw fish goodness

This is another awesome spot for poke in Edmonds, but it’s best know for being a fish market. Therefore it may surprise you to find Kuzma’s on this list of the best restaurants in Edmonds, WA. However, they definitely deserve a spot.

Ken “Kuzma” Hewitt has been working in the fish business since he was 7 years old, starting at his grandmother’s fish market in West Seattle. His team is bringing some of the freshest fish to the area, making it one of the best places to buy seafood in Seattle.

You walk into the fish market via an open garage door of a warehouse in an unassuming part of Edmonds. Head to the left side of the counter along where the staff is waiting to take your order and you’ll find some poke options.

I love how it’s sold by the weight so you can get any amount you want to try. I usually like to get a few different flavors, but always get the spicy tuna. It’s not as spicy as others I’ve had, which lets you really taste the freshness of the fish.

Maize & Barley

website | 525 Main St | best for: Caribbean sandwiches

Maize & Barley is a hip little downtown Edmonds restaurant serving some of the best craft beer in Seattle from a tap lining their back counter. Their drink menu features international and local wines too, plus fun drinks like draft Sangria.

But the real draw here is their impeccable Caribbean menu. You can order various sandwiches on either bread or arepas, which are maize (corn) dough shaped into a tortilla but thicker and pan fried.

Arepas are the obvious choice. Get the Midnight Cuban sandwich on them and you won’t be disappointed. It’s super tender pork shoulder rubbed with oregano, garlic and other spices, then served with cheese, pickles, mustard, and aioli.

Noodle Hut

website | 8418 Bowdoin Way | best for: Thai food

Noodle Hut is in an unassuming strip mall away from downtown Edmonds. The menu looks like a pretty typical Thai restaurant, but dang does it taste way better than most I’ve been to. All the dishes are super well executed and they don’t skimp on spice (though you can get it not spicy!).

Make sure to get the satay noodles with pork. Every other Asian restaurant I’ve been to often overcooks the pork, but Noodle Hut does it just right. And the peanut sauce that it’s served with is SO yummy!

If it’s available, get the garlic and pepper chicken, too. It’s relatively light on sauce and served with a runny egg. But the best part is the spicy Sichuan-style pepper on this dish. It’s hot, but oh so satisfying! This is the dish that made Noodle Hut one my the best restaurants in Edmonds, WA.

Chicken Prince

website | 23830 Hwy 99 | best for: Korean fried chicken wings

This restaurant on highway 99 is kind of hard to find. It’s in the back of a little strip mall complex with a few other Korean restaurants. It has no windows so you’re not really sure what you’re going to walk into once you enter the big metal door. Plus it’s gone through a few different rebrands, with Stars in the Sky being the most recent name before Chicken Prince.

Whatever it’s called, they’ve consistently made some of the best Korean fried chicken in the greater Seattle area. You can choose to order a whole or half chicken. Then you have the option of the original or “Korean style”. Original means it’s going to be like your traditional fried chicken with breading. Korean-style means there isn’t a batter, but more like a crisp similar to when you pan fry something.

I usually get the original because it’s just so good. They serve it with honey mustard and extra salt and pepper that is just to die for. However, the sauces that come with the Korean-style chicken are quite yummy, so if you can stomach a whole chicken get half and half!

Dumpling Generation

website | 23830 Hwy 99 | best for: dumplings

This Chinese restaurant is in the same complex as Chicken Prince. You’ll find a focused menu of authentic delicacies like shredded potato, hot pot, and noodles.

But the must-get here are the dumplings. They’re hand formed throughout the day and served steaming in bamboo baskets. My favorite thing to do is to order a mix of styles, since which ones I like best changes with each visit.

Hosoonyi

website | 23830 Hwy 99 | best for: Korean food

You might be sensing that this little strip mall on Aurora Avenue is a happening spot for good food, as Hosoonyi is another one of the best restaurants in Edmonds, WA located next door to Chicken Prince and Dumpling Generation.

Hosoonyi is where you come for awesome casual and authentic Korean food. Your order comes out fast alongside excellent, refillable banchan. I still can’t stop thinking about the kimchi, potatoes, radish, and battered eggplant.

Definitely order the kimchi pancake and soondooboo. The pancake is huge with a great crust and flavor. The soondooboo tofu soup with pork is spicy and earthy. In fact, it’s one of my favorite versions of this soup in the greater Seattle area!

MOTO Pizza

website | 414 Main St | best for: Detroit-style pizza

I love that I’m able to add MOTO to the best restaurants in Edmonds, WA. Anyone who’s ever researched the best pizza in Seattle has undoubtedly come across MOTO, that pizza joint that you need to reserve up to two months in advance. I did this when they were just a small shop in West Seattle, but lucky for you they’ve since opened up more locations to make it easier to get their spongey Detroit-style pies. One is right in downtown Edmonds.

If you want to secure your pizza, you still need to order in advance. However, you can walk into their shop and see if you can snag a pizza from one of the extra doughs they put aside each day. I’ve seen many people in Edmonds do this and bring it to a nearby bar, so my theory is that the Edmonds location may be the best location for scoring a walk-in pie.

MOTO changes the toppings seasonally, but you’ll always be able to taste the 150-year-old starter in their crust since they don’t smother the pies with sauces and fixings. If it’s available, definitely get the crab pie because the lemon zest and dill make this filling pie seem somehow lighter.

Pro tip: MOTO also has soft serve ice cream!

Thai by Day

website | 182 Sunset Ave | best for: Thai food, especially roti

Thai by Day is another excellent Thai restaurant near Seattle. They’re located in Salish Crossing, the same shopping center near the ferry as the popular Epulo Bistro. I was first recommended this place by my physical therapist of all people, and boy am I happy she let me in on the local secret.

Thai by Day makes excellent curry and roti. Seriously, get extra roti on the side because it’s some of the best I’ve had in the area. You’ll thank me later when you have enough to dunk into their Hung Lay curry. It’s gingery with huge chunks of steak that fall apart when eating it.

Caravan Kebab

website | 9711 Firdale Ave | best for: Mediterranean-Middle Eastern fusion

Pakistani Chef Shahzad was tutored by Geek “Yia Yias” (grandmas) during his travels around Europe and the Middle East. His eclectic menu is a collection of those memories.

SanKai

website | 111 4th Ave N | best for: sushi

If you’re craving Northwest cuisine…aka fish…head to SanKai for some of the best sushi in the Seattle area. You may recognize sushi master Ryuichi Nakano from his time at I Love Sushi or Kisaku, the latter of which was his restaurant before he sold it to open SanKai.

I love how Nakano makes Japanese foods with Northwest ingredients. You’ll find a lot of traditional Japanese fish, but also seafood caught along the shores of the Pacific Northwest. If you see some of this local catch on the menu, definitely get it sashimi or nigiri style so you can get a sense of each piece’s unique flavor profile.

Pro tip: SanKai has a happy hour daily from 4 to 6 PM.

85°C Bakery Cafe

website | 22611 76th Ave W | best for: sweet and savory Asian pastries

85°C is one of the most well-known Taiwanese bakery chains, and it just so happens they have a location in Edmonds. I love popping in here for some grab-and-go baked goods. My favorites tend to to be savory, but you’ll find a lot of sweets in traditional flavors like pineapple, coconut, and more.

If available, definitely get the whole wheat mushroom bread. It’s topped with cheese and parsley, giving it a nice balance of earthy and fatty flavors. The Hokkaido custard bun is a great choice if you’re craving dessert. It’s a supple bun filled with even suppler cream custard.

More to do around Edmonds

Any time I head to Edmonds, I like to make an afternoon of it because the downtown area is super cute with local shops and quirky art installations.

If you are in the area at night, check out the “Luminous Forest” on 4th Avenue N, which has a sea of LED lights embedded in the street in a beautiful pattern. Or take a tour of one of their countless murals.

Afterwards, get hand-crafted cocktails at nearby Daphnes Bar or Bar Americano. Prefer wine over craft cocktails? Visit Vinbero instead and don’t miss their popcorn to snack on while you sip.

Between visiting bars and restaurants in Edmonds, WA, I like to pop into local shops or visit the Saturday farmers market. One of the shops I never miss is Driftwood Modern, a beautifully-curated mid century modern store that is one of the best antique stores around Seattle.

If you’re going in the early summer, see if the Edmonds Art Festival is happening. It’s one of the biggest art festivals in the US and has a ton of affordable art from super talented Pacific Northwest artists and makers nationwide.

On a nice day, make sure to get out to the waterfront for epic views of the Puget Sound. There’s a beach near the Kingston ferry terminal or a paved path along the street that makes for the perfect afternoon walk.

Other restaurants to try

After you make your way through this list of the best restaurants in Edmonds, WA, check out my other foodie guides.

• Take a Self-Guided Seattle Food Tour
• North Seattle Restaurants to Prioritize
• Dishes You Must Try in Seattle
• Big & Beautiful Burgers in Seattle
• Cute Restaurants in Seattle