Seattle Restaurant Week is back!
The autumn edition of SRW returns from Oct. 18 through Oct. 31, with Seattle-area chefs rolling out special menus to entice customers to dine out as the weather takes a turn toward fall around the Sound.
(Yes, SRW extends to the cities around Seattle.)
More than 250 restaurants are participating this time around, according to a news release published earlier this month, with different meals at the same four price points: From small plates to brunch, lunch and dinner, customers choose from set menus priced at $20, $35, $50 and $65 per diner.
The full buffet of participating restaurants lives at srweek.org, where you can also find menus and a map displaying the sprawl. You can sort choices from there, by filters including neighborhood, cuisine, price point and more.
In the “What’s New?” category: The fall 2026 edition of this twice yearly hospitality industry promotion features the Give a Meal Passport. Diners can fill out a digital passport by visiting SRW restaurants that have agreed to donate some proceeds to fund meal donations.
The passport (srweek.org/give) can be “stamped” through Oct. 28. The promo expires before SRW ends because those who play will be entered into a ticket giveaway for Taste America: Seattle, a Nov. 1 event hosted by the James Beard Foundation. A who’s who of local chefs will attend, from Jhonny Reyes of Lenox to Janet Becerra of Pancita and Trinh and Thai Nguyen of Ramie.
Wait a minute, though. Did somebody say “$20 meal in Seattle”?
The news release touts those budget-conscious menus specifically, from Ballard fusion taco favorite Lupe’s Situ Tacos to Noodle/Bar, which recently made our writers’ list of their favorite lunches in South Lake Union.
Need more suggestions?
These four $20 Seattle Restaurant Week meals look appetizing — and seem to pack a solid bang for your buck. Here are four editor-approved ideas, with one restaurant apiece for small plates, brunch, lunch and dinner.
(Sweet) small plates: Anh Ơi Bake Shop
314 Sixth Ave. S., Seattle; ohanhoi.com
Anh Ơi Bake Shop in the Japantown section of the Chinatown International District earned a shout-out from Seattle Times food writer Tan Vinh earlier this year, who said it “feels more like an art gallery than a dessert place” — one that showcases artisanal Asian sweets made by a cornucopia of local bakers. Running an SRW “small plates” dessert menu from Wednesday through Sunday during the two-week promo, Anh Ơi offers an olive oil honey cake and a Hong Kong coffee milk tea cake, with one for $12 or both for $20.
Brunch break: The Hart and the Hunter
109 Pine St., Seattle; 206-596-0700, thehartandthehunter.com
It’s slim pickings at the $20 brunch tier. But I’ll shout out vegan-friendly Cafe Red in Othello ($20 for a breakfast sandwich or burrito, hash brown patty and a medium latte or matcha) — and give my full vote to The Hart and the Hunter. This spot’s “very cute faux diner vibes with lots of exposed wood” charmed food writer Jackie Varriano, who named it among her favorite hotel restaurants in Seattle earlier this year. The $20 SRW brunch deal features a mimosa and a biscuit to start along with your choice of biscuits and gravy; oatmeal; club sandwich; beet salad; or eggs Benedict. You don’t see many $20 eggs bennies around town these days, let alone one that comes with a mimosa and a biscuit.
Lunchtime bento: Tamari Bar
500 E. Pine St., Seattle; 206-979-8800, tamaribarseattle.com
Several Seattle Times food team favorites are running $20 SRW lunch menus, from the aforementioned Lupe’s deal (two tacos, 8-ounce soup and Mexican slaw) to Azuki (miniature bowl of handmade udon, assorted tempura, Japanese egg custard) and Gold Coast Kitchen (choice of hand pie or plantains; and the suya burger or red red, a stew with black-eyed peas). And you can always count on Capitol Hill happy hour hangout Tamari Bar for a deal — they deliver the SRW goods in the form of a $20 bento box that’s available noon to 2:30 p.m. every day except Monday. You’ll get a smorgasbord of tenderloin steak, grilled chicken, rice and mushroom macaroni salad. (Bento box contents are subject to change, the restaurant’s SRW flyer denotes.)
Dinner downtown: Schnitzel Kitchen
2030 Fifth Ave., Seattle; 206-441-2888, palacekitchen.com
A few local chainlets have decent $20 dinner deals. For Mexican favorites, try Agave Cocina & Cantina in Kent and Redmond or their sister restaurants: Cava Azul in Woodinville and brand-new Marina Azul at the Port of Everett Marina. Or hit your nearest Johnny Mo’s for a half Caesar salad, 14-inch pizza and dessert for $20. But what is Seattle Restaurant Week without a good shtick? In downtown Seattle, the crown for “most creative SRW bit” goes to Tom Douglas’ Palace Kitchen, which will “rebrand” for these two weeks as “Schnitzel Kitchen.” (Seriously! It’s on the flyer!) For $20, you’ll get the schnitzel royale, with a fried pork cutlet and fries. The larger $35 plate adds on grilled sausage and pork belly, swapping the fries for buttered potatoes.
Dining and Cooking