Best Seafood: Local Tide
By Seattle Mag November 10, 2025
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2025 issue of Seattle magazine.
When lifelong seattleite Victor Steinbrueck (yes, of the Seattle Steinbrueck family) launched Local Tide in 2017, it was a pop- up at Pike Place Market. A self-taught chef who grew up spending time in his grandmother’s kitchen making memories over meals, Steinbrueck understood the ways that food can connect people. In 2020, after the success of the pop-up, he decided to make things permanent, opening a casual, counter-service spot in Fremont.
Local Tide also received a nod from the New York Times in its top 25 Seattle restaurants list, and for good reason. Let’s start with its star: The creamy, hand-cracked Dungeness crab roll, served on a griddled, split-top bun. Mixed with mayo, lemon, and chives, it’s perfect in its simplicity, but be aware: this delectable dish is only served on weekends. On the all-the-time menu, you’ll find other seafood favorites like fried oysters, a thick salmon sandwich, fish and chips, and an upscale clam chowder where the namesake bivalves come still shell-on.
401 N. 36th St. Suite 103, Seattle | (206) 420-4685 | localtide.com
About Best of the Best
Everyone loves a winner. And when it comes to Seattle favorites, there’s no shortage of opinions on which places, spaces, and bites deserve top honors. This year, we did things a little differently—our staff weighed in, debating and voting to determine the best of the best across the city. We also ran our annual Readers’ Choice poll for comparison (and yes, there was overlap in just one category). Here’s to celebrating all the winners, no matter who cast the vote.
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