Mr. Maqluba

Greenwood | instagram.com/mr.maqluba/

Since opening in the former Olive and Grape space in January, Mr. Maqluba has been bringing some delicious hope to Seattle’s formerly Palestinian-food-free landscape. The restaurant’s “authentic maqluba, made the traditional way,” according to its social media, is a heavenly pot of seasoned rice that’s loaded with roasted chicken, crisped at the bottom, and then turned out upside-down on a platter for sharing. The menu offers a few similar rice-based dishes, like Mr. Maqluba’s smoky cousins, mandi and mansaf, which are tender lamb ribs cooked in fermented yogurt and served over that vivid, seasoned rice. There are sandwich renditions of most dishes for solo diners, but the big versions sound like a great party, honestly. Maybe bring a friend or three.

Roy Southern Thai

Phinney Ridge | roysouthernthai.com

From the Jawpliphon siblings—who’ve operated next-door restaurant twins Pestle Rock and Sen Noodle Bar in downtown Ballard for a decade-plus—comes Roy Southern Thai, a colorful casual dining spot just up the road on Phinney Ridge. Off the menu of dishes originating from the Malay Peninsula, the Massaman lamb curry became a quick crowd fave, combining fall-apart braised lamb in a dark, complicated sauce. Roy’s Chowder is another standout: a rich soup made with coconut milk and cream, as well as potatoes, leeks, celery, and lots of chunky seafood. They also do a thick Bangladeshi curry, beef bhuna—it’s one of the few examples of the cuisine in town.

Hamsa

Wallingford | hamsa.toast.site

Amr Habash is serving up all kinds of Arabic dishes in his cozy Wallingford café—and also freestyling on his grandfather’s recipes to create a totally new concept. Hamsa’s menu is casual, offering options like shakshouka, sandwiches made with falafel or tahini kofta, and, for bigger appetites, entrées like the garlic chicken bowl—featuring veggies, pickles, and toum (pureed garlic sauce) over rice. There’s a staggering assortment of interesting beverages here, too, including pistachio cold foam lattes, mango lassi, Salaam Cola, the elusive Vimto, and five different kinds of mint tea.

Mangosteen’s Chicken Shop

New Holly/Othello | mangosteenschickenshop.com

After spending ten years slinging halal fried chicken on the festival circuit, this pop- up has at last spread its, ahem, wings into its very first brick-and-mortar spot. Now in the former Cajun Crawfish space on MLK, Mangosteen’s new expanded menu adds crispy wing platters with salad and schmaltz-imbued rice, whole fried chickens, waffle fries, a bunch of new sauce options, and even non-chicken options like shaken beef garlic noodles. If you’re there when neighbor Boba Bar is open, you can order bubble tea and fruit tea from the same menu.

A.K. Pizza

New Holly/Othello| ak-pizza.com

On the very same block as Mangosteen’s, A.K. Pizza has been doing takeout, pre-order-only pizza since late autumn—and the buzz has traveled really fast. Some may designate this former pop-up pizza project as New York-style, while others say it’s too charred and thin and verges on Neapolitan territory. But whatever you call it, the demand is intense, with prospective customers competing online for pizza slots the very instant A.K. opens for business. Sounds weird, but if you can snag one, the corn pesto pie is an absolute knockout—we’re gonna assume that’s what A.K. stands for. (Just kidding! It’s named for the owner’s initials: Alex Kim.)

Otherside Market & Deli

Eastlake | othersidemarketdeli.com

This go-to spot for sandos and sundries quietly opened in the bottom of an Eastlake condo in summer 2025, but it took a sec to gather a following…which happened when word got out that the owner is Won Williamson, the legendary sandwichsmith from Lyon’s Grocery on Dexter. Ostensibly so-named because it’s directly across the lake from Lyon’s, Otherside is dealing in souped-up versions of NYC standards, e.g., a tuna melt with roasted green chiles blended into the Oregon albacore, a hot pastrami with smoked aioli and caramelized onions, and a lavish take on a Philly cheesesteak with Gruyère and Mama Lil’s sweet ’n’ hot peppers. Lots of luxurious-sounding veggie options here, too. Maybe the grass really is greener.

Mio, Oh Mio

Pioneer Square | mioohmio.com

Serving italian-british fusion, the newest character in the vast Sea Creatures pantheon is part of a Pioneer Square trio that includes Un Po Tipsy (a pizzeria) and Lowlander (a brewery). The restaurant’s name—which means “My, Oh My”—is a nod to the nearby T-Mobile stadium, where legendary Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus often called out the signature phrase. This contemporary European fine diner is certainly the toniest of the three, via entrées like black cod with melted leeks in a buttery saffron sauce and a crispy pork chop with preserved treviso, a fancy, elongated type of radicchio. Cocktails are classic, brick is exposed, and—with only 32 seats—space is limited, so be sure to snag a reservation.