Tygart Media

Tag: Local Food

  • Taqueria Loma Bonita: The Best Street Tacos in Downtown Everett Have Been on Broadway This Whole Time

    Taqueria Loma Bonita: The Best Street Tacos in Downtown Everett Have Been on Broadway This Whole Time

    What is Taqueria Loma Bonita? Taqueria Loma Bonita is a family-owned authentic Mexican taqueria at 1530 Broadway in downtown Everett, open since the mid-2010s and consistently rated among the city’s best spots for street tacos and tortas. Street tacos start at $2.25. Open Monday–Friday 10:30 AM–7:30 PM, Saturday 11 AM–5 PM.

    Taqueria Loma Bonita: The Best Street Tacos in Downtown Everett Have Been on Broadway This Whole Time

    Everett has a Casino Road. Everyone knows about Casino Road. The international food corridor that runs through South Everett with its Vietnamese pho shops, Filipino-Hawaiian kitchens, Central Asian food trucks, and Mexican tortillerias gets most of the attention when food writers talk about Everett’s authentic immigrant food scene—and for good reason. But the conversation about where to find great, unpretentious, genuinely made-from-scratch Mexican food in Everett sometimes skips right past a place that’s been doing it quietly on Broadway for nearly a decade.

    Taqueria Loma Bonita at 1530 Broadway doesn’t have a rooftop deck or a waterfront view. It doesn’t need one. It has $2.25 street tacos and a carne asada torta that people in this city call their favorite sandwich in Washington.

    Who Runs It

    Taqueria Loma Bonita is a family operation. The parents run the kitchen—their recipes, their expertise, their standards. The family has been serving Everett for close to a decade with the same approach to ingredients: authentic, homemade, and made with the kind of attention that only comes when the people cooking actually care about the food landing right. That’s not marketing copy. That’s what a 4.5-star rating across 288-plus reviews on multiple platforms looks like over time.

    What to Order

    Start with the street tacos. At $2.25 each, they’re priced the way street tacos should be—inexpensive enough that ordering four is a reasonable move, not an extravagance. The corn tortillas are solid, the meat portions are generous, and the toppings (cilantro, onion, salsa) are applied correctly rather than haphazardly. Carne asada is the move if you’re ordering first-timers. Al pastor is the move if you know your way around a taqueria.

    The tortas are the other thing people keep coming back for. The Regular Torta runs $9.75 with your choice of meat—carne asada, al pastor, pollo, carnitas, chorizo, or lengua—served on a bolillo roll with tomato, avocado, jalapeño, and cabbage. The carne asada version in particular has developed a genuine following. It’s not a dressed-up Americanized sandwich. It’s the real thing: properly seasoned grilled beef, fresh avocado, heat from the jalapeño, crunch from the cabbage. The kind of torta that makes you question every other sandwich you’ve had recently.

    For the full meal: the Burrito Ranchero at $10.49 comes with meat, rice, beans, avocado, pico de gallo, sour cream, and cheese. It’s a big burrito. Order it when you’re actually hungry. And finish with horchata—fresh, not from a concentrate, exactly as sweet as it needs to be.

    The Room and the Vibe

    Taqueria Loma Bonita is a clean, unfussy room on Broadway. No gimmicks. No pretension. The dining room is well-kept and the service is friendly and efficient—the kind of place that takes your order, gets the food out fast, and lets the food do the talking. It offers dine-in, takeaway, and delivery through the major apps, which makes it a practical everyday lunch spot as much as a destination meal.

    The lunch hour crowd at downtown Everett taquerias tends to move fast, and Loma Bonita handles volume well. It’s a spot where you can be in and out in 30 minutes with a serious meal, or take your time and linger over a second round of tacos. Both options are valid.

    How It Fits Into Everett’s Mexican Food Landscape

    Everett has a genuinely strong Mexican food scene, and the depth of it isn’t always obvious until you start mapping it out. Casa El Dorado Tortilleria on Casino Road is the working tortilleria with the kitchen attached—fresh-ground corn and flour tortillas by the kilo, breakfast burritos, tamales. Birrieria Tijuana at 205 E Casino Rd is the Tijuana-style quesabirria spot with 253-plus Yelp reviews. Those are the Casino Road anchors. Taqueria Loma Bonita is the downtown counterpart—slightly different audience (office workers, residents of the Broadway corridor, anyone who wants a fast, authentic weekday lunch without driving to SE Everett Mall Way), same commitment to the real thing.

    If you’re building a mental map of where to eat across Everett’s international food geography, Loma Bonita on Broadway belongs in the same conversation as Heritage African on Hewitt and Enseamada Cafe on Evergreen Way—places that represent real immigrant culinary traditions, done right, at prices that don’t require a special occasion.

    The Details

    Address: 1530 Broadway, Everett, WA 98201
    Hours: Monday–Friday 10:30 AM–7:30 PM, Saturday 11 AM–5 PM, Sunday closed
    Phone: (425) 252-1487
    Price range: Street tacos $2.25, tortas $9.75, burritos $10.49
    Parking: Street parking on Broadway; downtown meters are free on Sundays (but they’re closed Sundays anyway, so weekday meters apply)
    Delivery: Available via DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub
    Dine-in: Yes

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is Taqueria Loma Bonita known for?

    Taqueria Loma Bonita is best known for its authentic street tacos at $2.25 each and its carne asada torta, which has a strong local following. Everything is made from scratch using authentic family recipes.

    What are Taqueria Loma Bonita’s hours?

    Monday–Friday 10:30 AM–7:30 PM, Saturday 11 AM–5 PM. Closed Sundays.

    How much do tacos cost at Taqueria Loma Bonita?

    Street tacos are $2.25 each. Tortas run $9.75. Burritos are around $10.49.

    Where is Taqueria Loma Bonita located?

    1530 Broadway, Everett, WA 98201. Street parking available on Broadway.

    Does Taqueria Loma Bonita offer delivery?

    Yes, available through DoorDash, UberEats, and Grubhub.

    What’s the best thing to order at Taqueria Loma Bonita?

    The carne asada street tacos and the carne asada torta are the most-praised items. For drinks, the fresh horchata is worth ordering.

    Is Taqueria Loma Bonita family-owned?

    Yes. It’s a family-owned restaurant where the parents lead the kitchen using authentic recipes developed over years.

  • The Everett Farmers Market Opens May 10 — Here’s What to Expect, What to Bring, and What to Hit First

    The Everett Farmers Market Opens May 10 — Here’s What to Expect, What to Bring, and What to Hit First

    When does the Everett Farmers Market open in 2026? The Everett Farmers Market opens for its 2026 season on Sunday, May 10, 2026, at 2930 Wetmore Ave in downtown Everett. Seniors and high-risk customers enter at 10:30 AM; general public at 11 AM. The market runs Sundays through October.

    The Everett Farmers Market Opens May 10 — Here’s What to Expect, What to Bring, and What to Hit First

    The wait is almost over. After a long Everett winter of grocery store hothouse tomatoes and shrink-wrapped herbs, the Everett Farmers Market opens for its 2026 season on Sunday, May 10 at 2930 Wetmore Ave in downtown Everett. Doors open at 10:30 AM for seniors and high-risk shoppers, and at 11 AM for everyone else. The market runs through October, every Sunday—but Opening Day has a particular energy that the later-season Sundays never quite match. This is the guide for making the most of it.

    The Basics: What the Everett Farmers Market Actually Is

    The Everett Farmers Market at 2930 Wetmore Ave is a certified farmers market operating under Washington State Department of Agriculture rules, which means vendors selling “farm products” must actually grow or raise what they’re selling. It’s not a craft fair with a few vegetable booths—it’s a working market with produce, baked goods, honey, flowers, wine and distillery tastings, artisan goods, and music. The vendor mix is updated on their website (everettfarmersmarket.com) by Saturday noon each week, so you can check what’s there before you drive.

    In past seasons, Opening Day has drawn 60+ vendors, a full flower section from Hmong farmers who cultivate, deliver, and arrange fresh seasonal bouquets on-site, and a line of regulars who show up early specifically for the first-of-season strawberries. Don’t underestimate how much better the Opening Day energy is compared to a random mid-July Sunday. People are ready to be there.

    What’s Usually Available on Opening Day (Early May)

    Early May in the Pacific Northwest means you’re at the tail end of spring’s first real produce push. Opening Day in past seasons has reliably included:

    • Asparagus — usually a highlight of the early-season haul from Snohomish and Skagit Valley farms
    • Rhubarb — often the most sought-after early-season item; goes fast
    • Spinach, kale, and salad greens — cool-weather crops that are at their best in May before summer heat sets in
    • Fresh eggs — always available from local farms early in the season
    • Transplants and starts — tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and flowers ready for your garden
    • Baked goods — artisan breads, pastry, jams
    • Honey — local producers usually debut seasonal varieties on Opening Day
    • Fresh-cut flower bouquets — from Hmong growers who have become one of the market’s most beloved vendors

    What you won’t find on May 10: corn, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, or any of the summer crops. Those arrive in June and July. If you show up expecting summer produce, you’ll be disappointed. Show up expecting the best spring vegetables the Snohomish County region grows, and you’ll fill a bag fast.

    The Vendor Ecosystem: Beyond Produce

    The Everett Farmers Market is meaningfully more than a vegetable market. Past seasons have included kombucha producers, local wine and distillery tasting booths, artisan jam and preserves, fresh-milled grain products, fermented foods, hot prepared food vendors, and a rotating selection of jewelry, pottery, glasswork, and handmade crafts.

    The distinction between farm vendors (required to grow what they sell) and maker/artisan vendors (required to make what they sell) means the quality floor is high. This isn’t a swap meet. Every vendor in both categories has been vetted to ensure their products are what they say they are. The market’s WSDA certification is what backs that up.

    If you’re looking to fill gaps before Opening Day, the CSA pre-market guide covers Goat & Seed at Twin Willows, SnoValley Tilth, and Garden Treasures Arlington for year-round farm access. But on May 10, you can just show up at Wetmore Ave and buy directly from the growers.

    Practical Guide: How to Make the Most of Opening Day

    Arrive Early

    If you’re a senior or high-risk shopper, the 10:30 AM early entry window is specifically for you. For everyone else, arriving at 11 AM right at open gives you first crack at rhubarb, asparagus, flower bouquets, and anything else that tends to run out before noon. By 1 PM, the best-sellers from specific vendors can be gone.

    Bring Cash and a Bag

    Most vendors accept cards, but cash is faster and some smaller producers prefer it. Bring reusable bags—ideally a sturdy tote for produce and a separate soft bag for baked goods or fragile items like eggs. The vendors don’t provide bags, and a plastic grocery bag filled with asparagus and rhubarb on a walk back to your car is a mess waiting to happen.

    Walk the Full Market Before You Buy

    First-timers often make the mistake of buying everything at the first booth with something they recognize. Walk the full market first—30 minutes is enough—see what the different vendors are offering, compare prices and quality, and make a mental list. Then go back. The vendors set up in roughly the same positions each week, so once you find your regular egg farmer or bread vendor, you’ll always know where to find them.

    Parking

    Street parking on Wetmore Ave and adjacent streets fills up quickly on Opening Day. The 2930 Wetmore Ave site has some on-site parking, but plan for a short walk from surrounding streets or the downtown parking garages. Sunday morning parking in downtown Everett is generally manageable—just don’t arrive at 11:05 expecting a spot right at the entrance.

    The Full-Day Pairing: Market Morning + More

    Opening Day pairs naturally with a downtown morning. The 2026 market season preview lays out the full calendar through October. For a post-market breakfast, South Fork Baking Co. at Port of Everett Waterfront Place does scratch pastries and Joe Coffee espresso—a natural follow-up to a Wetmore Ave flower-and-vegetable haul. The waterfront is a 10-minute drive from the market.

    If you want to keep the local food theme going into the afternoon, Beverly Food Truck Park at 6731 Beverly Blvd runs Monday through Saturday 4–7 PM with rotating trucks including Mexicuban and Tabassum.

    The Details

    Address: 2930 Wetmore Ave, Everett, WA 98201
    2026 Opening Day: Sunday, May 10, 2026
    Hours: 10:30 AM early entry (seniors/high-risk); 11 AM–3 PM general public
    Season: Sundays through October 2026
    Phone: (425) 422-5656
    Website: everettfarmersmarket.com — vendor map updated Saturday noon before each Sunday market
    Parking: Street parking + downtown garages; plan for a short walk on Opening Day

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When does the Everett Farmers Market open in 2026?

    Opening Day is Sunday, May 10, 2026. Seniors and high-risk customers enter at 10:30 AM; general public from 11 AM to 3 PM. The market runs every Sunday through October at 2930 Wetmore Ave in downtown Everett.

    What vegetables are available at the Everett Farmers Market in early May?

    Early-season produce typically includes asparagus, rhubarb, salad greens, spinach, kale, fresh eggs, garden transplants, and herbs. Summer crops like corn, tomatoes, and peppers are not available until June–July.

    Is there parking at the Everett Farmers Market?

    There is some on-site parking at 2930 Wetmore Ave plus street parking and downtown garages nearby. On Opening Day, plan to arrive early or be prepared for a short walk from a nearby garage.

    Do vendors at the Everett Farmers Market accept credit cards?

    Most vendors accept cards, but cash is faster and some small producers prefer it. Bring both to be safe.

    What is the Everett Farmers Market’s early entry policy?

    The market opens at 10:30 AM for seniors and high-risk customers, and at 11 AM for the general public. This early entry window is a regular part of the market’s operation.

    Are there non-food vendors at the Everett Farmers Market?

    Yes. The market includes artisan vendors selling jewelry, pottery, glasswork, and handmade crafts, along with maker-vendors for jams, honey, baked goods, kombucha, and wine/distillery tasting.

    Where can I find the vendor list before going to the market?

    The vendor map for each Sunday’s market is posted at everettfarmersmarket.com by Saturday noon the day before.

  • Middleton Brewing: South Everett’s Nano-Brewpub Is the Fruit Ale Spot the Rest of the City Forgot to Tell You About

    Middleton Brewing: South Everett’s Nano-Brewpub Is the Fruit Ale Spot the Rest of the City Forgot to Tell You About

    What is Middleton Brewing? Middleton Brewing is a 1.5-barrel nano-brewpub in South Everett run by owner-brewer Geoff Middleton, specializing in nontraditional fruit ales. Located at 607 SE Everett Mall Way Suite 27-A, it’s open Thursday through Sunday and is one of the most under-the-radar craft beer stops in Snohomish County.

    Middleton Brewing: South Everett’s Nano-Brewpub Is the Fruit Ale Spot the Rest of the City Forgot to Tell You About

    There’s a pattern to how people discover Middleton Brewing. Someone moves to South Everett, does a quick search for local craft beer, finds the brewery trail article that mentions eight stops, sees Middleton listed, assumes it’s just another tap house, and promptly goes somewhere shinier. A few weeks later, a neighbor sets them straight.

    “You haven’t been to Geoff’s place yet?”

    Then they go, order a Tangerine IPA, and wonder why they waited.

    Middleton Brewing has been operating at 607 SE Everett Mall Way since 2013, tucked into a suite in a South Everett commercial strip. It’s a 1.5-barrel nano-brewpub—meaning Geoff Middleton brews everything on-site in small batches, frequently rotates what’s on tap, and is personally behind the bar more days than not. The scale is intentional. At 1.5 barrels, he can try things that no production brewery would risk: a Lime & Cilantro session ale, a Walnut Almond Coconut stout, a Ginger Lemongrass wheat. Every batch is a few kegs. When it’s gone, it’s gone.

    The Beer Program: Fruit-Forward, Unashamed, Surprisingly Sophisticated

    The majority of Middleton’s beers include fruit, and Geoff doesn’t apologize for it. His Tangerine IPA uses a full pound of fresh tangerines per gallon—which is not a flavoring trick, that’s a real citrus load that comes through in every sip. The result is bright and bitter in the way a good IPA should be, with fresh citrus that doesn’t read as artificial or syrupy. It is, by a wide margin, the best fruit IPA in South Everett, and it’s not particularly close.

    The rotating tap list on any given week might include some combination of: Blackberry Wheat, Blueberry Stout, Strawberry Blonde, Jalapeno Pale, Honey Ale, Coconut Porter, or the Ginger Lemongrass Saison. These aren’t gimmick beers—they’re the product of a homebrewer who spent years perfecting recipes before going commercial and who still treats every batch as a small batch worth getting right.

    If you want to know what’s on tap before you make the drive, check their Facebook page or Instagram (@middleton_brewing), where Geoff posts fairly regularly about current pours. The tap list changes with whatever just finished fermenting, so there’s no reliable “house beer” other than whatever he’s currently excited about.

    The Space: Small, Dog-Friendly, Genuinely Neighborhood

    Middleton Brewing is not a destination taproom with exposed timber beams and a DJ. It’s a neighborhood brewpub that happens to be in a commercial strip near the SE Everett Mall. The space is small and unpretentious, with open seating, a full food menu including sandwiches, pizza with vegan cheese options, beer cheese nachos, and the kind of low-key atmosphere where you can show up with your dog (they’re welcome), claim a table, and work through a few small-batch pours without anyone making you feel like you need to buy another round.

    It’s also genuinely family-friendly. There’s no craft-beer-bar pressure to the place. Geoff Middleton built it to serve his neighborhood, and that’s exactly what it does.

    The Origin Story: From Painting Contractor to Nano-Brewery Owner

    Geoff Middleton’s path to opening a brewery ran through a college hobby, a family painting business, and about a decade of perfecting recipes on a homebrew kit. His first batch was a two-gallon blonde ale from a retail kit to which he added fresh blueberries—a choice that probably tells you everything you need to know about where his beer program was going to end up.

    He chose the brewpub model deliberately, wanting a taproom-first business rather than a production brewery chasing distribution. In 2013, the Middleton family opened at the current SE Everett Mall Way location. Geoff still works for the family painting business during the week. The brewery runs Thursday through Sunday, and he’s there every open day—which means if you have a question about a beer, the person who brewed it is almost certainly the one pouring it.

    That kind of direct-from-brewer tap experience is increasingly rare as Everett’s craft beer scene has grown and professionalized. The Everett brewery trail now has eight stops, ranging from production facilities with full kitchens to small taprooms. Middleton sits firmly at the intimate, personal end of that spectrum—a place where the menu is whatever Geoff just finished brewing and the best pairing advice comes from the guy who made it.

    How It Fits Into the Broader South Everett Craft Beer Scene

    South Everett has quietly developed a credible craft beer circuit. Lazy Boy Brewing opened recently at 715 100th St SE and is drawing the rotating-tap crowd with trivia nights and live music. U-Neek and Crucible Brewing, just down the road at 909 SE Everett Mall Way, relaunched with new ownership and a new small-batch Owner’s Series that rhymes with what Middleton has always done. That puts three distinct nano-to-small breweries within a few miles of each other in South Everett—a circuit worth building an afternoon around.

    For context on the North Everett and waterfront brewery scene, Obsidian Beer Hall on Hewitt and Sound to Summit at the marina offer a different vibe—larger spaces, more taps, waterfront access. Middleton is the counterweight: tight, brewer-owned, neighborhood-first.

    What to Order

    If the Tangerine IPA is on tap, start there. It’s the anchor of the program and the best introduction to Geoff’s approach. If you want to go fruit-forward but lighter, look for whatever wheat or blonde is currently running with a fruit addition. For the adventurous: ask what the weirdest thing on tap is. The answer is usually worth trying.

    On the food side, the beer cheese nachos pair well with anything on the hop-forward side of the tap list, and the house pizza with vegan cheese is legitimately good for a brewpub offering.

    The Details

    Address: 607 SE Everett Mall Way Suite 27-A, Everett, WA 98208
    Hours: Thursday–Friday 2–9 PM, Saturday 2–9 PM, Sunday 2–8 PM (closed Mon–Wed)
    Phone: (425) 280-9178
    Dog-friendly: Yes
    Family-friendly: Yes
    Price range: Pints typically $5–$7, food items $9–$14
    Parking: Free surface lot at the commercial strip
    Follow for tap updates: Facebook (Middleton Brewing) / Instagram @middleton_brewing

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What kind of beer does Middleton Brewing specialize in?

    Middleton Brewing specializes in nontraditional fruit ales—beers that use real fruit additions like fresh tangerines, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, coconut, ginger, and jalapeño. The tap list rotates constantly based on what’s currently fermenting.

    Is Middleton Brewing dog-friendly?

    Yes. Middleton Brewing is family- and dog-friendly.

    What are the hours at Middleton Brewing?

    Thursday through Friday 2–9 PM, Saturday 2–9 PM, Sunday 2–8 PM. Closed Monday through Wednesday.

    How big is Middleton Brewing?

    It’s a 1.5-barrel nano-brewpub, meaning all beer is brewed on-site in very small batches. When a batch runs out, that beer is gone until the next brew cycle.

    How does Middleton Brewing compare to other Everett breweries?

    Middleton is the smallest and most personal of Everett’s brewery options. It lacks the large-production capacity or waterfront ambiance of places like Sound to Summit or Obsidian Beer Hall, but it offers something none of the others do: a brewer-owned nano-operation where the person pouring is the person who brewed it, and the tap list changes based on actual small-batch experimentation rather than a set rotation.

    Does Middleton Brewing serve food?

    Yes—full food menu including sandwiches, pizza (with vegan cheese option), beer cheese nachos, and soups.

    Where is Middleton Brewing located?

    607 SE Everett Mall Way Suite 27-A, Everett, WA 98208. Free parking in the surface lot.

  • Getting to Know Downtown Shelton: A New Resident’s Guide to the Businesses Along 3rd Street and Railroad Avenue

    Getting to Know Downtown Shelton: A New Resident’s Guide to the Businesses Along 3rd Street and Railroad Avenue

    When you first drive through downtown Shelton, it can be easy to underestimate what’s there. But if you slow down and look, the blocks around S. 3rd Street and Railroad Avenue have seen a genuine accumulation of locally owned businesses over the past two years — and spring 2026 added another name to the list worth knowing.

    Tollie’s Café: The New Name at 118 S. 3rd St.

    On April 1, 2026, Tollie’s Café opened at 118 S. 3rd St. in downtown Shelton under new owner Eric Onisko — a Shelton City Council member who purchased the space from Theresa Landsiedel after she ran T’s Café & Espresso there for six years. Onisko kept the same three employees and most of the menu: fresh pastries, handcrafted sandwiches, and Batdorf & Bronson coffee. The new name comes from the historic “Tollie” locomotive — a retired Simpson Logging Company engine parked nearly across the street — which has been one of downtown Shelton’s most photographed objects for decades.

    Hours: Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–3 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.–3 p.m. It’s a natural stop if you’re running errands in downtown Shelton, heading to the courthouse, or passing through on your way out of town.

    What Else Is on That Block

    Tollie’s Café joins a cluster that has been building on the 400 block of West Railroad Avenue and the adjacent streets. Recent additions in the same corridor include Shelton Candy Shoppe, Mestizos Latin Food, and the Wilde Irish Pub — all of which opened within roughly the same stretch of months. That kind of clustering matters in small-town downtowns: businesses reinforce each other and create a reason to make multiple stops in one trip rather than passing through.

    The Shelton-Mason County Chamber of Commerce, located downtown, tracks business openings and member events. If you are new and want to understand the local business landscape, the Chamber is a useful first contact for both residents and anyone considering starting a business in the county.

    The “Tollie” Locomotive — Why It Matters

    For newcomers, the Tollie locomotive is one of the most Shelton-specific things you will encounter. It sits displayed on a street near the café, a retired Simpson Logging Company engine that once worked the timber forests of Mason County. The Simpson Lumber Company — which became Simpson Investment Company — was for much of the 20th century the dominant economic force in Mason County, and the logging industry it represents shaped the town’s layout, employment base, and identity in ways that still echo today.

    Onisko’s decision to name his café after the locomotive is a small but deliberate act of local identity-making. In a town where longtime residents carry generational memory of the timber economy, a new business anchoring itself to that history is reaching for something real — not nostalgia for its own sake, but continuity.

    Olympic Mountain Ice Cream: A Local Brand to Know

    While you’re getting oriented, Olympic Mountain Ice Cream is one of Mason County’s most recognized homegrown products. The company has been producing small-batch artisan ice cream in the Skokomish Valley and is in the process of moving to a new 11,500-square-foot facility at 130 W. Corporate Drive at the Port of Shelton — a move funded in part by a $1.75 million state CERB loan and expected to add 17 permanent jobs. Once the new retail storefront is operational, it will be worth knowing for both locals and visitors. Find their products at grocery stores in Shelton, Belfair, and surrounding communities, or check olympicmountainicecream.com for locations.

    The 2026 Expo & Bite of Mason County

    The county’s biggest business-and-food event of the year is the Expo & Bite of Mason County, scheduled for Friday, July 17 on Railroad Avenue in Shelton. If you’ve just moved to the county, it’s one of the best single events to attend for getting a broad sense of who operates here — vendors, restaurants, services, and organizations all in one place.

    Frequently Asked Questions — Downtown Shelton for New Residents

    Where is Tollie’s Café in downtown Shelton?

    Tollie’s Café is at 118 S. 3rd St., downtown Shelton. It opened April 1, 2026 under new owner Eric Onisko. Hours are Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–3 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.–3 p.m. It serves Batdorf & Bronson coffee, pastries, and handcrafted sandwiches.

    What is the Tollie locomotive in Shelton?

    The “Tollie” is a retired Simpson Logging Company locomotive displayed in downtown Shelton. It is named for the engine that hauled timber through Mason County’s forests during the company’s peak years. It has become one of downtown Shelton’s most recognized landmarks and a symbol of the town’s timber heritage.

    What restaurants and businesses are in downtown Shelton?

    Recent additions to the downtown Shelton business corridor include Tollie’s Café (118 S. 3rd St.), Mestizos Latin Food, Wilde Irish Pub, and Shelton Candy Shoppe — all on or near the 400 block of West Railroad Avenue. The area also includes the Shelton-Mason County Chamber of Commerce and various service businesses along 4th Street and the surrounding blocks.

    Where can I find Olympic Mountain Ice Cream in Mason County?

    Olympic Mountain Ice Cream is available at grocery stores in Shelton, Belfair, and surrounding communities. The company is moving to a new production and retail facility at 130 W. Corporate Drive at the Port of Shelton in spring 2026. Check olympicmountainicecream.com for current retail locations.

    When is the Expo & Bite of Mason County 2026?

    The 2026 Expo & Bite of Mason County is scheduled for Friday, July 17 on Railroad Avenue in Shelton. It is the largest combined business and restaurant event in Mason County, drawing vendors and food options from across the county and region.

    For the full spring 2026 business story including both Tollie’s Café and the Olympic Mountain Ice Cream expansion, see New Ownership, New Digs: Mason County Businesses Make Spring Moves. For a broader overview of life in Mason County, see Living in Mason County Washington: The Complete Guide. For the county’s jobs and economic landscape, see Mason County Jobs and Employers: Economic Guide.

  • Dumpling World Everett: The Hand-Folded Xiaolongbao Stop South Everett Has Been Waiting For

    Dumpling World Everett: The Hand-Folded Xiaolongbao Stop South Everett Has Been Waiting For

    Dumpling World at 620 SE Everett Mall Way is doing something most restaurant concepts in the area don’t bother with: making dumplings by hand, fresh, to order. Not frozen. Not pre-made and held. Fresh. That distinction matters if you’ve had real xiaolongbao — the soup dumpling — and know the difference. If you haven’t, Dumpling World is a good first lesson.

    We’ve covered the south Everett food landscape from multiple angles — the Beverly Food Truck Park on Beverly Boulevard, the international corridor along Casino Road, the Port of Everett waterfront restaurants. Dumpling World sits in the Everett Mall Way corridor, which is its own food zone with a growing concentration of Asian cuisine. Here’s the full picture on what Dumpling World is and why it’s worth finding.

    The Dumplings

    The restaurant specializes in handmade dumplings using premium ingredients, made from traditional recipes. The xiaolongbao — xiao long bao — is the flagship. For anyone unfamiliar: XLB is a delicate Chinese soup dumpling, typically filled with seasoned pork and a gelatinized broth that melts into liquid when steamed. You pick it up carefully, bite a small hole in the skin, sip the broth, then eat the rest. Get the technique wrong and it ends up on your shirt. Get it right and you understand why people drive an hour to get them.

    Dumpling World’s version has drawn reviewers from Seattle willing to make the drive specifically for a second visit — which, in the competitive XLB landscape of the greater Puget Sound, means something. The skin-to-filling ratio, the broth volume, the seasoning — these are details that are easy to get wrong and apparently Dumpling World gets right.

    Beyond the XLB, the pan-fried dumplings are the other must-order. Pan-fried dumplings (also called potstickers or guotie) develop a crispy, lacy bottom from the steam-fry method that good restaurants use and bad ones skip. Ask for these. The Shrimp & Pork & Chive Dumplings — boiled — round out the dumpling options. Yes, the prices are higher than what you’d pay at a dim sum hall. You’re paying for the handmade production and smaller-batch execution.

    Beyond the Dumplings

    The Spicy Braised Beef Noodle Soup is the non-dumpling anchor of the menu and consistently shows up in reviews as a standout. Braised beef noodle soup is a Taiwanese and northern Chinese staple — long-cooked beef brisket or shank in a spiced, soy-based broth with hand-pulled or knife-cut noodles. It’s a hearty bowl that makes you understand why noodle soups became the comfort food of an entire continent. Dumpling World’s version uses beef broth that reviewers call deep and complex. Order it alongside a plate of dumplings and you have a full meal.

    The menu also includes fried rice and additional noodle preparations. The dumplings are the reason to go, but the noodle soup is the reason to go back on a cold evening.

    The Details

    Address: 620 SE Everett Mall Way, Suite 400, Everett, WA 98208
    Phone: (206) 202-3626
    Hours: Monday: Closed | Tuesday–Friday: 11:00 AM–2:30 PM, 4:00 PM–8:30 PM | Saturday–Sunday: 11:00 AM–8:30 PM
    Price range: $15–$25 per person (note: priced above typical dim hall, reflects handmade production)
    Parking: Everett Mall Way lot — free and plentiful
    Delivery: Available via DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Postmates
    Note: Closed Mondays. The lunch break (2:30–4:00 PM Tue–Fri) is real — don’t show up at 3 PM expecting to eat.

    Why It’s Worth Making the Trip

    Handmade-to-order dumplings are not common in Snohomish County. Most dumpling operations in the greater Seattle area either source frozen, pre-made, or produce in bulk and hold. The “made fresh to order” designation is something restaurants claim casually and deliver on rarely. Dumpling World, based on the reviews and the draw it creates for people driving from Seattle specifically for a repeat visit, appears to actually be doing what it says.

    The south Everett food corridor has been building quietly. The dim sum at Fisherman Jack’s on the waterfront, the international diversity of Casino Road and Evergreen Way, and now a proper handmade dumpling operation on Everett Mall Way. The story of Everett’s food scene is the story of a city catching up to what its community has quietly built. Dumpling World is another data point.

    The Bottom Line

    Order the xiaolongbao. Order the pan-fried dumplings. Get the spicy braised beef noodle soup if you have room. Go on a weekend when the full service hours run 11 AM to 8:30 PM without a break. Don’t go on Monday. Expect to spend a little more than a typical dim hall — you’re paying for fresh production and it shows.

    Dumpling World is doing something specific and doing it well. In Everett, in 2026, that’s worth knowing about.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Dumpling World in Everett?

    620 SE Everett Mall Way, Suite 400, Everett, WA 98208 — in the Everett Mall Way commercial corridor in south/east Everett.

    What are Dumpling World Everett’s hours?

    Closed Mondays. Tuesday–Friday: 11 AM–2:30 PM and 4 PM–8:30 PM. Saturday–Sunday: 11 AM–8:30 PM.

    Are the dumplings at Dumpling World really handmade?

    Yes — the restaurant makes dumplings fresh to order from scratch, which distinguishes it from most dumpling operations in the area that use pre-made or frozen product.

    What should I order at Dumpling World Everett?

    The xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), pan-fried dumplings, and the spicy braised beef noodle soup are the top picks.

    Is Dumpling World expensive?

    Priced higher than a typical dim hall — expect $15–$25 per person. The premium reflects handmade production from fresh ingredients.

  • Katana Sushi on Hewitt Is the Everett Sushi Bar Worth Making a Reservation For

    Katana Sushi on Hewitt Is the Everett Sushi Bar Worth Making a Reservation For

    Katana Sushi has been doing creative rolls on Hewitt Avenue for years, and if you haven’t been, you’ve probably walked past it and wondered whether the sushi in Everett could actually be worth ordering. It can. Katana is the answer. The fish is fresh, the rolls are inventive without being gimmicky, and at under $30 a person, it punches well above what you’d expect from a neighborhood sushi bar in a mid-sized Northwest city.

    We’ve covered the Hewitt Avenue food corridor extensively — the Obsidian Beer Hall at the Toggles space, Vintage Cafe’s 50-year run, The New Mexicans with their Hatch green chile, Heritage African Restaurant, Luca Italian. Katana belongs in that conversation. It’s been operating at 2818 Hewitt Ave for years without needing the press, but here’s the full picture.

    The Food

    The sushi at Katana is legitimately good — not “good for Everett” good, just good. The fish quality holds up. Multiple reviewers with enough sushi experience to have opinions single out the freshness of the tuna and salmon specifically. The Heart Attack roll and the Mt. Fuji roll come up repeatedly as house favorites — both are creative, both deliver on what they promise. These aren’t rolls buried under mayo and sriracha to hide mediocre fish. The fish is the point, and it earns it.

    The crispy firecracker is the appetizer to order. Reviewers consistently call it absolutely crunchy — which in sushi bar language means they actually fry it properly, rather than letting it go soggy while it waits to be served. Get it as a starter.

    Beyond the signature rolls, the sake selection is solid enough that the restaurant bills itself as a Sushi & Sake House and means it. If you’re into sake, ask what’s on at the bar — they rotate it and the staff knows the list. Cocktails round out the drink menu for people who don’t want to commit to sake but want something better than a house beer.

    The Happy Hour

    Katana runs a signature happy hour and it’s the best deal on Hewitt Avenue right now. We don’t have the specific dollar figures from this run (their happy hour menu rotates and we won’t publish numbers we can’t verify to the current menu), but the happy hour has consistently drawn reviews calling it excellent value. Go on a weeknight, go early, and ask what’s on the happy hour menu. It’s worth building a plan around.

    The Atmosphere

    Katana runs a relaxed room. Light music, comfortable seating, the kind of place where a date or a work dinner both work equally well. It’s not trying to be a loud scene bar. The 4.9-star OpenTable rating (from 119 diners as of spring 2026) reflects the consistency — when a restaurant holds that score across that many covers, the kitchen is reliable and the front of house is doing their job.

    Service notes in the reviews are mostly excellent, with the standard caveat that busy Friday nights can stretch wait times. Reservations are available on OpenTable and worth making if you’re planning dinner on a weekend — Hewitt Ave has gotten noticeably busier as the corridor has filled out.

    The Details

    Address: 2818 Hewitt Ave, Everett, WA 98201
    Hours: Monday–Thursday 11:30 AM–9:00 PM | Friday 11:30 AM–10:00 PM | Saturday 5:00 PM–10:00 PM | Sunday: Closed
    Reservations: Available via OpenTable — recommended on weekends
    Price range: $30 and under per person
    Parking: Street parking on Hewitt; also paid lots in the downtown corridor
    Website: katanasushieverett.com

    What to Know Before You Go

    Katana is closed Sundays. If you’re planning a Sunday sushi dinner, this is the detail that will save you a wasted trip. Monday through Thursday is the sweet spot for a calm experience — Friday night is the scene night, Saturday dinner-only hours (5 PM) means the kitchen starts fresh for the evening rush.

    The Hewitt Ave location puts Katana in the middle of everything downtown Everett has going on. Parking on a Friday can be competitive as more of the corridor has activated — STRGZR Coffee & Kitchen draws the morning crowd, Obsidian Beer Hall picks up later, and Katana fills in the dinner-to-late-evening window. Plan accordingly.

    The Bottom Line

    Katana Sushi is the sushi answer in Everett. The fish is fresh, the rolls are creative without being ridiculous, the happy hour is legitimately good, and 4.9 stars across hundreds of covers doesn’t lie. Make a reservation for a Friday night or go Monday for a quick weeknight dinner. Order the Heart Attack roll, get the crispy firecracker, ask about the sake list. This is the one.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Katana Sushi in Everett?

    2818 Hewitt Ave, Everett, WA 98201 — on Hewitt Avenue in downtown Everett.

    What are Katana Sushi’s hours?

    Monday–Thursday 11:30 AM–9:00 PM, Friday 11:30 AM–10:00 PM, Saturday 5:00 PM–10:00 PM. Closed Sundays.

    Does Katana Sushi take reservations?

    Yes — via OpenTable. Recommended for Friday and Saturday evenings.

    What should I order at Katana Sushi Everett?

    The Heart Attack roll, the Mt. Fuji roll, and the crispy firecracker appetizer. Ask about the happy hour specials and the sake list.

    How much does dinner cost at Katana Sushi?

    $30 and under per person for a full dinner. Happy hour brings the per-person cost down further.

  • Enseamada Cafe Is the Filipino-Hawaiian Kitchen South Everett Has Been Keeping to Itself

    Enseamada Cafe Is the Filipino-Hawaiian Kitchen South Everett Has Been Keeping to Itself

    If you’ve spent any time on the south Everett–Evergreen Way corridor and wondered where the Filipino community eats, the answer has been hiding in plain sight at 11114 Evergreen Way for years: Enseamada Cafe. It’s Filipino-Hawaiian fusion done right, priced honestly, and run with the kind of hospitality that makes you want to tell everyone you know and also maybe never tell anyone so you can always get a table.

    We’ve done a lot of reporting on Everett’s Casino Road international food corridor — the birria at Birrieria Tijuana, the working tortilleria at Casa El Dorado, the pho at Pho To Liem. But Enseamada has been operating on parallel track along Evergreen Way — technically not on Casino Road itself, but firmly in the same south Everett immigrant community that makes this corridor worth writing about. Zip code 98204. Same neighborhood. Same energy. If you haven’t been, here’s everything you need to know.

    What It Is

    Enseamada Cafe is a Filipino-Hawaiian fusion restaurant. That’s a pairing that sounds unusual if you haven’t encountered it, but it makes a kind of geographic and cultural logic — a significant portion of Hawaii’s population traces Filipino roots, and the cuisines share a love of pork, rice, vinegar, and big flavors. At Enseamada, you get sisig alongside garlic shrimp, lechon alongside mac salad, and ube desserts that belong in both traditions. It’s the Venn diagram that makes sense once you’re eating it.

    The restaurant is cozy — warm decor, soothing background music, the kind of place that feels like someone’s house if someone’s house had a commercial kitchen. It gets crowded at peak hours because word travels in the community, so go a little early or a little late if you want a calm sit-down experience.

    What to Order

    The sizzling sisig bowl is the move if you’ve never had sisig before and want a proper introduction. Sisig is a Filipino dish made from chopped pork parts (typically face and ears) cooked until crispy, then tossed with calamansi, chilies, and egg, and served sizzling on a cast-iron plate. Enseamada’s version delivers on all of it — properly crispy edges, the right acid balance, enough heat to notice. Order it with rice. Always with rice.

    The 808 mixplate is the crowd favorite and probably the best value on the menu. You get a beef rib, butterflied fried shrimp, lumpia, and mac salad. It’s a full meal that covers multiple traditions on one plate — Filipino lumpia, Hawaiian mac salad, and a beef rib that would fit at a Pacific Island cookout. The portions are legitimately generous. This is not a place where you leave hungry.

    Lumpia — the Filipino egg roll — shows up as a side and in platters. Get it. Crispy, well-seasoned, better than most lumpia you’ve had at a restaurant that isn’t Filipino-run. The lechon side is roasted pork done the Filipino way: crackling skin, tender interior, rendered fat that makes everything around it better. Order a side of it regardless of what else you’re getting.

    On the dessert end, the Ube Oreo Halo Halo is the thing to get if you have any room left. Halo halo is the Filipino shaved-ice dessert — layers of crushed ice, sweet beans, jellies, and in this version, ube (purple yam) ice cream and crushed Oreos. It’s chaotic and cold and genuinely fun to eat. Ube has become trendy in the last five years, but this version predates the trend and earns it.

    The Details

    Address: 11114 Evergreen Way, Suite A, Everett, WA 98204
    Phone: (206) 519-4996
    Hours: Monday–Friday 11:00 AM–7:30 PM | Saturday 9:00 AM–7:30 PM | Sunday 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
    Price range: $10–$18 per person for a solid meal
    Parking: Strip-mall lot off Evergreen Way — easy, free, plentiful
    Ordering: Counter service; order at the front and they’ll bring it to your table
    Delivery: Available via DoorDash

    Why It Matters for Everett’s Food Scene

    The south Everett corridor — Casino Road, Evergreen Way, the surrounding 98204 and 98208 zip codes — is one of the most genuinely diverse food zones in Snohomish County. You’ve got Uzbek food trucks, Vietnamese pho houses, Mexican tortillerias, West African kitchens, and now Filipino-Hawaiian fusion. This is a corridor where Everett’s immigrant communities have quietly built a food scene that most of the city doesn’t know about yet.

    Enseamada fits that pattern. It’s not trying to be trendy. It’s not marketing itself as a “concept.” It’s a neighborhood restaurant for a specific community that happens to be good enough to pull people across town once word gets out. We’ve been eating along this corridor for months now — the Tasty Indian Bistro on Casino Road, the Beverly Food Truck Park on Beverly Boulevard — and Enseamada belongs in that conversation.

    With 345 Yelp reviews and a 4.6-star average as of April 2026, the locals have already figured it out. The question is whether the rest of Everett catches up.

    The Bottom Line

    Go for the 808 mixplate. Order the sisig. Get the ube halo halo if you can manage it. Come on a Saturday morning when they open at 9 AM and the lunch rush hasn’t arrived yet. Bring cash or a card — they take both. Tell your friends, or don’t, depending on how much you value a short wait.

    Enseamada Cafe is exactly what the south Everett food corridor is supposed to look like: authentic, community-anchored, good enough to stand on its own terms. It’s been there. It’s still there. Now you know.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Enseamada Cafe in Everett?

    11114 Evergreen Way, Suite A, Everett, WA 98204 — in a strip mall on Evergreen Way in south Everett, near the Casino Road and Evergreen Way intersection.

    What kind of food does Enseamada Cafe serve?

    Filipino-Hawaiian fusion. The menu includes sisig, lechon, lumpia, garlic shrimp, beef ribs, mac salad, and halo halo desserts.

    What are Enseamada Cafe’s hours?

    Monday–Friday: 11:00 AM–7:30 PM. Saturday: 9:00 AM–7:30 PM. Sunday: 9:00 AM–4:00 PM.

    What should I order at Enseamada Cafe?

    The 808 mixplate (beef rib, fried shrimp, lumpia, mac salad) and the sizzling sisig bowl are the top picks. Finish with the Ube Oreo Halo Halo.

    Is Enseamada Cafe the only Filipino restaurant in Everett?

    It’s one of the only dedicated Filipino-Hawaiian fusion restaurants in south Everett and among a small number of Filipino-run kitchens in Snohomish County.

  • Bloom Coffee Bar Opens at 5 AM — Southeast Everett Finally Has Its Drive-Through Coffee Stop

    Bloom Coffee Bar Opens at 5 AM — Southeast Everett Finally Has Its Drive-Through Coffee Stop

    Q: Is there a good coffee shop in southeast Everett near the 19th Ave corridor?
    A: Bloom Coffee Bar at 9501 19th Ave SE, Everett, WA 98208 is a specialty drive-through coffee stand open Monday-Friday from 5:00 AM and weekends from 6:00 AM. They use Joe Coffee espresso, make seasonal specialty drinks including a carrot cake latte, and serve pastries and sandwiches. Phone: (425) 280-6394. Last verified: April 2026.

    Bloom Coffee Bar Opens at 5 AM — Southeast Everett Finally Has Its Drive-Through Coffee Stop

    Every conversation about Everett coffee starts downtown. Narrative on Colby. Makario a few blocks away. Sobar for remote workers. STRGZR on Hewitt and Hoyt. The Loft if you want a fireplace. Four good options in four blocks. What that is not, however, is anywhere near 19th Avenue SE.

    Southeast Everett runs from the Everett Mall corridor south toward the 19th Ave interchange with Highway 99. This is where a lot of the city workforce actually commutes from. Industrial edges, apartment complexes, early-shift workers who need coffee before the sun is up. Until Bloom Coffee Bar set up at 9501 19th Ave SE in 2025, there was a notable hole in the coffee map for this part of town. Bloom is filling it.

    What Bloom Is

    Bloom is a drive-through espresso stand — the classic Pacific Northwest format, born in a region that normalized excellent coffee from a small footprint before anywhere else had figured it out. The stand sits near a gas station parking lot at the convergence of 19th Ave SE and Highway 99, putting it precisely where southeast Everett residents pass through on their morning commute.

    The hours tell the story: Monday through Friday, Bloom opens at 5:00 AM. Saturday and Sunday at 6:00 AM. These are not the hours of a laptop coffee shop. These are the hours of a coffee stop built for people who have a shift that starts at six. Early-morning Boeing workers, freight drivers, nurses heading into hospital systems. If you need something better than gas station drip before the rest of the city wakes up, Bloom is the answer.

    The Coffee

    Bloom runs Joe Coffee espresso — the same platform used by several of the better independent shops in Snohomish County, including The Loft on Hewitt. Joe Coffee is a wholesale program that supplies quality beans and espresso support to independent operators; its presence here signals that the shot quality is taken seriously. The menu runs the full espresso range — lattes, mochas, cappuccinos, Americanos, 8 oz to 32 oz — plus cold brew when the weather allows.

    The Seasonal Menu

    Here is where Bloom separates itself from a baseline espresso stand: they run genuine seasonal specialty drinks and they invest in them. The carrot cake latte became a customer favorite and became too good to take off the menu when its season technically ended. Reviews call it out consistently. The approach is right: create something seasonal, and if it works well enough, find a way to keep it around. Pastries and sandwiches are also on the menu, making Bloom a reasonable one-stop for the early commute.

    The Location and Hours

    9501 19th Ave SE, Everett, WA 98208. Near the gas station, near the freeway interchanges. This is not a scenic coffee experience — no marina view, no exposed brick. It is a well-positioned drive-through built for the people who live and work in this part of the city. Monday-Friday 5:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Saturday 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Sunday 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Phone: (425) 280-6394. Follow @_bloom_coffee_bar on Instagram for seasonal menu updates.

    Where It Fits

    The running theme in Everett coffee is quality without pretension. The Muse has the 1923 Weyerhaeuser building. Sobar has the remote-work setup. STRGZR has scratch food alongside the espresso. Bloom has the 5 AM open and the southeast Everett commuter. Different parts of the city, different reasons to show up. Bloom fills a real gap in the map and does it with enough care that the carrot cake latte has its own fan following. That is a good start.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is Bloom Coffee Bar in Everett?

    Bloom Coffee Bar is a specialty drive-through espresso stand at 9501 19th Ave SE, Everett, WA 98208. It uses Joe Coffee espresso, runs seasonal specialty drinks, and opens at 5:00 AM on weekdays — one of the earliest independent coffee stops in the city.

    What are Bloom Coffee Bar hours?

    Monday-Friday 5:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Saturday 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Sunday 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Phone: (425) 280-6394.

    What should I order at Bloom Coffee Bar?

    The carrot cake latte is the signature customer favorite. Beyond that, the seasonal specialty drinks rotate through the year. The standard espresso menu runs lattes, mochas, and Americanos in 8-32 oz sizes, plus pastries and sandwiches.

    Does Bloom Coffee Bar have drive-through service?

    Yes. Bloom is a drive-through espresso stand near 19th Ave SE and Highway 99 in southeast Everett, designed for commuter convenience.

    What coffee does Bloom use?

    Joe Coffee espresso — the same wholesale platform used by quality independent shops elsewhere in Snohomish County. Consistent specialty-grade beans and espresso program support.

    When did Bloom Coffee Bar open?

    Bloom opened in 2025, filling a gap in the southeast Everett specialty coffee scene in an area of the city previously underserved by independent coffee shops.

    How does Bloom compare to other Everett coffee shops?

    Bloom serves a different geographic pocket than downtown spots like Makario, STRGZR, The Loft, and Sobar. Its 19th Ave SE location and 5:00 AM weekday open make it purpose-built for the southeast Everett commuter and early-shift workforce.

  • Tabassum Is the Northwest’s Only Uzbek Food Truck — And It Regularly Parks in Everett

    Tabassum Is the Northwest’s Only Uzbek Food Truck — And It Regularly Parks in Everett

    Q: Where can I find authentic Uzbek food in Everett, WA?
    A: Tabassum is the Pacific Northwest’s first and only Uzbek food truck, founded by Suriya Yunusova and her daughter Asal. The truck serves beef samsa, butternut squash samsa, chicken curry samsa ($5 each), and plov ($10) — all halal, with vegan and vegetarian options. Tabassum parks regularly at the Beverly Food Truck Park (6731 Beverly Blvd, Mon–Sat 4–7 PM) and various Everett and Seattle-area locations. Check tabassum.info or call (206) 909-4584 for current schedule. Last verified: April 2026.

    Tabassum Is the Northwest’s Only Uzbek Food Truck — And It Regularly Parks in Everett

    There is a lot of food truck content in Everett. Birria trucks, Mexican fusion, coffee carts, barbecue rigs. What there is not, anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, is another Uzbek food truck. Tabassum is the only one. It has been the only one since Suriya Yunusova launched it in January 2017. And it parks at the Beverly Food Truck Park, which means you can eat some of the most geographically rare street food in the region on a Monday night in central Everett.

    In Uzbek, tabassum means smile. After one samsa, you’ll understand why that was the right name.

    Where It Comes From

    Uzbekistan sits in a part of the world that most Pacific Northwesterners have never had a reason to think about — a landlocked Central Asian republic tucked between the Caspian Sea, China, and Russia, geographically positioned at the heart of the old Silk Road trading routes that connected Europe to East Asia for centuries. That geography left its mark on the cuisine. Uzbek food is the product of thousands of years of trade, conquest, and cultural overlap: you find the pastry traditions of the Persian world, the lamb and rice techniques of the Mongols, the spice sensibility of the Indian Ocean trade routes, all compressed into a regional cooking tradition that most Americans have never encountered.

    Samsa, the dish Tabassum built its reputation on, is one of those dishes. It’s a baked puff pastry hand pie — flaky, golden, sesame-seeded on top — filled with spiced meat or vegetables. The ancestry runs back nearly as far as the Silk Road itself. The version you eat off a Tabassum truck in Everett, Washington traces a direct line to street-food stalls in Samarkand and Tashkent.

    The Owner

    Suriya Yunusova launched Tabassum in January 2017, becoming the first person in the Pacific Northwest to put authentic Uzbek street food on wheels. She runs the truck with her daughter Asal. The family-run operation is small, intentional, and consistent — the same recipes, the same sourcing, the same commitment to halal-certified ingredients that they started with. In an era when food trucks often pivot menus based on trends, Tabassum has spent eight years doing one cuisine correctly.

    Seattle Magazine covered the truck early in its life with exactly the right framing: this may be the only Uzbek food truck on the entire West Coast. That was still true when we checked for this piece in April 2026.

    What to Order

    The menu is short and intentional. Everything here is halal, and the truck accommodates vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diners across the menu.

    Beef Samsa ($5) — The anchor. Halal ground beef and onion with cumin, folded into puff pastry, brushed with egg wash, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and baked. The pastry shatters at the edges and gives way to a spiced, savory interior. Order two minimum. Order three if you’re eating alone and have no shame about it.

    Butternut Squash Samsa ($5) — The vegetarian option and genuinely not a consolation prize. Roasted butternut squash with garlic and cumin inside the same golden pastry. The squash takes on a concentrated sweetness from the oven that balances against the cumin perfectly. This is the move if you want to understand why Uzbek food works even without meat.

    Chicken Curry Samsa ($5) — Halal chicken with curry and green peas inside the puff pastry. The curry spice profile is a nod to the Central Asian trade-route heritage — the Indian subcontinent isn’t far in historical terms from Uzbekistan, and the flavor shows it.

    Plov ($10) — The national dish of Uzbekistan, and the one that will convert anyone who thought rice dishes were boring. Halal beef over rice cooked with garbanzo beans, carrots, onions, raisins, garlic, and cumin. The slow-cooked technique renders the beef tender and infuses the rice with everything in the pot. Plov is a party dish in Uzbekistan — it’s what you cook when hundreds of people are coming. Tabassum makes a truck version that captures the essence of it. If you leave without ordering the plov, you made a mistake.

    Finding the Truck

    Tabassum parks at the Beverly Food Truck Park at 6731 Beverly Blvd (Mon–Sat, 4–7 PM) on a rotating schedule alongside other trucks in the park’s lineup. The park is in central Everett near the Beverly-Pinehurst neighborhood — it’s a gravel lot that’s become one of the better weeknight dinner spots in the city, and Tabassum is a big reason for that.

    The truck also parks at various Seattle-area locations through SeattleFoodTruck.com’s booking system and takes private catering bookings. The best way to track the current schedule is tabassum.info or their Instagram. You can also call (206) 909-4584 to ask about the week’s stops.

    For context on the broader Beverly Food Truck Park lineup — which rotates Mexicuban (Mex-Cuban fusion), Tabassum, Zaytoona (Mediterranean), and others on different nights — our full Beverly Food Truck Park guide has the complete breakdown.

    Why It Matters That This Truck Parks in Everett

    Everett’s food scene has gotten genuinely diverse over the last few years. The Hewitt Avenue corridor now has West African, New Mexican, and Florentine Italian within four blocks of each other. Casino Road’s international strip runs from Vietnamese to Central American to Somali. The Beverly Food Truck Park quietly added a Mex-Cuban truck and a Central Asian food truck to the rotation without making any noise about it.

    Tabassum is the kind of thing cities much larger than Everett don’t have. Portland doesn’t have a dedicated Uzbek food truck. San Francisco has one. The entire Pacific Northwest corridor, as of this writing, has Tabassum. That it parks in Everett on a regular schedule is either luck or the natural result of a city that keeps getting more interesting. We’ll take it either way.

    The samsa is $5. Show up hungry.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is Tabassum food truck?

    Tabassum is the Pacific Northwest’s first and only Uzbek food truck, founded by Suriya Yunusova in January 2017. It serves authentic Central Asian street food including samsa (baked puff pastry hand pies) and plov (Uzbek rice dish with beef and vegetables), all halal-certified with vegan and vegetarian options available.

    Where does Tabassum food truck park in Everett?

    Tabassum parks regularly at the Beverly Food Truck Park, 6731 Beverly Blvd, Everett, WA — open Monday through Saturday, 4–7 PM. Check tabassum.info or call (206) 909-4584 for the current weekly schedule, as the truck also serves various Seattle-area locations.

    What is samsa and why is Tabassum’s famous?

    Samsa is a baked puff pastry hand pie filled with spiced meat or vegetables, originating from Central Asian Silk Road cuisine. Tabassum’s samsa is brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with sesame seeds, with fillings including halal beef and onion, butternut squash, and chicken curry. Each samsa is $5.

    What is plov?

    Plov is the national dish of Uzbekistan — halal beef slow-cooked over rice with garbanzo beans, carrots, onions, raisins, garlic, and cumin. Tabassum’s version is $10. It’s the most filling and culturally significant item on the menu.

    Is Tabassum food truck halal?

    Yes. All meat at Tabassum is halal-certified. The truck also offers vegan options (butternut squash samsa), vegetarian items, and can accommodate gluten-free diners.

    How do I find Tabassum’s current schedule?

    Check tabassum.info for the current truck schedule and locations, follow @tabassumtruck on Facebook, or call (206) 909-4584. The truck parks at the Beverly Food Truck Park (6731 Beverly Blvd, Everett) on a rotating basis, Mon–Sat 4–7 PM.

    Who owns Tabassum food truck?

    Tabassum is owned and operated by Suriya Yunusova and her daughter Asal. The family launched the truck in January 2017, making it the Pacific Northwest’s first Uzbek food truck.

  • Anthony’s HomePort Everett Is Serving Halibut Season Right Now — And the Deck Views Are Worth the Drive

    Anthony’s HomePort Everett Is Serving Halibut Season Right Now — And the Deck Views Are Worth the Drive

    Q: What’s the best waterfront seafood restaurant in Everett, WA?
    A: Anthony’s HomePort Everett at 1726 W Marine View Dr serves fresh Northwest seafood — including wild halibut in season — with direct views of Port Gardner Bay and the Olympic Mountains. It’s the closest thing Everett has to a destination seafood house, and halibut season makes it required eating right now. Call (425) 252-3333 for reservations. Last verified: April 2026.

    Anthony’s HomePort Everett Is Serving Halibut Season Right Now — And the Deck Views Are Worth the Drive

    There are maybe four or five restaurants in Everett where the location alone is part of the meal. Anthony’s HomePort is one of them. Sit at a window table — or better, on the deck when the weather allows — and you’re looking straight at Port Gardner Bay, with Camano Island off to the left, Whidbey Island stretching across the horizon, Hat Island visible in the distance, and the Olympic Mountains stacked up behind all of it on a clear day. That view doesn’t get old.

    We mention the view first because Anthony’s earns it twice: once through real estate and once through the food. Right now, in late April, we’re deep into halibut season, which is the single best reason to walk in the door at this particular moment. Wild Pacific halibut is a short window every year, and Anthony’s has built a three-course halibut menu around it. The fish comes from longtime supplier partners and is sourced for the clean, white, delicate flake that makes fresh-caught halibut so different from what you get frozen or out of season. If you have any interest in Pacific Northwest seafood, this is the move right now.

    The Restaurant

    Anthony’s HomePort Everett sits at 1726 W Marine View Drive on Everett’s working waterfront, just south of the Port of Everett’s main marina complex. It’s part of the Anthony’s Restaurants family — a Pacific Northwest institution founded by Anthony and Anne Hinds that runs locations from Olympia to Bellingham — and the HomePort brand is their more relaxed, neighborhood-facing concept: come as you are, families welcome, no need to dress up, but the fish quality is the same across every Anthony’s property.

    The Everett location has been feeding locals off this stretch of Marine View Drive for years. It’s one of those places Everett residents walk past without necessarily thinking of it as “their” restaurant — until they finally sit down for dinner and realize they’ve been missing out. The 562 Yelp reviews and 2,953 OpenTable diners averaging 4.6 stars tell the same story: this place is reliable and the setting rewards it.

    The Deck

    Late April is the edge of deck season in Everett, and Anthony’s has a proper outdoor patio that’s worth sitting on whenever the skies cooperate. On a clear evening you can watch the marina traffic, catch a sunset over the Olympics, and hear the gulls complaining about something. It’s the kind of outdoor dining experience that most of the county genuinely doesn’t have access to — this isn’t a parking lot patio with a heat lamp, it’s a working waterfront deck with actual water in front of you.

    The indoor seating is equally solid if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Large windows frame the marina from inside, and the window seats go fast. Reservations via OpenTable are strongly recommended, especially on weekends.

    What to Order

    Right now, halibut. The three-course halibut season menu is the reason you’re here in April and May. Wild halibut has a clean sweetness and a texture that doesn’t survive freezing, so when the season’s open and the fish is fresh, you order it. Anthony’s sources theirs from longtime partner fisheries to maintain that freshness across the season.

    Beyond halibut, the menu is a solid tour of Pacific Northwest seafood done well:

    • Sockeye salmon chargrilled and finished with sundried tomato basil butter, served with champ potatoes and seasonal vegetables. This is the anchor of the menu outside of halibut season, and rightfully so — sockeye is the most flavorful of the Pacific salmon species and Anthony’s treats it simply enough to let that come through.
    • Wild Alaska true cod lightly panko-crusted, with ginger slaw and fries. Best fish and chips on the waterfront, full stop.
    • Dungeness crab when available. Seasonally dependent and worth asking about when you sit down.
    • Calamari, chowder, and Caesar salad round out the starters. The chowder is the move if you’re cold and want something warming before the main.
    • Scallop specials rotate through the menu and are worth asking the server about.

    Budget for $40–$90 per person depending on what you order and whether you’re doing cocktails. It’s not cheap, but it’s not pretending to be something it isn’t either — this is a proper seafood dinner with views that justify the price.

    The Hours and Getting There

    Dinner service runs Monday through Thursday and Sunday from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Lunch service is also available on weekdays — check their website or call ahead for the most current schedule, as seasonal hours can shift. The number is (425) 252-3333.

    The address is 1726 W Marine View Drive, Everett, WA 98201. From I-5, take exit 193 (Marine View Drive) and follow it north along the water. Parking is free in the adjacent lot. The restaurant sits on the bay side of Marine View Drive, and the turn is easy to miss the first time — look for the Anthony’s sign before you hit the Port of Everett’s main entrance.

    How It Fits the Waterfront Dining Scene

    Everett’s waterfront dining scene has gotten genuinely interesting over the last two years. Fisherman Jack’s brought a dim sum-and-Asian-fusion angle to the marina end of the Port. Sound to Summit’s marina taproom brought PNW craft beer to the south side of the port. Rustic Cork’s rooftop brought wine and weekend brunch to Waterfront Place. South Fork Baking Co. anchors the pastry-and-coffee end of things at Fisherman’s Harbor.

    Anthony’s HomePort fills a different slot in that map: it’s the dedicated seafood house, the place you go when the occasion calls for sitting down to a proper fish dinner with someone you want to impress or a night out that feels like a real night out. The rest of the waterfront scene is excellent, but none of them are doing what Anthony’s does with a halibut filet in April.

    The Bottom Line

    Anthony’s HomePort Everett is not a secret. It’s been sitting on this stretch of Marine View Drive for years, doing Northwest seafood correctly with better views than most restaurants in the county. The halibut season window is short, the deck is usable right now, and the reservations fill up on weekends. If you’ve been meaning to go, this is the week to stop meaning it and just go.

    Reservations via OpenTable recommended. Walk-ins welcome but take your chances on weekends.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is Anthony’s HomePort Everett?

    Anthony’s HomePort Everett is a Pacific Northwest seafood restaurant at 1726 W Marine View Drive on the Everett waterfront, overlooking Port Gardner Bay. Part of the Anthony’s Restaurants family, it serves fresh seasonal fish, Dungeness crab, sockeye salmon, and wild halibut in season, with indoor and outdoor deck seating.

    When does halibut season run at Anthony’s HomePort Everett?

    Pacific halibut season typically runs from spring through early summer. Anthony’s celebrates the season with a dedicated halibut menu while the fish is in season. Check with the restaurant directly for current availability: (425) 252-3333.

    What are the best things to order at Anthony’s HomePort Everett?

    In season, wild halibut is the top pick. Year-round standouts include chargrilled sockeye salmon with sundried tomato basil butter, panko-crusted Alaska true cod with ginger slaw, Dungeness crab when available, and the seafood chowder as a starter.

    Does Anthony’s HomePort Everett have outdoor seating?

    Yes. Anthony’s has an outdoor deck and patio with direct waterfront views of Port Gardner Bay, Camano Island, Whidbey Island, and the Olympic Mountains. The deck is available weather permitting. Large windows also provide waterfront views from the indoor dining room.

    What are the hours and how do I make a reservation?

    Dinner service is Monday through Thursday and Sunday 3:00 PM–8:00 PM, and Friday–Saturday 3:00 PM–9:00 PM. Lunch is also available on weekdays — call (425) 252-3333 or check their website for current hours. Reservations via OpenTable are recommended for weekends.

    Where is Anthony’s HomePort Everett and where do I park?

    The address is 1726 W Marine View Drive, Everett, WA 98201. Take I-5 exit 193 and head north on Marine View Drive. Free parking in the adjacent lot. Look for the Anthony’s sign on the bay side before you reach the Port of Everett main entrance.

    How does Anthony’s HomePort compare to other Everett waterfront restaurants?

    Anthony’s is the dedicated seafood house on the Everett waterfront — it fills a different slot from newer spots like Fisherman Jack’s (Asian fusion), Rustic Cork (wine bar), and Sound to Summit (craft brewery). If you want a traditional Northwest seafood dinner with deck views, Anthony’s is the move.