Bành Town
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When it comes to picnic-friendly meals, it's hard to rival bánh mì. This Greenwood spot carries them stuffed with fillings ranging from the traditional (grilled pork, tofu) to the unconventional (corned beef, French chicken).
Greenwood
Bottlehouse
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This Madrona wine bar and shop offers small, medium, and large "monger boxes" with a selection of meats and cheeses curated by their in-house cheesemonger team. Each box comes with a fresh baguette, house-made crackers, seasonal compote, herb-roasted almonds, dried fruit, Castelvetrano olives, and garden-fresh herbs.
Madrona
The Chicken Supply
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Chef Paolo Campbell's "dream restaurant" channels the beloved fast-food chain Jollibee with its Filipino-inspired fried chicken. The menu offers crispy battered poultry (thighs, drumsticks, skewers, and wings), as well as beans and rice, marinated vegetables, house-made pickles, coconut collard greens, cold pancit, crispy potatoes, and garlic rice.
Phinney Ridge
Cone & Steiner
This eclectic artisan neighborhood market has a nicely curated selection of prepared offerings. You can pre-order deli offerings, snacks, and other items for delivery or pickup from the Pioneer Square and Capitol Hill locations.
Pioneer Square, Capitol Hill
DeLaurenti Specialty Food & Wine
We'd be remiss not to mention this Pike Place deli, a comprehensive emporium of incredible cheese, olives, prosciutto, charcuterie, artisan breads, and other perfect things to round out your outdoor smorgasbord. You can even have staff arrange a custom antipasti platter filled with your favorites.
Downtown
Ezell’s Chicken
Fried chicken is a time-honored picnic classic, and you can't do better than the certified Oprah favorite's chicken dinner combos. Don't forget the sweet potato pie.
Various locations
Frelard Tamales
The beloved walk-up spot has plenty of handmade, husk-wrapped delights, ideal for a portable repast.
Green Lake, Bellingham
Lil Red Takeout and Catering
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This local gem earned a spot on a list of the top 20 Black-owned barbecue spots in the nation, compiled by James Beard Award-winning author and barbecue expert Adrian Miller in his book Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue. (Considering that Miller sampled barbecue at over 200 restaurants across the country to research his book, this is no faint praise.) The restaurant is run by husband-and-wife team Erasto “Red” Jackson, who specializes in soul food and a style of barbecue that incorporates influences from Texas, Memphis, and Kansas City, and Lelieth Jackson, who is of Jamaican descent and the mastermind behind the restaurant's Jamaican dishes. Fans love the ribs, the mac and cheese, the jerk chicken, the brisket, the rum cake, and the banana pudding.
Columbia City
Local Tide
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Lobster and crab rolls have been on the rise, and this Northwest-inspired spot in Fremont has earned significant acclaim for its Dungeness crab roll, loaded with hand-cracked crab, mayo, chives, and lemon and available exclusively on weekends. They've also got fried Dover sole sandwiches, manila clam chowder, salmon BLTs, rockfish rice bowls, and other seafood-centric specials.
Fremont
Mainstay Provisions
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Assemble your own spread with pre-made salads, focaccias, pizza, rotisserie chicken, and other options from this all-day cafe and specialty market.
Ballard
Musashi's
On the hunt for affordable sushi? Look no further than this favorite beloved for its high-quality rolls, chirashi bowls, and bento boxes. If you're at the C-ID location, try Kobe Terrace for a peaceful picnic locale, and if you're at Wallingford, head to Fremont Peak Park or Gas Works for stunning views.
Chinatown-International District, Wallingford
Oddfellows Cafe + Bar
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The airy, Elliott Bay Book Company-adjacent cafe makes a cured meat and cheese plate perfect for snacking on in a sunbeam or shadebeam. Their baguette sandwiches are also perfect for pretending you're basking by the Seine. Grab a chocolate chip cookie or one of their house-made Rice Krispie treats for dessert.
Capitol Hill
Salumi
The cured meats, including salamis, prosciuttos, coppa, pancetta, prosciutto, soppressata, tongue, and cured lamb, and hot and cold sandwiches at this world-famous shop are picnic-perfect.
Pioneer Square
Slab Sandwiches and Pie
Lark's severely underrated casual lunch spot is one of Seattle's best-kept secrets, and you can get a daily rotating selection of sandwiches and toasty things here. The salted chocolate chip cookies made by Lark co-owner JM Enos are seriously good.
Capitol Hill
Taku
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Pick up some twice-fried karaage chicken with sides like furikake fries, Japanese-style mac salad, and cucumber salad at Top Chef star Shota Nakajima's Capitol Hill bar. You can even throw all caution to the wind and order a "Fuck It! Bucket" (three pounds of nuggets with furikake fries).
Capitol Hill
Zylberschtein's
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Stop at this Jewish deli and bakery for a selection of bagels, cream cheese, cookies, babka buns, rugelach, whitefish salad, and sandwiches.
Pinehurst
Where to Pick Up Food for a Picnic in Seattle
Charcuterie, Fried Chicken, and More
July 19, 2023
More from Our Summer Guide
We're well into the dog days of summer, and it's prime time for al fresco hangouts with friends. Not coincidentally, July is also National Picnic Month. We've got you covered with plenty of provisions perfect for a moveable feast, from fried chicken to charcuterie to cheese. All that's left for you to do is pack up your wicker basket and gingham blanket and scout out a location. For ideas for where to picnic, check out this guide to the best parks and beaches in Seattle. For more inspiration, check out our food and drink guide.