Capitol Hill Night Club Now Offering Oddball Burgers

The Escondite certainly lives up to its name, which translates as "The Hideout." The kitchen, a sister to a Los Angeles restaurant of the same name, opened quietly in February inside Capitol Hill music venue Chop Suey. Its small menu includes burgers with doughnuts as buns or deep-fried cream cheese, unorthodox concoctions that have garnered plenty of attention for the original location.

Owners Erin Carnes and Brian Houck, who with partner Brianna Rettig took over Chop Suey in early 2015, say they opened their LA spot in 2011 to address a distinct lack of affordable eateries in that area, and have a similar motive in the Pacific Northwest.

"Seattle — and specifically Capitol Hill — is also experiencing this increase of gentrification," the duo writes in a press release, "with high-end restaurants and bars replacing quality mom-and-pop establishments." They say their mission is to nurture a "neighborhood hangout where people can now eat, drink and listen to live music without spending a fortune."

The Escondite has a handful of appetizers and sandwiches, including gluten-free and vegetarian options. The Seattle outpost's signature burger is The Hendrix, named for famed native Jimi Hendrix. A six-ounce patty is topped with grilled mushrooms and onions, fried jalapeños, tangy-sweet sauce, and deep-fried cream cheese, a nod to the Seattle-style hot dog with cream cheese. Hungry yet?

1325 E Madison St, Seattle, (206) 538-0556, website. Open Monday to Friday 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Happy Hour Monday to Friday 4 to 8 p.m.