If you’re looking to crack a cold one in White Center, there’s no better place than Can Bar. Inside this nautical-themed neighborhood haunt, you’ll find 99 different cans of beer, from Pacific Northwest classics like Reuben’s Crikey IPA to the Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Milk Stout from San Diego. The inside of the bar is adorned with rustic planks cut from an old Owens Pleasure Craft boat, but you can also grab some fresh air with your beer and sandwich on the back patio. And don’t miss The Land Whale sandwich — a carnivore’s dream with smoked pork shoulder, ham, and bacon.

Long before the neighborhood became a dining draw, Salvadorean Bakery was the place that had Seattleites making the trek to White Center. Here, diners can load up trays with excellent Mexican or Salvadorean pastries filled with guava, mango, or molasses, or head into the dining room where pupusas rule — those toothy tortillas stuffed with chicharron, chicken, or cheese and beans. If you want to go crazy, give the massive nine-inch pupusa loca a try, which come stuffed with all of the fixings. For a larger meal, try the carne asada (tender and served fresh off the grill), which is served with a deep-fried chorizo sausage.

This fast food spot serves burgers with a side of nostalgia, from the 1960s-era advertising lining the walls to the retro toys on display in the shop. The classic burger here is incredibly juicy and always a good bet, but Rae’s Hell — a patty with Mama Lil’s hot relish, a hot link, cheddar, and red onion — is perfect if you’re looking for a little spice. If that’s not hot enough for you, the special no.11 burger, made with Mama Lil’s Kick Butt Peppers and Monterey jack, is truly fiery.

At this casual restaurant, diners can eat a whole roasted chicken with rice, beans, and tortillas while catching the day’s soccer match on television. Tortas, sauced-up chiles rellenos, enchiladas, and pozole teeming with tender pork are all excellent options. The whole chicken, covered in red adobo sauce, is bound to make a mess no matter what, so forgo the napkins and tear off the chunks of tender meat with the chewy flour tortillas, dip it in sauce and enjoy.

Buho is a neighborhood tequila bar where you can hear great music, play pinball, eat Oaxacan cream corn, and drink excellent mezcal and tequila. With a wide selection of mezcals from top producers including Bozal, Del Maguey and El Jolgorio, agave rules. Mezcal and tequila are also heavily featured in the delicious cocktails like the Mezcal Last Word, made with with Union mezcal and green Chartreuse; the horchata slushies are also delicious.

With a small, bright interior and friendly service, Bok a Bok serves up juicy double-fried Korean chicken, flaky biscuits, and creamy kimchi mac and cheese. The spicy chicken sandwich with a four-chili sauce and pickled Serrano peppers is a delicious choice for those who like heat. You can also stop by anytime on Taco Tuesdays and get six of their sweet and salty bulgogi chicken tacos for the price of three.

With all of the changes taking place in White Center, Taqueria La Fondita is a comforting mainstay that serves excellent renditions of the classics: tacos, crunchy taquitos rancheros, generously packed burritos, and enchiladas smothered in sauce and oozing with cheese. The lengua tacos, here also hit the spot. As a bonus, many of the orders come out with a piquant combination of a grilled onion and Serrano peppers. The horchata offers the right soothing blend of cinnamon and sugar to cool down any overheated taste buds.

The much-anticipated White Center restaurant Tomo opened at the beginning of September with a menu serving micro-seasonal Pacific Northwest cuisine. Former Canlis chef Brady Williams’ five-course dinner menu offers creative dishes based on what’s seasonally available in the Seattle area. The restaurant was a 2022 James Beard Award semifinalist for its outstanding wine program. The space is intimate with a wall of vertical ash slats, and The dishes change regularly, but a sample menu on the website includes pork collar with squash, fermented radish chawanmushi, and sweet potato with miso caramel. The name Tomo means “friend” in Japanese and is also an homage to Williams’ grandmother, Tomoko Ishiwata Bristol. No reservation? Go early and nab a seat at the bar for an expertly mixed cocktail and some bites. Tomo also offers an a la carte lunch menu on the weekends.

Nestled into a strip mall between a beauty shop and a grocery store, Dalat Quan offers excellent Vietnamese comfort food. The velvety Thailand Noodle Soup with the Tom kah coconut rice noodle warms the body, while more rice noodles can be found in the dry hu tieu, loaded with marinated pork belly, squid, and prawns, and served with a quail egg in a rich broth. Another crowd-pleaser is the tumeric noodle soup, mi quang, packed with pork hock, ribs, and shrimp.

At the back of this unassuming supermercado, knowledgeable diners will find some of the best Mexican food in the city, with a buffet that changes daily. The classic chiles rellenos hold the perfect blend of cheese and oregano in the fried poblano pepper, and the chicken tamales never miss. And the whole mojarra dorada fish, lightly battered and fried, is a light and crispy delight.