This Roosevelt Way standby serves a wide survey of Indian cuisine and has a large heated and covered outdoor dining area. The aloo gobi, okra masala, and Tandoori prawns are good, but don’t leave without trying the butter chicken — enough food for two hungry people, with a creamy sauce that’s the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. Open for dine-in and takeout.

This tiny, inconspicuous spot is a hidden gem serving some of the U District’s best Chinese food, with an emphasis on the cuisine of northeast China. The cabbage and pork dumplings are tender and juicy; the mapo tofu is balanced and packed with umami; and the chicken fried rice is some of the best in the city.

The Mountaineering Club opened in 2019 on top of the new Graduate Hotel, offering some of the best views of Seattle from any bar or restaurant. The spirits and cocktail list is expansive, with good choices for Bourbon, Irish, Canadian, and Japanese whiskeys as well as brandy, tequila, gin, and rum. There’s also a list of house cocktails. The food features appetizers like shrimp cocktails as well as several sandwiches and entrees like baked lamb ziti and a boil made with shrimp, corn, potato, and sausage served with bread. Reservations are recommended.

Korean Tofu House, unsurprisingly, serves the most flavorful soondubu jjigae (spicy soft tofu stew) in the U District. The dish can be ordered with variations like seafood, beef, and kimchi. The dolsot bibimbap (served sizzling in a heated stone bowl) also makes a satisfying meal.

Out of the several Korean restaurants in the U District, The Alley stands out for its generous portions of banchan: the green onion pancakes are crispy; the potatoes are a perfect balance of sweet and savory; and the kimchi is crunchy while still bringing zinginess. The bibimbap, japchae, and kimchi fried rice — served sizzling in a cast iron skillet — are all excellent choices.  Open for dine-in and takeout. 

Byrek and Baguette is a popular study spot. There are live succulents or vines on every table, and a small room to the side of the entrance has a couch and two teal armchairs. The namesake byrek, the Albanian word for a typically savory filo dough pastry popular in the Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe, makes for a satisfying snack. And the baguette sandwiches come with creative fillings like honey-cured ham between baguette halves slathered in mascarpone and apricot jam.

Earl’s is a classic college dive bar, always packed on weekends with students playing pool, drinking inexpensive, strong drinks and singing along to songs they put on the jukebox. The food, served out of a window at the back of the bar, is surprisingly delicious, with a value that can’t be beat. Most of the sandwiches (like the turkey and the grilled cheese), served with fries, are around $10. And for $18, you can order the Super Combo — a tray with four onion rings, four jalapeño poppers, four mozzarella sticks, two chicken strips, two corn dogs, and the equivalent of two large servings of waffle fries.  Open for dine-in and takeout.

This small restaurant on The Ave focuses on food from China’s Sichuan province. The lazi chicken, popcorn chicken covered in an equal amount of chopped dried chili peppers, is electrified by generous amounts of ground Sichuan peppercorn. The griddle-cooked meat pots, filled with vegetables and a choice of meat, are fragrant with cumin and chili powder. But the star dish here is the boiled fish with green pepper oil — made with soft fish filets, snappy bean sprouts, crunchy slices of lotus root, slippery glass noodles, and more — in a light Sichuan peppercorn broth. With a couple of sides of rice, the dish is a full meal for two or three people. Open for dine-in and takeout.

Diners come to Xi’an for one thing: wide, chewy biang biang noodles, made by hand every morning, at their best when adorned simply with chili oil. The pork dumplings and cucumber salad also make for excellent starters. Open for outdoor seating and takeout.

Samurai Noodle is to go-to spot for ramen in the U District, with broth choices like tonkotsu, miso, and shoyu, with spicy versions of the miso and shoyu tonkotsu ramen broths. The restaurant also serves snacks like takoyaki, gyoza, and kaarage, as well as rice and meat bowls and Japanese-style shaved ice.

Most UW students have an opinion on the best late-night gyro spot on The Ave, but it’s hard to beat Sultan Gyros Grill for its Falafel Super sandwiches, loaded with feta, hummus, vegetables, and falafel that’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The greek fries, served with feta and tzatziki sauce, are a satisfying snack after a couple of drinks. Open for dine-in and takeout.