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highline: an all vegan bar in seattle!
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July 9th, 2010quarrygirlmore restaurants (not LA), seattle

one my favorite places i’ve ever been would have to be highline in seattle.

the brand new bar is located on capitol hill in an upstairs space of a former nightclub, and serves a huge menu of reasonably-priced and entirely vegan fare. we were tipped off by our friend, a seattle local, who had heard that highline had opened up in her neighborhood and supposedly served “vegan bar snacks”. we went in not expecting a whole lot, and were completely blown away by the selection and quality of the food. we loved highline so much in fact, that we dined there 2 nights in a row. have a look at what we ate…

fish and chips $8

first up from the shared plates menu, we ordered the fish and chips. the minute we saw this greasy classic was offered, we knew we had to order it—and highline did not disappoint! the “fish” was some kind of soy concoction (tofu perhaps?) lightly battered and wrapped in nori. it was beyond delicious. the fries were perfectly cooked as well, and the dish came with the most unbelievably creamy pot of tartar sauce. by far, this is the best plate of vegan fish and chips i’ve ever had.

caeser salad: romaine, red onion, croutons, and caeser dressing. with soy chicken. $10

we also shared the caeser salad with added vegan chicken, and it was excellent as well. cool and fresh romaine, all topped off with crispy little nuggets of grilled soy. again, this dish exceeded our expectations.

the reubender: house-made vegan pastrami with russian dressing, smoky provolone cheez, sauce and sauerkraut on grilled rye. with a side of coleslaw. $10

lastly, on the first night, we shared highline’s version of the vegan reuben. all the sandwiches are either $7 solo or $10 with a side. there was a really interesting vegan cottage cheez dish on the menu, so we ordered it as a side. unfortunately, highline was out of that and we wound up with a side of coleslaw. it was a happy ending though, because the coleslaw was wonderful. rich and creamy with a tasty blend of shredded vegetables.

but enough about the side, let me tell you about THE SANDWICH! OMG holy wow, this was an epic sandwich—the best reuben i’ve ever eaten. if this thing were down in LA, it would steal the reuben wars crown in 2 seconds flat. it was filled with the meatest homemade vegan pastrami that was thickly sliced and super hearty. not to mention phenomenal cheese and rich dressing. i couldn’t even finish half of it; it was so massive. honestly, i just can’t say enough good things about this sandwich.

potato skins $8

on our second night at highline, we started with the potato skins appetizer. this came with six mini potatoes loaded up with cheezy sauce, tempeh bacon, tomatoes, and onions—all with a thick creamy sauce. to say this dish was amazing would be an understatement! it was crazy good, fantastic, just like so many other dishes we tried at highline. i told the bartender/waiter that these were the best potato skins i’d ever eaten, and he was like, “yeah, we haven’t been open very long so we are still working out the recipes. they should get even better.” i am officially jealous of everyone who lives in seattle.

chiggen caesar wrap: soy chicken strips, romaine, tomato and onion with caeser dressing. with a side of cottage cheez. $10

next we split the “chiggen caesar wrap,” and much to my excitement, the cottage cheez was back in stock! the side was sooooo good. i never thought i would eat a vegan version of cottage cheese, and i loved it! they made it out of chunky crumbled tofu and some kind of thick white sauce. the texture was so close to the real thing, i couldn’t believe it. the wrap was even better than the caesar salad we’d eaten the night before. it came in an over-sized flour tortilla complete with grill marks (which i love).

philly dip: seitan strips, sauteed peppers, onions, mushrooms and cheez sauce on a toasted roll. served with aus jus. $7

we also shared a vegan philly dip grinder, but asked them to leave out the bell peppers (which i hate). another absolutely perfect sandwich, this thing was filled with grilled seitan strips, sauteed vegetables and tons of melty daiya cheese. the aus jus was flavorful and salty, the perfect dip for this beauty. SO DAMN GOOD. and a feast for just 7 bucks!

we were only in seattle for 3 nights, and i tried to convince my husband to return to highline on our last evening as well, but he said 2 times in one trip were enough. dammit. i am already plotting another visit to the pacific northwest.

i’ve got to admit, the atmosphere in highline is a little meh…but they haven’t been open very long, so hopefully they will fix it up a bit. it just seems sort of thrown together: they have a huge bar with tables and chairs scattered around, and tons of empty space. the beer selection isn’t great (think pbr), and there is a small amount of outdoor seating. the food is FANTASTIC though, and that’s what counts.

next time you are in seattle, go to capitol hill and climb the steps on broadway avenue up to highline. it doesn’t look like much from the outside, but there you will find food unlike anything you’ve ever eaten. i know i will visit as often as possible.

highline
210 broadway avenue east
seattle, wa 98102
206-328-7837
mon – fri 11am-2am
sat and sun 9am-2am

PS: HERE ARE THE MENUS!!!!!!!!!! read at your own risk, they will make you way hungry.
(click thumbies to enlarge)

Tags: bar, fish and chips, potato skins, reuben, sandwich, seattle

27 responses to “highline: an all vegan bar in seattle!”

miss alix July 9th, 2010 at 09:46

oh man, that food looks insanely good. i like the stone wall inside. damn you seattle!
susielol July 9th, 2010 at 09:48

You’re killing me with these photos! Everything looks so tasty! *slurps drool back in*
spud July 9th, 2010 at 09:51

this place looks amazing. I will be in Seattle in a couple of weeks so will definately check it out. thanks QG
Jessica July 9th, 2010 at 09:52

God, I lived in Seattle last summer- how did I not know about this?!? All the more reason to go back for a visit.
Gauri Radha July 9th, 2010 at 09:59

That looks so good. How cool.
Schramm July 9th, 2010 at 10:04

i’ve missed that place on my past two trips. big mistake! looks awesome!
britt July 9th, 2010 at 10:37

man i am so fucking hungry now! philly dip plz
Birdfeed July 9th, 2010 at 11:31

This place looks amazing. The fish sounds great.
veganinla July 9th, 2010 at 11:43

OMG! Now I’m craving potato skins. The food looks amazing.

P.S. I’d get a new hubby. 🙂
trishells July 9th, 2010 at 12:28

there are some foods that I like (not love) but enjoy the challenge of making a vegan equivalent at home. last time it was jalapeño poppers. next up: potato skins.
veganinla July 9th, 2010 at 13:13

Trishells,

What time shall I come over? 🙂
EricM July 9th, 2010 at 15:47

that ruben looks crazy good. homemade pastrami? WOW!
Gauri Radha July 9th, 2010 at 18:42

I’m looking at the photos again–it’s sad how much time I spend looking at vegan food snapshots online!! No wonder this blog is one of my favourites. However I must say the Caesar wrap looks particularly delicious. I’ve never had vegan cottage cheez, that side looks great too.
tarp July 9th, 2010 at 18:50

I am going there tonight. Will report back.
Jenna July 9th, 2010 at 19:28

Yess I am moving to Seattle in August & cannot wait to go here!!!
Chelsea July 9th, 2010 at 20:51

Next time you’re in Seattle you should check out Tilth! It’s not entirely vegan — they have a meat menu and a vegan menu but the food was seriously the best I’ve ever had. It’s all organic or wild, and seasonal. Super fresh and really creative. There was a dish I wanted that was only on the meat menu and they veganized it for me! Great service staff; very knowledgeable and excited about the food. I think you’d add it to the top of your list of fine dining vegan food!
Miel July 10th, 2010 at 10:50

What are the odds? I’m in Seattle right now and it’s my 21st bday. I know where I’m going!
Taylor July 10th, 2010 at 15:18

this is my fucking spot! you missed the best part though…every tuesday night is Cakearokee! which consists of kareokee and cake! and group circles singing total eclipse of the heart!
Melisser July 11th, 2010 at 02:08

DAMN! I’m going to check this place out.. maybe I can do my book signing there?! haha.
Liz July 12th, 2010 at 18:21

I ate at the Highline several times and LOVED it also. The food was delicious, portions were generous and the prices were very reasonable (some of the lowest in town). I especially enjoyed sitting outside on the deck and chatting with friends long after the food was eaten. The staff were friendly and accomodating. This is my new favorite bar and restaurant.
Jay July 13th, 2010 at 11:52

I live about 25 miles from Seattle! My dad misses his fish and chips so I’ll have to take him here. The food looks amazing!!

Thanks QG!
Su July 19th, 2010 at 12:14

Three friends of mine are in that picture – one of them just pointed this out to me. Cool.
Pete July 19th, 2010 at 19:37

Hey QG! I met you at Cruzer months ago when they were having a taste test in their kitchen; I was one half of the couple from Seattle. And as fate would have it, I’m in one of your photos! I’m in the white hat. Had I known you were doing some surveillance, I would’ve said hi!
That's Great August 8th, 2010 at 16:42

That’s great that there is a Vegan pub/bar. I love Vegan food. But a question; wtf do you have to pretend it’s meat? Why the “cheez”, the “chiggen”, and all that rot. It’s *vegetables* not pretend-meat. If you’re a Vegan and you don’t like vegetables or need them to be dressed up in meaty names, you’re a loser.

Also, $8 for potato skins!? GTFO!
Sharon October 12th, 2010 at 14:46

This place looks so chillaxed I luv it!! and the food looks pretty amazing too. Seattle is in my future, I can just feel it. Thanks for sharing.
jason November 2nd, 2010 at 16:55

come to highline this thursday (11/4)to see surf rock legends Guantanamo Baywatch (Portland)and SPURM (seattle)! it will be totally rad!
chocolate chip December 1st, 2010 at 03:09

omfgoddess! that tilth place sounds ah-may-ZING! please indulge me as to where this may be? certainly not on the hill right? like in ballard or someplace right? i’m such a curious omnivore right now… yum!