Nettletown

Man, I agree with Phillip. Losing Nettletown is a huge loss.
We will miss this cute little foraged café inconspicuously nestled between Subway and Teriyaki. Their famous elk and lemon-​grass meatballs made a fantastic Bánh mì with pickled sea beans and julienned carrots. Unforgettable. Their wild salads were on the vinegary side but, like a health tonic, physically and mentally invigorating. Not all of the food had exceptional flavor, but when it was good, it was really good! Like those tiny almond macaroons, so chewy and sweetly infused with almond essence.
Christina Choi, owner, with her discerning spirit has decided to move on. It looks like a catering business is in the works, but whatever it is we would be wise to take note. She’s a scout on the lookout for the very best.

Sorry to hear that Nettletown is closing. A real loss to the neighborhood.

I’m not really sure what the hype is about… I tried the pork noodles and it was definitely mediocre and very plain. I had to add a lot of fish sauce and my friend’s elk meatball sandwich kind of looked tiny.
Did we order the wrong items? They’re pretty pricey too…
This place is tucked away in a little plaza on Eastlake Ave and there’s a few parking spots too. The restaurant itself is really small and fits less than 10 tables. It looks more like a coffee shop than a restaurant so I’m not really a fan of the ambiance. But I guess my first and only visit doesn’t quite do it justice but based on the first impression… it was just A-​OK.

It’s a sunny day in Seattle.
Rare, I know. But you want a laid-​back lunch spot that is delicious and adventurous, leaving you still spunky to go out and enjoy the day.
Nettletown is not big on frills. It shares a small shopping center with Subway and some other small, forgettable places. They have warm, inviting small tables with fresh flowers and you order at the register.
I HAVE to go back for those mouth-​watering treats I saw by the register.
I definitely recommend the Nettletown Noodles (with the pork). The pork fell off the bone and complimented the light and fresh noodle accompaniments

My top adjectives for Nettletown (aside from «delicious») would be «off-​beat» and «subtle.» The taste here is all about herbs, pickled vegetables, and a fairly judicious use of spice. You need to pause a little and let the flavor sink in, but the extra attention is worth it.
The tofu is probably the best I’ve ever had – a firm texture, crisp baked outside, and very well spiced. The sandwiches are kind of a banh mi on steroids, with Le Fournil baguette, your meat of choice, herbs and house-​picked veggies. And for brunch, they do a rich, creamy baked eggs, typically with mushrooms or some other seasonal vegetables.
Finally, I can never stop in without getting one (or several) of their cookies, which are often semi-​savory so they work either as an appetizer or as dessert. Also, their house-​made sodas are without par.
All in all, Nettletown is a unique place, and the food here really has its own character. It’s worth going out of your way to check out.

When the waitress recommended the Peanut butter pickle sandwhich I had my doubt. Especially since I was ordering take out for other who may not be as adventurous as myself. I took her recommendation and was on my way.
Not only did I enjoy every sandwhich we ordered but so did the entire office. They were all asking for the name and location of Nettletown. Nettletown made my stomach happy and made me look good when ordering take out.

Me & my friends went here one lazy weekend. Having woken up late, we decided to try having brunch at Nettletown. We like the homey feel and nice servers. My friends ordered soup, eggs and sausages. I oredered the elk meatball sandwich. The food was great, even one of my friend who doesn’t usually finish a big meal clean up her plate!
We will definitely come back here and suggest Nettletown to friends.

Since the day we discovered Nettletown we have hardly eaten lunch anywhere else in Eastlake, and it’s been nearly a year! The food is fresh, healthy and inventive. It’s also easy for me to eat there gluten-​free and dairy-​free.
I walk in and scan the board to see what the daily sandwich is (though alas I can’t have that yummy french bread), the daily big salad and the daily soup. Usually one of those will grab me, and my office mate and I will sometimes supplement with the day’s vegetable pickles or the mmmm sesame oil & seeded rice. (YUM!) If I’m just not feeling it, the regular printed menu has a comforting array of easy-​to-​like staples with an assortment of knopfli and rice based dishes topped with variations of vegetables, egg, tofu & meat.
Don’t miss the day’s assortment of fresh-​made fruit & herb sodas or teas. I personally have become addicted to the crispy ginger seaweed to take with me — a guilt-​free (it’s actually GOOD for you!) crispy flavorful treat.

I was surprised by Nettletown.
Gourmet takes on classics, and interesting twists.
We came here twice in a week.
Lemongrass Elk Sandwich — WIN. Delicious! Think a banh mi sandwich (vietnamese sandwich) with pickled vegetables and lemongrass elk meatballs. Absolutely delicious.
Peanut Butter /​Pickle /​Bacon Sandwich — I thought this sounded awful AND delicious. It was delicious, but heavy in a way I wasn’t used to. But for a curious treat, well worth trying if you’re a fan of said ingredients.
Nettletown Noodles — Sounded tasty… however, they were about as bland and blah as they could be. The textures and colors were right. But the flavor just wasn’t there.
Seaweed & Ginger packets — Salty and delicious. They use laver seaweed, broken up and salted, mixed with crisp fried bits of ginger. Quite the yummy little dried seaweed snack.
French Lentil Soup — Very well done. The nettles were tasty in it. Honestly, I would have preferred to see way more greens in the soup. But that’s my personal preference. The soup itself was delicious.
Seating at the restaurant is short. There’s about 6 – 8 tables. So be prepared to call in ahead of time, get it to go, or be ready to wait for a little bit.

The fare is mostly Asian-​inspired. Noodles occupy a huge chunk of real estate on the laminated menu. You order at the counter and they bring out your food.
I started with a $ 3 cup of the daily soup. The gal at the counter with a lively and appealing hippie print blouse told me the soup was coconut shrimp. Served in a textured olive-​glazed terracotta cup, the soup was appealing to the naked eye. Similar in appearance to a miso soup, this version came topped with fried chow mein noodles. The soup did have a definite coconut flavor, reminding me of Tom Kha Gia, but was disappointingly lukewarm with a diluted and bland flavor.
The soup contained a few pieces of mushroom, red chili flakes, and vermicelli noodles, but no actual shrimp, as far as I could tell. The discreet little wooden salt shaker on the table wasn’t able to help too much with the flavor.
For my other lunch item, I chose the chicken salad sandwich. It sounded original and tempting because the menu indicated that it contained jicama.
I’m sure my face fell a few feet when the sandwich was brought out completely covered with cilantro leaves. I was hungry so I just shoved the ditch weed to the side and chowed down. Not bad — pretty good seasonings actually. Yes, there was a bit of cilantro in the chicken salad mix itself, but to the chef’s major credit it was used sparingly, so it added to rather than detracted from sandwich.
The chicken salad, in addition to the advertised jicama, contained diced pickle. But about halfway through the sandwich, I concluded that the sandwich had much too much jicama and pickle and was rather unbearably crunchy too eat.
Overall, some cool and original ideas are expressed in Nettletown’s food creations, but execution seems to fall somewhat short. But I did like the KEXP-​ish music they were playing.

3.5−4 stars
First of all the location is crazy! It’s tucked into a tiny section of the tiny «strip mall» on Eastlake next to a convenience store and Subway. As strange of a location as it is, I think it adds character to this place. The interior is great! So cozy!
Now the food… Mmmm the Lemongrass Elk meatball sandwich is quite tasty! First of all I love it because it’s hard to find elk on a menu at many places. The veggies and herb salad that are on it lighten the meat and add a ton of flavor. I especially liked the curry-​ish sauce it comes with. I think it really elevated the sandwich. For $ 8.50 I think they do a good job, but I feel like for that price it would be nice if it came with a small side or something.

3.5 Stars
Nettletown leaves me torn. The menu struck me as confused, but they made good on their promise of «yummy food.» The atmosphere is casual, but I felt a bit ripped off. Our waitress was lovely, but I’m not sure I’ll be back anytime soon.
Nettletown is inbetween two places I frequent in my boyfriend’s hood (Eastlake Market
and Eastlake Teriyaki
) and we finally gave it a try last night. It’s a tiny restaurant with just a handful of tables. I suspect the décor is supposed to be whimsical and quaint but we felt like we were dining in a hippie’s living room. I did like the painting on the wall and the goodies in glass jars up front. We sat ourselves, but the sole front of house employee took our order, brought our food and the bill, and bussed the table. Looks like this may be exclusive to dinner, as other reviews bemoan the order/​pay up front system. Our food took slightly longer than I would have liked, but there’s probably only one cook back there. I also wish the carafe of room temperature water had ice in it.
The menu is limited and not many items caught my eye. My BF started with the soup & salad combo ($ 7). The white bean soup was the daily special and the salad was a large pile of greens with dressing. Both items were good but I think a salad requires more than spring mix. I ordered the roast beef sandwich ($ 9) and my BF had the Nettletown noodles with tofu ($ 9). Two things surprised me when my sandwich arrived: the beef was extremely rare, and it looked just like a banh mi. Though I was scared to eat the bright pink meat, it was de-​effing-​licious! I was a little disappointed though because I swear the menu stated it came with a side salad and pickled vegetables. As tasty as it was, $ 9 is quite steep since the only thing separating it from a banh mi was the miso mustard and the fact that it cost 2 — 3 times as much as the same sandwich would cost in the ID. The noodle dish looked like ramen soup (complete with half an egg) minus the broth. My BF and I were divided: he thought it was really good whereas I thought it was incredibly bland and only had flavor from the chili sauce he added to it. Several other reviews mention the bland noodles so obviously I am correct. The website mentions that the chef is Swiss and Chinese, which explains the Asian twist on American/​European dishes, but I felt the menu lacked a clear focus. Maybe time and experience will bring a more cohesive theme to Nettletown’s look, feel, and food. While we enjoyed a pleasant meal and I like to support local businesses that showcase organic/​seasonal foods, the price and somewhat random menu aren’t giving me much reason to return.
Nettletown is closed Mondays. Lunch served till 3pm Tues — Fri, brunch served on Sat and Sun. Dinner starts at 6pm Fri and Sat only. The website indicates they will have expanded hours (including a happy hour) at some point. Reservations taken for groups of 5 or more. There is a small free parking lot but it is shared with the three other businesses. Pay to park up above. Across the street from Zoo Tavern (
) and Voxx Coffee (
).

On the bookmarks page for restaurants that needed a review, my single note was as follows:
«Lemongrass elk sandwich was like an overpriced banh mi.»
The restaurant itself is quaint and the staff is friendly, but there is something about overpriced organic restaurants that throws us off. For what is served, it is in fact quite expensive. In regards to the note posted above, the nine dollar lemongrass elk meatball sandwich was basically the same size portion size as a Vietnamese sandwich that could have been purchased downtown for two dollars. Labeling the restaurant as a hipster locale would be a bit inaccurate, but it definitely does give off a similar vibe with its lack of a concrete genre other than «comfort food» which to me is basically saying the same thing as «I am going to do whatever I want until someone can define what I am doing for me» which is my odd unaccepted perspective of the hipster culture. Other than that, the food is good, but not quite good enough where I would want to be paying the amount that they are serving it for.

I might be on the generous side with this rating and since it was just based on my one experience, the # of stars may change…
It was my first time there and my dinner meal was excellent! I had the salmon special. Well-​prepared salmon fillet served with 2 potato cakes, salmon roe and a salad on the side. I finished the whole fresh and tasty plate! This entrée followed an appetizer of pickled ginger beets or was it ginger pickled beets? In any case, it was fabulous!
Service wasn’t quickest but they were busy with the one host/​server/​busser they had. She was pleasant and competent given that she was the only one. The chef came out to chat with those she knew… maybe more about casual conversation rather than the food.
The location is in a small strip mall with few parking but I found one right in front of the restaurant. The ambience would be nicer if the chairs there didn’t make such a screeching metal-​on-​concrete sound everytime someone moved their chair with their tush stuck in it!
Overall, it was great if rated on food alone and I will have to return to try other menu items. I will reserve the right to adjust ratings if need be…

Nettletown is a favorite lunch spot of mine. I like their inventive sandwiches and fresh ingredients. The peanut butter bacon pickle sandwich is delish!
My only complaint is that it’s pretty spendy.

I love what this place does with peanut butter! Peanut butter pickle sandwiches. Peanut butter pickle bacon sandwich.
I had the special, which was a tumeric salmon sandwich, with peanut butter. These people are BOLD with food. The veggies on the sandwich were really tasty, with mint, basil, and other tastiness.
I went with 5 friends so I tried various dishes. All were unique and good.
Food quality: 5
Food quantity: 4
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4
Authenticity: n/​a
Overall deal: 3
Pros: Excellent flavors. These people have some real guts with the food combinations!
Cons: Overpriced. I paid about 15% more than I should have.

Atmosphere: small, simple and clean, loud when busy
Service: Food service is slow when busy, otherwise is self-​service — you order/​pay, then seat yourself, get your own utensils and water, etc.
Food: Fun and unique combinations of flavours (think salmon + peanut butter sandwich).
Location: Limited free parking (only a couple spaces, usually full) lot, otherwise street. Strip-​mall area (where Stika and Spruce used to be) next to a Subway and a convenience store.
Fine for a lunch with a co-​worker when you’re not in a hurry but Nettletown is nothing terribly remarkable.

I also love Nettletown! I struggle to explain to people what type of food they serve… maybe healthy/​hippie with plenty of meat (if that is your bag). One of the last times I was eating there, I thought, «this is exactly the kind of food I want to be eating when I go out to eat.» Well-​presented, unique flavors, and no salt-​bombs or ridiculous portions. And a comfortable «woodsy cabin in the Redwoods» aesthetic to the room… again I struggle to explain it adequately, but here, just listen to what I’ve eaten:
–delicious fizzy sparklers of soda and juice (apple ginger; lemon thyme)
–big bowl of brown rice resplendent with bacon chunks, tofu cubes, and uncommon herbs and greens
–potato cakes with eggs and greens, simple yet superior
–and the piece de resistance, the Lemongrass Elk Meatball Sandwich… ample meat patties packed into a Le Fournil baguette with cilantro, sweet carrots, and some kind of miracle sauce. You will swoon. If that’s your bag.
All this plus the staff is super nice and it’s blocks from home. I am not a religious person, but God Bless Nettletown.

What a charming little place! If it wasn’t for the fact that I knew it was right next to Subway, I would have totally missed it. It’s a small place but it has a very chill, coffee shop type of atmosphere that I like.
You actually order at the register first before getting your food, and they also bring it to you! The menu is pretty unique. I tried the elk meatballs here for the first time and they were pretty good. I ordered the roast beef sandwich that came on Le Fournil bread with spicy miso mustard. It totally looks like a Vietnamese sandwich (see pic) but it was quite tasty.
The people here are really friendly. I’ll have to come back here to try more of their sandwiches and their cool items on the menu!

«I have never had food like this in my life,» said our guest from out of town, after having brunch at Nettletown.
Whenever someone is visiting, this is a «dream-​come-​true» phrase to listen to, especially since I tend to brag about Seattle’s food scene. Very much. Our guest knows food very well, as she works in the fine dining business back in Atlanta.
What makes Nettletown to stand out and be so unique, is that the food is perhaps some of the freshest I have ever had, and the ingredients couldn’t be of better quality.
Also, their dishes are creative to a point you will hardly find something similar anywhere. Christina Choi, the chef, can make magic happen. We have been here several times, and we’re always blown away by a new dish, a piece of rosemary ginger shortbread, or a cup of Origins Coffee, made into a Vietnamese Coffee drink (slowly dripped and combined with condensed milk).
I am going to describe one of the last dishes I had at Nettletown, to give you an example of Christina’s excellent, charming skills: plump spring roll wrappers, filled with a blend of herbs from her own garden (talk about fresh, eh?), sauteed leeks on top, and tiny purple chai flowers to decorate the already beautiful dish. I had to photograph those four pretty, perfect spring rolls.
These were a special she had: delicate to the eye and the tongue, it was an explosion of subtle flavors. Slightly crunchy on top, once that barely audible crack happened, the spring roll became creamy to the fork, and silky on the taste buds.
I could keep talking about every dish I had at Nettletown, and take all the 5,000 characters available for a review. I rather tell to all those reading this review to go and try it. Eating at Nettletown is the equivalent to luxurious pampering to me. Relaxed, earthy, velvety, sweet, pleasurable. At the end of your meal, you’ll be smiling a big, wide smile.
Prices are affordable taking into account the food is crafted with fresh, carefully picked ingredients. This is the kind of food that is worth every penny of what it costs.
They take orders at the counter, and you have to bus your table. I like this. That doesn’t take an ounce of charm and kindness their service is noticeable for.
My recommendations? Order the Elk meatballs (I have had them in their Banh Mi-​style sandwich), and if they have Maple Blossom pie, don’t even think about it. It’s perfection in a crust.
Go. Enjoy. Smile. Drink coffee. Talk to Christina. Feel happy, and spread the word. This hardworking, creative and bright young chef deserves to have a line outside of her restaurant.
¡Gracias, Nettletown!