Diners' Choice: Best Food restaurants in South of Seattle

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall cuisine in South of Seattle? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Grazie Ristorante - Southcenter/Tukwila

4.7

4.7 (1929)

$31 to $50

Italian

Tukwila

About the restaurant

We are an authentic Italian restaurant featuring wines and foods from the different regions of Italy. A remarkable aspect that sets our restaurants apart is our employees are taken to Italy for education in Italian food and wine knowledge. Our servers are personable and also educated to help you with your dining selections. We take no shortcuts with our food and make everything on our menu from scratch, using only the freshest ingredients and imported products. When you step inside the door of our restaurant our goal is to take your senses on a culinary journey to Italia.

Top review

WilliamVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Most enjoyable evening with great service and great food. With a party of 8 that included 2 small children, we couldn’t have asked for anything better. Will absolutely return on my next visit to the Seattle area.

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Paolo's Italian Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (1289)

$30 and under

Italian

Kent

About the restaurant

For more than 20 years, Paolo’s has been bringing the taste of Italy to Kent. Paul Raftis founded the restaurant after growing up learning to cook along side his mother, Darlene Raftis. He enjoys the open kitchen he can chat with guests as he works. He never tires of hearing "It smells so good in here!" As a marathoner, he is living proof that that you can eat Italian and be healthy. In fact, one of his signature dishes, "Fettucine Paolo" was featured in Runner's World magazine. "It's one of the dishes I developed, it has no cream in it, no butter." It's a delicious pasta dish that utilizes olive oil, garlic, chicken stock, garlic, balsamic vinegar, sundried tomatoes, artichokes, and chicken. So whether it's bruschetta, cioppino, pizza, or spaghetti and meatballs, Paul thanks each of you for choosing to dine here.

Top review

Mary

Dined 2 days ago

We have been coming to Paolo’s since they opened in 1990. We’ve celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and date nights. Always impeccable cuisine and service is outstanding!

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Popular dish

Fettuccine Alfredo

Duke's Seafood - Southcenter

4.6

4.6 (1094)

$30 and under

Seafood

Tukwila

About the restaurant

Duke's Restaurant Southcenter, located in Tukwila at the south end of The Westfield Mall, is an upscale casual Pacific Northweset seafood restaurant offering signature, flavorful, 100% sustainable wild seafood, Award Winning Chowder, and grass-fed burgers in a gathering place that is friendly, comfortable, unpretentious, and filled with personality. We only source all-natural, healthful ingredients. Duke's food is free of hormones, antibiotics, and free of harmful chemicals. Guests sum up their favorable assessment of what Duke's has to offer with three words: It’s so good! Great Fish Tacos, Wild Halibut & Salmon, Salads and amazing sandwiches.

Please note: We do not accept reservations for the outdoor deck seating. First come, first serve. Please feel free to designate outdoor seating as your preference when making a reservation or checking in and we'll do our best to see you on our patio.

Top review

Bill

Dined 4 days ago

Great lunch with a friend today. Our waiter Kui was outstanding. Lots of fun.

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Popular dish

"Un"Chopped Seafood Salad

Popular dish

Dungeness Crab "Un"Cakes

Popular dish

Dungeness Crab Dip

Duke's Seafood - Kent Station

4.7

4.7 (790)

$30 and under

Seafood

Kent

About the restaurant

Duke's Kent Seafood Restaurant is an upscale casual Pacific Northwest restaurant & bar offering signature, flavorful, 100% sustainable wild seafood, Award Winning Chowder and grass fed burgers in a gathering place that is friendly, comfortable, unpretentious and filled with personality. We only source all natural, healthful ingredients. Duke's food is free of hormones, antibiotics and free of harmful chemicals. Guests sum up their favorable assessment of what Duke's has to offer with three words: It’s so good! Duke's in Kent is a locals favorite, perfect for grabbing a drink at the bar, lunch, dinner, outdoor dining or dinner with the family or group of friends.

Top review

Lisa

Dined on Dec 14, 2024

We had aa late afternoon lunch at Dukes today. Our server was amazing. She allowed us to settle in before asking for drink orders and she continued to provide exceptional service during our experience. Today was great!

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Popular dish

Chowder Samplers

Popular dish

Dungeness Crab "Un"Cakes

Copperleaf Restaurant & Bar

4.6

4.6 (2224)

$31 to $50

Northwest

Seatac

About the restaurant

Copperleaf Restaurant & Bar is a Northwest gathering spot serving seasonally-inspired farm-to-table cuisine. Our team is committed to sustainable practices that bring the season's bounty to your table. We hand select products from small local farms, fishermen, ranchers and artisans to curate all our menus. Arrive early and experience a seasonal cocktail or glass of Washington State wine in Copperleaf Bar! Come see why Copperleaf Restaurant is a quintessentially Northwest experience.

Table reservations for the patio are honored based on request and availability at the time of arrival; due to the frequently changing weather circumstances of the Seattle area and the popularity of our outdoor dining spaces, we are unable to guarantee reservations for the patio.

Top review

Robb

Dined 5 days ago

What a gem, not only great service, great food and a wonderful experience. Sitting by the fireplace enjoying special scallop soup, duck breast dinner and fabulous banana cream pie. Put this experience on your “got to due” list.

JOEY Southcenter

4.7

4.7 (22)

$30 and under

American

Tukwila

About the restaurant

JOEY Restaurants marries iconic hospitality with a handcrafted, locally and globally-inspired menu from award-winning chefs, to bring an unparalleled guest experience. Instead of just one chef, JOEY has a whole team of celebrated Executive Chefs bringing you an experience you can't get anywhere else. JOEY Southcenter is located in the newly redesigned Westfield Southcenter just south of Seattle, it delivers polished interiors and a sleek scene for eclectic dining.

Top review

Robert

Dined 3 days ago

Very loud for mentioning a business dinner, but service and food were great.

Anthony's HomePort - Des Moines

4.6

4.6 (3869)

$30 and under

Seafood

Des Moines

About the restaurant

We are a locally-owned, waterfront restaurant dedicated to giving our guests a truly Northwest dining experience. Anthony’s has earned the reputation for the finest fresh seafood, perfectly prepared and expertly served with an uncompromising commitment to quality and value. We feature fresh seasonal and sustainable fish and shellfish from our own seafood company accompanied by Northwest wines and micro brews as well our "Best of the Season" produce featured in our house-made desserts, salads, entrees, and beverages. Anthony’s in Des Moines features a lovely panoramic view of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. Open daily for lunch with a casual style no reservation necessary restaurant on the first floor featuring seafood, pastas, salads, burgers and fish tacos.

Top review

Sally

Dined 4 days ago

No matter what you order you will not be disappointed. Anthony's Des Moines is my go to place for bringing friends and family.

Smoke & Cedar Steakhouse

4.6

4.6 (302)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

Auburn

About the restaurant

Located on top of the all-new Muckleshoot Casino Resort tower in the heart of the bountiful Pacific Northwest. Smoke & Cedar is among the country's leading steakhouses, dedicated to providing excellent guest service, fine libations, prime steaks and the best seafood the PNW has to offer. This one-of-a-kind restaurant in Washington commands 270-degree views of Mt. Rainier, the Puget Sound and both the Olympic and Cascade Mountain ranges.

Smoke & Cedar's menu is updated seasonally to best showcase ingredients collected by foragers from the farmers markets, regional farms, and other artisan purveyors. The soul of the restaurant quite literally extends through its decor to spectacular views, complimenting a menu that conveys the sentiment that quality procured ingredients-are better appreciated on a beautiful plate in an approachable but elegant setting.

Bon appétit!

Top review

Pamela

Dined 3 days ago

Outstanding 5 star all the way don't change nothing

TOMO

4.4

4.4 (26)

$50 and over

American

White Center

About the restaurant

We serve eclectic Japanese-American cuisine and serious wine in a former adult video store. Since opening, Tomo has received recognition as one of the country's best new restaurants by Esquire and Robb Report and has been nominated for Outstanding Wine Program by the James Beard Foundation.

Chef Brady Ishiwata Williams’ menus are personal, and feature outstanding ingredients prepared simply and with confidence.

Our wine program highlights rare and ephemeral wines made by creative, principled people. We also serve a variety of classic and seasonal cocktails, emphasizing small-batch spirits and quality nonalcoholic options.

We strive to be a cherished part of our guests' lives, providing a warm atmosphere, ever-changing menus, and exclusive events with top chefs and industry experts from around the world.

Top review

Matt

Dined on Dec 14, 2024

The Chophouse themed dinner was simply amazing! The Waldorf Salad - so simplistic but one of the best salad courses I may have ever eaten. And the baked potato cart - I splurged for the black truffle add-on. I may never eat a baked potato again because I know it’ll never be this good. Once again all of the staff were so friendly and accommodating to all of my questions. I truly love the laid back atmosphere - hard to believe as always this gem is hidden in White Center.

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Experience

BONE IN - REEF + BEEF: A TOMO CHOPHOUSE EXPERIENCE

Experience

Daylit Lunch

8 Restaurant

4.3

4.3 (65)

$31 to $50

Asian

Auburn

About the restaurant

A beloved regional destination for Asian cuisine, 8 welcomes guests for lunch and dinner service once again!

Featuring a newly refined dining atmosphere, 8 offers all the menu favorites patrons know and love as well as a few new surprises.

Sourced from New England and delivered fresh throughout the week, live Maine lobster is available for hand selection from saltwater aquariums. Guests can choose one of three preparations – Salt & Pepper, Black Bean or Ginger Scallion.

The delicacy of Peking Duck is also a new addition to 8. Marinated over five days and roasted to perfection, the flavorful, crispy-skinned entrée—served with scallions, cucumber, and steamed buns as well as hoisin sauce—sates parties of two to three.

The number 8 is a symbol of luck and wealth in many Asian cultures.

Top review

Dana

Dined on Oct 8, 2024

Good food, good service but too close to smoking area of restaurant.

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