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Do you remember these? 22 iconic Seattle bars, restaurants that are no longer around

By Callie Craighead, SeattlePI

|Updated
Tini Bigs was a popular bar at the corner of Denny Way and 1st Avenue. It closed in 2017.

Tini Bigs was a popular bar at the corner of Denny Way and 1st Avenue. It closed in 2017.

GENNA MARTIN/SEATTLEPI.COM

Restaurants come and restaurants go. The wave of restaurant closures in Seattle last year sparked concern among the city's foodies, but it's not the first time that once stapled restaurants have been forced to shut their doors due to the rapidly changing landscape and rising costs of the Emerald City.

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Keep scrolling for a look back on 22 famed, historic Seattle eateries and bars that have since departed.

Zesto's Burger & Fish House on 15th Avenue N.W. in Ballard.

Zesto's Burger & Fish House on 15th Avenue N.W. in Ballard.

Zesto's

1. Zesto's

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Generations of Ballard High School teens hung out at Zesto's for its burgers, fries and jukebox cool. It opened in 1952 and was known as the place with a '57 Chevy on the roof. It closed in early 2012.

The burger joint closed in 2010.

The burger joint closed in 2010.

Joshua Trujillo/seattlepi.com

2. Red Robin Tavern

A staple University of Washington hangout on the corner of Furhman and Eastlake avenues, the restaurant was originally named Sam's Tavern after the owner. After being sold to a local restaurant entrepreneur, the first restaurant in the franchise opened in Yakima in 1979.

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Twin Teepees on Aurora Avenue North near Green Lake.

Twin Teepees on Aurora Avenue North near Green Lake.

ROBIN LAYTON

3. Twin Teepees

Opened in 1937, the Twin Teepees, on Aurora Avenue North near Green Lake, was razed after a fire in 2000. It was part of a vanishing generation of roadside businesses and a one-time workplace of cook Harland Sanders, of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame. There's a legend that he perfected KFC's fried-chicken recipe at the Teepees, but it's never been proven.

Bartender Amon Mende lights up for Dustin Friebus and Emeri Hansen on Monday October 31, 2005 at Tini Bigs in Lower Queen Anne. Initiative 901 would ban smoking in almost all public places.

Bartender Amon Mende lights up for Dustin Friebus and Emeri Hansen on Monday October 31, 2005 at Tini Bigs in Lower Queen Anne. Initiative 901 would ban smoking in almost all public places.

Joshua Trujillo/Joshua Trujillo / Seattle Post-Intelligencer file

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4. Tini Bigs

The popular bar at the corner of Denny Way and First Avenue closed in 2017. Before the 2005 smoking ban, patrons used to be able to smoke inside Tini Bigs. It's neighbor Hula Hula relocated to Capitol Hill.

Interior of Two Bells Tavern in Belltown.

Interior of Two Bells Tavern in Belltown.

5. Two Bells Tavern

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The Belltown joint served up their five-and-a-half ounce "tavern burger" on a sourdough roll with your choice of great sides (coleslaw, beans and potato salad). The historic dive bar closed in 2018 when the owners were ready to retire.

The Red Door in Fremont.

The Red Door in Fremont.

PHIL H. WEBBER/Seattle Post-Intelligencer

6. Red Door Alehouse

The landmark bar was a biker hangout at its original location on Fremont Avenue. Housed in a 1902 building, Red Door eventually moved a block west in Fremont. The iconic watering hole closed permanently in March 2020.

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The original location of Catfish Corner in the Central District.

The original location of Catfish Corner in the Central District.

Google Maps

7. Catfish Corner

The Central District soul food center closed in August of 2014 after 30 years in business. A new location in Rainier Valley has since opened along with a brand-new outpost in the Central District.  

Andy's Diner on Fourth Avenue South.

Andy's Diner on Fourth Avenue South.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

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8. Andy's Diner

Housed in a collection of historic railroad cars, the diner was a familiar sight for many years on Fourth Avenue South. It opened in 1949 and quickly became a hot lunch spot for Boeing executives who came for char-broiled steaks. The rail cars at Andy's Diner included one that President Franklin Roosevelt reportedly traveled in during his 1944 reelection campaign. The South Seattle landmark closed its doors in 2008.

Their sign said, "All roads lead to the Dog House…where friends meet friends in Seattle." Pictured is longtime waitress Jennie Lee Alvord, who had worked at the Dog House for 30 years and was known as "J.L."

Their sign said, "All roads lead to the Dog House…where friends meet friends in Seattle." Pictured is longtime waitress Jennie Lee Alvord, who had worked at the Dog House for 30 years and was known as "J.L."

9. The Dog House

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When the 24-hour Dog House restaurant and bar closed in 1994, it was a passing of an era. KCTS broadcast its last day live, and Seattle P-I columnist Jon Hahn wrote it was "an epoch of Seattle history, a virtually non-stop, open 24-hours run of food, booze, music and fellowship."

The Frontier Room.

The Frontier Room.

10. The Frontier Room

In the early ’90s, the Frontier Room was a favorite seedy haunt for musicians who came for the potent, $1.50 highballs. It opened in 1954. The "old" Frontier Room, with cheap, strong drinks, closed in 2001. The newer incarnation was put up for lease on Mar. 24, 2014.

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Exterior of Alki Tavern on Harbor Ave SW.

Exterior of Alki Tavern on Harbor Ave SW.

aturkus/Flickr

11. Alki Tavern

For more than three decades, the Alki Tavern was West Seattle’s most famous dive bar with a view. But the Taco Thursdays and biker regulars bid farewell in March of 2013, when the bar closed to make way for condos.

Big Top pictured in 1968 at the Northgate Mall.

Big Top pictured in 1968 at the Northgate Mall.

Seattle Municipal Archives

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12. Big Top

Located at Northgate Mall, this circus-themed restaurant was part of an empire owned by Walter Clark, an industry giant who also owned Twin Teepees.

The Old Spaghetti Factory at 2801 Elliott Ave. in Seattle, Wash. 

The Old Spaghetti Factory at 2801 Elliott Ave. in Seattle, Wash. 

Justin H. via Yelp

13. Old Spaghetti Factory

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After 46 years of brick-building-wrapped spaghetti and lasagna dinner fun, Seattle's Old Spaghetti Factory on Elliott Avenue closed in 2016.

Owner Laurie Coaston at Kingfish Cafe.

Owner Laurie Coaston at Kingfish Cafe.

Scott Eklund/Seattle Post-Intelligencer

14. Kingfish Cafe

The soul food cafe closed in 2015 after almost 20 years of serving up hush puppies on Capitol Hill's 19th Avenue. Owner Laurie Coaston said that her restaurant tapped into that delicious secret ingredient called "passion."

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Owner Danny Piecora throwing a pie in 2007.

Owner Danny Piecora throwing a pie in 2007.

Scott Eklund/Seattle Post-Intelligencer

15. Piecora's Pizza

Piecora's on Capitol Hill had big booths, hot pizza, cold pitchers and friendly service. After more than 30 years in the neighborhood, the Piecora family called it quits in April of 2014 after selling its property to a huge apartment developer.

Le Gourmand in Ballard.

Le Gourmand in Ballard.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozmafan/5851817698/">Chelsea Nesvig</a>, Creative Commons Flickr

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16. Le Gourmand

Seattle foodies died a little in 2012 when Le Gourmand in Ballard closed its doors. Owned by Bruce Naftaly, its fresh, seasonal, French-Northwest cuisine had made diners swoon.

Jason Wang mans the register at Bakeman's Restaurant in downtown Seattle.

Jason Wang mans the register at Bakeman's Restaurant in downtown Seattle.

Dan DeLong/Seattle Post-Intelligencer

17. Bakeman's

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This busy, no-frills lunch spot on Cherry Street was beloved for its quintessential oven-roasted turkey sandwiches. It closed in 2018 after 47 years of serving downtown.

Exterior of Ernie Steele's.

Exterior of Ernie Steele's.

18. Ernie Steele's

The namesake bar of a UW football star was known for its walls of hunting trophies and booths of hard-drinking old-timers. It lasted 46 years, until it became Ileen's Sports Bar in the early '90s. That bar also closed and the space is now home to Julia's, known for its drag brunch.

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Tiki-themed Trader Vic's was in Seattle's Washington Plaza Hotel (now the Westin).

Tiki-themed Trader Vic's was in Seattle's Washington Plaza Hotel (now the Westin).

19. Trader Vic's

The Polynesian-themed restaurant was in Seattle's Washington Plaza Hotel (now the Westin) and capitalized on the tiki-fad of the 1950s and 1960s. The spot was known for serving Mai Tais and closed in 1991.

Interior of Labuznik located at 1924 First Avenue. The restaurant was opened by Czech immigrant Peter Cipra.

Interior of Labuznik located at 1924 First Avenue. The restaurant was opened by Czech immigrant Peter Cipra.

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20. Labuznik

The Czech restaurant opened on First Avenue in the '70s, long before the neighborhood became trendy Belltown. After almost 30 years serving delicious Tournedos Rossini, the restaurant closed in 1998.

French chef Francois Kissel pictured in front of Brasserie Pittsbourg on Feb. 7, 1980.

French chef Francois Kissel pictured in front of Brasserie Pittsbourg on Feb. 7, 1980.

21. The Brasserie Pittsbourg

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Before Maximilien in the Pike Place Market, there was Brasserie Pittsbourg in Pioneer Square in 1969 serving up French cuisine. French chef Francois Kissel opened both restaurants. The "table for ladies" sign referred to tables reserved for "proper" ladies who wanted to dine alone without giving off the appearance of being a prostitute, a prevailing notion about single female diners.

Randy's Restaurant in Tukwila.

Randy's Restaurant in Tukwila.

Patricia S. via Yelp

22. Randy's Restaurant

Open for nearly 40 years, Randy's Restaurant, the 24-hour diner in Tukwila, closed on Nov. 15, 2020. The restaurant, which featured all things aeronautical, was a living relic of Seattle in its "Jet City" days. Diners would stop by the restaurant on their way to Museum of Flight for an all-American brunch of steak and eggs, a stack of pancakes or a classic burger and to gawk at the walls of aviation memorabilia and hanging model planes.

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Callie is a web producer for the SeattlePI focusing on local politics, transportation, real estate and restaurants. She previously worked at a craft beer e-commerce company and loves exploring Seattle's breweries. Her writing has been featured in Seattle magazine and the Seattle University Spectator, where she served as a student journalist.