Loretta's Northwesterner
Bar · South Park
8617 14th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108
Highlights
Classic burgers, fries, and beer in a beloved dive bar
Classic burgers, fries, and beer in a beloved dive bar
"You probably already know that Loretta’s serves one of the best burgers in the city. The double-stack in question is always charred gorgeously, with melty cheese and special sauce seeping throughout each grilled patty. But what you might not know is that if you make your way past the bar, you’ll hit a stone-covered backyard with a bunch of tables and an outdoor fireplace complete with piles of logs. Hanging with some friends out here is kind of like partying on a tricked-out campsite—only with cold beer, way better burgers, and a significantly lower chance of getting poison oak." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley, gabe guarente
"The tavern burger at Loretta’s is like a backyard dad burger, but better. This charred thing with special sauce, pickles, plain American cheese, and onions lives up to the hype, and tastes just as good with a beer at the bar as it does wrapped in wax paper to go." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley
"While there’s a “deluxe” cheeseburger that the menu says is “restaurant-style,” Loretta’s Northwesterner is a bar, and you want the Tavern. This classic burger, possibly the city’s best, shows off simplicity done well: beef with a nice char, pickles, onions chopped small, American cheese, and special sauce that’s heavy on the mayo — all on an unobtrusive, squishy bun. (You can find the same burger at sibling restaurant Star Brass Works, but the fries are considerably better at Loretta’s.) Vibe check: Loretta’s could be called a dive, but it’s not a scary or dirty kind of dive, just a classic Georgetown spot." - Jay Friedman
"Whether patrons choose to huddle in a booth inside the dimly lit bar or enjoy some sun on the back patio, they’ll get a sense of grungy, bygone Seattle at Loretta’s in South Park. This institution dispenses with any vestiges of modern, hip hotspots. There is no white subway tile, no exposed beams, and certainly no delicate plating. Instead, sticky floors and rusty bar stools pass for Northwest chic. The famous burgers here have the same simple, dive-y vibe: just chargrilled patty, onions, pickles, special sauce, and American cheese." - Harry Cheadle
"This South Park bar with low wood-paneled ceilings feels like you're in a cabin powered by beer taps (with a little-known back patio). But the tavern burger is the biggest draw—a great patty topped with special sauce, american cheese, and lots of zippy onions. It’s a classic all on its own. The false lore that Anthony Bourdain ate here Sports watching, board games, wax paper unwrapping" - kayla sager riley, aimee rizzo, gabe guarente
