Red Mill Totem House

"Red Mill is not where to go to get a half-pound bison burger with gruyere on an artisan brioche bun with pomme frites. It’s where to go to get a diner-style charbroiled patty, a paper sack full of cornmeal-dusted rings in Seattle dive-bombed into a side of fry sauce, and a serious milkshake in flavors like s’mores or mint truffle. You’re not coming here for the ambience—you’re coming here to spread out at a picnic table while blissfully eating burgers. It's perfect for lunch after a hike, or after an afternoon at the locks." - Aimee Rizzo

"We love easy parking, we love burgers, and we love Red Mill because it has both. Plus great onion rings. Park in the lot and then enjoy your cheeseburger, onion rings, and milkshake at a picnic table right outside. Optional, but encouraged, is watching the drivers across the street at the Ballard Locks circle like vultures for a spot so they can watch some salmon do absolutely nothing." - Aimee Rizzo

"The burgers at Red Mill Totem House are definitely not fancy date-night food. They’re meant to be eaten on a picnic table with homemade onion rings, piles of fries, and milkshakes that come in flavors like s’mores and mint truffle. But if you’ve spent your afternoon moping around the Ballard locks and pressing your face on the glass at the salmon ladder explaining your troubles to the fish, this is absolutely an appropriate feast for afterwards." - Aimee Rizzo