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Fat's Chicken and Waffles

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Coordinates: 47°36′30″N 122°17′47″W / 47.6082°N 122.2964°W / 47.6082; -122.2964
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Fat's Chicken and Waffles
Black-and-white graphic logo with the text "Est 2015", "Fat's Chicken & Waffles", and "Central District"
Photograph of the exterior of a building
The restaurant's exterior in 2023
Map
Restaurant information
EstablishedSeptember 2015 (2015-09)
Owner(s)
  • Marcus Lalario
  • Erika White
Food type
Street address2726 E Cherry Street
CitySeattle
CountyKing
StateWashington
Postal/ZIP Code98122
CountryUnited States
Coordinates47°36′30″N 122°17′47″W / 47.6082°N 122.2964°W / 47.6082; -122.2964
Seating capacity30–35 people
ReservationsNo
Websitefatschickenandwaffles.com

Fat's Chicken and Waffles is a primarily Southern and soul food restaurant in Seattle's Central District, in the U.S. state of Washington. Marcus Lalario opened the restaurant in 2015, in a space which previously housed Catfish Corner. Erika White later became a co-owner.

The menu has included chicken and waffles, fried okra, shrimp and grits, red beans and rice, collard greens, cornbread, fried green tomatoes, and macaroni and cheese, as well as biscuits and gravy and eggs Benedict for brunch. Fat's has garnered a positive reception, especially for its fried chicken, and is considered one of the city's best Southern and brunch eateries. The exterior features a mural by James Crespinel depicting Martin Luther King Jr., which was originally painted in 1995 and later restored by the artist twice.

Description

[edit]

Fat's Chicken and Waffles is a restaurant at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Cherry Street in Seattle's Central District.[1] Fat's is most often described as a Southern restaurant, but has also been called American, New American, Cajun, and Creole.[2] The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, except on Mondays.[3] Seattle's Child magazine has described the restaurant as kid-friendly,[4] and Fat's has been highlighted as one of Seattle's Black-[5] and LGBTQ-owned businesses.[6] Thrillist has said the restaurant offers "generous" portions.[7] Fat's does not take reservations.[8]

The 900-square-foot (84 m2) space has a seating capacity of 30 to 35 people.[9][10] According to Seattle Metropolitan, the "midcentury-toned" dining room has a "relaxed" vibe.[11] Inside, there is a dreamcatcher mounted over the bar, vintage lamps at tables, and plants hanging from macramé planters.[12] The interior also has furniture and artworks by local artists, including benches, chairs and tables by Nick Yoshihara, and a mural by Jesse Brown. The exterior has a 17-foot (5.2 m) portrait of Martin Luther King Jr., originally painted by James Crespinel in 1995.[1][13]

The New Orleans-inspired menu has included chicken and waffles, fried okra, shrimp and grits, red beans and rice, and other soul food.[14][15] Fat's has plates and sandwiches with catfish, chicken, shrimp, and fried oysters, and sides like collard greens, cornbread,[16] fried green tomatoes,[17] macaroni and cheese,[10][12] and garlic toast.[18] Other options include pimento BLTs,[19] a frito pie,[20] a honey butter chicken biscuit sandwich, and fried fruit pies.[4] Weekend brunch offers biscuits and gravy, eggs Benedict,[12] and a biscuit sandwich with fried chicken, egg, sausage gravy, and bacon.[21] Drinks include beer, wine, and cocktails,[22] as well as punch and sweet tea.[23]

History

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Fat's was originally owned by Marcus Lalario,[9] who opened the restaurant in September 2015,[10] in a space which previously housed Catfish Corner.[24][25] He was partly inspired by one of Yoshihara's mid-century modern chairs.[26] The menu was developed by chef Patrick Dours.[12] General manager Erika White became a co-owner of the restaurant.[22][27]

The Fat's Breakfast with two scrambled eggs, four sausage links, breakfast potatoes, and a honey butter biscuit, in 2023

The restaurant launched weekend brunch in December 2015.[28] In 2016, Charles Mudede of The Stranger described Fat's as "a picture of racial diversity" with "as many blacks as there were Asians and whites". He wrote, "For once, a new place had opened in the Central District that did not have the air, the appearance, the stigma of gentrification." Mudede applauded Lalario's efforts, and said:

Lalario could have opened in the space on Martin Luther King Jr. Way and made it a tapas bar and charged a lot of money for very small plates... But what he did instead was simply work with the history of the location, and he also hired people of color... So though the place is new, and the owner is white, there is a feeling of continuity.[29]

Crespinel retouched the mural of Martin Luther King Jr. when Fat's replaced Catfish Corner. The painting was vandalized in 2022, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.[30] The community raised $18,000 to restore the mural, and Crespinel traveled from Mexico to repaint the artwork for a third time.[31]

Reception

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Photograph of the interior of a restaurant
The restaurant's interior, 2023

Condé Nast Traveler says Fat's has "the best biscuits in town".[32] In his review for The Stranger, Charles Mudede noted the restaurant's popularity and called the food "great and affordable".[29] The newspaper said Fat's had Seattle's best fried chicken in 2017. Jake Uitti wrote, "This was a surprise, but well earned. The inviting nature of the spot coupled with the excellent service and delicious chicken garnered Fat's a near-perfect score."[33] The Stranger also included Fat's in a 2018 overview of the city's best Southern restaurants.[16] Christina Ausley included the restaurant in Seattle Post-Intelligencer's 2019 overview of the city's 15 busiest brunches,[34] and Seattle Metropolitan included Fat's in a 2023 list of the city's best restaurants for lunch.[11]

In 2016, Thrillist's Naomi Tomky called Fat's one of the Central District's "essential" restaurants.[35] The website's Emma Banks and Bradley Foster included the business in a 2022 overview of Seattle's "absolute best" brunches.[8] In 2022, Jade Yamazaki Stewart included Fat's in Eater Seattle's list of 17 eateries in the metropolitan area with "knockout" fried chicken,[18] and she and Megan Hill included the business in an overview of 15 "great" Central District eateries.[20] Stewart and Sophie Grossman also included Fat's in a 2023 list of Seattle's "most essential" brunches.[36]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "'He is the reason why I dream': Martin Luther King Jr. mural a sense of pride in the Central District". KING-TV. January 17, 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  2. ^ "Fat's Chicken and Waffles". Seattle Metropolitan. ISSN 1931-2792. Archived from the original on 2023-10-29. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  3. ^ "Evening Eats: Fat's Chicken and Waffles". KING-TV. 2016-10-05. Archived from the original on 2023-10-30. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  4. ^ a b O'Connor, Jillian (2022-07-05). "7 kid-friendly Seattle-area restaurants to try this summer". Seattle's Child. Archived from the original on 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  5. ^ "Black-Owned Restaurants in Seattle: A Diner's Guide". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on 2022-11-25. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  6. ^ "LGBTQ-Owned Businesses & Restaurants in Seattle You Can Support Right Now". Seattle Refined. 2021-06-01. Archived from the original on 2022-09-25. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  7. ^ No, Michelle (2017-10-05). "Fat's Chicken & Waffles". Thrillist. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  8. ^ a b Banks, Emma (2021-04-02). "The Absolute Best Brunches in Seattle Right Now". Thrillist. Archived from the original on 2022-09-29. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  9. ^ a b Jones, Sara (2015-06-26). "Here's What's Coming at Marcus Lalario's Fat's Chicken and Waffles". Eater Seattle. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  10. ^ a b c Jones, Sara (2015-09-09). "Fat's Chicken and Waffles to Officially Open Next Week". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on 2023-03-26. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  11. ^ a b "Seattle's Best Lunch Spots". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on 2022-11-21. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  12. ^ a b c d Garbes, Angela. "Fat's Brings Southern Food—and Soul—Back to the Central District". The Stranger. ISSN 1935-9004. Archived from the original on 2023-03-26. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  13. ^ Jones, Sara (2015-09-17). "Peek Inside the CD's Just-Opened Fat's Chicken and Waffles". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on 2022-12-06. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  14. ^ Fodor's Seattle. Fodor's. 2021-02-02. ISBN 978-1-64097-281-0. Archived from the original on 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  15. ^ "Southern comfort food at Fat's Chicken & Waffles". The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. 2016-04-28. ISSN 0745-9696. OCLC 9198928. Archived from the original on 2022-11-27. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  16. ^ a b Polk, Leilani; Tomky, Naomi; Uitti, Jake. "Our Favorite Restaurants in Seattle to Get Southern Food and Barbecue". The Stranger. Archived from the original on 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  17. ^ "Don't waste those unripened tomatoes: Fry them, Southern style". The Seattle Times. 2016-08-23. Archived from the original on 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  18. ^ a b "17 Spots for Knockout Fried Chicken in the Seattle Area". Eater Seattle. 2016-03-02. Archived from the original on 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  19. ^ Guarente, Gabe (2020-12-28). "Where to Order New Year's Day Brunch in Seattle". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  20. ^ a b Hill, Megan (2021-05-17). "15 Great Places to Eat in Seattle's Central District". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  21. ^ "Breakfast Sandwiches in Seattle Worth Waking Up Early to Get". Eater Seattle. 2020-10-19. Archived from the original on 2022-10-09. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  22. ^ a b Jones, Sara (2015-09-09). "Fat's Chicken and Waffles to Officially Open Next Week". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on 2023-03-26. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  23. ^ "Fat's Chicken & Waffles Review - Central District - Seattle". The Infatuation. JPMorgan Chase. 2023-04-27. Archived from the original on 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  24. ^ Lonely Planet Seattle. Lonely Planet. 2017-04-01. ISBN 978-1-78701-027-7. Archived from the original on 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  25. ^ Not For Tourists Guide to Seattle 2017. Simon & Schuster. 2016-10-18. ISBN 978-1-5107-1063-4. Archived from the original on 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  26. ^ "Marcus Lalario Is Behind Every Scene". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on 2023-07-20. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  27. ^ Finnes, Kennedi. "Photo Essay: Black Owned Restaurants". The Spectator. Archived from the original on 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  28. ^ Hill, Megan (2015-12-01). "Fat's Chicken and Waffles Rolling Out Brunch This Weekend". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on 2023-10-29. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  29. ^ a b Mudede, Charles (February 17, 2016). "Fat's Chicken and Waffles Is an Example of Gentrification Done Right". The Stranger. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  30. ^ "MLK mural on Central District restaurant defaced, but plans are in place to restore it". The Seattle Times. 2022-01-20. Archived from the original on 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  31. ^ "Community raises $18,000 to restore vandalized MLK mural in Seattle's Central District". KING-TV. February 11, 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-04-28. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  32. ^ "Fat's Chicken & Waffles – Restaurant Review". Condé Nast Traveler. Condé Nast. ISSN 0893-9683. Archived from the original on 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  33. ^ Uitti, Jake. "Fried Chicken Face Off: Searching for Seattle's Best Breaded Birds". The Stranger. Archived from the original on 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  34. ^ Ausley, Christina (2019-09-14). "Beyond Portage Bay Cafe: 15 of Seattle's busiest brunches". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Hearst Communications. ISSN 0745-970X. OCLC 3734418. Archived from the original on 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  35. ^ Tomky, Naomi (2016-10-18). "The 11 Best Neighborhoods for Eating in Seattle, Ranked". Thrillist. Archived from the original on 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  36. ^ Stewart, Jade Yamazaki (2016-04-14). "Seattle's 10 Most Essential Brunches". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on 2022-09-30. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
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