Each year, I tell myself I’ll only go to one day of the Seattle Street Food Festival. Each year, I go both days. This year, my schedule was a bit challenging but I still made it. This is the 7th year of the festival and I’ve only missed once. With over 100 food options, it’s the place to be for street food.

My general rule for events like this is to focus on favorites and vendors I don’t get to see all the time. Festivals like this can get busy so it’s always recommended to head over with a group and beat the lines by ordering and sharing food. This year, I was lucky and came during less busy times when the lines weren’t very long. I’ll highlight the vendors I visited this weekend.

Mike’s Shave Ice

Mike’s Shave Ice is one of my favorite vendors serving up Hawaiian style ice shave. I’m currently in love with their mango sago flavor but decided to switch things up with melona and lychee with a snow cap and mochi. Melona is a South Korean melon flavored ice pop. It’s very popular in Hawaii and they’ve expanded over the years to have more fruity flavors. If you haven’t tried melona and you love fruit, put it on your list!

SUSU 2.0 Lowfat Ice Cream

SUSU is best known for their rolled ice cream. For the month of July, they’re serving soft serve creations that’s lower in fat. They’re getting ready to open a storefront in Chinatown so stay tuned for that! I had the nutella which was delightful and had these crispy bits that I loved! If you see them in July, give their soft serve a try. Yes, their rolled ice cream is bomb but you know Seattle needs more soft serve!

Mangosteen

Once is never enough and I visited Mangosteen both days. Mangosteen has been spending a lot of time at special events like concerts for the summer. I’ve missed them so much! I had my favorite mangosteen wings, korean wings, and soy garlic wings. I also had their watermelon and pineapple drinks which are made from fresh fruit blended onsite. On the second day, they surprised me with a creation that was simply called Super Mango. It was slushy, creamy, and full of mango! They really get me! If you hear Mangosteen is on the street, head over. You won’t be sorry!

Chebogz

I normally get the inihaw ribs at Chebogz and they’re my favorite. For a food festival, I have to dial it back a bit and my son wanted to get lumpia. They’re rolled tight and filled with savory goodness.

Nutty Squirrel Gelato

Nutty Squirrel has fantastic seasonal creations and fan favorites like chocolate fondente. The flavor is deep, rich, and will satisfy any chocolate craving!

Odin Star

I’ve heard of Odin Star but hadn’t visited. I got Dave’s Way which is a brisket sandwich with provolone whiz, onions, pickled peppers, and mayo. the bread was small but the meat plentiful. The brisket had enough fat attached for flavor and a lovely smoke ring. The flavors worked well together. Be aware, this is a messy sandwich so be sure to get a lot of napkins.

Buddha Braddah

I live on the North end so I haven’t made it to the Buddha Braddah storefront but I have been to the truck before. I got a half order of garlic shrimp because a full portion would have been too much for this type of event. The shrimp had a nice, smoky flavor and was great quality. The rice was perfectly cooked and the mac salad had a nice peppery flavor. The slaw rounded it all out.

20 Oz. Tea

I’ve been to 20 Oz. Tea before but I haven’t caught them on the street. I had a royal milk tea with soy milk at 30% sweetness. First, I think anyplace that serves boba tea should have the ability to adjust sweetness. The tea was flavorful and most impressive is the fact that the boba was on point in terms of flavor and texture. Well done!

Spice Waala

I haven’t been to Spice Waala’s storefront and since they opened, I haven’t seen them on the street that much. I stopped by for my favorite paneer masala kathi roll. It was just as I remembered – full of flavor and a great snack on the go!

Well, this didn’t seem like a lot of stuff when I was eating it but seeing it in writing makes me do a double take. I love events like this because I have so many options. I spend a lot of time eating street food so variety is important. Overall, the festival this year seemed less busy but it may have just been the times I was there. I loved that food vendors were more spaced apart and appreciated the seating options they provided. The weather was a bit hot for my liking but not bad. It was a great weekend and I hope you had a chance to enjoy the festival as well!