📍Loretta's Northwesterner, Seattle

When I asked people where I needed to go in Seattle for a burger, Loretta's came up time and time again. Loretta's is pretty far from downtown Seattle. If you took a bus, it would take you an hour. I was out with a friend grabbing a drink in West Seattle so we weren't that far. Typically, driving outside of a city center isn't my thing however, after hearing about it so many times and with all the superlatives one expects for a burger, we had to go.

On the way to Loretta's, driving through the streets, it feels like you've left Seattle and entered a small town. The buildings are shorter, pedestrians are fewer, and familiar brands are nowhere to be seen. Loretta's has a wooden door and blacked-out windows on the front. Despite the large sign, it's easy to miss, placed vertically and away from the door.

Once you walk inside you're greeted with a dimly lit bar. The bar runs along the left side with some booths on the right. Towards the back, there's a walkway to a patio and a kitchen blocked off. The back patio was pretty busy the day I went, and about half the seats inside were taken. I felt like I was transported into a midwest logging town bar, not typically where I might find myself.

We spent about an hour at the bar before we ordered the burgers. I did a Double Tavern Burger and we split an order of Chili Fries. I also ordered a Hamm's Beer. It's an easy, drinkable beer out of Minnesota. It added to the midwest logging village aesthetic Loretta's has.