MLK Jr Way South thrives on immigrant, refugee, and diverse identities from around the world and provides space for communities to come together over a meal that reminds them of home.
In 2011, Asari Mohamath, a Cham Muslim refugee and former owner of Salima restaurant, saw the marketing need to highlight authentic and unique cuisines offered by restaurants located on MLK. Thus, Plate of Nations was born as an event designed to promote neighborhood independently owned restaurants.
This year marks their 15th event, and they’ve grown to have over 50 participating restaurants to enjoy! There’s only one more week to grab some special menu options and support our southside small businesses through Plate of Nations.
Here are a few we visited for some inspiration:
Bananas Grill (0.1 miles, 3 min walk from Columbia City Station)
Bananas Grill has been serving the Columbia City area with authentic halal home-style meals for over 15 years. They bring a taste of their home with classics like shawarma, gyros, and falafel with protein options like lamb, chicken, and beef. If you’re looking for other handheld items, they have a variety of burgers as well.
Bang Bang Kitchen (0.1 miles, 3 min from Othello Station)
Bang Bang Kitchen specializes in New Mexican cuisine using authentic hatch chiles and a full agave bar. They combine familiar Mexican flavors with American flare. Think red chile posole, green chile cheesesteak, hatched chile queso, and enchiladas. Whether you plan on stopping by for brunch, lunch, happy, our dinner – you'll sure to add some spice in your time there.
Cafetal Quilombo Cafe (1 mile, 23 min walk from Beacon Hill Station)
Cafetal Quilombo Cafe is a family-owned coffee shop for locals to slow down, connect, and enjoy quality coffee. Popular drink options include Horchata latte, canela latte, limonada con chia, and aztec cocoa. Aside from being known for their rich espresso drinks, they also serve freshly made Mexican breakfast and lunch options like chilaquiles, chile relleno burrito, fresh tamales, and hearty tortas.
Chebogz (150 feet, 1 min from Beacon Hill Station)
Chebogz started out as a food truck that grew into a brick-and-mortar restaurant thanks to the support and encouragement of their Filipino community. This journey reflects their commitment their commitment to sharing the rich flavors and stories of Filipino cuisine. Classic favorites include their lumpia, adobo, and pork ribs inihaw.
Habesha Cafe (1 mile, 23 min from Columbia City Station)
Habesha Cafe was founded in 1992 originally as Amy’s Merkato, Seattle’s first Ethiopian market. Over time, it has evolved into a thriving restaurant, deli, and cafe serving food and foods that are traditional to owner’s, Judy and Filli, Eritrean and Ethiopian roots. Eritrean and Ethiopian meals are meant to be shared which cultivates connections and instills a sense of community with your meal. Not to mention, their dishes are quite inclusive, ranging in options for vegan, vegetarian, and meat.
Mangosteen’s Chicken Shop (0.1 miles, 3 min from Othello Station)
Mangosteen’s Chicken Shop began its journey in 2016 as a pop-up specializing in Halal fried chicken and boba. You could find them at farmer’s markets, community events, and various spaces throughout Seattle. From there, they launched a food truck in 2025 and now are in their soft opening of their first brick and mortar. What makes them special is their commitment to serving all halal options and their experience in creating a double deep-fried chicken that’s crispy on the outside and intensely juicy on the inside. If you go, we highly recommend adding their garlic noodles with their fish sauce wings!
Safari Njema (0.5 miles, 12 min from Columbia City Station)
Chef and owner, Jane Kagira, is creating a space for community to come together. Safari Njema is a space for you to enjoy homecooked Kenyan cuisine and flavors of East Africa. Specialties include pilau (a spiced rice), goat (curry is amazing), grilled talapia, and ugali, a thick maize porridge.
Spice Waala (0.5 miles, 11 min from Columbia City Station)
What started in 2018 at the South Lake Union Saturdy Market as a way to introduce childhood flavors has turned into a mulit-location brick and mortar dream local business for owners Uttam Mukherjee and Aakanksha Sinha. Spice Waala is an Indian street food restaurant that serves authentic and unapologetic flavors from the streets of Calcutta and New Delhi. What’s special about them is that they never compromise the quality of their food which means no filler, preservatives, or food coloring. Their kathi rolls, chat, and masala aloo are perfect for quick on-the-go meals while their soft serve is truly perfect for this spring weather!
The Original Philly’s (348 ft, 1 min from Mount Baker Station)
The Original Philly’s, affectionately known as ‘Philly’s’ by locals and regulars, has been a staple in the community since 1995. After failing to find anywhere in the city serving this iconic meal from his Philadelphia roots, Charle Humpshire opened shop. They are committed to offering the most authentic cheesesteak in the Pacific Northwest by making sure even the small details, like their rolls, are directly from a bakery in Philly. Their reputation precedes them as a frequent stop for Sonics and Seahawks stars.
What did we miss on this list? Tag us @SoundTransit on social media or email us at lifestyle@soundtransit.org.