Hillside Quickies

When we first walked into Hillside Quickies, no one came to serve us. We checked out the menu and stood around for about ten minutes before my boyfriend thought to reopen and close the door and rattle the bell on it loudly. This brought someone out who took our order promptly. The food took a little long to make for to-go food, but I can accept that for homemade goodness. My only complaint was that the sandwiches weren’t as amazing as the other reviews made me expect. They were good, but not anything exciting, and while my boyfriend and I got two different sandwiches they tasted about the same. Some time I’d like to go back and try a different sandwich to find out if I just got the wrong thing. In the meantime, I’ll recommend it without saying that it’s the best sandwich I’ve ever had.
Edit: Having now had the Southern Comfort Special and the Eatin at Big Momma’s House (or something like that), I can say that this place has gone from decent to awesome. Totally awesome. The macaroni and yease is weird though.

One of the most underrated food joints in the city is Hillside Quickies, which specializes in making all-vegan Jamaican spiced dishes, usually in a pita or sandwich format…

Hillside Quickies is actually based in Tacoma as a bakery and food distributor, but the U-district location is (as far as I know) their one low-key restaurant affair. (although maybe they have opened more restaurant locations since?).

In any case, in any co-op market in Seattle, like Madison Market or almost any PCC, you should be able to find their sandwiches in the refrigerated section near the deli. They are not cheap, but they are very filling, and very flavorful.

However, it’s best to get the items hot and fresh from the restaurant location. I recommend the “Gyro” basket with their custom “Mac ‘N Yease”. So so creamy and flavorful. It might take a small while for the food to be prepared, it may not be very cheap, and it may be a bit on the oily side (depending on the item you order, and if you’re concerned about such things), but they pretty much score perfectly as far as delivering very delicious meals.

And they also have a great section of baked goods, like vegan cookies and bars, by the counter as well. The people there are very mellow and low-key. It’s really a shame that they’re located on a relatively quiet corner of the U-district - Brooklyn Ave. and 41st NE, I think - and they’re easy to miss when trying to find the first time, as I think their place deserves lines out the door.

This is a great way to convince even carnivores that vegan food can be decadant and delicious.