3 hidden gem restaurants north of Seattle

Hidden gems are one of my favorite recurring topics on the Neighborhood Eats beat: incredible food hidden in plain sight, from a small market in Kent to general stores on Whidbey Island and even an old converted house in a Burien neighborhood. I recently went on a hidden gem hunt in Lynnwood, where I was wooed by tacos inside a gas station and kebabs and dumplings tucked away inside a strip mall. Here’s where to find it all.  

Taqueria Pollo Asado

2121 196^th St. S.W., Lynnwood; 425-876-3915

This tiny counter-serve taqueria inside a Spirit gas station has been open since August, the latest to set up shop here. The menu features a nice mix of taco truck classics: tacos, burritos, tortas, quesadillas and enchiladas. Protein options include the usual suspects, like chicken, carnitas and birria, alongside more specialty meats like lengua, cabeza and tripe, plus fish and shrimp.

A plate of two carnitas tacos runs $6 and comes with a blistered jalapeño and a wedge of grilled onion. The carnitas is really flavorful while hitting a perfect medium between tender and crisp.

Wet burritos are marked down a couple of bucks to $11 on Wednesdays, with your choice of beef, chicken or pork. The burrito is huge, slathered in shredded cheese and sour cream, with a puddle of brick-red sauce surrounding the plate.

There’s a small cooler with pickled carrots and jalapeños, sliced radishes and an array of salsas. The chipotle salsa is especially nice, as is the verde. I can’t wait to drag my taco expert colleague Tan Vinh here to see what he thinks.

Kabob Korner

1120 164^th St. S.W., Suite L, Lynnwood; 425-361-1672, kabobkornerwa.com

Located in the L-shaped Hilltop strip mall (across the parking lot from the fabulous Sabai Sabai Lao & Thai Cuisine), Kabob Korner will satisfy your kebab craving. I am still thinking about the koobideh, an incredibly juicy ground beef kebab. I ordered the vaziri platter ($23), which pairs the koobideh with a marinated chicken kebab. The skewered meat is served atop a pile of rice with a grilled tomato, pita bread, tzatziki sauce and a Greek salad. It’s a full meal that could be split with a companion or saved for leftovers.

The rest of the menu includes other kebab options as well as Cornish hens, lamb chops and shanks, gyros and falafel, plus dips like hummus, baba ghanoush, Iranian yogurt dip and more. I’m excited to return to explore more of the menu.

Mount & Bao

1120 164^th St. S.W., Suite F, Lynnwood; 425-245-7993, mountbaolynnwood.com

The second location of this dumpling specialist opened in the same strip mall in November. The bright, wood-paneled space is dominated by a large TV bumping EDM music videos. It’s OK, though: You’re here for the food, not the tunes.

There’s no shortage of appealing dishes at Mount & Bao. Highlights include the bouncy, crispy cumin lamb ($19.99), the perfectly crunchy wok-fried Chinese broccoli ($15.99) and the plump, flower-edged shu mai ($9.99).

The xiao long bao soup dumplings ($12.99) were fine, though slightly lacking in actual soup. The wrappers were a bit on the chubby side, but that worked in their favor, and the filling was tender and savory.

The dan dan noodles ($13.99) were woefully underspiced on my visit, but if you don’t like spice from Szechuan peppercorns slowly numbing your tongue, this is the iteration for you. The soup has fatty little morsels of ground pork, pickled green beans and slivers of cucumber bobbing among thin noodles in a rich (though not sufficiently spicy) broth.

There are half a dozen more dumpling options on the menu, plus fried rice, more soups, noodles, rice bowls and American Chinese standards like orange chicken, General Tso’s, beef with broccoli and walnut shrimp.