PBR150: Seattle Georgetown Neighborhood Lunch Food

Back to our roots - three strong we hit this bright yellow truck. Hallava has a multi-year history in this neighborhood, along with a myspace page , which makes us super happy. It's been here, it's been there. It's been to Portland and back. And on this warm February day in Georgetown, it's at the corner of Airport Way S and S Doris. Can't wait.

Hallava Falafel, Seattle
Average Rrrrrating: 5 R's
Address: 5825 Airport Way S, Seattle, Washington, 98108
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Website: www.myspace.com/hallava...
Lunch date: 2/17/2010 @ 11:55:00
Time taken to be seated: 0 minutes
Time to take order: 0 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 5 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 21 minutes
Chair quality: Rustic Schoolhouse
Beers on tap: None
Bar type: None
Year Established: 2007
Number of tables: 0
Number of occupied tables: 0
Number of white collar tables: 9
Number of blue collar tables: 0
Number of hipster tables: 3
Healthcode Score: 0
Links: Yelp! , Urbanspoon

Luncher: Emmett

Lunch: Falafel - $6.50

Rrrrating: 5 out of 5 R's

Reminiscent of our first visit to that crazy top , Hallava does two things extremely well. The Falafel sandwich was a delight - spinach/romaine, beets, a little pickle, both tahini and tzatziki. And I don't even like pickles. The Falafel was piping hot, fresh, green, tasty. He even wrapped it in foil all pretty like, so if I had to drive back to work I could set this on my dashboard and not worry about the juice.

The other option - the Shwarma - is essentially the same sandwich with lamb/beef instead of falafel. I had a bite of Geary's - delicious.

I feel like it's one guy, one truck, making the best falafel he can. And it is good. There were only 4 shitty chairs out there - not even a picnic table for the early arrivals. But it's cool, if it's busy just stand, eat, enjoy.

Luncher: Geary

Lunch: Schwarma - $6.50

Rrrrating: 5 out of 5 R's

Hallava Falafel is a street food vendor based in a truck that is semipermanently located in a small gravel lot on Airport Way. Apparently "hallava" (or "khalyava") is Russian for "hell of a". The owner/proprietor, Rick, was working on improvements to the seating/waiting area when we arrived. The setting has a sort of trashy suburban side-yard feel to it. There's a wooden fence along the street, chain-link on the back, and a small shed over the graveled waiting area. It's the kind of setup you might expect to find someone's RV or their 1982 Skeeter .

The menu painted on the side of the truck has only two items. Adam and Emmett both went with the Falafel, so I got stuck with the Shwarma. It turned out to be the best Shwarma I have ever had. The not-your-typical-dill pickle wedge, the sweet beet slaw, the creamy tzatziki, and warm lamb/beef slices all added up to an amazing sandwich. We sat in the few available chairs, enjoyed the warm February sun, and savored our sandwiches. It was magical.

Luncher: Adam

Lunch: Falafel - $6.50

Rrrrating: 5 out of 5 R's

I like this trend in Georgetown to include the price of tax in the food ( GLC does it too). But what makes Hallava stick out, is that it's only $6.50 for a pretty hefty falafel "sandwich"

We rolled up to the truck and put in our order. It was an easy decision, because there are two choices. I was feeling a little vegetarian so I went with the falafel (and forced Geary to get the Schwarma sandwich). The is some of the best falafel I've had; it's in a tie with Zaina , but I haven't been there recently, so I can't declare a definite winner. OK, so this is legit falafel. Now to judge the other thing: the pita bread was doughy and delicious. The toppings were awesome, and this is what made this sandwich really pop: the pickle! I've never had (or even thought about) a pickle on a falafel sandwich (or with any food of this style). It's a total win.

Mozey your ass on down to Georgetown to lay the hurt on a sandwich.

If you're wondering where the name comes from, apparently it's a bastardization of the Russian word, Khalyava: an exclamation for finding a good deal on food... more on Hallava's Myspace .

Hallava Falafel Photos

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Google Street View of Hallava Falafel

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Today's outing seems to have just fallen into place. One minute we're in the office doing office stuff and then a text, a little IM'ing, a "hey, it's on" or two and then nine PBR150 lunchers show up to give Calamity Jane's a go.

Calamity Jane's , Seattle
Average Rrrrrating: 3.7 R's
Address: 5701 Airport Way S, Seattle, Washington, 98108
Cuisine: American: Burgers, American: Sandwiches, American: Bar
Website: www.calamityjanes.biz/...
Lunch date: 1/13/2010 @ 11:40:00
Time taken to be seated: 0 minutes
Time to take order: 5 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 38 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 80 minutes
Chair quality: Wood Chairs
Beers on tap: Manny's Pale Ale, 9 Lb Porter, Deschutes Cinder Cone Red
Bar type: Full Bar
Year Established: 2007
Number of tables: 13
Number of occupied tables: 4 (30%)
Number of white collar tables: 4 (100%)
Number of blue collar tables: 0 (0%)
Healthcode Score: 13
Links: Yelp! , Urbanspoon

Luncher: Adam

Lunch: G-town Sandwich - $10.23

Rrrrating: 3 out of 5 R's

A sandwich based solely on meat will be expensive. A sandwich based solely on meat should be delicious. The first parameter was met by my G-Town Sandwich from Calamity Jane's (CJs). The second parameter was a bit lacking: I was expecting more from a sandwich that costs $10+.

The shredded beef on the sandwich was nice and tender, and had a good texture. The meat had a good but lighter-than-expected "meat flavor" to it, so I was hoping the grilled onions and mushrooms would amp up the flavor a little bit, but unfortunately they fell flat. Provolone cheese was good, but felt a little out of place.

I love the atmosphere of CJs. The local art up on the walls, a couple good beers on tap, a couple good beers in cans, and Kings of Leon playing in the background. We had a relatively large group, so I was a scared we might overwhelm their lunch staff, and it looks like we did: it took 38 minutes to get our food. Not our slowest service ever, but up there.

I'll be back, but I'll be ordering something else.

Luncher: Geary

Lunch: Wild Bill Burger - $11.82

Rrrrating: 5 out of 5 R's

Calamity Jane's is another quintessential Georgetown spot. Its mock-western theme plus hip local art and required Rainier Beer sign all work together successfully to pull this off. The menu with items like braised lamb shank and a daily dessert chalkboard aim at a bit more upscale clientele than other Georgetown usual suspects. We were the first guests of the day and the waitress greeted us warmly and got our drinks out right away.

I ordered a pint of Deschutes Cinder Cone Red (yum!) and the Wild Bill Burger with the SOTD. The soup was rich and tasty with tender chunks of lamb and a savory not too salty broth. The burger was perfect. It was on a handmade bun dripping with tangy BBQ sauce and jalapenos. The meat was fresh with a little pink in the middle, just like I like it.

I can't put my finger on it exactly, but something about Calamity Jane's just speaks to me. I've been twice now and will go back again.

Luncher: Emmett

Lunch: Corned Beef Sandwich - Wednesday Special - $10.68

Rrrrating: 4 out of 5 R's

This excites me in a weird way. It's going for a divey vibe, smells good. Cool steampunky shit on the table. Records on the wall with pictures of Bowie, Darth Vader, Dwight. There were some moms in the corner doing the brunch thing with their babies. Other than those people we pretty much had the place to ourselves. The big table by the window was a nice place to camp out and drink.

Corned beef and some onions / greens on a sandwich sounded good and it WAS good. Looking back at the picture I want to eat it again right now. The soup was advertised as "their best" but it was kind of forgettable, especially since I already forgot what the hell kind of soup it was.

She brought the check before dessert. Grrr.... Good thing dessert was an incredible bread pudding. Other than that service was good, though food came slow.

Good beer / good food, and I Want to try their homemade hot sauce on their red beans / collard greens means I'll be back.

Luncher: Rob

Lunch: Cottage Pie - $10.23

Rrrrating: 3 out of 5 R's

What is it with the crazy expensive lunches in Georgetown? This time, with a beer and tax and tip, it came out to $19. Yikes! The PBR150 is going to bankrupt me. If the lunch itself had been amazingly great, then sure, I would have enjoyed the splurge, but it was merely quite good. Admittedly, the cottage pie was a huge portion, and I finished and enjoyed it, although nothing really about its flavors stood out. The main thing that comes to mind when thinking back on it is just how piping hot it was and how long it took to cool down to an edible temperature. Not that that's a bad thing, but half the table left before Jared and I were done with our meals. It's a ginormous carbo-blast that'll keep you going all day, but still. $19 for lunch? And this was the cheapest thing on the menu. I thought Georgetown was one of those indie-hipster-off-the-beaten-track-cheaper neighborhoods, but I guess I thought wrong. It takes $$$ to be different. Ah well. If the upcoming falafel truck costs more than $10, though, there's gonna be hell to pay.

Luncher: Michael

Lunch: Greens and Red Beans - $10.45

Rrrrating: 4 out of 5 R's

It was a nice place with great beer, and good 'comfort' food. A worthy local hangout if it is local to you - but maybe not worth going out of your way for. A solid 4(3.5) in my book.

Luncher: McKenna

Lunch: Mac and Cheese - $10.45

Rrrrating: 4 out of 5 R's

Best described, Calamity Jane's is a welcoming, laid-back haunt, serving up heaping platefuls of comfort food and down home charm.

While it is reminiscent of an old western saloon, the ambiance manages to stay relaxed and welcoming. The restaurant features what appear to be salvaged chandeliers and light fixtures, giving it an 'old timey' feel. Hipsters will appreciate the rotating local art they feature on their walls, as well.

The menu offers southern favorites like Baby Back Ribs and cornmeal Johnny Cakes with a few vegetarian friendly options rounding it out. I went for the Macaroni and Cheese. It comes baked with three types of cheeses, mushrooms, asparagus and peppers melted right into the bow tie pasta. I really wanted to love this dish. The Mac N' Cheese ended up being a bit bland for my taste, but ultimately I found it to be what you would expect of comfort food: uncomplicated and satisfying.

The bill was a bit pricey for lunch, but I would definitely try this place again. With its great vibe, it would make an excellent stop for happy hour.

Rating: would have been 3 R's but combined with service and atmosphere gets 4 R's.

Luncher: Tyan

Lunch: Jane Burger with Cheddar Cheese - $11.36

Rrrrating: 3 out of 5 R's

First off I was surprised (and pleased) to discover that Calamity Jane's serves RC rather than Coca Cola or Pepsi products. I haven t had a diet RC in ages, and it sure tasted nice! For lunch I ordered a Burger with Cheddar Cheese. It was pretty clear that our group of 9, combined with a few other two and three tops, overwhelmed the kitchen. It took ages for our food to arrive. I doubt this is normally a problem but if you go with a large group keep that in mind. My burger arrived and was cooked to medium as requested. It was decent for a burger but nothing special. The portion size was a bit too large for me at half a pound of 100% angus beef. This cost nearly twelve bucks. I wanted a slightly smaller, cheaper portion. I had a bite of Emmett s bread pudding as well. Again nice but not fantastic. I might go again but would try something else instead since some of the other dishes looked tastier and more interesting than my burger.