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    Drae's Lake Route

    4.5 (229 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Drae's Lake Route Photos

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    DRAE'S LAKE ROUTE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Drae's Lake Route

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    Entrance
    Michelle B.

    After hearing such rave reviews about Dreas Lake Route I just had to go try the Chicken and Waffles. Chelle greeted me with such warmth and kindness. She walked me through the menu explaining everything in it's entirety! The atmosphere is very inviting, with multiple TV screens showing everything from Sports to Car Shows. The crowd seemed very pleased with their orders, everyone had smiles and were deeply engrossed with their food and great company. I will most definitely be returning to try the Shrimp and Grits. They have a variety of foods to choose from. Make sure you go online to check their hours of service. They also take their last order at 1:30 before they close at 2. Oh and The drink menu is awesome. The Strawberry Mimosa was delicious There is available seating outside which will be nice this Summer.

    Pork chop sandwich on white bread dressed and seasoned French fries with hot sauce on the side
    Steven G.

    On a visit to Seattle Washington, I acquired an AirBNB in Rainier Beach neighborhood. I found this gem of a restaurant. This restaurant location has been in operation for 11 years, a dream of retired NBA and local Rainier Beach native Nate Robinson, the restaurant originally was "Nate's Wings and Waffles" to provide memorable comfort food to a diverse community. The name has changed to reflect the current ownership and operation by Nate's sister Chelle and boyfriend Drae. I was drawn to the restaurant because I was looking for a traditional breakfast spot, but was challenged to find one in the area. Drae's Lake Route exceeded my expectations. It was clear that this is a destination for locals and by the steady flow of patrons this is the place to be. Good food made to order, dine-in or take out, plus choices of alcoholic or non-alcoholic speciality drinks to round out your meal. I chose the Deluxe breakfast, which comes with 3 meats (choice of bacon, pork link sausage and turkey sausage). I chose 2 thick sliced bacon strips and 1 pork link with 3 eggs over medium and (choice of cubed potatoes or grits) I chose the cubed potatoes with a buttered English muffin. My breakfast was satisfying and the refills of coffee hit the spot. I stayed long enough conversing with local patrons to transition to lunch and chose 1 pound of naked chicken wings, tossed in habernaro-pineapple sauce. My wings were cooked to perfection and the sauce provided just enough spice to liven my tastebuds. The next day I made a return visit for breakfast and lunch. For breakfast I chose Ava's fish and grits plus buttered wheat toast 2 eggs over easy for breakfast plus coffee. As a son of the Southern United States, grits are a staple. My grits were cooked to perfection with a dollop of butter. I just added salt and pepper to taste. My catfish fillet was corn meal battered and was nicely seasoned. I later ordered the pork chop sandwich for lunch dressed (no mayonnaise), which comes with a choice of fries or kale salad. I chose fries. My bone-in pork chop was lightly breaded and fried on sliced white bread, old school! The sandwich took me back to my childhood, goodness like grandmother cooked, magnifique! My service over these 2 days has been fantastic. Chelle handles the front of the house and Drae handles the back of the house for a winning combination. Chelle manages the dining room with patience and top notch customer service, even calling customers by name. She is the epitome of a professional, even under pressure with numerous orders coming in near closing. Drae is friendly and an accomplished cook and car enthusiast, as seen by the decor in the restaurant. There is always a comforting tune playing and the venue has scheduled events featuring local musicians performing at their building next door. It is obvious the there is a lot going on at Drae's Lake Route. Check it out when in the South Seattle area. You won't be disappointed.

    1/2lb chicken wings and a side of one pork chop
    Debra W.

    This is food that hugs and comforts your soul in the best way possible. It's food done more than right. It's like your grandma and aunties are all in the kitchen together cooking you some good ole soul food made with love. Except it not your grandma and aunties. It's just good ass chefs. Living in Seattle, I get shocked when I find a place that I would consider affordable eats. I'm impressed that not only is place affordable but it's damn delicious too! I cannot tell you one single wrong with my food. The grits were creamy and buttery. The fried fish was battered and seasoned to perfection. It was crispy on the outside but moist and tender on the inside. I mean even my English muffin was toasted and made to perfection. Butter literally in all the nooks and crannies. The fried chicken wings were good too. Just like the fish they were battered and seasoned nicely and yet still juicy on the inside. And baby, the pork chops here are dynamite. The batter is light and crispy and the meat so tasty. And if you get the loaded grits, just know the bowl is loaded. You get to pick your perfect combination for a bowl of savory grits and choose your add ins. The hot links are indeed hot with a nice kick to them. Don't be surprised if you can't finish your loaded grits. It's a lot of food. It's sinful how good all the food was. Everything came out piping hot and fresh. The service was excellent too. Friendly and polite service with a warm welcome. The place is small and quaint on the inside but there is some seating outside. So I definitely will understand if there is a wait. We will definitely be back and this place will absolutely become a regular rotation for us.

    Spicy Chicken Tenders
    Benjamin M.

    Drae's had been on my list of places to try for a while now, and I am happy to say it met and exceeded my expectations. I ordered the Spicy chicken tenders, Mac & Cheese, and a Grits Breakfast bowl. Everything was so fresh and delicious. I had great and helpful service as well. I'll definitely be back to try more items, and I highly recommend giving Draes Lake Route a try.

    Mac & Cheese and Loaded Grits
    Rhonda C.

    Small neighborhood restaurant. We were lucky to find some street parking. Excellent service. Amazing food! Eco-friendly take out containers. What's not to love? My husband got the fried fish sandwich-he said it was very tasty. I got the loaded grits with double bacon and no eggs. Sooooo delicious! Coma inducing comfort food. We split the mac & cheese which was over the moon good! We will definitely be back!

    Loaded Grits
    Morgan N.

    Great restaurant. The service was nice and the interior was clean and smelled nice. They have a video game and the tv on in the corner. Soul music filled the air. I got the loaded grits with bacon as my meat. It was DELICIOUS. When they say loaded, they mean it! These grits had peppers that were red and green, onions, cheese, and thick cut bacon with a delicious smoky flavor. All topped with an egg! I would definitely recommend coming here for the grits. I'll come back another time and try the chicken for sure. The serving size was massive. And I had to take half of it home despite my large appetite.

    Chicken and waffle sliders
    Kristin P.

    This place was fire. Awesome chicken and waffle sliders, fantastic strawberry lemonade, and great sauce options. The staff was kind too! Highly recommend!!

    Chicken and Waffles, Loaded Grits
    Lauren A.

    My boyfriend and I went here on a Saturday morning on a whim, and we were not disappointed! Let me backtrack a moment.. my boyfriend moved up to Washington from Florida, so he has had amazing grits while adventuring all around the South growing up, and we have been looking for a spot that, according to him, "does Southern grits right." A little over a year later, and we finally found a spot that is up to his high standards. LOL. He let me have a tiny bite, and wow! Savory, cheesy goodness. I'll have dreams about it, but my chicken and waffles were sooo yummy that his grits have competition for my food dreams. The chicken was flavored so well and had that crunchy goodness... and that waffle!! Mmmmm!!! The staff were super nice too! I wish I would've asked the girl's name at the counter. She is such a sweetheart. She unfortunately had to deal with a rude customer while we were there and handled it so well. When she brought us our food afterward, she and Drae said that they could remake my boyfriend's eggs since it cooked a little bit longer due to that event but it came out delish! No worries there! Thank you for the wonderful food!! Anyway, we will definitely be back in the future. If you're in the area, try out this gem!

    1 pound of wings tossed in mango pineapple habanero sauce
    Phoebe C.

    LOVE THE WINGS! Highly recommend getting them tossed in mango pineapple habanero sauce. Also very cheap for 1 pound of wings. It's sweet and savory, the best of both worlds. The mac & cheese is more like a pasta, so it is a heavier side. The chicken and waffle sandwich is okay, but not bad. The salad was really good. Definitely check this place out for some quick bites!

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    9 months ago

    Very mid waffle looks like Waffle House taste like cornbread. You'll enjoy this place if you don't really know what good food tastes like

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    1 year ago

    The owner is always super nice as well as the cashier and every bite taste like heaven on earth!

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    Ask the Community - Drae's Lake Route

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    Drae's Lake Route - chicken_wings - Updated August 2026

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