This hidden gem in Seattle downtown is such an amazing place, that I'm kinda mad at myself for discovering this place too late. This small restaurant run by Korean family offers such great options ranging from simple classic Korean dish like bibimbap with many topping options to FRESH fish bowl like fresh salmon bowls. I really can't emphasize how they've never failed to leave me at awe with their amazingness in QUALITY, QUANTITY, PRICE and SPEED OF THE SERVICE. I've tried 3 dishes at this place so far, and all of those times, I was amazed at them. 1. QUALITY: 5 stars / 5 stars All their food choices are so nutritious, satisfying proper amount of protein, veggies and a bit of rice. They're always freshly cooked, with the part they can prepare in advance greatly prepared and kept fresh. For instance, I've never had a poke bowl with this fresh and great quality fresh fish anywhere in Seattle. Their food is never too heavily seasoned, keeping the original taste of each ingredient, yet marinated just enough to keep everything in harmony. 2. QUANTITY 5 stars / 5 stars Each bowl comes with decent amount of rice, great amount of veggies, and EVEN greater amount of protein at your choice. I'm amazed at how they never cheap out on their ingredients. I've never felt like I had space left on my stomach when having their food ( in a VERY GOOD WAY!) 3. PRICE 5 stars/ 5 stars Honestly, I think they deserve every single penny of what they charge us, if not more. Given the quality and quantity of their food, the price is more than amazing. I tend to tip more because I think they deserve more, but all of their bowls are in $10's. 4. SPEED OF SERVICE 5 stars / 5 stars HOLY MOLY. Their kitchen is so well organized and speedy, you don't need to wait more than 5 minutes after you order to get FRESH food. Most of the time I went there, I didn't even need to wait 2 minutes to get my food. If i could give more than 5 stars, I DEF would. I'm a bit sad that they're only open during lunch time and closed on the weekends, because honestly I'd go for both lunch and dinner if they were open. 100% recommend this place to anyone who likes healthy, delicious, amazing food!!!!!!! Will 100% return! read more

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Red Bowl is my favorite lunch spot in Seattle downtown. Generous portions of fat chunky salmon or tuna or other fish with veggies (somewhat pickled) and rice. Holy smokes. DELICIOUS all for the price point of $11-13. Umm yes please. The owner at the front is super entertaining, remembers you, and genuinely loves his job. I can't say enough good things about Red Bowl. I visited last week in my first trip to downtown since covid, and it's great to see that they're still open and taking the necessary precautions to keep everyone else safe. So HIGHLY recommend this place. I don't work in person downtown anymore, but when I'm there, this is it. This place is the best. Go red bowl go! read more

Had the Samurai bowl. Great value for money; fresh fish and plenty of it. It's my new favorite poke place.

Unfortunately I did not get to try the food because the owner-proprietor was having such an inappropriate conversation with two other customers that I decided I would not be patronizing them. It had to do with making light of someone overdosing, dying and then using his body to either feed or lure wild animals, to not let them "go to waste." In hindsight, my only regret is not making more of a scene. Other than that, I like patronizing local mom-and-pops with simple counter service. read more

One of the best places in the downtown area for lunch during the work week. The portions are huge, the ingredients are always fresh, the staff is incredibly friendly, and they take your order and get your food to you in a flash. Eat in the restaurant, the gorgeous historic lobby, or take it to go. Everything on the menu is fantastic, but my favorites are the Central, Chicken Katsu, and Well Being. read more

Definitely a great spot to grab lunch while downtown! It's definitely a great value for the portions. I tried an Alaskan bowl that came with salmon and krab salad, vegetables, and steamed rice. The bowl was huge and I could only finish half of it. I stopped in about 30 minutes after opening, so there was no wait, but I could see how the line could extend out the door, the food is so tasty and a great deal! read more

Kind of a hole in the wall location, but this might be one of my favorite "chirashi" bowls I've had (apostrophes because they don't call it a chirashi bowl, but you know what I mean). We got a Samurai bowl and it was piled high with fresh, thick cuts of sashimi and avocado. They also get extra points for not over doing it with rice, instead including super yummy veggies beneath. The owner is nice and service was lightning quick. I will for sure make a stop here the next time I'm back in Seattle! read more

Red Bowls - Samurai Bowl (hand for scale lol) - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I've got to say, I wasn't prepared for such amazing food when my coworker took me to Red Bowls! If you like fish, this is an amazing place to eat lunch at. It's fresh, and such a generous portion. The rice and steamed veggies with dressing are also delicious and quite a sizable portion! I couldn't finish my meal, and had I decided to split the fish I probably could have had lunch and dinner. The line is long but it moves fast. Be prepared to know your order ahead of time as the owner will try to get it early to have it ready before you pay. All in all, this place is a steal and I'd recommend coming here to get delicious bowls! Don't forget to grab wasabi and ginger on your way out. read more

I can't even begin to explain how much Red Bowls means to me. I've been going there every week since I've moved to Seattle now, and my fish consumption has gone through the roof. I'm getting all of my Omega-3s, and my muscles are now twice the size of Pop-eye's. Who needs spinach when you have cabbage from Red Bowls (although I do question their cabbage storage methods)? Going into this place around lunch hour is madness, and there's a reason for that. You might see a line wrapped around the block, but they are churning out pokè bowls with feverish intensity while you wait (I promise, it's worth it). Their ordering system may not be state of the art, but it is a well oiled machine. The owner will shout across the restaurant for your order mid-way through the line, so you better be prepared. These bowls are made with heaping portions of fresh fish, veggies, and a nice light dressing for around $10. Where else can you get an enormous portion of pokè for that price? I almost feel like I'm robbing the place, but they keep letting me back in. read more

I had no idea this place was around 'til I saw someone eating huge chunks of fresh, raw salmon from a red bowl outside city hall, which had me ask where he got such a meal! He mentioned Red Bowls and I made a note to bookmark it for a day where I could venture out to get lunch. And the time came and I conquered. I walked to Red Bowls, which is located in downtown Seattle, near where the Columbia Tower and Seattle City Hall are. I knew I was at the right place when I saw the icon of a red bowl on the exterior's sign, with a huge line of city folk outside the door. The line went by fast though, and all those who had entered before me and walked out with a red bowl only made the wait more worth it. Everyone's bowl looked amazeballs! By the time I got inside I was able to check out the menu posted to the wall, which ranges from chirashi bowls to classic Japanese and Korean hot food items like teriyaki or bulgogi. I decided on the Radical Bowl, which came with raw tuna and salmon and included rice and veggies, packed tightly in the famous red bowl. Fortunately, many people here for lunch get their bowls to-go, so I was easily able to snag a seat to dine-in. There are a few tables and chairs, with a bar area by the window. There's also table sets outside of Red Bowl in the lobby of the office building it's located in...where I spotted everyone eating Red Bowls! And the hype was real. The huge chunks of fresh salmon and tuna were succulent! You can tell that the fish here was of quality, and surprisingly, the veggies inside the bowl had some Japanese ginger dressing already on it, making the meal more tasty. At the very bottom was white rice and there was more than enough of it to complete the meal plus more. At only $12 for a bowl with fresh fish, it's certainly affordable and worth the money and wait. So glad to have found this place near where I work, as I can see this being a lunch spot for whenever I am craving some raw(r) fish, which is the story of my life! Thank you to the stranger who ate Red Bowls the day I visited city hall, as I don't know I would've found this place otherwise! read more

Red Bowls - Radical Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Stopped in to pick up lunch and found the line coming out of the door. Decided to wait, as the line seemed to move quickly. The person taking the orders, who may be the owner, took the orders of 4 to 5 people at a time so that the staff could start making the bowls. By the time you pay, your meal is already or just about ready, so the whole visit is fairly short. The prices are reasonable for the amount of fish you get, and the tuna and salmon chunks seem to be good quality. The bowl isn't over-sauced, which is great, and they have ginger, wasabi and soy sauce available after you pay to supplement your bowl. I'll definitely stop in again, and you should too. read more

Red Bowls will give you HUGE portions to satisfy any lunch hunger. And with 40 different options, there's something for any mood. Based on the last two visits of fresh fish bowls, I feel like it's okay but definitely below sushi grade. Tuna has a bland spongy texture, and lots of the white fish was tasteless. Salmon was okay and very generously cut. I didn't care for the layer of cabbage and broccoli that's under the fish but above the rice. And they give so much ginger that it soaks into all the fish, so everything has a sour tinge to it. Prices are about what you'd expect for downtown. read more

Red Bowls - Samurai Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Got the chirashi bowl and the portion was huge. Plenty of sashimi pieces, taste fresh and good price.

I go here when I have a day off and I am in the Seattle area. The food and the prices are great. I tried the Udon, Red Salmon and Katsu. They are the perfect size lunch and exactly what you would expect when you order them. Pretty traditional and the fish is always fresh. I wish they were open besides week day lunch time but I think that is what makes me unique. The owner is very friendly and will often make small talk with you if it is not a busy time. I would definitely recommend going here if you are in the area during lunch on a week day. There are not any other places I can think of like it where you get this good quality traditional Japanese food. read more

Red Bowls - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Would give 4.5 stars if it was an option. Doesn't look like much, but the bowl was very good and much less expensive than I would expect. Prices were less in restaurant than posted online?? Geared more for takeout and space is tight, but there are a couple shared tables if you want to sit and eat. Recommend for a quick and healthy bite to eat. read more

Red Bowls - Radical Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Satisfying, affordable, small lunch spot. Boss and I stopped in, per a referral from our customer. I can't remember what we ordered but recall they had a large menu and a variety to choose from as far as flavor profiles and protein choices. They had good serving sizes and quality of ingredients, proportionate to the cost; overall great value. I took and ate my leftovers. Recommended for quick, individual or tiny group sizes, short stay, with no frills expected; like a corner strip mall, teriyaki restaurant vibe. Small dining space, assuming most of their business being take out. Shared restrooms available with other tenants in the same building. read more

Large portions, good prices, fast-ish service. Most ppl go for take out as seating can be kinda limited if you go during the peak lunch hour. You might wait in line a bit but your order comes out within minutes which makes it worth it. read more

Red Bowls - Radical bowl - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

HUGE portions. Tasty poke and lovely owners. Be prepared to shout out your order (even if you are the 10th person in line). I love how quick and efficient the owner is. By the time I pay, the food is ready to go and in my hands. Large chunks of fish and delicious rice and veggies. It's the perfect place for lunch downtown on a work day. I got the radical bowl but def will try other things when I come back! read more

Red Bowls - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

A+ 'mom and pop' lunch space. Red bowl is consistently fresh, delicious, quick, and friendly. They have a menu of fish bowls, cooked meat/fish bowls, tempura bowls, and udon. I always grab the Alaska bowl with added avocado. The rice on the bottom is warm, with marinated veggies in between, and fresh salmon and crab. The salmon is so fresh, it's amazing to get such high quality fish for such a low price. You get a good portion, and the salmon just melts in your mouth. The line can be long, often reaching outside if you arrive around noon. However, they are very efficient and the line moves quickly. The man at the counter (who I think may be the owner) is funny, friendly and often takes more than one order at a time. If you're downtown, this will easily become your go-to lunch. I highly recommend for their high quality ingredients and fast service. Great little gem on 3rd Ave! read more

Red Bowls - Alaska bowl with avocado - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Although there was a long line at the peak of lunchtime, they were able to get my order done lightning fast! The chicken kayak was great read more

Red Bowls - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

4 stars now....definitely a part of my lunch rotation, fish is of good quality, pretty much everything from cooked items to raw is pretty tasty. Good portion and affordable. Lunch time is super busy with line out the door, but owner at the counter has his system on lock where it is super efficient and you wait only a few minutes before you get your bowl. Helpful tips: -Get your drink from the cooler before you go to the counter to order, the queue lines up behind you, so it's annoying when you have to go against the tide and everyone has to back up as you swing the door open. -If you pay cash, free bottle of water. -Remember which bowl you ordered because he doesn't know your name when he calls it out. read more

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Great lunch spot in the city! I've come here several times when I worked at one of the nearby office buildings. Makes for a cheap, quick, and filling lunch. Perfect for a fast bite to eat or the day you forgot to pack food. The restaurant is no frills, just a little shop right off the street with great food. The place is owned by Koreans but I would describe a lot of it as teriyaki like what you find in similar places around Seattle. I really like how much variation there is on the menu, you can not only get spicy or sweet chicken and beef but they have excellent Salmon and other seafood as well. I've even seen squid or raw fish on the menu but I've never tried it. Each bowl comes with a big portion with rice on the bottom, lots of vegetables, and then a mountain of protein on the top. The place is busy but the line moves very fast. There are a few tables inside but most people (myself included) seem to get their orders to go and eat them back at their desks. Each meal is about $10, a fair price for so much food at a restaurant downtown if you ask me. Great, authentic lunch spot! read more

Red Bowls - Spicy Chicken and Salmon bowl - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This is a great downtown lunch spot. Super fresh fish, on top of fresh salads and prepared very quickly for the downtown hustle. The owner and his family is always in, and they are the nicest people. Highly recommend for quality and service! read more

Red Bowls - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The food portion size was great! I got the bulgogi bowl and it had a good serving of meat. The meat was not overcooked, and the bowl was tasty while not being too oily. Food service was fast and efficient for if you are on a short lunch break. I plan on going again in the future! read more

Red Bowls - Bulgogi Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Dennis and his wife are amazing! This food is FRESH, big portions, affordable and served with a smile. They deserve these 5 stars. Support them. Also, try everything on the menu, you will find your go-to! read more

I have walked by Red Bowls numerous times. My work is right across the street. I guess I've never stopped by because the reviews for the place throw me off. But my supervisor came into town this week and suggested the place. She read somewhere that it was listed as a healthy choice. Long lines: I told my supervisor we needed to go early though, cuz the line gets long during lunch rush. So we went around 11:30 AM. If you go pass noon time, the line goes out the door. I can see the line from my office window which is nice lol. We ordered: - tofu bibimbap - bulgogi bowl Today I tried: - Spicy Alaskan My supervisor is a vegetarian, so it's nice there's vegetarian options. She seemed to enjoy her bowl. She liked the spiciness of it, and added more Sriracha to it. For the bulgogi bowl, the meat and sauce were tasty but the veggies in the bowl were cold. It be nice if the bowl was warm throughout. Today I had the spicy Alaskan. It looked delicious! Eating it though, there was sooooo much cabbage in it. Cooked + raw cabbage. I mean, I like cabbage, but you can only eat so much of it! The raw salmon was yummy and so was the imitation crab meat, lots of imitation crab meat in this bowl btw. I would go back to try their other bowls. Pro to this place is that they are fast. Within 5 min I usually get my food handed to me after ordering. Also you can get a bowl for a few cents under $10, which I think is a good deal for downtown! read more

Red Bowls - Bulgogi bowl and a tofu bibimbap - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Gotta love the charming old man manning the cashier. His awesomely-accented voice is a real treat for dine-n-dash dining establishments. Echooo. :) Got around to my 1st time recently with the bulgogi. Not a good first impression for me, as there was way too much f-f-f-fat on my meat. Fat aside, it tasted good. Although it made me miss my step-dad's mom's bulgogi--omg THAT izzz guuud. Just the other day I got the veggie tempura. Definitely not the type I was expecting (I'm used to the varied, whole veggies--green bean, broccoli, carrot, zucchini, etc). They were all flat so I guess they were squash slices and something else. Not sure if it's normal, but I did like it. 'Hungry to try the other good stuff. read more

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Dude, DENNIS IS AWESOME. He's always friendly when manning the till, and is WAY eager to please. Their bowls have yet to disappoint. I recommend the "SPICY CENTRAL". It's not SPECIFICALLY on the menu, but it's their "central", just made SPICY. Soooo good. My personal favorite order is Spicy Central, no cabbage. It's KILLER. DO EET! DOOO EET! Do EAT! ;-p Nom! read more

Very good fresh fish bowl. Quality ingredients. Great customer service, very efficient. A staple for weekday lunch downtown for me for the past 14 years. read more

Before the poke craze, Red bowl has been serving up raw fish quickly to the downtown lunch crowd for years. Always consistent and quick, so when ever I undecided for what I want for lunch this is always my top choice. Its on third right in the middle of the business district, so during lunch hour you can see a line going out the door. The line goes by super quickly, from the time you order to when you get your food, it always been only a few minutes for me. Its know for its various type of raw and cooked fish bowls that comes with rice and a bunch of steamed vegetables. You have all veggies or all rice and can get anything spicy. read more

Red Bowls - Spicy radical bowl - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Radical Bowl was very good. Had lots of tuna and salmon. Portion was a good size and the price was very reasonable. The cashier was also nice and friendly. read more

Was staying at a hotel nearby and needed quick lunch. Pretty good food with a good selection, make sure if there's a line you are ready with your order because they will make your food while you wait to pay at the register. I got their fresh fish - Samurai bowl which was around 20 bucks (incl tax). There are tables inside but they're 2 bigger community tables along with some window seats so this is more of a to-go place during meal times. read more

Fastest service in downtown Seattle I've ever seen. I've been here several times and they usually have a long line but it moves really quick. If there is no one there, you can expect to order and get your food in a minute or less; it's absolutely insane. I've never seen such fast service, let alone in downtown Seattle. Not only is the service fast, but the food is really good too. I've tried the fresh fish, udon, tempura, and katsu. They were all good and they were all served in the signature red bowl. The only thing I don't like is the ratio of some the bowls. For example, the fresh fish bowls include vegetables and rice, but I would much prefer rice over the vegetables so I feel bad wasting it. read more

Red Bowls - Alaskan Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Ordered Alaskan bowl. Man, they give you a full heavy bowl of food. Fast service too read more

We took the train from Portland to Seattle for the day. This was an easy walk from the train station. It is a tiny place, with tables you might have to share with others. It appears most people take their orders to go. There were about 10 people in line, but it moved quickly. One person taking orders and others filling them, quickly. Fast and friendly service! We ordered: Katsu chicken, chicken/beef combo bowl & California roll. The bowls have a generous potion of meat, veggies and rice. The Katsu was very good, however the veggies were still very raw in comparison to the ones in the combo bowl, (this is the only reason I rated 4 instead of 5 stars.) My son really liked his combo bowl. The California roll was also very good. Very fresh and also a good size. I would eat here again, if ever in the area. read more

Love this spot! I come here probably once a month for lunch and its been consistent every time. I've only ordered their fresh fish bowls so I can't speak to their cooked fish/meats bowl, but I can say that you can't go wrong with any of the fresh fish options! I usually order the Radical (tuna and salmon) - it comes out with huge chunks, lightly marinaded atop of veggies (shredded cabbage, broccoli, carrots) and white rice. Its a pretty substantial bowl and I usually have to save about half for a snack later. Its about $11 with tax for the bowl so definitely a great deal in the downtown area. Also, the line can be long, but the owner is so efficient and their assembly line is quick so I'm usually in and out within 20 minutes. Overall, a great lunch spot that's fast, fresh, tasty and affordable! read more

Red Bowls - the radical bowl - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Delicious food, but order by calling or going in-person. I got the tofu bi bim bap and my co-worker got the spring bowl. Both were huge portions of fresh, tasty food. My vegetables were perfectly marinated, the tofu was well seasoned, and the bi bim bap sauce was decently spicy. Prices are very fair and the staff seems to be working hard. Proprietor was very kind and friendly. My co-worker and I tried to order online using the URL listed on this Yelp page: https://red-bowls-restaurant.business.site/ We immediately got emails saying that our orders were cancelled and refunded. When we called the restaurant to find out why, the owner told us that the website is not his. I think someone is trying to scam people and take advantage of a small business owner. read more

For a lunch spot this place has everything: it's fast, it's efficient, it has charming employees, and it serves DELICIOUS food! I have come here for lunch on multiple occasions usually ordering the Radical or Samurai (add avocado for extra flavor which is totally worth the extra bucks). Each time it is consistently amazing and the owner is great who will start to remember you which makes the lunch spot become truly "your spot". I cannot wait to go back for more and will go out of my way to eat lunch here. Highly recommend and suggest you stop by for some high quality, yummy food! read more

Red Bowls - Radical bowl with avocado - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I'm not sure what Red Bowls tries to accomplish here, but I do know that I get a really odd feeling when eating here.. FOOD QUALITY: Perhaps I ordered the wrong thing here, but I certainly wasn't impressed with their bulgogi and ratios that they use. I really do appreciate loads of meat; but when it's piled high and slathered with a lot, and I mean A LOT, of sauce that can make the small scoop of rice underneath swim as if it was porridge, then I can't help but feel like it's too much. The sauce? It's sweet, it's tangy, and it has a really good kick to it. There's a lot of it and it drowns out everything.. the vegetables? I kind of felt it was from frozen package. But I like the guy who runs it! He's charismatic and very kind, but I'm glad he has customers who are happy with his food; it just seems more fusion than traditional. read more

First time here. I was looking for a quick healthy lunch downtown and the Yelp reviews led me to Red Bowls. The short line moved very quickly and the Samurai Bowl was very fresh & hit the spot. Great food, friendly staff, I will be back! read more

Red Bowls - Samurai Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington