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FareStart Restaurant, Seattle, WA

FareStart Restaurant

5.0
5
1443 Reviews
$30 and under
American
700 Virginia Street, Seattle, WA 98101

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 4 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Good for groups
  • Innovative
  • Neighborhood gem
FareStart's James Beard award-winning model for social change is fueled by our restaurant. We’re located in the heart of Seattle for breakfast/lunch on weekdays (walk-ins only), private catered events, Guest Chef Nights and other special dining experiences.

Our beloved Guest Chef Night pairs premier local chefs with FareStart students to create a three-course meal served by volunteers. These events occur on Thursday evenings, tickets are released a month in advance and reservations are needed. These events generally sell out quickly, so we recommend booking as soon as possible.

FareStart is a social enterprise nonprofit focused on job training and employment. Our restaurant and other food-based businesses serve as classrooms for students to gain culinary skills that prepare them for careers in and beyond the food service industry. Since 1992, we’ve helped more than 15,000 adults and youth work toward stability and economic mobility.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Contemporary American
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Thu 5:30 pm–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (206) 267-7601
  • Website
    http://www.farestart.org/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Private party facilities
    When you hold your events at FareStart, your dollars provide culinary job training and support to homeless and disadvantaged people working hard to transform their lives. Private banquet rooms, and the entire restaurant, are available for your events.
  • Location
    700 Virginia Street, Seattle, WA 98101
  • Neighborhood
    Capitol Hill
  • Cross street
    7th and Virginia
  • Parking details
    Park for free after 4pm at Amazon’s Doppler Garage located at 2000 6th Ave, Seattle. There are also several lots, garages, and limited accessible street parking available in the immediate area.
  • Public transit
    Routes 17 and 23 have stops at the intersection of 7th, Westlake and Virginia and many additional stops within a 2 block radius. Click on the Metro King County transit trip planner for specific route information.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, Corkage Fee, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Chef Sean Arakaki Guest Chef Night

    $55.00 per person

    Prepaid

    May 1, 2025 only
    Please join us for a special evening as we celebrate our students, build community & enjoy an incredible meal. Guest Chef Night pairs premier local chefs with FareStart students to create a three-course meal served by volunteers. All revenue & donations from Guest Chef Night support FareStart’s job training & placement programs. Feat. Chef Sean Arakaki itsumonoseattle.wixsite.com/home Menu 1st: Patatas Bravas “Okonomiyaki”, Fried WA russet potato, smoked Spanish paprika, Kewpie, bulldog sauce, katsuobushi, aonori 2nd: Curry Udon, Udon noodles, Thai red curry, pork shoulder, coconut milk, basil, fried peanuts 3rd: Choco Mochi, Chocolate mochi cake, chocolate cremeux, raspberry coulis, chocolate pearls Veg or GF Menu is only available upon request when booking Tickets are non-refundable

  • Internal- FareStart Employee GCN with Sean Arakaki

    $35.00 per person

    Prepaid

    May 1, 2025 only
    For FareStart staff only, discounted tickets to Guest Chef Night with Chef Sean Arakaki of Istumono.

  • Chef Brian Clevenger Guest Chef Night

    $55.00 per person

    Prepaid

    May 15, 2025 only
    Please join us for a special evening as we celebrate our students, build community & enjoy an incredible meal. Guest Chef Night pairs premier local chefs with FareStart students to create a three-course meal served by volunteers. All revenue & donations from Guest Chef Night support FareStart’s job training & placement programs. Feat. Chef Brian Clevenger https://www.generalharvestseattle.com/ Menu 1st: Gem Lettuce, Green goddess, pickled shallot, bread crumb Arancini, Sottocenere, fried sage and Grilled Asparagus, Lemon, aioli, parmesan 2nd: New York Steak, Spring onion, confit potatoes 3rd: Chocolate Tart, Whipped cream, berry compote Veg or GF Menu is only available upon request when booking Tickets are non-refundable

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 1,443 people are saying

FareStart Restaurant reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

5.0
5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.8Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Seattle / Eastern Washington

    Best Overall

  • Seattle / Eastern Washington

    Best Food

  • Seattle / Eastern Washington

    Best Value

  • Seattle / Eastern Washington

    American

  • Seattle

    Best Overall

  • Seattle

    Best Food

  • Seattle

    Best Service

  • Seattle

    Best Value

  • Seattle

    Innovative

  • Seattle

    American

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
FareStart Restaurant offers an "exceptional dining experience" with "excellent food and friendly service" while supporting a "great cause." Patrons enjoy "great value" meals prepared by top chefs and students from the FareStart program. The unique Guest Chef Nights are "a hit," combining culinary delight with community impact.

1,443 Reviews

  1. William VIP

    Tampa1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    I love farestart! Great experiences and a great cause and mission.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Jenny VIP

    Seattle2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic experience. Food was exceptional, as was the service. Will be back again very soon!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Diana

    Unspecified1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Love it! Great food, great service, and a terrific cause!

    Is this helpful?

  4. walter VIP

    San Francisco12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best dining value in Seattle…where else do you get a 3 course meal prepared by a James Beard nominated chef for $55? And the added bonus of supporting a great cause.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Joanne

    Seattle26 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was by far the best Fare Start Guest Chef Experience I have ever had. Chef Janet Becerra helped the students deliver a wonderful meal and every bite was better than the last bite. I could have started over again for dinner at the second seating. Also, a shout out to Taylor, a volunteer from Starbucks, who was one of the best waiters I've had in long time.

    Is this helpful?

  6. walter VIP

    San Francisco12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As usual, excellent food and friendly service. Best value in town … where else can you get a 3 course meal prepared by a top chef for $55? And to top it off, attendance supports a great organization that supports and trains less advantaged people to be self-sufficient.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Rory VIP

    Seattle3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The guest Chef Night was a hit and we will definitely be coming back again to explore more of the offerings and other guest chef's. The mission and hard work of the students is definitely showcased during these evenings and I would definitely recommend to anyone who is a foodie to experience this. FareStart has done so much positive work to uplift the Seattle community and I am so very appreciative of their mission!

    Is this helpful?

  8. OpenTable Diner

    Seattle1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Loved guest chef night with Melissa Miranda, and always enjoy my time in the FareStart restaurant! Great meals supporting a great cause.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Susie

    Seattle5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What a magnificent way to enjoy a delicious meal! One that is prepared by students (formerly incarcerated, homeless, and sometimes addicted folks) who are re-discovering their self worth, and acquiring employable skills, through the nationally recognized, life altering Fare Start program. Last night the meal was graciously contributed by the amazingly talented and heart filled Lisa Dupar. She and her crew spent the day with the students preparing the meal. I invite anyone looking for a great meal, to either dine weekdays at the FareStart restaurant for breakfast or lunch OR any Thursday evening to enjoy a meal prepared by the students with a local guest chef. All revenues go to supporting the FareStart program. It doesn't get better than this. Great food and making a profound difference in peoples' lives all in one meal.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Patricia

    Seattle1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food, presentation and ambiance. Loved opportunity to interact with Guest Chef Lisa Dupar, as well as, FareStart staff. Heartwarming experience of a recent graduate from their training program was a real highlight.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

FareStart Restaurant is rated 5 stars by 1443 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Seattle / Eastern Washington
  4. Seattle
  5. Capitol Hill

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 4 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for FareStart Restaurant

700 Virginia Street, Seattle, WA 98101

Additional information

  • Cross street
    7th and Virginia
  • Neighborhood
    Capitol Hill
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Thu 5:30 pm–8:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Contemporary American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Park for free after 4pm at Amazon’s Doppler Garage located at 2000 6th Ave, Seattle. There are also several lots, garages, and limited accessible street parking available in the immediate area.
  • Public transit
    Routes 17 and 23 have stops at the intersection of 7th, Westlake and Virginia and many additional stops within a 2 block radius. Click on the Metro King County transit trip planner for specific route information.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, Corkage Fee, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.farestart.org/
  • Phone number
    (206) 267-7601
  • Private party facilities
    When you hold your events at FareStart, your dollars provide culinary job training and support to homeless and disadvantaged people working hard to transform their lives. Private banquet rooms, and the entire restaurant, are available for your events.
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