Agua Verde Cafe & Paddle Club

This place has fresh tortilla's, very fresh salsas, and entrees and delicious and inexpensive. You can sit outside on the deck, or inside. Before or after, enjoy a kayak ride into Lake Washington or just paddling around Lake Union.

Where else can you eat wonderful, fresh food for cheap right on Lake Union and then rent a kayak right below? They are great for kayak rentals - they help you learn how to use one and it is very reasonably priced. Lake Union is just beautiful and being out on a kayak on it is the best way to get a feel for it.

The food is really great as well. I love the yam tacos and the the mango quesadilla the best, but everything is really yummy. It has a fun atmosphere, and a heated outdoor patio during the cold months. When the weather is nice the patio is always full (it is unheated then, of course). It is also very vegetarian friendly.

I've been here many times and the food has always been wonderful! The prices are great too. I've also rented a kayak here and had a great experience as well.
The last time we went we had a horrible service experience. They might not have had enough servers for the night but still it was bad. We were on the outside patio and had a "outside type" black table with holes in it. The server refilled my water too high and it actually spilled on my legs. I didn't say anything but overall it just was a bad experience.

PROS: Great food, great location, great prices!
CONS: Possible bad service

This little gem just below the Ave in the U-district is a hot summer spot. You can sit outside on the deck with a waterfront view while enjoying affordable fabulous margaritas and healthy Mexican food--Yucatan style. That said, some things are better than others on the menu. Stick to the open-faced tacos, Agua Verde's specialty. The "tacos de boniato," a vegetarian taco with sweet potatoes, sauteed peppers and onions, and a creamy avocado sauce are to die for. The generic tortilla chips leave something to be desired, but the section of salsas at the self-serve salsa bar make up for it--don't miss the chipotle variety. If the margaritas haven't taken too strong a toll, you can even go down the steps to rent a kyak and enjoy the water at a closer distance.

PROS: inexpensive, waterfront view, great food and drink
CONS: Potentially long wait for dinner