Restaurant in Seattle, United States

Red Mill Burgers

Name: Red Mill Burgers
Address: 312 N 67th St, Seattle, WA 98103, United States, Seattle, US
Telephone: +1 206-783-6362

200Pearl Points

No-reservation burgers, nationally recognised.

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About Red Mill Burgers

No reservation needed — walk in Tuesday through Sunday. The counter-service format is casual and fast, making it one of Seattle's most accessible well-regarded burger stops.

Verdict: Worth the Trip to Phinney Ridge

Red Mill Burgers at 312 N 67th St is easy to get into — no reservation required, no weeks-long wait list. That access is part of the appeal, but it doesn't tell the whole story. This is an Opinionated About Dining-ranked spot that has appeared on the OAD Cheap Eats in North America list three consecutive years (Recommended in 2023, #627 in 2024, #638 in 2025), which puts it in company far above your average counter-service burger joint. If you want a serious burger without the friction of a full sit-down restaurant, Red Mill is the right call for Seattle.

The Counter Experience

Walk in and you order at the counter — that's the format here, it shapes everything about the visit. The room at the Phinney Ridge location gives you the kind of visual clarity that fast-casual rarely delivers: a no-frills setup where the focus lands entirely on the food coming out of the kitchen rather than on designed ambience. For a special occasion framing, this works if you calibrate expectations correctly. A birthday lunch or a low-key date where the food does the talking fits well; a formal anniversary dinner does not. The counter format also makes solo dining genuinely comfortable, there's no awkward two-leading dynamic, no pressure to stretch a meal. You order, you sit, the burger arrives.

John and Babe Shepherd are the names behind Red Mill, the operation reflects the discipline of people who have been running a focused, well-regarded burger spot for years. That consistency is visible in the repeat OAD recognition: this isn't a one-year flash of hype but a venue that keeps showing up on a list that rewards quality over novelty.

When to Go

Red Mill is closed Mondays. Tuesday through Friday service runs 11 am to 9 pm; Saturday matches that window; Sunday is noon to 8 pm. Because no reservation is needed, the booking window question is really a crowd question. Lunch on a weekday is your lowest-friction visit. Saturday midday is the most popular window, so arriving close to the 11 am open or after 1:30 pm reduces wait time at the counter. If you're bringing a group, keep it manageable for counter-service logistics, this isn't a venue where you can hold a large table easily.

Ratings and Recognition

OAD Cheap Eats North America 2025: #638, ranked for the third consecutive year
OAD Cheap Eats North America 2024: #627
OAD Cheap Eats North America 2023: Recommended

Practical Details

Detail	Red Mill Burgers	Dick's Drive-In (Seattle)
Booking required	No	No
Price tier	Cheap Eats	Cheap Eats
OAD recognition	Yes (3 years)	No
Closed	Monday	Varies by location
Sunday hours	12–8 pm	Varies by location
Counter service	Yes	Yes

For broader Seattle dining context, see our full Seattle restaurants guide. If you want to round out a Seattle trip, our full Seattle hotels guide, our full Seattle bars guide, our full Seattle wineries guide, and our full Seattle experiences guide cover the rest of the city.

For burger lovers comparing notes internationally, Aldebaran in Tokyo and Atami in Tokyo offer a useful counterpoint to the Seattle counter-service model.

How It Compares

Pearl Picks: More Seattle Dining

Canlis, New American, Seattle's benchmark for a formal special-occasion dinner
Joule, New Asian, strong choice for a creative mid-to-high spend dinner
Kamonegi, Soba, a focused, low-key counter experience worth knowing
Maneki, Japanese, one of Seattle's oldest Japanese restaurants with counter seating
1415 1st Ave, Seattle dining in the downtown corridor
1744 NW Market St, Ballard-area option worth checking

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Red Mill Burgers good for a special occasion?

Not the right call for a milestone dinner. Counter service, casual seating, a no-reservations format make this a great weekday lunch or low-key catch-up, not a birthday splurge. For something occasion-worthy in Seattle, Canlis is the move. Red Mill earns its keep as a repeat visit, not a one-time event.

Is lunch or dinner better at Red Mill Burgers?

Lunch on a weekday is your best bet for a shorter wait. Service runs from 11 am Tuesday through Saturday, giving you the full menu without the weekend afternoon rush. Sunday hours are shorter (noon to 8 pm), and Monday the kitchen is closed entirely, so plan accordingly.

Is Red Mill Burgers good for solo dining?

Yes, it's one of the easier solo meals in Seattle. Counter ordering removes any awkwardness, you're not holding a table for one at a sit-down room. Walk in, order, eat — the format is built for it. OAD has ranked Red Mill in its North America Cheap Eats list three consecutive years, which means the food justifies the solo trip on its own.

Can I eat at the bar at Red Mill Burgers?

Red Mill operates as a counter-service spot, not a bar venue. There's no bar seating in the traditional sense. You order at the counter and find a seat in the dining area. If you're looking for a burger with a beer at the bar, something like Joule or a neighbourhood gastropub will serve you better.

What are alternatives to Red Mill Burgers in Seattle?

For a step up in format and occasion-worthiness, Canlis is Seattle's benchmark for special-occasion dining. Kamonegi and Maneki offer strong value in different cuisines if burgers aren't the priority. Walrus & Carpenter works well if you want seafood at a similarly casual counter format. Joule is worth considering if you want something more chef-driven at a similar price point.

What should I order at Red Mill Burgers?

Specific menu items are not documented in Pearl's venue record for Red Mill, so we won't guess. What's on record: the kitchen is focused on hamburgers, the venue has earned OAD Cheap Eats recognition every year from 2023 through 2025. Check the menu board on arrival — counter-service spots like this tend to keep the menu tight and legible.

How far ahead should I book Red Mill Burgers?

No booking needed. Red Mill Burgers is walk-in only, so there's no reservation system to deal. The practical variable is timing: arrive early in the lunch window (11 am Tuesday to Saturday) to avoid queues. Monday closures and the shorter Sunday hours (noon to 8 pm) are the only scheduling constraints.

Location

312 N 67th St, Seattle, WA 98103, United States

Seattle, United States

Compare Red Mill Burgers

Recognized Venues: Red Mill Burgers and Peers

Venue	Awards
Red Mill Burgers
Canlis
Joule
Kamonegi
Maneki
Walrus & Carpenter

Key differences to consider before you reserve.

Also Consider

Canlis, New American, New American
Joule, New Asian, New Asian
Kamonegi, Soba, Soba
Maneki, Japanese, Japanese
Walrus & Carpenter, New American - Seafood, New American - Seafood

Red Mill sits in a different category from most of Seattle's recognized dining, that's precisely the point. Against Canlis, the comparison is almost deliberately absurd, Canlis is Seattle's formal special-occasion benchmark, requiring advance booking and a significantly higher spend. If you want a celebration dinner with service depth and a room that matches the occasion, Canlis is the call. Red Mill is for when the burger IS the occasion.

Within the casual-to-mid range, Kamonegi offers a counter-focused experience in soba that rewards the same kind of single-subject focus Red Mill brings to burgers, both are venues where the kitchen's narrow commitment is the whole appeal. Joule steps up in price and ambition with Korean-inflected New Asian cooking, is the right pick if you want a full sit-down dinner with more complexity on the plate. For seafood counter dining, Walrus and Carpenter is the Seattle answer, harder to get into than Red Mill, with a different service register, but comparable in the sense that both reward showing up with a clear appetite for one specific thing.

Maneki is worth a mention for diners who want counter seating with more service interaction than Red Mill provides. It's Japanese rather than burgers, but the neighbourhood-institution quality overlaps. Bottom line: for cheap-eats burger quality with external validation behind it, Red Mill has no direct rival in Seattle at this price tier. The OAD recognition three years running is the clearest signal that this isn't just local loyalty driving the 4.6 score.