Peco’s Pit Is Spreading Its Barbecue to Kent and Federal Way

Peco’s Pit Bar-B-Que, one of Seattle’s oldest and most beloved barbecue joints, is expanding southward. This week it announced that it was opening a brand new location in Kent, complete with a drive-through, part of a larger plan to spread its brand.

Peco’s Pit has been around seemingly forever. Its first location, in SoDo, opened in 1980, and it acquired a reputation as one of the best barbecue places in a city more known for smoked salmon than smoked meat. In 2011, Red Robin founder Gerry Kingen acquired the rights to franchise Peco’s, and planned an aggressive expansion strategy that included the opening of dozens of new locations.

Though Kingen opened a West Seattle outpost in 2016 (Peco’s also has food trucks and the Pike’s Pit location in Pike Place Market), the pandemic put those plans on hold. But now it’s back to full steam ahead — not only is the Yelm location on track to open this summer, the long-announced Federal Way location should be open by the end of the year as well.

Lost Lake turns 10

Lost Lake, the newfangled Capitol Hill diner that is one of the city’s most prominent late-night dining spots, is throwing a Twin Peaks-themed birthday party next week. The actual TP diner, as everyone knows, is North Bend’s Twede’s Cafe — but Lost Lake’s retro decor is close enough to Lynchian that it makes sense, we guess. And who’s gonna say no to a party? There’ll be a DJ and a Twin Peaks photo booth on Thursday, May 18, from 3 to 7 p.m., and free coffee and Twin Peaks on the TV the following Sunday. There will also be food and drink specials throughout the weekend, including $3 cheeseburgers as well as cheap jello shots and Seapine Lost Lakes IPA.

Fonté Coffee opens flagship in fancy new downtown digs

Fonté Coffee Roasters, a local coffee company with a handful of cafes, is planting its flagship at Rainier Square, a 58-story mixed-use building in downtown Seattle. Opened on May 8, the Fonté Bar will do coffee and breakfast burritos but also serve cocktails, including espresso martinis — a welcome addition to a downtown dining scene where espresso martinis are incredibly hard to come by.

Elliott’s Oyster House is making plans for “Oyster New Year”

For the 30th straight year, Seattle institution Elliott’s Oyster House is celebrating Oyster New Year, a made-up holiday that marks the peak of oyster season and offers bivalve freaks the chance to slurp all the oysters they can. The event isn’t until November 30, but we’re telling you about it now because it’s going to sell out. Tickets are $250 plus fees, (proceeds benefit Puget Sound Restoration Fund) and include all the oysters you can eat and all the wine and microbrews you can drink. There’s also an “oyster luge,” which is either that greatest thing you’ve ever heard about or a literal nightmare.