New restaurants are making a comeback on Mercer Island with several openings announced in early 2022. Learn more about the newest restaurants to debut, and find out what exciting eateries are just around the corner.
FaveKitchens Now Open
Seattle multi-restaurant marketplace FaveKitchens recently took over the space that previously housed Mo’s Pizza and Wine Dive. The food-tech startup allows customers to order favorite dishes from multiple Seattle-area restaurants (including Mo’s) in one location. Restaurants that will be serving dishes and baked goods at FaveKitchens Mercer Island include Mo’s Pizza, La Chingona Tacos, Vinason Pho, Agraharam Pure Vegetarian, Aahaar Express, Topolino’s, and All Purpose Cake Co. Learn more in our recent article about FaveKitchens.
Just Poke to Open Bricks-and-Mortar Location on Mercer Island
Mercer Island-raised restaurateurs Danny Brawer and Norman Wu brought an outlet of their Just Poke restaurant to their hometown a year and a half ago, when they parked their food truck under the awning of Hap’s Burgers and Taps. Now, the pair will open an outlet of their chain as they continue the rapid expansion. They currently have 14 locations with recent openings in Ballard and Climate Pledge Arena, and Mercer Island is among the 16 more listed as “Coming Soon” on their website. The Mercer Island storefront location will be in the Island Square apartment building on 78th Ave SE in downtown Mercer Island (directly across the street from Pogacha, Cindy’s Nails, Sushi Joa, Hip Zephyr, and Technique Pilates). We’ll update with more info when we have it, but find out about the feel-good hometown story behind this fun, fish-forward brand from our profile on the truck.
Vivienne’s Bistro Opening
February brought Vivienne’s Bistro to town, when pandemic-related delays finally came to an end and the restaurant started serving modern Asian cuisine from the owner and executive chef of China Harbor inside the old Islander spot. Oversized beef ribs, signature roast duck, and dumplings pile onto the wooden tables in the sprawling, white-tiled space. Drool over the food photos and read the story behind Vivienne’s in our preview.
Happy Boil Seafood House Sneaks into Town
Shortly after the new year, Happy Boil Seafood House quietly opened in the space that previously held Tiger Garden. The Asian-Cajun restaurant serves customizable boils with corn, potatoes, and your choice of seafood, spice level, and flavor. The rest of the menu includes fried appetizers and seafood baskets, along with fried rice. Learn more about Happy Boil on our updated restaurant page.
