Noon nosh. Midday munch. Siesta fiesta. Nightlife gets all the glory, but nothing makes or breaks a day like lunch. What else hits the spot like breaking from work, taking that first bite and talking hot, juicy goss' with your lunch bunch besties?
If you're lucky enough to be looking for a lunch spot in Spokane Valley, you're in for an especially mean meal. Don't look for billboards or online ads — neither of these trending spots have spent a cent on advertising. The new kids on the block have already gotten in with the cool crowd thanks to word of mouth and unsolicited social media attention. If Spokane Valley is one big cafeteria, these are the queen bees everyone is buzzing about.
BIRRIERIA EL SAZÓN
This new Mexican spot's got "the touch." The newest location of the El Sazón franchise, which also has locations in Pasco and Kennewick, had a line out the door the day before they officially opened. Their soft opening wasn't posted anywhere, but like any "secret" party, the people came out in droves. El Sazón had to close early just to get ready for their grand opening day. Even after they officially opened on Jan. 4, the hype has remained.
On a recent weekday, the dining room was already half full before it was technically afternoon, and a line snaked from the register to the door. Next to the register, an employee grilled fresh corn tortillas on a hot griddle. The jar in front of her, labeled "Tips for Tortillas," was almost full of dollar bills.
Besides tortillas, all the salsas and churros are also housemade, says co-owner and general manager Matthew Gonzalez, who's taking orders from the ever-growing line.
"It just takes time to make something good," he says. The birria, the meat the restaurant is named for, is braised overnight and then cooked for six more hours before it's served.
Gonzalez is from Southern California, which is also home to the birria trends that have spread from Los Angeles to birrierias across the country. Birria itself is a traditional Mexican way of preparing and serving goat or beef with a luxurious consomme or broth. But the fried quesabirria with cheese (two for $10.42) or the border-busting birria ramen ($14.84) are newer, more Instagrammable trends.
The birria at El Sazón comes in any form you like — burritos, tacos, tortas, sopitos, gorditas and mulitas. You can also choose pork or chicken for protein if you prefer. The handmade churros come plain ($1.74) or filled ($1.97) with sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, strawberry, caramel or chocolate. El Sazón is also one of the only spots in Spokane that offers champurrado ($3.13), a hot, cinnamon-y Mexican chocolate drink and one of the most popular versions of atole, a traditional Mesoamerican masa-based beverage.
The El Sazón brand is an offshoot of El Riconsito, a family-owned franchise that has over 15 locations in Western and Central Washington. It's not often that a franchise is known for authenticity or fresh food. But Gonzalez says the chain has an integrated supply chain within the company. That way, they can keep ingredients, recipes, and quality consistent across stores and over time. Gonzalez says he's meeting people in Spokane Valley who used to travel to the Tri-Cities to eat at El Sazón. Now they're thrilled to find the same food closer to home.
Soon after El Sazón opened, a new Atilano's location popped up right next door. But according to Gonzalez, there's no beef between the neighbors — there's plenty of food and customers to go around. Plus, El Sazón is open early for breakfast and late for after-hours cravings.
Food comes out of the kitchen minutes after it's ordered, delivered to the table only moments after the guests sit down. Tortillas sizzle, live fútbol plays on TV, Spanish and English mingle in the dining room, and most of the tables have at least one half liter glass bottle of Mexican Coke.
"El sazón" literally means "seasoning." But to say someone's got "el sazón" is to say they have the magic touch, Gonzalez says, like a grandma who measures with her hands and heart for the perfect dish. Whatever the special ingredient is for good food and overnight success, it's clear this restaurant's got it.
Birrieria El Sazón • 11519 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley • Open daily 8 am-midnight • 509-960-8101
THE HUNGREE BEE
Deanna and Duane Henderson used to own Buzzworthy Farms, a cannabis business mascoted by a cute, stoned bee. Turns out, he got a little hungry.
When the Hendersons got out of weed, they switched to sandwiches but kept the mascot. Ever since Hungree Bee opened last June, they've been humming along thanks to plenty of regulars and social media buzz.
Deanna is the "queen bee" of their sandwiches, her husband says. She used to be a sales rep and traveled the country constantly, eating along the way. Whenever she ate something that she liked, she'd try to recreate it at home. Pretty soon, she got to be a pretty good cook.
At Hungree Bee, Deanna only uses Boar's Head deli meats, a brand known for its high quality and lack of additives. She gets fresh bread from Alpine Bakery delivered every morning. Each sandwich is $13 for a whole, or $7.49 for a half. A whole sammy is massive, at least a meal and a half for most people, even without the chips and pickles that come with.
She's dreamt up all their unique flavor combos, from the Busy Bee with roast beef, apples and a balsamic vinaigrette, or the Cran Bee with turkey, cream cheese, homemade stuffing and cranberry sauce, or the Hornet, which features "Cowboy Candy," candied jalapeños from Texas.
"A lot of people tell us that the flavors are the right mixture," Duane says. "They come in from LA and they go, 'This is really good.' She's got these flavors down really well with the sandwiches that she makes."
Not to mention Deanna's baked beans, which she was hesitant to put on the menu but hasn't stopped selling out of. The beans are slow cooked with sage sausage and peaches for a sweet but savory, buzzworthy combo.
It might be easy to pass by Hungree Bee on Trent Avenue if it didn't have bright blue gates, white stucco arches and sunny yellow accents. Inside, Hungree Bee coloring pages line the decorative arches. A Seahawks logo is on one wall, and a Gonzaga logo on another. An embroidered pillow cover from Spokane's 1974 World's Fair is framed on the back wall. Wicker bee napkin holders decorate the tables, and bee-related kitsch decorates the kitchen where Deanna and Duane fly around.
"There's one guy that paints all these rocks for us and brings them in," Deanna says, pointing toward some pretty stones in front of the cash register. Some are silly faces, another is the restaurant's logo, and one is a cute little bee with a message on the bottom.
"He painted a bunch of these, and he wrote on there, 'Please bring me home. Hungree Bee on Trent,'" Deanna says. "He's placing these all over Spokane."
So if you find a bee-painted rock hidden in a secret spot around town, it's your responsibility to take it back to its hive. It's cutesie, free, grassroots advertising that the Hendersons would never have thought of but wouldn't dare turn down.
Bvvvvt. Chk. Chk. Bvvvt-pft. The printer suddenly busts out a long receipt. "Oh, there's an order," Deanna says. "It's a big one, too."
She's already in the middle of three catering jobs this week, and Hungree Bee hasn't even opened for the day yet. But the mom-and-pop sandwich shop is tucked between a post office and a marijuana shop, down the street from an elementary school, near an industrial park and hemmed in by a neighborhood of friends and family. Teachers, Avista workers, errand runners and neighbors call in or order online almost constantly.
"It's just been a lot of fun — a real positive experience," Deanna says. "Not really challenging. I know how to cook. I know how to make a sandwich. I know how to do the business side because of our last business. But this is a lot easier than the cannabis business. And people are happy. They come in and they have a good experience, and it just makes you happy to see them be pleased by what they're getting. Our reviews are phenomenal. It's unbelievable."
More like, un-BEE-lievable. ♦
Hungree Bee Sandwiches • 14411 E. Trent Ave., Spokane Valley • Open Mon-Fri 10 am-4 pm, Sat 11 am-3 pm • 509-443-4592
