As 2023 comes to a close, three Seattle restaurants bid a bittersweet farewell to our community as they announce they'll close their doors indefinitely. These restaurants, each woven into the fabric of distinct neighborhoods, will shutter their doors before the clock strikes 2024 or shortly thereafter.
JaK's Grill: Laurelhurst
JaK's Grill will close its Laurelhurst location in the first week of 2024, marking the end of an era for the neighborhood restaurant. For nearly three decades, JaK's Grill has been a Laurelhurst haven, its welcoming and cozy facade beckoning in locals with the promise of sizzling steaks, creamy mac and cheese, and friendly banter. Friends Jeff Page and Ken Hughes started JaK's Grill in 1996, and the restaurant is known as a neighborhood institution.
"We'll miss it dearly," says Margaret Springer, a neighbor of the restaurant. "Even though we live just a few blocks away, we never got tired of the menu. And the staff was just great."
JaK's Grill will continue to operate two other locations in West Seattle and Issaquah. The restaurant used to operate a Green Lake location as well, which has also since closed.
Wero Korean Kitchen: Ballard
Ballard restaurant Wero Korean Kitchen has announced that their last day of operation is December 30th, 2023. The news comes to a surprise for many Ballard locals who frequented the eatery, especially given the restaurant's prime location on Ballard Ave NW in the heart of an area dense with competing food offerings.
"I'm definitely going to miss it," says Brenna Lambert, who works in Ballard and told Taste Message she frequents Wero at least once a month. "They have the best duck, and their cocktail menu is just fantastic."
Wero founder Wes Yoo started the seeds of the restaurant as a small pop-up takeout just before the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to quickly reevaluate the business. The result was Wero, with a menu of authentic, upscale Korean fare.
Junebaby: Fremont
After serving the Fremont neighborhood for nearly seven years, Junebaby has announced that it will serve its last meal on December 31, 2023. The restaurant aimed to change the narrative and stereotypes associated with Southern food.
"Southern cuisine has always had and continues to have stereotypical connotations," says Junebaby. "Seen through the eyes of most Americans as inferior, unsophisticated, and unhealthy, Southern food reflects hard times and resourcefulness and is nothing short of beautiful. It is a cuisine to be respected and celebrated."
"Thank you to every single person who stepped through our double doors – each guest, employee past and present, our farmers, vendors, and purveyors," says Junebaby on the announcement of closure. "We have learned so much from each of you."
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