Skillet (restaurant)

Skillet
Exterior of the Capitol Hill restaurant, 2022
Restaurant information
Food type	New American[1]
City	Seattle
State	Washington
Country	United States
Website	skilletfood.com

Skillet (formerly Skillet Street Food) is a restaurant chain in the Seattle area. Originally launched as a gourmet burger van that was known for its bacon jam, it was described in 2011 as a restaurant on wheels.[2] In 2011, it also opened a diner in Seattle.[3]

The company's founder sold the business in 2013.[4] Skillet closed its food trucks during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020,[5] but continues to operate at five locations (full restaurant service at Capitol Hill and Post Alley, full and counter service at SeaTac Airport, and counter service at Seattle Center and Skillet Regrade on 6th Avenue) as of 2024.[6] Some of its current menu items continue to feature bacon jam.

History

Skillet was listed in the Details magazine list of America's top portable kitchens in 2011[7] and was well known for its bacon jam in 2009, which it also sold and shipped by mail order for home consumption.[8] To create the consistency required for the jam, creator Josh Henderson focused on the bacon fat and the reduced down vinegar and onion by cooking it together in one pot, which required regular skimming.[9] A review by The Takeout in 2011 said "the grilled cheese with bacon jam was the best-received Taste Test item in the feature's storied history."[10] Henderson sold the business in 2013.[4]

In 2023, the company agreed to pay about $325,000 to settle allegations of wage theft, improper firings, failure to give employees breaks and sick leave, and making misleading statements saying that all service charges were given to workers.[4][11]

See also

• List of New American restaurants
• List of restaurant chains in the United States

References

1. "Skillet Ballard is Now Closed Permanently". January 22, 2018.
2. "Skillet Street Food". Seattle Weekly. Archived from the original on October 23, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
3. "Diner at Capitol Hill – Restaurants – Skillet". Skillet Food. p. 1. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
4. Cheadle, Harry (December 11, 2023). "Skillet Gets Burned for $325,000 in Settlement With Seattle". Eater Seattle. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
5. Guarente, Gabe (July 30, 2020). "Seattle Street Food Icon Skillet Closes Its Food Truck and Catering Operations Permanently". Eater Seattle. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
6. Official website
7. "Food news from around Puget Sound". The Seattle Times. August 28, 2008. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
8. Denn, Rebecca (January 27, 2009). "Product Watch: Local chefs are sell their signature foods for home consumption". Seattle PI. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
9. Druckman, Charlotte (January 8, 2010). "We Made It ourselves". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
10. Modell, Josh (July 14, 2009). "Bacon: The Final Frontier". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 25, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
11. "Seattle diner chain must pay $324K to city, employees in settlement". The Seattle Times. December 11, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2024.

External links

• Official website