Mike’s Chili Parlor has been at the corner of Ballard Way in Seattle since 1922. That’s not a typo. Over 100 years in the same neighborhood, serving the same closely guarded chili recipe, from a building that has watched Ballard transform around it while refusing to change along with it. It appeared in Season 2, Episode 4 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives — “Local Flavor,” aired October 22, 2007 — and Guy Fieri tried to crack the secret recipe. He didn’t get it. Nobody does.
This is a bar first and a chili parlor second, which means you have to be 21 to get in. It is cash only. There is a jukebox. The vibe is exactly what you would expect from a place that has been at the same address for a century and has never once tried to be anything other than itself.
Quick Facts
Restaurant: Mike’s Chili Parlor
City: Seattle, Washington
Cuisine: Chili / Pub Food
DDD Season: 2
DDD Episode: 4
Episode Title: Local Flavor
Original Air Date: October 22, 2007
Address: 1447 N.W. Ballard Way, Seattle, WA 98107
Phone: 206-782-2808
Website: N/A (Facebook only)
Status: Open
About Mike’s Chili Parlor
Mike Semandiris immigrated from a small village on the Greek-Albanian border, spent time in Chicago working as a cook, and eventually made his way to Seattle where he began selling chili from a food cart near the Ballard ship canal in 1922. The chili was so good and so popular that by 1939 he had built a proper parlor to serve it from. That building is still there. Four generations of the Semandiris family have followed in his footsteps, each one passing down the same recipe that started on a cart by the water over a century ago.
The original grill — named Betsy — has been cooking chili since the place opened. The recipe is Greek in origin, cooked all day, and has never been written down in a form that anyone outside the family has been able to fully replicate. Guy Fieri spent time in the kitchen during the Triple D appearance trying to decode it. The current owner, a fourth-generation Semandiris, was born and raised in Seattle and has no plans to change anything about the place. That is the whole point.
Mike’s celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022 with a city proclamation. The gravel backyard, known as the Chili Bowl, was added as an outdoor space and is ringed by a mural celebrating the restaurant’s history. The parlor sits in the shadow of the Ballard Blocks development, which built around it rather than over it. Mike’s didn’t move. Ballard moved around Mike’s.
What to Eat at Mike’s Chili Parlor
The menu is short by design. Chili comes in a cup, bowl, pint, quart, or gallon — over hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, or pasta. The Chili Bowl is the move for first-timers. The Chili Burger and the Chili Dog are the other regulars. The Chili Cheese Fries have their own devoted following.
This is not a place with a long menu. That is the whole philosophy. One thing, done right, for over 100 years. The chili is meaty, drizzly, deeply seasoned, and cooked low and slow all day. Guy called it an over-the-top bowl and said the all-day cooking process made all the difference. He was right.
Cash only. Must be 21. There is an ATM inside if you need it.
Plan Your Visit
Mike’s Chili Parlor is closed Mondays. Check their Facebook page for current hours as they can vary. Cash only — ATM available inside.
Address: 1447 N.W. Ballard Way, Seattle, WA 98107
Phone: 206-782-2808
Status: Open
Mike’s Chili Parlor appeared in Season 2, Episode 4 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Local Flavor,” originally aired October 22, 2007.
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