Good Ol' Broadway
Originally published on April 19, 2019. Updated August 25, 2022.
“They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway. They say there’s always magic in the air.”
-The Drifters
“My posse’s on Broadway”
-Sir Mix-a-Lot
Broadway Avenue, North Everett’s highway before Interstate 5, feels old school—it was built when cities were centered around automotive throughways.
The businesses that now line Broadway are interesting because they tend to be smaller, niche businesses: a vacuum shop, a record shop, a fishing store; places to buy hobby supplies, stained glass tiles, or a fine parrot.
Here are my favorite places to go... on Broadway.
Funko Field at Everett Memorial Stadium
3900 Broadway
The seasonal home of the AquaSox baseball team. The freshly-branded Funko Field at Everett Memorial Stadium is the perfect place to watch America’s pastime play out on the field. Enjoy inexpensive tickets to single-A ball, bleacher views of the Cascade Mountains, and delicious concessions.
An AquaSox batter connects with a pitch // allstar.photos for MiLB.
Red Rock Subs
3514 Broadway
I’ve spent too long analyzing what makes Red Rock subs superior to their competition. I think it’s the garlic mayo they use. I’m not the only Red Rock fan, either—they won an EVVY in 2017 for Everett’s Best Sandwich Shop. Check out their small, glassed-in outdoor patio for a quick outdoor bite.
(Check out Red Rock Subs in episode 30 of Live in Everett TV.)
Henry’s Donuts
2515 Broadway
Two local donut kids // Richard Porter
Though some folks be loyal to Despi Delite’s Donuts, I’m a Henry’s man. It’s cool how they’re open 24 hours for EvCC students, cool how it always smells like maple bars in there, cool how they have promotional photos of nail-polished hands holding stacks of glazed and sprinkled donuts (haha... that would be a cool poster to hang up in my office. Who gets paid to make donut ads?).
It seems like there’s always the senior citizen crowd chilling there. I like that.
Henry’s. Go there at 3 a.m. if you want to.
The exterior of Henry’s // Henry J
Bargain CDs Records and Tapes
2100 25th St
8 track cassettes at Bargain Records and Tapes // Richard Porter
Just north of Henry’s, under an old blinking marquee, is Bargain Records and CDs. I found this place to be irresistible when I was a broke college student. I used to listen to cool music on KSER and try to find vinyl of those artists at Bargain Records—Link Wray, Dick Dale, the Limelighters. All that cool stuff. They still have a big selection of cheap cassette tapes (shhh....don’t tell the hipsters) not to mention all that vinyl. Go there just to check out the eclectic pop culture decor.
The kitschy decor of Bargain // Richard Porter
Pho on Broadway
1820 Broadway
Plants and mirrors fill this little hole-in-the-wall. For my money, this is the best pho shop in Everett. I used to live around the corner from this place and would go in all the time. So good. Think of all that steamy broth and aromatic basil. I’m into it.
Taqueria Loma Bonita
1530 Broadway
Bright yellow building with a red roof, Loma Bonita serves up tacos and burritos at a few dollars a pop. Get a Coke in a glass bottle and check out the larger-than-life Aztec murals. This is a place to go out to eat when you’re stretching your paycheck but want to eat out.
(Check out Loma Bonita [and how horrible Garret & Tyler are at skateboarding] in episode 87 of Live in Everett TV)
Ray’s Drive In
1401 Broadway
Ray’s. I like their food, but something about this iconic drive-in with its red picnic tables and neon signage... it’s too good to still be around. Yet here it is. Shakes, burgers, fries... all the good food. If you’re a cool cat, you can go across the street afterward for a beer at the Blue Moon Lounge (permanently closed 😢).
Read my full ode to Ray’s here.
Editor’s note Aug 2022: Ray’s sticky red tables were removed during the recent remodel.
Ray’s Fish & Chips from episode 45 of Live in Everett TV.
Who cares about Broadway? Isn’t it gross?
I care. I like that Broadway is seemingly frozen in retro-time, that it hasn’t become an unbroken stretch of endless (and endlessly bland) Mod Pizzas or Jamba Juices (no offense). If Broadway has one thing going for it, it’s the character. It may be weird, neon-lit, late-night character, but that’s something.
Broadway on a dreary day // Henry J
I like Broadway Avenue. I think that looking at its positive aspects is a good exercise in seeing the best of what our city has to offer.
Donuts, baseball, records, and sub sandwiches dripping garlic mayo?
Good things happen here every day.
Richard Porter is a writer for Live in Everett.