Best Carwash

Tower Hand Carwash

1601 Mission (at South Van Ness), 558-9274

We like ambition in a carwash, and Tower has it. The company has taken the "anything goes" philosophy of highway gas empires and stuffed it into a corner lot at the eternally jammed intersection of South Van Ness and Mission. Check out these features: a full cafe inside the minimart, serving Seattle's Best coffee, fresh breakfast pastries, and sandwiches; a patio with tables, benches, and wireless Internet; a gimmicky tower housing a wireless phone store; and a gas pump that says "POLICE" (Tower evidently expects to capture additional business). But we like nothing better than to sit and watch the parade of luxury cars that roll out of the wash bay to be attacked by the huge staff, who wipe down the cars long after they're dry. Tower also offers detailing services, and that "POLICE" sign attracts a steady stream of cops, a sure sign that the job is being done right.