36 Best Restaurants in Washington, USA

With a dining room and spacious terrace overlooking the downtown's Waterfront District and Bellingham Bay, this spacious craft cider taproom is an inviting, family-friendly place to sample the rotating selection of small-batch sippers. This is a legit dining option, too, with a kitchen that turns out well-crafted contemporary Northwest fare, from pan-roasted diver scallops with gnocchi to pork tenderloin with rosemary spaetzle and a mustard cream sauce. There's also an impressive selection of beer, wine, and cocktails. 

In a former flour mill with great views of the Spokane River, Clink's has been a Spokane institution since 1974. The seafood, steaks, and prime rib are excellent; the Broadway pea salad, French onion soup, and beer-battered fish-and-chips are all popular at lunch. Some favorite dessert choices include seasonal bread pudding, molten chocolate cake, and key lime pie.

Right off the Maple Street Bridge, this is the state's oldest railroad-car restaurant; built as an observation car in 1906, it has original light fixtures, stained-glass windows, and mahogany details. Generously sized breakfasts are the specialty here, including unique items like Creole Benedict with lobster, shrimp, and crab. On the sweeter side, there's orange cranberry French toast and cinnamon roll waffles. For dinner there's such comfort food as turkey with mashed potatoes, meat loaf, and chicken-fried steak.

Make your way to this spacious, contemporary spot in a small shopping center to devour sublime hearth-baked pizzas—the fennel sausage pie with sweet-and-sour onions and smoked mozzarella is a standout. Also worth trying are sides of seasonal vegetables roasted in the pizza oven, along with generous salads and homemade frozen-custard "concretes" and sundaes for dessert.

Rhyme it with "pies" and you'll sound like a local when you enter the town's most famous bakery, a fixture since the early 1900s. Gorgeous Norwegian pastries, braided bread, and lefse (traditional round flatbread) line the shelves. There's only strong coffee and milk to drink, and there are no seats, but you can grab a bench along busy Front Street or take your goodies to the waterfront at Liberty Bay Park.

Part of the famed family-run business that's been harvesting succulent bivalves since 1890, this stunningly situated seafood market and oyster bar sits on a dock overlooking Samish Bay, just off gorgeous Chuckanut Drive. Have a seat at a waterfront picnic table or in the covered seating area and dive into a platter of barbecued oysters, geoduck crudo, whole steamed Dungeness crab, or mussels in a miso broth.

If you need a handy stop for breakfast or lunch, or takeout provisions for a picnic in the North Cascades, this gluten-free bakery featuring tasty, made-from-scratch baked goods and hearty meals is definitely worth a quick detour off the highway between Sedro-Woolley and Marblemount. The breakfast menu lists the usual quiches and waffles, along with three-potato hash (with eggs, corned beef, veggies, or andouille sausage). Midday offerings include sandwiches (both grilled and cold), salads, and soups. There's a full espresso bar and a soda fountain with delicious shakes.

Merry "oompah" music bubbles out from marching accordion players at this festive, long-running restaurant, where the theme is "Germany without the Passport"; it adjoins two sister establishments, Mozart's Steakhouse and Gingerbread Factory bakery. Laughing crowds lap up strong, cold brews and feast on a selection of wursts—bratwurst, knackwurst, and weisswurst, among others—Polish sausage and beef goulash, all nestled into heaping sides of sauerkraut, tangy German potato salad, and thick, dark rye bread. Service can be slow at times, so just sit back and enjoy the ambience. You just might get called to stand up and do the "chicken dance."

Welcome to the year-round beach party at this Caribbean barbecue and sandwich shop located in an old gas station—even though the water is only Green Lake and its across a six-lane highway. The neon-green building with hot pink and blue graffiti sets the tone and the sand-covered floor drives the message home that no matter the weather in Seattle, Bongos brings the island sunshine. The menu of sandwiches and casual plates includes Jamaican, Cuban, and Trinidadian flavors, like the Desi with citrus braised pork and caramelized onions, or the shrimp po'boy with chili sauce and mango slaw, while plantains and yuca fries are must-order sides. Make sure you dress appropriately: this beach party is all outdoors and the partial cover doesn't offer much protection from the elements.

The vegetarian and vegan menu changes frequently at Café Flora, but the chefs tend to keep things simple, with dishes like black-bean burgers topped with spicy aioli, polenta with leeks and spinach, and the popular tacos dorados (corn tortillas filled with potatoes and four types of cheese). You can eat in the Atrium, which has a stone fountain, skylight, and garden-style café tables and chairs. Brunch is a big draw, too—try the fantastic waffles served with fresh seasonal fruits. The scene can get a bit hectic with the mass of families. 

You'll find some of northern Washington's tastiest Mexican food, from wild-cod ceviche to chicken in a 30-ingredient mole sauce, at this cheerful and unpretentious eatery that also specializes in made-to-order premium margaritas (try the smooth "top shelf" with Jimador Blanco tequila, lime juice, and agave nectar). There's another location in Mount Vernon.

Nestled beneath towering trees, this old-fashioned roadhouse with rough-hewn fir floors and knotty-pine walls is along the main road to Mt. Rainier. It's been a favorite lunch and dinner stop since it opened in the 1940s, and these days parkgoers still come by in droves to fill up on hearty, straightforward comfort fare, such as biscuits and gravy and chicken-fried steak and eggs in the morning, bacon-and-blue-cheese burgers at lunch, and wild Alaskan salmon with blackberry vinaigrette in the evening. The restaurant is part of a rustic inn with conventional rooms and cabins.

Since 1977 this venerable ice-cream parlor and candy shop has been a fixture downtown, doling out small-batch ice creams and Italian ices, and always featuring at least 30 flavors—many, such as pink gooseberry and strawberry-rhubarb, featuring ingredients sourced from local farms. If it's a warm day, bring your cone, shake, or sundae (or box of handmade chocolates) next door to Pope Marine Park and enjoy your dessert while watching ships in the bay.

Artisanal pizza is featured here (including gluten-free), along with lots of pastas, calzones, salads, seafood, steak, and chicken dishes. Candles on the tables, murals, exposed brick, and wood beams give a European flavor to the dining room and adjacent pub. If you can't save room for dessert, take home treats from the in-house bakery.

These two restaurants have adjacent spots in the Pybus Public Market and a shared seating area, where you can enjoy pizza, pasta, antipasti, salami boards, soups, and sandwiches from Fire, and crepes, espresso drinks, and house-made gelato and sorbetto (sorbet) from Ice. Both are part of Visconti's Restaurant Group, which began in 1985 with classical Italian Visconti's in Wenatchee and now includes several restaurants in Wenatchee and Leavenworth.

Set inside Huckleberry's Natural Market, this bistro has a coffee and juice bar, pre-made sandwiches and salads, and lots of items that can be made fresh to eat in or take-out, including sandwiches, salads, burgers, and wraps. If you're in a hurry, call in your order so it will be ready when you arrive; otherwise there may be a wait during the busy lunch hour. Evenings are more leisurely and you can kick by with a beer or glass of wine while your food is prepared, or try the pasta bar available Friday and Saturday evenings.

This long dining room facing Lake Union has original Northwest Indian artwork collected by the restaurant's namesake founder. It's touristy, often gimmicky, and always packed. You are paying for the setting here: a building designed as a loose replica of a traditional longhouse with terrific views of Lake Union and Downtown. Try to snag a table on the deck.

Before ordering dessert from whichever Bellingham restaurant you're dining in, keep in mind that this stellar artisan ice-cream parlor is open until 10 or 11 every night, and the thick, creamy concoctions here are seriously superb. The team has come up with literally hundreds of rotating flavors over the years, from coconut latte to burned sugar to black currant–mulled wine.

Built in 1933, this restaurant is shaped like a gigantic milk bottle; since 1978 the eatery has been selling homemade ice cream. Fries are made from hand-cut potatoes, buns are made in-house, and burgers, sandwiches, salads, and soup (in winter only) round out the menu. The Milk Bottle makes a cameo in Johnny Depp's rom-com Benny & Joon.

A bustling family-friendly Mexican restaurant with a cozy dining room and a sprawling shaded garden patio is helmed by Raul Rios, who learned to cook during his years growing up outside Mexico City. The flavorful food here isn't entirely authentic—expect a mix of Mexican and Mexican-American dishes, many featuring local ingredients. The tender braised short ribs in blackberry mole sauce and red-snapper tacos are justly popular, and there's a good selection of margaritas and beers, too.

This 1940s hamburger joint that's expanded from a drive-in to a family-friendly diner over the years is a Yakima Valley icon (actually located in Union Gap), doling out all sorts of comfort classics, from salads to fish-and-chips to enormous burgers. The real crowd pleaser is the gut-busting "Big Miner"—a hulking pile of meat that's best enjoyed with a basket of fries and a shake.

In a refurbished railroad dining car, this small and charming Italian restaurant is fun for the whole family, but it's also a nice choice for a romantic meal. The traditional fare includes bruschetta, chicken and veal Parmesan, and several steak and seafood options. The house specialty, tortellini Oreste, features rose-shaped tortellini stuffed with ricotta cheese and sautéed with tomatoes and walnuts in pesto sauce; scallops or prawns can be added. Family-style dinners are available for take-out, too.

Bratwurst, beef franks, and brews abound at this casual outdoor Bavarian grill and beer garden, tucked into a cozy corner in downtown. It's perfect for hungry travelers seeking an affordable but filling meal. The atmosphere is laid-back and family-friendly, and seating is at picnic tables outdoors. You can doctor the dogs and pretzels at the mustard bar.

Carefully crafted breakfasts and lunches are the focus of this well-run, family-friendly eatery, a Sequim institution since 1981. Breakfast is served throughout the day, and on Sunday morning the large, well-lit dining room is especially bustling. The selection is extensive: thickly sliced bacon and eggs are a top seller, but the restaurant is best known for its creamy blintzes, golden-brown waffles, and variety of crepes and pancakes. Lunch choices include several salads, sandwiches, burgers, and a soup du jour.

Hungry travelers and townsfolk have been fueling up in this rollicking Old West tavern with period wallpaper and pressed-tin ceilings since 1892, tucking into plates of old-school pub fare. The nachos, fish-and-chips, and steaks are reliably good, and a handful of specialties—especially the sirloin steak with coconut prawns and open-faced chili burgers—keep regulars coming back again and again. Portions are generous, especially at breakfast, and there's a sizable kids' menu. 

Grilled meats, sandwiches, salads, and soft drinks are served daily from May through early October and on weekends and holidays the rest of the year.

Step back in time to a 1930s-era service station that's been converted into a diner, serving up classic greasy-spoon fare, like steak and eggs, biscuits and gravy, charbroiled chicken sandwiches, banana splits, and the like. While you await your grub, check out the hundreds of vintage metal gas station signs and advertisements.

Hearty meals in the rustic log ranch house, served at polished wood tables, include buffet dinners of steak, ribs, hamburgers, fish, salad, beans, and dessert. Note that breakfast is served 7 to 8:30, lunch is noon to 1, and dinner is 5:30 to 6:30; show up later than that, and you'll find the kitchen is closed. If you want to enjoy a drink with your meal, bring your own alcohol—it's not otherwise served. For guests not staying at the ranch, dinner reservations are required, and transportation from the Stehekin Landing costs $10 each way.

Though the Portland-based ice-cream chain has since opened stores up and down the West Coast, it found a welcoming home on Capitol Hill, where its "farm-to-cone" style of ice cream is respected, and the creative, sometimes a little out-there monthly specials don't scare anyone.