417 Best Restaurants in Washington, USA

Only 50 yards from the ferry holding area (though that includes a lot of stairs), this pleasant little café and specialty grocery store makes fantastic sandwiches (try the roast-beef-and-rocket, which is served on a house-baked roll with spicy chili aioli). The soups and deli items—including a decadent macaroni and cheese—are also top-notch. Beer, wine, juices, and espresso are served as well. It's a great place to wait for your ferry to depart.

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 recent Orcas Island addition, Matia has already garnered national accolades for its outstanding seasonal cuisine that focuses on local ingredients, creative flavor combinations, and artistic presentation. Many of the dishes are vegetable-focused, such as an ancient grain panisse with mushrooms and carrot dumplings with pumpkin-seed pesto, but you'll also find options like a lamb pancake with gochujang creamed cabbage and king salmon with apricot confit and Szechuan chili crisp. Set in a cozy dining room with a stone-clad fireplace, the vibe at Matia is polished but casual and advance reservations are a must. If you can't nab a dinner time, they also have a patio with first-come-first-served seating only—it's truly worth the wait.

Downtown Wenatchee's go-to for cappuccinos, lattes, and other finely crafted espresso drinks is a large, inviting space with brick walls and plenty of seating. The kitchen also serves tasty light breakfast fare—bagel sandwiches, parfaits, wraps, and breakfast burritos—and wrap sandwiches and salads at lunch time.

This buzzy, wood-paneled ciderhouse and taproom on the road to North Cascades National Park stands out for both its bright, crisp ciders and its elevated pub grub. Tuck into a plate of baby back ribs, Thai chicken sausage, or pulled-pork pizza, and consider a sampler of ciders—all of these sippers are produced with apples and other fruit grown in the immediate vicinity.

This is a favorite lunch spot for the professional crowd but it's not for timid eaters: custom dry-aged mesquite-grilled steaks and chops—among the best in Seattle—are huge and come with a hearty side option. The Met's take on a steak house is either classic or a caricature, depending on how you take to the cigar-and-cognac vibe: servers wear tuxes and everything is clad in fine wood, brass, and velvet.

As the late-afternoon rays of sunlight wash over the dining room and deck at this lakeside restaurant, you can indulge in main courses like Parmesan-crusted halibut over linguine and baby back ribs or share several of the smaller plates like ginger-chicken lettuce wraps, mahimahi tacos, and fried calamari. Chocolate lovers will appreciate the mile-high mud pie, half-baked chocolate-chip cookies, and chocolate-banana bread pudding.

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.

Beneath the 72-foot-tall Dutch windmill that brackets the west end of Lynden's tiny downtown, this cozy eatery with a fireplace, paneling, and dim lighting is a favorite gathering spot for both dinner and drinks (there's live music some evenings, too). Along with custom-produced house wines on tap as well as cocktails, and craft beers, the Mill specializes in small plates, including artisan cheeses and fondue and pulled-pork paninis.

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.

Modern, hip Miro Tea is the place to go for a wide variety of interesting, high-quality teas, fascinating people-watching, and artisan Japanese pastries. A serious tea shop with well-sourced leaves and informed staff, Miro is also a product of its location—a pleasant seating area looking out on Ballard Avenue makes it a bit of a hipster hang out.

Fresh flowers and redbrick walls lend color and charm to this downtown eatery, where a patio is open for outdoor dining when the weather gets warm. Depending on the season, the daily seafood might be steelhead, scallops, salmon, or halibut, usually served with grilled vegetables. Grilled pork tenderloin comes with bacon-fat roasted brussel sprouts, and local produce is the inspiration for such scrumptious vegetarian fare as white-cheddar-and-apple salad. Dessert specialties include vegan carrot cake and flourless dark chocolate and crystallized ginger torte.

The Eastside sibling of Capitol Hill's darling Vietnamese eatery is utterly polished and sleek— much fancier than the original restaurant. But the favorites remain the same: diners love the bo la lot beef, crispy drunken chicken, catfish clay pot, and barbecued hoisin pork ribs, and all go impressively well with the specialty cocktails. In signature Bellevue style, diners dress up a bit more than in, say, Capitol Hill or Ballard, though the weekend dim sum brunches draw more casual diners. The free parking in the garage behind the restaurant is a boon on busy Main Street.

With an elegant bar and laid-back roof deck, this serene Vietnamese restaurant on a tree-lined residential stretch of Capitol Hill is a better bet than ever. Upscale fare blends Vietnamese and Pacific Northwest elements, including wild prawns with lemongrass, catfish clay pot with fresh coconut juice and green onion, and lamb with fermented soybeans and sweet onions. Homemade ice creams include lychee and mango, but the restaurant's most famous dessert is the coconut crème caramel. The wine cellar has nearly 250 varieties, including many French selections. The weekend brunch—which serves traditional Vietnamese offerings, dim sum, and favorites like French toast and eggs en cocotte—is divine.

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.

Cozy leather bar seats surround the wide wood bar at the stylish, modern Mr. West Cafe Bar, where they’ve got you covered from morning pick-me-up to early-evening imbibing. The coffee menu offers the usuals, from drips and cortados to cappuccinos and lattes, as well as creative espresso-based options like coffee soda, coffee egg cream, and a cardamom tonic. There’s also a separate tea drinks menu, as well as breakfast and lunch fare, and a solid wine, beer, and cocktails list.

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.

Though it shares its name with a half-dozen other teriyaki shops in town, this location on the Ave is the original, and while it shows its age, it also shows why so many tried to emulate it. Ignore the many options and stick to what they do best: cook up exceptional versions of the classic Seattle-style teriyaki. Expect a heaping portion of rice and meat with a gently sweet teriyaki sauce, plus a portion of the traditional salad with creamy dressing.

Meals are simple but tasty in this inn's large dining room, the only restaurant open year-round in the park: flat iron steak, bison meat loaf, rosemary grilled salmon, and blackberry cobbler à la mode. Photos of Mt. Rainier taken by top photographers adorn the walls—a bonus on the many days the mountain refuses to show itself.

In a converted historic netshed perched dramatically over the water in Gig Harbor, this is a lively and picturesque spot for breakfast or lunch—especially on warm days when you can soak up the soft breezes from a seat on the deck. Standout dishes include the fluffy biscuit stuffed with Portuguese sausage and Beecher's cheddar and topped with red gravy, and apple pie waffles with sweet-almond streusel.

This cheery, simple downtown breakfast and lunch spot renowned for its house-made blackberry jam and funky vibe is a cooperative, owned entirely by its staff. The filling omelets, including the Northwestern (with smoked salmon, spinach, and cream cheese) and Benedicts are among the mainstays that keep regulars coming back, but the decadent blackberry French toast is the café's showstopper.

Chatter-filled and nearly always packed, this downtown neighborhood tavern with TVs airing Seattle sports games and ample sidewalk seating is popular for casual but creative comfort fare. Best bets include the citrus-crab salad with feta and avocado and the mac-and-cheese with buffalo chicken, plus an extensive list of beef and elk burgers.

Brewing memorabilia, including a big wall of vintage beer bottles known as the "beer shrine," greet patrons to this rambling roadhouse and brewery along the scenic Mt. Baker Highway, about 20 miles northeast of Bellingham. After a day of skiing or hiking, stop in for a pint of Bavarian-style hefeweizen or a heady barley wine, along with one of the filling pizzas or a bowl of clams steamed in garlic-chipotle broth.

This greenhouse-enclosed restaurant with a garden patio overlooks one of the region's oldest lavender and herb farms and features a creative, seasonally inspired menu. The specialties change often but might include lamb burgers with turmeric-pickled onions and Dijon aioli, seared pork belly with tamari-ginger sauce, and chili-seared halibut with a rhubarb-tarragon salsa. Try the house-made smoothies and shrub sodas.

A neighborhood favorite that now has two additional locations, this artisan shop isn’t quite a trip to Italy but the gelato is the real deal, including stracciatella, pistachio, and other classic flavors, all with high-quality ingredients. The namesake-for-a-reason Nutty Squirrel swirls salty peanut butter with dulce de leche caramel and chocolate chips. 

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.

Espresso, beer, wine, and a variety of sweet baked goods—including memorable cinnamon rolls and lemon bars—are served in this inviting roastery and bistro with a gas fireplace, cathedral ceilings, and a cozy upstairs loft with armchairs and sofas. The kitchen doles out creative fare such as blackened-prawn tacos and a harvest salad with hazelnuts and house-pickled beets.

Right in the center of the Pike–Pine universe, this huge, ultrahip space anchoring the Oddfellows Building, across from Cal Anderson Park, serves inspired American food from morning coffee to evening drinks. The day might start with breakfast biscuits and thick brioche French toast; later on you can order the "Oddball" sandwich of meatballs in marinara sauce with provolone and Parmesan and roasted free-range chicken. Service is sometimes a bit lacking, but the communal-style seating, Capitol Hill hipster-chic vibe, cold brews, and festive music make this a fun place to watch the day go by or spend an evening out.