18 Best Restaurants in The San Juan Islands, Washington

Most of the tables in this warmly rustic dining room at Doe Bay Resort overlook the tranquil body of water for which the café is named. This is a popular stop for brunch or dinner before or after hiking or biking in nearby Moran State Park—starting your day off with a smoked-salmon Benedict with Calabrian-chili hollandaise will provide you with plenty of fuel for recreation. The kitchen uses ingredients foraged from the lush resort garden in such artful, healthy dinner creations as crisp-skinned wild salmon with onion-port jam, dandelion greens, salsify-chevre-quinoa cakes, and walnuts; and Thai green curry with local spot prawns.

Ingenuity and dedication to local ingredients are hallmarks of this stylish, contemporary restaurant, where locals and tourists alike come for dishes such as baked oysters, mushroom panzanella, San Juan Island–raised lamb shoulder cooked in fig leaves, and a popular house burger; during the summer, the hotel's outdoor Raw Bar serves seafood and frozen cocktails. The restaurant's daily breakfast is popular with islanders and convenient for hotel guests: the brunch burger, topped with a fried egg and green-tomato-and-bacon jam, and breakfast poutine with duck confit and cheese curds make for decadent starts to your day.

You might make it a point to get to this wildly popular village bakery by late morning—come midafternoon, many of the best treats are sold out. Delectables here include flaky almond-coated bear paw pastries, rich croque monsieur sandwiches, hubcap-size "Sasquatch" cookies, Tuscan olive bread, and moist blueberry muffins. Dine on the garden patio on sunny days.

This snazzy, contemporary, seafood-driven restaurant overlooking the harbor has a light-filled dining room that makes a terrific spot to watch boats and ferries come and go while sampling such tempting fare as Penn Cove mussels, pan-seared sockeye salmon with seasonal veggies, and a seafood Cobb salad piled high with Dungeness crab and whole shrimp.

You'll find something for everyone at this Lopez eatery, which seems to have picked favorite dishes from various cuisines and created solid versions of them, sometimes with inventive twists (tater tots in a burrito, for example); they've got everything from Thai fresh rolls to gamberoni linguine with fresh, locally made pasta.

Tucked into a small, cabinlike strip of businesses set back from the water, this cozy, wood-paneled bakery has been a source of delicious fresh ham-and-Gruyère croissants, marionberry scones, slices of pizza, and other savory and sweet treats since 1977. Sunny summer mornings bring diners out onto the patio, where kids play and parents relax.

The restaurant at this stylish, contemporary inn just a mile from Eastsound offers among the most memorable dining experiences on the island. Tucked into a renovated 1869 farmhouse, the dining room and bar serve food that emphasizes local, seasonal ingredients. Island greens, fruits, and seafood are served alongside a regionally focused wine list, and the results are spectacular. Notable dishes include sea scallops with bacon-potato hash and lemon aioli, and local roasted pork with creamy garlic farro, sweet onions, rhubarb, and wilted greens. Even the bread is memorable; the restaurant serves house-made sourdough from a starter that's more than 100 years old.

A favorite of Lopez locals, Isabel's sources its coffee from fair trade suppliers and its creamy dairy from the mainland's small Fresh Breeze Organic Dairy Farm. Housed in a charming rustic building in Lopez's tiny "downtown," the café also serves light fare like pastries and sandwiches.

Situated on the Eastsound waterfront, this pub-style eatery serves classic Northwest cuisine: pan-fried local oysters, Dungeness crab cakes, Angus beef burgers, and grilled wild Coho salmon. But what really stands out here is the atmosphere. A vaulted ceiling with exposed wooden beams gives the little space some serious personality, a small patio is ideal during warm summer nights, and a rotating cast of microbrews on tap complement the restaurant's spectacular water views.

For a special-occasion dinner, it's worth the drive to this grandly romantic dining room inside the historic main inn at Rosario Resort, known for polished service, sweeping bay views, and Northwest cuisine. The dishes are more classic than creative, like king salmon with risotto and a seared strip steak with potatoes au gratin, but made with high-quality ingredients (some sources are listed on the menu). Brunch is served daily, as well.

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.

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.

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.

A charming small café with bountiful planters of flowers and artsy touches like a gorgeous forest-scene stained glass window, the relatively new Olga Rising has become a neighborhood fixture quickly. (Note: Despite the name, it's in Eastbound, not the tiny hamlet of Olga.)

The island's local brewery, just a few short blocks from the ferry landing, has a nice selection of suds brewed on-site, along with standard brew-pub fare (pretzels, cheese curds, chicken wings) and surprisingly good individual pizzas.

One of the latest upscale farm-to-table restaurants to put the San Juan Islands on the culinary map (reservations strongly recommended), Ursa Minor is helmed by Nick Coffey, formerly of the now-closed Sitka & Spruce in Seattle. He celebrates the Islands' incredible bounty with a creative seasonal menu featuring seafood, foraged mushrooms, and produce from island farms.

At this gourmet market and wine shop (open primarily during the daytime but until 8 pm on Friday), the proprietors create a daily-changing assortment of prepared foods and some made-to-order items, such as Reuben panini sandwiches. Other favorites include Dungeness crab cakes, hearty meat loaf, lobster mac-and-cheese, and an assortment of tempting desserts. You order at the counter and can then enjoy your meal either to go or on the colorful garden patio.