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Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys Restaurants
Olympia and especially Tacoma have increasingly hip and sophisticated dining scenes, with everything from laid-back cafés to seasonally driven restaurants with water views. After those cities, Gig Harbor and Bellingham have the best food scenes—they’re not terribly big, but support fine little crops of notable restaurants. You’l
Olympia and especially Tacoma have increasingly hip and sophisticated dining scenes, with everything from laid-back cafés to seasonally driven restaurants with water views. After those cities, Gig Harbor and Bellingham have the best food scenes—they’re not terribly big,
Olympia and especially Tacoma have increasingly hip and sophisticated dining scenes, with everything from laid-back café
Olympia and especially Tacoma have increasingly hip and sophisticated dining scenes, with everything from laid-back cafés to seasonally driven restaurants with water views. After those cities, Gig Harbor and Bellingham have the best food scenes—they’re not terribly big, but support fine little crops of notable restaurants. You’ll also find good brewpubs and indie coffeehouses in most of the larger towns in the area. Edmonds also has a growing bounty of exceptional eateries.
On the road, refueling takes place at country-style cafés, farm stands, and kitschy or specialty shops like the ’50s-style sweets shops of Port Gamble and Snoqualmie or the Norwegian bakeries of Poulsbo. None of these is in short supply, and many eateries, however small, pride themselves on using local ingredients.
This decidedly offbeat breakfast and lunch spot in a quiet neighborhood just north of downtown stands out both for its prodigious portions of rib-sticking all-day breakfast fare and its funny (and often freaky) decorative elements, from dozens of clown paintings and figurines to its psychedelic color scheme. Prepare for a wait, especially on weekend mornings, and if you can possibly save room for dessert, the seasonal fruit (peach-blueberry, for example) bread puddings are to die for.
521 Kentucky St., Bellingham, Washington, 98225, USA
This hillside neighborhood tavern just south of downtown doesn't look like much from the outside, but it's an appealing option for lunch (or weekend brunch), dinner, or cocktails, as the drinks selection is extensive and the affordable food—from tacos to tofu—far exceeds typical pub grub. Favorites include crispy pork-belly tacos with apple-cabbage slaw and tart cherries, Moroccan-style quinoa salad with harissa-agave vinaigrette and seared tofu, and a commendable Reuben on rye bread. For brunch, fill up on chorizo Benedicts or the dangerously decadent "hangover homies"—home fries topped with melted cheese, scallions, two fried eggs, and spicy cheddar sour cream.
3529 McKinley Ave., Tacoma, Washington, 98438, USA
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.
The 1907 brick building that once housed the horse-drawn fire-engine brigade is now a convivial pub that's filled with firehouse memorabilia. The hearty, eclectic comfort food—burgers, tacos, mac and cheese—are well-priced and tasty. The adjacent E9 brewery turns out a nice range of craft ales and serves creatively topped pizzas.
This long-running microbrewery and tavern in a slightly industrial section of downtown has a bustling, open dining room with mounted fish on the walls. It's a funky and fun standby for big portions of pub standards—nachos, smoked wild salmon platters, black-bean burgers, fish-and-chips, and a much beloved Mudshark Porter dark-chocolate cheesecake. The ales are well crafted—try the Winterfish Organic Seasonal Ale during the cooler months, or cool off with a light Organic Blonde Ale on a hot summer night.
515 Jefferson St. SE, Olympia, Washington, 98501, USA
Occupying a light-filled, cheerfully painted late-Victorian building a few blocks from the port and train station in Fairhaven, this hugely popular breakfast and lunch spot adjoins an inviting little coffeehouse called Tony's, which is a nice option for lighter snacking and fueling up on espresso. In the main café, you can kick off a day of exploring with a filling Sitka omelet (smoked salmon, feta, roasted garlic, tomatoes, and pesto), or dig into one of the lunch options, such as the Matterhorn Burger, topped with mushrooms and Swiss cheese. The café closes at 2, but Tony's remains open till 6 pm.
1101 Harris Ave., Bellingham, Washington, 98225, USA
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.
In the morning, fuel up at this convivial, sprawling tavern with a latte and a breakfast burrito or bagel and lox plate before a local hike or skiing at nearby Snoqualmie Pass; South Fork is on a rural road surrounded by greenery. Later in the day, a friendly, outdoorsy crowd gathers to mingle over well-prepared gastropub fare, including tofu banh mi bowls, blistered shishito peppers with garlic aioli, and blackened-chicken Alfredo.
14303 436th Ave. SE, Snoqualmie, Washington, 98045, USA
This funky breakfast and lunch café in Everett Public Market is as popular now as when it opened in 1983. Perhaps that's because the blueberry or pecan hotcakes, rich soups, and overflowing sandwiches are as good as ever. Eye-opening espresso drinks start the morning; homemade pies in more than a dozen flavors are a perfect end to the afternoon.
Reservations are a must—try to book well ahead for weekends—at this compact and quirky South Tacoma brunch destination featuring the wonderfully weird cuisine of chef-owner Shawn Tibbitts. The payoff is the chance to stuff yourself with prodigious plates of candied-bacon-wrapped breakfast burritos and salted-caramel banana pancakes. Tibbitts is both personable and a bit of a showman, and there's a good chance he'll take your order personally.
This cavernous downtown brewhouse has a soaring, barrel-vaulted ceiling, monitors airing regional sports, and plenty of bar and booth seating, but it's known first and foremost for turning out some of the area's best ales—strong, barrel-aged Belgian-style beers are a specialty. There are tasty, filling pizzas and pub fare, too, including a notably good bacon burger with mustard, grilled onions, and a tangy house sauce.
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