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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 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.
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.
Serving some of the most flavorful and original Thai food in Washington, this cheerfully decorated restaurant in an unassuming strip mall in Burlington (10 miles northeast of La Conner) is helmed by a young, gracious chef-owner who learned her trade at Bangkok's Thai Royal Grand Palace. Authentically prepared standouts include a salad of poached chicken with coconut milk, banana blossoms, and fried shallots, and a fragrant massaman curry with fresh pineapple.
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.
The wood-fired pizzas with thin, blistered crusts and gourmet toppings are just one draw of this cheerful neighborhood restaurant within steps of the many wineries of Woodinville's Hollywood District. Vivi also serves first-rate arugula-pear salads, spaghetti carbonara, and prawn- and clam-studded cioppino.
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.
If you're looking to fuel up before a big hike in the park, this festive restaurant with plenty of outdoor seating is a good bet. It's run by record-shattering Mt. Everest climber Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa and his wife, Fulamu, who helms the kitchen, serving up a mix of Nepalese and classic American dishes, including traditional pork momo dumplings and thali chicken, mushroom, and garbanzo bean platters. On the American side of the menu are hefty burgers, sandwiches, and fish-and-chips.
Although new owners took over and renamed the restaurant in 2015, this reliable fueling stop on the way to Snoqualmie Pass remains a trusted community favorite for fresh-made doughnuts, pastries, and breads. Good coffee and a full deli menu of sandwiches, soups, quiches, and calzones are also available.
