4 Best Restaurants in Orcas Island, The San Juan Islands

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, gluten-free "Turtleback Trail" cookies, Tuscan olive bread, and moist berry muffins. Dine on the garden patio on sunny days.

Situated on the Eastsound waterfront, this pub-style eatery serves classic Northwest cuisine like pan-fried local oysters, Dungeness crab cakes, Angus beef burgers, and grilled wild sockeye 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 spectacular water views.

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. Expect a mix of flavorful Mexican and Mexican-American dishes, many featuring local ingredients. The tender braised short ribs in blackberry mole sauce and Dungeness crab enchiladas 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 quickly become a neighborhood fixture.