5 Best Restaurants in The San Juan Islands, Washington
The San Juans have myriad small farms and restaurants serving local foods and fresh-harvested seafood, and culinary agritourism—visiting local farmers, growers, and chefs at their places of business—is on the rise.
Brown Bear Baking
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.
Isabel's Espresso
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.
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The Market Chef
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.
Olga Rising
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.