5 Best Restaurants in La Conner, Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys

On a breezy, sunny day, it's hard to find a more inviting spot for lunch or dinner than the deck of this upscale farm-to-table restaurant overlooking the pleasure boats chugging along downtown La Conner's Swinomish Channel. Whether you dine inside or out, expect a menu of stellar Pacific Northwest fare, perhaps lightly fried local oysters with lemon aioli to start, followed by a bone-in Kurobuta pork chop with stone-ground mustard demi-glace. 

A couple of blocks from the river on a bluff with expansive views of the village, this homey restaurant with a rustic dark-wood interior serves superb seafood, including clams steamed in white wine with smoked tomatoes and bacon, and seared sea scallops with creamed-leek risotto. There are also always a few well-prepared French-inspired classics, such as baked escargots and dry-aged rib eye with confit potatoes and foie gras–anchovy butter. 

A local favorite, this storefront bakery, with branches nearby in Anacortes and Mount Vernon, turns out heavenly pastries, plus big portions of breakfast and lunch fare. Lunches focus on fresh and creative salads, soups, and burgers; huge and hearty breakfasts may leave you with little need for lunch—the roasted-butternut-squash hash and migas are a couple of favorites. Buy goodies at the take-out counter for a picnic adventure.

You'll find some of northern Washington's tastiest Mexican food, from wild-cod ceviche to chicken in a 30-ingredient mole sauce, at this cheerful and unpretentious eatery that also specializes in made-to-order premium margaritas (try the smooth "top shelf" with Jimador Blanco tequila, lime juice, and agave nectar). There's another location in Mount Vernon.

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.