2 Best Restaurants in Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys, Washington

Background Illustration for 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’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.

Harris Avenue Café

$

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, 98225, USA
360-738–0802
Known For
  • Adjoining coffeehouse is a nice option for espresso
  • Generously sized sandwiches and burgers
  • Pleasant patio for warm-weather dining
Restaurant Details
No dinner

Something incorrect in this review?

Georgia's Bakery

$

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.

127 W. North Bend Way, North Bend, 98045, USA
425-888–0632
Known For
  • Maple bar doughnuts
  • Meatball calzones
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon. No dinner

Something incorrect in this review?