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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.
At this convivial two-level downtown tavern with exposed brick walls and tall windows, boldly flavored Southern fare—prominently featuring rotisserie or fried (buttermilk or spicy-hot) chicken—rules the day. The chicken dishes come with a variety of sauces and sides and in several different formats, from chicken and waffles to fried chicken thigh sandwiches with Tabasco mayo.
This bustling, casual spot along Tacoma's colorful 6th Avenue strip serves remarkably authentic and absolutely delicious soul food. In the morning, regulars swing by for heaping plates of chicken-fried steak with grits and eggs, or homemade biscuits and gravy. Later, move on to fried catfish strips with a side of hush puppies, Texas-style hand-trimmed brisket, and hot-links sandwiches. Dinners come with corn cakes and lots of tasty sides.
