3 Best Restaurants in Ellensburg, Washington Wine Country

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We've compiled the best of the best in Ellensburg - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

The Pearl Bar & Grill

$$ Fodor's Choice

In this warmly inviting storefront that morphs into a full-on bar and live music haunt after 9 pm, enjoy gastropub cooking that often features internationally inspired dishes, such as pork belly ramen and mussels in a fragrant Thai red coconut curry. Decked out with deep wooden booths, exposed brick walls, and vintage chandeliers, it's a classy joint, but with an "everybody knows your name" vibe.

402 N. Pearl St., Ellensburg, 98926, USA
509-201–1042
Known For
  • Generous late-afternoon happy hour
  • Hearty burgers, chops, and seafood grills
  • Prohibition era–inspired cocktails

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Yellow Church Café

$$ Fodor's Choice

Set inside a 1923 Lutheran church, this cheery yellow house of culinary worship now serves modern American fare with global accents inside the former nave and choir loft. Standouts at dinner include garam masala–crusted rack of lamb and oven-roasted cedar plank steelhead with lemon caper butter. The gooey bananas Foster waffles are a crowd-pleaser on weekend mornings.

The Palace Cafe

$$

Hungry travelers and townsfolk have been fueling up in this rollicking Old West tavern with period wallpaper and pressed-tin ceilings since 1892, tucking into plates of old-school pub fare. The nachos, fish-and-chips, and steaks are reliably good, and a handful of specialties—especially the sirloin steak with coconut prawns and open-faced chili burgers—keep regulars coming back again and again. Portions are generous, especially at breakfast, and there's a sizable kids' menu. 

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