Restaurants worth the drive: 6 spots to visit on your Washington state road trip
From James Beard Award-winning tamales in Yakima Valley to a taste of London on Bainbridge Island. #k5evening
There's no time like summer to pack the car up and hit the road. Wherever your road trip travels take you, don't forget to make time for the best part- the food!
We've rounded up six restaurants across the state of Washington worth the drive alone. Safe travels and happy eating!
Birch Door Cafe Bellingham
People come for the famous apple pancakes and stay for the lively atmosphere.
Even on a weekday morning, The Birch Door Cafe in Bellingham is packed. It's the kind of place that still does things the old-fashioned way.
The juice is fresh, the potatoes are homestyle, and they even make their apple syrup from scratch!
Husband and wife team Casey and Taria Nagler are happy to serve you 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
Tweets Cafe Edison
Tweets Café is proof that big things can come in small packages. In this case, in one of Washington's tiniest towns.
Organic, locally-sourced ingredients remain the heart of the seasonal menu. But Tweets' appeal isn't just about food. It's a complete experience.
Described by patrons as cozy and cute, it's the kind of place that makes you feel at home, no matter how far away from home you are.
You can visit Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tweets Cafe accepts cash and checks only.
The Ruby Brink Vashon Island
One quick ferry ride over, and you can discover the joys of The Ruby Brink. They serve up delicious dishes, but they don't stop there. It's also a butcher, bakery, bar, and grocery store!
Since the restaurant's opening in 2019, one dish that's caught the attention of many is the humbly-named Meat & Noodle.
As the name suggests, it's a soup of meat and noodles, along with pickles, local vegetables and a decadent soft-boiled egg. Simple, but thanks to high-quality ingredients, simply delicious.
"We put a lot of emphasis on local produce, and our relationship with farmers drives our menu," said co-owner Jake Heil.
The Ruby Brink is open Tuesday through Sunday.
Proper Fish and Chips Bainbridge Island
You can get a taste of London without ever leaving Washington. You just have to take a quick ferry to Bainbridge Island.
Like the newspaper ad on the wall says, it's always a 'Jolly Fine Day for Enjoying Fish and Chips' at Proper Fish on Bainbridge Island.
Londoner Harvey Wolff- of Nosh food truck fame - opened this place in 2019, to feature the British-style fish and chips voted 'Best in the Seattle' by both the Seattle Times and Zagat. He recently sold the place to a trio of employees who are keeping that London legacy alive.
They travel to Seattle to pick up cod that's line-caught from the Bering Sea. It’s cut into humongous filets and served with a fresh serving of mushed peas that has folks coming back again and again.
Proper Fish is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar Olympia
For fresh shellfish, you've gotta head to the south sound where Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar does tide to table.
The restaurant harvests their oysters and clams on a Hood Canal beach about five miles from where they serve them.
Chelsea's executive chef Austin Navarre keeps it simple. You can order raw oysters dressed with nuoc cham - a Vietnamese dipping sauce - and microgreens. Or you can get them 'naked'.
You can visit them Tuesday through Thursday. View their daily hours on their website.
Los Hernandez Tamales Yakima County
Felipe Hernandez had never heard of a James Beard award until his tamale shop won one in 2018.
He opened Los Hernandez with his wife on Union Gap’s Main Street in 1990 and they've been serving family recipes since. If you can't get enough of their piping hot tamales on your visit, you can also purchase frozen ones to enjoy at home.
You can see the hours for each location on their website.
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