18 Best Restaurants in The Olympic Peninsula and Washington Coast, Washington

Blue Moose Cafe

$ Fodor's choice

Convivial, cozy, and a bit off-the-wall, this is one of Port Townsend's best sources of generous, unfussy breakfasts and lunches, like thick pancakes and decadent eggs Benedicts, plus hefty burgers and sandwiches. Long popular with sailors and shipwrights who work in the surrounding Port Townsend Boat Haven, this hole-in-the-wall fills up fast on weekends, but you can help yourself to a mug of drip coffee while you wait.

Pane d'Amore

$ Fodor's choice

Pick up a baguette, loaf of fig-anise bread, chocolate-chip cookies, maple-pecan scones, or cinnamon buns at this top-notch bakery, tucked into a small storefront in the heart of the Uptown district. There's a selection of cheeses, jams, granola, kombucha, and other gourmet goods to go as well. Additional locations are on the Port Townsend waterfront, in Sequim, and on Bainbridge Island.

8th Avenue Ale House

$

Count on comforting, hearty Pacific Northwest pub fare at this long, narrow, and dimly lit eatery, with an ample selection of regional beer on tap. Look for pizza, seafood, and appetizers like deep-fried pickles, beer-battered mushrooms, crab cakes, and a pound of clams. Fish-and-chips, sandwiches, and burgers like the Naughty Nellie, with American and Swiss cheese and crushed red pepper, round out the menu. There's a small beer garden in back and more seating out front. Hoquiam is about a 30-minute drive from Ocean Shores. 

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8th Street Ale House

$

You can count on finding deftly prepared Pacific Northwest pub fare—thin-crust pizzas, beer-braised pot roast, house-made black-bean burgers seafood, cod fish-and-chips, and crab-rockfish cakes—at this long, narrow, and dimly lit neighborhood pub in downtown Hoquiam. There's an ample selection of regional beer on tap, which is best enjoyed in the cozy beer garden in back.

Aloha Alabama BBQ and Bakery

$

This funky eatery in Westport's marina district offers an unlikely trinity of traditional Southern barbecue, Hawaiian food, and the pub fare that's more typical of the area, and all of it is quite tasty. The island cuisine, including kalua pork and Hawaiian barbecue chicken, is particularly good, but regulars also swear by the fall-off-the-bone beef brisket and the panko-breaded Willapa Bay oysters and fries. You can customize the spice levels by choosing from a huge selection of hot sauces.

2309 Westhaven Dr., Westport, Washington, 98595, USA
360-268–7299
Known For
  • refreshing cucumber margaritas
  • addictive smoked-pork egg rolls
  • garlic-smoked chicken platters
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.

Billy's Bar & Grill

$

The most popular local saloon and brothel during Aberdeen's rough-and-tumble logging and seafaring years, this colorful tavern has a collection of prints recalling those bawdy days and remembering the life of the notorious original owner, Billy Ghol, who was rumored to have killed more than 100 men. The standard comfort fare includes steak and eggs, grilled local oysters, French dip sandwiches, and fish-and-chips. If you're looking for a challenge, try the Billy's Belt Buster, a burger with four patties, cheese, and bacon.

322 E. Heron St., Aberdeen, Washington, 98520, USA
360-533–7144
Known For
  • good array of beef and chicken burgers
  • potential sightings of Billy Ghol's ghost
  • caramel apple tarts with vanilla ice cream
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

Blakeslee's Bar and Grill

$

In an area with precious few dining options, this casual tavern just a little south of downtown Forks is a sight for sore eyes and hungry stomachs, offering up big portions of reliably good pub food. After a day of hiking or beachcombing, tuck into the half-pound Mill Creek bacon cheeseburger, a rib-eye steak, or a platter of batter-fried local seafood.

1222 S. Forks Ave., Forks, Washington, 98331, USA
360-374–5003
Known For
  • nachos (both traditional and Irish-style)
  • craft beer and potent cocktails
  • playing pool
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.

Blue Buoy

$

Venture inside this endearingly dive-y diner with wood-paneled walls and nautical decor for formidable portions of stick-to-your-ribs breakfast and lunch fare. Consider the Dungeness crab omelet or fluffy biscuits and sausage gravy in the morning; top lunch offerings include New England–style clam chowder and the shrimp Louie salad.

2323 Westhaven Dr., Westport, Washington, 98595, USA
360-268–7065
Known For
  • fried oysters in everything from omelets to po'boys
  • marina view from tables in front
  • platters of assorted fish and shellfish
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: No dinner

Calvin's Crab House

$

This friendly, no-frills seafood spot has a simply furnished dining room as well as picnic tables and Adirondack chairs on the beach overlooking the Strait of San Juan de Fuca. On warm days it's an idyllic spot to enjoy fresh fish-and-chips (your choice of salmon, halibut, prawns, or oysters), plus hearty seafood chowder and Dungeness crab when it's in season. It closes at 7 pm, so plan accordingly.

160 Bayview Ave., Neah Bay, Washington, 98357, USA
360-374–5630
Known For
  • lightly battered fresh local seafood
  • thick, finger-size steak fries
  • espresso drinks and pastries in the morning
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. and from Nov.–Mar.

Cellar Door

$

The entrance to this subterranean space can be difficult to spot—at the bottom of a Tyler Street staircase. There you'll find a sophisticated yet casual wine and cocktail bar that melds vintage Victorian with a rustic-industrial feel and sense of whimsy (concrete floors, reclaimed wood, antiques). Catering to the after-hours crew, it offers contemporary bites, handcrafted cocktails, and a distinctly steampunk vibe. Most of the sodas, syrups, bitters, and infusions are made in-house.

Elevated Ice Cream & Candy Shop

$

Since 1977 this venerable ice-cream parlor and candy shop has been a fixture downtown, doling out small-batch ice creams and Italian ices, and always featuring at least 30 flavors—many, such as pink gooseberry and strawberry-rhubarb, featuring ingredients sourced from local farms. If it's a warm day, bring your cone, shake, or sundae (or box of handmade chocolates) next door to Pope Marine Park and enjoy your dessert while watching ships in the bay.

Elixir Coffee Shop

$

An enjoyable stopover between Westport and the Long Beach Peninsula, this airy café with three walls of windows has panoramic views of the Willapa River and is decorated with colorfully painted chairs, hanging plants, and potted flowers. First-rate espresso drinks, chai teas, and light snacks—black currant scones, lavender-honey toast with goat cheese, bacon-tomato-avocado sandwiches—are offered.

Green Lantern Pub

$

The Copalis River flows beside this cash-only, cedar-shake-covered local favorite, in business since the 1930s and known for filling comfort food throughout the day, starting with bay shrimp breakfast scrambles and continuing later in the day with BLTs, burgers, chicken-fried steak sandwiches, clam strips, and fish-and-chips served in baskets. The laid-back dining room has a 10-foot-long clam-digging shovel in the corner.

3119 Hwy. 109, Copalis Beach, Washington, 98535, USA
360-289–2297
Known For
  • picnic tables overlooking the river
  • French dip and German sausage sandwiches
  • tasty fried seafood

Hanazono Asian Noodle

$

This long, narrow Japanese sushi bar and noodle house offers a long menu of udon, ramen, and other hearty soups along with stir-fries, sushi rolls, and donburi (rice bowls). Start with tofu fries, miso soup, seaweed salad, spring rolls, or gyoza pot stickers stuffed with cabbage, pork, and green onion. Finish with a slice of green tea tiramisu.

225 Taylor St., Port Townsend, Washington, 98368, USA
360-385–7622
Known For
  • sushi rolls with local tempura lingcod and wasabi mayo
  • karaage-style fried chicken and squid legs
  • excellent sake menu
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.

Hoodsport Coffee Company

$
Well-crafted espresso drinks made with house-roasted coffee are the main draw of this congenial roadside café with comfy seating and a gas fireplace. There's also a good selection of panini and bagel sandwiches, and—most famously—locally revered Olympic Mountain ice cream in unusual flavors like vanilla-habanero and huckleberry swirl.

Hurricane Coffee Co.

$

Pop into this dapper downtown java house while browsing Sequim's bounty of boutiques and galleries for a blackberry mocha or a golden turmeric chai. The food offerings hit the spot, too—consider the caprese panini or triple-chocolate croissant.

104 W. Washington St., Sequim, Washington, 98382, USA
360-681–6008
Known For
  • inviting, sunny dining room
  • sweet and savory scones in interesting flavors
  • Elevated-brand ice cream from Port Townsend
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: No dinner

Oak Table Cafe

$

Carefully crafted breakfasts and lunches are the focus of this well-run, family-friendly eatery, a Sequim institution since 1981. Breakfast is served throughout the day, and on Sunday morning the large, well-lit dining room is especially bustling. The selection is extensive: thickly sliced bacon and eggs are a top seller, but the restaurant is best known for its creamy blintzes, golden-brown waffles, and variety of crepes and pancakes. Lunch choices include several salads, sandwiches, burgers, and a soup du jour.

292 W. Bell St., Washington, 98382, USA
360-683–2179
Known For
  • eggs Nicole with veggies and hollandaise sauce on a croissant
  • huge soufflé-style apple-cinnamon pancakes
  • char-broiled burgers at lunch
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: No dinner

Ocean Beach Roasters & Bistro

$

Espresso, beer, wine, and a variety of sweet baked goods—including memorable cinnamon rolls and lemon bars—are served in this inviting roastery and bistro with a gas fireplace, cathedral ceilings, and a cozy upstairs loft with armchairs and sofas. The kitchen doles out creative fare such as blackened-prawn tacos and a harvest salad with hazelnuts and house-pickled beets.