Explore Washington State
Washington State Food and Drink
Washington State’s food and drink scene has grown into something genuinely worth making a trip for. The same state that produces world class wines in the Walla Walla Valley and Yakima hop farms is also home to a craft brewery scene that punches above its weight, independent coffee roasters doing serious work, and a coastal seafood tradition that starts about as close to the source as you can get.
This section covers the eating and drinking side of exploring Washington. You will find restaurant recommendations, brewery and winery guides, coffee shops worth seeking out, food trucks worth tracking down, and the kind of local food finds that do not show up on national best of lists but should. Every post is written by someone who actually ordered the food and formed an opinion.
Washington is a genuinely interesting food state. The agricultural diversity east of the Cascades alone produces ingredients most other states can only import. Pair that with a Pacific coast seafood supply and a serious Pacific Northwest food culture and you have the conditions for some exceptional eating, whether you are in a city or a small town.
Browse recent posts below, or use the county tags to find food and drink recommendations near where you are headed.
Seattle‘s Pike Place Market is an iconic staple to the Pacific Northwest, and most people from Washington have visited many times. But what’s it like as a visitor from the East Coast, exploring the market for the first time? Adrian Stouffer, a Pennsylvania native, recently took a family trip to Washington on a whim, and...
Have you visited Riverfront Park in Spokane WA? If you haven’t made it to the Riverfront Park yet, this is a must-see tourist destination in Lilac City. Riverfront Park boasts stunning waterfall views, great family recreational activities, and plenty of other adventures to hit within just a few blocks. You can spend hours walking the...
“Where exactly IS SODO?” My friend asked me a few weeks ago as we were walking through Ballard, trying not to think about the sheer number of calories we had just consumed through lunch, lattes and ice cream. I took a second to process the question and the best answer I had was, “you know,...
The Local Public House is part of the Menace Brewery family and is located at 1427 Railroad Ave. in Bellingham. Established in 2014, The Local used to be the only place to get Menace beer on draught. That changed three years ago when Menace opened their brewery on Meridian Street in Bellingham. The Local prides...
It began with Northern Lights Brewery in 1993, and over the years Spokane’s craft microbreweries have rallied to turn Spokane into a compelling city for quality craft beer. Spokane can now boast more than 20 local breweries and has become a destination for people seeking out Spokane Style beers. Spokane celebrates this beer boom every...
It’s easy to admit that I’m a cafe hopper. Honestly, there’s a hint of pride in my voice when I share...
This is a guest post written by Hannah Pickering. Hannah is a journalism student at the University of Washington, a feminist, writer and amateur photographer. She enjoys espresso, traveling to new locales, finding new books and asking hard questions. Luck doesn’t come my way every day, but I lucked out twice over by having the opportunity...
Planning a trip to the Lilac City? Our complete guide to Spokane covers things to do, where to stay, how to get there, and more.
Steelhead Cider – Full Interview with Ben Barnes Below is an interview with Ben Barnes – operator of Steelhead Cider in Chelan, WA. In our interview, Ben explains how he got his start in the cider business, his family history with apples in central Washington, and how a trip to France in May of 2017...
Hops, the main component in flavoring beer, is a sun loving plant. Requiring between six and eight hours of sunlight per day, these vertically growing flower buds are used all over the world. But, did you know that in 2016, Yakima surpassed even Germany in the hop harvesting sector? Thus making it the hop growing...
Organic, a buzzword. A lifestyle and a preference for people across the board. In 2002 the USDA released a specific guideline of what makes something organic, or not. But for the founder and owner of Badger Mountain Vineyard in Kennewick, Bill Powers, the concern about how the chemicals used on produce could affect our health...
