- Many people may not think of Washington as the place to go for eats, but the state has some of the most food-vibrant cities in the country
- If you’re looking for good food, consider looking outside of the traditional “best restaurants” in a city, you may be surprised at what you find
- If you’re driving or renting a car for your food trip, be sure you have the right type of auto coverage to protect yourself
Washington is a standout state because it’s the northernmost in the Pacific Northwest. In addition, the unique atmosphere throughout the state allows people to enjoy things like beaches, rainforests and even scrublands in the Eastern part of the state.
Washington has a rich history of diversity and has often been voted one of the friendliest states in the country.
Many people come to Washington looking for gloomy weather and Native American-inspired tall tales but leave with memories that will last them for years to come. Before you head to Washington, make sure you are covered with our free quote tool above!
6 Cities with Good Eats in Washington
Each city in Washington has a particular cuisine it is known for. You may be surprised to find that Mediterranean fare is popular in one city while “southern” cooking is the fan favorite in another area.
No matter which city you choose to eat at in Washington, understand you’ll be leaving with your belly full.
#6 – Seattle
Cuisine: European Fusion
Must-Eat: Lasagna
The Seattle food scene is much like Seattle – unique. The city is known for places like The Pink Door and the Hitchcock Restaurant. The most accurate food description for popular food in Seattle is European fusion.
The Pink Door is an Italian restaurant that has a twist to it. There are trapeze artists who perform in the restaurant. The Hitchcock is similar but much smaller.
The dining room serves food like European food, but with a Pacific Northwest take on it which means a lot of fresh and tasty salmon.
# 5 – Spokane
Cuisine: Healthy Comfort Food
Must-Eat: Yukon Taquitos
Since Spokane is a health food capitol within Washington, most restaurants focus their food on how healthy it is. The Flying Goat and the Wild Sage Bistro both serve health food.
The difference in these health food restaurants is that they have comfort foods. Spokane knows how to customize a recipe and they work hard to ensure their comfort food is as healthy as it gets.
In addition to health food and delicious flavor pairings, the Flying Goat also has locally sourced ingredients. They serve beer and wines from the various breweries and vineyards that are all around Washington.
#4 – Tacoma
Cuisine: Pacifist Northwestern Fare and European
Must-Eat: Weiner Schnitzel
Head just a little Southwest of Seattle and you’ll land yourself in Tacoma. In fact, Tacoma is so close to Seattle, they share an airport. SeaTac is the only thing the two share, though. Even their tastes in food are much different from each other.
While you may have unique dining experiences in Seattle, Tacoma is more focused on how they can make traditional Pacific Northwestern fare the best that it can be.
Places like Pacific Grill know just how to fire up some customer favorites from both land and sea.
Most of the seafood served at the Pacific Grill is sourced locally in the Greys Harbor area or somewhere else within the Puget Sound. The Citron European Bistro also sources its food locally, but they have more options for fusion food.
Mixing traditional European cuisine with Pacific Northwestern seems to be a great approach that has made Citron one of the best destinations within the city limits of Tacoma.
#3 – Vancouver
Cuisine: Southern
Must-Eat: Chicken and Dumplings
For a Northern city in Washington, Vancouver knows how to get southern cuisine right. The Frontier Public House has a small but unique menu. This cozy little restaurant is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
The Frontier House cooks down-home food just the way grandma made it. If you are more interested in a cafe style experience head on over to Brewed.
Brewed is a cafe that serves both coffee and cocktails. They do also serve food if you are hungry.
#2 – Bellevue
Cuisine: Comfort Food
Must-Eat: Pork Belly
Since Bellevue is home to some of the trendiest hipsters in all of the United States, it makes sense the city would have all the best restaurants for people who are looking for something a bit more high end.
Right outside of Seattle, people can visit Lot No. 3 in Bellevue. This gastropub is the hottest spot in the city for people to work on their appetite. The restaurant has both upscale cuisine and even drinks that are sourced from local breweries.
If you’re looking for something a little more traditional, Daniel’s Broiler has what you might be wanting.
The upscale steakhouse offers customized creations, traditional steak dinners and drinks to keep you satisfied throughout your meal.
#1 – Olympia
Cuisine: Seafood and Mediterranean
Must-Eat: Donair Kebab
Anthony’s Homeport Olympia will have you feeling right at home. The seafood chain is a Pacific Northwest original and they have food that comes from right down the street in the Puget Sound.
They source all their ingredients locally and even offer some of the best beers and wines that were made in Washington.
The Mediterranean Breeze has a Greek twist on the food they have to offer, but they also source all their seafood locally so those who are eating know right where it comes from.
Since Olympia is only about one hour away from Seattle, it’s easy to head from one city to the next and enjoy the best cuisine in Washington.
Getting to Your Food City
Getting to your food city is part of the fun of traveling for food in Washington. Make a trip out of trying the best restaurants, but always remember to plan ahead.
If you know what you want to do, getting to the city should be the most enjoyable part of the trip.
– Driving Safely in Washington
If you plan to drive to the city where you’re going to eat, you will need to make sure you’re covered under Washington law.
Even if your car is from a different state, you’ll need to have a minimum of $25,000 in liability coverage for bodily injury along with a minimum of $10,000 in liability coverage for the property.
By staying covered under Washington law, you’ll be sure to have a great time on your trip.
The best part about driving is that you’ll have control of when you’re leaving and where you’re going. You may not be able to drink as much as you’d like while you’re visiting the restaurants, though.
Keep that fact in mind when you are deciding whether to drive or not and always consider the alternatives to driving.
–Renting a Car
You can also rent a car to go on your food trip in Washington. This is especially helpful if you don’t own a car, you’re coming from a different state or you’ve flown into Washington.
Generally, the only things you need to have to rent a car are the total amount of the car rental, a valid credit or debit card and a driver’s license.
Most car rental companies will even take international licenses if that’s what you would typically carry or if you are a citizen of another country.
You do not need to carry insurance in order to rent a car, but some car rental companies may require you to either show proof of insurance or purchase their coverage plans if you’ don’t have auto insurance of your own.
– Ride Sharing
One of the more modern ways to get around is ridesharing. While ride-sharing may not be a great option if you’re going from somewhere like Greys Harbor to Spokane, it can be helpful if you are starting out within an hour or two of your destination.
Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft will take you from one destination to another with rates that are often lower than a cab company. You can often go from Seattle to Olympia for less than $100.
The benefit of taking a rideshare company is that you can drink as much as you want and you don’t need to have a license to ride in one.
You are limited to the drivers that are available and you’ll have to pay the cost of getting from Point A to Point B.
No matter which way you are planning to get to restaurants in Washington, it is a great idea to try different locations.
There are many different cuisine styles throughout the state that will give you access to all the food you could dream of. Remember to try different cities to try the best cuisine possible.
Make sure you are covered no matter where your culinary road trip takes you. Just enter your zip code below and get a free quote now!