Good Restaurant Between Seattle And Vancouver?

Since we'll be driving from Seattle to Vancouver (and vice versa), would anyone be able to recommend a nice restaurant we can stop at somewhere in between?

Doesn't have to be fancy - just a good stop - perhaps with a view?

We hope to be taking the Chuchanut Hwy along the coast - is there anything along there?

Any suggestions would be great!

We stopped at a little chain restaurant in Whiterock, BC called Ricky's All Day Grill, on our way from Vancouver back to Seattle. We left Vancouver, and actually had trouble finding any sort of place to eat. They had quite good food, fairly reasonably priced. Amazing how quickly those "cruise stomachs" become accustomed to eating on a regular basis :) .

I don't remember exactly where it was at -- we had pulled off the freeway looking for a place to eat, and were surprised at the lack of even "fast food" type places. We were quite glad we stopped here, as the waitress warned us that the Peace Arch border crossing was closed that afternoon (some sort of scout jamboree) and told us how to get to the truck crossing.

There are a couple of places along Chuckanut, but nothing that I would stop for in particular.

The northern end of Chuckanut Drive is in the Old Fairhaven district of Bellingham, a nice historic neighborhood with several good restaurants. Have a look at the menus and stroll the shops - I'm sure you'll find something agreeable. BTW Fairhaven is where the Alaska Ferry departs.

If you want to make a longer day of it, head over to LaConner (you'll find it on a map) between the freeway and the bottom end of Chuckanut. Very cute waterfront village (and it knows it) with several good places built over the water.

Nothing fancy in any of these places.

Oops, Sorry, I spelled Chuckanut wrong - I'm such a tourist...:rolleyes:

Great suggestions, though!

We are driving from Seattle to Vancouver also (June 30 for July 1 cruise on Statendam) so I read this thread with interest! Now I'm curious about this Chuchanut Hwy route. I have a WA state map and I can't seem to find it. We were planning on taking Interstate 5 but would love to have a scenic detour if someone can share more detailed info with me on exactly where this route is...my search on line hasn't given me anything specific enough. TIA!

We are driving from Seattle to Vancouver also (June 30 for July 1 cruise on Statendam) so I read this thread with interest! Now I'm curious about this Chuchanut Hwy route. I have a WA state map and I can't seem to find it. We were planning on taking Interstate 5 but would love to have a scenic detour if someone can share more detailed info with me on exactly where this route is...my search on line hasn't given me anything specific enough. TIA!

State Route 11 west of Burlington runs along the Puget Sound coast (in and out) to Bellingham. Chuckanut, as in tossing an almond.

Thanks Gardyloo...I've made a note of it on my map.

Can't remember the north area (Bellingham, etc) but there are 2 really magnificent places and one really good place a bit north of Seattle.

My two favorites are Chinook's at the Seattle Fisherman's Terminal in Ballard on the north end of the Seattle waterfront...and Anthony's at the ferry terminal in Edmonds. Both are a bit upscale but not hoity toity and both are on the water west of I-5. A bit farther north is Taylor's Landing at the Mukilteo ferry dock. Nice place..fits the niche between fast food and fancy.

All three are on or near Puget Sound and you'd have to get off the highway and go a few miles west to find them but it's well worth the drive if you have time.

Look at this website: http://www.yewstreetmedia.com/aliapp/chuckanaut/ for a narrative of someone's day trip (with an overnight). Hmmm - guess that would be a 2-day trip.

Gives a pretty good description of the drive.

Just need to pay attention to the fact that they double back south at a certain point.

We are going to do the drive going from Vancouver to Seatlle. Looks like it will be a good completion to our cruise and post-cruise stay in Vancouver.

Good Luck!

Since we'll be driving from Seattle to Vancouver (and vice versa), would anyone be able to recommend a nice restaurant we can stop at somewhere in between?

 

Doesn't have to be fancy - just a good stop - perhaps with a view?

 

We hope to be taking the Chuchanut Hwy along the coast - is there anything along there?

 

Any suggestions would be great!

Here is a link to the Oyster Bar restaurant on Chukanut Drive. Haven't eaten there in years, but it was a very memorable meal.

http://www.theoysterbaronchuckanutdrive.com/aboutus.shtml

Not too much to stop and see on Chukanut Drive - other than the fabulous view. It really is a pretty drive, worth taking the turn-off from the main highway, and it doesn't add much time to the direct highway Seattle-Vancouver trip. Enjoy!

While looking for more info about Chukanut Drive, I found this link that has not only some beautiful pics of Chukanut Drive, but also of Vancouver cruise ships, including the two terminals, etc.

http://www.mauricejassak.com/contents.htm

Here is a link to the Oyster Bar restaurant on Chukanut Drive. Haven't eaten there in years, but it was a very memorable meal.

 

http://www.theoysterbaronchuckanutdrive.com/aboutus.shtml

 

This sounds wonderful. I have printed out the information so we can stop for lunch. Thank you so much!

The Oyster Bar is still a good restaurant, on the gourmet side of dining. Chuckanut Drive can be absolutely beautiful, especially if it is not raining! One of my favorite places to eat in B'ham is Mambo Italiano's in Fairhaven....you will drive right by it as you come into town from Chuckanut. My hubby loves their fried oysters, and the fish is always fresh!

Someone mentioned Anthony's Homeport in Edmonds. There is now one in B'ham, on the waterfront.

My husband and I love Old Fairhaven! It's unique and funky and a great place for lunch and to browse.

If you want to 'kick lunch up a notch', our favorite restaurant ever is called Dos Padres. The Mexican Cantina style decor is neat - the food is fabulous! They make the best chile rellenos we've ever tasted. They also make their own chips and you can get the salsa in mild, medium or on fire!

http://www.historicfairhaven.us/

Have a great trip!!

:cool: Starbuck

Thank You everyone for your great suggestions!

This is really going to enhance our vacation. I am looking forward to the drive, the scenery and the whole coastal experience!

The restaurants all sound so good - it will be fun to pick one!

I will need to adjust the time of the drop off for the rental car - I think we will be spending more time on the road than I originally planned! ;)

Let me further complicate your life with the following.

Using Chuckanut adds around 3/4 of an hour of total drive time from Seattle to the border, maybe an hour. Obviously it will be longer if you stop, etc., and not counting strolling time in Fairhaven. That said, it makes a four hour journey (counting the border) into a five hour one.

If you would like to make more of a full day out of it (and I think first time visitors to the region should consider this) then I'd add a second (call it supplemental) back-road approach.

Leave Seattle on I-5 northbound. Take the exit marked SR 526 - Mukilteo-Whidbey Is. Ferry, around 25 min. after you leave downtown. (Note a previous exit, SR 525, also says Mukilteo - you don't want that one.)

SR 526 is the so-called "Boeing Freeway" because it passes the Boeing widebody assembly complex, including the world's biggest building (by volume). This is where the "Boeing tours" talked about on this board take place.

The freeway ends just past the plant, but keep following the signs to the ferry dock, located in "downtown" Mukilteo.

Take the ferry across to Whidbey Island, a short (15 min.) crossing. Travel north up the main road on Whidbey a short distance to the turnoff to Langley. Follow the road into Langley and park the car someplace. Have a great breakfast and stroll around the adorable downtown of the village, then back into the car and continue up the road. Detour into downtown Coupeville if time or inclination strikes you - also a very cute waterfront town.

Eventually you will pass a turnoff to the Port Townsend ferry (don't take it unless you want a really long day) and will get to the north end of Whidbey Island, which is separated from Fidalgo Island by spectacular Deception Pass. Again, park the car and walk out on the bridge or the overlook and look down on the swirling water in the pass. If you happen to be there at a tide change, it's quite a sight - a lot of water hemmed in by Whidbey Is. trying to pass through the narrow strait all at once.

Continue north on SR 20 until it turns inland toward I-5, and look for the junction with SR 11, i.e., the Chuckanut Drive. Then you can go up Chuckanut to Fairhaven as mentioned previously, or if you're villaged out by then or running late, you can skip Chuckanut and take I-5 up to Bellingham instead. Actually the stretch of I-5 that Chuckanut "bypasses" is the most scenic part of the freeway on the whole drive anyway, so it's not a total loss at all. If you want, you can go into Fairhaven from the freeway easily (look for Alaska ferry signs).

Whidbey Island is a wonderful, rural environment, and you'll be able to see something of a different face to the Puget Sound country than you would by blasting up the freeway from Seattle to the border. The Whidbey "detour" adds a couple of hours to the total trip time (with or without Chuckanut) so if you have the better part of a day, or can make an early departure from Seattle (in order to arrive in Langley hungry) you can make it very interesting with one or both of these non-freeway "country road" routes.

Hello: I would suggest that as long as you are going to be on Chuckanut, you choose one of the two wonderful restaurants there. As stated before, the Oyster Bar is a great choice if you love oysters. For the life of me, I can't remember the name of the other restaurant, seems it is Chuckanut Manor. It is just a little farther North of the Oyster Bar is a wonderful restaurant which has a beautiful view of the ocean and surrounding points of interest (trees, rocks, etc.) This is a large beautifully maintained white building with easy parking right in front. If this doesn't satisfy your desires, just off the freeway farther North are many many wonderful restaurants throughout the Bellingham area. Olive Garden has always been one of our favorite stops there. It has been sometime since we visit it. You would take the Bellingham Mall exit - and just a simple straight drive past the mall on the right you will eventually see the Olive Garden. There are several other nice restaurants along this route also. This keeps your travels simple, with easy exit and re-entry to the freeway. We don't want you to get lost, now, do we???? :) Have no fear, there are many many choices, and unless you really try, you won't be disappointed. Have a wonderful trip!!

Thank you Sailaways!

I even think getting lost along that route would be OK with me!

It sounds so beautiful and fun!

I have written down everyone's suggestions and will use them in plannning our drive up to Vancouver (I can use them on the way back again, too!).

What a great assortment of suggestions!

Thank you!