Location: Olympia
Top Restaurants in Olympia
Washington, United States Food Guide: 10 American food Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Olympia
Reviews on American food in Olympia, Washington, United States. Birthplace of riot grrl music and home to an energetic independent art and music scene, Olympia is a hub of innovative cultural movements. The nontraditional Evergreen State College draws young pioneers and artists while the surrounding landscape of Puget Sound beckons the environmentally aware to its embrace. With 40 city parks incorporating 963 acres as well as a vast, municipally-funded public art collection, the city is a study in inventive and ecological civil design.
Things to do in Olympia
10. McMenamins Spar Cafe
Overall Ratings
4 based on 297 reviews
Reviewed By Fritz98045
Lots of positive comments about the service, decor, and food at this place. I ordered the veggie curry with rice and a side of smoked salmon. For me it was a sharable portion but I'm a light eater most of the time. I thought it was great although I usually like some chicken with this type of dish. If sharing I suggest at least adding a protein. Either way I believe it's a great choice. I tried a bite of my wife's crab cakes and they were wonderful too. The decor is typical McMenamins so it's comfortable and has an old school feel. To me, it's exactly the type of place where I can relax and have an enjoyable meal. The service is attentive and timely - no rush or unreasonable delays. I thought the pricing was OK and got out of the place with three dinners, a couple of drinks, and two desserts with tip for less than $100. Now for the men's room. I believe you can tell a lot about a place by taking a quick peek into the bathrooms. It wasn't horrible but it needed some attention. Not a deal killer but a note to the management - pay attention to this issue and 5 stars would have been my rating.BTW, if you got anything out of this review I would appreciate a "helpful" vote. Thanks!
9. Cascadia Grill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 97 reviews
Reviewed By 80janicer
We were walking around Olympia and spotted the Cascadia Grill. What a treat.The food is fantastic.I had the crispy trout salad. The fish was cooked to perfection. The salad was very fresh. My husband had an impossible burger on a vegan bagel. For dessert he had delicious vegan carrot cake.The other couple had the Indochine sandwich. They both loved the spices.I highly recommend stopping at this restaurant if you are looking for a great meal in Olympia.As we had one vegan in the group we appreciated those options.What caught out attention was the Impossible Burger sign outside.The owner is very friendly and greats allof his incoming guests. A nice touch.
8. Fish Tale Brew Pub
Overall Ratings
4 based on 451 reviews
With more than triple its original seating and a kitchen that spans the former brewing floor, the Pub offers a robust menu featuring local meat, bread, and produce. And while the Pub's 24 taps of beer and cider can present guests with a daunting selection
Reviewed By Rich B
Hard to believe that recent reviews remain positive about this establishment. Rumors are that they will be closing soon. Not sure if this is true but they act like it. Two of their own most popular beers were not available. Are they going to brew more? Our less than enthusiastic waiter did not know when this might happen. They still had some good draft options from other breweries but this is not what we came for. After a while deciding what we would eat and we tried to order Crab Cakes, we were then informed that they were not available either. Perhaps this could have been mentioned when we were first given the menus?? So two of us ordered the fish and chips and the fish had no taste. Lots of crispy breading but the fish was mediocre at best. We both ate just half of the 3 pieces. When asked if we wanted take out boxes, I said that it was not good enough to take home. Our waiter just walked away. The other two meals were pretty good but our hosts may have just been trying to be positive.
7. Budd Bay Cafe
Overall Ratings
4 based on 734 reviews
Reviewed By FrPaKr
Had breakfast and dinner here as we were staying nearby and they have a great view over the Marina (I donât think they have increased their prices because of the view - I thought the prices were pretty reasonable). I thought the food was good - not great. The service was quick and friendly.
6. Anthony's Hearthfire Grill - North Point
Overall Ratings
4 based on 620 reviews
Reviewed By SkykomishBob
We had an early pre-theatre Saturday dinner here, and all four of us were very happy with what we ordered and the service.We were at a spacious window table for four with the high tide next to and seemingly under us. It was as if the seal who was playing in the bay 15 meters away was expecting we could slip him a snack. Good open wine choices. My wife particularly enjoyed her merlot, Bernard Griffin I seem to recall.Hi Bob, thank you for joining us on Saturday and for taking the time to share your comments! I am so happy that you were able to enjoy a window table as well as the wine and your meal! We hope to see you again soon. ~Taylor
5. Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar
Overall Ratings
4 based on 88 reviews
Reviewed By PAboyinFL
We traveled to Oregon and Washington, and thought we would be able to find good local seafood. While searching nearly in vain around Olympia, we came up with Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar. When we arrived, it was obvious the venue was much more upscale than we had in mind, but we were there, so we gave it a try. We started with a dozen oysters. We had them in the shuckers choice, which was a combo of four different oysters for $36. They were incredible. Two types were very meatly, and two types were very sweet. The oysters were raw on the half shell, but no hot sauce, horseradish, or crackers were offered to go with them. We did order a side of bread which was excellent for an additional $3. We searched the menu for other plates, but found little that appealed to us, especially at the prices listed. No salmon was on the menu at all. The general crowd at that dinnertime seemed pretentious which fit right in with the menu. When we ended the meal after the oysters, the waiter got a bit of an attitude with us. Apparently, fried fresh seafood is not something that is found in the Pacific Northwest.
4. Anthony's Homeport Olympia
Overall Ratings
4 based on 391 reviews
Reviewed By HighPriestessSusan
We received a gift card for Anthony's and this was our first time visiting the Olympia location. The featured drink was a peach daiquiri, and we finished with a shared peach dessert. A spinach seasonal salad and shrimp entree were the main course. Service was excellent and the view at sunset was lovely.Thank you so much for joining us! It sounds like a wonderful evening and I am so happy to hear that you were able to try some of our peach specialties and that you also enjoyed the salad, shrimp and service. We hope you can come see us again soon! ~Taylor
3. Dockside Bistro & Wine Bar
Overall Ratings
4 based on 272 reviews
Dockside Bistro and Wine Bar is the inspiration of Chef Laurie Nguyen. Chef Nguyen takes pride in combining the flavors of her Vietnam heritage with the freshest and finest ingredients the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Chef Nguyen's fusion cuisine focus
Reviewed By andrewbmusic
BEST SERVICE WE'VE HAD IN OLYMPIA IN A LONG TIME. BEN was stellar. Water filled, comped our dessert for my super preggo wife (early Birthday Present). Steak skewers were mouth watering and melted in you mouth. Salad was clean and delightful. Presentation was phenominal. It was our first jaunt into Dockside and will bring us back again in the future.
2. Gardner's Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 329 reviews
Gardner's has been family owned since 1983 and has proven to be the favorite place to dine in Olympia. Gardner's Executive Chef Dayton Kuenstler favors the freshest local and seasonal ingredients. Everything is created from scratch, including an abundance
Reviewed By AreWeHavingFunYet
We celebrated my husband's birthday with dinner at Gardner's and everything was great. Starting with wine and appetizer and ending with delicious chocolate cake, everything was excellent. We had the stuffed mushroom appetizer, side salads, scallops (so GOOD!) the salmon, and chocolate cake with a birthday candle. Our delightful and knowledgeable server, Kirsten, made sure we had an awesome dining experience. Thank you Kirsten! We will be back.
1. 5th Avenue Sandwich Shop
Overall Ratings
4 based on 353 reviews
Reviewed By 3roaming
Late lunch with my daughters. The Reuben sandwich was excellent. I had the clam chowder as my side. Great service!
