38 Best Restaurants in Washington Wine Country, Washington

Equal parts indie bookstore, bar, and coffee house, this hip hangout set in one of Roslyn's quirky Victorian storefronts turns out creatively prepared American classics morning to night, including elk sausage scrambles, candied-bacon and blue-cheese burgers, apple-maple salads, and turkey potpies. Espresso drinks are brewed using a beautiful teal La Marzocco machine, and craft cocktails are served in the cozy basement tavern. On the adjacent patio, an airstream trailer doles out snacks and is staffed by employees who can recommend local hikes and activities.

Helmed by James Beard finalist and ardent fly-fisherman Kevin Davis, this modern restaurant on a picturesque bend in Yakima River Canyon has tall windows and a covered deck overlooking the scenery. Stop for a hearty breakfast before a day of recreation on the river, or for a memorable lunch or dinner of artfully prepared contemporary American fare, such as grilled Idaho trout with roasted pecan–brown butter or tagliatelle with goat Bolognese and burrata. 

Named for one of the region's most famous canyons for hiking, this hip downtown restaurant offers contemporary, elevated comfort fare like tandoori chicken wings, balsamic-braised lamb shank, and butcher's cut steaks with a chimichurri glaze. Notable for its sleek design, the restaurant uses antique ice hooks and smudge pots, which double as light fixtures, to pay homage to the region's past, and the high-ceilinged bar is lined with the wood used to mold the restaurant's board-formed concrete walls.

The menu at this urbane farm-to-table downtown bistro changes according to whatever's fresh in the Yakima Valley, showcasing anything from braised short ribs with local cherries, horseradish, and pureed apples in summer to grilled albacore with a Thai chili vinaigrette, root vegetables, dried shrimp, and pickled ginger. Certain dishes you can always expect to find on the menu, like local oysters on the half-shell and wood-fired feta, along with seasonal sorbets for dessert.

This down-home pizza parlor between Zillah and Yakima celebrates the produce of Yakima Valley with wood-fired pizzas topped with an array of interesting ingredients, such as roasted garlic, house-smoked mozzarella, blueberries, pine nuts, and—most notably—locally grown Cascade hops. Aptly, there's a great selection of hoppy Northwest ales, too. A second location in Sunnyside is slated to open in mid-summer 2023.

From this humble mom-and-pop shop in Union Gap come heavenly tamales—shredded chicken and pork and, during spring, asparagus and pepper jack cheese. Order a pile of these delicacies that have been acclaimed by locals and critics alike—the restaurant even earned a vaunted James Beard Foundation award in the American Classics category. And what you can't eat during your visit, you can take with you to go. There's a newer, bigger, but somewhat less atmospheric branch on the west side of Yakima. 

Occupying a warmly decorated Victorian house in downtown Prosser, this charming neighborhood bistro offers a nice mix of casual comfort fare (Thai barbecue wings, French dip sandwiches) and more substantial cuisine to pair with local wines. Standouts include the San Francisco–style cioppino and rosemary-garlic rib eye steaks with a peppercorn demiglace. Save room for the flourless chocolate cake. 

Set in a grand stone-and-timber lodge that overlooks both the remains of the old Roslyn No. 9 mineshaft and the Hyatt Suncadia Resort's scenic Rope Rider Golf Course, this wine-centric dining room provides an elegant counterpoint to the area's quirky saloons. The menu mixes Pacific Northwestern and international recipes—apple chutney–baked Brie, pear-pancetta flatbread, and Angus rib-eye steaks—and Swiftwater's own mostly Bordeaux-style wines are superb.

From students recovering after a night of partying to hikers fueling up before hitting the trail, this cozy downtown café with big windows and an expansive side patio serves brunch daily—with cocktails, if you wish. Specialties include breakfast poutine with sausage gravy and salsa verde, banana–and–macadamia nut waffles, and avocado toast on sourdough with eggs, cotija cheese, and cherry tomatoes.

In this warmly inviting storefront that morphs into a full-on bar and live music haunt after 9 pm, enjoy gastropub cooking that often features internationally inspired dishes, such as pork belly ramen and mussels in a fragrant Thai red coconut curry. Decked out with deep wooden booths, exposed brick walls, and vintage chandeliers, it's a classy joint, but with an "everybody knows your name" vibe.

Tucked in the corner of a modest, mid-century retail strip a couple of miles west of town, this intimate izakaya filled with plants and local art specializes in sublime poached chicken, spicy mushroom, and classic pork shoyu ramens. But also note the extensive selection of small plates, including toasted miso-glazed eggplant and broiled hamachi collar, plus a few Korean-style bibimbap rice dishes. 

Smack in the center of Vintner's Village, steps from more than a dozen tasting rooms, this smartly casual bistro is part of Bunnell Family Cellar winery and offers delightfully relaxing meals, with its open kitchen, fresh flowers on the tables, and outside seating set among the restaurant's herb and vegetable gardens. Share a few small plates with friends—maybe a caprese salad, a charcuterie plate, or crisp-crust pizza with pesto and eggplant from the wood-fired oven—or consider a more substantial meal, such as wild Pacific cod with polenta and blueberry-corn salsa.

Set inside a 1923 Lutheran church, this cheery yellow house of culinary worship now serves modern American fare with global accents inside the former nave and choir loft. Standouts at dinner include garam masala–crusted rack of lamb and oven-roasted cedar plank steelhead with lemon caper butter. The gooey bananas Foster waffles are a crowd-pleaser on weekend mornings.

Look past the drab setting of this unfussy bakery on a busy street in Sunnyside, as the kitchen turns out fresh and filling breakfast and lunch fare, from chicken-fried steak Benedicts and mascarpone-stuffed French toast in the morning to fettuccine Alfredo with smoked salmon and ham-gouda panini sandwiches for lunch. There's also a bakery case filled with sweet treats.

Whether for a morning macchiato, a bagel breakfast sandwich, a lunchtime panini, or a late-afternoon slice of cake, this roomy coffeehouse with hardwood floors, comfy armchairs, and café tables works nicely for a quick pick-me-up or a more leisurely meal. Most evenings, the space becomes a casual dinner spot with beer and wine available, and on weekends there's often live rock, jazz, and country music.

This cute Latina- and LGBTQ-owned café in downtown Sunnyside has an inviting, hip vibe with artfully arranged plants and a beautiful floral mural. Stop in for an espresso pick-me-up between wineries or a craft cocktail. 

Set near the CWU campus and decorated with repurposed, reclaimed, and historical artifacts, this casual hangout with a great porch revolves around one central fixture, a wood-fire pizza oven. Out of that oven come pies and grinders with a focus on regional and seasonal ingredients—the salmon-caper and Thai chicken pizzas are among the favorites.

This hip pan-Asian joint with big windows and ample patio seating will satisfy your yearning for flavor-packed dumplings, steamed buns, noodle bowls, steaks, and seafood. Beyond the flavorful fare, which favors regional ingredients, E.Z turns out fun cocktails like the Tiki Tiger, with whiskey, yuzu, grapefruit, pomegranate, honey, and lemon.

Sample some of the tastiest Mexican-American fare in the valley at this friendly, no-frills establishment. The savory seafood dishes, such as sautéed prawns with mushrooms and garlic, are among the standouts, and traditional offerings like pork chile verde burritos and shredded-beef chimichangas round out the menu.

A beloved destination for hearty red-sauce Italian fare since 1966, elegant Gasperetti's sits like a diamond amid the uninspired strip malls north of downtown, doling out pasta, meat, and seafood entrées accented with locally grown produce—think filet mignon with gorgonzola-pecan sauce, and rigatoni with pesto Genovese. The cellar stocks an excellent selection of wines, with a decidedly Italian lean. For a more casual experience, sit in the G-Spot Bar. When the weather's nice, the intimate patio exudes charm.

Named for the nearby rolling hills that have become synonymous with some of Yakima Valley's top vineyards, this convivial Wild West–inspired gastropub pours a variety of local wines, but it also serves hop-forward craft brews from adjoining Horse Heaven Hills Brewery. In a fun space decorated with murals of galloping steeds and old-time street scenes, feast on smoked tri-tip, country-style meat loaf with rosemary au jus, lemongrass miso ramen, and several types of burgers.

Head to this cheerful hole in the wall in downtown Sunnyside for perfectly seasoned whole grilled chicken along with a nice variety of Mexican-American favorites, including birria tacos and carne asada fries. The original, slightly larger location is in Grandview and is also excellent. 

This 1940s hamburger joint that's expanded from a drive-in to a family-friendly diner over the years is a Yakima Valley icon (actually located in Union Gap), doling out all sorts of comfort classics, from salads to fish-and-chips to enormous burgers. The real crowd pleaser is the gut-busting "Big Miner"—a hulking pile of meat that's best enjoyed with a basket of fries and a shake.

A pantry full of carefully curated groceries, a bar with a notable beer and spirits list, and a chill neighborhood bistro with a postindustrial look and a large patio, Provisions successfully plays multiple roles as a destination for excellent food and drink. The locavore-minded menu changes seasonally, but might feature curried cauliflower with a dill-lemon sauce, grilled kale and Italian sausage pizza, and down-home fried chicken with mashed potatoes, brown gravy, and sautéed corn. It's on the east side, a couple of miles from downtown.

Step back in time to a 1930s-era service station that's been converted into a diner, serving up classic greasy-spoon fare, like steak and eggs, biscuits and gravy, charbroiled chicken sandwiches, banana splits, and the like. While you await your grub, check out the hundreds of vintage metal gas station signs and advertisements.