Off topic: good low-key place to grab dinner in Kennewick
- Thread starter TZCoug84
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Are you driving through, I'm assuming?
Bobs is decent. The Azteca is decent. Cousins has a place in Pasco, maybe 5 minutes out of the way on road 68.
Bobs is decent. The Azteca is decent. Cousins has a place in Pasco, maybe 5 minutes out of the way on road 68.
aka Tacoma east.
No thanks.
I mean, Spokane is... well, Spokane, but hardly what I think of as a food mecca.
https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-d-escape-spokane-20160410-story.html
https://www.foodandwine.com/travel/best-food-scene-in-pacific-northwest-youre-probably-overlooking
https://www.khq.com/news/spokane-ma...cle_564f0268-a410-11e9-b996-676661d0c440.html
You should probably get out more often.
Lots of things to bitch about Spokane - the food scene isn't one of them.
They forgot Cyrus O'Leary's and the Onion. Oh, and Dicks.
Those articles were from the past 3 years; hardly the 80's.
I apologize to all the hundreds 5 star, super upscale, better-than-me eating establishments in Tacoma and Spokane and their heroic internet defenders. Apparently tongue-in-cheek humor is more than some can handle, and I never meant to besmirch the reputations of such reputable gastrocentric metropoles.
Tri-Cities recently had 5 or 6 restaurants on Diner, Drive-in and Dives, all fairly low key.
Barley's Brew Pub (which was on the show) is not far from 395, but more of a beer place Not sure if they serve wine.
As mentioned above Foodies, the original downtown location, is great and should have a decent local wine selection.
Also as mentioned about Ice Harbor at the marina is a decent spot, but I prefer the brewery.
If you happen to come in from 182 I would hit Ethos. Should have a small but decent wine selection and amazing food. Right next to Ethos is 3 Eyed Fish with a great wine selection and small plates.
Barley's Brew Pub (which was on the show) is not far from 395, but more of a beer place Not sure if they serve wine.
As mentioned above Foodies, the original downtown location, is great and should have a decent local wine selection.
Also as mentioned about Ice Harbor at the marina is a decent spot, but I prefer the brewery.
If you happen to come in from 182 I would hit Ethos. Should have a small but decent wine selection and amazing food. Right next to Ethos is 3 Eyed Fish with a great wine selection and small plates.
If I have learned one thing living in E. WA it is don’t throw out Spokane insults (even if they are true). The folks who live there or are from there get very defensive. The food thing particularly seems to raise their blood pressure. Just last week I received a lecture about their “food scene.” Took all my restraint to not make a joke about Red Robin and Chilies having the prime restaurant real estate.
Thanks All for the great recommendations. Will try one of those and probably will have a new favorite.
I'm sure they have some fine establishments. That being said, I've been to many, many cities and towns in the PNW, large and small, and I eat out a lot due to my travel. My personal experience is that in the smaller towns (Salem comes to mind), what passes for high-end or innovative has been done better and earlier in PDX/ Seattle/ Denver/ etc. I can't count the times I ask for a recommendation from a local or check the ratings on yelp/ other site only to be highly disappointed. And I'm not super discerning or picky, its just that when people RAVE about a place and give it five stars, there's a certain expectation.
All that being said, good/ better food IS finding its way to all different corners of the country. I haven't been to Spokane for a couple of years, and my business in Tacoma is mostly limited to within a few miles of I5. So yeah, I was using a long, long reputation of those places being... well, Tacoma and Spokane, to make a joke. Again, sincerest apologies to these (apparently) underappreciated cities.
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Apparently Tracy Claeys cited the lack of quality dining opportunities in Spokane in his resignation letter.
Funny, i work with a guy from Salem. He thinks the good choices in Spokane are top notch.
You're not wrong. Growing up in the Tri-Cities and having lived in Seattle for a number of years, you have to learn to convert a "good" recommendation from most of eastern WA to a scale equal to a larger city. Often times the better food can be found at a place that gets so-so ratings mainly due to price. Chains still rule in Eastern WA. People are still price sensitive. If you're going to charge a high price, it had better be for a large portion whether the food is good/bad is secondary. It's still pretty hard for small independent restaurants to survive here even if their food is outstanding.
If you like Taco trucks however, you're in the right place. There are some excellent ones and they are everywhere.
Yes.
I was in Tri Cities and was told I HAD to go to the bbq place that was on DDD.
It was good, smoked bbg. They don't have a pit, though, and you can tell the difference. That being said, it was good/ ok. There are a dozen of those places (if not more) in metro PDX, and a damn fine one in downtown Vancouver (Smokin Oak). However, TriCities didn't have any (to my knowledge) pit bbq (style) places and this was the first, so good for them! When I'm up there and I'm in the mood for bbq, at least I have a place to go now, because God knows Tony Roma's isn't bbq. Oh, and you're right about price too: close to $20 for lunch at that place, not small town friendly.
BTW, I'm a 20 year east sider myself before life took me back east and eventually down here in SW Wash. I have family still there, so I get back somewhat regularly. I realize that doesn't make me an expert on tri cities cuisine, but I'm not that far out of touch. I do appreciate the triscuit's input - I have a few new places to try when I visit.
Porter's is probably the BBQ place. Tony Roma's funny enough is now a Buffalo Wild Wings.
I DO consider myself pretty well versed in Tri-Cities cuisine, and the best phrase I can think of to describe it is...food desert.
There are a couple of places now that are trying to break through, but it’s very difficult for any non-chain restaurant to get a foothold. This is a town where people will, with a straight face, suggest Olive Garden as Italian and Applebee’s for a steak (and there are 3 Applebee’s in this town). They’ll salivate at the very mention of the BBQ place you referenced. Personally I thought it was only a small step above Dickies. I’ve had better in a lot of places...with much less salt. (Tangent - of the several DDD places I’ve visited, none were that impressive, including a couple in Seattle/Portland)
I think it’s also very telling that for a solid 20 years, response to polling in Tri-Cities has regularly indicated that Chili’s is the restaurant they most want to come to town. I’ve stopped there a couple times, and I’d describe it as Applebee’s with cumin.
There have been some valiant efforts, including a few current ones, to actually bring some decent food here. Most fail for lack of familiarity. It’s not a huge exaggeration to say that some of the best are in trucks. Sadly, most of the time if I want a good meal, I count on a 4 hour drive.
What about the Michelin 5 start place in Dayton? It there Spanish place up in Prosser?
Have you made it to Fresh Out The Box? I thought it was creative. There is also a Decent Korean BBQ place off Columbia Center. Those are about as interesting as I’ve ever found in the Tri.
Walla Walla has a few Seattle level good options thanks to the wine industry.
I tried them in their truck, but haven’t been to their brick and mortar place. They were interesting, but obviously limited, and are still chasing a half dozen places in the cities. Honestly though, if I’m in the neighborhood of their new location I’m going to El Fat Cat.
I think the Korean BBQ has changed hands/management and names. They’re too close to Applebee’s so have trouble drawing a crowd.
The place in Dayton has closed, and I don’t believe ever had a Michelin Star. I think a big part of its charm was that it was so out of place. I’ve heard mixed reviews of the place in Prosser. Tried to go there twice but they’d closed early both nights. My expectations aren’t high, the best reviews I’ve heard are from people who go to Applebee’s for good steak.
To be fair, there isnt much to chose from inbetween applebees and El Gaucho for a steak. Texas Roadhouse is servicable for the price.
My biggest gripe about a lot of places with steak is that theyll serve you a piece of choice meat, pile a bunch of sh!t on top of it (not against that per se) and then charge you like you were at El Gaucho buying prime. "Look, blue cheese crumbles! $45 please!"
When I was there in the 80s the height of dining was Sea Galley, Clinkerdaggers, or Cedars on clover island.
Don't forget Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker! Spent many a bday parties there...
BBC and Cedars were my prom dinner locations. Cedars is still there, and they’re not terrible, but they’re either a little too proud of their product or they’re charging for the view of the river. I don’t think their food is up to the quality that their price suggests. Anthony’s falls in the same category.
Besides, Ice Harbor is right across the street and has much better beer.
Have you made it to the location El Gaucho opened in Walla Walla? If not it’s worth it if passing through.
I moved to Denver from NYC and, while you can find more of everything in New York, every metro area now has at least a dozen 4/5 star options for almost every category of food. I've lived in a bunch of places and this was true everywhere. I try to sample new restaurants everywhere I go, and I'm finding that 80s bar food and bad family restaurant vibes are getting harder and harder to find. In fact, it's so true that I find - notwithstanding their heritage - the food options between Sacramento and Orlando and Boise and DC and Chicago just aren't that different anymore. Sure one has a greater focus on Mexican or seafood, but the adventurous will find a dozen great restaurants in every midize-plus metro.
The issue with evaluating food in big cities in general is there are plenty of restaurants that have food that is “4-5 star” but bad service or general lack of 5 start accommodations IE look/cleanliness/ease of access. South Tacoma way has some of the best Korean/Japanese and Chinese food I’ve had on the west side of Washington, but the areas isn’t pretty and they sure don’t have 5 stars on Yelp. Pretty much anywhere where multiple cultures mix and live you find the best food, but maybe not the highest rated restaurants. MSM deli takes an hour to get a sandwich it’s so popular, and it looks like a gas station that’s been out of business for 15 years.
Since this site glories in pulling off topic, I'll take a turn and bring up 70's Pullman/Moscow restaurants.
I had my first chimichanga at Alex's in Pullman. Good place. And the 3 story house that was a restaurant; was it called Seasons?; was where I nailed down my job during the second interview in January of my senior year. That was a very nice place. The senior interviewer (who ended up being one of two from whom I learned the most in my career) slipped on the iced sidewalk as we walked crosstown and landed hard on his butt. He told that story a dozen times over the years. He grew up in Chicago but said that Pullman had the slipperiest sidewalks.
Moscow had Biscuitroot Park...very nice restaurant. I ended up sitting at adjacent tables with Ravelling there twice (not bad, since I was only there maybe 4 times!). Highlight of my WSU celebrity experience
)).
There was also an excellent place in Troy and another in Palouse.
There were a lot of good food choices that I'd still consider to be upper level today, if they were still around in that format.
I had my first chimichanga at Alex's in Pullman. Good place. And the 3 story house that was a restaurant; was it called Seasons?; was where I nailed down my job during the second interview in January of my senior year. That was a very nice place. The senior interviewer (who ended up being one of two from whom I learned the most in my career) slipped on the iced sidewalk as we walked crosstown and landed hard on his butt. He told that story a dozen times over the years. He grew up in Chicago but said that Pullman had the slipperiest sidewalks.
Moscow had Biscuitroot Park...very nice restaurant. I ended up sitting at adjacent tables with Ravelling there twice (not bad, since I was only there maybe 4 times!). Highlight of my WSU celebrity experience
)).There was also an excellent place in Troy and another in Palouse.
There were a lot of good food choices that I'd still consider to be upper level today, if they were still around in that format.
That just sounds so old-timey, it makes me smile.
"I've been to 20 different cities in the winter, but of all the places Pullman has the slipperiest sidewalk, BAR-NONE!"
Some of the best food I’ve had has been at little hole in the wall places that didn’t look like much, mostly that I stumbled into completely by accident and wondered if I should get a tetanus shot when I left.
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