If you’re on an extended trip to visit Woodinville wineries and taste Washington wine at one of our more than 120 wineries, you might plan to eat at several of our top rated restaurants. You’ll probably put Purple Cafe, Barking Frog at Willows Lodge, Hollywood Tavern and Heritage Restaurant|Bar on the top of your list. You’ll probably get brunch at The Commons and grab pizza at Vivi Pizzeria at some point (don’t miss their fantastic avocado salad!)
But what if after several days of exhaustingly relaxing spa visits at Willows Lodge, wine tastings, shopping at Molbak’s and dining at fancy restaurants, you’re craving something simple and just want a nice quiet dinner out?
I’ll share some places that we locals go for dinner. (We love Purple Cafe and The Commons too, but we generally avoid them on crowded tourist-heavy weekends). We’re a friendly lot – we love meeting tourists and hearing about your adventures in our wine town. Chat us up!
The Pizza Coop is highly regarded and it’s in an easy to find strip mall far from the crowds in the Hollywood District.
On Wednesdays and Thursdays, you might rub elbows with a few daytime-drinking, hooky-playing locals at Willows Lodge’s Fireside Lounge for Happy Hour and live music early in the evening.
On weekdays, stop by Village Wines for lunch or snacks. You’ll find local entrepreneurs working and networking at lunchtime on Work From Village Wednesdays.
If your kids are along with you on the trip, you can take them to The Pizza Coop, Vivi Pizzeria, or Mod Pizza near the movie theater.
If you and your kids are hungry for burgers, we highly recommend our local favorite burger joint, Teddy’s Bigger Burgers. (Kids love staring at the Hawaii-themed murals and sitting in front of the fish aquarium). Or go check out the very popular Tipsy Cow Burger Bar.
There’s a Red Robin chain restaurant your kids might enjoy going to as well. (If you are sans kids, the Red Robin bar section is cozy and quiet and has some TVs turned quietly to sports).
Done with wine and want beer or cocktails? Rooney’s is a nice sports bar with super friendly bartenders and good bar/pub food. (My boyfriend calls it a “dive bar” but it really isn’t!)
We like going to The Cut Shop in Woodinville for Happy Hour and quiet weeknight dinners. It also isn’t very busy on Saturday nights unless they’re having some sort of music event in the parking lot. There are quite a few Woodinville wines on the menu, plus beer and cocktails. They open at noon on Saturdays and Sundays.
You’ll run into regulars at Chan’s Place, a Chinese restaurant in a strip mall in Woodinville near TJ Maxx and HomeGoods. Seat yourself in the bar and let the friendly, personable bartender, Aaron, serve your drinks and recommend Chinese dishes for you to order after a long day of wine tasting.
If you’re in the mood for teriyaki, Thai, sushi or Mongolian Grill, you’ll bump into the natives there as well. For Indian, I recommend Indian Palace, but it’s a bit expensive. I always run into my neighbors when I eat vegetarian ramen at Akane Ramen in Woodinville. (They have the meat kind of ramen too, don’t worry!)
For Mexican food, most locals I know eat at either Mi Terra or Plaza Santa Fe.
For Italian food, head to Pasta Nova, or further north to Italianissimo which is a little higher end and more of a special-occasion place for Woodinville locals.
Are you a local living in Woodinville and want to mention a restaurant you eat at regularly that I forgot? Drop a note in the comments below!
-Carrie
