Mother Nature has provided our area with knockout water views. Naturally, many of our restaurants have capitalized on that beauty by adding decks and outdoor seating so we can enjoy soaking up all that Vitamin D while we dine.
Drop in on any of these local eateries while the rainy season is but a distant memory – for the wet stuff will return soon enough.
Pierside Kitchen & Packers Oyster Bar at Semiahmoo Resort
If you’ve not yet been up north to the updated Semiahmoo Resort and its two eateries the new Pierside Kitchen and updated Packer’s Oyster Bar, don’t waste another second – it’s well worth the 25-minute drive north.
Packers Oyster Bar offers a more casual breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner option to Pierside Kitchen, its sister restaurant at Semiahmoo, but both bring sophistication and approachability – as well as extensive water views of Drayton Harbor and, in the distance, White Rock, British Columbia.
The food? Imagine the freshest local oysters and other seafood delights, from Penn Cove mussels and Dungeness crab to jumbo prawns and Alaskan snow crab claws. Salads, pastas, pizzettas and much more round out the Pierside Kitchen menu, while Packers offers small and large plates with a bit of something for everyone.
Pierside Kitchen & Packers Oyster Bar at Semiahmoo Resort
9565 Semiahmoo Parkway
Blaine, WA 98230
360.318.2000
Lighthouse Bar & Grill
Served nightly from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the dinner menu at Lighthouse Bar & Grill doesn’t disappoint. Locally sourced Northwest cuisine? They’ve got it. Seafood? Options galore. Steak? Choose from beef bourguignon, filet mignon, or prime rib. Chicken, pasta – what about vegetarian? There are delectable options for those, as well.
You can start your day with breakfast out-of-doors, or end it with happy hour, daily, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. to close, plus all day Sunday. And any off-the-water winds are kept at bay by generous glass panels that surround the space.
Lighthouse Bar & Grill also regularly offers live music on its patio – with Jazz on the Bay and Blues, Brews, & BBQs – adding ambiance to this already astounding waterside venue.
Lighthouse Bar & Grill at the Bellwether Hotel
1 Bellwether Way
Bellingham, WA 98225
360.392.3200
Fat Pie Pizza
How many of us watched in anticipation as Fat Pie Pizza teased us with its rollout earlier this year? The sign went up well before the doors officially flung open for business, promising a new pizza option to frequenters of charming, historic Fairhaven.
Serving up both deep-dish Chicago- and Detroit-style pies (be still, my Midwestern-born heart), Fat Pie Pizza brings something distinctive from Bellingham’s usually thin-crust pizzas – which, admittedly, are done extremely well at several of our other favorite ‘za spots around town. Love pan pizza? Just check out the menu: Fat Pie is clearly the place for you.
Another thing Fat Pie Pizza brings to the pizza game is a spectacular rooftop deck with amazing views of Bellingham Bay – gorgeous at lunch, dinner, or sunset and complete with heaters for those chilly spring, fall (and, let’s be honest, many summer) nights.
Fat Pie Pizza
1015 Harris Avenue
Bellingham, WA 98225
360.366.8090
Anthony’s at Squalicum Harbor
Anthony’s at Squalicum Harbor (as well as its nearby sister restaurant, Anthony’s Hearth Fire) offers the quintessential Bellingham bayside dining experience, with the boats on Squalicum Harbor floating just feet away, amid a backdrop of expansive views of Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands.
Anthony’s dinner menu is, naturally, heavy on the scrumptious seafood options, with several steaks that will make you salivate, as well. They also serve Sunday brunch and lunch from Monday to Saturday.
Arriving by boat rather than car? Guest moorage is available for Anthony’s patrons through the Port of Bellingham.
Anthony’s at Squalicum Harbor
25 Bellwether Way
Bellingham, WA 98225
360.647.5588
www.anthonys.com/restaurants/detail/anthonys-at-squalicum-harbor
Cliff House
Who here hasn’t had (and adored) the Cliff House’s whiskey crab soup? My first apartment was a stone’s throw from the Cliff House, so many a special occasion was spent on its deck – and always kicked off by that tantalizing soup. Bonus? It feels as though you can nearly reach out and touch Bellingham Bay from the Cliff House, topped off with astounding sunset vistas.
The Cliff House menu encompasses Pacific Northwest cuisine, from is Samish Bay Sampler, which includes Pacific oysters, locally smoked salmon, and fresh Dungeness crab, to scallops, lobster, and other fresh fish specials. You can also choose from several cuts of steak, mushroom linguine, chicken Dungeness, and much more. The Cliff House works closely with many local suppliers to use only the freshest ingredients in its dishes.
There’s a reason the Cliff House has been serving delicious dinners to its loyal patrons for over 40 years. Sure, the stunning sunsets are a big part of the atmosphere, but the food remains a big draw.
The Cliff House
331 North State Street
Bellingham, WA 98225
360.734.8660
Keenan’s at the Pier
Breakfast, lunch, happy hour, or dinner – any meal can be enjoyed on the deck at Keenan’s on the Pier, complete with iconic views over Taylor Dock of Bellingham Bay, Lummi Island, and the San Juan Islands beyond.
Breakfast staples, lunch fair light or robust, and dinner are all served with special attention given to locally sourced ingredients. The menu changes often with the seasons and the guiding inspiration of executive chef Rob Holmes.
My personal favorite moments at Keenan’s have been happy hours on the deck – offered daily from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – the sun kept slightly at bay by a large umbrella and our large table lined with a crowd of friends and littered with half-drunk glasses of cocktails and wine, with offerings of truffle fries, pulled pork sliders, and blackened fish tacos. I promise, full meals at Keenan’s at the Pier are just as satisfying and inspired.
Keenan’s at the Pier
804 10th Street
Bellingham, WA 98225
360.392.5510
Lucky for us, Whatcom County is rife with lovely waterside spots. Choose any of these restaurants for a meal – or happy hour – enjoyed near the water’s edge.
Photos courtesy of Lighthouse Bar & Grill and Anthony’s at Squalicum Harbor, taken by Genaro Photography, Amy Parsons Photography, and Stacee Sledge.
