Two Washington restaurants named among best in America per New York Times
Two Washington restaurants were among 50 places named to The New York Times’ annual list of favorite restaurants…
Two Washington restaurants were among 50 places named to The New York Times’ annual list of favorite restaurants across the country.
The “Restaurant List 2026” highlights the publication’s “50 favorite restaurants right now,” with selections ranging from recent openings to longtime restaurants.
This year’s Washington restaurants are located on Whidbey Island and along Hood Canal.
Here’s what to know about each one.
Which Whidbey Island restaurant made the list?
Passage opened in June 2026 at the Inn at Langley on Whidbey Island.
The restaurant is led by chef Johnny Spero, who previously operated Reverie in Washington, D.C. The restaurant earned a Michelin star before closing in 2024.
Passage serves a tasting menu that uses ingredients from Washington and around the Pacific Northwest, including seafood and seasonal produce.
The New York Times highlighted several dishes on the menu, including halibut with yuzu and chile oil and Japanese short-grain rice served with Dungeness crab.
The restaurant overlooks Saratoga Passage from the Inn at Langley, which has operated on Whidbey Island since 1989.
Passage is located at 400 First St. in Langley.
Which Hood Canal restaurant was featured?
Hama Hama Oyster Saloon was also included on this year’s list.
The Oyster Saloon opened in 2014 as part of Hama Hama Oyster Company, a family-run shellfish farm along Hood Canal.
The family has owned land along the Hamma Hamma River for generations and began farming oysters in the 1950s. The company later opened a farm store before adding the Oyster Saloon.
The outdoor restaurant sits next to the company’s oyster farm and serves oysters harvested from the surrounding waters along with other seafood dishes.
The Times highlighted the oysters as well as dishes including purple clams in green curry and poached oyster escabeche.
Hama Hama Oyster Saloon is located along U.S. Highway 101 on the Olympic Peninsula, about 30 miles north of Shelton. It’s at 35846 N. U.S. Highway 101 in Lilliwaup.
