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, even as autumn weather approaches.
Drop in on any of these lovely local eateries while the rainy season remains at bay — for the wet stuff will return soon enough.
Keenan’s at the Pier
Breakfast, lunch, happy hour, or dinner — any meal can be enjoyed on the deck at Keenan’s at 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 Ashley Kovacevich.
My personal favorite moments at Keenan’s have been happy hours on the deck — offered daily from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. — the sun kept slightly at bay by a large umbrella and our table lined with a crowd of friends and littered with half-drunk glasses of cocktails and wine, and plates of truffle fries, ahi poke, 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
www.keenansatthepier.com
Packers Kitchen + Bar at Semiahmoo Resort
If you’ve not yet visited Semiahmoo Resort and its Packers Kitchen + Bar, don’t waste another second — it’s well worth the 25-minute drive north.
Packers Kitchen + Bar offers casual breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner options that also 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 steamer clams or mussels, cedar plank salmon, prawns and fish tacos. Salads, pastas, pizzas and more round out the Packers brunch and happy hour menus, offering small and large plates with a bit of something for everyone.
Packers Kitchen + Bar at Semiahmoo Resort
9565 Semiahmoo Parkway
Blaine, WA 98230
360.318.2000
www.semiahmoo.com
Lighthouse Bar & Grill
Served nightly from 4 p.m. to 9 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 filet mignon or white pepper-crusted strip steak. From casual fare and salads to signature dishes, Lighthouse Bar & Grill offers plenty that will please.
You can start your day with breakfast out-of-doors, or end it with happy hour, daily, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 8 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
www.lighthousebarandgrill.com
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
Lucky for us, Whatcom County is rife with lovely waterside spots. Choose any of these restaurants and enjoy a meal — or happy hour — near the water’s edge.
Featured Keenan’s at the Pier photo by Sarah Hardy Photography
