Eating Locally From Here on Out

For the last few years I've been writing off and on about the restaurants we've tried while traveling across the country.  That's going to change because next month we're going to become homeowners and Denny and I won't be trying a whole lot of new restaurants in far away places.  Any future restaurant reviews will be written on Trip Advisor where you'll still find me under the RV Vagabond pseudonym.  I've already posted quite a few there over the last couple of years, which will correspond with most of the restaurants listed here.

But for now, any restaurant reviews will be for those in the central part of Florida as that's where we'll be hanging from here on out.  

Happy Trails! 

Eating Out in Wyoming

Cody: Adriano's Italian Restaurant, 1244 Sheridan Ave. Phone (307) 527-7320 We chose the crab-stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer (yum!) and the deluxe pizza. Excellent! We also took home a piece of tiramisu to share. If all this is any indication, their meals would be good too. Friendly staff. (6/2010)

Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant, 1201 17^th St. Phone (307) 547-6420. I should have known better than to ask Denny to stop here because there were never any cars here during the lunch hour. I had to ask for hot sauce to add flavor and sauce to my Szechwan chicken which was very dry. It was the worst Chinese meal I have even eaten at a restaurant operated by an Oriental staff. No iced tea, no refills on drinks. No going back. (6/2010)

Our Place, 148 W. Yellowstone Ave., Phone (307) 527-4420 Good homemade soup and pies (some of the pies are store bought—ask which ones the owner baked), great sandwiches—I had the chicken breast with ham and cheese, Denny had the mushroom/swiss burger. Good fries. Open for breakfast also—very popular with the locals. Cash only. (6/2010)

Sunset House Restaurant, 1651 8^th St. Phone (307) 587-2257 Excellent breakfast and buffet. I had the french toast special—the french toast and/or syrup had a pleasant vanilla flavor, the bacon was crisp and salty and the eggs nicely cooked. Denny had the buffet which had a nice selection of foods and fruits and breakfast casseroles. Another favorite with the local, the chefs here like to experiment and create new dishes and sandwiches. We're come back here. (6/2010)

Lander: Oxbow Restaurant, 170 E. Main St. Phone (307) 322-0233 Denny and I had lunch here as well as breakfast. This is another place frequented by the local townspeople. For lunch Denny had the bacon cheeseburger and fries, I had the fish sandwich with french onion soup. We enjoyed our lunches, so went back for Sunday breakfast. Denny's chicken-fried steak and eggs were good, as was my omelet. (6/2010)

Rawlins: Cappy's Restaurant and Drive-in, 2351 W. Spruce St Phone (307) 324-4847. Based on the number of cars here, we figured this was a good restaurant. Wrong. My fish sandwich was a square of breaded pre-formed fish like you get at Mickie Ds and my fries were well cooked but barely lukewarm. Denny said his sandwich was good (I forget what he had). (6/2010)

Penny's Diner, 2005 Daley St. Phone (307) 324-4700 What I like about diners is that you can watch your food being cooked. We had lunch and breakfast here; the menu is limited but the food is decently prepared and it's fun to watch the cook at work. It's pretty obvious he's been at it a while. (6/2010)

Eating Out in West Virginia

Athens:Gino's Pizza, 100 S. Vermillion St. Phone (304) 384-7970 Just about the only place in town to get a pizza. Tuesday night is buy one-get one free. Which makes their very expensive pizzas seem reasonable. Okay pizza. (9/2006)

Pipestem: Mulligan's Sports Lounge in Pipestem State Park,Phone (304) 466-1800. Located at the Pipestem Golf Course upstairs from the Blue and Gold Room restaurant. I had the bbq pork sandwich and Denny had a hot ham and cheese, plus an order of breaded mushrooms. It was a great late lunch. (9/2006)

Brandon's at Nostalgia Inn , Indian Ridge Rd.(enter through the Rocky Ridge RV Park across from the Pipestem State Park) Phone (304) 466-9110 Excellent ribs, wonderful marinaded coleslaw and very reasonably priced. We recommend this one.(9/2006)

Princeton: The Omelette Spot, 909 Oakvale Rd., Phone (304) 425-4194. The omelette was decent but very overpriced especially since we always skip the potatoes, toast and/or grits. There was no reduction in price for not taking the carbs. A better choice would have been the early morning breakfast buffet at Ryan's Steakhouse nearby.(9/2006)

Eating Out in Washington (state)

Airway Heights:  Buckhorn Inn, 13311 Sunset Hwy, Phone (509) 244-3991  We had lunch here first and then went back for breakfast later in the week.  Denny had the German sausage sandwich which was very good and I had the 1/2 serving of Cobb salad which was enough for 4 people I think.  I know I took my leftovers home and had them for lunch two more times.  Breakfast was also good.  This is another restaurant where dead animals stare down at you from the walls, but I'm starting to get used to that.  Reasonable. (7/2010)

Coulee Dam: Melody's Restaurant, 512 River Dr., Phone (509) 633-1151 Don't let the setting or the lack of off-season customers put you off as the food is very good, served piping hot and it's very reasonably priced. Visit the Grand Coulee Dam and stay for the laser light show. (6/2005)

Ephrata: Country Deli, 245 Basin St. NW, Phone (509) 754-3143 Good food, small town atmosphere, very reasonable (5/2005)

Fall City: Fall City Grill, 4050 Fall City-Carnation Rd. SE, Phone (425) 222-5622 Great omelets, sports bar décor, Washington prices (6/2005)

Leavenworth: Happy Valley Restaurant, 220 9^th St., Phone (509) 548-2230 Nice little Chinese restaurant located inside a town mall with lots of nice little shops to explore as well as the town's visitor center. Friendly staff, good food, reasonably priced (4/2005)

Long Beach: Chen's Chinese Restaurant, 400 Pacific Ave. N, Phone (360) 642-8288 After a very bad day of traveling on our 20^th anniversary, we had an excellent meal here and the waiter made us laugh showing us how Chinese people open beer bottles with their disposable lighters. Of course, there was leftovers. Expensive-tourist area. (7/2005)

Julie's Loose Kaboose Diner, corner 46^th and Pacific Highway, Phone (360) 642-2894 Good burgers, clam chowder and Coastal pie (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, apples and rhubarb) Reasonable for a tourist town (7/2005)

42^nd Street Cafe, 4201 Pacific Highway, Phone (360) 642-2323 Breakfast was mediocre and expensive. I've head folks rave about the place so perhaps they shine at evening meals. (7/2005)

Laurie's Homestead Restaurant, 4214 Pacific Way, Phone (360) 642-7171 A very good breakfast with the best vanilla yogurt I've ever had. The restaurant appears to have been remodeled from a house, lots of country-style decorations with emphasis on chickens, friendly staff. Resort town prices, but worth it. (7/2005)

Morton: Plaza Jalisco Mexican Restaurant, 200 Westlake Avenue, Phone (360) 496-6660 Great meal and portions large enough to bring home leftovers for a second meal, so-so margarita, reasonable (6/2005)

Moses Lake: Bob's Cafe at the Inn, 1807 Kittleson Rd. Phone (509) 765-3211 Breakfast was good, but not for $25 for the two of us.(4/2005)

Newport:  Michael's Cafe, 208 S. Washington St. Phone (509) 447-3355  We had breakfast here and wish we had come for the Friday night fish rather than eating at the restaurant we did just a few blocks away.  I had their version of a Denver omelet with a homemade biscuit fresh out of the oven and the owner even brought out some of his home canned huckleberry jam for us.  Denny's chicken fried steak was a bit tough and he mentioned it to the owner who told us that they cut, trim and pound their own steaks so he gave us a piece of his homemade huckleberry pie as an apology.  The restaurant surroundings are pleasant, it is in the heart of downtown yet would have been an easy walk from our campground.  Recommended.  (7/2010)

Westside Pizza, 325 S. Washington St. Phone (509) 447-2200  We had their deluxe pizza which was a decent pizza, but I had to ask for a knife to cut it as the young staff hadn't done a very good job of cutting the pie all the way through and it was too hot to handle by trying to pull the pieces apart.  Also, if you eat at their location, you'll be given plastic forks to eat with.  Not our favorite type of silverware.  (7/2010)

Ocean Shores: Homeport Restaurant, 857 Point Browne Avenue, Phone (360) 289-2600 Nicely decorated, good food (breakfast) (6/2005)

Othello: Potholes Sports Cafe, 7037 Hwy 262 SE, (509) 346-2895 A little bar and grill/golf pro shop serving decent food for a reasonable price out in the middle of nowhere. (4/2005)

Quincy: Harrington's Drive-in, 201 Central Ave. South, Phone (509) 787-3111 Great burgers, fried mushrooms and malts. (5/2005)  Revisited 8/2010--malts and burgers still delicious, the fried mushrooms were too heavily breaded.

Idle Hour Steakhouse and Cafe, 18 B Street SE, Phone (509) 787-3714  We had breakfast here twice and each time it was quite good.  The wait time for the food was a bit long but both times we managed to come in behind a couple of tables worth of folks.  The owners are chatty and friendly and it appears they have a nice selection of local wines to go along with evening meals.  (8/2010)

Tower Pizza, 8995 Crescent Bar Rd. NW, Phone (509) 787-0102  Decent pizza that was way overpriced, but we are in the resort section of town here. (8/2010)

Randle: Adams-St.Helen Family Restaurant, Hwy 12 and Cispus Rd., Phone (360) 497-5556 A little tired and beat up, home-style cooking, friendly staff and residents, reasonable prices for the area (6/2005)

Big Bottom Grill, 9791 US Hwy 12, Phone (360) 497-0561  Ripped upholstery, dusty and tired decor with the ubiquitous dead animals staring down on you.  The fried shrimp was decent, the food way overpriced and we weren't impressed. (8/2010)

Seattle: Cheesecake Factory, 700 Pike St., Phone (206) 652-5400 Okay, it's a chain, but we spent a special afternoon with a single lady we met on the Gray Line tour who has been teaching in Okinawa for 20 years and travels the country during summer break. Good food, outrageous prices, great company (6/2005)

Sequim: John Wayne Marina Restaurant, 2577 W. Sequim Bay Rd., Phone (360) 681-0577 We ate breakfast here, which was very good and very inexpensive for the area. I'd go back in a heartbeat for dinner or lunch. (6/2005)

Spanaway:  America's Diner, 20420 Mountain Hwy East, Phone (253) 875-4900  A small, new restaurant that mainly serves breakfast.  Breakfast was good, the omelets a little overcooked (my personal pet peeve is eggs cooked brown), but the food was decent and reasonably priced. (9/2010)

Spokane:  Frank's Diner Newport, 10929 N. Newport Hwy. Phone (509) 465-2464  Denny and I just flat out enjoy diners and this one is unique in that it is housed in an old Pullman sleeping car that has been converted (lovingly, I might add) to a diner.  I had the turkey club while Denny had the cheddar bacon cheeseburger with potato salad.  The server kept our iced tea glasses filled, the ambiance was great and the food hot and tasty.  Highly recommended. (7/2010)

Frank's Diner Downtown, 1516 West 2nd St, Phone (509) 747-8798  After having lunch at the north location of Frank's Diner we decided to try the breakfast at the original location downtown where they have been voted Best Breakfast ten out of the last eleven years.  We had a bit of a wait, but were willing to eat at the counter so we were seated before several other couples.  Breakfast was very good, we got to watch the two excellent cooks at work and the ambience can't be beat. Lots of good food. (8/2010)

Tacoma:  Harbor Lights Restaurant, 2761 North Ruston Way, Phone (253) 752-4679  Fantastic views of the harbor, good food eaten with good friends makes for a wonderful dining experience.  Recommended if you're in the area and like seafood and steaks.  (9/2010)

Eating Out in Virginia

Front Royal: South Street Grille, 424A South Street, Phone (540) 536-6654 We ate here for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We can recommend their shrimp, hot roast beef sandwich, breakfast, fish sandwich and chicken-fried steak. Very reasonable for a tourist area. (9/2011)

Louisa: Panda Garden Restaurant, 400 East Main St., Phone (540) 967-5988 Standard Chinese with their hot and spicy dishes on the mild side. They must adjust for Southern tastes. Good, plentiful but not exciting. (9/2006)

Mineral: Mineral Restaurant, 42 Davis Highway, Phone (540) 894-4927 Where all the locals go for breakfast on Sunday morning. Small, a little grubby inside and there is NO no-smoking area there. However the food is good, cheap and served hot. Plus it's the only place to eat breakfast on a Sunday for miles. (9/2006)

Orange: The Hornet's Nest, 269 Madison Rd. Phone (540) 672-7040. I really, really wanted to like this place. The walls are decorated with pictures of the local football teams dating back to the 60s, the staff is friendly and we like to patronize local businesses. However, the quality of the food was erratic; the pulled pork was tender but cold, the country-fried steak was tasty but the mashed potatoes were lumpy and the macaroni salad was the strangest concoction of bland macaroni, mayo, green peppers, celery and diced tomatoes. No pickle relish or hard-boiled eggs in it at all. It may be a local thing. I'd pass on this one. (9/2006)

Williamsburg: Rick's Grill, 6380 Richmond Rd, Phone (757) 229-0045 A pleasant surprise tucked away in a strip mall. Rick's has a small bar and several booths and small tables for dining. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. We stopped for dinner, having the grilled vegetables with fettucine tossed with garlic and EVOO and broccoli/spinach/cheddar cheese soup and the chicken/ham/sausage with liguine tossed with garlic and butter. Both were delicious, served with soup or salad and there were four or five specials also listed daily. The food varies from our Italian dishes to liver and onions and burgers. The food was served right off the grill, was steaming hot, well cooked and tasty. Reasonably priced for a tourist area. We would go back. (9/2011)