Most of the best restaurants in Walla Walla have only opened in the last decade. Not to date myself, but I still remember when this tiny town 4 ½ hours southeast of Seattle was only known for onions.
Now it’s one of the most notable wine regions in the state, and because good wine and food go hand-in-hand, many restaurateurs have left the hustle of Seattle to open restaurants in Walla Walla.
Whether you’re planning a weekend wine trip or craving a change of scenery, this list will break down all the best places to eat in Walla Walla!
Best Restaurants in Walla Walla
Save this to Pinterest for later, as I’ll add more of the best Walla Walla eats when I discover them!
Passatempo Taverna
website | 215 W Main St (get directions) | price: $$$ | cuisine: Italian | open: dinner only
It was recommended I visit Passatempo for their pizza, especially their pepperoni. Unfortunately they were fresh out of dough when we went, but everything else on their menu is delicious, and they’re one of my overall favorite restaurants in Walla Walla.
Their pasta is scratch-made and served alongside antipasti, pizza, and Roman pasta. I especially love the alla gricia pasta that reminds me of the pasta I ate daily in Rome and haven’t seen on an American menu since. It’s essentially a less peppery version of cacio e pepe, but with pancetta.
I’d skip the pinwheel lasagna next time in favor of the zozzona pasta, which is a must-order simply for the meaty, savory red sauce. For dessert, get the lemon olive oil cake if it’s available. And make sure to sample your way through their curated cocktails and sommelier-led wine list.
Brasserie Four
website | 4 E Main St (get directions) | price: $$$ | cuisine: French | open: dinner every day and lunch on weekends
Ask anyone where to eat in Walla Walla and they’ll likely tell you to make a reservation at Brasserie Four. It’s one of the town’s more fine dining establishments, consisting of a classic brasserie French menu paired with high-end cocktails and both French and Walla Walla wines.
They’re best known for the steak frites, and while the plates that wafted past us smelled incredible, we didn’t go that route in favor of more classical dishes. In the end it proved to be one of my favorite restaurants on our trip.
Do yourself a favor and start with the calamari a la provencal, which comes with Monterey Bay calamari in a white wine, caper, and tomato sauce. It is single-handedly one of the best bites of food I ate in Walla Walla on my last trip.
Brasserie Four also does soup really, really well. The vichyssoise is surprisingly rich and savory, with the perfect balance of creaminess and green leek flavor. For your main course, get the beef bourguignon. The beef is meaty, tender, and perfectly matched against the rich gravy.
AK’s Mercado
website | 21 E Main St (get directions) | price: $ | cuisine: Mexican | open: lunch and dinner
AK’s is owned by chef Andrae Bopp, who studied around the world before graduating from the French Culinary Institute of New York. After hustling at three Michelin-star restaurants, he opened a highly-acclaimed fine dining restaurant in Boise. He eventually relocated to Walla Walla to pursue another passion, making wine.
After working as the assistant winemaker for Dusted Valley Vintners, Andrae settled on AK’s, a fuss-free and reasonably-priced taco spot. Each taco will run you about $5.50, and they’re a bit larger than street taco-sized tacos. The homemade tortillas are soft and overstuffed with juicy, well-seasoned meat.
Visit on a Thursday and get the goat birria taco; it’s the perfect balance of earthy, fatty, and savory. Another must-order is the fried cod tacos. They have the perfect thick breading and plenty of aioli. Just beware that they pack some heat!
TMACS
website | 80 N Colville St (get directions) | price: $$$ | cuisine: American | open: lunch and dinner
TMACS is owned by Walla Walla native Tom Maccarone, who previously owned T.Maccarone’s, an Italian joint inspired by his mother’s kitchen. In 2019, Tom moved the restaurant to a mixed-use building off Coville Street, where it was renamed to TMACS. He shares the building with Mark Ryan’s Board Track Racer and Bergevin Lane tasting rooms, and a gourmet grocer, Marguerite.
The menu at TMACS is broad but well executed and leans heavier on Asian influence. The pork belly sandwich is incredible (though the ahi tuna BLAT is a close second). The pork comes braised with a sesame soy glaze, a crunchy daikon-carrot slaw, and a tart sriracha lime aioli.
Get the butternut coconut soup if it’s in season. It’s the best version of that soup I’ve ever had, and the subtle sweetness from the coconut cream perfectly complements the warm spices of the squash.
Hattaway’s on Adler
website | 125 W Alder St (get directions) | price: $$$ | cuisine: southern | open: dinner only
Hattaway’s is one of the must-try Walla Walla restaurants. It’s southern comfort food, but with an upscale ambiance and heavy focus on Pacific Northwest ingredients. Their menu changes to accommodate the seasons and what the local farms are harvesting.
Their cocktail and menu is equally curated with high-end spirits and house syrups. Likewise, their wine menu is lengthy and has a proper mix of imports and Walla Walla wineries, giving you a chance to taste wines from wineries you haven’t yet visited.
If it’s available, get the celery salad with hazelnuts. It has the perfect crunch and is reminiscent of a Caesar, but with a lemon vinaigrette that offers the right balance of acid. The fried chicken with grits is good as well, but it’s the spaetzle with Sunday sauce that keeps me coming back year after year.
Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen
website | 330 W Main St (get directions) | price: $$$ | cuisine: Mediterranean | open: dinner and lunch on weekends
Saffron is one of my favorite spots for exceptional Walla Walla dining. Located in the historical Bachtold building, husband-and-wife duo Chris and Island opened Saffron in 2007. Chris is the executive chef and together they create dishes inspired by their travels and love of Walla Walla Valley.
Their menu is broken down into tapas, flatbreads, housemade pasta, and more heartier entrees. Start with the Spanish-style crispy calamari. It’s well balanced with salty chorizo and tender sea beans. Don’t sleep on the flatbread, especially the Gǒzleme. It’s Turkish-style and stuffed with spicy lamb sausage, local greens, yogurt, and za’atar.
For entrees, the halibut and tuna pasta is surprisingly filling and well-seasoned. I’d be interested to see what they offer for desserts, as I wasn’t in love with the chocolate ricotta cake, but the other dishes sounded really good!
The Maple Counter Cafe
website | 209 E Alder St (get directions) | price: $$ | cuisine: American | open: breakfast and lunch
The Maple Counter is a family-run and homey spot serving breakfast classics like omelets, biscuits and gravy, and french toast. Of all the breakfast restaurants in Walla Walla, Maple Counter is the more family-friendly of the bunch. It’s also the most popular, and while they don’t take reservations, you’re welcome to order a mimosa while you wait for a table.
Get the corned beef hash. It’s one of the better versions I’ve tried and I look forward to it every time I visit. I’m not much of a sweets for breakfast person, but their pancakes sound amazing. They use local Small’s Family Farms flour and an heirloom sourdough starter for that essential tang factor.
Graze
website | 5 S Colville St (get directions) | price: $$ | cuisine: sandwiches | open: all day
If you find yourself hungry in a hurry or just want a simple, no-frills sandwich, Graze is your best bet. They’re a small eastern Washington chain serving sandwiches made with fresh ingredients and house-cured meats. I like them because they make great, honest versions of the classics.
I’m a sucker for a Reuben, and Graze does an excellent job. The pastrami is thinly sliced, and there’s plenty of acid to cut through the fat from the dressing. They also have plenty of vegan and vegetarian options, including scratch-made soups every day.
Pine Cone Creamery
website | 3 S Colville St (get directions) | price: $ | cuisine: ice cream | open: all day
Right next to Graze and the popular Colville Street Patisserie is Pine Cone Creamery. It’s owned by the family behind The Maple Counter and first opened in 2020, smack in the middle of the pandemic. Luckily, they made it and are one of the few places to grab a cone while window shopping downtown.
They have a wide selection including a few classics, but most are made with a twist, like their double trouble cookie dough with Oreo chunks or their Mexican hot chocolate. My vote is the buttered toffee flavor for its creaminess and rich flavor. They also have a wide selection of vegan options like peanut butter Oreo and cherry cola sorbet.
Best wineries with food
Several of Walla Walla’s best wineries also boast a decent food menu. Here are some of my favorites.
The Walls
website | 1015 W Pine St (get directions) | price: $$ | cuisine: Italian | open: lunch only
The Walls is a winery located on the outskirts of downtown. It’s owned by Mike Martin, a former Seattleite who found his new home in Walla Walla after the devastating loss of his partner. In 2014 he opened The Walls, followed by PÁŠXA Wines (pronounced “pasha”) and Passatempo Taverna in 2016.
The tasting room and patio are both modern and gorgeous, as are the complex and richly flavored wines. You can get a comparative tasting if you want to try both brands, and their food menu runs daily.
Passatempo provides the food, and it ranges from small plates of olives to more hearty fare like shaved ham and cheese sandwiches and “Girl Dinner,” which includes hand-made snacks, charcuterie, and imported cheeses. But most people order their wood-fired pizzas made in the oven on their patio.
Caprio Cellars
website | 1603 Whiteley Rd (get directions) | price: $ | cuisine: new American | open: lunch only
Caprio Cellars is the only winery I’ve found that doesn’t charge a tasting fee, and they even provide a curated food pairing with each wine. This makes them a winery unicorn in my book and worth a visit the next time you’re on Walla Walla’s southside.
The winery specializes in Bordeaux varietals like cabernet sauvignon and merlot, with all grapes sourced directly from the estate. They don’t go heavy on the oak so they’re smooth and more elegant as opposed to being a fruit bomb.
The food menu is all made in-house. It rotates in accordance with the seasons and what wines they’re pouring that week. This and their wonderful hospitality won me over even more than the wines.
Abeja Inn
website | 2014 Mill Creek Rd (get directions) | price: $$$$ | cuisine: Italian | open: dinner only
Ever since James Beard nominated chef Mike Easton took over The Kitchen at Abeja, it’s been high on my list to try. The winery has built a reputation in town for producing high-end, bold Bordeaux varietals, and while you can reserve an estate tasting that includes small bites, it’s the dinner service you’re after.
The Kitchen at Abeja is a reservation-only fine dining restaurant. It features a pre-fixed menu with optional wine pairings from Abeja’s library collection. The menu constantly changes with the seasons, and local produce is key to each course. Thankfully you’ll always secure a pasta course from chef Mike, former owner of Seattle’s Il Corvo.
If you’re looking for a place to stay, there’s the Inn at Abeja on property. It consists of homes accommodating 2-10 people, along with a complementary coursed breakfast.
More to explore
After you check out the best restaurants in Walla Walla, check out my other guides on things to do nearby.
