Camano Island is one of the best destinations in the Pacific Northwest. Whether you’re considering moving there, taking a vacation, or stopping by for a day trip to one of its 32 beaches, you’re probably wondering what sort of food exists on the island.
I’ve been visiting Camano Island for over 30 years and have gotten to know all of the restaurants across it. While there isn’t a huge number of restaurants, there are some gems to be found. You’ll find great burger restaurants, beer spots, and even farm-to-table options scattered across the island. Many have limited hours, so make sure they’ll be available on your next visit. With that, let’s dive into the best restaurants on Camano Island!
The 13 Best Restaurants on Camano Island
Here’s a list of the restaurants you need to be aware of if visiting Camano Island:
- Tapped
- Blue Heron
- Camano Commons Marketplace
- Cama Beach Cafe & Catering
- Kristoferson Farm
- Primal BBQ
- 282 Pub
- Elger Bay Cafe & Restaurant
- The Sub Joint
- Camano Thai
- Baked Cafe
- Ale Spike Brewery / Cristy’s Lumpia and More
- Sahara Pizza
1. Tapped Camano
Camano Island doesn’t have a conventional “downtown.” However, Terry’s Corner is probably the best area to meet a group on the island. Shops, the Camano Library, and restaurants ring a grass area that’s great for kids to run around in and hosts movies during the summer.
Tapped Camano is in Terry’s Corner and features a large outdoor patio that is perfect for summer nights. As you can imagine, the focus is on beer with a large draft list focused on local beer companies. The food at Tapped is better than you’ll find at most restaurants on the island. My personal favorite is the pretzel burger, but the fish and chips are another excellent option. If you’re dining with a large group Tapped is an excellent option as the menu includes a wide variety of dishes. On our last stop, we started with the watermelon salad and it was well-executed.
A few notes if you’re dining at Tapped. First, the outdoor seats can get quite busy during summer. Second, like many Camano businesses it closes earlier than you might expect. Most nights it closes at 8 p.m. with Fridays and Saturdays staying open until 8:30. Finally, a local tip would be to ask for light salt on your food. Our biggest complaint in multiple visits would be they tend to be generous with their sodium, but by reminding your server ahead of time you can avoid this.
2. Blue Heron
The Blue Heron sits in the space previously occupied by the Crow’s Nest. If you’re looking for a sit-down dinner with table service, it’s your best option on the island.
On the lighter side, there’s a variety of appetizers and salads. If you’re looking for entrees you’ll find a range from burgers, to Italian dishes (risotto, alfredo, bucatini), and heartier meats like hanger steak and pork chops. When stopping by the Blue Heron I’ve enjoyed a quick meal at the bar of their bacon-wrapped dates and flatbread.
Here are a few local tips if you’re looking to stop by the Blue Heron. While the restaurant is located inland, it does sit on a lake. So getting patio seating on a nice day is recommended. The Blue Heron also has lunch specials (and happy hour) if you’re looking for a relaxing lunch. Finally, save room for their desserts. While the Heron’s menu isn’t easily found online, their crumble and bread pudding deserts are excellent. If you’re looking to dine “late,” the Heron is open until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
3. Camano Commons Marketplace
Camano Commons takes us back to Terry’s Corner. The bakery in Camano Commons was started by a French baker who moved to Camano prior to retirement. The quality of their baked items is tremendous and worth a stop, preferably in the morning when items are fresh.
My personal favorite baked goods are their ham and cheese croissant, the everything “cragel” (croissant/bagel), and the bacon scone. Beyond savory breakfast items, they also have delicious cinnamon rolls, monkey muffins, and on weekends expand their selections with fig croissants and apricot goat cheese scones. Trust me when I say all the items are delicious.
It should be noted that you’ll also find the Baked Cafe inside Camano Commons (more on that later) as well as ice cream, coffee, and a store featuring gifts. A stop at Camano Commons is a must if you’re visiting the island.
4. Cama Beach Cafe & Catering
In the first half of the 20th century, Camano Island was filled with rustic resorts and cabins along the beach that people would flock to during the summer. Today, most these camps are long gone and replaced by housing. However, Cama Beach was sold to the state of Washington and survives as a State Park today.
Near the parking lot of Cama Beach you’ll find a building that contains Cama Beach Cafe & Catering. Hours are limited, with the cafe open until 2 PM seven days a week, but the cafe is a treasured institution on Camano Island. If you’re getting one thing, start with the cinnamon rolls (pictured above). They’re excellent and some of the best not only on Camano but the entire Seattle region.
Beyond cinnamon rolls, there’s a long list of benedicts which are delicious, Swedish pancakes, french toast, breakfast burritos, and sandwiches for lunchtime.
5. Kristoferson Farm
Kristoferson Farm has been a staple on Camano Island since 1912. The farm sits directly across from the IGA Plaza and hosts forest experiences with zip lines and has a gift shop open from Thursday to Sunday with produce and gifts.
However, even long-time locals on Camano Island might not know it’s also a premier food venue as well. That’s because Kristoferson Farm hosts farm-to-table tasting menus in its event space. They’re catered by the chef from Cama Beach Cafe, are typically about five courses, and come with a wine pairing from a local winemaker as well.
There’s no place to find a listing of these dinners in the barn online, rather you’ll have to go to this page and sign up for their email list. During the summer these dinners are held about once a month, so you’ll need to plan in advance as they quickly fill up!
6. Primal BBQ
Primal Barbeque is one of Camano Island’s newest restaurants. This BBQ joint takes over the spot previously occupied by Brooklyn Bros. Pizzeria (if you’re looking for pizza on the island, I’ve got a different suggestion later).
The menu at Primal is focused squarely on BBQ classics like baby back ribs, brisket, chicken, pulled pork, and sausages. If you’re in a group with vegetarians or simply want some non-meat options there is also smoked tofu, portabello mushrooms, and sides like potato salad, elote, and baked beans on the menu.
One exciting addition to their menu is bowls which are an excellent lunch option. Pick your favorite BBQ protein and use them as a topping for Southwest, Banhi Mi, or Asian bowls.
7. 282 Pub
Pub 282 is located in the IGA plaza next to the island’s only major grocery store. While no Camano establishments are open “late,” Pub 282 is open until 10 PM on both Friday and Saturday, making it one of the last places you can grab a bite on the island. As you can see from the picture above, there’s also a large outdoor area if you’re looking to have lunch or a drink on a nice day. Some tables have fire heating in the middle, making sitting outdoors on a brisk spring or fall day another option.
There are normally a dozen beers on draft, and you can expect most of your Northwest favorites like Manny’s, Mac and Jack’s, and Elysian to be in the rotation. The last time I stopped by I had a beer from Black Raven (based in Redmond) and a Hazy IPA from Icicle Brewery, which is based in Leavenworth.
The food is what you’d expect, it’s a pub. There aren’t entrees like streaks, pasta, or fresh seafood (you’re better off looking at an option like the Blue Heron if that’s what you want). However, Pub 282 has a wide selection of appetizers like wings, sandwiches, salads, burgers, and pizza.
8. Elger Bay Cafe & Restaurant
Once you get to the southern end of Camano Island, there simply aren’t many restaurants. In fact, if you’re on S Camano Drive, there’s just a single dining option.
Elger Bay Cafe & Restaurant sits where Elger Bay Road turns into S. Camano Drive, the road that eventually turns into E. Camano Drive and serves the southern 1/3 of the island.
The restaurant sits next to a convenience store, has gas pumps, and also has a stand for Camano Island Coffee Roasters. In short, if you live on the southern end of the island (as my family does), you’ve likely needed to stop by here from time to time.
I want to be honest with this food review, so I’ll say I don’t really enjoy the food at Elger Bay Cafe. Google reviews are more positive with a particular emphasis on their burgers, so perhaps if you’re stopping by you can stick with a burger. (My negative experiences have been ordering their sandwiches).
However, even if their food isn’t the best on the island, Elger Bay is a great place to take kids for scoops of ice cream or milkshakes. There are plenty of beaches to explore on the southern end of Camano, so any list that didn’t include a stop where you can get some burgers, ice cream, shakes, or a beer would create an incomplete list of the island’s best restaurants.
9. Sub Joint
Like many restaurants in Terry’s Corner, the Sub Joint has been home to many different businesses. In the past, it was a BBQ spot named “Orlando’s BBQ Station.” However, today it’s one of the best lunch locations on the island if you’re looking to grab a sandwich.
What makes the Sub Joint better than grabbing a cheap sub at Subway in Stanwood or the nearby IGA Plaza?
For starters, its bread comes from the nearby Baked Cafe (more on them in a moment), so you know every sandwich is coming on fresh bread. Beyond that, deli meats and cheeses are also of extremely high quality. Sandwiches (for a half-size portion) from the Baked Cafe will range from about $10 to $12.50, but they’re extremely tasty. It should be noted, the cafe also keeps special ingredients for vegan and vegetarian diners as well.
The Sub Joint is open 11 to 6 PM on weekdays and 11 to 4 PM on weekends (and closed Mondays). If you want a delicious sandwich from here, lunch is your best bet.
10. Camano Thai
If I had one negative thing to say about Camano Thai: it’d be that there was an hour wait for takeout on a Wednesday when I last ordered there during summer!
Take that as a local tip for getting Thai on Camano Island: make sure to order ahead during the summer. They get busy!
Is Camano Thai the best Thai food you’ll ever have? Almost certainly not. It’s a small stand in a grocery store. However, the owners of Camano Thai take great pride in their work, and we’ve loved meals from there including appetizers like crab rangoon, and entrees like Pra Ram noodles, Pad Thai, pumpkin curry, and fried rice.
It should be noted that Camano Thai also makes some entrees that come from other countries in Southeast Asia, so if you’ve got a large group you can also find pho or orange chicken.
11. Baked Cafe
Burger fans rejoice, Camano Island has a top burger destination.
You can see the menu from the Baked Cafe above. The star of the show is their home-baked breads, which are the bookends of every sandwich found at the Baked Cafe.
If you’re stopping here at breakfast, I’d recommend the bacon, egg, and cheese. If you’re stopping by later in the day the burgers are the star of the show. Try either the fried onion burger or spicy chicken if those are the kinds of food you’d normally enjoy. If you’re staying on Camano Island you can also pick up fresh baked bread at the Baked Cafe.
12. Ale Spike Brewery / Cristy’s Lumpia and More
Ale Spike is Camano’s only brewery and is located next to the airport. It’s a small operation with about a dozen brews on draft and a TV playing an old collection of DVDs. If you ask for a WiFi password, they’ll tell you the password is “there is no wifi.” Which is to say, they’re squarely focused on the experience of enjoying a beer.
When I last visited Ale Spike, there was a putting green outside to enjoy and their beers weren’t just a series of IPAs. Ale Spike was brewing blondes, blocks, stouts, porters, a sour, and yes, also an IPA on draft. There are also packaged drinks and guest taps if nothing from Ale Spike catches your eye.
Cristy’s Lumpia is listed with Ale Spike because the two businesses sit side-by-side in an industrial park near the airport. Make sure to check their Facebook page as it will list items available for takeout. You. can expect to see items like lumpia, humbaos, fried rice, pork adobo, and desserts. Most days Cristy’s is open only until 4 to 6 PM, so check its hours before heading out!
13. Sahara Pizza
We end our list with Sahara Pizza, which isn’t located on Camano Island. So, why did it make the list? After Brookyln Bros. Pizza shut down there has been a lack of pizza delivery on Camano. When you’re staying on the island in the summer and enjoying its beaches, nights often end with wanting something simple to eat like a freshly delivered pizza.
Thankfully, Sahara Pizza now delivers across much of Camano Island, giving the option for pizza direct to your house. If you’re in the mood for pizza and don’t care about delivery, it’s worth noting that you can also order a takeout pizza from Pub 282.
