48 Hours On San Juan Island Leads To Some Delicious Discoveries

Forbes

21-05-2025

This popular destination some 30 miles off the coast of Washington state draws visitors craving that chill island vibe along with a generous helping of excellent culinary options. Here's what you need to add to a must-visit list.
Washington State Ferries serve the San Juan Islands near Seattle. During summer months, it's ... More essential to make a reservation when traveling west to the islands.
I've traveled to this group of islands countless times, starting in the 1970s when summers were spent visiting family on Orcas Island. Much has changed in this region over the decades, but there are also comfortingly familiar landmarks.
On San Juan Island, that includes the Friday Harbor House, the hotel that's been welcoming guests for decades. With its sweeping views of the incredibly picturesque harbor and a signature restaurant that pulls that vista into sharp focus, FHH is one of my all-time favorite places to stay in this neck of the woods.
During a recent two-night visit, I also got quite a shock: Dinner included some of the best barbecue I've enjoyed outside the American South. And that's not a compliment I dish out casually.
The smoker at Friday Harbor House on San Juan Island in Washington state produces some outstanding ... More barbecue.
Shortly after checking in and talking a pre-dinner walk around town, I spied a smoker. Well, that's not exactly true. I got a whiff of fragrant wood smoke near the hotel and was drawn to investigate. Yup, this setup looked – and smelled – legit.
Later, when my husband and I were seated in the dining room, there was little doubt what I was going to order. On the three-course dinner menu – a screaming deal at $50 – the barbecued ribs described as being rubbed with a special seasoning that included local kelp. Say what? Chef Bryce Harding later explained that addition to the custom rub he created added umami. Uh-huh.
It also delivered on the promised sense-of-place many destination restaurants aim for, all while the delivery truck is off loading supplies from Sysco. And, of course, there's some of that going on in the kitchen at Friday Harbor House. But the pork is raised on the island.
After a satisfying cup of slightly spicy chowder --yes, that's chorizo in the mix – the ribs arrived, its deep mahogany bark offering a preview of what was to come. At that point, I was still a bit skeptical. This rack looked borderline burned. But after the first bite, it was clear that was the brown sugar in the rub getting to the point of ultimate caramelization.
There's no sticky sweet sauce accompanying these bones, but the mole-seasoned pan-roasted mushrooms served on the side played so well with the succulent, lightly smoky meat, barbecue sauce was not needed.
The pork was tender, but not falling-off-the-bone mushy, and the preparation hit that target of honoring the ancient tradition of cooking meat low-and-slow while making adding that local flavor. Well done.
I know at some point during dinner, my husband offered me a bite from his beautifully put together plate, as is our practice, but I waved him off. I shared one rib with him, but that evening, I did something I rarely do: I finished my entire entree. (Though that meant waving off dessert.)
Cycling is a popular way to explore San Juan Island.
We walked on the ferry with our bikes and spent a good chunk of our visit exploring on two wheels. On the way out to the National Historical Park known as American Camp, there were plenty of hills and pastoral scenery that looked as if it belonged on a movie set.
It's somewhat surprising that there's never been a feature film based on the island's famous Pig War. The tale of this porcine-fueled conflict that began in 1859 is told in a compelling interpretive exhibit at the American Camp Visitors Center. In a nutshell, American and British troops both occupied the island while borders between the U.S. and Canadian were being configured. (By way of history that goes way back, this region has been home to the Coast Salish people for centuries.)
A free-roaming pig from British Camp was rooting around in a potato patch in American Camp and was dispatched with a shotgun blast. A conflict quickly became heated and, as the history books say, nearly led to a world war. The Brits eventually set sights further north, as the maritime border was drawn to include what's now known as the Gulf Islands.
We continued the tour with a stop at South Beach, a dramatic expanse of rocky shoreline and mountains of driftwood. Across the vast Strait of San Juan de Fuca, the Olympic Mountains are a majestic landmark, and if you're curious about the massive boat chugging by, download the Marine Traffic app.
San Juan Island Sea Salt has a gourmet food shop and bakery in Friday Harbor, Wash., a short walk ... More from the ferry landing. Don't miss the hockey puck-shaped cookies.
The next day, my husband headed out on another ride, this time to Lime Kiln Point State Park and its beautiful lighthouse. This is a spot where visitors often spot the pods of resident orca whales, but there were no dorsal fins in sight that day.
I spent the morning doing some retail therapy around the walkable town, hitting The Market Chef – where they serve deli-style lunch as well as stocking fun kitchen essentials – Griffin Bay Bookstore & Cafe (picked up a copy of a kid's book about The Pig War – and, finally, stopped at the new San Juan Island Sea Salt store.
That charming space offers shoppers the option of tasting through some of the locally produced line of sea salts, including the exceptional Madrona-smoked version. (There's Madrona-smoked honey, too.) Shelves are stocked with intriguing ingredients, sauces and spreads, also available from the San Juan online store.
Don't you dare leave, though, without indulging in a memorable hockey puck-sized cookie from the in-house bakery. The current superstar is a creation called the Coffeehouse, which has a coffeecake crumble-like topping sprinkled with that 'solar-powered' sea salt. Pair that up with a half pint of vanilla from Lopez Island Creamery and day made!
Old School meatballs are a shining star at Vinny's, a classic Italian trattoria on San Juan Island ... More in Washington state.
Loved the meatballs at Vinny's, a popular Italian eatery. (Reservations are essential.)
Make like a local and hit the breakfast bar at Kings Market, order a slice of pizza at Bakery San Juan, hit the bowling alley at JP's and grab a coffee at San Juan Island Roasters or a craft beer at San Juan Island Brewery.
Back to the Friday Harbor House for a farewell brunch, I was thrilled to discover the fantastic version of bagels and lox finished in a shower of San Juan Island Sea Salt's Everything Bagel seasoning.
The Friday Harbor House serves bagels and lox with Everything Seasoning from San Juan Island Sea ... More Salt.