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Great Places in Spokane to Eat and Drink

Eastern Washington’s city by the river has a lot to love

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Some may overlook Spokane when it comes to dining destinations in the Pacific Northwest. But the eastern Washington city — located on the banks of the picturesque Spokane River, within a short drive from many high-quality farms — has a thriving food scene, home to terrific grills, cafes, and fine dining establishments featuring the surrounding bounty. Here’s a look at some of the city’s most essential spots to check out. All are open for takeout and dine-in, per current state COVID regulations, unless otherwise noted.

The latest CDC guidance for vaccinated diners during the COVID-19 outbreak is here; dining out still carries risks for unvaccinated diners and workers. Please be aware of changing local rules, and check individual restaurant websites for any additional restrictions such as mask requirements. Find a local vaccination site here. Studies indicate that there is a lower exposure risk when outdoors, but the level of risk involved with patio dining is contingent on restaurants following strict social distancing and other safety guidelines.

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Mary Lou's Milk Bottle

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For those visiting Spokane for the first time (or even locals who need a solid greasy spoon fix), this iconic diner in the Garland District is a fun find. As the 84-year-old giant milk bottle adorning the exterior would suggest, Mary Lou’s specializes in dairy, with more than 20 different flavors of milkshakes on the menu, all pleasantly brain-numbing. The burgers served on the restaurant’s freshly-baked French bread are satisfying and wallet-friendly as well.

The outside of the milk bottle-shaped Mary Lou’s Milk Bottle in Spokane with a pinkish-blue sky in the background
Mary Lou’s Milk Bottle has one of the most recognizable exteriors in Spokane.
Garland Business District/Facebook

The Flying Goat

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This Audubon gastropub on W Northwest Blvd, known for its excellent Neapolitan pizzas, captures the eastern Washington aesthetic beautifully, with fire pits and wood accents everywhere (sourced from an old grain elevator). The draft list covers all the bases — including several local beers from nearby Hidden Mother Brewery — and the Devils Toenail wings are much better than they sound. Good spot to watch the ‘Zags during hoops season.

A view of pizza with arugula and cheese on a cast iron pan against a wood backdrop.
Arugula pesto pizza at the Flying Goat
The Flying Goat [Official]

Mizuna Restaurant and Wine Bar

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Located downtown, Mizuna’s a good spot for a swanky date night or even a chill birthday dinner. The menu has Northwestern flavors with a vegan-veggie lean, but there are plenty of excellent meat and seafood options as well. Favorites include the smoked trout linguini, the falafels, and the crispy gorgonzola polenta with grilled portobellos.

The outside of Mizuna Restaurant in Spokane, with the restaurant’s name on the front and on a nearby brick wall
Mizuna is a good date-night spot in downtown Spokane.
Mizuna/Instagram

Cochinito

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Cochinito’s overall aesthetic can be a little bit try-hard for a Mexican street food spot. But the robust taco list is stellar. Newcomers should aim for the pork belly tacos and/or Heritage Doruc pork cheek carnitas tacos (with a side of braised pork pozole, if there’s room).

A chorizo and potato taco topped with cotija cheese, asparagus, and pickled mushroom salsa on a light blue plate
A chorizo and potato taco topped with cotija cheese, asparagus, and pickled mushroom salsa
Cochinito/Instagram

Safari Room Fresh Grill and Bar

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Downtown’s historic Davenport Grand Hotel has counted Amelia Earhart, Clark Gable, and John F. Kennedy as guests, and the old school swank is still there. The Safari Room’s ornate decor captures the spirit of the place — and there’s a reliable list of flatbreads, sandwiches, and burgers. Pro tip: If there’s a wait, head over to the equally eye-catching Peacock Room Lounge.

Chaps Coffee Co

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All the Lilac City locals adore pretty little Chaps, with its Victorian living-room aesthetic and gigantic piles of homestyle brunchfoods. Beautiful fruity pastries are Chaps’ strong suit, although it’s no slouch in the overall bacon-and-eggs genre either. Plus, it’s in a sweet little wooden ski lodge-lookin’ building and everything comes blanketed in either gravy or powdered sugar.

Zona Blanca

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After a lengthy COVID-19-related delay, Top Chef alum Chad White finally reopened his cevichería — Spokane’s first and only! — in April, calling the project “my heart and soul.” Its new spot in downtown’s historic Holley-Mason Hardware Building is looking nice and breezy in tropical pastels and exposed brick, and the old menu is intact (including the famed Dorilocos) with some fresh updates, such as the Tuna Tuna Peanut: raw ahi and smoked yellowtail on a grilled tostada.

Zona Blanca’s Dorilocos, with Doritos, Gummi Bears, herbs, and pickled onions, in a Doritos bag
Zona Blanca’s Dorilocos hodgepodge features Doritos, Gummi Bears, and other surprises.
Zona Blanca/Instagram

Inland Pacific Kitchen

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Spokanites rave over the Michelin-esque restaurant — and visiting Seattleites might recognize co-chef Austin Conklin’s name, as the rising star is an alum of Art of the Table in Wallingford. Artsy family-style small dishes are the name of the game at IPK, with hyper-seasonal ingredients impeccably plated. Mushrooms, quail eggs, and local seafood make frequent cameos on the ever-changing menu, while gin shines bright on the cocktail list. Big date night vibes for sure.

A plate of oysters next to several colorful cocktails on the bar at Inland Pacific Kitchen
Inland Pacific Kitchen features seasonal ingredients impeccably plated.
Inland Pacific Kitchen/Facebook

Made With Love Bakery

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Decked in bespoke floral wallpaper and throw pillows, this sweet little patisserie in West Central’s just about the cutest thing you ever saw, and the bakers have serious chops to boot. Everyone’s fave is the pop tarts, an adult update on the childhood classic, available in flavors like maple cinnamon and strawberry rhubarb, while the snickerdoodles and the strawberry-blueberry pie seem to be tied for second. Great coffee, by Indaba, rounds out the whole dreamy experience.

Lemon blackberry cupcakes at Made With Love Bakery, with a houseplant in the background
Lemon blackberry cupcakes
Made With Love Bakery/Instagram

D'Bali Asian Bistro

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D’Bali not only serves super legit Vietnamese, but it also does Korean, Thai, SIngaporean, Indonesian, and Malaysian fare well. All of it’s made with joy and minute attention to detail by “Mama Jeannie” Choi, who’s known for intensely garlicky garlic chicken, coconut-simmered fall-apart Sumatran beef rendang, and a warm, welcoming smile. Watch this space: D’Bali hosts pop-ups sometimes too, and will occasionally offer multi-course prix fixe meals to go.

A top-down view of dishes at D’Bali Asian Bistro, including a curry stew at the bottom
D’Bali serves a wide variety of Asian dishes, all skillfully prepared.
D’Bali Asian Bistro/Facebook

Mary Lou's Milk Bottle

For those visiting Spokane for the first time (or even locals who need a solid greasy spoon fix), this iconic diner in the Garland District is a fun find. As the 84-year-old giant milk bottle adorning the exterior would suggest, Mary Lou’s specializes in dairy, with more than 20 different flavors of milkshakes on the menu, all pleasantly brain-numbing. The burgers served on the restaurant’s freshly-baked French bread are satisfying and wallet-friendly as well.

The outside of the milk bottle-shaped Mary Lou’s Milk Bottle in Spokane with a pinkish-blue sky in the background
Mary Lou’s Milk Bottle has one of the most recognizable exteriors in Spokane.
Garland Business District/Facebook

The Flying Goat

This Audubon gastropub on W Northwest Blvd, known for its excellent Neapolitan pizzas, captures the eastern Washington aesthetic beautifully, with fire pits and wood accents everywhere (sourced from an old grain elevator). The draft list covers all the bases — including several local beers from nearby Hidden Mother Brewery — and the Devils Toenail wings are much better than they sound. Good spot to watch the ‘Zags during hoops season.

A view of pizza with arugula and cheese on a cast iron pan against a wood backdrop.
Arugula pesto pizza at the Flying Goat
The Flying Goat [Official]

Mizuna Restaurant and Wine Bar

Located downtown, Mizuna’s a good spot for a swanky date night or even a chill birthday dinner. The menu has Northwestern flavors with a vegan-veggie lean, but there are plenty of excellent meat and seafood options as well. Favorites include the smoked trout linguini, the falafels, and the crispy gorgonzola polenta with grilled portobellos.

The outside of Mizuna Restaurant in Spokane, with the restaurant’s name on the front and on a nearby brick wall
Mizuna is a good date-night spot in downtown Spokane.
Mizuna/Instagram

Cochinito

Cochinito’s overall aesthetic can be a little bit try-hard for a Mexican street food spot. But the robust taco list is stellar. Newcomers should aim for the pork belly tacos and/or Heritage Doruc pork cheek carnitas tacos (with a side of braised pork pozole, if there’s room).

A chorizo and potato taco topped with cotija cheese, asparagus, and pickled mushroom salsa on a light blue plate
A chorizo and potato taco topped with cotija cheese, asparagus, and pickled mushroom salsa
Cochinito/Instagram

Safari Room Fresh Grill and Bar

Downtown’s historic Davenport Grand Hotel has counted Amelia Earhart, Clark Gable, and John F. Kennedy as guests, and the old school swank is still there. The Safari Room’s ornate decor captures the spirit of the place — and there’s a reliable list of flatbreads, sandwiches, and burgers. Pro tip: If there’s a wait, head over to the equally eye-catching Peacock Room Lounge.

Chaps Coffee Co

All the Lilac City locals adore pretty little Chaps, with its Victorian living-room aesthetic and gigantic piles of homestyle brunchfoods. Beautiful fruity pastries are Chaps’ strong suit, although it’s no slouch in the overall bacon-and-eggs genre either. Plus, it’s in a sweet little wooden ski lodge-lookin’ building and everything comes blanketed in either gravy or powdered sugar.

Zona Blanca

After a lengthy COVID-19-related delay, Top Chef alum Chad White finally reopened his cevichería — Spokane’s first and only! — in April, calling the project “my heart and soul.” Its new spot in downtown’s historic Holley-Mason Hardware Building is looking nice and breezy in tropical pastels and exposed brick, and the old menu is intact (including the famed Dorilocos) with some fresh updates, such as the Tuna Tuna Peanut: raw ahi and smoked yellowtail on a grilled tostada.

Zona Blanca’s Dorilocos, with Doritos, Gummi Bears, herbs, and pickled onions, in a Doritos bag
Zona Blanca’s Dorilocos hodgepodge features Doritos, Gummi Bears, and other surprises.
Zona Blanca/Instagram

Inland Pacific Kitchen

Spokanites rave over the Michelin-esque restaurant — and visiting Seattleites might recognize co-chef Austin Conklin’s name, as the rising star is an alum of Art of the Table in Wallingford. Artsy family-style small dishes are the name of the game at IPK, with hyper-seasonal ingredients impeccably plated. Mushrooms, quail eggs, and local seafood make frequent cameos on the ever-changing menu, while gin shines bright on the cocktail list. Big date night vibes for sure.

A plate of oysters next to several colorful cocktails on the bar at Inland Pacific Kitchen
Inland Pacific Kitchen features seasonal ingredients impeccably plated.
Inland Pacific Kitchen/Facebook

Made With Love Bakery

Decked in bespoke floral wallpaper and throw pillows, this sweet little patisserie in West Central’s just about the cutest thing you ever saw, and the bakers have serious chops to boot. Everyone’s fave is the pop tarts, an adult update on the childhood classic, available in flavors like maple cinnamon and strawberry rhubarb, while the snickerdoodles and the strawberry-blueberry pie seem to be tied for second. Great coffee, by Indaba, rounds out the whole dreamy experience.

Lemon blackberry cupcakes at Made With Love Bakery, with a houseplant in the background
Lemon blackberry cupcakes
Made With Love Bakery/Instagram

D'Bali Asian Bistro

D’Bali not only serves super legit Vietnamese, but it also does Korean, Thai, SIngaporean, Indonesian, and Malaysian fare well. All of it’s made with joy and minute attention to detail by “Mama Jeannie” Choi, who’s known for intensely garlicky garlic chicken, coconut-simmered fall-apart Sumatran beef rendang, and a warm, welcoming smile. Watch this space: D’Bali hosts pop-ups sometimes too, and will occasionally offer multi-course prix fixe meals to go.

A top-down view of dishes at D’Bali Asian Bistro, including a curry stew at the bottom
D’Bali serves a wide variety of Asian dishes, all skillfully prepared.
D’Bali Asian Bistro/Facebook

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