Two Washington state dining destinations have earned spots on The New York Times‘ 2026 iteration of “The Restaurant List,” featuring 50 favorite places across America according to the publication. Hama Hama Oyster Saloon in Lilliwaup and Passage on Whidbey Island secured positions on the national roster published Monday, highlighting distinct regional flavors from Hood Canal to Puget Sound.
Hama Hama Oyster Saloon Brings Hood Canal Bivalves to National Spotlight
Open since 2014, Hama Hama Oyster Saloon operates on the bank of Hood Canal in Mason County as a longtime day trip destination for Seattleites, according to reporting from The New York Times. The family-run oyster company grows bivalves just steps from the saloon, as well as along beaches around Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula.
The menu remains succinct, featuring oysters, clams, and crab alongside a trio of soups, a couple of salads, and a grilled cheese sandwich. The New York Times writer and editor Brian Gallagher highlighted the poached oysters escabeche and the purple clams in a green coconut curry broth, while emphasizing that pristine raw bivalves on the half shell anchor the menu.
Passage Opens at the Inn at Langley Under Chef Johnny Spero
Representing a brand-new addition to the Washington culinary scene, Passage opened this summer at the Inn at Langley on Whidbey Island. The Inn first opened in 1989 after being envisioned by former Seattle Mayor Paul Schell and his wife, Pam. Akin Hospitality purchased the property in 2025, executing an extensive renovation before launching the new dining concept.
Chef Johnny Spero leads the kitchen at Passage after closing his Michelin-starred Washington, D.C., restaurant, Reverie, last October to relocate to Whidbey Island. The New York Times praised the worldliness of Passage’s tasting menu, specifically calling out an unassuming bowl of short-grain Japanese rice laced with crab fat and briny-sweet Washington Dungeness meat as a sneaky star.
Broader Pacific Northwest Representation
Washington shares regional representation on the 2026 list with Oregon. Portland establishments OK Chicken and Khao Soi, alongside Hayward in Carlton, also secured spots among the 50 favorite places in America, according to The New York Times.
Gallagher noted in the list’s introduction that if a restaurant appeared on a previous year’s list, it did not return for the 2026 iteration. While some featured locations opened recently, others operate as decades-old institutions, united by an indescribable feeling that defines a great restaurant.