While a road trip demands a certain amount of junk food be consumed, a road trip also means finding entirely new places to explore and new places to eat at. A road trip means finding yourself somewhere new all the time and asking your group, “What sounds good?”. One way that I found new but “good looking” places to eat was Instagram.
My trick? Search for that area + the word “eats”, for example #tacomaeats or #portlandeats. You are guaranteed to find other people and the restaurants themselves that share photos with those tags. Another way is to look for accounts that are specific to sharing food posts for that local area. A little research while we drove led to these AMAZING eats and places I am left dreaming about and wishing I could have again.
Breakfast in Tacoma, Washington at Waffle Stop
My goodness was this probably the best thing I ate the entire week – and it was our first foodie stop of the entire trip! The neighborhood was ADORABLE and I really wish we had spent a little more time walking and window-shopping, but I think we may have been too full! Look at these gorgeous plates…
I absolutely recommend Waffle Stop for breakfast, lunch, dinner, even a snack. You must go if you are in or near Tacoma!
Aloha Alabama in Westport, Washington for BBQ
Meat. Glorious meat, drinks served in mason jar mugs, and the most amazing badass waitress. If you want some great family food, you have to make a trip to Westport and check out Aloha Alabama. I just loved this place and the town was quiet and chill, which made for a nice after dinner walk. Maybe it was the timing, but there was minimal traffic, little noise, just such a nice taste of coastal living. Take a look at what I ate…
If you want to see what they are about, go to Westport and stop in at Aloha Alabama. The pulled pork is amazing, and the sauces were even better! I tried all 3 and ended up just mixing them together and it was the bomb!
Beer, Cocktails and Gastropub Eats at Rogue Ales Public House in Astoria, Oregon
It’s always great when you find a place that has something for everyone – beer for the guys and a great, fruity cocktail for me. I loved this place and how it was on a pier, pretty cool way to enjoy a drink. The pretzels were fantastic and I seriously want the little baskets that the fries came in! Details, it’s all in the details. Their presentation was cool, I loved it. Definitely check out Rogue Ales Public House in Astoria!
Sloshy Pops and Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland, Oregon
So, apparently, we really didn’t eat much in Portland? Because of our driving, what we did, etc, it just meant we didn’t really get to dig into Portland’s food scene. A bit of a bummer because I had found so many great places I wanted to try, but we DID have two things that make this list – boozy popsicles and doughnuts.
Sloshy Pops are adult popsicles, they are boozy and really fun flavors. I really loved that we were just walking along on our way to a bar and there was a coffee place advertising boozy popsicles and I just had to have one. Hello, it was like 90 degrees out, it was meant to be. At least I was with good sports who joined me in having one!
And of course, what’s a trip to Portland without checking out Voodoo? Cash only if you go! Definitely be prepared (thre’s an ATM though) for that since it’s like no one carries cash anymore. I loved my voodoo doll doughnut!
Pizza and Drinks at Solstice Wood Fire Pizza in Hood River, Oregon
I am a huge pizza fan so this was AMAZING and Hood River was beautiful! There were camper vans, families, people out on the river enjoying the water, and the food and drinks were top notch. Oh, and next door? A super cute little gelato spot! So glad that we ate at Solstice and cooled off with yummy gelato! Solstice Wood Fire Pizza in Hood River is a must try if you are in the area. Walk just a few steps and try the gelato at Cicci Gelato, it’s worth it.
Pie + Milkshake at Snohomish Pie Company in Snohomish, Washington
Two desserts in one. They deserve a round of applause for this delicious treat. It’s quite literally pie and a milkshake together. I want to go back and just have pie, all day long. The entire area is nothing but shops, boutiques, and antique stores so I can just go browsing and eat pie all day. Anyone down? Awesome, let’s go! Please please please go have a shake or a slice of pie at the Snohomish Pie Company!
We had a lot of REALLY great food, beers and cocktails during our trip. I’m all about any trip that lets me indulge in delicious eats and things to drink, so I can’t wait for our next adventure!