I moved to the Kitsap peninsula since 2006, and have been out exploring the region’s restaurant offerings ever since. Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy stop for lunch on-the-go, or want to make an evening of it with some of the state’s best date-night offerings, Kitsap County has fabulous options to try.

Having been in the food industry for many years in my teens and twenties, both front and back-of-the-house roles, and now in recipe development and food writing, I have a lot of opinions about restaurants, and I’m admittedly a little hard to please.

That means you’re seeing the best-of-the-best in this list and places that pass even my sniff tests for food quality, service, and the overall experience.

DRINKS

There are so many great places to grab a quick pre-dinner drink in Kitsap. From out-of-this-world cocktails to local watering holes with live music every weekend, you’ll never be bored in Kitsap County!

The Garage Bar and Grill – Bremerton

Locals LOVE The Garage Bar and Grill, and once you see their incredible Bloody Mary menu, you’ll know why. These are the Instagram-worthy giant Bloody’s that are drool-worthy and basically a meal in and of themselves.

Not only are there incredible drinks (and for your mimosa fans, they aren’t leaving you out, see the photo above), but the food is on point too. Weekend Prime Rib nights and specials daily keep people coming here over and over again.

The whole venue is 21+, so don’t try and go with the kids.

Bethel Saloon – Port Orchard

The Bethel is a legendary “dive” bar that has earned its name and reputation well. You won’t find fussy, overly complicated cocktails here, but you will find friendly regularly, live music every weekend, and incredible drink specials. Also – fantastic jello shots. Yes, please! Don’t be fooled into thinking you are tipsier than you are – the floor isn’t level, so at least some of that stumbling you are coming by honestly.

Slippery Pig – Poulsbo

The Slippery Pig is a local brewery that does great drinks, including cocktail specials, and has a full menu of food, too! This bar has a room full of pinball machines and is all ages, even during their live bands, so take your teenagers for a fun night out with good drinks, tasty bites, and fun activities from karaoke to live bands.

Morso Wine Bar – Gig Harbor

I love this little spot overlooking the harbor in Gig Harbor! Across from the local Anthony’s, you could easily get drinks and appetizers at Morso before heading across the street to a Puget Sound staple with the Anthony’s brand of restaurants.

D’vine Bistro – Kingston

Another great Kingston option if you’re in the area or hopping on or off the ferry, D’vine Bistro is just down the street from pizza favorite, Sourdough Willy’s. Make your way down the Kingston main street and grab a glass of wine and an appetizer before moving on to pizza or a ferry ride across the water to Edmonds.

PIZZA

There are so many pizza options available in Kitsap, and many of them are great, but a couple are real stand outs and once you try them you’ll see why.

Campana’s – Bremerton

I somehow managed to eat an entire pizza feast at Campana’s without taking one single picture of the actual PIZZA! Maybe it was because I was hosting a birthday party or maybe it was because I was so obsessed with this SALAD (pictured above), but either way the pizza was by far some of the best I’ve had in the whole state.

Campana’s is a local legend, with the current owner’s Grandfather opening the first version of this Italian food mainstay back in the 1970’s. Now, Seth is heading the latest version to much fanfare and success! Everything we had here was delicious.

There are only 5-6 smaller tables inside, so if you go, know that you might be getting your order to-go. It is worth it, either way.

Sourdough Willy’s – Kingston

Sourdough Willy’s is truly a gem of Kitsap County. They are rocking a 129 year old sourdough starter, and among many awards, in 2023 they ranked #7 Pala pizza in the World!

There are so many styles of pizza available at Sourdough Willy’s, you’re going to want to go with a group and make sure you try them all.

QUICK BITES

Brother Don’s – Bremerton

Brother Don’s is another one that might not look like much on the outside, but inside you’ll find a bar and restaurant full of regulars, and a menu that has a lot of great homemade options that everyone will find something that hits the spot.

Brother Don’s slogan is “Music Often”, and they aren’t kidding! They have bands several nights a week, and the shows are often starting at 6 or 7 in the evening. That means even those of us who like to be in bed by 10 can still get out and see some great live music.

Brother Don’s is also family friendly, so bring the kids in for a bite and some music, or stop in for a quick lunch while you’re out running errands.

Taquira Chatita – Poulsbo

This is a food truck with authentic Mexican offerings and quick service on top of a super convenient location! You might not think of the parking lot of a gas station as your go-to for incredible Mexican food, but you’ll be missing out if you let that stop you.

Located across the street from my favorite Kitsap grocery store, Town and Country Market, I love stopping by here for a quick bite while I’m out shopping. Everything I’ve tried has been great, but the street taco plate you see pictured above is my favorite!

Wigwam Pub – Gorst

If ever there was a good reason to stop on you way through Gorst, the Wigwam Pub is the one. With a brewery in their backyard, the pub has some of the only legit barbecue available in the area. If the wings are available, get them! There are specials often, so ask your bartender or server what’s fresh and good and they will not steer you wrong.

Want to have a beer in the brewery? You can order Wigwam food from your stool at the bar!

Butcher and Baker Provisions, Port Gamble

Located in the tiny, tourist-friendly town of Port Gamble, Butcher and Baker is a shining star in the Kitsap community. If you visit the Seattle food groups, you’ll hear their name come up quite a bit, and it is always in reference to this incredible fried chicken sandwich.

It is the perfect sandwich, but don’t stop there. They have a full menu of inventive, delicious, seasonal dishes, and is worth whatever trip you need to take to get here.

Spoiler alert, if you are heading North, you can detour on your way to Kingston through Port Gamble and enjoy lunch and some sight seeing before heading for dinner in Kingston!

DATE NIGHT DINNER

In no particular order of favorites, these are some of my most-frequented restaurants when we want a solid, consistent meal that is going to be delicious and brought to us with excellent service.

Lele’s – Gig Harbor

It isn’t often you’ll find both Thai and Vietnamese food on the same menu, and it is even less often that you’ll find it done WELL. The dish that tops my list of favorites there isn’t actually Thai or Vietnamese, it is Korean, but we’re not going to split hairs here. It is delicious.

Lele’s is located right by the Galaxy movie theater in Gig Harbor and makes a great pre or post-movie dinner when you’re in town.

SuBi – Bainbridge Island

Bainbridge Island is another ferry hub, but it is so much more than that. A thriving community with a lot of delicious options for dinner, SuBi stands out as a great option for affordable, quality sushi. Their rolls are inventive and offer new approaches to the classics that you find on every menu, and they are now offering an Omakase experience too.

Burrata Bistro – Poulsbo

In the little Scandinavian town of Poulsbo, you can find a lot of great options for date-night dinner, but make sure that you hit up Burrata Bistro during one of your evenings in town. The menu is HUGE. So huge, in fact, that it made me nervous. How can one restaurant possibly put out so many different dishes and make them all good??

Well, they cracked that code.

We have been to Burrata Bistro several times, and ordered 12-15 things off of the menu, and every one of them was delicious.

Khao Soi Thai – Bremerton

Another small restaurant with limited seating, if you are planning on making it out to the Manette neighborhood in Bremerton, this is one of our favorite places to try and grab a table. Quality ingredients and real care go into these dishes, and it is very evident. Order anything off the menu. It’ll be amazing. If you visit in the warmer months, there are more options for outdoor seating too.

Make sure you walk up the hill and check out some live music at the Manette while you’re in the neighborhood!

Mori Sushi – Poulsbo

Of all the restaurants on this list, Mori is probably the one that I’m at most frequently. So much so, that they greet me by name when I walk in.

From quick lunches to grabbing a poke bowl on the go, I am never disappointed when I walk out of those doors.

Grab a bento box and pick up one of their rolls, or bring the whole family in for teriyaki and delicious orange chicken.