Hands done the best place on Pender Island! I enjoyed several meals here and would come back just…read moreto eat here again. Please get the olives to start. An absolute must, served warm with a fragrant and flavourful olive oil. The olives are so simple yet the chef adds a ton of behind the scenes flavours (think, marinating in a bunch of complimentary flavours). I ordered the vegan and GF dal one night! Huge portions with fresh shaved vegetables and a generous serving of lentils. A hearty and comforting meal that packs a ton for protein. I was utterly stuffed for hours after this meal. Next night, I ordered the vegan and GF pizza (no fake cheese, just a ton of partnered vegetables, herbs, and pine nuts). I loved this dish. Again, huge servings and a ton of delicate touches. The roasted squash added such a lovely texture and the dill and pine nuts were an excellent choice. We also got the salad, which was anything but basic. Pine nuts and herbs and a sweet, savoury dressing. It was all super excellent. Thank you for making our island experience truly remarkable!

This is the best restaurant on the island. My husband and I was here for breakfast and had to come…read moreback for dinner. The service is excellent. Every bite was a work of art. I hope to stay in their airstream the next time we come back. I'm sure this place will end up in major food and wine magazines. It's top notch all the way. Very high class with a rustic camping vide all around.

So glad that the Bus is here on Saturna! It's added a new and much needed dimension to our dining…read morechoices here on the Island. Every meal we've had has been great, from the delicious breakfast sandwiches and pastries to the variety of choices for lunch and the most amazing Pecan pie!! (my favorite!). Now we have the take out Pasta night every Wednesday!! All made with love and fresh ingredients by the Wild Thyme girls!!

Olga Rising was our third stop while in Eastsound (9/16/26). Nice unidirectional flow allowing one…read moreto view the menu, the pastry case, and other retail merch available for purchase. We selected the frosted sugar cookie shaped like Orcas Island. This was shared a few days later and was not stale or hard, which of course, was appreciated. The grilled sandwiches were picked up from a takeout window after a brief wait at an outdoor two top. Both came with a bag of chips. It was pleasant dining al fresco with dappled sunshine and slight breeze. Plus it was amusing seeing plump little birds hanging out in the garden hoping to snag a crumb or two that might fall from the diner's tables. I ate half of the Italian sandwich, generously prepared on focaccia with soppresata, hot coppa, mortadella w/pistachio, pepper jack cheese, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini, arugula, tomato, and garlic aioli. This was delicious! The other half kept well in the ice chest for later. The Homie opted for the Adult Grilled Cheese that had some serious cheese pull. Perfected toasted with compound butter, Swiss cheese, provolone, caramelized onions, balsamic glaze on sourdough bread. Great detour for lunch and a treat!

I really enjoyed Olga Rising so much that I went two mornings in a row. The wait was quite long on…read moreSaturday, but much more reasonable on Sunday, when there were more employees behind the counter. I ordered the Marionberry Matcha Latte - this was very good. It was on the sweeter side, since it is presweetened. I ordered a regular Matcha Latte the next day, and was able to adjust the sweetness. The Doe Bay Biscuit was excellent. I got it without cheese and it still held up great. They also have a ton of pastries to pick from. I got the Black Tahini Sesame Tea Cake.

This place is a charming cafe located in Friday Harbor…read more The food and drinks here were absolutely spectacular. We ordered a few lattes made with their in-house syrups, and every single one of them was incredible. We loved them so much we went back for them again and again over the weekend we were there. We also tried their chorizo burrito and donuts, which were both outstanding. I honestly want to go back to the island just to eat here again! The ambiance of the place is awesome. It is super kid-friendly outside, featuring a wonderful yard with plenty of toys and things to do, which makes it incredibly relaxing for families. To top it all off, the staff was incredibly nice, welcoming, and helpful throughout our visits. I highly, highly recommend checking out Medio Cafe if you are anywhere near the San Juan Islands. It was so good, and it's an absolute must-visit spot that we will definitely keep coming back to!

I'm genuinely surprised by the nearly 5-star rating based on our experience…read more We visited around 1:30 PM and were told that hot food was no longer being served. We then tried to order a salad, and were told that oh also that wasn't available. honestly felt like they just didn't feel like making anything. The only real option left was smoothies and açaí bowls. We ended up ordering three açaí bowls for the kids and a smoothie. At around $15 per bowl, the portions were shockingly small--only about a quarter full with five banana slice and three strawberries. one bowl was missing almond butter. The protein* smoothie couldn't be made properly because they were out of the protein powder. They offered to substitute collagen instead - not the same thing but ok. no discount. no acknowledgement. I understand that restaurants run out of items occasionally, but between most of the menu being unavailable, the outrageous price for the quality of the output, missing ingredients, and the complete lack of an apology or acknowledgment, this was a very disappointing experience.

Confession: The main reason we came here was because if you walk from theives bay to the Slow Coast…read morecoffee, you've technically walked from one side of the island to the other.... and how cool is that? I don't know about you, but I don't do that too often so decided to get a coffee to celebrate. Cute little family-run business in a trailer with really nice food (especially after a walk). Homestyle and kid-friendly :)

Adorable trailer cafe with a stunning patio view in the morning sun and amazing crepes, quiche and…read morecheesecake.

Samantha and Robert have created a little slice of Paris here in Friday Harbor. I love the…read moreprosciutto and caramelized onion crepe and my wife loves the lox crepe. The pastries are baked fresh everyday and are simply the best on the Island. But best of all leaven has a warm and inviting feel about it. We love meeting friends there are bringing mainlanders to this little oasis. Jeff Johnson, SJI

We've been coming to Friday Harbor for years as a stop along our annual sailing vacation. Today, on…read morea whim, I stopped in at Leaven and asked if they could do any of their menu items dairy-free. They literally all got together and came up with an off-menu crepe that was amazing! The care and concern shown was fantastic. And, to top it off, the shop owner (?) came up and handed me a peach pastry that is vegan saying "It's not often that dairy-free people get to enjoy a sweet." We were so impressed that all of the allergy-free members of our party immediately ordered breakfast! Go here and support this business!

Everything I have had here has been incredible! This cute little cafe is tucked between the gas…read morestation, grocery store, and liquor store - so there is no reason not to pop by! I got many things and loved every single thing. I wish their website had a menu but I'll do my best to sum it up! Savoury items: Veg salad (it came with pickled shallots, beets, yam, a ton of cranberries, pumpkin seeds, feta, on a bed of greens with vinaigrette dressing). This salad was huge and had so many flavours and textures. Too many cranberries for my liking but the salad was packed! The pickled shallots were a nice touch! Vegan sausage roll was elite! How it was so buttery and crusty and the vegan sausage was flavored well! What a find! Spanakopita was another gem! Packed full of spinach and cheese and pretty hefty! It melts in your mouth too! Sweet: Caramel nut brownie like bar. It was dense, sweet, and had a nice chew! Good but not my fav! Nanaimo bar was sweet and very soft! Really good bar! Caramel bar was all our favorites! I highly recommend this one! It's not over sweet but has a cooky like texture! My friend also got a sandwich that was packed! I love this place! It's clearly a winner and hit among locals and visitors alike!

Had a quick lunch here on the day i arrived at the island…read more.. Place was buzzing and i was so hungry i forgot to add picts lol. But we have the chicken and bacon sandwich. Beef pot pie, soup, blueberry scone, and ham and cheese croissant and the clam chowder! All i can say is that, food here is great! Very nice island cafe. The sandwich was packed with quality ingredients. Beef pot pit was hearty and held a lot of filling. The scone was also very good. Full of blueberry flavour. The ham and cheese croissant was excellent. Pastry was nicely done and inside was hearty combo ham and swiss cheese. The soup was one of the best clam chowders ive ever had. Even had bacon in them. Wow! Only thing i would change is that they should offer to grill up and warm The sandwiches or the pot pies. All they offered is a small communal microwave. Lol. But nice island vibe and good coffee. Service was quick and efficient. Staff always ready to help and provide whats needed. Cheers! Happy eating!

I love this place for 2 things: their soups and their homemade peanuts butter bars…read more Expect a lineup because this place is hot. They offer a collection of teas and coffees as well as baked breads. The soup of the day was lentil spinach and it was so comforting and soothing. The peanut butter bars are a treat best enjoyed chilled. I'm obsessed and make the trip to this joint specifically for them! Definitely check out this place! You won't regret it.

* Same kitchen, but somehow not as good *…read more This cafe is right next door to the Port Browning Pub (http://www.yelp.ca/biz/port-browning-pub-pender-island#hrid:94ZBvI8PvI7wbRSmT8wZhA), which we had a nice meal at the previous night. So we figured we would return and try the cafe for lunch. I think they share the same kitchen, as the menu looked awfully similar! Service was a bit better in the pub, and it had nicer views. Tried the clam chowder, which had a good amount of clams and veggies. It had a nice richness to it: http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/SGlMCuTv8PV1ivMJdIDOFQ?select=MusBNdfSkCf2XtHVNxogrg Boo for them charging extra for a slice of bread with the chowder. Uncool. The lamb burger platter (http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/SGlMCuTv8PV1ivMJdIDOFQ?select=KDN8_-MvR9uKPbLur9Mxqg) came with a side salad. The salad was good and very fresh, and included kaiware as a nice touch. The burger was a bit of a disappointment. It was a thin commercial style thin burger and was overcooked. They said it was served with tzatziki on the menu, but came with some semi melted feta cheese on top instead - which didn't really work well at all. Really unfortunate burger as the platter was otherwise a decent one. Photo: http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/SGlMCuTv8PV1ivMJdIDOFQ?select=4JQ_pm5VuOS1wmFUTGwTvA I suppose I would have been disappointed if I had ordered the lamb burger in the pub next door - but even writing that off, I think the view in the pub is nicer and the prices are the same. Also the service was much better in the pub. Go figure!

Very good customer service. Yummy coffee with cold foam…read more Nice outside seating with an excellent view of the harbor

This cafe is a great stop as you get off the ferry. I had no issue finding parking nearby. You do…read morehave to go down some stairs and around the building, but I found it easily enough. There are some public restrooms nearby if you walk down the pier a bit. The cafe shares a location with what appears to be a whale excursion/souvenir shop. It's clean and has plenty of seating. I got one of their specials, smoked salted maple. The espresso is smooth and the drink doesn't seem to be all ice. I will say I couldn't taste the maple, like at all. All I tasted was salt. I didn't end up finishing it due to this, but I'd be willing to give it another try if I find myself back on the island.