Tucked in the woods on the eastern shore of Lake Whatcom lies a hidden gem known as The Fork at Agate Bay. I have been coming to this restaurant since I was a young boy, attending special family dinners or just going to get pizza after soccer practice. Now well into adulthood I still find myself coming here with my wife for an excellent dining experience, any time or day of the week. This week we decided to go in for brunch, and I couldn't think of a better place to spend a dreary Washington morning. When you walk into this cozy little restaurant the smells of fresh breads and fried potatoes invite you into an elevated breakfast experience. Our hostess sat us down at a table almost immediately with the same friendly smile and welcoming attitude that I have come to expect from the staff at the fork. After sitting down and sipping of fresh squeezed orange juice we ordered two of our favorite breakfast plates. Chicken Fried Steak, and Corned Beef Hash. The Corned Beef Hash consisted two poached eggs sitting on a heaping pile of shredded corned beef that was both crispy and tender. Typically this dish is served with peppers and onions, but on this trip my wife opted out and the chef was happy to oblige our request. I can say from prior experiences that the peppers and onions are a fantastic addition to this mix. I went with the Chicken fried steak. A classic breakfast that requires a large appetite to face on your own! The cube steak was breaded and fried with the traditional seasonings, then covered in a house made gravy that was so rich and flavorful I couldn't put my fork down. I ordered mine with over medium eggs that were cooked perfectly, something that other kitchens can rarely get right. If you are a fan of Chicken Fried Steak then you must try this one! Both of our plates came with a large portion of golden brown home fries, and a fluffy biscuit served with honey butter and a peach preserve. Our server was extremely nice and very attentive. Although the restaurant was fairly busy she made sure our every need was taken care of :) I once again left the fork feeling full, and extremely satisfied. If the doors to this amazing restaurant are open, I will definitely be coming back again and again. read more

The Fork At Agate Bay - Chicken Fried Steak - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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The Fork is just down the road from us and we continue to enjoy the stop in at the bar or nice dinner at the table--it feels special, rustic, natural and local and the food is always tasty and the service on par--thank you Brianna for always bringing us smiles to our stop ins! The drive to The Fork .. such a nice feel and the views on the way superb! read more

Second trip here. The food is generally pretty good, but yesterday my wife ordered a cheeseburger and asked for it to be cooked at least medium well. After the first bite, there was a puddle of blood on her plate. She did not eat the hamburger and when the server picked it up and saw the food on the plate, she didn't even make a comment. Overall, the service was not very friendly or attentive. Management needs to focus on customer experience. read more

Dec 24, 2025 5:00 PM We ate at The Fork at Agate Bay on Christmas Eve. My wife and I shared a Brie appetizer which was great. However the Duck Confit was overdone . The outer skin was like leather and could not be eaten. The sauce was good but again overcooked. We also shared a bottle of Sangiovese which was ok. We were very disappointed in our meal. It spoiled the evening for both of us. Service was ok. EJ and Suzanne Ledet Sudden Valley WA read more

I want to start this by saying thank you so much to our amazing server! We were her last table and even though we walked in 30 minutes before close, she treated us like her first table. The lighting is soft at dinner and with the decor makes for a cozy and bit romantic atmosphere. Tables weren't close to each other and everything was clean. The food was spectacular! Not pictured is the white Cajun shrimp or the crab. Both were good but the crab was to die for!! Personal favorite out of all pictured is the risotto. It was on special the night we went and still talk about how this was the best dish. read more

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Great food, great staff. Never disappoints. Has become a regular place for us and we visit at least once a month.

Love the vibe here! We stop by after paddleboarding and everything is great! The service the food all of it! Had the seasonal vegetable pizza and the burger! Could not be happier! Excellent drink menu! Will be back highly recommend! read more

So this was a return visit to the Fork after we had declared "we will never go back", but I for some reason wanted to give them another try. Ugh, such a bad decision. Let's start our arrival in the parking lot. At first glance for a high end restaurant they really need to do a face lift. The neglect of the overall appearance is beyond words. Vines, weeds, a dilapidated sign, uneven couple stones with weeds coming through. Definitely not safe for someone who is handicap. Upon entering into the restaurant we were met with the smell of a dirty bar and empty hostess desk. Mind you they were not busy. There were 4 men casually seated at the bar with the drinks,3 people were waiting on them, a couple seated next to the door and 4 woman eating in the back corner. The rest of the place was empty, and again smelled horrible. There were no fresh smells of food being cooked in the kitchen. Just a bar that smelled like it hasn't been cleaned in years. I know this from working in food service. No, I'm not an expert; but it shouldn't smell like butt when you walk into a high end restaurant where you pay $48.00 for a plate of pre-cooked pasta. Let me go on. My husband and I decided to get some drinks. I ordered a martini; because that isn't something you can mess up, he a manhattan. These were the only two items last night worth paying for because they were made by an experienced bartender who knew what she was doing. As per usual we ordered an appetizer. My husband wanted the ahi. What came out on the plate was not like anything I'd seen before. 4 old pieces of ahi, that had been sitting, obviously uncovered on a plate for a while in the fridge. They had a grayish color to them. Not pink. Waxy texture/film and were laying in a milky cream sauce with a pile of arugula on the side that had the same sauce drizzled over it I took one small bite of the ahi and said "food poisoning!" Distracted by the smell of the bar, since we were seated about 5 feet from it, I now couldn't decide what to order on the menu. Nothing looked good or safe. My husband ordered the mushroom pasta dish, and added duck. You can't go wrong with that right? Wrong. I ordered a salad , with Cajun shrimp. The shrimp came out steamed and covered in so much garlic that they were inedible, and was not Cajun as I had ordered. My salad had an abundance of red onions in it. So if you like red onions, and little lettuce. This would be a great for you. It was an edible and left on the table thankfully, the waitress took it off the bill. My husband's pasta was pre-cooked had a cream sauce that looked like milk and the duck was only moist because it probably have been reheated in a microwave. Nothing looked fresh not even the mushrooms. My husband and I both agreed we would never go back and that this was probably one of the worst meals we've had in a long long time. The service was great though our waitress was very sweet, and I let her know that at the end of the meal that none of this was her fault. It's sad that such a great place has gone downhill over the years. We'd really like to go back, but sadly, we won't until there is different ownership. read more

The waitress my wife and I had for anniversary did an amazing job!! She was quick to check in and gave us our space once the main course was in front of us. The food tasted great and we sat outside for the evening. read more

The Fork At Agate Bay - Steak - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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My favorite brunch/dinner place in/near Bellingham. I particularly like the shrimp & 3 cheese grits served there. I went to a whisky tasting dinner there the other night and the small plate servings accompanying the various whisky's were superb. I'm glad we found the Fork. And they do this all with some of the best service and servers in the region. read more

This place combines an a great cozy atmosphere with great food and interpretation of a new American cousin . The service was fast and friendly , we were seated in fast , and food came out tasting fresh . Menu is shareable friendly . While it may be out of the way , I definitely recommend trying this hidden gem . read more

The Fork At Agate Bay - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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The Fork at Agate Bay is a wonderful little spot off the beaten path. It is well worth the drive from Bellingham, Lynden, Everson, Maple Falls, or Sumas to experience this family friendly spot. The service is always given with a smile and provides great recommendations. The food was delicious, fresh, and the menu rotates depending on the season. This was the first time I ever had grits and they were amazingly good. The special was good but next time I would add a hearty protein like andouille sausage. They take reservations and during the busy summer season you will need them. read more

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This is my favorite restaurant in my area! The food is amazing, the service is amazing, the Bloody Mary is amazing, and they are kind to my kids whenI bring them. Word to the wise - if you want brunch get there early. They can run out! Pros: - delicious food, lots locally sourced - great aesthetic - kid friendly - genuinely nice staff - takes reservations Cons: - none read more

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We had a beautiful afternoon at The Fork. The outdoor seating was nicely spaced (so necessary right now in the pandemic--and we learned they are going to expand it and keep it open as long as possible weather-wise, including with heaters.) The surrounding plants were so beautiful--hops, huge green hydrangeas, a green Japanese maple which was sweetly lighted with fairy lights even though it was a sunny afternoon, a lush vine running across the fence, and pots of herbs that we watched one of the staff come out and cut for cooking. So fresh! We loved our server, Jessica, and got to meet one of the owners, David--both very cheerful and helpful. All the staff were friendly, cheerful and helpful! We asked Jessica what she personally liked from the menu, and she happily gave us some good things to choose from. We'd been here once before and died over the shrimp and grits (and, this time, I watched someone wolfing them down from afar--plus the ling cod fish and chips looked and smelled fabulous). But we wanted something different so we went with the Three Little Pigs pizza: tasso ham, pork cheeks, red onion, jalapeño and pineapple. Jalapeño tends to vary in heat--and I can do pretty hot. But the one on ours was a little scorcher! But, happily, it was NOT integrated into the pizza (as in melted into the cheese and impossible to get out), but, rather, was one large round per slice, so it was easy to save ourselves! So thoughtful! The pizza was a good one, generous with the pork and pineapple. And I do appreciate their wood-fired technique and very nice crust. I was extremely intrigued by the idea of the watermelon/heirloom tomato salad. It was advertised as being dressed with a citrus vinaigrette--which I couldn't actually discern, but that was fine. It was also dressed with feta cheese, mint and basil. On balance, my tastebuds didn't really appreciate the watermelon/tomato combo--but I loved the combo of the watermelon and feta! I will do this at home! My partner recalled that, the last time we were here, we raved about the Caesar. "Really?" I wondered, eyeing a different starter of crab soup. But he talked me into it. Oh, he remembered well! This is one of the most lovely and best Caesar salads ever. Very fresh, perfect dressing--perfect to my tastes, anyway!--capers and white anchovies on the side. Lovely... We liked the wine list and were very happy with a Gruner Veltliner. But, for me, the huge winner of a beautiful experience (well, I was the lucky winner, actually)--but where I am headed with this is homage to their Silver Beach Margarita. It's not your traditional Margarita, which I would have been very happy with--it has tequila and lime for sure. A couple of fancy things are added--but the brilliance was the grapefruit juice. Incredible combination. Soooooo refreshing. A new go-to drink for me. All-in-all, a great experience and excited to go back. read more

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I wish this place was better. It is right down the road from us and I would love to be able to eat there. About once a year we give it a "chance" and try dinner again. I think we may have finally learned. Our last meal was grossly over priced and greatly underwhelming. You just can't charge those prices and serve such uninspired food. Do they never eat there? I can only recommend it as a place to have a nice glass of wine. It's perfect for that. But dinner? Nah. I won't be eating there again. read more

What an incredible find! Warm, welcoming seeing and decor, great staff, beautifully presented delicious food. Crab cakes had lots of crab flavor. Crab soup was likewise just the flavor you want from crab, and not to heavy. Rabbit pot pie was wonderfully flavored, rich and hearty. I will remember this restaurant for a long time. read more

We tried The Fork for the first time the other night, and we're in love! We can't wait to go back for breakfast (or lunch) (or dinner again). My only complaint was that it was chilly, but I find that I'm often cold in restaurants, so I've learned to prepare for that. So, not a big deal. To start with, we got cocktails. Hubs got their house-made Irish Cream on the rocks, and I got a Flatliner Martini, one of their featured drinks, which is like an Espresso Martini but also contains that Irish Cream. OMG! It was so good that I got another one with dessert. Hubby got the Cajun White Shrimp & Three-Cheese Grits, which was wonderful. I got the Fried Green Tomatoes w/Goat Cheese & Remoulade. Unfortunately, they were out of goat cheese, so they served mine with some grated Manchego instead, and it was delicious. However, I look forward to trying it again when they have goat cheese, and I'm sure it will be even better. For a main course, Hubs got the Pan-Fried Catfish w/House Made Dill Fettucine & Corn Cream, which he really enjoyed. I got the Baked Ziti Spring Vegetables & Cajun Corn Cream, and I liked it a lot. It was a gigantic portion, by the way. For dessert, I got another Flatliner, and a piece of cheesecake made with a saltine-based crust and some kind of cherry or betty topping (I can't remember). Hubby got 2 scoops of house made ice cream: one was black cherry (which he raved about), and the other was chocolate peanut butter (which I found amazing). The atmosphere was warm and cozy (despite the chilly temperature). Our waiter was delightful. The view was lovely. This place is a winner! read more

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we ate here with some friends for dinner everyone's dinner was good and enjoyed by all I am deducting a star because my bouillabaisse was short on the crab legs, there were three small legs and the clams were quite small, and for $42 I expect a lot more than what I got also part of that one star deduction is the prices are quite a bit higher than similar restaurants in town. I think the premium is so the well to do people on the north side of the lake don't have to drive into down for a nice restaurant. read more

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Fun for a fun Sunday brunch, and reasonable weekday happy hours. Very much recommended

Amazing location all by its little lonesome next lake Whatcom. Food never disappoints as goes for the service. Small quaint atmosphere and service is always good. Our fave is their brunch! read more

Food was absolutely delicious! What a hidden gem this place is. We went for Sunday brunch and arrived without a reservation, which wasn't the best plan, but managed to be seated within 10 minutes of arrival. The only "problem" was the slow service, but we were very understanding as they were slamming and only had 2 servers. They definitely needed more help. But the entire experience was fantastic and we'll definitely be back. read more

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After a few years absence, we finally made it back to The Fork - happy to be here!! Our waitress is extremely knowledgeable and attentive, sitting outside to enjoy the day. Decent jazz for the background music Ordered some fresh oysters, served with their house made mignonette- yummy!! Wildcat Cove oysters. The house mignonette is served in a bottle with an eye dropper - brilliant. We both ordered the burgers - seems odd - but what wonderful burgers (harder to make this well than a steak IMHO). Really nice to have a scratch made burger, a cold IPA, and fresh oysters on a day like today! Everything is scratch made here. Grind their own beef for the burgers, make their own condiments and bread. read more

The Fork At Agate Bay - Fresh Wildcat Cove oysters - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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We have enjoyed the Fork many times over the years. We filled the place a couple years ago for a birthday party. We visited this past weekend to celebrate our anniversary. It was very disappointing and we don't plan on visiting again any time soon. We had a 6:00 reservation and they were already out of several menu items. Our server kept forgetting we were there. The entrees we got were mediocre at best. My advice... go the Rock & Rye instead! read more

We are so sad. This used to be a treat for us to have a nice dinner here. The service was excellent, we had reservations, but the place was empty and were told to pick a seat. Great. We ordered the clams to start. So sorry, we are out are muscles ok? Sure. They were very good. Next up a Caesar . $15, it comes as a wedge and has very little dressing. The Parmesan crisp was a nice touch but it was stale. I guess for that price I would like my lettuce cut up for me. We both had the roasted Duck. The flavor was ok. I understand Duck is fatty.....but to have two of the chunks be only fat? and it was cold. it came with tasteless polenta. The reduction sauce was the only saving grace. The wine selection is good, we had a mid priced bottle. We won't be back, sadly. I wanted go give 1 star, but the waitress was super sweet. read more

We went here as a thank you dinner, as a party of 4. I'd never been here and didn't do toooo much research beforehand, so don't let the menu prices scare you. It's a little spendier than your average Bellingham place, but the food is pretty good, and service was quite food. For appetizers, we had the crab soup (get!) and the roasted beet salad (get---if you like portion sizes for ants). They were good, but not what I was hoping for. Four pieces of lettuce do not a salad make. But it's okay, we can move onto dinner, which was much better. Two of us got ribs, and we had a pizza and shrimp and grits. The ribs looked good, the pizza was okay, and the shrimp and grits were Bellingham good. They were bougier than say, a certain Southern restaurant downtown, and not quite as authentic as even that, but they were pretty tasty. I can't complain. We had a bottle of wine with dinner, and our friends had several beers. All in all, it came to about $60/pp, which is kind of a lot for Bellingham. It's not a place I'd go to all the time, and it's not a place I would go to again unless someone else wanted to, strictly because of cost. That being said, if there's something to celebrate and this is where we are going to splurge, it would be fine by me. read more

Darn. Hadn't been here since pre covid. Was really hoping they had gotten a bit better since new owners. Unfortunately not. We went out and 3 of us ordered the steak, all ordered it Med rare, all ended up w medium well. Fine, totally excusable when spending 25 bucks on a steak. Not when spending 50 dollars per steak. Also seasoned super bland. Idk. Won't be going back anytime soon. The waitress was great though. Head to carne next time you want a fancy meal. The fork just isn't worth the bucks. read more

The ambience was very cozy. Service was wonderful and the drinks were amazing. We each had a pizza, and it was tasty and fresh. We also ordered the arugula salad and we were impressed. Definitely would return as our server was very nice and had a cheerful disposition. Can't wait until our next visit! read more

The Fork At Agate Bay - Sausage and mushroom pizza. Crust was amazing. Served hot and fresh - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Went for lunch on the weekend. Was expecting a restaurant on the lake, but this place is near the lake so no water views. Service was very friendly. Small outdoor patio on the street. Food on lunch menu not memorable. May try again for breakfast and dinner. Mimosas either too small or too big and mostly sparkling wine. Drive allowed one to see life on far side of Lake Whatcom. read more

Exquisite food with a beautiful, rustic atmosphere worth the drive. If you love supporting local small businesses, I highly recommend.

Wow! What a gem! Fell in love with the restaurant as we were walking from the parking lot ... superb food was a bonus! Lovely, cozy, upscale but not pretentious spot.. a little Hide away. Menu so very interesting. Good service...planning to drive back up there next week end... what's 130 miles when you are in love? To owners and staff... wow! You really got the magic down. Thank you! read more

Pretty solid meal at tHe Fork in a Friday night. A little bit of a hiccup on arrival with a mix up in reservations, but it was resolved quickly. The restaurant was about half full, it's quaint and intimate, right across from the lake. We had a new dinner server this night, she was friendly and nice, and obviously working through the kinks, but she did a good job overall. The bread and butter was a nice starter, the butter definitely had honey in it, wasn't prepared for the sweetness, but it was nice. I started with the fried green tomatoes. Loved the goat cheeese and the remoulade, offered a creamy acidic bite. They were nicely coated and crispy, only criticism is they were very firm and not juicy, I expect them to be firm, but they weren't very juicy and yield any softness when you bit into them. For my main I had the Pork Cheek and Pork Belly. The singular components of this dish were very nice, crispy and salty belly and deliciously tender braised cheek. The spaetzle was tender and the mushrooms and carrots earthy and flavorful. One thing I think could have elevated this dish was some sort of sauce to bring it all together, it ate too singular and a little wet from the spaetzle, something with a little viscosity to it to hold the components together in a bite would have been better. All in all a very good meal and look forward to coming back to try brunch, I hear it's very good. read more

Disappointing. Food was OK at best. Limited menu and the $48 steak was sold out by 7:00pm. I ended up ordering the Seafood Jumbalaya. The "rice" was brown to black in color and the Krab legs had been previously frozen or were horribly overcooked. My wife had the fish with dry noodles and a sawdust crust fillet. Our appetizers were wet under flavored Caesar and balsamic cream clams?!? Did I mention the toast points Ughhh. The shrimp and grits were the best dish of the evening but were a 6 out of ten. Our server did stop by every once in a while but the service was below average. Limited wine knowledge and a poor rhythm to our evening. At least our bill only totaled $210.00. That there is a steep learning curve . read more

Service on Saturday evening was terrible. Order was wrong and the server ignored our table, and still charged for what she got wrong. Not impressed, will not be back. read more

Best brunch in town and the fresh squeezed mimosas are delicious. Great weekly specials

I'm going to guess that the majority of the positive reviews here are from before the ownership change, because this USED to be a fantastic spot in Bham! It's been a while since new management and I've tried and hoped that things will get better, and they just don't. The Fork was a cozy spot, unpretentious with great food - a simple menu for a nice dinner out, an amazing brunch, great wines and fantastic service. The decor was classic and inviting. It was just dialed-in... wasn't trying to be anything it wasn't. The focus was on the warm ambiance, and the quality of the food. The price point was reasonable and reflected this... Now, it feels like the Fork is trying to be something (and everything) it's not. The new owners came in and revamped the menu to be "upscale" and "fine dining" - we're talking $50 steaks, smaller portions, etc. At the same time, they treat the place like it's their living room... they put TV's in to play the game in the bar, there were plastic floor fans strewn about the dining room and there was a food-service bread warmer placed visibly behind the bar (so anyone seated nearby had to listen to metal tongs clanging all night). I'm no snob, I wouldn't care about these things... if I was dining out for a $20 lunch. But the experience absolutely doesn't match the menu or the price point. And on that menu... our party ordered a variety of things, most of which were extremely disappointing. The pizzas are still delicious, which is a relief! But that $50 steak I mentioned? Underwhelming and bland. The Caesar salad? For $12, you got two tiny pieces of romaine that were so wet the dressing ran off of them, plus a stale Parmesan crisp. The wine list is full of grocery store varietals that have been so marked up you almost don't notice. I found one $18 bottle of wine I regularly buy from Safeway listed for over $70. Now the service was fantastic... we had a great server who was warm and friendly, and that's been the case on the other times I've tried The Fork too. Which goes to make it even more disappointing that everything else has gone so far downhill. The Fork feels like an identity crisis. They're trying to make it a place for fine dining without dialing in the experience to match. I'm not sure who they think their target demographic is, but I can't imagine there are many folks who will give a five star review after eating an underwhelming $36 chicken or $50 steak, with a $70 grocery store wine, while the Seahawks are on blast above them and the little details are all missing. I hope things improve, because this restaurant deserves it! read more

The service was excellent for dinner, such kind staff! The food was pretty darn good; my only qualm and why I put 4 stars instead of 5 is for price point versus food quality / flavor profiles need a boost to update to the fine dining price level. The environment is beautiful, a great date spot. I would come here again on the right occasion. read more

Favorite spot for breakfast! Always consistent and delicious. Dinner has been a little less dependable, but still go every now and then.

Lots of crazy good places to eat in this world. This one is our personal favorite in the PNW, thus the five stars. It is our restaurant for birthdays, anniversaries and when we have guests. A short beautiful drive, a menu that does not disappoint, great service that speaks to the talented owners and finally, the mimosas! read more

The best service, location, ambiance, drinks, and food!! Perfect brunch and date night spot! Trust me, you have to try this place! read more

The Fork At Agate Bay - Southern Mac and Cheese with Bacon - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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I had brunch here again for the first time in years, and wow. So good. I had the corned beef hash and my friend had the shrimp and grits. Both were just perfect. The service was great and the food came out in a very timely manner. Also... no wait. At all. So cute inside. Hasn't changed much since I was there last and that's perfectly okay with me as nothing was broken. read more