Olympic Peninsula & Washington Coast - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 246

Darby's Café DINER$
(211 5th Ave SE; lunch mains $7; 7am-9pm Wed-Fri, 8am-9pm Sat & Sun; ) This glorified
greasy spoon on 5th isn't very greasy at all and pays equal respect to vegetarians and ve-
gans. Unfussy food is served at a leisurely pace and without frills (often by tattooed or
cross-dressing wait staff), but the breakfast scrambles, hash browns, and biscuits and
gravy have garnered a loyal following. The decor is self-described as 'halfway between a
diner and a dive,' but you can call it 'quirky'.
Lemon Grass Restaurant THAI$
(212 4th Ave W; mains $8-10; ) Olympia is renowned for its ethnic eateries - the Asian
variants in particular - meaning you'll sometimes have to line up to get into places like
Lemon Grass. Once inside, few are disappointed by the quality or the price. This is
everything Thai food should be: crisp, fresh and as spicy as you want (choose from a one
to a four rating). There's also a wide selection of vegetarian options.
Traditions Cafe & World Folk Art AMERICAN$
( www.traditionsfairtrade.com ; 300 5th Ave SW; sandwiches $8.25; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm
Sat & Sun; ) Your Fair Trade hippy enclave of yummy lemon-tahini salads (tomatoes,
greens and brown rice in a delicious dressing), fresh sandwiches (meat, veggie and ve-
gan), a few Mexican and Italian plates for good measure, coffee drinks and a selection of
herbal teas. While there, tuck into the eclectic folk-art store that's attached. Check the
website for music, poetry nights and more.
Oyster House SEAFOOD$$$
(320 W 4th Ave; seafood dinners $15-20; 11am-11pm, to midnight Fri & Sat) As you'd guess,
this place specializes in Olympia's most celebrated cuisine, the delicate Olympia oyster,
best served pan-fried and topped with a little cheese and spinach. Try them with the sur-
prisingly delicious potato skins in a booth overlooking the placid harbor.
Drinking
It's a toss-up which is better: Olympian beer or Olympian coffee (the local roast is Bat-
dorf & Bronson). Cruise the bars and come to your own conclusions.
Burial Grounds CAFE
(406 Washington St SE; specialty lattes $3.50; 10am-midnight Mon-Sat, to 10pm Sun; )
When you order a 'zombie attacker' latte (two shots with nutmeg and almond) and it
comes with a skeleton head drawn in the foam, you smile; when said latte is one of the