Outdoor Dining in Federal Way

Around May, I start getting antsy if I spend too much time inside, and any time we go out to eat, I require outdoor seating. For a long time, I thought there were only two or three options in Federal Way (which is understandable given that most restaurants in town look out over a parking lot). However, there are quite a few places which have gotten creative with their patios and even more that decided to embrace the parking lot view and set up a few tables to take advantage of the sun and summer breezes.

This post is a little different from my other reviews, but it seems necessary for my sanity in summer. So here it is: the totally incomplete guide to outdoor dining in Federal Way! Unlike my other posts which stick to locally-owned businesses, this is a list of anywhere I know of which has outdoor seating. I have thrown in fast food chains, burger joints, and cafes, as well as my original search for more upscale places where I could enjoy a glass of wine al fresco. If you know of any restaurants which should be added to this list, let me know in the comments and I'll add them!

Verrazanos - Easily the best view of the bunch. Enjoy upscale Italian food and a nice wine list on their water view deck.

The Rock - The view here is of Fatburger's patio but it's tucked in between the buildings so it's a little private. They have tasty wood fired pizza, microbrews, wine, or you can order a cocktail in a bucket. So that's a bonus.

Fatburger - As you probably guessed from above, their patio has a view of The Rock and its patio. You can enjoy a giant burger, fries, and, yes, a cold beer, tucked down in their little patio.

The Ram - This patio faces the parking lot but they have a nice little wall in between you and the cars and it's on the low traffic side of the building so it's a pleasant spot to enjoy a microbrew and a hearty dinner.

Red Robin - The deck faces the Commons Mall so you can get in some good people watching with your bottomless steak fries.

Panera - Their patio has a few umbrella tables next to the building and also faces the Commons. It's more of a pleasant lunch option than a lingering cocktail hour/dinner spot.

Costa Vida - In front of the Commons, this has good sidewalk seating and feels like a festive place to enjoy a burrito.

Five Guys - This is the newest restaurant at the Commons and they are right next to Costa Vida, sharing a sidewalk style patio.

Los Bigotes de Villa - This place and its teeny, comfortable deck feel like a beachfront taco stand that has been airlifted to a little shopping area tucked away along Pacific Highway. It feels private and relaxing despite the proximity to the highway, and the food is outstanding.

Poverty Bay Cafe - The outdoor seating for this coffee shop turned full service restaurant usually consists of a few tables and a water bowl for dogs just outside the front door. It's a great spot to enjoy breakfast in the summer.

Puerto Vallarta - They have a private little patio around the back of the restaurant that just begs you to enjoy a cold margarita on a hot day.

Burger Express - The deck here looks out over Pacific Highway and feels like a lively place to enjoy burgers and one of the best selections of shakes in Federal Way.

Ivar's - This branch of the local seafood chain has a few tables out front to enjoy your fish and chips in the fresh air.

Menchies - On a hot day, this is a recipe for happiness. A place that sells frozen yogurt by weight and has sidewalk seating is my kind of place!

Cold Stone Creamery/Jimmy John's - These restaurants are next to each other and there are a few tables on the sidewalk out in front. Dinner and dessert?

Starbucks (various locations) - I think most Starbucks locations have some sort of outdoor seating options.

Gino's Bistro

4624 SW 320th Street, Federal Way

http://www.ginosrestaurants.com/

Photo from Gino's website

Strangely, two of my favorite Italian restaurants are run by non-Italians (and no, I’m not talking about the Olive Garden and the Old Spaghetti Factory, presumably also not Italian-owned). One is a place in Seattle run by a Chinese couple and the other, Gino’s Bistro, is owned by a guy from Peru.

Gino’s is a really perfect little restaurant that makes such great food. It’s casual enough that we can bring our toddler here for dinner or get take-out pizza but it’s also fancy enough that we choose it for date night when we do have a babysitter and can order things like pear ravioli in Marsala cream sauce.

It goes without saying that it’s located in a strip mall, albeit a very small one in a wooded area near a golf course at the end of 320th. However, once you walk through the gas station parking lot to get inside, you would definitely describe the interior as charming and romantic. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed everything I’ve eaten here, from pizza to gnocchi to halibut. The service has always been friendly, as is often the case in family-owned restaurants where your server might also be related to the owner.

This was the first real restaurant we went to when we moved to Federal Way, the first place we went on a date after our daughter was born, one of the first places we took her when she was a baby and the place we go when my parents are in town. Gino’s is my gold standard for Federal Way dining.

Poverty Bay Café & Deli

1108A S. 322^nd Place, Federal Way

http://www.povertybay.com/

I should start by mentioning that I do not drink coffee.  That’s right, I am the one person in the Seattle area who does not drink coffee.  It’s not that I don’t like the taste or the act of spending hours in a cozy coffee shop on one of our endless rainy days.  I just can’t handle the caffeine.  It makes me feel like I’ve smoked a pack of Marlboro Reds while wearing seven nicotine patches.  No one likes me after I have a strong cup of coffee.  Fortunately, my husband makes up for me by having a hardcore caffeine addiction.  The yang to my yin, this man can drink a triple grande mocha right before bed and promptly sleep like a rock. 

Poverty Bay Café & Deli, which takes its rather off-putting name from a nearby body of water here in Federal Way, is the kind of place that makes a non-coffee drinker happy to accompany her caffeine-addict honey for a fix.  It’s tucked away behind the Safeway on 320^th – skip the in-store Starbucks and drive the extra 200 feet to Poverty Bay.  Its hard-to-miss exterior is covered in colorful murals.  Inside, they have a collection of mismatched tables and some funky old armchairs to lounge in, plus a small patio in the summer. 

I am assured that they have great coffee – not to mention sustainable, shade grown, song bird-friendly, direct-trade, and all that happy hippy goodness so you can feel good about buying it.  They also have an extensive and tasty breakfast menu with things like waffles, omelets, pastries and a huge selection of biscotti, plus they have really great sandwiches.  In fact, one of my favorite sandwiches of the world is their Chicken Panini which has chicken, spinach, Provolone, red onions and Dijon mustard happily nestled between two fat pieces of rosemary olive bread.  I eat this nearly every time I go to Poverty Bay and sometimes even in my dreams.  In fact, we went there while I was in labor prior to heading to the hospital so that I could eat this sandwich – the one and only time I didn’t clean my plate at this joint.  If that isn’t a testament to the deliciousness, I don’t know what is.

Pimienta Bistro & Bar

34029 Hoyt Rd SW, Federal Way

www.pimientabistro.com 

Photo from Peppercorn's Facebook Page

UPDATE: The restaurant has changed ownership and is now called Pimienta (Spanish for pepper), but still has the same chef and similar menu and decor.
Peppercorn is fairly new – it’s less than six months old, but what a beautiful baby it is!  Although we found it accidentally, I realized that I had been looking for this place since we moved to Federal Way.  It’s tucked away at the corner of Hoyt and 340th and is actually pretty easy to miss from the street.  Once you walk through the door though, you know this isn’t your average F Dub watering hole.  The interior is painted in warm earth tones and the walls are covered with wood salvaged from an old barn.  The pendant light fixtures are made from funky chicken wire and local artists’ work hangs on the walls.

The staff is incredibly friendly – not in a works-for-tips-so-we-have-to-be kind of way, and I’ve worked in a restaurant so I know from faking it – but in a genuinely-happy-to-be-a-part-of-this-cool-little-business way.  The servers are adorable and charming. The executive chef and co-owner, Blanca used to be the chef at Cactus, a small, three-restaurant chain in the Seattle area that serves really fun southwestern-style food.  The last time we were at Peppercorn, she came out to say hi and flirt with our (in my humble opinion) adorable little daughter.  I read that the other owner, Hector used to work for the now defunct Dash Point Metropolitan Market.  It was the closest market to my house, with the best cheese, produce and wine selections in town and I actually cried when it closed.  Now I think there is something to the theory that when God closes a door, he opens a really chic bistro – er, something…

The food here is really lovely.  We’ve tried several things on their menu and have enjoyed them all.  Many of the dishes have a Latin flair, which turns some stand-by dishes into really interesting meals. Their calamari fritti appetizer is great, with a melt-in-your-mouth coating and a perfect bite on the inside.  It was served with a tangerine-lemon aioli that really lets the flavor of the calamari shine.  The peppercorn steak is really nicely prepared and is served with fried parmesan polenta that is hands-down the best polenta I have ever eaten.  It’s buttery and crispy on the outside and so creamy on the inside.  The first time we ate there, my husband ordered this and I couldn’t keep my fork off of his plate.  That night, I had the mariscada which has scallops, mussels, shrimp and Portuguese sausage in it and is served in a tomato broth.  It was also great, although the tomato flavor slightly overwhelmed the shellfish.  We’ve also tried the pepper crusted ahi which was very nice and a halibut special that I have thought about many times since.  They have two regular desserts and sometimes do a special dessert as well.  Always on the menu are crème brulee, which is good and a flourless chocolate torte that is one of the best chocolate desserts I’ve ever eaten.  I don’t usually prefer chocolate when given the choice of other sweets but this has definitely changed my mind.  It’s dense and moist but not too rich and it is flavored with orange, which is such a nice touch.  The wine list is nicely varied and has clearly been thoughtfully chosen.

Pepper Crusted Ahi, from Peppercorn's Facebook Page

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
While there are several places in the Federal Way area that I really do like, there can’t be more than a few that are the total package of innovative food, terrific atmosphere and great service that you will find at Peppercorn Bistro & Bar.  This restaurant fuels my optimism that fine dining really can exist anywhere if there are enough people that demand it.  Thank you to my fellow Federal Way foodies – our demand has been heard!