Darrington is a summertime destination.
Cruise up Highway 530, roll down your car windows, breathe the fresh air and enjoy the views of Whitehorse Mountain.
Darrington’s daytime population expands during this season as campers, hikers, bikers and cross-mountain travelers looking for supplies and treats descend on the small town.
This week, outdoor concerts continue with the 41st annual Darrington Bluegrass Festival. Next month, it’s the Summer Meltdown festival, also produced at the bluegrass festival grounds, just west of town.
If you are headed into the mountains or to one of these festivals and want to check out the restaurant scene in the area, here are a few suggestions:
On the way to or from Darrington, stop at The Restaurant at Rhodes River Ranch.
Located south of Highway 530 in the Oso area, Rhodes River Ranch is at 22016 Entsminger Road. The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Call 360-474-8313 to make a reservation. Enjoy musical entertainment on the weekends, and during the week some seats overlook the busy horse arena.
Starters include deep-fried green beans and coconut prawns. Salads include an Asian beef salad. For lunch, there are burgers, sandwiches and soups. The dinner menu includes salmon, pasta, steak and chicken plates. For dessert you might try the apple pillows.
In Darrington, you have to check out the 4 Corners Cafe, adjacent to the Whitehorse Market.
The cafe is open 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily at 1080 Seeman St., and it serves breakfast all day. This is a good thing for people on vacation. Open not quite a year now, 4 Corners is actually a coffee shop, an ice cream shop and a restaurant. Call 360-436-9757 for information.
4 Corners manager Valerie Peppinger and her crew serve house-made waffle ice cream cones and “tricked out” 16-ounce milkshakes that double as desserts.
Other signature menu items include biscuits and gravy, Peppinger’s family French onion soup, the Monte Cristo sandwich, a third-of-pound Angus beef burger with a mass of grilled onions on a pretzel-style bun, the logger-style (big) breakfast burrito and the Sunday crepe bar, which offers sweet and savory crepes of all kinds.
The restaurant’s use of a German-made oven helps cut down on the use of grease, Peppinger said. The oven can bake, roast, broil, steam, grill and fry food. “So you won’t leave here feeling like you ate a gut bomb,” she said, laughing.
In the same area, stop in for a bacon bleu cheese burger and onion rings at the old reliable Burger Barn at 1018 Emens Ave. N. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Call 360-436-2070.
Also nearby is the Darrington IGA, 1090 Seeman St., 360-436-0141. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. the rest of the week. The Ashe family’s grocery store also has a deli and a bakery. Frequently the store staff will grill outdoors, too.
If you just need an Americano or a latte, Mountain Loop Books & Coffee, at 1085 Darrington St. in the old downtown area, is the place to go. Owner Tony Gobroski also offers treats, free use of his wi-fi, and the guidebook collection there is good.
The Hawks Nest Bar & Grill, also offering traditional American food, is located near the west entrance to town at 1215 Highway 530. Call 360-436-1500.
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