Last Updated on November 9, 2021 by admin
The alpine town of Leavenworth, Washington, has it all: Access to year-round outdoor recreation activities, a thriving arts community, and a pretty awesome food scene. In this post, we share some of the best restaurants in Leavenworth!
Millions of people visit Leavenworth either as a basecamp for exploring the Cascade Mountains, or as a pit-stop as they make their way driving across the state on Highway 2. Whether you’re planning to spend multiple days in Leavenworth, or just an hour, you’ll want to try at least one of these restaurants.
Instead of stopping at the McDonalds or Subway, try one of these restaurants instead. (We even share some quick-service options if you need to be back on the road quickly.)
So here are our picks for the best restaurants in Leavenworth!
Disclosure: We only express our honest opinions. This post may contain affiliate links that provide us a small percentage of any completed sales to help run this blog without any additional cost to you.
Quick Service and Fast Food in Leavenworth
Munchen Haus
Our favorite place to stop for a quick bite to eat in Leavenworth is Munchen Haus. We’ve never had to wait longer than 15 minutes for our order. They serve an extensive list of bratwursts, and you can customize the toppings: grilled onions, raw onions, sauerkraut, and at least a dozen different types of mustard. Every time we go, we get the Bavarian Pretzel, which is served warm with a side of cheese sauce. (And this isn’t plastic-like cheese, they use Beecher’s cheese to make the sauce!) We recommend you order a second side of the cheese sauce. This has been our favorite German pretzel so far.
We’ve tried a variety of their bratwursts, and we’ve narrowed it down to two favorites: the BIG BOB Bratwurst and the Dirtyface Beer Wurst. They also serve kielbasa, jalapeno and cheddar sausage, vegan beyond sausage, a veggie wurst, and many others!
The seating is all outdoors. During the summer, there are large umbrellas and rooftop overhangs to provide shade. During the cooler months, they have heat warmers and tables with gas firetops.
Although they have excellent food, they’re also popular for their beer garden! They serve up local favorites from Icicle Brewing Company. Definitely order a pint or a stein while you are there. (Their glasses are also available for purchase.)
The last time we went (in August 2021), they had mobile ordering set up. So, if there’s a line to order, you can skip the line. Just choose a table and order using their QR code. It’s definitely one of the best restaurants in Leavenworth. Enjoy!
Munchen Haus: 709 Front St, Leavenworth, WA 98826
Heidleburger Drive In
The Heidleburger Drive In was established in 1970, and since then, locals have enjoyed their burgers and milkshakes. Their menu is filled with different variations of sandwiches and burgers. In addition to double cheeseburgers and crispy chicken sandwiches, they have menu items such as the Chipotle Burger, South of the Border Grilled Chicken Sandwich, and Teriyaki Grilled Chicken. They also serve classics such as fish and chips, grilled cheese sandwiches, and corn dogs.
Their milkshakes also look amazing! Current flavors are chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, peanut butter, root beer, caramel, banana, blackberry, and raspberry.
Heidleburger Drive In: 12708 US-2, Leavenworth, WA 98826
Best Restaurants in Leavenworth
Map of Restaurants Trip map created with Wanderlog , the best travel planner app 59er Diner The 59er Diner is located just 15 miles west of Leavenworth on Highway 2. If you’re coming to Leavenworth from the west side of the state, it’s a great spot to stop for lunch before you enter town. We have been going to 59er Diner for years and keeping coming back for the homemade comfort food and old-fashioned malts. It’s impeccably themed to the 1950s, complete with a juke box and lots of fun decor. It’s the type of place where you can get breakfast all day. (Fun fact: Their eggs come from their own chickens!) They have a large menu with things like homemade meatloaf, juicy cheeseburgers, and BLT sandwiches. We never leave without ordering one of their milkshakes! The diner also has lodging: Themed cabins and RV sites with full hookups. A wildfire destroyed the restaurant in 2016, but they rebuilt it and came back better than ever!
59er Diner:15361 US-2, Leavenworth, WA 98826
Wildflour Wildflour is a restaurant that we had been wanting to try for ages! We finally got our chance to eat there in 2021. It’s located about 20 miles west of Leavenworth, and has more of a fine dining ambiance. (Definitely a place to go for a nice meal or a celebration.) The restaurant is famous for its homemade pastas. The gnocchi with the beef tenderloin was easily one of the best meals of my life. If you order a cocktail, you need to try the smoked manhattan. The server brings out a decanter filled with swirling smoke and pours the drink table side. It’s quite the showstopper! Reservations are recommended. We liked Wildflour so much we wrote an entire post about it here. Although it’s a little bit of a drive from downtown, we definitely think it’s one of the best restaurants in Leavenworth. Wildflour: 20700 Club House Dr, Leavenworth, WA 98826 Larch The same chef that creates the Wildflour menu (Chef Ben Herreid) also opened a restaurant called Larch in downtown Leavenworth. It’s the perfect place to try some of his pasta creations without having to leave the downtown area. We haven’t been to Larch yet, but after trying Wildflour, it’s definitely on our radar for our next visit to Leavenworth! I really want to try their risotto, which has hibiscus & pink peppercorn crusted steelhead, charred orange beurre blanc, saffron risotto, and a papaya salad.
Larch: 214 8th St, Leavenworth, WA 98826
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Check out our post on the 20 best restaurants in Seattle. Andreas Keller Restaurant While in Bavaria, it’s pretty much mandatory to have an authentic German meal. Look no further than Andreas Keller Restaurant! The restaurant is located in the heart of Front Street. For an appetizer, we recommend either a giant pretzel, their homemade alpine cheese sauce, or the sausage sampler. For an entree we recommend a schnitzel. Their most popular is the Schnitzel Cordon Bleu, which is a breaded pork cutlet stuffed with swiss cheese and a hint of mustard.
Andreas Keller: 829 Front St, Leavenworth, WA 98826 Rhein Haus Another great restaurant that serves up German fare is Rhein Haus. They are also located conveniently downtown. In addition to wursts and schnitzels, they also serve up burgers, fish and chips, and pub fare. There’s something for everyone on their menu. In our opinion, they are also in one of the most beautiful buildings in Leavenworth. They have lots of indoor and outdoor seating options, depending on the season you visit. Rhein Haus: 707 US-2 Unit F, Leavenworth, WA 98826
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Mana
Mana is a special dining experience. On the weekends (Friday through Saturday), they serve a five-course prixe-fixe menu that lasts approximately two hours. Reservations are required, and they do charge you if you cancel with less than 48 hours notice. They have a rotating menu that focuses on local organic ingredients.
Mana: 1033 Commercial St, Leavenworth, WA 98826
Watershed Cafe
Watershed Cafe is a farm-to-table restaurant in downtown Leavenworth. It’s a bit pricey, but it focuses on local ingredients. We haven’t tried this restaurant yet, but we’d like to check it out the next time we are in Leavenworth. We are including it on this list because it has received so many good reviews.
Watershed Cafe: 221 8th St, Leavenworth, WA 98826
Posthotel
This one only counts if you are staying at the Posthotel. (The meals are for hotel guests only.) BUT, I’m including it because the food there was really outstanding. We recently stayed at the Posthotel for the first time to celebrate our anniversary, and we recommend that you stay there the next chance you get! Breakfast, lunch, and an evening dessert are all included in the hotel nightly rate. For each meal, you have your choice of dining outside on the terrace, inside in the dining room, or taking the meal up to your room. You are provided a menu with half a dozen or so choices, and you can even choose more than one meal if you’d like! We stayed at the Posthotel and had a total of four meals and two desserts while we were there. They were all delicious!
We wrote a full review about the Posthotel here, and a second post with more details on the Posthotel’s complimentary offerings here.
Posthotel: 309 8th St, Leavenworth, WA 98826
Sweet Treats in Leavenworth
The Gingerbread Factory
It’s Christmas all-year long at The Gingerbread Factory! Of course you’ll find delicious gingerbread cookies, but you’ll also find plenty of iced sugar cookies, pastries, cinnamon rolls, and homemade breads. Everything in their dessert case looked delicious.
The gingerbread is soft and beautifully decorated with royal icing. If you don’t want a full dessert, you can order one of their “tiny tots” (mini gingerbread cookies). If you’d prefer to decorate your own cookies but don’t want to do the baking, you can order one of their naked gingerbread men (“skinny dippers”).
The Gingerbread Factory is located in the center of all the action: Front Street.
Gingerbread Factory: 829 Front St, Leavenworth, WA 98826
Danish Bakery
Also located right on Front Street is the Danish Bakery. The Danish Bakery has three different types of strudel (cherry, apple, and raspberry cream cheese), which is the perfect Bavarian treat. They also often serve croissants, cinnamon bread, and Bavarian waffles. Be sure to hop in and grab several of their pastries!
Danish Bakery: 731 Front St, Leavenworth, WA 98826
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Whistlepunk Ice Cream Co. It’s always a good time for ice cream, and the place to go in Leavenworth is Whistlepunk Ice Cream Co. They make small-batch premium ice creams all from scratch. We have seen a line out their door every time we have been to Leavenworth! Whistlepunk Ice Cream Co.: 707 US-2 Suite C, Leavenworth, WA 98826
Schocolat
Is there anything better than chocolate? The chocolate counter at Schocolat is filled with delectable chocolates such as bavarian milk, brandied pear, bernadettes, and burnt caramel salted almond ganache. Make sure to take some home with you too!
843 Front St, Leavenworth, WA 98826
What to Bring for Your Trip to Leavenworth
Whether you visit Leavenworth in the summer or the winter (or anywhere in between), here’s a few things we recommend when traveling:
We also recommend traveling with the following:
If you plan on going hiking, be sure to read our post on the 10 Essentials to know what to bring with you. If you have a baby or toddler, you might be interested in our favorite baby travel products!
Summary
We hope you enjoyed these recommendations for the best restaurants in Leavenworth! If you’ve been to Leavenworth, where’s your favorite place to eat? Feel free to let us know in the comments below!
And if you’re headed to the nearby town of Chelan, you might enjoy our post on the 18 Best Restaurants in Chelan.
You are also welcome to contact us if you have any questions.
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