Local Faves
From Restaurants to Pubs and Everything in between, these are my local or nearby favorites!
Pubs, Taverns, Bars, Wine Spots, Cideries......
Swing Wine Bar: Great spot to check out. There's indoor and outdoor seating (enjoy views of Capitol Lake, Budd Inlet & the Olympics) available. They also have a wine cellar downstairs that can be reserved for events. This place has several wines to try including wines by the glass or wine flights. Don't want wine? NOT TO WORRY-they make great cocktails too! Enjoy appetizers or full meals as well. Web link here: https://swingwinebar.com/
Oly Taproom- Fun after work spot to grab a drink with friends. This taproom has of course rotating beers and typically at least one cider on tap. In addition, they have a large selection of bottles in a refrigerated section for purchase to drink on site or mix and match to take home! Pizza and light fare only. Web link here: https://olytaproom.com/index.html
Briggs Taproom- (Owned by same folks as Oly Taproom) This spot is kid friendly. They have a great selection of taps and bottled items to take home plus they have great pizza and other fare. Web link here: https://briggs-taphouse.com/index.html
Westside Tavern- Great westside(hence the name) spot to stop if you want excellent bar food. They have a full bar as well as beer and typically a rotating cider or two. TRY THE JALEPENO MAC! https://www.thewestsidetavern.com/
Buzz's Tavern- They too have outdoor seating, prefer in the summer months. Full bar. Close off the freeway. I love trying their Korean dishes (little fact-owner is Korean) on specialty days. Korean taco Thursdays are my fave. FB Page Link (no site): https://www.facebook.com/BuzzsBar/
Well 80 Brewhouse- In the heart of downtown offering a fun environment. Complementary popcorn, fireplace and loungy area. Beers are brewed in-house and the water is drawn from on of the famous Artesian wells. They also feature rotating guest taps and cider. They serve pizza, burges and sandwhiches. For the lighter fare they offer a tasty ahi-poke salad. Yumm. Direct Website Link HERE: https://well80.com/
Northwest Beerwerks- Nice location to go grab a drink after hours (beer, wine & cider). They have outdoor seating making it especially inviting in the summer months! Feeling gamy? Inside you'll find a collection of games. If you're into cigars, they have cigar nights on Mondays. They typically have a food truck outside as well. Direct Website Link HERE: https://www.northwestbeerwerks.com/
Olywines- Sweet little spot to pop on in, buy some wine and learn a vast amount about wines! The owner Ed, is a wealth of knowlege on all things wine and graduated from World Wine School. They have tastings on Saturdays for $10 and other events on their site. Website Link here: https://olywines.com/
Favorite Food Spots
El Serape (West Olympia)- Cool spot on the westside with gas fireplace in the bar and cool lighting. They have outdoor seating on the patio as well. Love their street tacos, fajita salad, classics, and of course their margarita on the rocks! Direct Website Link HERE: https://elsarape.net/olympia/
Hearthfire Grill- If you want some of what I consider the best views in town, go here. You can enjoy a relaxing dining experience with views of the sounds and Olympics on a good day. They have an amazing ceasar salad, good cocktails and a nice happy hour menu. Decent steaks and some seafood options. They're know for their hearthfire of course. If you come by boat theres a moorage for first come, first serve basis. Direct Website Link HERE: https://www.anthonys.com/restaurant/anthonys-hearthfire-grill-northpoint-olympia/
Mercatos- Offering Italian fare this is a great place near the sound. Pastas, pizzas and steaks have all been great. Never a dissapointing meal here. I really like their mista salad. They also offer meeting spaces for events. Direct Website Link HERE: https://www.mercatoristorante.com/
Jean-Pierre's Three16- They describe their food as French Cuisine with a Northwest spin. Not sure when they opened but I've only dined there a handful of times and the food was excellent. Good wine pairings. Outdoor patio and indoor the setting is adorable. Direct Website Link HERE: https://www.jeanpierresthree16.com/
Westside Tavern- Little bit of overlap here with drink spots and food. This is the place for great bar food. They do all their own ground chuck. If you enjoy spicy food you must try their Hellraiser burger. Also, don't leave until you sample their Jalapeno Mac & Cheese. You can sub this for fries (but I love their flaky fries too). Also indoor/outdoor setting. https://www.thewestsidetavern.com/
Ricardos- Gotta go and taste their steaks! They also have a small selection of seafood items. Cool outdoor gas fire pit. Located at the HUB which houses several yearly events and meetings throughout the year. Direct Website Link HERE: https://ricardoskitchenandbar.com/
Budd's Bay Cafe- Nice location to get peekaboo views of the sound and the marina. Have a nice outdoor deck for the sunnier months. I enjoy their fish tacos, crab and cheddar sandwhich and clam chowder (one of the best around in my opinion). Typical eat lunch here. Direct Website Link HERE: https://www.buddbaycafe.com/
Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar- Offering unique dishes (Now they have lunch and brunch) in a cool setting. They've really grown since they started and just did an expansion. If you want to try fresh seafood dishes, this is the place. Not into seafood? That's ok, they have something for everyone. Direct Website Link HERE: https://www.chelseafarms.net/
Gardners- Located in a historic building downtown, this restuarant is a must. Everything is made from scratch.They have a great charcuterie selection and phenomenal food and drinks. It's a very small intimate setting so consider reservations. Direct Website Link HERE: https://gardnersrestaurant.com/
Testimonials
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Tonya is amazing! We had previously worked with her to purchase land, but in the end it didn't work out. She happily answered my call about purchasing an existing home months later. Once our offer was accepted on the new home it was off to the races to list and sell our current home. She was up to the task and holidays and snow storms didn't slow her down. She was just a delight to work with and was so patient and understanding of our crazy schedule. I 100% recommend Tonya for anyone who is looking for a detailed, personable, knowledgeable agent.
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- Samantha Malone
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Tonya has represented us on both the buyer side and now the seller side. Both times couldn’t have gone smoother. She answers questions right away and is available for any concerns. Tonya knows the area well; she “knows a guy” for any home projects and fixes. We felt comfortable going through the home buying and selling process with Tonya helping us. She also works well with other realtors and professionals, always willing to make the call or go the extra mile for her clients. I would highly recommend Tonya if you’re looking for someone who is reliable and hardworking!
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- Laurie Crowley
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Tonya is AMAZING! She helped my husband and I buy our first house! When we first set out on this journey we were a bit nervous and didn't know what to expect. She made the process so easy and enjoyable. She was always responsive and active. She was always willing to drive out a bit further to help get us what we wanted. Her background in the home renovation and construction field was a huge help when viewing and once we decided to put in an offer on our home. If we had to do this again I would not hesitate to go back to Tonya for buying or selling.
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- Shauna Binkowski
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Tonya is an a truly exceptional realtor, who was recommended to me by a previous realtor I had used, when I did not know any realtors in the area. Tonja truly went above and beyond to assist me in selling my mother’s house during one of the most stressful periods in life a person can experience, the loss of a parent and dealing with their estate. The home needed more repairs than I could imagine and I was out of state trying to deal with getting the home ready for sale, making the process even more difficult. Every time I needed a specialist to perform a repair Tonya knew exactly who to call and she organized getting the person out to the home to get the repair done. Every repair was done with excellence and at a reasonable price. She made sure I fully understood every offer to buy the home, gave me the pros and cons, while also leaving the final decision in my hands. I put my faith and trust in Tonja and it was well placed. From the moment I met her and decided to hire he as my realtor to the final signing of papers and beyond Tonya was there for me every step of the way making the whole process as seamless as possible with the least amount of stress on me during one of the most difficult times of my life. I have bought and sold numerous homes of my own, with various realtors and can with full faith recommend Tonja as the cream of the crop in Western WA.
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- Leza C (Lady1Iam)
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We are so glad that we chose Tonya to sell our home. We were in the process of moving with short notice for a job. Tonya helped us fast track the process and we were under contract in just over a month from calling her to tell her we needed to sell our home ASAP. She immediately conducted a walk through of our home and let us know what we needed to do to put our best foot forward to prospective buyers. She hooked us up with trusted local contractors her husband’s company (Rycon) works with. She contracted with a top-notch photographer that made a video highlighting our home’s best features. Within five days of listing we had three offers, all over asking price. Tonya negotiated a deal that resulted in us selling our home for over $46K over asking AND an all cash offer. We are certain the results wouldn’t have been this good if Tonya wasn’t our broker. We were always informed at each step and she was empathetic to the stress of selling a home entails. We cannot thank Tonya enough for her professionalism and tenacity in selling our home. We highly recommend Tonya to anyone who wants someone in their corner, who will work hard, and put their interests first.
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- Tod Ayers
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I began working with Tonya just a few months ago and I couldn’t have been more happy or impressed. From our first conversation, I knew that she was going to work extremely hard for me during my personal property search. I had had some disappointing experiences with Realtors in the past, feeling like second fiddle, my thoughts weren’t a priority, etc. But Tonya took every one of my concerns into account when trying to find me my ideal property. The resources Tonya used were easy to navigate and made me confident I would find exactly what I was hoping for. Tonya’s knowledge of the real estate market helped me work through every level of the buying process. She was there to answer any and all questions I had from the beginning, all the way through our signing day. Tonya is the only Realtor I want on my side when going through the home buying process and I will with out a doubt be using her again in the future!
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- Jacob Owens
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If you’re looking for the best broker in the Olympia area, look no further. Tonya was our broker for our third home purchase and we can’t speak more highly of her style, expertise, professionalism, and amazing ability to negotiate the purchase of a dream home. We put our trust in her skills and she overdelivered in every way, exceeding all of expectations. She’s the best of the best.
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- Katiefoleylinn
