Two Washington Hospitality Association members are celebrating national recognition after their restaurants earned spots on The New York Times’ 2026 Restaurant List.
Hama Hama Oyster Saloon and Passage at the Inn at Langley join a group of 50 restaurants recognized by The New York Times this year.
Located along Hood Canal in Lilliwaup, Hama Hama Oyster Saloon offers a dining experience that is distinctly Washington. Set on a sixth-generation, family-run shellfish and tree farm, the waterfront restaurant serves oysters and shellfish grown and harvested just steps from where guests are seated. With views of Hood Canal and a menu shaped by what’s fresh from the farm and surrounding region, the Oyster Saloon has become a destination for visitors looking to experience the flavors and natural beauty of the Olympic Peninsula.
The Oyster Saloon opened its doors in 2014, building on Hama Hama’s more than a century-long history on the property. Today, it gives visitors a front-row seat to the place behind the food, connecting the region’s shellfish, landscape and hospitality in an experience that earned national attention from The New York Times.
Across Puget Sound on Whidbey Island, Passage at the Inn at Langley caught national attention just months after opening its doors in June 2026. Overlooking Saratoga Passage, the restaurant offers an ever-changing tasting menu centered on seafood and ingredients from the Pacific Northwest.
Behind Passage’s menu is executive chef Johnny Spero, whose career has taken him through acclaimed kitchens in the U.S. and Europe before bringing him to Whidbey Island. Spero previously opened Reverie in Washington, D.C., where his seafood-forward cooking earned the restaurant a Michelin star in 2022. At Passage, his focus has turned to the Pacific Northwest, working with regional farmers, fishers and foragers to create a dining experience that celebrates the ingredients, flavors and distinctive setting of Whidbey Island.
Together, Hama Hama Oyster Saloon and Passage show how deeply Washington dining is connected to the places and people behind it. Their recognition by The New York Times brings national attention to the exceptional ingredients, destinations and hospitality experiences found across our state.
Congratulations to the teams at Hama Hama Oyster Saloon and Passage at the Inn at Langley on this well-earned recognition.
