If your mental list of places to eat around Clallam County still consists mostly of the old standbys, there are a few new names worth adding.
You can now sit down for steak frites and cocktails in Forks, build your own Korean convenience-store-style ramen in Sequim, or drive almost to the far northwestern edge of the county for a pub making its own breads, sauces and even hamburger buns.
There’s also a new Sequim cafe taking the opposite approach from the burger-and-fries school of nutrition, with cold-pressed juices, smoothies and ingredient-conscious lunches.
And in Port Angeles, tea has gotten considerably more complicated than dropping a bag into hot water.
This isn’t Seattle, and Clallam County isn’t suddenly opening 20 restaurants a month. That’s part of what makes the new arrivals interesting: in smaller communities, one unusual restaurant can meaningfully expand what locals can eat without driving an hour.
Here are five relatively new Clallam County food and drink spots worth knowing about.
1. MARBLE & OAK — Forks
642 S. Forks Ave., Forks
Forks has plenty of places to refuel after hiking through Olympic National Park. Marble & Oak is aiming for something a little different: the kind of dinner where you might actually change out of the hiking pants first.
The upscale bistro opened in spring 2026 and focuses on a seasonally changing menu built around ingredients from area farms and fisheries. It’s a notable addition in a town better known for casual tourist stops than date-night restaurants.
The current menu runs from smaller plates such as lentil hummus mezze, burrata, potato pavé, focaccia and croquettes to full entrees including chicken piccata, scampi, pasta primavera and salmon. Steak is a major player, too: a 12-ounce ribeye and steak frites both appear on the menu.
Prices reflect the more upscale approach. Current entrees generally land in the upper-$20s through $50s, with the steak frites reaching $58.
There’s a full bar with cocktails, wine, beer and cider. Signature drinks include a raspberry mojito, watermelon spritz, cherry sour and several variations on an Old Fashioned. Apparently one Old Fashioned was not enough. We respect the commitment.
Dessert includes cheesecake, chocolate cake, trifle and blueberry crisp, though selections can change along with the rest of the menu.
Families aren’t excluded from the fancy-ish fun. A children’s menu includes grilled cheese, buttered noodles, grilled chicken breast and even tenderloin medallions.
The restaurant describes itself as upscale but comfortable, and reservations are available. Given the relatively intimate setting and Forks’ summer tourism traffic, reserving ahead for a weekend dinner isn’t a bad idea.
Good for: Date night, special occasions, cocktails, Olympic National Park visitors wanting a proper dinner.
Know before you go: This is dinner rather than all-day dining, and prices are considerably higher than at many casual Forks restaurants. Check current hours and the rotating menu before making the drive.
2. TWINKLE CAFE — Sequim
649 W. Washington St., Sequim
Twinkle Cafe requires a little explanation.
It isn’t simply a coffee shop. It isn’t quite a restaurant in the conventional American sense. And if you walk in expecting someone in the kitchen to prepare every component of your lunch, the ramen section may initially confuse you.
That’s because part of the concept takes inspiration from Korean convenience stores, where customers can select packaged ramen and prepare it themselves using an in-store ramen station, adding toppings along the way.
Yes, you are technically doing some of the work.
That’s the point.
The relatively new Sequim cafe also sells Korean snacks and sweets along with made-to-order drinks. Koto Teriyaki & Sushi, which promotes Twinkle as its new dessert spot, specifically highlights Korean bingsu — a shaved-ice dessert commonly piled with sweet toppings.
Other offerings reported by customers include Korean fried chicken, corn dogs, imported snacks, ice cream and fruit-flavored ades, along with coffee, smoothies and other drinks.
The result is part cafe, part snack shop and part miniature Korean convenience-store experience — a concept you’re not exactly tripping over every three blocks on the Olympic Peninsula.
It also makes Twinkle an easy place for a group where nobody necessarily wants the same thing. Someone can experiment with ramen while somebody else orders a sweet drink and starts investigating the imported snack shelves.
Good for: Teenagers, families, casual lunches, Korean snack fans, adventurous eaters and anyone who enjoys browsing food they haven’t seen at Safeway.
Know before you go: The self-service ramen is intentional. Think Korean convenience-store ramen bar rather than a traditional restaurant bowl prepared entirely in a kitchen.
3. TOAST & JAM PUB — Clallam Bay
31 Frontier St., Clallam Bay
A restaurant opening in Clallam Bay carries a little more weight than another restaurant opening in downtown Seattle.
There simply aren’t that many places to eat this far west.
Toast & Jam opened in June 2025 and has built its identity around scratch-made comfort food, cocktails and a neighborhood-pub atmosphere. The name works two ways: toast as in bread, and toast as in raising a glass. The “jam” portion also nods toward live music.
The kitchen takes the homemade part seriously. According to the business, a baker on staff makes its breads and desserts — including the hamburger buns — while other offerings emphasize recognizable, straightforward ingredients.
Menu items highlighted by diners include a Reuben, Cubano, Peruvian chicken sandwich, burgers, mac and cheese and a beet burger. Desserts are another significant part of the operation, including cakes and cheesecake.
Then there’s the pub half of the equation. Toast & Jam serves craft cocktails and beer and hosts occasional live music and community events.
The space seats about 65, according to the business, making it a substantial gathering spot by Clallam Bay standards. The owners have described their goal as creating the kind of place where hikers, fishermen, travelers and locals can all walk through the door without feeling out of place.
That seems particularly appropriate here. You are, after all, in a community where “dressy casual” can plausibly include waterproof boots.
Good for: Road trips along Highway 112, casual dinners, groups, drinks, comfort food and travelers heading toward Cape Flattery.
Know before you go: Don’t assume small-town restaurant means seven-day operation. Toast & Jam is currently closed Mondays and Tuesdays, and hours can change. Check before driving a long distance.
4. SABOR JUICE BAR & CAFE — Sequim
649 W. Washington St., Suite 6, Sequim
If the previous three entries have already given you imaginary steak, cocktails, fried chicken and mac and cheese, Sabor would like a word.
The new Sequim juice bar and cafe is built around fresh juices, smoothies, coffee, salads and lighter meals, with an emphasis on organic, non-GMO, gluten-free and locally sourced ingredients when possible.
Cold-pressed juice is one of the main attractions. Smoothies can be supplemented with protein, while the food side includes options such as avocado toast, salads, wraps and paninis.
There are some more interesting drinks tucked among the health-conscious standards, too, including cafe de olla — Mexican-style coffee traditionally brewed with spices — and an orange mocha.
Dietary restrictions are particularly well represented here. Gluten-free and dairy-free options have been noted among the baked goods and other menu items, making Sabor useful for somebody who normally has to interrogate a menu like they’re conducting a deposition.
And despite “juice bar” being in the name, this isn’t strictly a grab-a-green-liquid-and-leave operation. The cafe has indoor space for sitting down with coffee, breakfast or lunch.
Sabor also happens to sit at 649 W. Washington St., the same Sequim complex as Twinkle Cafe. Apparently this little stretch of Washington Street decided 2026 was the year to become significantly more interesting.
Good for: Breakfast, light lunch, smoothies, dietary restrictions, gluten-free diners and people trying to make responsible choices after reading the Marble & Oak steak section.
Know before you go: Sabor keeps daytime cafe hours rather than dinner hours and is currently closed Sundays and Mondays.
5. BUTTERCUP’S TEA HOUSE — Port Angeles
117 N. Lincoln St., Port Angeles
Port Angeles has coffee shops.
Buttercup’s decided coffee alone wasn’t complicated enough.
The downtown cafe and tea house opened in 2026 with a concept combining loose-leaf tea, adaptogen coffee, wellness-oriented tonic drinks, baked treats, gifts and locally made art.
Tea is the obvious starting point. Buttercup’s offers a broad loose-leaf selection, while the coffee side includes organic adaptogen coffee — coffee containing herbs or other ingredients marketed for their purported stress or wellness benefits.
The cafe also makes tonic-style drinks using ingredients including apple cider vinegar and elderberry. Those aren’t going to be everybody’s afternoon beverage, but nobody can accuse the place of opening another interchangeable espresso counter.
For something less adventurous, bakery treats include whoopie pies sourced from East to West Bakery, and the business has offered other light food options.
Buttercup’s also functions partly as a small retail and community space, displaying local art and selling gifts alongside the drinks and treats.
The result is a place that makes more sense for lingering over tea and browsing than grabbing a 16-ounce drip coffee while sprinting back to the car.
Good for: Tea drinkers, afternoon meetups, visitors exploring downtown Port Angeles, gifts and people curious about wellness drinks.
Know before you go: Hours are limited compared with a conventional coffee shop — currently late morning through afternoon on its operating days — so check before heading downtown specifically for it.
A LITTLE MORE TO EAT ON THE PENINSULA
Five openings won’t transform Clallam County into Capitol Hill, and that’s probably not what anybody living in Forks or Clallam Bay is asking for anyway.
What’s interesting is how different these places are.
One gives Forks a legitimate steak-and-cocktails date-night option. Another lets Sequim residents build Korean convenience-store ramen. Clallam Bay gets scratch-made pub food near the Strait. Sabor goes hard in the other direction with cold-pressed juice and ingredient-conscious lunches, while Buttercup’s has turned tea into an entire personality.
For a relatively sparsely populated county stretched across a huge chunk of the northern Olympic Peninsula, that’s a respectable amount of variety.
