Here are 31 new restaurants that opened in Whatcom County in 2025
Thirty-one new restaurants opened in Whatcom County in 2025. Here’s our list of new eateries, bars, coffee shops, bakeries and more that opened within the last year:
Chispita de Sabor
Suma’s first drive-through taqueria, Chispita de Sabor, opened for business Jan. 25, 2025. The business previously operated as a food truck but has opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant serving a variety of tacos, tamales, quesabirria, taquitos and more. Chispita de Sabor is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 719 Cherry St. in Sumas, according to a social media post.
Catch
Catch, a Hawaiian-style Poke restaurant from the creators of Just Poke, opened Feb. 18 inside Bellingham’s Walmart. The restaurant’s menu includes sushi rolls, raw and cooked protein options, poke bowls, ahi nachos and more. Catch is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Bellingham’s Walmart is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily at 4420 Meridian St.
Wendy’s
The Lummi Nation welcomed fast-food chain Wendy’s to its Salish Village retail property. The restaurant opened Feb. 7. and is open from 6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily at 1399 Slater Road on the Lummi Nation property at Salish Village.
Love From London
Love From London, an ice cream, milkshake and bubble waffle shop, opened in downtown Bellingham on March 1, transporting visitors to London with its decor and treats imported from England.
The shop serves a variety of bubble waffles filled with Edaleen Dairy ice cream and topped with a variety of toppings, along with milkshakes, ice cream by the scoop, and exclusive English candy bars, sweets and beverages.
Love From London is open from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 1301 Commercial St.
Queens of Fire Pizza truck
Queens of Fire, a family-owned woodfire pizza truck, opened March 6 near Shores Restaurant at 7848 Birch Bay Dr. in Blaine. The pizza truck was first announced back in November. The food truck usually pops up around Birch Bay, but updates to its schedule are provided at its Facebook page.
Bordertown Mexican Grill
Bordertown Mexican Grill opened its new Bellingham restaurant March 22. The restaurant has a previous location in Blaine, and now serves downtown Bellingham at 1055 N State St., the previous location of Pepper Sisters. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Stemma Brewing Co. West
Stemma Brewing Co. purchased the previous Twin Sister Brewery location, and after renovating the massive space opened the new location, called Stemma West, on March 27.
The brewery is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and 3 to 10 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at 508 Carolina St. in Bellingham. Stemma’s original brewery is still open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at 2039 Moore St. in Bellingham.
SOHO Asian Kitchen & Bar
SOHO Asian Kitchen & Bar, an Asian-inspired restaurant in downtown Bellingham, opened April 1. The restaurant’s menu includes dim sum, pad Thai, kimchi soup, spring rolls, bao and other Asian dishes. SOHO is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday at 202 W Holly St., Suite 101 in downtown Bellingham, the previous location of K-Pop Chicken and Beer.
Hi Tide Coffee
Hi Tide Coffee, a drive-through coffee and beverage trailer, opened in Bellingham on April 7. The unique coffee drive-through serves espresso drinks, matcha, dirty sodas, Red Bull refreshers and more. The new shop is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 5309 Guide Meridian St in Bellingham.
Tam Tam Pizza
Food truck Tam Tam Pizza opened a brick and mortar location April 17 inside Fairhaven’s iconic red double-decker bus. The pizza bus serves handmade pizzas with a variety of toppings.
Tam Tam Pizza is open from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 1020 Harris Ave. in Bellingham.
Tacos y birria el botas
Family-owned Mexican restaurant Tacos y birria el botas, a family-owned opened in Bellingham in April. The restaurant is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily at 784 Kentucky St., the previous location of COF& coffee shop in the Sunnyland neighborhood.
Beach Cat Brewing
Beach Cat Brewing, a Blaine-based brewery that first opened in 2020 along the shore of Birch Bay, opened a waterfront Bellingham location May 29.
The waterfront taproom and brewery is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at 1010 C St. Suite 107 in Bellingham.
Beach Cat Brewing’s Blaine location is open from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday at 7876 Birch Bay Drive #101 in Blaine.
Little Dreamer Ice Cream
Little Dreamer Ice Cream Co., an ice cream shop in Barkley Village, opened May 30.
The “dreamy little ice cream shop in the clouds. Small batch — from scratch,” according to its website, serves a variety of ice cream creations.
It features flavors including berry cobbler, peanut butter s’mores, strawberry shortcake, circus animal, vanilla latte, salted caramel and “dream crunch” — a vanilla ice cream base with homemade granola, chocolate chips and a caramel swirl.
Little Dreamer Ice Cream Co. is open from noon to 10 p.m. daily at 3001 Cinema Place Suite 101, next to Regal Cinemas.
Doc Swinson’s distillery tasting room
Doc Swinson’s, a Whatcom County-based distillery known for its award-winning whiskey, opened a tasting room called “The Barrel Lab” in Ferndale on June 5.
Guests can enjoy tastings, tour the distillery, meet the team, purchase exclusive merchandise and alcohol, and try exclusive cocktails, surrounded by whiskey and other spirits aging in barrels. The Barrel Lab will also have food trucks, blending classes, bourbon groups and other special events on certain days.
The tasting room is open from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at 1370 Commerce Place in Ferndale.
Alba’s Cocina
Mexican restaurant Alba’s Cocina opened June 11 in the previous location of Gandolfo’s New York Deli at 107 E Stuart Road near Walmart. The restaurant with a Latin twist serves burritos, tacos, birria, fresh juices, enchiladas and more from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
D’oldhams Epic Cafe
A new “epic” breakfast restaurant opened in Birch Bay on June 14. D’oldhams Epic Café, a classic breakfast restaurant, serves eggs Benedict with house crumpets, biscuits and gravy, omelettes, waffles and more. The restaurant is open from 6 a.m. to noon Wednesday through Sunday at 4580 Legion Dr. in Blaine.
Next Chapter Cafe
Next Chapter Cafe, a restaurant created by a husband-and-wife duo who own and operate to other local restaurants, opened inside Bellingham’s Village Books on June 17.
The new cafe was first announced in April, when Jennifer Worthley, owner of It’s the Sweet Things, and Bryan John Matamorosa, owner of Bry’s Filipino Cuisine, signed the lease for the previous location of Evolve Chocolate + Cafe.
The cafe is located on the second floor of Village Books at 1200 11th St Suite 201 and is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Both It’s the Sweet Things and Bry’s Filipino Cuisine continue to operate.
The Way Cafe
The Way Cafe, a coffee shop serving a variety of drinks and pastries, had a grand opening ribbon-cutting event June 28 in Birch Bay. The coffee shop donates proceeds from every purchase to Bridge Community Hope Center, a food bank and clothing boutique. The Way Cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 4323 Alderson Road, Unit 108.
Ttowa Sushi
Blaine welcomed new restaurant Ttowa Sushi to its downtown. The restaurant has a large menu that includes various sushi rolls, pho, gyoza, yakisoba, fried rice, bento boxes, nigiri and fried rolls. Ttowa Sushi is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily at 658 Peace Portal Dr. in Blaine.
Bayou on Bay
Bellingham’s newest restaurant arrived with a sense of déjà vu. Bayou on Bay — a Cajun, Southern and Creole restaurant that originally opened in 2007 and closed back in March — reopened July 5 under new ownership. The popular restaurant is known for its jambalaya, beignets, frog legs and craft cocktails. It is open from 3 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 1300 Bay St. in downtown Bellingham.
Elk St. Tavern
Elk St. Tavern, a new bar in downtown Bellingham created by the owners of Redlight, opened Aug. 6. The bar’s menu includes a variety of drinks, as well as burgers, carpaccio, oysters, steak and desserts. Elk St. Tavern is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Monday at 1017 N. State St. in Bellingham.
The Galley
Lummi Island welcomed a new restaurant called The Galley on Aug. 17. The new restaurant is connected to The Islander general store and serves sandwiches, salads and soups, as well as wine and beer on tap.
“There’s space to eat inside or outside in the beer garden, surrounded by the island breeze. Thanks for a great opening weekend,” the restaurant’s website states.
The restaurant and general store are located at 2106 S Nugent Road on Lummi Island.
MOTO Pizza
MOTO Pizza, known for its unique pizza toppings and locations in Seattle and T-Mobile Park, opened a Bellingham location Aug. 29. MOTO Pizza is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at 4373 Meridian St.
MJ’s Martini’s
MJ’s Martini Bar opened Friday, Sept. 18, bringing unique martinis, classic cocktails and “boozie brunch” to Bellingham.
The new bar serves a variety of craft cocktails, including intriguing martini flavors such as pineapple upside down cake, lavender lemon, key lime pie, prickly pear, grapefruit, espresso and lemon drop. The menu also includes classic cocktails like an old -ashioned, Moscow mule, Mia Tai and more, as well as steak bites, salmon dip, chef’s pie, salads and arugula proschuttio.
MJ’s Martini Bar is open from 3 to 9 p.m. daily at 416 W Bakerview Rd., the previous location of Fireside Martini and Wine Bar.
Mercurys Coffee Co.
Mercurys Coffee Co., a drive-through espresso stand serving unique drinks, snacks and more, officially opened Nov. 18 at 1100 E Sunset Dr., the previous location of Big Foot Java near Sunset Square.
Mercurys Coffee Co. is a chain of espresso stands in Washington, with locations in Bellevue, Everett, Kirkland, Woodinville, Bothell, Fall City, Redmond and Sammamish.
The Bellingham location is open from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at 1100 E Sunset Dr. in Bellingham.
The Den
The Den, a new bar in downtown Bellingham created by the owners of Wild Buffalo House of Music, opened Nov. 21.
Nicknamed “Bellingham’s living room” space, the bar is located at 1319 Commercial St. in downtown Bellingham.
“The bar is named and themed after my favorite room at my grandparent’s house. The Den was a place to come together, to eat snacks, and reconnect with friends and family before and after dinner,” according to a November Facebook post from one of its owners, Craig Jewell.
The Den will be open from 4 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 10:30 p.m. Sunday.
Kebabji
Kebabji, the newest addition to Bellis Fair mall’s food court, opened Nov. 24, serving Mediterranean dishes and roasted meats. The Bellis Fair mall is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at 1 Bellis Fair Parkway.
Tacos Guadalajara
Tacos Guadalajara, a Mexican restaurant based in Ferndale, has opened a new location in Fairhaven.
The restaurant opened Dec. 4 at the previous location of Jalapeño’s Mexican Restaurant in Bellingham’s Fairhaven neighborhood.
Tacos Guadalajara is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily at 1007 Harris Ave.
Ginger Fusion and Bar
Lynden-based Indian restaurant Ginger Fusion and Bar opened Dec. 5. The new eatery serves beer on tap and cocktails, South Indian dosas, North Indian curries and other fusion dishes. Ginger Fusion and Bar is open from noon to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Monday at 8874 Bender Rd, Suite 101 in Lynden.
Frankie’s Deli
A new restaurant launched by the owner of Doug’s Burgers in downtown Bellingham opened Dec. 4. The new eatery, Frankie’s Deli, is connected to Doug’s Burgers at 2527 Meridian St.
Frankie’s Deli is open from noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, according to the restaurant’s Instagram page.
