This Poulsbo gas station has great Indian food. So do 4 others nearby
POULSBO - The first thing I noticed at the Chevron gas station in Poulsbo was the smell. It was heavenly: rich with garlic, cumin and chili.
There are drinks, snacks and a clean bathroom for weary travelers, but this is no ordinary Chevron. There's also a huge menu of Indian favorites like vindaloo, rogan josh, saag, masala and korma.
This hidden gem is called Namaste. Open since 2024, the restaurant is run by Rupinder Singh, who also owns the gas station.
"Customers walk in, and they're shocked," said store manager Jocelle Burson. "I have to tell them, ‘Yes, we have a tandoori clay oven and the naan is to die for.'"
Believe it or not, Namaste is not an anomaly. This spring, I explored highways 101 and 20, from Poulsbo to Port Townsend and west to Sequim and Port Angeles, hitting four more gas stations with great Indian food.
I ate chicken curry at picnic tables while the wind whipped rice off my fork. Waiting in line, I contemplated an Indian chalupa. I scarfed down mango pickle in my car, waiting for the Kingston ferry to take me home - still not tired of curry after three days of eating it.
Still looking for your summer road trip? Head to the northern Olympic Peninsula, stopping in Poulsbo along the way. There are countless hikes, waterfalls and incredible views … but you knew that. There's also incredible Indian food hiding at five friendly gas stations. Here's where to stop.
Namaste
19560 Seventh Ave. N.E., Poulsbo; 360-483-7000; namastepoulsbo.com
Among these gas stations, Namaste is the standout. It's a legit Indian restaurant.
"Everything is made from scratch and cooked to order; nothing sits out," Burson said.
Burson has been managing the store for the past eight years. Prior to Namaste, the gas station offered a deli-style menu, but she said things have been "going great" since switching to the Indian menu.
When faced with the menu a few weeks ago, I went with an employee's recommendation and a sure shot: the butter chicken ($18.99).
There are two small tables behind a tower of pallets where you can wait for your food (remember, it's a gas station). Dining in, I received a small bottle of water, paper plates and forks. About 10 minutes later, I got my tray with a deli container of butter chicken, a clamshell of steamed basmati rice and a basket of butter naan ($3.75).
The ochre-yellow curry was rich and spicy (but not too spicy), with plenty of ginger and creamy tomato flavor. The hunks of submerged tandoori chicken were lightly charred but tender. The naan was buttery and fluffy, perfect for scooping up bites of rice and chicken.
Namaste has the fluffiest, freshest naan of the bunch. And with a large menu and items cooked to order, there's more to eat here, but also more of a wait than the other spots on this list. Still, this is our clear winner.
While the butter chicken was incredible, I'm already plotting my next trip to Poulsbo to try the fresh samosas, the lamb or shrimp chettinad or the mango curry. And hey, Bremerton: Burson said the team is setting up an Indian restaurant inside a liquor store that should be ready in the coming months.
The Mobil in Port Townsend
2342 W. Sims Way, Port Townsend; 360-379-1929
There's a full kitchen at this gas station, with Indian food served on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There's one chicken dish ($15.99) and one vegetarian dish ($14.99) daily, served with rice, naan and chutney. I went on a Tuesday, which meant chicken or paneer tikka masala. I ordered the paneer and received the chicken. I wasn't disappointed. In fact, the chicken in the well-spiced tomato curry was the most tender of any I tried on my Poulsbo-to-Peninsula adventure. The griddled naan was sprinkled with parsley and minced garlic; the green chutney was mild and tangy. Other daily dishes include curry, butter chicken, chicken vindaloo, chana masala and paneer masala.
Grab n Go Mart
808 W. Washington St., #3263, Sequim; 360-683-7475
Grab n Go Mart is actually a convenience store without gas pumps. Up near the register, there's a large hot food case and a steam table, with a TV screen above displaying a small menu with pictures: beef curry, tandoori wings, dal, saag paneer, an Indian chalupa. I asked about the Indian chalupa, curious, but the guy working shook his head and directed me toward the butter chicken. Another patron in line for his own chicken curry agreed, suggesting "that or the tandoori wings." Why argue with the locals? The butter chicken ($12.99) was an orange sherbet-colored dream, rich and creamy with a hint of tanginess and a good amount of spice and plenty of tender chicken.
Tasty Indian Food
1023 E. Front St., Port Angeles; 360-452-3487; tastyindianfoodwa.com
This Shell station serves up the usual deep-fried gas station classics, but the Indian menu here is the move, with two full screens of specialty items including curries, biryani, tandoori, appetizers and desserts. There's lamb, chicken, fish and vegetarian options to eat at a small, clean, covered seating area in the back.
Faced with another large menu, I asked for a recommendation and was told once again that I couldn't go wrong with the butter chicken ($17.95). I went with a spice level three out of five on the curry alongside rice and naan. I could've gone a bit spicier, but the overall flavor was rich and fragrant.
Curry Indian Food
33 Taylor Cutoff Road, Sequim; 564-203-8704
Located inside a small Mobil gas station just off Highway 101, Curry Indian Food serves a handful of Indian dishes throughout the week. You should call ahead to check what's available and to ensure they're even making food that day.
There's an uncovered seating area with two picnic tables in the back of the store, if you eat at the station. On my visit, I found samosas in a food warmer as well as butter chicken. For $19.99, I got a tub of bronze curry, slick with ghee and tons of chicken; a tiny container of mango pickle; fluffy rice; a small foil packet of naan; and a bottle of water. Overall, this was the mildest dish of all - both in spice and flavor. But the mango pickle amped the meal up.
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.