New Whatcom County restaurants that opened in 2023: breweries, coffee shops, bars, oh my!

Whatcom County welcomed many new restaurants, coffee shops, breweries and eateries throughout the year, from a new underground speakeasy, a trendy coffee shop, a Chicago style pizza and hotdog restaurant, a gaming tea shop and new quick meal options inside the Bellis Fair mall.

Here’s your guide to the newest restaurants for you to try.

D&Tea gaming and tea shop

D&Tea, a tea and Dungeons and Dragons shop had its grand opening on Friday, Jan. 13. The shop has been crafting its own tea blends since 2019 and has an online store full of various teas, but didn’t have a brick-and-mortar location until the Bellingham shop opened.

The shop promises visitors tea in a dry speakeasy, as well as gaming space on their “massive D&D table,” according to the shop’s Facebook page.

The shop has no hours of operation listed online or on its Facebook page, but the shop is located at 2025 James St. in Bellingham.

Pizza buffet restaurant in Lynden

All Time Pizza opened on Feb. 1, and serves pizzas, calzones, salads, sandwiches and wings. The restaurant also has an all-you-can-eat pizza and salad buffet. The pizza restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and is at 8874 Bender Road in Lynden.

El Suenito Brewing Company

El Sueñito Brewing Company opened its doors Feb. 17, serving housemade beer and Frelard Tamales’ Mexican food. The brewery is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and is in Bellingham’s Sunnyland neighborhood at 1926 Humboldt St. in Bellingham.

Homeschool BBQ

The former general manager of Homeskillet, a beloved restaurant that closed in 2022, opened a BBQ restaurant in the same Sunnyland restaurant space, called Homeschool BBQ in February. Homeschool BBQ is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and is at 521 Kentucky St. in Bellingham.

Little Kitchen Witch

Little Kitchen Witch, a Mediterranean restaurant, opened on Feb. 17 and served traditional Mediterranean dishes such as hummus and falafel. The restaurant later closed its doors in October. The announcement stated the restaurant at 4370 Meridian St. was “on a break,” and did not disclose if the restaurant will open a new location, according to previous reporting by The Bellingham Herald.

Corner Taphouse

Corner Taphouse opened in Fairhaven on March 14 and serves beer, cider, seltzer, pizza and charcuterie boars, as well as nonalcoholic drinks.

Corner Taphouse is open from 3-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3-11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday at 1125 Finnegan Way in the Orca Building in Bellingham.

Nana J’s restaurant

Nana J’s, a restaurant serving Indian-inspired fusion cuisine such as curry, lentil soup, tikki masala and kabab wraps opened March 21. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and is at 1311 N. State St.

Panera Bread opens in Bellingham

Panera Bread, the popular chain serving soups, salad, sandwiches and pastries opened its Bellingham location on March 22. The restaurant will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays and is located at 1295 E Sunset Drive in Bellingham.

The Admiralty Lounge

Admiralty Lounge opened March 25 and serves unique drinks and food inspired by “the fare eaten on old naval vessels,” co-owner Jabriel Donohue wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald. The Admiralty Lounge is open 4-10 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday and 4 p.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday, and is at 100 N. Commercial St.

The Fat Beet

The Fat Beet, a vegan and gluten free restaurant took over the old restaurant space of Quantum Leaf at 1149 N. State St. and opened on April 14. The restaurant later closed on Nov. 17, according to previous reporting.

Rock & Roll Sushi

Rock & Roll Sushi, a restaurant in the Bellis Fair Mall’s food court opened in May. The restaurant serves a variety of sushi rolls and sides and is open during regular mall hours, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. The mall is at 1 Bellis Fair Parkway in Bellingham.

Hammerhead Coffee

Hammerhead Coffee Roasters opened its first brick-and-mortar coffee shop in Bellingham on June 10. The shop serves its freshly roasted coffee, specialty drinks, biscuits, breakfast sandwiches and cookies.

Hammerhead Coffee Roasters is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily and is at 405 E Holly St.

New pizza shop moves from Canada

Natalino’s Pizza, a pizza restaurant based in British Columbia opened a second location in the Bellis Fair mall food court on June 16. The Roman-style restaurant serves a variety of pizzas, calzones, focaccia bread, salads, panna cotta, desserts.

Natalino’s Pizza is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Bellis Fair Mall is at 1 Bellis Fair Parkway in Bellingham.

New cocktail lounge opens

The Foxhole opened on June 16, in Bellingham, a 21 and older coffee and cocktail lounge promising “low light, lite bites and a transcendental space for all to come frolic in the nite” with absinthe, coffee, poutine and dessert, according to an Instagram post.

The Foxhole is open from 4-11 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 4-10 p.m. Sunday, and is at 215 W Holly St. Suite 101 in Bellingham.

Chicago-style hot dog restaurant opens

Chicago Joe’s, a new restaurant serving authentic Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches, opened in Lynden on June 16. The new restaurant also serves burgers, waffle fries and hot dogs and is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The new restaurant is at 8082 Guide Meridian, Suite 103.

New Asian cuisine restaurant opens

Red Ginger Asian Cuisine opened on June 19, bringing traditional Asian cuisine to Bellingham. The family-owned restaurant serves dishes such as wonton noodle soup, orange chicken, chili- garlic green beans, honey walnut shrimp, lo mein and Mongolian beef.

Red Ginger Asian Cuisine is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and is closed on Sunday and is at 1208 E Maple St. in Bellingham, where New Peking restaurant was previously located.

Larrabee Lager Company

Larrabee Lager Company, a new brewery and pizza restaurant opened on Aug. 4 in Bellingham. The business, started by a husband and wife duo, strives to provide a family-friendly atmosphere, as its open to all ages and even has a corner full of toys for kids.

Larrabee Lager Company serves housemade beer, pizzas, salads and appetizers and is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. The restaurant and brewery is located at 4151 Meridian St., suite 100.

The Good Board food truck

The Good Board, a charcuterie food truck that opened on Aug. 1, serves charcuterie boards with meat, cheese, fruits, crackers, vegetables, spreads and more, as well as grilled cheese sandwiches.

The truck has been parked at various spots across Bellingham since opening, and its schedule can be found on its website.

J’s Kitchen

J’s Kitchen, a Puerto Rican restaurant in Bellingham’s Fairhaven neighborhood, opened its doors on Sept. 1. The restaurant serves authentic dishes such as empanadas, salads, chimichurri, roasted chicken, soups, Cubano sandwiches, and mac and cheese or chicken and rice on the kids menu.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday to serve lunch and dinner menus, and is at 1307 11th St.

Pizza Twist

Pizza Twist, an international pizza chain restaurant is opened its doors on Sept. 1, near Bellingham’s Walmart.

The chain creates unique pizzas with Indian flavors, such as paneer tikka masala pizza, curry, naan, butter chicken and more. Other traditional pizzas, such as supreme, Hawaiian, meat and chicken bacon ranch are also available. The restaurant also serves naan breadsticks, salads, wings, pastas, samosas, calzones, pizza brownies, pizza cookies, tiramisu and Indian desserts.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and is at 103 E Stuart Road, Bellingham.

Antler Baking Co.

Antler Baking Company, a bakery that typically can be found at the Bellingham Farmers Market, opened its retail location on Sept. 16.

The shop is open with a dessert freezer full of ice cream, pies, take-and-bake goodies and cookie sandwiches, or for online order pick-ups from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. The shop is at 1301 Fraser St., Building A, in Bellingham.

Incredibowls food truck

A new food truck, Incredibowls, opened in September, and serves rice and quinoa bowls with a variety of proteins and toppings.

The truck can be found from 3-8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at 1009 Larrabee Ave. in Bellingham. Hours and location may change and are updated on the food truck’s Facebook page.

Café Rumba Dulceria & Bodega

Cafe Rumba, a Peruvian-style deli in Bellingham opened a new bakery and space next door to the deli in September.

The new retail space, Café Rumba Dulceria & Bodega, serves Peruvian pastries, cookies and espresso drinks.

Cafe Rumba is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday and is at 1140 N State St. in Bellingham.

Giddy Up! Espresso

A new drive-thru coffee stand chain, Giddy Up! Espresso, opened a new location on Thursday, Oct. 12. The menu includes assorted blended espresso drinks, smoothies, energy drinks, lattes, tea, hot chocolate, muffins, cookies, oatmeal and protein bars. The stand open from 4:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and is at 1321 W Bakerview Road, where Big Foot Java used to be.

Tinto Coffee

Tinto Coffee opened an espresso stand on Oct. 6 in the Bellis Fair mall’s food court, where Starbucks was previously located..

The Latin America coffee stand serves a wide variety of espresso drinks and pastries such as Columbian cheese bread, tres leches cake and carrot cake.

Bellis Fair mall and Tinto Coffee are open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday at 1 Bellis Fair Parkway in Bellingham.

Doug’s Burgers

Doug’s Burgers, a new food truck serving late-night burgers, specialty fries and sauces opened on Nov. 6.

The food truck is open from 6 p.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday at 1301 N State. St, and from 3-7 p.m. Sunday and Monday at Beach Cat Brewing at 7876 Birch Bay Dr. in Blaine and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at Portal Way Farm & Garden in Ferndale.

Smuggler’s Tunnel Speakeasy

Smuggler’s Tunnel Speakeasy, a prohibition-style bar opened at Gateway1890 Taphouse & Grill on Nov. 9.

The 21 and above bar is under the restaurant, inside the basement tunnel and serves a variety of craft cocktails and small bites.

The speakeasy is open from 5-9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 4-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 429 Peace Portal Drive in Blaine.

COA Mexican Eatery and Tequileria

COA Mexican Eatery and Tequileria opened on Nov. 13, offering authentic Mexican food and margaritas.

The unique Mexican restaurant has two other locations in Skagit County, and has also grown an online following on TikTok, earning 4 million likes on its videos of dishes and drinks.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 pm. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at 1065 E Sunset Dr. in Bellingham.

Fenex Coffee

Fenex Coffee, Bellingham’s newest coffee shop opened on Dec. 16 and is nestled near the Hotel Bellwether, offering beautiful waterfront views and coffee drinks.

The shop serves espresso drinks, smoothies, teas, breakfast burritos, shakes, deli sandwiches and pastries from local businesses, including coffee from Tony’s Coffee and milk from Edaleen Dairy and Twin Brooks.

Fenex Coffee is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily at 11 Bellwether Way, Suite 104 in Bellingham.