The Wandering Goose

Delightful, quirky restaurant at The Tokeland Hotel. The food was so good, we visited twice! Try fried oysters eggs Benedict or Zak's burger or donburi. Several kitty cats wander around and keep you company. Don't leave without some amazing baked goods! Then check out their garden where they grow fresh herbs and produce to serve in their kitchen, and chickens that supply their eggs.

This was a top 5 meal I have ever had, and the Rockfish & Middlins was the star of the show. The service team was great, ambiance spectacular, and animals plenty. Can’t wait to make it back out there!

Absolutely fantastic restaurant. If you're expecting Michelin star, it's not that. But what it is, is amazing. I grew up living with my grandparents on their farm in rural Alabama and this was like Sunday dinner, but the best one I've ever had (sorry grandma) Fresh, super local and prepared so well. From the pimento cheese to the peas, the flavor is so layered and delicious it's worth the drive from anywhere.

Friendly, welcoming service. Lovely dining room decorated with antiques and unique handcrafts. Lots of windows looking out in a lawn, with bay behind. Oldest hotel in WA state!

Absolutely loved our time here. The food was delicious and you can tell a lot of thought and time went into conceptualizing and preparing the dishes. The fried chicken and juicy and flavorful, the biscuit was amazing too. The grits with shrimp was very tasty and beautifully presented. The restaurant is in the oldest hotel in WA and has such great rustic charm. It's animal friendly and you're bound to be greeted by a dog or cat at some point, which adds to the fun. Can't wait to go back.

Nestled in very small picturesque town on the Washington coast is this small gem of a hotel and restaurant. A small comfy place where the house dogs greet you outside or inside the restaurant (Don't feed them, they'll get chunkier), and the decor and atmosphere give you that feel of ranch house living. But, let's get back to the wonderful food, very well presented and tasty food. Exquisite clam chowder yhat leaves you wanting more but stopping because there's a lot more tasty food coming. A simple eggs breakfast included an amazing biscuit with a succulent sweet extra crispy crust and seasoned home potatoes. Everyone's meal was excellent and the only regrets we had was having to break our diets.

We stopped here for lunch as a side trip on the way to the ocean. So worth it!! I had the rockfish sandwich with a Black Manhattan, and both were excellent. The Manhattan, actually, was great. My wife had a Benedict with fried Willapa Bay oysters, something we had never seen before. She loves eggs Benedict and fried oysters, and the combination was perfect. Both being full, we got a rhubarb dessert to eat later at the ocean.

The Wondering Goose isn’t just a restaurant or a hotel; it’s a living, breathing embodiment of heartfelt hospitality, culinary artistry, and quiet coastal magic. Years ago in Seattle, the Wondering Goose first left its imprint on my life with its humble yet transcendent beet and carrot juice blend—a drink that became the cornerstone of my own cocktail recipes for the better part of a decade. It’s where a simple, perfect biscuit taught a Seattlite why Southern cuisine gathers around this buttery, golden cornerstone. It’s where simple elegance met indulgent comfort, offering a warm hug against the Pacific Northwest’s signature chill. Now, the Wondering Goose has found a new home in Tokeland—a tiny, remote beach town tucked into a wild and beautiful stretch of Washington's coastline. The owner has transplanted not just the food, but the spirit of the original restaurant into this new space, and somehow, it feels even more special here. They offer weekend brunches and nightly dinners (perhaps even more, as their following grows), and the pilgrimage is worth every mile. On our first night, we were treated to a special cocktail, a staff-recommended white wine, local Willapa Bay fried oysters, soy-miso black cod, and a peanut butter chocolate cake that was downright nostalgic. Each dish lived up to, and maybe even surpassed, my vivid memories of their Seattle days. It’s worth mentioning that the oysters, farmed just steps away in Willapa Bay—one of the cleanest estuaries in the world—embody the best of Northwest bounty. Fried with a Southern-style cornmeal batter and paired with a garden-fresh herb remoulade, they’re a sublime fusion of regional pride and Southern comfort. The attached hotel is delightfully rustic, holding fast to the building’s history as a boarding house. The small rooms gently push you toward the rich communal spaces—ornate lounges where you’re encouraged to sip a thoughtful cocktail, play a board game, swap stories with fellow travelers, or simply enjoy the easy charm of the house cats. The creak of every floorboard makes it feel like the party is just waiting for you, whenever you’re ready to rejoin it. Throughout the hotel, the passion of the host’s vision is clear: eclectic decor, a welcoming atmosphere, and a profound sense that you're a guest in someone’s dream made real. Beyond the backyard, dogs (both guest and resident) run free through the expansive estuary, painting a scene of pure joy. Professor Scott Galloway of NYU often says he travels for hotels, not locations—and staying here, I finally understand what he means. The Wonder Goose isn’t just a stopover; it is the destination. And yet, through it, you unlock the wild beauty of the coast, an excuse to savor unforgettable food, and an invitation into a lifestyle that feels more natural, more human, and infinitely more wholesome. The Wondering Goose is a true landmark in the world of hospitality. It may not be for everyone—the rustic, social atmosphere requires a certain openness—but honestly, it should be. This place is nothing short of exceptional.