These 18 new restaurants and brew pubs opened in Tri-Cities in 2023
Chain restaurants thrive in the Tri-Cities, but scrappy local restaurateurs made their mark on the dining scene in 2023 by opening a variety of new places to eat.
Some of our favorite stories this year focused on local entrepreneurs who put their hearts, souls and savings into new restaurants and trying new things.
The Tri-City Herald has rounded up the top food stories of the year.
January
Moonshot Brewing opened a Pub at 94 Lee Blvd., next to Amethyst Creamery near the entrance to Howard Amon Park in Richland. Moonshot is led by Ryan Wattenbarger and Hilary Brid, who opened their brewery in 2019 near the corner of Steptoe Street and Gage Boulevard. The pub has a full kitchen, seating for 30 inside and 60 outside during patio weather.
Abair’s Kitchen, a Cajun eatery owned by Jasmine Gay, opened at Red Mountain Kitchen, 212 W. Kennewick Ave. Gay immediately won fans for her authentic chicken and sausage gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp etouffe, crawfish etouffee, poboys greens, dirty rice and more.
February
La Maison Dana French Cafe opened at 5453 Ridgeline Drive, overlooking Kennewick. Owner Flora White is a French chef who focuses on basics such as croissants and Boeuf Bourguignon and Lyonnaise Salated, created with meticulous attention to detail.
March
Fable Wine Saloon opened at 1706 Columbia Park Trail, the old R.F. McDougall’s Irish Pub and Eatery spot at the Richland Wye that overlooks Bateman Island.
Fable is a “lively, upscale pub brand” from John Bookwalter, the second generation Richland winemaker who also operates Fiction Restaurant. Fable serves craft cocktails, Bookwalter wines and elevated pub fare. Its predecessor, McDougall’s, closed in 2021.
China Cafe Express, formerly China Cafe, reopened at 201 N. Edison St. in Kennewick’s Marineland Village. Owner Ming Tam closed the original restaurant in 2021 after 40 years in the building that was originally a Pizza Hut. It was redeveloped for a new Graze location (see below).
Picante Mexica Taqueria opened at 20 S. Auburn St. in downtown Kennewick. Owner Daisy Vargas launched Picante as a food truck in 2020 and elected to put down roots in the spot where Henry’s Go Go other restaurants once operated. She spent a year transforming the space.
April
Drumheller’s Food & Drink at the Lodge at Columbia Point fully reopened after a $2 million renovation at the Richland hotel, 530 Columbia Point Drive. The project converted two former guest rooms into a commercial kitchen to give the Lodge more ability to serve food all day. The restaurant features a deck with sweeping river views and am ambitious brunch.
Pasco Hamburger Co. began serving chef-inspired hamburgers at the walk-up window at the Pasco Specialty Kitchen, 110 S. Fourth Ave.. Owners Susanne and Jessie Ayala operate Ciao Trattoria a few blocks away.
June
Graze, the popular sandwich chain, debuted its new Kennewick drive-thru only location at 131 N. Ely St. off Highway 395 in Kennewick . Graze 395 is the fifth location for Walla Walla-based Graze and its third in the Tri-Cities. Graze is owned by owners Rebecca and John Lastoskie, who opened the shop after redeveloping the former China Cafe.
Ice Harbor Brewery made its much anticipated move to the Public Market @ Columbia River Warehouse, 10 E. Bruneau. Owners Bill Jaquish, Mike Hall and Cindy Hayes closed the old brewery,which reopened as Bucketz, for more than 100 days while they put the final touches on a new 18-tap brewery and restaurant just a few blocks to the east.
Napoli’s Italian Restaurant opened at 3280 George Washington Way in Richland, near the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Port of Benton. The spot was formerly Venizia Ristorante.
September
Bucketz Bar and Grill opened at 206 N. Benton St., the former Ice Harbor Brewery spot. Buckets is a utility-themed bar and grill retained the industrial spirit of its predecessor, but with an update to give it the feel of a clubhouse for line workers. That was no accident. Owners Nate Fitzpatrick and Steve Shidal leased the building for their line services utility and decided to put the old bar space to good use.
October
Ray’s Golden Lion, the beloved Richland music venue, reopened at 1353 George Washington Way in Richland’s Uptown Shopping Center after eight long years. The new owners, Talon Yager and Andrew McVay spent three years working to update the 12,000-square-foot space. They replaced the Chinese and Mongolian menu with pub far, but brought back live music.
November
Kagen’s Coffee and Crepes opened at 308 W. Kennewick Ave. It is the second location for Kagen and Jennifer Cox, who opened the original in 2016 at Richland’s Uptown Shopping Center. Its predecessor, Foodies Brick & Mortar, moved to the Columbia Park waterfront after a 2022 fire in the neighboring Cascade building forced it to close.
In a twist, the Coxes and another couple bought the Cascade building about the time the new restaurant was opening and are working to bring in new tenants.
December
Blackthorne Neighbourhood Pub, a British themed pub, opened at 201 W. Kennewick Ave., the former David’s Shoes store in downtown Kennewick. Owners and partners Shane Dozhier and Neil Darwen spent the better part of a year transforming the retail space into a proper pub and restaurant. Blackthorne focuses on imported beer and spirits and healthy food.
Wheat Head Brewing Co., a brewery and tap room, rings out 2023 by opening on Dec. 31, New Year’s Eve. Wheat Head is at 92308 Locust Grove Road in a former wheat field perched in the Horse Heaven Hills above Kennewick. Owners Christina “Tina” Miller Phillips and her father, Loren Miller,” created Wheat Head as a picture-perfect brewery and event venue.
The Dogfather opened a hot dog speakeasy at 313 W. Kennewick Ave. Owners Malinada Ralston and her fiance, Troy Collins, moved the former truck-based business to a “forgotten” kitchen in downtown Kennewick that’s complete with a speakeasy-style door and garden. They offer hot dogs, hamburgers, milkshakes and more.
Swigg Coffee Bar opened at 1472 Bombing Range Road in West Richland, a second location for the business. The original is in Pasco’s Broadmoor area. Swigg offers breakfast pastries and an ambitious food menu that includes grilled cheese sandwiches, flatbread dishes, charcuterie and a rotating lineup of beers and wine.
Send restaurant tips to news@tricityherald.com
Sign Up: Boom Town Tri-Cities
Stay up to date on Tri-Cities growth and development with our weekly business newsletter. Get the latest on restaurant and business openings and closings, plus the region’s top housing and employment news. Click here to sign up. In your inbox every Wednesday.
