Lime Kiln Cafe

Okay clam chowder. Pretty good fried chicken sandwich with jalapeños. McDonald’s quality fries. We were a bit bugged by the reliance on disposable plastic cutlery, paper plates and plastic cups. Only the chowder came in a real bowl. They must have a dishwasher and just hate using it.
Very friendly staff and great view.

Deserves a 5 star. Donuts and fish n chips in one of the most beautiful spots ever…

The food here is very good. The location is excellent. Right above the harbor with various seating choices inside or out and overlooking the water and yachts. Our service was less than good, total fubar. They almost served vegetarian wife and kid lamb burgers instead of veggie burgers. But they set it straight so I did not hold this against them. I had the lamb burger. It was very testy.

What a great find down the main wharf behind the general store at the historic lime kilns at Roche Harbor resort ten miles from the ferry landing on San Juan Island. Looks like a plain little fast grill with just a couple of guys in the kitchen, but the food is surprisingly diverse, usually locally sourced and tasty.
Counter service and seat yourself. Always a good soup and a special; check the chalkboard inside on the counter, since it seems to be updated more often. Some of the dishes are not quite what you’d expect: for example, corned beef hash in the morning isn’t sad reheated kibble from a can or even a homemade version of cubed meat and potatoes; instead it’s big slices of corned beef with small skin-​on halved potatoes with onions. Fries are seasoned, with sea salt and scallions. Donuts are promoted but the pancakes are much better. The «five way «burger is seriously excessive, with bacon, cheddar, ham, guacamole and a fried egg on top. Note that this is a resort restaurant so entrées are more expensive, but it’s certainly not Dennys.

Super friendly service and the restaurant is right by the water. Came here with a couple of buddy’s on a day trip from Seattle and it was conveniently located next to the hotel which provided us with the appropriate information for an awesome adventure. I grabbed the fish and chips which ran around $ 15 and the fish wasn’t as large as I thought it’d be but it still tasted pretty good. I would come back to try some of the specials before doing another scenic tour of the island

I only had the chowder here and it was alright. Nice service, which was great. But the chowder was okay. Also located on the pier, which is a beautiful scene.

So the burgers, ridiculously over priced. I could have gotten same quality at DQ and saved myself $ 10.00 on each burger! Menu was pretty small, not a lot of options which surprised me a bit as the locals recommended this place. But was then later told this place has gone a little downhill. Location was beautiful. Service fast and friendly.

I stayed in Roche harbor for a wedding this weekend and this place had the only food on the island that I would actually want to eat again. Cute little spot right on the boat docks, only open for breakfast and lunch. We walked down in the morning to get coffee and tea, and noticed they made their own donuts so we bought a half dozen to bring back to the house. They were really good and came in some fun flavors, like maple glaze, but also traditional chocolate frosting with sprinkles. Very pleased with those!
We ended up coming back later that day for lunch, too. I got the Alaskan halibut sandwich which came with fries. I was expecting a piece of grilled halibut, but it came as a fried patty. It was still good, especially since it was topped with a very tasty tarter sauce. The prices were very reasonable and the service at the counter was great. You order at the counter and they bring you the food to your table, inside or outside.
My only complaint is there were quite a few flies buzzing around our table while we were eating. Maybe it’s a tough thing to control when the restaurant is on the water, but if there were a little more space for the line at the counter, people wouldn’t have to hold the door open while they’re waiting in line.

My previous review was for the Summer 2014 menu. This review is for the Summer 2015 menu.
They dropped fried oysters, clams and shrimp off of the menu, simply offering the fish. It was good, but not great. They continue to pile on the French fries, we shared between three people and could not eat it all. Having experienced small coleslaw portion last year, went with an additional order, and was indeed necessary and ate all of it.
Staff was helpful, but not extraordinarily so. Glad I went, glad I won’t be going back!
Try it out for yourself, if you have the opportunity and please write a review!!!

Easily one of the top-​5 worst food establishment experiences of my life. Hard stop on weekend breakfast at 11, but they will likely run out of eggs long before that. Staff seemed very confused on how to work the pod systems so ordering took forever. The halibut «burger» was absolutely terrible, worse than McDonald’s. Bad fries that were very over salted. It’s a beautiful location, but unfortunately this place takes advantage of its captive audience (it’s the only place around that’s open in the morning). Just suck it up and drive to Friday harbor unless you want a terrible experience.

Good food, but be aware, a little pricey.

We went to the Lime Kiln Café on a Wednesday evening for pizza. It wasn’t crowded around 7:30 PM and it didn’t take long for our food to come. The view of the harbor was great. The pizza was quite overpriced (probably in line with island/​resort prices) and was mediocre. The crust was undercooked and the pizza was a bit soggy, although the flavor was decent. It seems like Friday Harbor has much better dinner options.

Quick service, typical high island prices. Food was average, nice view of the harbor
Had the fish and chips obviously frozen food service filets, nice crispy fries

Long lines, long wait, expensive food, no seating whatsoever and then people mad dogging you waiting for you to leave once you do sit down. I’ve actually seen people arguing and kicking other off of tables because they were alone or only took half the table. And if you sit outside… You will be constantly attacked by aggressive hornets. Did I also mention that this place is dirty. Yep, they never clean the tables… Disgusting. Ask for a bow of clam chowder and they don’t even fill up the cup. We ordered three and one was filled and the others a little over half filled.
Do yourself a favor and eat at Friday harbor…

If you’re ever in Roche Harbor, this is where you need to go for breakfast. We got here at 10AM to grab coffee and a quick bite before heading off to catch our ferry, and were greeted by a line out the door. Great sign in terms of food/​coffee quality; not quite as ideal if you’re racing against time to get back to the mainland.
Anyway, we lucked out with a line that moved fairly quickly. Once inside, those $ 1 donuts were too tantalizing to pass up on. I opted for one with maple glaze, and was in sugary, fried heaven. Their coffee is Starbucks stuff, which is to say that it’s satisfactory but nothing special. However they do have iced lattes, which is perfect for those summer months. Be sure to eat outside and enjoy the view of the water and marina to milk this experience for all it’s worth.

We had 2 lunches here on the same day while we were on the island. That says a lot.
The halibut burger is superb. You can taste the halibut and not just the bread and cause. It’s light and fresh. The fish and chips are fantastic. The cod is perfectly seasoned, fresh and crisp and not at all greasy. The chips are excellent too.
The surprise for me was the Madras Curry Tuna Sandwich. I was really skeptic when I ordered this but it turned out to be very fresh and flavorful and I would definitely get it again.
Overall the food is excellent, the service is very friendly and the prices are less than others on the island. Would definitely recommend this place.
p. s. If it’s during the summer months, do sit out on the marina.

World famous donuts? Well, maybe not but they’re sure good.
Quick breakfast with outdoor seating looking over the yachts but there early on holiday weekends as this place fills up quickly.
The prices are better than expected for being in a marina.
The South has nothing to worry about the Country Eggs Benedict with sausage gravy at $ 13.95 but it’s fine for the PNW. Because of the weak gravy, I’ve not ordered the Chicken Fried Chicken but will probably give it a try. I usually go with the Two (eggs) + Two (bacon) + Two (pancakes) Combination for $ 10.95. The flapjacks are fluffy and fill me up.
Sure there are limited options in Roache Harbor but Kime Klin does a good job at dishing up quality food at a respectable price.

We stopped here based on Unilocal reviews. Also, one of the few places that is still open during the off tourist season. The chowder here was incredible. It was nice and thick with a variety of seafood. It was a nice day for soup. Lots of seating and a view of the harbor. Ordered the BLT with avocado. It was delicious. Not too pricey either and it was a nice place to stop on the way to Lime Kiln Park.

This was surprisingly good for a place where we geographically trapped. The chef even offered our large table a complementary basket of (tasty) fries. Probably because our kids are cute, but that’s beside the point.
We are picky, but the portions really *were* extra generous and the sandwiches really *were* extra good.
I’d love to see some creative dishes on the menu for a fifth star, and maybe some veggie option for the kids, but the basics were outstanding.

We are staying in Friday Harbor and the lovely lady at hotel desk recommended the café for breakfast. It was well worth the trip to the other side of the island. The daily homemade donuts are very good. We each had a scramble and were both impressed with the fresh local veggies. I had the thin pancakes which were delicious especially with the nice pat of butter.
Absolutely loved the view of the marina at the restaurant. Across from the parking area is some old lime mines (Lime Kilms) with a sign explaining the history. There are also two BOCCE ball courts and balls sitting out for anyone to play. The board walk is super cute with a very well stocked historic grocery store, post office, restrooms, laundry and book exchange inside laundry. I’m sure this is all for those arriving by boat, locals and visitors.
Also, the Sculpture park in Roche Harbor is really unique and neat. Just a little walking to see a wide variety of art. There are a few short trails, too. Not to be missed.
The Lime Kilm Café is very good. We’ll be back!