It’s no secret that Mt. Baker has something to offer to everyone no matter who you are, where you come from, or what you do. Skiing, snowboarding, hiking trips, and stunning, scenic views of snowy mountaintops are what Kulshan is all about.
But what could make a great day on Mt. Baker even better? Maybe a steaming bowl of Alfredo Linguini from Rifugio’s? A tonkotsu pork sandwich from Graham’s? What about Steamer Clams from North Fork Brewery? Or even the vegetable Heliotrope pizza from Chair 9?
Whatever tickles your fancy, the restaurants along Mt. Baker highway all have something delicious for you.

Photograph by Mathew Callaghan
Chair 9 Woodstone Pizza & Bar in Glacier is the last restaurant along the highway before reaching Mt. Baker Ski Area, which makes it the perfect place to start. Chair 9 resembles a lodge with its open seating area, upstairs area with pool and Pac-Man, local artists lining the walls, and bar with several TVs playing the latest sports games.
Owner Bryan Zemp bought Chair 9 earlier this year and has since made it his mission to nurture and sustain the warm, inviting atmosphere that has existed since 2010.
“My wife and I have come in not trying to make any major changes, just [making sure we’re] not changing the culture,” Zemp says. “Because the culture here is that everybody knows everybody. We get a lot of locals.”
One of the cooks, Nick Riley, has worked at Chair 9 for the last four years, but has been cooking since before he can remember. Riley said he’s tried a couple of landscaping jobs in the area, but he always winds up falling back into the kitchen. While Chair 9 also has salads, burgers, and more, it’s the gourmet pizzas that keep people coming back.

Photograph by Mathew Callaghan
“The Mt. Baker [14” $25/ 18” $31] is our meat lover’s pizza and the Heliotrope [14” $27/ 18” $33] is our veggie—and it’s not your standard veggie…The Hemispheres [14” $26/ 18” $32] is a big seller too,” Riley says.

Photograph by Mathew Callaghan
About half a mile down the road from Chair 9 in the idyllic town of Deming lies Graham’s Restaurant & Bar. This historic establishment has been a restaurant since 1973, with the Graham family owning it for three generations before it fell into various other owners’ hands, but the building itself is over a 100 years old and still has the original Brunswick bar.
After sitting dormant for more than three years, Graham’s reopened on Aug. 4, 2023. Owner Joelle Adams said she feels that when Graham’s is closed or not run properly, the entire town of Glacier suffers. Feeling there was a hole in the community without it, Adams decided it was her time to give Graham’s a go.
Adams wants Graham’s to continue to move into the future, while still displaying its rustic, old-timey charm. When Adams bought Graham’s, she and her team immediately set to work cleaning, painting, and putting in new appliances and plumbing.

Photograph by Mathew Callaghan
“Our best seller is our smashburger, the 1910 [$20],” Adams says. “Also our tonkatsu pork sandwich, Robin’s Midnight Tokyo Drift [$22], is another very popular item. We have a lot of vegetarian items too that are quite popular. Our Viking King salad [$14] is ample and delicious—and people love it.”
Knut Christiansen is Adams’ friend, business partner, and consultant, and acts as a kitchen manager on a day-to-day basis for Graham’s. He helped design the menu and has worked at several restaurants over the years, including as a chef right next door at Milano’s before it became Gunner’s Tex Mex BBQ.
“We wanted to create something that honored Graham’s restaurant and its past and what it is, but also wanted to be keenly aware that this place is living, it’s moving into the future,” Christiansen says. “We didn’t want it to be a museum.”
Across the street from Graham’s is the aforementioned Gunner’s Tex Mex BBQ. Gunner’s offers a myriad of choices, ranging from Chipotle Chicken Sandwiches ($16) to Smoked Brisket Tacos ($6.50) to Roasted Butternut Squash Tacos, and even Queso Nachos ($13).

Photograph by Mathew Callaghan
Christiansen also was the kitchen manager for another classic Mt. Baker Highway stop: North Fork Brewery. He worked there for seven years when it first opened in 1997. Operations Manager Brenna Reaugh has worked at North Fork for 21 years, working her way up from a serving position.
North Fork, with its vast collection of beer bottles casing the walls, including a gigantic Rainier bottle suspended from the roof, and of course, its people, has slowly become a part of Reaugh’s family. Reaugh said North Fork is a halfway point, perfectly split between the comfort of town and the splendor of the great outdoors.
“Definitely the pizza, I would say [is a fan favorite].” Reaugh says. “On Thursday nights, we bring in steamer clams [$30], and we have those until they’re gone. Some days we’ll sell out within the first four hours of being open.”
About five miles south of North Fork is Rifugio’s Country Italian Cuisine. Rifugio’s offers a taste of Italy blended with fresh local ingredients. While standbys like dessert, coffee, and drinks are available, Sunday brunch items like jam-stuffed pancakes ($14) or Spaghetti di Frittata with Ragu ($28)—which is essentially cheese, eggs, and spaghetti—are customer favorites.
Featured dinner entrees include lasagna bolognese ($28), 14-ounce New York Strip ($54) Pasta Fagioli, and shrimp. Rifugios is only open from Friday to Sunday, so make sure to plan your visit accordingly.
Grant’s Burgers was our last stop along the Mt.Baker highway before reaching Bellingham. Established in 1964, Grant’s Burgers is a local chain that has become famous for its thick malted shakes ($5.50/7) french fries ($2.30/3.50) and Grant’s Famous, Notorious, Ginormous, “Big Bun” Burger ($11.30). Before you ask, yes, that is the name on the menu for this fully loaded ½ pound beef behemoth.
Each restaurant along the Mt. Baker highway has its own culture and distinct atmosphere, from the collage of ski stickers posted on the outside pillars of Chair 9, to the rustic charm of Graham’s, to the quaint country Italian cuisine of Rifugios. Each spot acts as a community gathering place for people of all walks of life to come together for a delicious meal amidst the beautiful Mt. Baker wilderness.