Sip Wine Bar was a local favorite in Issaquah Highlands back in the day. The business landscape has changed a lot in the last two decades. Photo by Christy Garrard.
Restaurants play an important role in the Issaquah Highlands community, offering not only a place to “break bread” with friends and family, but also spaces for people to gather and socialize. Reflecting on the last 20 plus years of dining options in the neighborhood brings back many
fond memories.
My wife and I moved to Issaquah Highlands from Arizona in the spring of 2003. On a house hunting trip, we immediately fell in love with the neighborhood and were really excited by the promise of development to come—we were looking forward to walking to restaurants and other amenities.
It’s hard to remember Issaquah Highlands back then, but when we moved into our home in Timarron by Ashland Park, there were no businesses open in the community. That fall, we celebrated the first restaurant to open—the quirky but delicious Sherm’s BBQ Bistro. Sherm’s was right across from Ashland Park next to the gazebo (where Outsource Marketing is located now).
At that time, Ashland Park was the center of activity for Issaquah Highlands, host to most community events like Shakespeare in the Park and the early Highlands Day. Although the restaurant didn’t keep set hours, some of our favorite memories are of the impromptu barbeque buffets that Sherm’s would host in the park for just $5.
Three years later, in the summer of 2006, we were treated to a slew of new restaurants at the new High Street retail area (now Grand Ridge Plaza). The highlight of the roster for us was Caffe Ladro—finally a coffee shop in Issaquah Highlands! This became a social hot spot as we met and chatted with neighbors on weekend mornings, waiting in the line that stretched out the door.
Marcela’s, Sip, Rice N Roll and Subway were other additions at that point, and it felt like a whole new world had opened in our community. When our son was born in 2007, Marcela’s quickly became the only restaurant where he was able to sleep. It soon turned into “our spot,” a place where we were treated not only like regulars, but like family. As he got older, one of his first favorite foods was his custom sushi roll from Rice N Roll, featuring cooked chicken and avocado.
Early 2008 brought retail to Starpoint at 25th Avenue and Park Drive. World Pies became the first pizza place in the neighborhood, with eclectic options like Caribbean jerk chicken pizza, Spanish Tango, and my personal favorite, the Fromaggio Bianco. The attached Nine Bar Espresso gave us a coffee option “up the hill” as well as a gourmet, albeit puzzling, toast bar.
In 2009, we experienced a big changeover in restaurants. Our beloved Marcela’s was replaced by Agave Cocina, which quickly became a new family favorite. Rice N Roll became Aji Sushi, and Subway closed. Resident politician and entrepreneur Mark Mullet opened a Zeek’s Pizza location in place of World Pies.
As the neighborhood grew, so did our family. In 2010, we moved from Timarron to the Wisteria Park neighborhood, where we welcomed our second baby. Zeek’s became our family staple, with trivia on Wednesdays bringing the community together for some friendly (and at sometimes, cutthroat) competition. It became the go-to spot for all kinds of celebrations—birthday parties, sports team victories, Seahawks games, and even a family-friendly New Year’s Eve party. Each year, we gathered with neighbors to ring in the new year on New York time.
The restaurant landscape has continued to evolve since then, leading to our current lineup of dining options. The rest, as they say, is history.
Passionate about local history?
Join the Issaquah History Museums (IHM) Board!
The Issaquah History Museums are looking for dynamic, community-minded individuals to help preserve and share our city’s rich history. As a board member, you’ll shape our future, connect with fellow history enthusiasts, and make a meaningful impact. Whether you’re a history buff, a community leader or someone with fresh ideas, we’d love to hear from you! Learn more about this exciting opportunity here: bit.ly/4g9cKPE (case sensitive). Apply today by reaching out to president@issaquahhistory.org.
Randall Pinkston is a Wisteria Park resident.
As published in the winter 2025 issue of Community Connect magazine >>>
