It's noon on Saturday and I'm racing to the second "Order Here" counter at South Fork, North Bend's sprawling eatery and social hub, on a mission. I see only two cinnamon rolls left in the glass case by the door, and while the folks waiting at the first ordering station technically deserve the first shot at them, I respond immediately when a staffer across the crowded dining room waves customers over to the still-empty register near the back.

Only after I secure the cinnamon rolls do I hear that there's a 30-minute wait for entree-sized dishes ordered off the menu. Fortunately, our flaky pastries (they're almost croissant-like, plus generous frosting) and cappuccinos will be up much faster, a snack that will serve as a post-hike lunch.

It doesn't seem like any customers, inside or outside the bustling South Fork, are bothered by the half-hour wait for a full brunch meal. Because this is as much a community hub as a simple eatery, and its sprawling acreage was designed for nonspecific loitering. The wait is the point.

Once upon a time the building was the clubhouse for a golf course, located just feet from Exit 32 on I-90. But a water rights issue led the city of North Bend to purchase the land and convert it to a park; the building went through a few restaurant iterations before being purchased by two couples, the Talbotts and Blairs, in 2022.

"We built South Fork to be a kind of place to come hang out, like a pub in the UK," says Luke Talbott, who also owns summer camp operator Compass Outdoor Adventures next door. They developed a counter-service design to encourage customers to linger and not feel rushed by a server, and diners flow between indoor, outdoor, and tent seats across the property.

Kids and dogs: both are welcome, and both are plentiful. It's the kind of place Talbott wished existed when his own kids were small. "There are packs of feral children running around rampant everywhere," he says, "But there's a 35-acre park in the backyard." That former golf course behind his outdoor patios and tent spaces is scheduled to gain a playground, hiking trails, and maybe even an archery course in coming years, but never building development. 

Most of South Fork's menu offerings hit the literal sweet spot between decadent treat and creative classic: a churro waffle comes topped in marionberry compote, while the corned beef hash has the kick of horseradish crema. Beers come from within three hours of North Bend ("Why should we have to go to San Diego for a good beer?" says Talbott) and the coffee is Caffe Vita.

In less than two years of operation, the biggest problem at South Fork is its limited parking. During the week the crowd tends to be North Bend locals sitting down to a meal or catching regular trivia and dinner club nights. Weekends see the indoor tables and 5,000-square-foot beer garden fill with day trippers heading to or from Snoqualmie Pass or local hiking trails (like the underrated Middle Fork region), or cyclists checking out North Bend's brand-new mountain bike park. On busy days Talbott says customer counts can surpass 500.

The restaurant will address the long waits for food with a new food truck this spring. Dishing sliders, the truck will supplement the existing food menu and help the restaurant keep up with demand.

Talbott is still surprised at how popular South Fork became right out of the gate, attributing it to a need to gather after pandemic distancing. "Everyone came out of the woodwork," he says. "We hit a niche we didn't totally know was there."

South Fork

14303 436th Ave SE, North Bend
Travel time from Seattle: 35 minutes