Ernie's Aviation Cafe in Friday Harbor - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

there is a lot of smoke inside the hood is not working well the atmosphere is beautiful the food is of average quality

Patrick an Christine are awesome folks who work hard and deliver great food with hospitality and a bit of humor. My go-to sandwich was a Ham and Swiss on Rye which was the best I’d ever had anywhere! Their Bulgogi Tacos are favorites as well!!

Kids may enjoy watching airplanes take off and land. A huge assortment of model planes hang from the ceiling. Also, a lot of original Ernie memorabilia displayed on the walls. In my opinion, the food was so-so at best. How it got 4.5 stars is beyond me. I wish there was less ketchup-like sauce on my katsu meat. Was it pork or chicken? I couldn't tell. The lumpia was a disappointment too especially since I was looking forward to some good lumpia. The parking was free.

Jim, the owner, is a former U2 pilot and has a ton of interesting stories. Christine, his wife is friendly and does the cooking. The building is a museum in it's own right and really interesting if you like planes. If you don't like planes or watching them, go somewhere else. The food is good and reasonably priced.

Slow service and mediocre food. We didn't realize it was under new ownership, not that that would have deterred us. But the food was not very good and the service was slow. In fairness, they did say that it would be about 1/2 hour wait for food. However, our food came out in 4 different shifts, first 2 people in our party ate, then 3 more of us ate, then 1 more of us ate, then poor Jimmy had to eat alone. You'd think that if the daily special was Pad Thai, that it wouldn't take 45 minutes to prepare. There were no customers before us waiting for food. We were their only order to start. More people came in after us.

Awesome aviation-themed restaurant by the airport! Very nice people and open to making any modifications we needed. While everything we had was delicious, the Asian items/specials seem to be their forte, and I'd suggest going for those! Had a nice time here!

If you like steaks or planes, try this place for a change, especially if you like outside in nice weather (or indoors). Located next to the Friday Harbor runway, watch planes take off and land while enjoying your friday/saturday big ribeye and four course meal for $45. This is not a white table cloth fine doine place, but a bring your own bottle of wine, enjoy a great steak and enjoy a bit of airplane cafe run by a retired pilot and his wife. She makes great burgers and noodles. Expect it to take time, but who cares when you get entertained by the airport and nostalgia inside.

Came for dinner last night and back for breakfast this morning. Their food is fantastic!!

We waited for 45min for the food when restaurant is still quite empty. Korean sandwich is tasty. I love the vegetable scrambled egg. But the Adobo bowl is very disappointing. Only come with four wings and it cost 16 dollars.

Pleasant diner with tasty Asian/American cuisine. Right next to the airport so you can watch the small plane traffic. The staff is very friendly. This one gets 5 stars from me!

Took over an hour to get our food, half way through they had to come get our order again because they forgot?!?! When the food finally arrived the Katsu Burger was burnt. There's nothing here that I couldn't cook for myself at home for 1/3rd the price and in half the time.

Flew in, and enjoyed walking around the airport before dining here. Food was tasty, good views watching the landing traffic, and a fun lowkey spot. I’d love to stop in again when flying through the area!

Best sandwich of my life - katsu sandwich. The coleslaw was so fresh and delicious my toddler was stealing it off my plate. We sat outside for a front row view of small planes taking off and landing. My toddler loved it - he usually runs around every where at restaurants but the planes kept him entertained and gave us tired parents a break. Would definitely recommend for families!!

Food is always Delicious and People are the friendliest here!!! Became my go-to place for eating out in Friday Harbor. Go try it, don't forget to get the macaroons!!!

Flew in and dined in. A great place to eat. James (owner) is friendly and cooks amazing food. A must eat for all general aviation pilots.

The pad Thai and Korean Bulgogi were incredible. You can tell the chef is passionate about her work and genuinely cares if you enjoy her food. It was a unique and amazing experience that I will be repeating. I would give 10 ⭐️ if I could.

Loved the food. It was so flavorful and authentic. Highly recommend.

Excellent food. Really enjoyed it

I ordered beef bulgogi rice bowl and took it out. The lady who works was really nice. She said Phillipinos and she cooks asian cuisine (Phillipinos, Koreans and Japanese...).

Unique location right on the airport. They've converted the original terminal building from (I think ) the 1950s into this restaurant that's filled with all kinds of great aviation memorabilia. The food is good too!

It doesn't have a website, so don't bother trying to look it up, but locals recommend this little gem by the airport. Just be sure to swing by early on the weekend for truly glorious popovers!

Initial thoughts are mixed. This was our first visit since Ernie's reopened. The Korean Beef Bulgogi rice bowl was good and tasty, the quality of beef very good; it was juicy and seasoned well. But the Fish Sandwich was tasteless and the bottom bun was as hard as a hockey puck and impossible to bite through! Prices seemed good until the tiny portion sizes and inedible sandwich were delivered to our table. Nice chef and good drink and chip choices, but not really wowed by the food. And for the small amount you get (btw, rice is too damn cheap to be charging $15 a bowl for it), it was not worth the cost. Better sandwich buns and decent portion sizes would go a long way to improve the place.

Amazing food in a unique location, THEY ARE OPEN, stop by for the best lunch on the island.

Well the service was certainly warm and friendly, that is one positive I can give this restaurant. Multiple Yellow jackets buzzing around inside while we were trying to eat certainly didn’t add to the ambience. The $12 hamburger my guy ordered was okay but it came out 15 mins before my Korean noodle dish did. So I sat and watched him eat his burger, and then later he sat and watch me eat my noodles. The Korean noodles are a bug disappointment: modest portion with very little meat, scant vegetable, maybe a quarter of an ounce of eggs. Are you kidding me? And it was served room temp, not even lukewarm, even though it is supposed to be a hot noodle dish. For $16 it was no bargain. Drinks came with the meal, which is great if you like minute maid lemonade or Coca-Cola, both full sugar. I found the menu to be very limited. I really wanted to try the place bec it got great reviews but I’d say Don’t Bother.

Great food and friendly service.

food was GREAT! takeout was packaged neatly and nicely, and most importantly, the food tasted fresh, made-to-order, and everything was good in general. I would recommend this place whenever you visit san juan island

Great food. Fun front of house. Bulgogi ramen was delish

We love this place! The food is great and service is awesome. What more could you ask for in a restaurant?!

Best spicy bulgogi Raman bowl ever!

This is the old airport building. Funky, with great food. Christina and Patrick are the owners. Great place to meet the locals

Love this place! Love it! Love it!

This place is GREAT. Try the Ramen bowl.

Great food and great service , I'll be back.

Vegetable soup AND an awesome massive popover!!

Cannot rave enough about this place. Old timy feel to it, like a mom and pop shop. My favorite place for lunch, great service delicious food. Hidden gem ♡

Friendly. Accommodating. Great views of planes taking off and landing. Dog friendly out on patio.

Good food, fast service, nice view of the airport

Always, awesome food and service♥️!

Love this place. The Owners are so nice, great service & food. Ramen is my personal fav!

My wife loved her Korean BBQ dish. I stuck with a tried and true bacon cheeseburger and fries. The food was great, as was the service with a smile. Hours are limited. Prices are normal for the island. We have only been twice and both times it was packed, which is a great sign.

Unexpected, amazing, delicious, local gem run by great folks

I loved Enie's Cafe! Food was great. And such good atmosphere.

Yummy soup and pop over...the best

It is an very simple menu, with soups and sandwiches. Seems to be a go too place for some people as it can get quite busy at lunch. It is noisy and this time of year cold. Will give it a try in the summer and let you know the difference.

Best Korean food on the island. Run by locals and more often frequented by locals it a kick just to fly in or drive too. Do yourself a big favor go Korean, it great and a break from the rest of the island and it's gastropub vibe and food.

We stopped into Ernie's after our local family had early dismissal for the Thanksgiving holiday. Ernie's, from the outside, kind of looks like a hole in the wall place... slightly run down, sitting on an airport strip, tiny parking lot. My sister just kept saying "You'll get it." We went in (sister and I plus our six kids under 10) and immediately found a long table along with several bins of small toys, crayons, paper, and other activities to keep everyone happy. (Bless you, by the way! It's lovely when restaurants care about their tiny patrons, too.) The wooden tables were set up for varying sized groups, which was a nice setup. The menu had soups, salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, and....Korean food? And popovers? My sister just keeps saying I'll get it. She all but demands I get a popover. We try a selection of Korean and American dishes at about $10 a piece. We wait a bit and color. Then it comes. The most beautiful popover you've ever seen. Golden and warm and with butter and jelly. One of my kids lunges for it and I almost stab them with a fork... payers eaters or something. So I take the first bite, dipped in butter, and it was.. heavenly. It all just melted in my mouth. I let the kids duke it out for that one and make my way back up to the counter to grab another plus takeout for my husband. The food was delicious across the board. Homemade by someone who absolutely knows what they're doing. I consider getting another popover for my husband, but then realize I'm just lying to myself... that sucker would never get back. I'm told only a limited quantity are made each day. Popovers are a hassle to make, so to find them this billowy and delicious in a restaurant is a rarity. Highly recommended.

Where do the Friday Harbor locals eat? Nope, not at the tourist cafes... They eat at Ernie's. The mix of Asian and American menu options, combined with incredible hospitality and down home ambiance make Ernie's a place everyone can enjoy. Of course, if you are going to Ernie's, be sure to pick up a pop-over.... If they have any left.

Great fusion food and really helpful and pleasant people

It looks tacky on the outside, but DO NOT LET THAT FOOL YOU!! This place is awesome!!! Once you step through the front door, the atmosphere changes entirely to a sweet, home like feel. The back patio looks like a garden you might expect to have in your backyard at home and has a cool view of the airport landing strip where you can watch cesnas land and take off. It's not loud at all like I thought it would be. They use fresh ingredients and even grow their own veggies for soups and such. The menu is limited, but based on what I had, I'd say everything is delicious. The hostess was friendly and sassy which made me laugh. She took very good care of us. I definitely recommend this place as a must go to spot when visiting Friday harbor.

Wonderful spot to have lunch and watch air traffic!!

Great reasonable food, lots of airplane traffic to watch

Some of the best food in Friday Harbor! It’s up by the airport in a very odd spot but the food is absolutely phenomenal so it’s worth the trip up the hill. They had some of the best ramen I’ve ever had! Everything we ordered was fantastic though. The service was very friendly, place was funky but clean, hot sauce was hot. What more could you ask for?! This will be one of our go-to spots from now on.

The best airport restaurant in all of Friday Harbor!

Wonderful atmosphere if you love airports! Great burgers and wonderful staff.

nice people. tasty home cooking. relaxed location = easy parking

Great spot for lunch. Try the bugulgi

The food here is a little bit pricey, but the food here is super good.

Great mom and pop vibe. The prices were great for the island and the food was even better!

Can't say how much I love Ernie's! True island style and hidden jem!!! Patrick and Christine are the best!

Very friendly staff. The lunch was very enjoyable while watching airplanes landing and taking off.

I'm always skeptical of a 4.9 with more than 10 reviews... But this place is the real deal. Interesting and compact menu, reasonable, if still "Island" prices, and most importantly, tasty food! Had the bulgogi tacos... Great taste, fresh ingredients, friendly service... Would be back for sure. Portions are a little small but the food is great.

Ernie's is one of the best little eateries in Friday Harbor. They are actually located at the airport, so it's a great place to eat if you have kids. They will love to watch the airplanes come and go. Ernie's is only open for lunch so get there quick and have a popover cause they are so popular, they do run out occasionally. Bulgogi tacos are a must try as well as the ramen noodle bowl. If we have a choice between Ernie's and anything else.. Ernie's wins everytime.

We followed a Chinook Helicopter to the Airport. I had no idea we would find Ernie’s. What a great surprise! Perfect small and friendly Cafe. We had “ to die for” PopOvers. So big and oh so tasty, Burgers on the outside grille cooked to perfection. The view at the Airport is so. Sit inside or out. Wonderful!

Greatest Korean food in Friday Harbor

We loved Ernie’s! The Bulgogi was great and the popover was incredible! We always try and get here early before they sell out!

Quick, high quality food. Favorite lunch spot in town!

Great food, homey feel, and it was cool to watch planes land and take off while you eat. 🍔🏠🛩️

Food is awesome and people are grate.

Tasty food, friendly owners and affordable prices!

As we waited to fly out of Friday Harbor Airport, we decided to get breakfast at Ernie's. The woman at the airport cautioned us that Ernie's had only basics for breakfast, but had a larger lunch menu. The basic breakfast items were eggs with bacon, sausage or ham or a breakfast sandwich. We opted for bacon and eggs, and added two popovers which we read were outstanding. The breakfast was delicious and included a hash brown patty and banana/orange garnish. Even though we were full, when the popovers came out of the oven, we chowed down on them. They were the size of softballs, steam coming out of the tops, accompanied by butter and strawberry jam. Melt in your mouth goodness. Only a dozen are made each day and are ready after 11:00 am. Get there early.

The best for lunch. Excellent Korean food from limited menu. They make their own Kimchi. The noodle soup is out of this world. Can't miss with Ernie's

Delicious Bulgogi plates and homemade soups daily along with their famous Popovers, which are superb. A friendly setting thanks to the young talented chef couple. A fun place to watch small planes take-off and land by the outside seating area.

Love it! Wonderful atmosphere, food, and people.

THE lunch spot in Friday Harbor.

A local had mentioned Ernie's Cafe to us, and recommended it to us, never having heard of it, we decided to try it, especially when we heard it was a favorite with alot of the locals. Actually ate there on 2 different occasions for lunch, and both times really enjoyed it. Gets a little crowded, but they also have outdoor patio seating. The pork Bulgogi Sandwich with fries and asian slaw, (for $10.50) was recommended to me, it's kind of a teriyaki style, on a french roll, it was great! You can also order this on tacos. Our friends had the cheeseburger with fries for $10.50 and said it was outstanding, This is a 2 person operation, so you just have to be patient for some really good food coming your way!

Great Breakfast and Lunch spot. The Pop Overs are to die for and the Korean dishes are right on. It's a local spot so don't mess it up. Lol

After being recommended by a local, we tried this gem tucked in at the airport. Best find! Delicious salmon burger! Phenomenal bagogi sandwich! A must-visit!

The owners are very friendly and accommodating. The food is always on point! I highly recommend the ramen bowl and any of Christine's homemade soups. Don't forget to ask for the kimchi (also homemade and delicious). Get in early if you want a pop-over!

You can see a good view of small airplanes if you sit by the window seat. I should had opted for the turkey sandwich, like my friend did. It was still a good place to stop for lunch.

Wonderfully prepared, friendly people and good tasting food. Popovers are incredible. The daily homemade soup is very flavorful. AND the bulgogi tacos are amazing. A "go to" locals place. And it's reasonably priced with great views at the airport. You wont be disappointed

Authentic massive popovers at 11 a.m. Had a great lunch of Korean barbecue. The chef salad was amazing. This is also the most affordable eatery that we tried while on the island.

My favorite place in the island. Try the bulgogi and ramen (and the cheese and ham sandwich - seriously).

Ernie's is a local restaurant tucked into a corner of the Friday Harbor airport. This is a place for locals and a classic airport eatery for the general aviation community. It's down home and not fancy - but the food was excellent. This is more like eating in someone's home with a big family coming and going. Don't be in a hurry and this is not a chain - so relax and join the very cool view of the flightline over some perfect eggs!

On Valentine's Day, my husband suggested a trip to Friday Harbor and breakfast/lunch at Ernie's Cafe! We arrived from the ferry just in time for the famous POPOVERS which are ready at 11AM. I had called Christine a few days earlier and ordered 6 popovers to go. NOTE: Christine makes only 12 HUGE, SCRUMPTIOUS popovers per day, so if you want some to go, be sure to call ahead as they sell out very fast! I had the soup of the day and popovers and my husband had the Korean lunch special (Beef, rice, salad, soup). Everything was absolutely delicious--as it always is whenever we visit! The restaurant is cozy, light, and airy and overlooks the little airport. Patrick and Christine (chef/owners) are very friendly and they make you feel so welcome! This restaurant is really a comfortable spot to spend some time, and enjoy delicious treats!

This is an unpretentious little restaurant with a basic menu. The service is personal and very friendly. It sits right at the edge of the landing strip of Friday Harbor's little airport, so you can watch the airplanes land and take off in a steady...

You will never know this place exists unless you read it here or talk to the locals. It is a local favorite tucked up at the airport. Come early or late because you won't find a seat otherwise. Great food and excellent service.

Friday Harbor isn't known for cheap eats. If you want a reasonable priced breakfast or lunch this is the place to go. If you want to pay more for less try somewhere else on the island. We went to lunch there with some local friends...

Great food and unique location at the Friday harbor airport. Highly recommend the bulgoggi meal or burger.

While you'll find mostly locals in this cafe, it's only because it's at the airport - you won't go by it unless you are trying to go there. The food is very good and our server/hostess was fantastic! The Korean BBQ is a great choice...

Great food at the airport, sit and watch the planes fly in and out. Indoor and outside seating with umbrellas.

Best Lunch in Friday Harbor, caters to the locals all year round. Has awesome patio for the good weather. Get there early or it is standing room only. OHH Yeah, the food, Simple menu, but every items is delicious, Burgers done on a grill, fresh...

Absolutely amazing food!!! The service is probably the best on the island in my opinion, sometimes the wait is a little long but always worth it.

A great for breakfast and lunch. Comfort food abounds. If you enjoy your eggs, bacon & home fries...Ernie's is your place! We enjoyed the place & food isn't bad either. Staff friendly and accommodating. Plan to see people working in the area along with locals...

I had a pleasant meal of salmon burger and crispy fries today with a friend who lives here. She knew everybody in the joint. It's basically a little diner sitting right next to the private charter hangars. Though I didn't have it, the Korean BBQ...

Excellent food, great service and friendly people. Adjacent to the airport so you can watch plames come & go... great for kids.... young and old. Open from 11 to 3. My go-to for lunch out!

A fun place to meet for lunch, outside seating, grilled burgers or try the taco's or the puff pastry with jam.

Owned by an Island couple and open year round Mon - Fri, good wholesome and very tasty food. Great service!

After all the hype, this was by far the worst restaurant and breakfast we have ever had anywhere. Who doesn't serve decaffeinated coffee, only can fry your eggs, no ice and very rude and unfriendly staff. A breakfast combo was about $10 which included 2...

Super tasty and just plain pleasant to sit outside at a picnic bench and watch the small planes come in and go out. If you are there for lunch you will be lucky enough to experience the treat that is the church bells. They play...

Ernie's is a local favorite. The owners are great, the food is consistently delicious with a unique menu that include several Korean dishes such as Bulgoki. Have the full Bulgoki meal that includes kimchi. It is a little hard to find if you are not...