About the Place Bar & Grill

The Place Bar and Grill opened in 1996 under the name The Place Next to the San Juan Ferry Café. The name was later shortened to The Place Next to the San Juan Ferry because we had too many people looking for donuts and coffee. Even still very few people got the name right. They called it The Place at the Ferry, The Ferry Landing Restaurant, The Place Next to the Ferry Landing and numerous variations usually with the word ferry in it. The name was changed to its current name when a full service bar was added.

Steve worked as a chef for over 30 years from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Portland and Seattle and a few points in between. Before having children, Kathy worked as a waitress and hostess for the Lawry’s group of restaurants where she learned her fine dining service skills. After cooking and managing restaurants in Seattle for 12 years, we stumbled on an opportunity in Friday Harbor, so we packed in the big city life and took the plunge in the San Juans.

We are a family owned and operated restaurant and at any given time in the summer there are as many as five Andersons working here. All of our kids, except the oldest, has worked here during their school years and beyond.

The Place has received numerous favorable reviews from various guidebooks and food publications, and our recipes have been published in Bon Appetit Magazine, San Juan Classics Cookbook, KCTS, The Best Places Northwest Desserts Cookbook and The Chocolate Lovers Cookbook.

But the best reviews come from our many satisfied customers. We look forward to seeing you at The Place.