This Tiny Shop In Washington Serves Breakfast And Baklava To Die For

The best part of any Washington road trip is discovering the hidden gems that lie along the highway and in our quiet, sleepy towns. And if you ever drive by this particular hidden gem during breakfast or lunch hours, you should stop and check it out... especially if you’re the least bit hungry.

You’ll find the Skamania General Store two miles west of Beacon Rock in the small community of Skamania on State Route 14. It’s a family owned and operated store that sells food, hardware supplies and fishing supplies. The store is somewhat of a gathering spot, where area locals meet to catch up on life and swap fishing stories.

But it’s what’s adjacent to the Skamania General Store that really makes it worth a stop. The Beacon Rock Cafe was established in 2003, when the original cafe in the general store was completely renovated. The cafe serves breakfast and lunch every day and dinner on Friday and Saturday.

The favorite menu items at the Beacon Rock Cafe might surprise you. They serve classic breakfast items like scrambles and biscuits and gravy, but you’ll also find hummus, pitas, lamb burgers and baklava. This is because the family who owns the cafe is Iranian. The couple grew up together, came to the United States when they were teenagers (separately) to further their education, became citizens, fell in love, got married and started a family. They are a loved and respected part of the community, working hard to maintain the store and the cafe.

The locals in the area all know and love the Beacon Rock Cafe, but many tourists who discover it by accident are pleasantly surprised. Yelp and TripAdvisor are full of positive reviews from people who stopped by the store to pick up something quickly and were lured by the delicious smells from the cafe.

"Had I not smelled grilling meat I would have driven by without noticing this gem," one Yelper wrote.

If you stop by the Skamania General Store and visit the cafe, try the baklava. It’s so delicious you might order a second helping (and a third) for the road.

The Skamania General Store is one of many of Washington’s hidden gems. Here are a few hole-in-the-wall restaurants that serve amazing food.