PURITY. HEART. SEED
Our loving intention is to nourish our community that gathers to share in food and drink, in art and ideas.
We artfully blend the purest local foods with kind hospitality and ambiance that warms the heart and feeds the soul.
food is our common ground, it is a sanctuary of food thru culture.
With warmth and gratitude.
CHEF RICHARD BALOGH
What critics are saying about us
The best food on 542E. Great food and lots of character (mostly the owner/waiter/chef!). This little rustic restaurant tucked away between 542E and the Nooksack River is a diamond in the ruff. Be... ready for a small menu that often has sold out items. Be ready for a wait staff of one (owner/operator). Be ready for the slow pace of the countryside. But also be ready for some seriously delicious Italian food made with lots of love and continuous creativity. The owner is an absolute sweetheart and a man with a great passion for serving excellent food to any and all who come visit. We've been going here for years and years and it's never the same menu for long but always the same great experience.read more
Aaron Straight
21:07 27 Jul 20
What an awesome and unexpected find this was. After a long day of hiking, we could not have found a better spot. Everything we ordered was excellent. The Lobster Gnocci and Homemade Lasagna were some... of the best I’ve had. I will make a point to go again when back in the area. A+read more
William Campbell
06:05 01 Aug 20
Personal service, excellent food and small place charm.
Diana CarsonWalker
01:28 10 Aug 20
On our way home after going to Mt. Baker we stopped at Refugio Country Italian Food. The food, atmosphere, and service was all top notch. I had lasagna, Diana had the meatloaf. Both were excellent.... The owner, Richard, was out waiter. We had a great time there and will go again.read more
Sandy Brown
02:53 10 Aug 20
Al fresco dining in a lovely mountain setting was wonderful. Good was rustic & delicious. Other patrons, apparently regulars, were very friendly. Be prepared to relax; it isn't fast food.
Mary Dickens
17:53 20 Aug 20
Not much to add, amazing taste, amazing setting, and fantastic people.
tim k
03:53 07 Sep 20
An amazing and homey restaurant with fabulous service and delicious food. Brunch with the twin sisters benedict is one of the best benedicts in whatcom county. A must eat place with many options!
Rose Achey
00:34 14 Sep 20
"The Cleveland" was a great breakfast dish.
Ron Reimer
02:37 16 Sep 20
Great food and service.
Carole Burton
00:41 04 Oct 20
Very good food 👌 awesome atmosphere, out of the way but worth the travel
Tim Goette
04:19 09 Oct 20
The food was excellent and the chicken was sourced locally. Owner was very nice and served us. Highly recommend checking out this local place if you are in the area.
Nathan McKay
02:11 17 Oct 20
My husband and I are in the Glacier, WA area for a weekend getaway and found Rifugio's on Google. This italian restaurant is wonderful! The moment you enter this small charming place you feel... welcome. The owner sat us and waited on us while we were there. He was able to explain the nights dinner menu and suggest some dishes. The chicken fettuccine alfredo and white sauce chicken Lasagna were heavenly! I would definitely eat here again if we are in the Deming area.read more
Olivia McKay
02:23 19 Oct 20
The food was amazing. Some of the best I have ever have, make sure to get the sausage.
Brock Barge
22:51 29 Nov 20
My Mum and I stopped by on our way home and the Smoked Salmon fettuccine was wonderful and so was The Andes meatloaf. The owner also makes an excellent cup of tea.
Allee Gordon
23:43 06 Dec 20
Finally stopped by the place after driving by a hundred times. Absolutely delicious.
Joe G
01:29 07 Dec 20
Super great food, and you can tell the chef really loves what he does! He changes the menu pretty frequently based off of what's in season, it's small and focused on good dishes, and he even collects... some of the ingredients himself!The area is very neat too, there are art installations nearby for you to look at while you wait for your food, and the inside of the restaurant is beautiful for when it's open again. It is a little pricey, but for what you get I would say it's worth it. Plus you support someone who is very passionate about what they do!Definitely a good place to check out.read more
CMDR Plorpoise
05:48 30 Jan 21
We had the most enchanting evening as the only guests at Rifugio’s. Richard, the owner and chef, is clearly dedicated to his craft. He was passionate, warm, and made us feel at home which is saying a... lot given The current times. We felt safe - masks when he came to the table, the only guests, etc. the food was unreal. Every dish was executed perfectly. My favorites were the homemade bread and oil and the lamb ragù enough. Topped off with a bottle of Italian red — we were transported for a couple of hours to the old days of dinners out, only better. Total satisfaction. Huge thanks to Richard for making our weekend.read more
Hannah Spring
15:05 02 Feb 21
Amazing Valentine's day experience! This place is a fantastic find. Richard the chef is amazing. Highly recommend!
Brandon Whitley (EnderGotGame)
05:38 15 Feb 21
Awesome tasty food
Kamalika Roy
23:53 16 Feb 21
What a special experience, food was fresh and hot, exceptional wine and service. The owner was very personable... we had a wonderful time and can’t wait to visit again.
Tammy Napoli
02:19 01 May 21
Lovely place to sit outside, grab a hearty meal and well-priced bottle of wine, and chat with the friendly chef/owner. The menu is simple, honest and delicious.
Coline S.
02:45 18 May 21
We have stopped at this restaurant every time we come up by Mount Baker. Richard is an amazingly talented chef. There has not been one dish that we have tried that has been anything less than... phenomenal. The restaurant itself is beautiful, the family had put so much hard work into every detail!read more
MountainGoat
22:20 06 Jun 21
Great place!! The staff is extremely friendly... Got to enjoy my food being prepped right in front of me. And yes it did taste great as well!!
Kriti Nigam
18:45 04 Jul 21
Veteran chef tending a small family style kitchen with awesome natural wooden tables and displays. Food was excellent. Mom had the meatloaf and I, a picky eater, ordered plain ol noodles and tomato... sauce. Best plain noodles and tomato sauce I'll ever eat. Noodles were homemade and tasted like they were made yesterday.read more
Stacy Kendra
00:03 10 Jul 21
Definitely recommend the coleslaw and the carbonara from the brunch menu
V Lakshmanan (Lak)
05:42 16 Aug 21
We stumbled into this restaurant accidentally. What a gem! The hosts showed us great hospitality, food and wine are all excellent! Also the tables were set amongst collected and well known... sculptures, quite a tasteful rustic setting in the summer. Recommend stopping by if you are on the way to or from Mount Baker.read more
HYXPRO
06:33 22 Aug 21
TLDR: Small quirky Italian restaurant were you better have a reservation and a passion for food.This was a small restaurant with a nice interior and an ok outside dining area. The food was good and... the overall flavors were rich and thought out. I struggle to describe my food. Yes, it was good and I enjoyed the meal, but I guess I was expecting much more for the price. Maybe it was an off night for the head chef or maybe the COVId economy has forced this restaurant to use cheaper ingredients. I left that night not really satisfied and rather let down. Portions sizes were small for an Italian restaurant. The bread was cold, the internal structure was good but it required some force to tear it apart. I will mostly give this place another shot, and if they knock it out of the part I'll update my review.read more
Jessica Thor
21:03 03 Sep 21
Nice little place with a charming atmosphere. The bread was okay a little cold at the center, so it didn't taste fresh, but everything else was delicious!
Nicole Thor
20:56 05 Sep 21
Best meatballs I've ever had
Nathan Moller
18:57 07 Sep 21
Excellent food and service!
Desiree Feix
02:41 26 Sep 21
I live in Bellingham so it's a bit of a drive away and it's been a bit since I've been here but sometimes I find myself wishing I could make up an excuse to stop by. Seriously good food, some of the... best Italian I've had. Owner is cool, really loved the atmosphere.Will be back again!read more
Austin Dayton-Ogle
06:55 26 Sep 21
A delicious meal as always. The pirogi we're wonderful and the double chocolate tiramisu was divine.
Erin Haggith
14:44 06 Nov 21
Amazing food, really worth swinging in. Super nice people too.
Kayla Graves
06:29 09 Nov 21
Great food as always. This is the second time we have visited. We are staying at a cabin nearby and drove by and did not think much of it. We tried the food, and it was terrific. So when we came... back, they were one of our first choices for dinner. Friendly staff and warm family atmosphere.read more
Matt Shepard
21:11 20 Nov 21
Great food!Cozy italian place with an outstanding service
Gilberto Lobaton
15:03 22 Feb 22
Rifugios is truly a gem within the woods. To count on a quality consistent meal is easy to do here. Featuring local produce and good people this restaurant encapsulates passion and vision from... Richard. I come here everytime and am never dissapointed. Beautiful decor and terrific espresso. This is a must stop on the way to Baker or just in the area.read more
Marco Lucarino
16:05 20 Apr 22
Great food and service
Bryan Jones
00:06 26 Apr 22
A nice little place. The cod was good and I like the way they prepared vegetables. Call ahead for reservations.
Dmitry Statnikov
23:58 09 Jun 22
Scrumptious! Delicious! The slaw is just so delicious! The salmon amazing!
Joan Wildfield
17:33 02 Jul 22
Great place! Food is excellent and the staff is welcoming and kind. I came here for brunch and the eggs and bacon were tasty and filling. The head chef made sure we were enjoying the meal. Would... recommend to any person passing by.read more
NIK
20:19 03 Jul 22
If you are in the mood for some yummy Italian this is it..Fantastic staff, delicious food, fair prices. The spaghetti and meatballs were to die for!
joe p
07:26 10 Jul 22
Such an amazing little spot on the way to Maple Falls. We went for Sunday brunch (showed up about an hour before close) and was able to chat with the owner for a bit. Food was fantastic, service was... great and even learned a bit about all of the art in and around the restaurant. Look forward to going back for their weekend dinner menu.read more
Thin Icetreader
00:18 20 Jul 22
Got married at Mt. Baker last Friday, and my husband and I wanted to take our family to a nice dinner to celebrate after. Richard, his wife, and the staff at Rifugio’s made our experience exactly... what we wanted! They were quick to communicate with us when we initially made our reservation and recommended a family style meal for 8 people. Everything was phenomenal and everyone was so attentive, friendly, and welcoming! The kale salad and the meatballs were hits. We were happy to have our wedding night dinner here. Hoping to be back in the area sooner rather than later to eat another delicious meal here!read more
Kasey Kaisershot
06:16 29 Jul 22
Good very good. All made from scratch. Service friendly but sometimes slow. Guess that's because of cooking from scratch!
Toni Whitfield
20:46 02 Aug 22
Okay- here are a few things to know before getting offended when you randomly show up at this small business owner’s do-it-all himself restaurant with his adorable little family:Reservations are... best. Why? Because this solo entrepreneur cooking genius collects only the BEST and most fresh local ingredients to make his food and only gets enough to sustain the minimal menu he has and when he runs out…it’s gone for the day!My husband and I have been coming back here for years. Hands down some of the highest quality Italian food (or flavorful food for that matter) in Washington state that we have had in our time here.The service is from scratch, much like the incredible food, and people who have not experienced this place are usually shocked when they sit down and aren’t met with city boy servers- it’s his wife and kids running the show. Get used to it, cause you’re in his warm home full of easygoing dining, less fuss and more delicious food than you know what to do with. Don’t expect for this to be the fast-paced, eat and get out mentality. This one is more than worth enjoying for a longer stay and perhaps an Americano.read more
Casey Burge
03:34 05 Aug 22
We discovered Rifugio's on our way to the North Cascades, and it looked interesting, so we decided to stop for dinner on the way back to our hotel room. When we arrived, we discovered that the... restaurant was closed for a private function that was just breaking up. Richard, the owner, gave us a loaf of his homemade bread as a consolation, and he was so kind that we decided to extend our stay and return the next evening.The restaurant is small and warm feeling inside. The long community tables are homemade from thick slabs of local timber. As a matter if fact, the entire place looks as if someone built it without professionals. We settled onto a table for four by the window.Richard, the owner who you can watch prepare your food in the kitchen, brought out his version of a Caesar Salad, which was garlicky and delicious. My husband had spaghetti with a tasty red sauce, and I had fettuccini and mushrooms in a light cream sauce. Both dishes were delicious, as was our desserts.The restaurant had a satisfactory wine list, and our waitress capably guided us through it.Eating at Rifugio's was a treat--it is a unique setting, warn and friendly people, and delicious food.read more
Jayme Howland
16:27 08 Aug 22
Always delicious, everyone is friendly, I literally don’t think I’d ever have a complaint. It’s just good and totally a bucket list place if your traveling through the area
Chelsea Joyner
05:13 28 Aug 22
Really delicious food! Everything seemed very fresh made. On the expensive side.
Hannah Gafter
02:28 18 Sep 22
Fantastic find. This place feels like eating at a family friend’s home, if your family friend made the best pasta ever and had a really nice cabin. Richard was super friendly, went through the whole... menu with us and was super pleasant chatting with us about where we’re from and his personal travels. Made a great french press to boot. We enjoyed a delicious carbonara and a lasagna dish unlike any I’ve ever had (in a good way!), made with lobster mushroom bolognese and sunny eggs. We didn’t get his colleague’s name but the cook was super pleasant too, could really tell the pair cared about their food a lot and made it with great care and pride. They even whipped up an off menu soup for us because we wanted to eat more but were too full for another full dish! If you’re going by here, do yourself a favour and treat yourself to a lovely experience here! We’ll be back 🙂read more
Esther Chen
04:33 19 Sep 22
We were so happy to find this place. Eating at the bar as we watched the team cook and prep our meal felt so hospitable and special. I had such a fun time chatting with everyone and the pasta was... incredible. The dishes were so imaginative and had me wanting more.read more
Michael Ye
04:56 19 Sep 22
If you don't live in the Deming/Maple Falls/Van Zandt area, you may not know about this little gem of a restaurant. Located on Mt. Baker Hwy just beyond the Hwy 9 traffic circle, it is definitely... worth the drive if you are 'in town.' Pro tip: make a reservation online--it is an intimate destination (though the covered/heated patio provides some breathing room), and only open on the weekends.The menu is limited to a few delicious interpretations of Italian classic dishes, and the wine menu features a fine selection of Washington wines; we look forward to working our way through BOTH menus!read more
Ron Smith
16:04 24 Sep 22
We had a small wedding in July with food from Rifugio’s. The owners were incredibly friendly and easy to work with -they walked us through the different options available for takeout and helped... determine an appropriate amount for our group. We had the lasagna, meatballs and Caesar salad. Everything was absolutely delicious and we had plenty of food! (Just enough left over for lunch for a few people.) We couldn’t have asked for a better food experience at our wedding 😊.read more
Monica Bell
01:37 02 Oct 22
Wonderful food made by people who care about what they put on the table.
Lea Sadler
03:33 08 Oct 22
Absolutely fabulous lasagna. Never had better. Highly recommend
Patricia Otto
21:07 17 Oct 22
If you want some amazing local food, look no further. Consistently fantastic food.
Fidel Trejo
03:22 22 Oct 22
Delicious! Very comfy atmosphere. All the dishes were flavorful and unique.
Jenny Bunnell
21:44 13 Nov 22
5 star gourmet Italian food where you least expect it. Treat yourself to exceptional food after you finish your hike.
Dylan Swift
23:50 04 Dec 22
Ive been meaning to write this review since October and I finally remembered tonight because we’ve been craving pasta... My husband and I stopped here on a whim after a hiking trip up at Baker. Let... me just say, WOW. We’re from NY and a little snobby when it comes to our Italian food and we did NOT expect to find the best Italian we’ve had on the west coast wayyy out in the cascade mountains. But we did at Rifugios. The owner was so friendly, funny and personable.. the overall vibes of the place are so cozy and homey. The food was authentic, thoughtful and soo delicious. I had the chicken alfredo and my husband had the spaghetti and meatballs. The ingredients and seasonings were so fresh. We are going to bring my mom here when she visits WA in her summer. Highly recommend 🙂read more
Michelle Surdo
23:57 04 Dec 22
Currently sitting at the bar in a daze. The food is divine. No exaggeration. The beef stew was both hardy and exquisite. The mushroom Ragu was exemplary. The restaurant was run by a server and a... cook, both made us feel like old welcomed friends, and poured us generous servings. Five star experience all around, maybe the best Italian food I’ve ever had, and I’m Italian so that’s saying a lot. More home cooking than fine dining, and in the best way. Highly recommend.read more
Rachel Cook
02:44 31 Dec 22
Delightful restaurant off of mt baker hwy. Only open a couple days a week on the weekend. Make sure to make reservations.We had the pleasure of dining here and experiencing Rifugio's Italian. We... ordered - wine, the daily bread, kale ceaser salad, spaghetti with a meatball and rigatoni alfredo with shrimp.The bread was good, kale salad hit the spot, the spaghetti and rigatoni were al dente just the way we like it. Meatball was mostly pork. My only recommendation would be for the shrimp to be larger. They were so tiny, about the size of a caper. You could barely see them in the pasta. I was anticipating larger shrimp for a pasta dish.Great experience other than the pasta dish. I highly recommend checking out this fine establishment if you're in the area!read more
Elizabeth Perron
03:43 08 Jan 23
Wonderful dinner! Everything was tasty. The kale Caesar was different, but delicious. The restaurant had a great ambiance.
Jay Deyo
05:36 08 Jan 23
It was a lovely experience! The restaurant is beautiful and the food was amazing! We are excited to go again.
Elizabeth Vaughn
05:43 19 Feb 23
The food is sooo delicious! I am pregnant and I haven't been able to eat any pork or beef. But their spaghetti and meatballs were so good we ate it all and we asked to take an order home! Highly... recommend! The service was welcoming, friendly, and accommodating. Richard was great and showed the same care and friendliness to everyone who walked through the door! We're definitely coming back!read more
Nina Andreyanova
00:08 20 Feb 23
Stopped for a post-ski pasta and wine on Sunday. Was excellent. Wish we checked that dinner was only Friday-Saturday so we could order off the full menu. Will have to come back!
Lauren Summers
23:54 26 Feb 23
No-guilt delicious pasta after a day of snowboarding! Very tasty, exactly what we needed after the day of riding workout. The meatball is the biggest meatball I have ever seen 🙂 really enjoyed the... experienceread more
Veronika Taylor
01:46 05 Mar 23
Cozy little place. I got the world's famous meatball and it certainty delivered! Very nice staff, had a pleasant chat with the owner as well. Will certainly recommend!
Rasmus Stenstrøm Johansen
23:59 16 Apr 23
What a wonderful place to eat. Family owned. Great food, great service.
Jim S
16:47 18 Apr 23
My wife and I have eaten here a number of times and always enjoyed the food and atmosphere. I went through a long stretch of ordering the Capicola sandwich to-go every week. The sandwich was just... marvelous; I really hope they bring it back sometime soon! Chef Richard is one of a kind.-Capicola guyread more
Great Great Produce
21:57 20 Apr 23
