Tried every restaurant in Moses Lake, and counting

MOSES LAKE — Ina Bush and Ella West said the routine got boring, and they decided to change it up. That led to a whole new culinary adventure.

Bush and West, along with West’s husband Bob, play bridge together a couple of days per week, and they started a routine. After bridge they’d pick up Ina’s husband Bill and go out to dinner. But, “going out for us generally seemed to be making a choice between a few tried-and-true restaurants in Moses Lake or surrounding towns,” West wrote. Good food, but kind of boring.

So in 2015 they decided to mix it up. After a little research they discovered there were (and are) more than 50 restaurants in Moses Lake alone. They decided to try each and every one, regardless of menu and ambiance, and see what they found. (At one time there was the possibility of doing a series of reviews, but that kind of faded away, Bush said.)

There were a couple of criteria – the place had to be open during the after-bridge-club window, and it had to have inside seating. And the ladies always checked the bathrooms.

“It’s been really fun,” Bush said. “Keeps us out of trouble.”

“And we found some great restaurants,” West said.

In fact, there was something good at almost every restaurant they’ve tried, the ladies said. The few exceptions – well, there was one, but it’s out of business now, and besides, West and Bush like to concentrate on the good food they’ve found, and all the interesting history.

“Moses Lake has a huge variety,” Bush said. They started out at the I-90-Kittleson intersection, worked their way down Pioneer Way and Third Street, along Stratford and down Broadway.

They found Oriental and Hispanic restaurants, burger joints, steakhouses, bistros, Italian restaurants, high-end joints, even a couple of places whose entrances hid pretty good food inside.

Many current restaurants started out as something else entirely. What is now Tsunami Sushi started as a bank. “In various combinations (the buildings) have been a clothing shop and hair salon owned by Pearl Weber,” West wrote, “and Doug’s shoe shop where we ladies bought 3-to-4-inch high heels and thought they were terribly high then.” The current J’s Teriyaki was a jewelry store, and Taco Time is on land that once housed OK Tire Service, “with the familiar winged horse on the roof.” The current Thai Cuisine was a place that sold cheese and crackers in another life. Tacos Mi Casa was “a milk barn where you could drive through and pick up a gallon or two of milk,” West wrote

What is now Emperador Azteca started as a doctor-dentist office back in the day, around 1950. Pho Saigon was part of the same complex before becoming a florist shop. The current location of Michael’s Bistro “was the Turf (Cafe) for years and years and years,” West said, with a restaurant in front and dance hall in back. What is now the Hangout was a bowling alley back in the day, where Bob West worked as a pinsetter when he was a kid.

“We have eaten at every place in town,” West said.

“And we’re going back,” Bush said. Now others in the bridge club ask about their itinerary, she said. And they encourage the foursome to try out all the new restaurants and report back, Bush said.

Some places have closed since the quartet started their quest. “I hope it’s not connected with our going there,” Bush said. As new places have opened, they go on the list.

Along the way they’ve found good chili-burgers, interesting salads, bunless hamburgers, good French dip and chimichangas, tomato beef and a hamburger that reminded Ella West of the old Paddywhackers.

And then there was that place, one of those where the decor camouflaged some really good food.

“We have to go back there,” Bush said.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.