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    Gold Standard

    4.1 (26 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    GOLD STANDARD ATMOSPHERE

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    Reviews With Photos - Gold Standard

    Chicken sando
    Christen G.

    Well she's done it again! An amazing spot from an amazing chef. Great service, great vibe and great food. This is a perfect casual lunch or dinner spot with incredible fried chicken and incredible sides. I like the 2-piece (bone in) - side of Mac and a lemonade. I've only had the honey dipping sauce bc it's SO good but I'll eventually try the others. My pals LOVE the sandwich! I'm still working my way through the menu but all of it is worth the stop. An absolute must stop by when you're downtown or just passing through. Delicious.

    3 piece, biscuit sandwich, beignets
    Willie A.

    Been wanting to go here for a while. I was afraid there would be over hype. There wasn't. Perfect fried chicken. Hot, juicy, crispy, and well seasoned. It didn't need the ranch, but I could drink that sauce straight. Also ordered a biscuit sandwich, which was also delicious. Beignets were better than cafe du monde (but that's not saying much since they've gone downhill over the years). The place was clean with a funky soundtrack. I'll definitely be going back.

    Thanh D.

    I'm so happy to see Olympia's good scene is growing and becoming more diverse especially in downtown !! This southern food place recently just opened and had exceed all my expectation. Fried chicken is so crispy and a biscuit is so buttery. I also love their mac & cheese and collard greens. Highly recommend you check it out whenever you in downtown area. There is also sitting if you want to eat inside

    Disco ball lights
    Babette C.

    I heard that this restaurant was being run by the kitchen of Chickory, so I was jazzed about it, but it was not okay. The chicken was fine- crunchy and salty, but the cole slaw was a little on the vinegary side even though it was supposed to be sweet, but it succeeded at neiter. I got a sad salted caramel cookie and a Mexican Coke and all that together was a $40 plate. Excuse me? 2 pieces of chicken, a side, desert and drink. Plus the staff isn't very friendly. They hung around joshing with each other and sometimes they addressed the customers. You had to bus your own tables, but for a $40 plate of chicken, maybe you guys can interrupt your chat and clean the tables yourself.

    2 piece chicken, red beans and rice, and roasted beet salad
    Katie S.

    I can't recommend this place enough. I got two pieces of chicken, red beans and rice, and a roasted beet salad, which I ended up taking home. The water, tea, and lemonade are all self service, which was really handy! The chicken is absolutely outstanding--maybe the best I've ever had. Of the sides I got to try, the beans and rice were so yummy I nearly licked the bowl clean. The biscuits are also soft, fresh, and huge. I can't wait to come back here! The restaurant space is also really cute--I'm a fan of the southern farmhouse vibe.

    Beet salad with chicken
    Cindy M.

    First time here. I had beet salad with chicken and shared a large Mac and cheese I will be back!

    Business owner's photo of the interior.
    Beth G.

    Me and a guest, went for lunch at this brand new restaurant. Already it was bustling with business and selling out of a few items. We got the lunch special of two pieces of fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and a drink. We also treated ourself to fresh hot Beignets.. "better than New Orleans!" The chicken was crispy hot and delicious. The Mac n cheese was very good. I would recommend to the business in the future, more types of drinks. The restaurant is clean, charming, similar to a diner-and lots of happy people in there. A real good vibe!

    Chicken and biscuits
    Uther P.

    The good: Service and biscuits, nice cole slaw. The average: Chicken was a little overcooked and stringy dark meat. Flat flavor wise, but I didn't get the Nashville hot. For 62 bucks, for the two of us, I expected a little more. But I was raised down south, maybe I expected too much. I was looking forward to this place. My wife and I go to the local Farmers Market quite a bit, and it's just a walk away. I will give it another spin down the road, and hope for better.

    Three-piece chicken, small collard greens, small macaroni and cheese, and small hushpuppies

    Arrived ~30 minutes after opening on a Saturday. Was about 50% full already. Seems to clear out relatively fast (20-30 minutes per table) so if it's full when you get there, just give it some time. You order at the counter, then seat yourself. They give you a plastic number card and then you place it on your table. Two 8-person tables and a bunch of two-person setups with a few booths. I had the 3-piece chicken (thigh, drum, wing) with BBQ sauce. Tender and crispy. No breast pieces available if that's your jam. I also got a small Mac & Cheese, small collard greens. I shared an order Beignets (8) and small Hushpuppies with my wife. Solid comfort food in a nice setting. Service was great and it's within walking distance of Percival Park and the Farmer's Market if you wanted to make a day of it. I'll be back. Probably will try a sandwich or salad next time. I'm glad they have alternatives if fried foods aren't your thing.

    Classic fried chicken sandwich (subbed with fried tofu)
    Amber S.

    Really delicious food, lovely staff, wonderful decor and atmosphere, plenty of seating, and nice to have options for us vegetarians! We'll keep coming back!

    Simon R.

    Well this is a breath of fresh air. It's something we desperately needed here in, OLY. There are some good places to eat here, but there's not a ton of variety and there's not a lot of options. The Gold Standard was wonderful. It's got a really nice ambiance, an incredibly friendly staff and the food was pretty awesome. I tried the chicken sandwich on a bun, in retrospect it should have been a biscuit. You never know what biscuits. If they're not good they can be really bad. I had a biscuit separately and it was glorious. It was completely fresh and still warm as I saw them pulling them out of the oven. I'm not a big fan of cheese on my chicken sandwich so I could have done without that and they were a little heavy-handed on the Mayo but it was good. I would certainly make some adjustments and have it again. Also tried the banana cream pie which was outrageous, the beignet was good. They were light, fluffy, and not overly sweet. For me. The standout was the wings. They were exceptional. If I had a complaint, it's only that I didn't love my sauce options and I wish they had some hot sauces. Might be cool for them to collab with some local hot sauce folk. Can't recommend the Standard enough. Eagerly looking forward to going back.

    Chicken sandwich, spicy chicken and Reuben.

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    The Wayside Cafe

    The Wayside Cafe

    4.5
    (243 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    I have been going here for years. FIVE full stars because: -…read moreFood is amazing. The entrees (my fave is the mac & cheese with yummy tempeh bacon) and absolutely the desserts, too! - Customer service, also amazing - They have a pay-it-forward program that helps those in need get meals for free Do yourself and Olympia a service and go check this place out!

    I have been wanting to try Wayside forever but am absolutely never in the Olympia area. Because we…read morefinally were this weekend, I definitely wanted to take the opportunity to come here. It did not disappoint! I tried the Norma sandwich which was delicious. The tofu skin patty was unlike any other faux chicken I've had and so good! And because I'm always on the search for great vegan mac and cheese I had that as my side. Absolutely delicious! Very creamy. Portions are large here so I brought some of the mac home and am looking forward to having it for lunch tomorrow. My husband tried the dip sandwich with a side of the mashed potatoes and gravy and ate every last bit. He loved it. It's a very cute cafe on the corner with friendly staff. I witnessed a man in need come in and take advantage of the program they have where you can buy a meal for a hungry person to come in in the future and have a free meal. That's a lovely service to the community. So glad I was able to finally patronize this great vegan business! I'll try to come back soon!

    Photos
    Mural
    Mural
    The Wayside Cafe
    The Wayside Cafe

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    State & Central

    State & Central

    4.2
    (442 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    We were in Olympia for a visit to The Evergreen State College and since we were in town, a stop at…read moreState & Central was mandatory. We've eaten here several times over the years, this was the first time we eat dinner here. Fam. Let me tell you, the very reasonable lunch size portions? They're significantly bigger on the dinner menu. Almost disturbingly so Being able to get a selection of interesting regional beers is always a draw, tonight was no exception. And the pretty good lunch menu is expanded for the dinner hour - as well as the portion sizes being expanded. I ordered the fish and chips, my partner ordered the bar steak (which was New York strip), and her daughter ordered the salmon burger with fries. Because it was a special, we also got a giant order of poutine. Despite being in almost at closing, the service was absolutely spectacular. We very nearly had the place to ourselves, so the overall vibe was very homey and welcoming. As noted, the portions were enormous. I opted to finish my fish at the expense of the chips. My partner wound up with a significant take home portion as did her daughter. Couldn't possibly have been happier about our decision to stop in. Since we seem to have a new Greener in the family, I'm sure that we will be in Olympia significantly more frequently. And frankly, I am pretty happy about that, just based on being able to stop in here on the regular again.

    Besides having a scrumptious menu, the server at lunch today, Cayla, was amazing. She was…read moreattentive, professional and friendly! I had a turkey, bacon, cheese sandwich and fries. I asked her to box up half as I can never eat a whole one. The ambiance is awesome but be sure to wear your hearing aids if you need them. It's a small place and can get hard to hear when its crowded. Overall though, this place rocks!

    Photos
    Olympia Beer Billboard!
    Olympia Beer Billboard!
    Juicy Lucy
    Juicy Lucy
    Blackberry Margaritas

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    Blackberry Margaritas
    COVE

    COVE

    4.1
    (197 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    Loved the food! We had a group of six and everyone was happy with their meal. I loved the clam…read morechowder! It wasn't what I think of when ordering clam chowder but it was delicious! The fries are some of the best fries we have a in a long time. My smash burger was delicious. The person with the classic burger was very happy. Two in our party got the raspberry rhubarb spritz (no alcohol) and loved them. They were surprised the drink came with a free refill. Great service! And OH! The Happy Hour! Great food at wonderful prices. I would love to see the HH later in the afternoon so we could better justify a drink! I did have issues with the menu. It is not well laid out. Difficult to read with all the items lined up in paragraphs, squished together. I kept thinking it was information to read about the restaurant. The Happy Hour menu was a lot easier to read and order from.

    Angie was an awesome server helping with popular (not just the most expensive) choices. We went for…read moredrinks & snacks. Creative cocktail menu - but with all the staples. No skimp on my Bulleit Old Fashioned - it was a FULL pour cocktail!! We had yummy Chicken Wings (Peanut Sauce) / Fish Tacos / we split the Crab Roll with fries (expensive but worth it.) The Baby Boomer/GenExer muzac was nice as was the decor. We've been during live music - they have a perfect setup for a live band - but didn't do full menu that night. This visit was intimate; Angie (and all the staff) made it an enjoyable experience.

    Photos
    Stage for live performances
    Stage for live performances
    Happy hour clams
    Happy hour clams
    Cucumber spritz with vodka and tropical ghost

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    Cucumber spritz with vodka and tropical ghost
    Nicole's Bar

    Nicole's Bar

    3.9
    (134 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Nicole's is the only bar I would send a single lady 7 days a week to for a good time, safety for…read moreall, and an excellent bite to eat. Brunch is back on Saturday and Sunday mornings!! Yes it's back, this is a February 2026 review. See the menu. I love the veggie omelet with Hollandaise Sauce over the top, but the Eggs Benedict are a close 2nd for me. Lunch and Supper are the same menu. Happy hour is 4 to 6. Separate areas to have conversations but get the club feeling. Come on live music nights and feel the positive Energy from Nicole to her staff to you. It's that special, hopefully you'll meet Nicole. Since, she works just as hard alongside her team. Last week's visit included my 80 yo Mother, Service Dog, and me after Dr appointment with need to eat. We ordered a club sandwich for sharing with sweet potato fries. They brought two plates, I don't know what I was thinking ordering Broccoli and Cheese Soup too. We each could eat a quarter sandwich with another meal before bedtime. A+ for consistent excellence in the kitchen and home brewed ice tea. But! The Star of The Show was the House Specialty Cocktail Menu! I'm a gin and tonic kind of guy, Beefeaters if you've got it. So, was intrigued by 'Isn't She Lovely' on the menu. Every Cocktail I've had here has been excellent. I also am not an amaretto fan. Today was no different with light fruity Cocktail that hits the tongue hard until softened by the egg white meringue on top melting the sting and leaving a nicely complimentary drink. Now, I'm a fancy gin Cocktail kinda guy. Imagine a fruity adult version of the old mall orange julius with egg and take it up a notch for Nicole's Bar. A+ for ingenuity and taste. One of my past experiences at Nicole's Bar was with a gentleman who didn't drink alcohol and wanted something different than a 0% Beer. The patient, kind, caring Bartender asked his likes and dislikes. Told him if he didn't like the result, they'd toss it and start over. He loved the 1st mocktail made, and felt like the group with his drink that we all wanted a sip to check out. So now, for him and the World Nicole's Bar now offers a Mocktail Menu and I bet you can still get a Bartender to get crazy and try something new. A+ for customer service at the highest level. A+ for service dog friendly staff. Brought the dog a paper cup of water. Nice place, period. Rating A+ for hidden gem of Olympia! If, LGBTQ bothers you than go to Dennys. Straight Friendly!

    This place was hopping. I'm not usually into the club scene or loud music, but my SIL loves hanging…read moreout there and says the music is banging, so we thought we'd check it out. That house band is amazing! So much fun doing covers. We just chilled in a booth and soaked in the vibe. Will definitely be back because the music is great.

    Photos
    Nicole's Bar
    BLTA on wheat.
    BLTA on wheat.
    Menu

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    Menu

    Gold Standard - chicken_wings - Updated July 2026

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