When I sit down at a restaurant and order nachos, what I’m really telling my server is: stop … I really just want a pile of cheese. There’s no need to rattle off the soup of the day or hand me a fresh sheet. My jowls have a deep-seeded craving for melty, crunchy, fresh from the oven nachos. From their humble beginnings—created for 1940s soldier wives across the border to the surge of gastropubs and dive bars in small-town USA—nachos have become the quintessential snack food for groups of friends and families celebrating with an appetite that a french fry just can’t satisfy. So, grab a chip and start digging for toppings while we tour through the best nachos in the Inland Northwest. Don’t worry; I know the guacamole is extra. 

The Viking—WINNER

1221 N. Stevens St.

If you know any mice, they are in lots and lots of trouble. The Viking, which rose from the ashes in early 2017, makes nachos that are fun and fierce. Piled with enough cheese to make Gus Gus proud—they are throwing all convention out of the window. They are offering up marinated buffalo chicken and bleu cheese dressing with all the fixings, then finished off with bleu cheese crumbles. It’s a classic Mexican-American take on an old favorite that is not surpassed in the Inland Northwest. 

No-Li Brewhouse

1003 E. Trent Ave., Ste. 170

Spokane’s long-standing icon and 2015 national brewery of the year has made leaps and bounds in their connected gastropub. With nachos whose pork is braised in their popular Born & Raised IPA and covered in Boar’s Head Vermont cheddar, black beans and chipotle sour cream, there aren’t many places around town to pick up an insurmountable pile of melty love paired with local beer.  

Outlaw BBQ

4427 W. Wellesley Ave.

You don’t have to gamble when you order the nachos covered in house-smoked pulled pork, pickled red onion and jalapeño. The only downfall to these Northside nachos is if your plan is to eat them alone. Plenty of BBQ houses leave little to the imagination, serving brisket, ribs and whole chickens, but Outlaw stretches the niche with giant stuffed baked potatoes, gringo tacos and Texas style frito pie. Plan to make a few trips and munch your way though their marvelous menu.

Waddell’s Brew Pub

6501 N. Cedar Rd.

Waddell’s might be known for beer and burgers, but this Northside brewpub knows how to affix chips with more toppings than your fragile little mouth can handle. A perfect blend of spicy jalapeños and herbal cilantro make for a special treat. Guy Fieri has featured them twice on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives—that alone should make it be a priority for your next date night. Order them up with barbecued brisket to take this bestial concoction to the next level. 

The Ref Sportsbar

14208 E. Sprague Ave.

With new management and chef in tow, the Spokane Valley sports bar popular for watching the Zags or Seahwaks is in a full menu rebuild. Between the vast choices of wings and burgers sits a behemoth pile of chips covered house-made queso, your choice of chicken or beef and piled on tomato and olive. Perfect for a table of four and a pitcher of local beer while you support your favorite sports team.