road trip through wash, oregon, and n. cal

hi y'all. i'm taking a trip from seattle to portland and oakland via i-5 (i don't have much time). i've done this route a million times and it's boring and the food situation can get desparate. once i used the stern's roadfood book but every place in the book was a tourist trap with--more often than not--a weird christian theme to it.
so, i don't want to do that again. any suggestions for great restaurants along the 1-5 corridor? little towns with a cool place to eat? i enjoy old-fashioned lunch counters, bbq, eccentric owners, and simple food.
many thanks...