Dinning around Depoe Bay, Oregon
Dinning around Depoe Bay, Oregon
Surprisingly, Depoe Bay, Oregon offers many affordable and palate-pleasing dining options. Some of the best are located near the north end of town. South of the D River (city center), there’s a cluster of pricier gourmet eateries that merit special consideration.
Despite a coastal gourmet restaurant row between Depoe Bay and Lincoln City, Oregon where dinner tabs match those of Portland’s upscale restaurants, economical yet tasty options do exist here as exemplified by the Kernville Steak and Seafood House (186 Siletz Hwy., Kernville, 541-994-6200). Besides decent food at a good value, this place looks out on the river and surrounding hills through huge picture windows. Blue heron and deer are frequent dinner companions, but the real attractions are the half-dozen nightly seafood specials showcasing fresh-caught shellfish and premium aged beef. Finding this dinner house is tricky because of its inconspicuous facade on the south side of the river. Head one mile south of Lincoln City, on the Siletz Highway just east of U.S. 101.
If coastal restaurants are eating a hole in your wallet, there’s always tried-and-true Mo’s (860 S.W. 51st St., 541-996-2535). As usual, count on good clam chowder and full fish dinners as well as superlative views of the water. Figaro’s Pizza (4095 N.W. Logan Rd., 541-994-4443) offers family dining options such as pizza, lasagna, and salad. Open for lunch and dinner, with reasonable prices.
The best smoked fish in these parts can be had at Barnacle Bill’s Seafood Store (2174 U.S. 101, 541-994-3022). The smoked sturgeon here is half the price it is on the East Coast, and although it’s not thin-sliced New York deli style, it has a more delicate flavor. Look for a little storefront on the east side of the highway in the middle of town.
Kyllo’s (1110 N.W. 1st Ct., 541-994-3179) specializes in broiled, sautéed, and baked seafood, plus excellent homemade desserts. The former can be washed down by Oregon microbrews and wines. Seafood dinners are in the $20–30 range, and lunch is often about half that. Locals say they’ve had good luck with the “specials,” which are new and different every night. The restaurant is visible from U.S. 101 as you drive by the D River Wayside. With views of the water on all sides, this restaurant is a good place to linger. Avoid peak dining hours because no reservations are taken.
The reasonable prices at the Salishan Lodge’s Cedar Tree (7760 N. U.S. 101, Gleneden Beach, 541/764-2371 or 888/SALISHAN) are a welcome surprise. This casual restaurant might be less elaborate and half the price of Salishan’s five-star Dining Room, but its Northwest cuisine comes from the same kitchen. Complete breakfasts won’t lighten the wallet too much. For a few pennies more, the hot smoked chinook salmon hash is a highlight. Affordable lunch-time specialties include oyster stew and a Reuben sandwich. For dinner, splurge on the potlatch salmon or an Angus New York strip steak. With a window on Siletz Bay, you don’t even have to dress up or make reservations. The Cedar Tree also hosts popular Friday seafood buffets in summer.
At the Salishan’s Dining Room (800-452-2300) special emphasis is placed on seasonal seafood, game, and other regional delicacies. Dinner here can be quite pricey, but the elegance of the setting, expansive wine list, and creative dishes have long made this a coastal dining destination. Consistently touted as one of the top three restaurants in the state, it has become famous for its creative interpretations of seasonal Northwest delicacies and a 12,000-bottle wine cellar (famous for the world’s largest collection of Oregon pinot noir).
A half mile south of Salishan (five miles equidistant from Depoe Bay and Lincoln City) are two other Gleneden Beach eateries with considerable appeal. The Side Door Cafe (6675 Gleneden Beach Loop, 541-764-3825) combines a gourmet restaurant with a musical venue. The airy yet cozy-feeling dining room features a menu where rock spring rolls, bouillabaise, and parmesan-encrusted halibut exemplify the menu offerings. The adjoining state-of-the-art Eden Hall theater might feature a Northwest artist with a national reputation, such as jazz singer Nancy King or Portland-based Delta blues artist Kelly Joe Phelps.
The Bay House (5911 S.W. U.S. 101, 541/996-3222, Web site) is a place food critics describe as “intimate” and “elegant.” You might also add “expensive.” Local gourmets will tell you, however, that the Dungeness crab with artichoke hearts and spinach and the rack of lamb are well worth the price. Oenophiles will want to look at the wine list praised by Wine Spectator. The tab at the Bay House is definitely worth it—especially if you’re fortunate to be dining in view of the sunset over Siletz Bay. The seasonally changing menu is posted on their
Cafe Roma Bookstore and Coffeehouse (1437 N.W. U.S. 101, 541-994-6616) brings an air of refinement to Lincoln City. Fresh home-baked pastries and desserts, fresh-roasted gourmet coffees and espresso drinks, as well as a collection of interesting books make this a wonderful retreat on a cold and drizzly day.
The Blackfish Cafe (2733 N.W. U.S. 101, 541-996-1007) also has managed to be included in the shortlist of prime coastal dining destinations. The reason is chef Rob Pounding, whose use of local produce and fresh products enabled Salishan to scale the culinary heights in the previous decade. This orientation is repeated in this beach bistro with a menu that might feature Willamette Valley pork in huckleberry compote and troll-caught chinook salmon with Oregon blue cheese mashed potatoes. In addition to the emphasis on fresh, homegrown, and creative, there is no shortage of humbler fare such as the self-proclaimed “best” clam chowder on the coast and halibut fish-n-chips.
The Lighthouse Brew Pub (4157 U.S. 101 North, 541-994-7238) is a welcome rehash of the McMenamin formula so successful in the Willamette Valley. Just look for a lighthouse replica in a parking lot on the northwest side of 101 across from McDonald’s. Pizza bread, burgers, sandwiches, and chili can be washed down by McMenamin’s own ales or some other quality brew, as well as hard cider and wine. Live music at night is an added plus.
Heading north, Dory Cove Restaurant (5819 Logan Rd., 541-994-5180), near Road’s End State Park, has prices that are a little higher than Mo’s, but the range of broiled seafood entrées (halibut fish-n-chips recommended), chowder, and salmonburger/oysterburger/cheeseburger fantasies make this place an overwhelming favorite with locals. Open daily noon–8 p.m.