These welcoming spots with locally caught seafood reel in visitors.
A heaping basket of perfectly fried pieces of light, flaky fish with a side of crunchy fries or fresh coleslaw? Yes, please. It tastes even better with waterfront views and knowing your order supports local fishing families on the Southern Oregon Coast. On your next trip, try some of these seven spots, each offering a classic coastal experience. Ask what’s fresh that day and you might even get a story about where and how the fish was caught.
1. Crabby’s Bar & Grill, Winchester Bay
Crabby’s vibe is knotty-pine paneling, rustic tables and historic photos — tried and true in a good way. Fish-and-chips baskets include Alaskan cod, ahi tuna or locally caught halibut when it’s available, served alongside cilantro-laced house slaw with a kick of horseradish. Also on the menu: fried oysters, cod tacos and, as expected from one of the Coast’s most popular crabbing areas, crab cakes and whole crab dinners. Outdoor picnic tables and a cozy fire pit have fabulous views of the fishing boats moored in Salmon Harbor Marina and all of Winchester Bay.
2. The Boat, Coos Bay
With fish and chips in a dry-docked houseboat next door to a railroad museum, The Boat sounds like a kid’s dream, but there is a lot to love for grown-ups, too. Try fresh Pacific cod or halibut fish and chips, as well as fried local oysters; a kid-friendly Minnows Menu is tailored for little ones. Everything is made to order, so pass the time next door at the Oregon Coast Historical Railway ogling 100-year-old steam locomotives, most of which are visible from the restaurant’s deck when the museum is closed.
3. Monkey Business Marina Market and Restaurant, Charleston
Housed in a bright yellow building, Monkey Business Marina Market and Restaurant signals like a lighthouse beacon at Charleston Marina. Before taking up this new location, Monkey Business was a busy food truck; now there’s ample indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a tackle-and-bait shop with gear rentals for fishing and crabbing. Baskets come with crispy seafood, hand-cut fries or dill slaw. The clam chowder, served in a bread bowl, took home a gold medal at Toast of the South Coast, and the weekend menu includes an indulgent house-made crab cake Benedict, smothered in creamy hollandaise.
4. Bandon Bait, Bandon
The unassuming Bandon Bait has been in business along the Coquille River for 50 years, but there’s more than bait and tackle for sale. Lunch-only favorites include fresh-caught, airy battered halibut and rockfish served with fries, coleslaw and an appetizer-size shrimp cocktail. Grilled fish and chips or tacos on grilled corn tortillas are gluten-free options. Eat at outdoor picnic tables with views of the river and Coquille River Lighthouse in the distance. Choose a hunk of smoked salmon, tuna or smoked oysters to take home. After lunch, rent gear to do your own fishing or crabbing.
5. The Crazy Norwegian’s Fish & Chips, Port Orford
It’s worth braving the crowds at The Crazy Norwegian’s Fish & Chips, a popular roadside diner that often runs specials with locally caught fish. Baskets come with fries and slaw — or substitute the vinaigrette-dressed pasta salad. Pair freshly fried nuggets of lingcod or rockfish with lemonade fancied up with locally made cranberry concentrate. Save room to finish with a slice of homemade marionberry pie. There’s a cheery dining room and outdoor picnic tables, but on a busy day you may want to get takeout or take a walk while you wait to nearby Battle Rock Wayside Park, where you can gaze out over the ocean and craggy sea stacks.
6. Woggy’s, Gold Beach
When Ivar and Grace Southern bought Woggy’s food truck, they treated it like they would a boat, keeping the name christened by the previous owners. Ivar catches all the flaky rockfish or lingcod, which is fried in a crunchy cornmeal breading. Gluten-free diners can request grilled fish substitutes and enjoy the blackened fish tacos. Woggy’s is open reliably from late spring to fall with occasional winter hours. There are only a few tables, but not to worry. Cruise along Oceanside Drive to find the perfect spot to eat lunch and watch the Rogue River flow into the Pacific.
7. Catalyst Seafood, Brookings
From the outside, Catalyst Seafood looks like any other industrial metal-clad building in the Port of Brookings Harbor, but the interior is cozy and comfortable, festooned with painted seascapes and historical photos. There’s plenty of seating on the deck, too. Options rotate with the selections brought in by the fishing family that owns it, but expect to find crispy lingcod, rockfish and albacore tuna packed into overflowing baskets with fries. A bowl of steamer clams served with an Andouille sausage-studded broth is also a popular choice.
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