Seafood in Seaside, OR

Bell Buoy Seafood

In August, Don and I traveled to the Oregon coast for an overnight, with family. 

Before reaching the town of Seaside, our daughter Heidi had figured out lunch.  A place with BUOY in the name. We drove past this colorful crab sign  and circled back.

Buoy's Best Restaurant

It was confusing. The little restaurant sits right next to the seafood market.

The restaurant had a slightly different name. It didn't have nearly as much character as the market's neon sign. But Heidi assured us, the reviews were good.

Noon  

We were lucky to find a parking spot, when we pulled off Hwy 101. The road and lot were crowded, on a August Sunday at noon.

We headed up the steps and I made sure to appreciate the art.

Deck with View

Heidi and I laughed when we stepped out to the dining deck. 

We were just minutes from the stunning Pacific coast, yet we were about to eat lunch looking out over a somewhat swampy-looking creek.

Food & Photos

But Heidi knows her parents. We like fun, authentic places. We were more focused on food and the menu had lots to choose from. Everything from halibut to razor clams.

I of course had to take a peek at the wall photos. There were only a few seats inside and the space was fairly full of folks ordering, but I peeked around and admired old fishing photos.

Tiny

The space was small enough that it would have been intrusive to snap photos in people's faces.

My one room photo shows a door to the kitchen and a man filling orders. Every once in a while, he reached over and stirred a big pot of clam chowder.

First Look

Heidi brought our 18 month old granddaughter out to the deck.  We'd been telling her during our drive that we were taking her to the beach. (as if she knew what that meant) 

Charlie seemed to squeal with delight when she saw the water. Maybe it was a bird she saw, or the feel of the air. Who knows, but we were all pretty amused that this murky water appeared to bring her such joy.

Yum!

​It seemed to take forever until our order was carried out on a plastic tray. The guys were working hard to handle the sudden rush of folks who arrived when we did.

The 4 adults feasted on fried cod, with french fries and coleslaw. The slaw had a secret ingredient that I thought was extra tasty. Was that pineapple? Not sure, but I'm a lover of slaw and this worked for me.

Crab Cakes for Charlie

More and more people filled the deck and some tables below on the grass. We were tucked in at the far end, with Charlie seated in the stroller.

Charlie couldn't have been happier with her first crab cakes. Surprising, since they were strongly seasoned.

​Shopping

​Sometimes you end a meal with a sweet treat. Instead, we went next door.

The little market has been here for 76 years. We decided it was worth a stop.

Case O' Fish

We spent a little time studying the fresh seafood on ice. I wish I'd gotten the name of the wonderful woman who chatted with us.

She told us she'd been working there for 20 years... or maybe it was more. She praised the family owned business, which sells seafood sourced within 50 miles. We bought some peppered salmon jerky and some smoked teriyaki salmon strips for later.

The Beach!

We were off after our quick seafood lunch adventure.

Off to the beach where Charlie's grin got even bigger!
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