30 Best Seafood Restaurants In The Pacific Northwest
Seafood such as Dungeness crab, salmon, and oysters of several varietals, mussels, clams, and more are nearly synonymous with the cuisine of the Pacific Northwest. Lined in fir trees and streaked with rivers, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska, with their proximity to coastal shores and slews of lakes, count themselves amongst the country's most reliable areas to indulge in finned and shelled foods.
While lobster rolls and 'po boys might rule the East coast, shrimp Louie salads and salmon reign supreme along the West coast. With countless oyster farms and fresh fish markets, finding the seafood platter of your dreams can be an overwhelming task in a region so rich with it — it's a pescatarian dreamland. So, to help you out, we compiled a shortlist of the most stunning seafood restaurants (and carts) in the brisk Pacific Northwest. Follow along with our list of the standout seafood-specialized restaurants in the upper left part of the country, and plan your next road trip west accordingly.
Salty's on the Columbia
Although the small chain boasts restaurants in Seattle and Redondo Beach, it's Salty's riverside outpost that we enjoy posting up at the most. Perhaps it's the sunny dining room and the gently moving river beneath the dining room, but the atmosphere and level of service Salty's provide acts like a time portal to a time when white tablecloths and plastic bibs were widespread.
Don't miss the restaurant's crab and shrimp Louie salad before diving into the menu of mains boasting a bevy of fish options including salmon, tuna, halibut, rockfish, and more.
La Moule
A little like stepping into a Jean Luc Godard film, La Moule's casual chicness derives from the restaurant's dedication to remaining cooler than it is fancy. Split into both a restaurant and bar side, La Moule (as the name suggests) specializes in bowls of plump mussels both served with a slab of toasted baguette.
Though the darkly lit date spot namesake dish remains our most ordered dish, we've never been anything less than thrilled with La Moule's other seafood offerings like sole, clams, or branzino, paired with a cocktail from the expansive (and moody) bar.
Madrona Bar and Grill
Located on the largest of the San Juan Islands, the Madrona Bar and Grill first opened its doors to hungry patrons way back in 2009. The waterfront restaurant offers a 5-star view along its tables situated against the windows in an invitingly chic dining room accented with floor-to-ceiling wooden detailing.
Both the cocktail and dinner menus feature creative interpretations of PNW classics, but it's the restaurant's tried and true cioppino soup keeping us warm on the coldest nights.
Southpark Seafood
One of Portland's first interactions in fine dining, Southpark Seafood has seen the city around it change from a flannel-wearing community of proud weirdos to a cultural touchstone. For over 20 years, the restaurant located in the park blocks of downtown Portland has committed itself to serving luxe dishes with sustainably farmed seafood.
The only Portland-area restaurant where you can consistently order a stacked seafood tower, Southpark also curates a top-notch wine list for guests celebrating special occasions.
Flying Fish
Flying Fish Co. first broke onto the Portland dining scene as one of the city's most reliable spots to pick up freshly caught fish, bivalves, and crustaceans. But since moving out of Providore Fine Foods on Sandy Blvd., the operation has moved just a few blocks south to East Burnside and now doubles as a market/full-service restaurant.
With a laid-back patio seating reminiscent of eating in your parent's backyard, Flying Fish always offers poke bowls and fish 'n chips but also doesn't shy away from unexpected dishes like Korean-inspired jjamppong noodle soup chuck full of mussels and clams.
Taylor Shellfish
Don't let the multiple locations and laidback ambiance fool you into thinking that Taylor Shellfish Farms' oyster bars are something of the McMenamins of Seattle's seafood world. Because hiding behind a jeans-and-a-tee-shirt vibe, is an outstanding of both chilled and hot dishes. Founded all the way back in 1840, the Taylor Shellfish brand is nearly inextricable from the Seattle seafood scene.
Not only does the company provide the entire country with some of the best cold-weather oysters on earth, but the operation's flagship bars also offer delicious indulgences like smoked oyster dip, tuna melts, and a mussel toast that have us rethinking the limits of what we put on bread.
Downriggers
Though a fire destroyed the original Downriggers in 2013, the restaurant came back to life in 2016 with a renovated space overlooking San Juan's Friday Harbor. Guests can watch ferries scoot by while they enjoy crab-supplemented deviled eggs, tater tots, and artichoke dip in the restaurant's dining room.
Founded in 1986, Downriggers feels like a throwback to the early days of the PNW's first rise to food culture prominence with dishes like spicy prawn mac 'n cheese and a salmon Reuben. But the restaurant's attention to detail and quality make these indulgent dishes feel timeless.
Fresh off the Hook
Though not directly on the coast, Boise, Idaho in all its fir trees and flannel-ed population still counts as the Pacific Northwest in our eyes. Nearing 30 years of operation, Fresh off the Hook strived to reinvigorate Boise's then-dated dining scene.
Today, the restaurant continues to serve the biggest city in Idaho irresistible fried seafood bites like coconut shrimp and calamari strips; but it's the protein-laden salads like the sesame-crusted ahi tuna salad and the seared salmon-topped Caesar that we champion most.
The Schooner
If you're dining with your entire family (kids included) or want a night out complete with cheap beer and bar food, The Schooner has a corner of the restaurant made for you. Equipped with a spacious patio, cozy dining room, and (sometimes ruckus) bar, The Schooner shines brighter than most of the Oregon coast's other pitstops.
With an emphasis on seasonal ingredients, The Schooner's menu, though always approachable, features not only some of the best seafood in town, but also the best cheese, salt, and produce from local purveyors. We'd never leave without ordering one of the coastal spot's calamari alla brava but have also been swayed into treating ourselves to Dungeness crab mac 'n cheese, made gooey with local Tillamook cheeses.
Seattle Fish Guys
With a vibe as laid back as the name, you might not expect much from Seattle Fish Guys until you begin to pursue its shockingly varied menu. Not only does the Asian-owned business tick every box of PNW-seafood classics, like clam chowder, shrimp cocktail, and oyster shooters, but the outpost also offers Japanese and Hawaiin-inspired dishes like a rotating poke plate (served with a scoop of either mac salad, kimchi, seaweed salad, or squid salad), idako (baby octopus), and a stunning sashimi plate.
But the dish we crave the most has to be one special to this restaurant — a Dungeness crab submarine sandwich dressed in Kewpie mayo, scallions, and sriracha hot sauce. Also handy if you're planning on creating your seafood feast, the Seattle Fish Guys doubles as an expansive market where you can take home everything from whole fish, smoked fish, bivalves, and seasonings and rubs to season your seafood.
Anthony's at Boise
Conventional but classically, Anthony's is one of the few spots in Boise where high-ticket items like seafood towers can be found nightly, and Dungeness crab occupies nearly half of the dinner menu. Anthony's, beginning as a seafood company nearly 40 years ago, ensures its guests the highest quality seafood in the area.
With an almost entirely seafood-centered menu (with a few steak options), Anthony's dinner menu runs the gamut of freshly caught treasures without going overboard with hybridized mashups or overly-cheesy options to cover up subpar seafood or mediocre kitchen skills. Instead, Anthony's plays the classics with perfect pitch.
Chuckanut Manor
Hiding between several lakes, a handful of creeks, and unlimited day hikes, sits Chuckanut Manor. Located in the small Washington town of Bow, Chuckanut Manor has served its community, through several iterations of the business, for over 50 years.
Now serving alluring renditions of dishes like oysters Rockafeller and 'po boys, the outpost has pivoted slightly to keep up with the times, and now puts out halibut tacos and an elevated surf 'n turf dish it christened Manor Oscar.
Chelsea Farms
Another oyster farm turned oyster bar, Chelsea Farms elevates Olympia's dining scene to another level with its thoughtful menu and reigned-in elegance. The small (almost always full) dining room faces the main stage of a shucker's station. Guests are treated to watching the platter of oysters and market-price seafood towers be built in front of their impressed eyes.
But the humbly-sized restaurant doesn't rest on its chilled seafood laurels, as it also serves composed dishes like Dungengous crab gazpacho, seared scallops, and a luxe lobster roll we still dream about.
Westward
Does seafood taste better when you're enjoying it on the waterfront? We think so. This Northlake, dockside destination restaurant is an expansive, Westward's two-storied mini-mansion of the ocean's greatest hits. Not only does Westward's ambiance offer a view fit for a Terrance Malick film, but the restaurant also encourages passing boats to tie up their dock while their passengers enjoy a meal spanning from light bites to jaw-dropping seafood towers.
Changing daily, Westward's menu is a dependable harbor for a handful of raw oyster varietals (which they suggest paring with a mescal flight), and at least one seafood main that will satisfy even the wariest of sailors.
Deckhand Dave's
A food truck with champagne pairings? We'd think it was too good o be true if we weren't clued into Deckhand Dave's the Juneau, Alaska gem that specializes in fish tacos unparalleled within the Pacific Northwest.
Never failing to serve only the freshest of fish and shrimp, the tiny stationary cart made a name for itself when it opened in downtown Juneau in 2017 with its lightly breaded and ideally crisp halibut tacos topped with sales and crema that make Dave's seafood sing.
Sushi Kashiba
Located in the heart of Pike Place Market, Sushi Kashiba, for the past 50 years has remained the city's central location for fine-dining sushi spots. A restaurant that introduced the world of sushi to Seattle, Sushi Kabasha, and its "grand sushi master" (according to Bon Appetit), Shiro Kashiba has served some of the best cuts of raw fish to its diners since opening in 1970.
While Sushi Kashiba's a-la-carte offerings feature some of our favorite fish like black cod, it's the restaurant's set menu or omakase that has us hooked.
Rustic Goat
From merely taking in the view of the Rustic Goat's exterior, it's clear that the Anchorage restaurant is something out of the ordinary. The stunning wooden exterior flocked by floor-to-ceiling windows is a breathtaking sight even before you take in the menu featuring items like tomato coconut curry, drunken clams in sausage, and their essential Alaskan Sockeye Salmon.
With a full bar and plenty of beers on draft, the Rustic Goat will leave you warm all over, despite Alaska's sometimes punishing chill.
Hama Hama Oyster Saloon
Worth walking down the off-beaten path to find this oyster farm overlooking the hood canal, Hama Hama Oyster Saloon is several rungs above the average oyster-centric restaurant. With outdoor seating that surely causes Instagram users to drool on daily, Hama Hama's outpost is the perfect setup for a getaway outside the city.
Of course, the selection of oysters is nearly unparalleled but the entire saloon menu bursts with a modern take on classics like crab cakes, clam chowder, and clams in miso broth.
Local Ocean Seafood
Approaching its 20th year in business, Local Ocean continues to astound Newport Oregon's passersby and the hotspots regulars. Accented with expansive windows, the Oregon coast mainstay rotates its menu monthly, depending on local produce, and the ocean's harvest schedule. Unlike eateries operating in Portland, Local Ocean is able to purchase seafood directly from fishing boats, ensuring both qualities while keeping prices reasonable. Plus, if you're planning on cooking at home or in a little getaway hotel, Local Ocean shares a wall with the bustling seafood market under the same name.
Bar Casa Vale
Though not predominantly a seafood restaurant, Bar Casa Vale's elevated tapas menu showcases some of the best renditions of Pacific Northwest Seafood within Portland's city limits.
Located in central Southeast Portland, the Spanish-inspired charmer cooks up our favorite octopus dish — the pulpo a la gallega, a seafood paella studded with prawns, clams, mussels drizzled with squid ink, and mussel escabeche with grilled bread. Bar Casa Vale makes it easy to eat like a pescatarian, even if you're not one, while inside its cozy walls.
Tracy King's Crab Shack
Sometimes it's the restaurants with a single vision and that one stand-out dish that keeps us mentally sidetracked for weeks on end. Tracy King Crab Shack, in Juneau, Alaska is one of those rare restaurants where the hype is in every way warranted, and even though the crab shack takes up nearly an entire block, they still churn out the best platters of crab we've seen despite the high volume they crank out daily.
Ranging from Dungeness, Bering Sea Red Crab, and Snow crab, the spoils of Tracy's King Crab Shack leave us wanting more time in the day to sample crustaceans.
Quaintrelle
Representing the new class of Portland restaurants, Quaintrelle arrived on the scene after Portland was recognized as a hot spot for upcoming chefs and dining culture nationally.
Now located in the Clinton neighborhood after relocating from its original brick-and-mortar on Mississippi St., Chef Ryley Eckersley combines the treasures of PNW with global influences. Offering both a tasting menu and an al la carte experience, Quaintrelle shines brightest on the top half of its menu composed of raw oysters, crudos, and stunning ceviches.
Nimblefish
For what Nimblefish lacks in ambiance, the restaurant makes up for in quality. Located in an unassuming new building attached to an apartment complex, the price-fixed sushi restaurant only holds 12 seats alongside its countertop. It's here where Nimblefish's diner experience the best sushi the city has to offer.
Rotating on a nightly basis, the menu services the freshest seafood of the moment along with a couple of other small bites and a sorbet made in-house. Well worth the $85 tasting menu price tag, Nimblefish encourages its guest to supplement their meal with add-ons, including a slice of wagyu beef over pristinely cooked and handled rice.
Bowpicker Fish and Chips
This defunct fishing boat got its second life as the home of the Pacific Northwest's best fish and chip joint, hands down. Operating out of an otherwise abandoned parking lot, The Bowpicker has been serving residents and tourists alike for over 15 years.
Offering only one dish consisting of breaded albacore tuna fried to golden, crispy perfection and a side of fries (made flawless with a generous drizzle of malt vinegar), The Bowpicker proves the rule of quantity over quality by remaining the most dependable outpost for lunch on the Oregon coast. Though you might have to wait out a sizable line, The Bowpicker employees excel in efficiency (and friendliness), and once you reach the window, you'll be dipping your nugget of tuna in tartar sauce within seconds.
Salt
The chill of America's northernmost state isn't without the hearth of a dining scene worthy of wrapping yourself in your thickest coat for. Their crown jewel just might be Salt, the Juneau-based operation behind the city's best seafood offerings.
Known for both steakhouse staples like ribeye and Alaskan pan-seared halibut, the restaurant's crab chowder makes us wonder why clam is the default fish for the creamy soup while its prosciutto-wrapped scallops bring us back to the '90s in the best way possible.
Jacqueline
The pinnacle of a neighborhood joint, Jacqueline dolls up the Clinton area with a small but mighty restaurant decorated in tiny odes to Bill Murray's oceanic explorer, Steve Zissou. Be careful wandering into Jacqueline without reservations, because the buzzy business routinely fills up upon opening due to its oyster hour.
Once satiated on oysters, a sample from the small crudos before committing to a main — our favorite always being the restaurant's whole trout cooked on a wooden plank.
Ursa Minor
Lopez Island helps dot the consultation land masses forming the San Juan Islands and nested near the isle's library sits Ursa Minor, a hyper-seasonal, special occasion restaurant specializing in serving seafood on a grand stage.
Named for a constellation translating to "little bear," the restaurant is helmed by a husband and wife team, Nick Coffey and Nova Askue, who runs the back and front of the house respectfully. They moved to the tiny island after stints at high-profile restaurants in the mainland city of Seattle. Now the team serves dishes from the sea (and a few land animals) alongside stunning greens and (our favorite) bread with surprising accouterments like bagna cauda and toasted yeast butter.
Jandy Oyster Co.
A somewhat new but already quintessential addition to Oregon Coast dining, Jandy Oyster Co. has been harvesting oysters for a decade before opening its doors to the public a couple of years back.
Operating out of Tillamook, Oregon the down-to-earth oyster bar never stays far from the classic (oysters on the half shell, shrimp cocktail, and clam chowder). Still, its lack of innovation is more than made up for in freshness and an atmosphere fit for romantic getaways and family vacations alike.
The Salmonberry
The Salmonberry is the kind of restaurant that makes city folks contemplate moving to the outskirts of Oregon and settling down in a more relaxed part of the Pacific Northwest. With all the frills and plating techniques found at the finest restaurants within Portland's city limits, the Wheeler-based saloon serves polished salads alongside the freshest of the coast's bounty.
Specializing in handmade pasta, including our favorite — the bay shrimp malfadine — The Salmonberry, even without the bayfront view, is worth the drive from any direction.
Walrus and the Carpenter
Named after a Lewis Carol poem, The Walrus and the Carpenter represents just one of nine of Chef Renee Erikson's Seattle's Sea Creature restaurant empire. The Walrus and the Carpenter has set the stage for seafood-centric restaurant dining for the past 12 years in the quickly changing metropolitan city. Striking a balance between neighborhood bistro and fine dining destination, The Walrus and the Carpenter's bright dining room feels like a glimmer of sunshine in a state that can have more gloomy days than not.
The Ballard-based restaurant offers nearly a dozen oyster varietals (and a glass of muscadet to pair with), and the menu showcases the best and brightest of the ocean's offerings throughout the eclectic yet perfectly parred-down menu. Our favorites will always remain the raw offerings like their crudos and fish tartars but clever items like grilled sardines keep us engaged in the always-changing Seattle icon.