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Well, I can honestly say, I feel as though I've lived half of my life over the past 10 years there! Meaning, I have gone so many times for happy hour, I think I self-funded part of the medical insurance for at least a few of the employees for a year!! :-)
Seriously, there are so many reasons to give Beaches a "one of my all-time favorite happy hour places" high fives and I know that the staff is the main reason I love it so much. Brittany, LIndsey, Terry, Mike, just to name a few of the many awesome staff employees (at least they're still there; I've known so many through the years that have come and gone) and of course kudos to Vancouver Citizen of the year and Owner/Founder Mark Mathias.
Like I said, I enjoy the happy hours the most and you can find the bar mostly full during happy hour every day of the week. Food is good to great (the wood fired pizza's are a fav, as well as the beach salad, the Korean tidbits, pasta, and more).
I've probably had almost every item on the menu over a 10 year span and it's been a rare occasion when I didn't have great service or good food.
In fact, I think I can count on 2 fingers how many times over the 10 years, when it wasn't up to par.
Overall, Beaches has my vote for one of the Top 10 Happy Hour spots and also great view of the river. Dinners and lunches, you won't be disappointed with either. Although it can be loud and the food on the just good side, it's still worth going for the atmosphere and good times. It's hard to beat the quality of friendly service, drinks and food you'll experience at Beaches on the Columbia River!
OK...from what I'm reading here, this is a good place for Happy Hour. But what about those of us who are not here for Happy Hour???
K...I was meeting a friend for lunch while on vacation and she suggested this place and well...I'm just so not enthused with my experience. While it wasn't really bad, it wasn't really good, it was just kind of strange.
First of all, we had a reservation, but nobody seemed to know where to put us. Maybe it was something I was wearing, or a vibe I was giving off (not local); so they took us to a table, that had one of us having to sit with their back practically in the service area, you know, where they make waters and get fresh napkins and all that...so I asked if we could sit someplace else, and they gave us a table close, but not quite in the service area.
Then our waitress came over, now she was very friendly, but she must have thought I had come to visit her, because she launched into her life story, and collage antics and and and...can we order? So we did, the food was unspectacular, uninspired, but serviceable. And then our waitress came by again, to check on us and to leave her little comment book, with her picture and her sister's picture and we could just write whatever we wanted inside (get Facebook or MySpace, I don't want to "sign" your book. And again, talk talk talk...excuse me...I'm here to see her...not you...no offense...
Anyway, let's leave it at..LindySez...if you want to make a new friend, go to Beaches and ask for to be seated in...well, I won't call her out, cause she really really was trying to be nice.
I really love Beaches. They have the best three bean soup around. I mean, I live in Seattle and I have never had a better three bean soup. Beaches is great place for happy hour, for families, and they have outdoor seating. This is an all around great place to eat. Beaches is located in Vancouver on the Columbia River. I think the location is perfect and the food is awesome too. Great place to visit if you are ever in the neighborhood.
I agree the happy hour is great at Beaches. The dinning side could be better. I have had amazing food and horrible food all in the same month. This place can be a hit and miss but for the most part it is pretty good. The entire wait staff is excellent.
Kind of disappointed overall. Service was friendly, view was amazing, but selection and quality of food was only middling. Portions were on the small side, even for the full-sized fish and chips. Salads were a little boring, though we didn't try the house special as recommended. Table bread--homemade fresh foccacia--was only ok, nothing special. Prices were on the high side considering quantity and quality. Overall, I would choose McMenamins next door instead.
This is a good popular spot on the Columbia River.
The Happy Hour crowd were having a blast while we were there.
We had dinner, casual dinner, with a glass of Oregon Pinot.
Good experience. Go to Happy Hour, and meet the locals in the bar.
On a hot summer night, this place is packed and LOUD. There were a number of very large parties (10 -20 people) throughout the restaurant and our family group of eight was repeatedly asked if we were there for a special event - it is that kinda place. Many looked like large work functions (lots of dudes ordering steak on the company tab?) and couples and smaller family groups all wanting to sit outside to take in the stunning view.
We were there from 7 - 9p watching sailboats on the Columbia as the sun started to set. Spectacular. Things started out well with some good margaritas and chips with chunky salsa.
My entrée selection should be filed under no good deed goes unpunished. Decided to select a 'healthy' option and their Big Beach House Salad with Grilled Chicken was the worst salad I've had in recent memory. Limp iceberg lettuce (didn't that go out of style in the 70s?), grilled chicken, jicama, dressing and not much else. Bland and horrible - I barely picked at it.
Most of the other entrees were better received (salmon, BBQ ribs, seafood fettuccini, pesto primavera, vegetable stir fry), but I don't think anyone is dying to go back for the food. This is a huge disappointment because the service was excellent. And not just our server, who was working her butt off to take care of our party, but it was systematically good service. When you walk through the restaurant you are regularly greeted by people in the kitchen, other servers, busers, etc. It is a very warm, bubbly, beachy atmosphere. You can tell they really want their customers to have a good time.
Also, kids are treated really well. As part of their meal, they get to go to a treasure chest and pick a toy (jump rope, kite), not just a tiny piece of junk. The server then takes them on a tour of the restaurant, and huge walk-in refrigerator, where they get an ice cream treat. But, even my kids barely touched their entrees.
So, we truly had a mix of excellent and awful. Guess that evens out to a 3?
The most beautiful dress I have ever worn in my life was obtained in my 17th year. My senior homecoming at HBHS -go eagles- was to be a fun occasion with my date / best childhood friend. As we planed where to go for dinner with our buddies we figured the obvious choice was Beaches. This is because the Vancouver Restaurant has 2 target clienteles: the teen out for a good time and the adult in search of decent meal. I don't know who you are, so pick your review accordingly:
The hip high schooler:
Yo! Beaches is awesome. When you make reservations let them know something is up... they'll write your name on the chalkboard at the door. That's rad man, take a picture with your disposable camera. Your mom/girlfriend's mom/limo driver knows exactly where this place is and there's tons of parking and the girls won't have to walk far in those shoes. Your waiter is cool and laughs when you make a crack about ordering a round of tequila... you get ice tea. Ice tea is what grownups drink.
Looking at the menu you can pronounce everything, and there's nothing super fancy that will set you back a lot of cash. And there are a ton of salads for your date to choose from. Salads are weak sauce. It takes a while to get your order out, but there are 12 of you, and you don't notice... all the old people walking by keep saying how good you look. Where's your date going? The bathroom? Oh... ok all 6 girls are going now. That's ok, the check is here, they split it for you... Man, what'd Dad say? "Take the tax and double it to leave the tip and thank your waiter..." If he's wicked cool he'll let you pick something out of the toy chest, haha... dude you should totally wear that eye patch in your picture. Your girlfriend will love it.
The rational yeep:
If you're not in the 14-18 year old range, are not chauffeuring them, or are wanting to avoid them and the bottles of cologne they have apparently decided to wear, then I'd suggest Beaches as a great lunch spot. It's causal place where the staff is young and friendly. The menu is pretty basic, offering sandwiches, burgers, pastas and dinners. The majority have a seafood flare, but they do a pretty good chicken too. They are very accommodating to vegetarians and are happy to make a custom dish or revise a menu item to fit your needs.
It's a loud and busy environment, and sometime you feel like you're shouting to be heard. This may or not be an issue to you, but know that it's not as bad in the afternoon. They are prompt to get you a beverage but orders from the kitchen may take a little longer. Don't go if you're in a hurry. Prices are reasonable, issues are quickly and sincerely corrected, and you leave with an overall good vibe.
Fun tip:
There can be a wait at times but if you're feeling active ask the hostess about checking out a bike parked outside and going for a quick ride along the Columbia River. Note I don't recommend this if you're dressed in your finest.
I probably wouldn't ever go here for an evening out again, let alone wear that beautiful black velvet gown here (It's still hanging in my closet). But if I'm in the area, ready for an alright meal with a great view of the river, then count me in... yo.
My husband and I have been several times - we love the view of the River and the atmosphere is so upbeat. It's difficult to hear in this environment and I do have a "beef."
The last two times we've eaten here and charged it on our credit card the math totals in an extra 2 cents. For example: Sub Total 46.15 plus tax of 3.78 equals 49.93. Their Total showed $49.95. Both times this has happened (the last 2 visits) I notice it after I get home and kick myself for not calling it to their attention. But then I thought - if they could make an extra 2 cents on every transaction - that's a nice chunk of change for someone! Irked me. Probably won't go back!
Loved the beachy friendly atmosphere. The food was not outstanding but you get a pleasant kind of homely feeling with it. The key lime pie was specially good.. everyone of the staff was really friendly and you have to appreciate a goodbye taffy with the check. Definitely will return.
Beaches has an excellent happy hour menu, with super cheap food that is much more unique than most happy hour menus. I love the pizza, salads, and dessert specials. The restaurant portion has a great menu too, very diverse. This is a good spot for dates or groups and is especially awesome in the summer because it has a gorgeous view placed right on the columbia river. So yes, it is in Vancouver, but if your a Portlander its worth the venture over the bridge for a change of scenery.
We went here for a company Christmas dinner. Though the place was packed and our group was large, we were promptly seated and the service was excellent.
Everyone enjoyed their food and the full service bar. Parking was a little unorganized (I think they're doing some construction) but overall it was a good experience and I'd go again.
We went to Beaches on the advice of local friends and hotel staff. Our party of three visited on Father's Day (though there were no fathers among us.) It was a beautiful day on the river, so we all wanted to eat outside. There was a small wait for the table, but considering that it was lunch time on Father's Day, that was expected.
We waited in the bar for our table to come available. There is plenty of seating at the bar, and the service there was great. The bartender (I didn't catch his name) recommended a Jungle juice for me, and a drink that resembled a hurricane for a second member of our party. The third ordered the sour cherry margarita. All three beverages were tasty and made promptly.
The bar top is also set up to quickly and easily transfer tabs to the servers that will take the table. We prefer to tip our bartenders separately, so we closed out in cash up there, but it is nice to know that this is an option that the restaurant actually expects their customers will want to use!
We were served by a charming young lady named Chelsea. Like many of the other servers we have had on our trip to the Pacific Northwest, she was awesome. In fact, the entire staff here was friendly and cared about service - servers were running food for all the tables, not just their own.
The three of us ordered basically the same thing, with one person ordering the large Beaches House Salad and the others ordering the small house with a bowl of clam chowder. The salad was delicious - the large had sliced chicken breast, and the small had some shredded chicken. Both had jicama, candied cashews (yum!) and a tasty dressing.
The clam chowder was some of the thickest chowder I've had, but also some of the best. You could almost stick the spoon straight up in the soup. For those of you that know me, the chowder required almost NO fresh ground pepper!
The restaurant had plenty of servers on for such a busy day. The views of the river are beautiful, and a walking path butts up against the outdoor seating area on the riverfront.
Again, Chelsea was awesome and I definitely recommend her as a server (remember, tip well for great service!) At the end of the meal, she delivered the check inside a small notebook. Other customers had taken the time to write some comments in the notebook, so I followed suit. You might see my name in there! I'm not sure if this is the standard practice for all the servers, but it was nice that she took some time to decorate the notebook with stickers and puff-paint.
The company that owns the restaurant is called "Ya Gotta Have Fun, Inc." and the name totally fits the operation. Great job!
Service is awesome. Strawberry lemonade is very good. The view of the Columbia River is delightful. Excellent food and service.
The place really deserves 3.5 stars. It's above average, but not quite 4 star quality. I ordered the sesame encrusted pork loin. It was fairly good. The meat was juicy, but the cut had a lot of fat and the sesame wasn't as good as I expected.
The service was decent although we did get a dirty plate that was promptly replaced.
The sweet and hot wings aren't that good. Too sweet.
The view is very nice along the river.
It's worth a visit.
I absolutely love Beaches. When I moved away to Seattle the first place that I wanted to go when I came home was Beaches. The Beach House Salad is delicious and I always start off with a small one of those. My friend and I used to try and recreate the salad at home because they sell the dressing to go if you ask for it. Unfortunately, it never came out quite as good as theirs.
The appetizers are very good and affordable as well. Filling and fresh on a nice sunny day with a tall glass of ice tea is the best! You can watch the boats go up and down the river, or watch the people walk, roller blade, or bike down the path just in front of you. Great atmosphere for a relaxing lunch or dinner!
Beaches is one of the places you go to celebrate life. The food, beverages and service have brought us back a dozen or more times. As other reviewers indicate, it is popular for groups, for office parties or sports team members celebrating a victory, so it can be a bit noisy. You can ask for seating in a quiet area or, in mild weather, you can sit outside on the patio overlooking the Columbia River. The menu offers sufficient variety to suit a broad spectrum of tastes, and everything I've ordered (whether meats or seafood) has been well prepared. Have a reason to celebrate? Go to Beaches and enjoy yourself!
The service is absolutely awesome--really nice people. The view is simply amazing. I've only given it three stars, however, because the food is only so-so...
My clams were good. My boyfriend's BBQ pork sandwich was dry...
Wine is kinda pricey.
I'll go back and try more appetizers, and hang out enjoying the river.
Simply the best, busiest, loudest restaurant on the Columbia. Great food, great views, overly friendly staff. Customer service is excellent. We went there for lunch once and the meal took a little longer to get to us than the manager liked, so he comped us the meal, we didn't even ask, or notice that it had taken that long. Another time we were there and one of the guys in our party wanted a chocolate chip cookie for dessert. Our waitress left the restaurant and went to a local bakery to get him what he wanted! Granted it was a late dinner and most of the crowd was gone by then.
FUN FUN FUN place to eat. Great service. Everyone seems happy to be at work! The food is very good. Can be a little loud at time but a great place on the Columbia River!
A cute and very yummy place right on the Columbia River that's great for lunch or dinner. Everything I've tried has been really good, but it's not exactly a bargain. This is one of those places to go more for an almost special reason or just once in awhile, but not every day. If you eat too much and need to walk some of it off, the walkway along the river is a really nice stroll on a summer evening.
Vancouver, WA
Category: Restaurants
Vancouver, WA
Category: Pizza
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