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Pacific House Restaurant - CLOSED
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
49 reviews for Pacific House Restaurant
Review Highlights
"The beer-battered fries that came with my sandwich were..."
(in 4 reviews)
"Excellent fish and chips, calamari, and clam chowder."
(in 11 reviews)
"Love that you can get fish and chips gluten free."
(in 16 reviews)
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49 reviews in English
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Review from Dave W.
Bonita, CA
8/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
I think I am gonna have to say they have the best Fried Calamari that I have ever eaten. The Fish and Chips were very well done as well. The chef seems to be running a very tight kitchen and the staff was very friendly.
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Review from Jen S.
Brighton, CO
9/3/2011
Could be a little better on service but the food was great. I had a reuben which was tasty and came with a large, fresh, side salad.
Good fish and chips, fries were great and the clam chowder had good texture/taste but lacked clams.
As we were leaving they were pulling out marionberry cobbler from the oven and it smelled and looked fantastic...wish I would have had room to have some of that!
This place is a bit pricey for lunch- $15 for fish and chips and $10 for reuben. -
Review from Jen K.
I've been pondering this review for over a year. You see, I believe both the raves (some from locals I trust) and the negative reviews. I try to wait to review a place until I visit a couple times to get an overall impression. I've been waiting for highs or lows that others have experienced, but my experiences here have been right down the middle. Even though it is better than most of the local alternatives I've tried, I just can't quite get to four, which means I readily recommend this place to others.
The downsides...
1) You are at the coast, but there is no view since it is in downtown Tillamook.
2) You are in a restaurant trying to give you food more interesting than the majority of local diner fare, but the atmosphere is dated and rather dreary.
3) Service is inconsistent.
They can most easily work on item #3. All of my visits have been during lunch with the kids in tow. I've always ordered items from the kids' menu for them and some version of fish tacos for myself. I've never had an issue with the food.
Is Pacific House my favorite stop on the coast? No. Is it a place I'll return when in the area? Yes. -
Review from John F.
Seattle, WA
8/10/2011
I wish I could tell you that the food is great. Heck, I would like to say it was lousy. But the fact is, that we were seated and had to wait 15 minutes to get water to our table. After waiting another 10 minutes, I got up and asked a waitress to come back and take our order. She did not. Instead, she went to another table to take their order. We got up and left - went across the street and had dinner.
Not once did anyone warn us that service would be slow. No one apologized when we left. The only comment we heard was from a lady in the booth across the isle. - she told us "I don't blame you for leaving".
I can't see how they can stay in business when they treat their customers this badly. -
Review from Betty L.
Greenville, TX
8/12/2011
We had the lunch special which was a cup of clam chowder (one of the best I have ever had), beer battered fries (WOW! GREAT!), 1/2 BLT (would have been better with mayo instead of guac/aoli, but still good). I cannot believe I am going to rave about fried potatoes, but these were outstanding! They were so good that when I went to the ladies room, my husband finished off the fries left on my plate.
The restaurant was really hard to find. It is on First Street (North side), next to a motel, and almost on the corner of US101. The sign is really small. If you want really good food, persist till you find it. You will be glad you did.
The service was a little iffy, but polie. The young man is a student with a full load, full time job and a volunteer fireman so just handle it - the food is so good, you will still enjoy your lunch or dinner. -
Review from C B.
Newberg, OR
7/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Decent decor, nothing to write home about.
Good fish&chips, but a bit steep at three smallish pieces and 14.75.
Nice bowl of clam chowder...not fabulous, but solid.
Waitress was kind and helped the experience, but unfortunately the overall rating lands at "okay." -
Review from Tina P.
Portland, OR
7/7/2011
Must say this first: Don't judge this book by it's cover.
The location stinks (for them), the outside looks old and dingy, and the decor is very dated (but clean) inside. The service was polite but on the slow side; especially since they were almost empty when we arrived.
The food, however, is worth a visit, and that's saying something since this end of the Oregon Coast just doesn't have much in the way of good dining for any time of day. Clam chowder is thick, fresh, hot and tasty--and we are picky about our chowder. Hubby had a burger and declared it to be "awesome!" but said they should include mayo and mustard as a normal procedure. Looked great--big, hot, fresh, cooked to order and all condiments on the side. The french fries are hot and crispy--made with a rice flour coating. I enjoyed the rock fish street tacos very much.
We've already told our friends to go, and we'll be back next time we're in Tillamook! -
Review from Bonnie N.
Klamath Falls, OR
7/24/2011
Not impressed. Service was only ok. I walked in to get a table for four a little after 12 on a weekday. The cute, very pregnant waitress said hi to the guy in front of me (a local?) and when he asked how she was responded with "very busy." Maybe 60% of the tables were filled, so that kind of surprised me.
It was clean, but had a very strong fish odor. We all ordered chowder which took a while to come out, and when it arrived was so hot that I burned my tongue. None of us were fans of their chowder. It's super rich, lots of cream and butter, and while it had a generous helping of clams, it was super salty. We guzzled water after, and during, lunch.
The waitress never came to check on us after delivering our food. I won't be back. -
Review from Libby J.
Minneapolis, MN
1/1/2011
Seeing as I relied on Yelp for most of my west coast vacation dining, I thought I'd return the favor and say how much I loved my lunch here back in July 2010. This hole-in-the-wall quasi motel restaurant provided the best salmon burger of my life. Seriously. Every time I've eaten salmon since, I am reminded of how much better it was at Pacific House. The beer-battered fries that came with my sandwich were fantastic, too.
We had the restaurant to ourselves at 1:30 on a weekday, and service was kind of slow. However, SALMON BURGER, I dream of you and wish we could meet again.
My husband liked his meal, too, but he does not reminisce about it (because he should have ordered the salmon!). -
Review from Steve W.
Hillsboro, OR
Updated - 2/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went there for lunch today and...no shrimp cocktail? Nooooooooooo!
The fish and chips are pretty good, however, if you like ling cod. The fries are done well. One of the members of my party had the seafood linguine, and he was pretty happy with it. And the seafood burrito (yeah, you heard me right...seafood burrito) sounded so wrong, but the other member of my party was digging it.
The service is now average. Not bad, not great, but it was decent service.
It is still one of the better places to go, but I am pretty bummed about the loss of a great shrimp cocktail. Maybe I will rethink the 3 stars thing later, but for now...1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/26/2010
As a young child, whenever I went to the coast, most of the food that we ate consisted of either… Read more »
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Review from Erin O.
6/27/2010
Wow, I am wondering if my family went to the same restaurant for lunch as the rest of these reviewers. We stopped here on our tour of the coast based on Yelp reviews and it was bad from beginning to end.
The booths have cushions that don't quite fit and you can see old food from previous diners in the gaps. We got our lunch 50 minutes after placing our order. The reuben rye bread was burnt a crisp black. How any chef or cook found that acceptable to send out of the kitchen is beyond me. The cups of clam chowder sat on the counter (we could see them for over 20 minutes). Finally the waitress shoved them in a microwave to rewarm them and then served us this microwaved delight. My mom, a vegetarian, said the vegetable quesadilla was tasteless. My daughter didn't eat her shrimp scampi because it didn't taste good.
Where did the rest of you eat? Seriously. -
Review from K C.
New Orleans, LA
Updated - 8/29/2010
After reading some positive reviews on Yelp, we decided to give this place a try. Walking in, it didn't look like much but some times the best places are hole-in-the-walls. The wait staff was friendly and the service was prompt. Beer was ice cold.
The food on the other hand was VERY disappointing. We ordered a seafood platter for two. Nothing was fresh but we thought it was edible. That is until half way through the meal when my girlfriend noticed a thick curly hair cooked into the batter of one of the pieces of fish. We can only hope that it came from the "chef's" beard. The possibilities were enough to make us lose our appetites. We politely pointed the hitchhiker out to our waitress and she knocked a third of the price off the platter...which means we still over paid by $12!
I would never eat there again or recommend it to a friend. My advice is, if you are headed up the coast and can hold out, wait till you get to Cannon Beach to eat.
(This is a re-post. For some reason the original is not showing up.)1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/9/2010
After reading some positive reviews on Yelp, we decided to give this place a try. Walking in, it… Read more »
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Review from Ben N.
10/4/2010
Based on the recent negative reviews, I figure that Pacific House must be up-and-down like a roller coaster, because on consecutive days we ate like a damn hell-ass king and queen at this place. (I'm as surprised by the recent negative reviews as the negative reviewers are surprised by the earlier positive reviews.)
Pacific House's appearance indeed doesn't bode well. From the outside, it looks like a dingy diner attached to a flea-bag motel in downtrodden downtown Tillamook. In fact, that's pretty much what it seems to be. Inside, the dim, woody restaurant looks like it hasn't been updated since about 1971. At least at this time of year, the restaruant needs A/C. And when the menus are delivered to your table, you'll be a little confused, because they make it appear that Pacific House can't decide whether to be a Mexican restaurant or an upscale Pacific Coast seafood restaurant or a plain old roadside diner.
Don't worry about all of that. Just start ordering food, because Chef Nelia Serapion and Sous Chef Philip Bierman know what they're doing. Ordering appetizers, soups, and salads seems like the best bet. At lunch one day, we ordered a seared-tuna tostada, a beet-and-jicama salad, an oyster stew, and fish and chips. All were delicious, the salad was beautifully presented, the tuna was properly cooked, and the oyster stew had an especially concentrated and intense oyster flavor. (But one reviewer below is correct in saying that the fish-and-chip batter was kind of lacking.)
This stuff was good enough that we went back the next night and ordered more food than we could eat: a massive serving of steamed clams served in a (somewhat oversalted but otherwise delicious) cumin curry broth, a ceviche tostada, a fried oyster-and-wilted spinach salad, and a fried-oyster sandwich. It sounds heretical, but we lived more than a decade in New Orleans and almost never had fried oysters this good.
If all this sounds like a mismatched mish-mash, it was. But it's sort of difficult not to order like this at Pacific House.
Prices seemed very reasonable for the quantities, at least for the non-entree items which we ordered. (The entrees may indeed by overpriced.)
Among the few Tillamook County restaurants that have some upscale aspirations, Pacific House is vastly superior to Roseanna's out in Oceanside. -
Review from Sam K.
Updated - 5/16/2011 27 photos
Part Two (of Two):
A couple asides (or btw's, if you will): (a) Ms. K. orders the calamari damn near every time we go here now. And she doesn't like calamari. They're that good. Perfectly cooked: tender, not chewy, good cocktail sauce. Good stuff. (b) drinks: two specifically come to mind--first, the Bloody Mary (one of my favorites). They make a Bloody Mary like everyone should make one--great flavors, good heat, fresh horseradish, quality, fresh ingredients. Probably the best I've had. Second, the margaritas--fresh squeezed juice(s), as we all know, make(s) all the difference in the world. And that is why Pacific House's margaritas are some of the best. Ms. K. Loves her a margarita, and decent ones have been notoriously hard to find in TillCo. Well I am happy to report that Ms. K., who has high expectations and requirements for her margaritas, loves the margaritas here. I've had them as well and they're very, very good. Definitely something to try.
In sum, this place has *never* failed to impress and we've had nothing less than amazing food, impeccable service and wonderful, memorable times each time we've patronized this establishment. Well done, Phil, Nelia and Ben--Tillamook is incredibly lucky to have you.Listed in: Wild geese that fly with the…, Places to visit in Tillamook…
3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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5/14/2011
Part One (of Two) (seriously, Yelp?! A 5000 character limit?! Wtf?)
So, this update has been a long… Read more »
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Review from Chey K.
Tillamook, OR
6/3/2010
I have waited far too long to write this review. I L-O-V-E this place and the two amazing chefs that have graced little Tillamook with their expertise. Every time I go here, I like them more. Both Nelia and Phil treat us like they have known us for years. It all started when we happily "won" a chef's tasting menu at the local Chamber of Commerce Silent Auction. My fiance and I were very excited, and booked a table as our Valentine's treat to one another.
Course 1: Baked Netarts Bay Oyster with sweet/spicy sauce (there's a name for the sauce which I forget currently), paired with champagne. I don't like oysters. Period. The texture was a little hard to stomach, but the flavor was INCREDIBLE! The spicy sauce on top was excellent! Not too spicy, and wonderfully seasoned. I have trouble commenting on the oyster since it was the first one I ever had. It seemed perfectly cooked by my standards, which doesn't count for much since, again, oysters are not my thing.
Course 2: Lobster Risotto with green peas, and balsamic, paired with a Pinot Gris. This was complete heaven to my humble little tastebuds. The lobster was sweet and delicious, and the fresh peas really stood out in the risotto. The wine was nice and light and complimented the risotto very well.
Course 3 (my favorite!!!): Bison Bourginon with fingerling potatoes paired with an Umpqua Merlot. Ok. I give up. This was, hands down, the most amazing dish I have had at Pacific House. It was complete comfort food and I wanted to curl up beside it and spend the night. Unbelievable sauce, extremely tender bison, and perfect potatoes. You, chefs, have my undivided attention.
Course 4: Organic baby greens with Hood River apples and pears with goat cheese paired with Gewurtzraminer. The fruit was refreshing and crisp and it was, what seemed, a wonderful palate cleanser before our next course. They also added a little bit of salt on top of the salad, and it was just enough to bring out the flavor of the apples and pears.
Course 5: Roasted Alaskan Halibut with grilled asparagus in a lobster bisque. Yeah...I don't eat much seafood, but this was wonderful! The lobster bisque had a light sweetness to it that complimented the halibut and asparagus.
Course 6: A smorgasbord of desserts, including creme caramel flan, creme puffs filled with Tillamook ice cream and chocolate sauce. I will admittedly tell you that I would never order creme puffs in a restaurant, as they are not my favorite thing. I have ordered creme puffs several times since trying theirs. Unbelievable...and the caramel that Chef Nelia makes is to die for! She also made us a White Russian and an Orange Lemon Drop of sorts to go with our dessert tray.
Overall, a perfect eating experience. I have had several other fun times there, including a visit with a bunch of gals (coworkers) where Phil and Nelia decided to "just feed us, no need to order." Each course was better than the last, and we ended up trying tons of different menu items for an insanely reasonable price. I highly recommend this wonderful restaurant and hope that everyone gets a chance to experience Pacific House in the same way that I have. -
Review from Will S.
Cloverdale, OR
8/19/2011
Great food. If you're a local, get to know the chefs.
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Review from Christy R.
Corvallis, OR
5/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Love that you can get fish and chips gluten free!!! And they were amazing!!
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Review from Jenni F.
Portland, OR
8/4/2011
Gluten Free appetizers, main dishes, and desserts!! You have no idea how much that made my day. Yelpers ratings brought us here, but I had no idea walking in off the street that I'd have such a fantastic GF selection in a tiny coastal town.
I agree with other users - from the outside, it doesn't look like much. Inside it is clean, with older, but well maintained booths and tables.
A quick run down of the GF highlights: The calamari - awesome, as were the beer battered fries, the breading on the fish....and THE DESSERTS! We split a deliciously moist chocolate cake with berries, ice cream, and an especially tasty caramel sauce; as well as a fresh berry cobbler that was hands down the most amazing thing I could have asked for that day.
I had the Cobb Salad and was VERY happy with it - it was filling and had lots of freshly grilled chicken breast. A friend had the burger, and was loving it - she especially liked the seasoning they used in the meat. Another friend had the fish and chips, which I sampled and liked. Be aware if you're a fish and chip kinda person though - it's not a huge portion of fish for the price, and it's a very mild fish. Mild fish is OK by me (I'd drown it in malt vinegar!), but it might not be for everyone.
There were a lot of organic veggies on the menu, and local, happy meat. I didn't know what the experience would be going in to it - but I will definitely be stopping by for encore meals when I'm in Tillamook! -
Review from Greg T.
Southwest Portland, Portland, OR
Amazing!! The salmon dishes were both delicious, I wanted to order another one for the trip home. I will definitely make the hour and a half trip to come back.
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Review from Justin B.
Austin, TX
7/7/2011
We love a restaurant that uses fresh local ingredients and has gluten-free options. Fish tacos were excellent. Fresh, simple ingredients put together expertly were awesome. Caesar salad was just right, with flavors of garlic and anchovies (as it should be), and was not too saucy. Friendly but unobtrusive waitstaff.
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Review from Matthew B.
Chico, CA
8/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
Not bad. I am not sure how, or why, people are giving it 4 stars, but each to their own.
We got there, and were promptly seated. The menu had a goos selection, but since w, so doggie box home.e are on the coast, i tried the fish and chips. The fish was light, flakey, and not fried in a heavy batter. It was refreshing to have a light battered fish. The chips were good string cut fries, but had some rice flower coated over them when they were fried. It was different.
My two year-old had a "child"'s portion, that was HUGHE. Way too much for her, so doggie box home.
Overall, not bad, but not 4-stars. -
Review from Sean M.
Ann Arbor, MI
5/22/2010 1 photo
While on the Oregon coast, some friends and I wanted to get a good dose of seafood. I'm very happy that Yelp reviews (and limits on which places were open) steered us here. I rarely write a review based on just one visit, but I'm confident of Pacific House's quality after our one visit (it also helps that we ordered enough food that the chef commented "man, you m************ can eat").
While waiting for our order, we were brought chips and a very good ben dip. For soups, both the clam chowder and oyster stew were impeccable. Clam chowder is one of the foods I use to judge a seafood restaurant, and Pacific House passed with flying colors.
Next, we shared the fish tacos. We ordered them with avocado sauce - they were delicious, but a bit mild for my preferences. I might go with something less mild next time. This was followed by the seafood linguine, which was again fantastic and the seafood to pasta ratio was very generous. We rounded it out with the fritto misto (for two, easily enough for three on its own); everything was excellent.
My one regret is that we did not have room left for dessert.
Despite arriving near closing, service was attentive, enthusiastic, and patient. Portions were large, especially considering the quality and reasonable prices. I would enthusiastically return the next time I am anywhere in the area. -
Review from Denise R.
Cloverdale, OR
8/14/2010
Like some of the other reviewers, I can't believe I was in the same restaurant as the glowing reviewers! We were there for lunch and the menu had a lunch menu on one side and the other side had items that were for all day until closing. The menu I saw was really nothing out of the ordinary except that they make an effort to use local, fresh ingredients which I applaud.
I ordered the fish and chips. It really should be called chips and fish. The beer batter fries were very good, but the fish, while juicy and tender seemed to be cooked without coating and it definitely didn't have a crunch. I don't know about you, but I want a nice light crispy coating on my fish. When ordering fish & chips, I'm not looking for a healthy grilled fish experience. At $14.75 it was mostly a plate of fries with the fish and no slaw or salad. Definitely overpriced. The homemade tarter sauce was very thin and could have used more seasoning.
DH ordered the fajita platter and while there was a lot of fajitas, the sauce was thin and definitely could have been kicked up a few notches.
It surprises me to read the reviews that said they were served chips and beans....it would have been nice, but alas nothing for us. Also, there was no lunch special entree and when I asked the server what the special filling for the burrito was, she replied "it's usually pork". Uh?? I don't care what it usually is, I want to know what it is TODAY.
I had high hopes for this restaurant because of the Yelp reviews and the area certainly could use some good eateries, but unfortunately, I left disappointed. -
Review from Kirsten B.
Portland, OR
4/19/2010 1 Check-in Here
Truly worthy of a five star rating. Fantastic food made by people who truly care about their food. I would normally point out shat I feel to be high points of an establishment, but I am honestly so impressed by the quality and design of the food, as well as the personable and personal service, that there is no place to begin. The whole experience was one of the best I have had in years, and possibly ever at the price point.
My husband and I dine out daily, and both wish that we lived in the area so we could eat here regularly. We will make this a stop every time we are in the area. Worth the trip from Portland by itself! -
Review from Kyle M.
Portland, OR
9/14/2011
I've eaten here several times now for dinner and the food is great! I've tried most of their seafood dishes and they have always been fresh and wonderfully prepared. I highly recommend this place.
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Review from Joel H.
Fort Worth, TX
1/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place was an interesting mix of latin and american. Very good actually. The whole family enjoyed it and I will definitely hit it up again.
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Review from Bill S.
Atlanta, GA
8/27/2009
Encouraged by good notices from several Yelpers, we stopped by the Pacific House, open for only a short time but already getting good notices from locals. We found it had terrific food, carefully, thoughtfully and attractively prepared using many products from local farmers and fishermen. In fact, in our two weeks of traveling around Oregon, this was the best restaurant we visited, just barely nudging out Sidestreet Bistro in Florence. And, in addition, the prices here are ridiculously low. This is one of the great dining experiences anywhere around based on quality of food and pricing for it.
The clam chowder was a complex fusion of tiny, fresh, tender clams with green onions and a hint of cinnamon adding layers of good taste. The tiny cubed potatoes were cooked separately then added to the chowder, resulting in a true clam chowder NOT potato chowder as so many restaurants inflict on us. The crispy calamari was just that, including the delicious tentacles, cooked in a light, wonderful rice flour and seasoned with fried parsley, capers, jalapeno and lemon. The baby greens and spinach salads (two different salads, by the way) were superb, the tomatoes in each grown in the chef's garden! The seafood ceviche was halibut and shrimp marinated in lime(?) and also octopus and squid with chunks of mango and fresh avacado, served on tostados. It was lovely to look at and absolutely scrumptious to eat. The cost was an amazing $31 for all that.
The service was fine. The chef/operator talked about the food with us throughout our dining and could not have been more personable and knowledgeable. The bottom line, of course, is, "how does it taste?" The answer at Pacific House is spectacularly yummy. If we lived here, we'd be regulars.
Downside? Well, the exterior is not much, and the interior is a series of rather ordinary booths. If atmosphere matters to you more than food, you'll not be interested. Everyone else shouldn't miss it. We're very, very happy we didn't. -
Review from Ling B.
Redwood City, CA
9/5/2009
Maybe I'm just a city slicker and places like Boston, San Fran, and Seattle have spoiled me, but I was expecting a lot better given the other reviews for this place. After trying it for myself, I'd be surprised if some of the other reviews here weren't from restaurant staff. The food was OK, not great / not horrible, but the ambiance was definitely not that of a 4 or 5-star establishment.
The service was questionable and the waitress couldn't answer basic questions about what was in my food. When I asked for a tilapia, there was no indication on the menu or warning from the waitress that the fish was served whole (as opposed to fillets) and a boned-in mess.
To add insult to injury, the waitress saw me struggling with the fish and said that she heard a story about how tilapia was a holy fish. Really? I searched around and couldn't find anyone claiming that this fish is holy in any culture. What's more, she claimed to have forgotten the actual story. Whether her claims are true or not, she should at least have remembered the exact story (or made it up on the fly) if she was going to say anything. Sheesh. -
Review from Susan C.
Auburn, WA
8/18/2009
Don't judge a book by it's cover.
My husband & I were on a road trip and just needed food. We saw a little old building with a Grand Opening sign. We figured we'd get some fish and chips and be on our way. No way.
We were seated and given menus, and then the sous chef, Philip Bierman, came to the table to let us know the Cod was less than 20 hours out of the water. Fresh to say the least. The menu was amazingly full and I had a hard time deciding what to get.
The fish tacos were fresh & tasty, the shrimp diablo tacos had amazing firey flavor, and the avocado salsa was amazing. I was dipping my bread in it, it was so good. My husband ordered the Halibut, which was done just perfect and served on a bed of this yummy corn stuff that I couldn't stop stealing off his plate.
Go to this restaurant, you won't be disappointed. I want to go back now, but it's like a 8 hour drive. -
Review from Lisa T.
Waipahu, HI
2/25/2011
I've eaten here numerous times during my trips to Portland, Oregon. It's totally worth the drive from Portland. Chef Nelia and Sous Chef Phil are amazing chefs who know how to make ingredients shine!
I've never been one to eat clams aside from in clam chowder...that was until Chef placed a bowl of steaming hot clams in a curry broth. Now I'm no big curry lover...but the bowl of clams was AMAZING! I could not stop eating the clams until I realized I ate half the bowl. I've never enjoyed clams as much as I did there.
Now I know a lot of people have written about the fish and chips... I too was skeptical of the fish and chips as I'm used to the golden brown deep fried stuff you can find anywhere along the coast...but this place tops them all. The fried coating on the fish is light and crunchy. The tartar sauce was amazing as well. I asked the sous chef if I could buy a bottle, but alas he said no.
Chef Nelia and Sous Chef Phil are two outstanding chefs who know what they are doing...really nice ones who take pride in their food.
I look forward to my next trip to Oregon this coming June :) -
Review from Jin B.
Honolulu, HI
8/5/2010
I recently visited the Oregon Coast this past month and came across this nice cozy restaurant nestled in the rural town of Tilamook. I really try to keep away from the tourist traps so I bypassed the hustle and bustle of herded tourists at the Tilamook cheese factory and found my way to Pacific House Restaurant. It may look like a regular diner inside, but when you take a peek at the menu, you feel you've stepped into a 5-star restaurant without the over-priced, high caste system atmosphere.
The food here is DIVINE!!!
For apettizer, my friend and I ordered the manila clams in light curry sauce and WOW! I didn't think you can make clams this good. My friend who I dragged along is crazy for fish and chips and already had a serving for lunch from the Silver Salmon when we were in Astoria, but she was so elated when she tried the fish and chips here. The fish was so fresh, flaky, and flavorful! Not to mention the tartar sauce is a homemade specialty created by the sous chef. I tried the special that day which was the halibut with creamed corn and farm fresh veggies and I can't stop salivating just think about the creamed corn! The Chef really knows the value of using fresh ingredients ad you really can taste it!
LEAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT! The flan was so decadent and delicious. You'll never find flan anywhere else this good.
I frequently travel to Portland and wouldn't mind the 2-hour drive to see the coast and stop by this amazing restaurant again. -
Review from James M.
Portland, OR
9/2/2009
4.5 stars (see drawbacks), but I'm going to go ahead and round up because it's hard to find food this good on the coast.
Highlights: Shrimp cocktail, shrimp cocktail, shrimp cocktail. It's made with fresh everything, including (yes) shrimp, heirloom tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeno, avocado and julienned radish and onions. It all swims around in a delicious bath of clam juice and shrimp stock and they rim the (gigantic) glass with some kind of addictive bay seasoning. It's $11.75, but worth every penny. Also try the excellent ling cod fish and chips, which is not greasy and the fish is in an unusually tasty light batter and served with a delicate tartar sauce. The service was attentive and friendly, and based on the flavor combinations of the dishes we did get, the chefs seem to know what they're doing.
Drawbacks: No alcohol (they don't have their license as of 9/2/09), and there was no one else in the place tonight but us, so the atmosphere was a little lacking--it was late when we got there for dinner and they are new to town, however.
I'll make a special trip from Portland just to bring my wife down to try the shrimp cocktail. Have I mentioned the shrimp cocktail? -
Review from Scott E.
Eugene, OR
5/1/2010
This is a fantastic find in Tillamook. I had 2 meals with 6 family members, and everyone loved the food. The lunch started with unusually fine refried beans, great seafood, and ended with a flan to die for. The dinner was even better, with nuanced flavors and beautiful presentation. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there, and the warmth and informality of Phil, Nelia, and our waitress. I live over in the Willamette valley, and I'll make the drive every now and again just to eat here, it's that good.
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Review from Pomai Kai M.
Portland, OR
Finally Tillamook got a good restaurant. I come here from Portland once or twice a week on business. I had lunch with four other local gentlemens. Since it was thier favorite restaurant in the County. The menu itself is amazing. Lots to choose from.
Hot beans & chips was a great touch. Not its because its complimentary but the beans was so flavorful. Phil our sever and also one of the Chef was so helpful with questions and suggestions. We started with clam chowder & oyster stew. Each ordered an entree of: chefs inspired enchilada, fishtTaco with avocado salsa, (which by the way the best I've ever had) Prime rib french dip w/ beer battered fries smoked salmon fettuccine & seafood linguini. Every plate presented beautifully and bursting in flavors, The Dinner Menu looks really good and interesting.
Later that evening I returned for the Bison special accompanied by 2 glasses of oregon pinot noir that the chef suggested. They feature wild game meat each week, elk, venison, goat etc.
That's it! I am hooked. Can't wait to try crispy calamari or the shrimp cocktail some of you raved about. -
Review from Paige H.
4/30/2010
Happily we took the advise of other yelpers, and adventured to try this place. The seafood linguine, is to die for, and the chef personally selected a wine pairing for me. Delish! Again, it's a resort town near the bay, so order seafood and skip the tex-mex offerings that you can really get anywhere. Order well, and you will be happy.
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Review from Joe S.
Vancouver, WA
2/22/2010
Randomly fantastically good. We had a slew of food and everything was great. Who knew there would be amazing avocado salsa in a town of like 30 people? The fish was crazy fresh and we were salivating over everything that came out of the kitchen. I wish i could have tried everything.
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Review from Robert L.
Richland, WA
7/10/2011
Best and most authentic fish tacos I have ever had on the northwest! Amazing clam chowder as well, a little on the sweet side. Overall a must try.
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Review from gregory d.
Kirkland, WA
7/5/2011
Well, it started out great. The waitress special made a lemonade for my son since they had no more left from the day, the food tasted pretty good, and the waitress seemed really nice. However, I never received the beer I ordered, and upon reaching the bottom of my salad I discovered a smashed fly carcass oozing on my plate. The waitress took the salad off of the bill, but I think since I left there feeling rather disgusted my whole meal should have been free! I won't return. Eek! Methinks not!!!
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Review from felicia d.
Westminster, CA
5/29/2010 1 photo
I'm sitting here at the restaurant just finished an amazing lunch. A kind of lunch that just made me wish that I live in oregon. The chef owner Nelia was very friendly. - got the oyster stew and the seafood tostada. And finished my meal with warm bread pudding. Let me just give you one word... It's to die for!!! Well that came out more than one word, LOL!! But it's good.
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Review from Autumn C.
Austin, TX
8/27/2009
After a long day of Crabbing @ Rockaway Beach, we went for dinner at The Pacific House. Everyone ordered something different and all looked very appetizing! The portions are HUGE...and I thought everything was bigger in Texas! I ordered the Local Organic Baby Greens salad and the Pacific House Shrimp Cocktail; both were amazing! The salad was fresh and I think the walnuts were on steroids, which in this case was a good thing. The shrimp cocktail was unique and very different than any shrimp cocktail I've ever had. It was very different from the way restaurants in TX do it. It was full of avocado which I love love love & the shrimp was so fresh it was sweet. I would def recommend this place if you happen to be in the area. I know if we go back I plan on taking a day trip just for the shrimp cocktail!
