We were looking for our last meal of fish & chips before heading back inland and Bouy's Best seemed to be the best option. When we first walked in, we were a bit confused since it seemed like it wasn't actually a restaurant and was instead a fish market - it turns out we went into the wrong door. Bouy's Best Restaurant is the building that says restaurant outside, not the market next door that only sells fresh, frozen, and smoked fish. We elected to get the Captain's Platter to share as it seemed to include most of the fried items that they serve. It's great for sampling! Captain's Platter ($34) - The Captain's Platter is served on two trays - one with the fries, and one with the seafood. The fries are pretty standard commercial battered fries. Crisp on the outside, tender on the inside. Not really much else to say. The seafood plate consists of one piece each of lingcod, salmon, and halibut, two oysters, one razor clam, and two prawns. I love the batter they use here - it's light, lacy and crisp. Not quite as light as tempura, but it stands up against the fish well, and it adheres enough so that a hearty bit won't leave naked pieces of protein or hollow husks of batter. While there's a bit of oil soaked into the plate, the batter is not oily at all. Starting with the fish - I understand now why salmon isn't used for fish and chips much since it gets dried out a bit. Still good, but not as good as salmon could be grilled or baked. The taste is quite different and a bit stronger to the typical generic farmed salmon. I'm not sure what the difference between halibut and lingcod is since I don't have too much experience with the various types of fish. One of them, which I think is halibut, tastes a little bitter and has some strange fatty and tendinous parts. I didn't enjoy eating it due to the texture and taste. The other piece, which I think is the lingcod, is also a little acrid, kind of bitterish with a very distinct taste. I think this is why fish & chips is traditionally cod - it's much lighter in taste. But if you're looking for something a little more flavorful, lingcod and halibut might be the way to go. I don't really like oysters and the fried oysters included in the captain's platter did not change my mind. They are mushy, very briny flavored. The prawns are pretty solid, good and sweet. The tail part of the shrimp is so crisp you can easily eat it without any issues. Finally, the razor clam is very good. Nice, large, and chewy. My favorite was the clam, followed by the salmon, prawn, cod, halibut, and oyster. (3/5) On the side, they server a cup of tarter sauce, cocktail sauce, and slaw. The tarter sauce is very creamy. They are heavier with the mayo than most tarter sauces. It's tangy and quite rich, but I feel like they add quite a bit less pickles than other places. The cocktail sauce it just a nice refreshing and acidic sauce to break through some of the fat in the batter and seafood. The slaw is interesting. It's quite sweet and acidic, with bits of pineapple mixed in. It works well with the seafood. There's a wedge of lemon included as well to add more acidity to preference. Clam Chowder, Small ($7.99) - This is a decent clam chowder. The clam taste comes out quite well, followed by a bit of vegetalness from the mirepoix. The razor clams are cut into larger pieces than traditional clam, resulting in meatier and chewier pieces that I would normally expect. The broth is thick and rich, but I'd say not as creamy as most other clam chowders. It's more of a grey than off white in color. They are pretty generous with the ingredients, with the vegetables, tender potatoes, and the aforementioned clams. That all sounds good, but the major downside is how salty the chowder is. The amount of salt they add makes the clam chowder a little unpleasant to drink. I didn't end up finishing the chowder. (3/5) Overall the food I had at Buoy's Best was kind of meh. After I ate the fish & chips I felt a bit burnt out on this dish (even though I had only eaten it twice that week). Was it the difference in flavor vs. other fish & chips? I'm not sure, but I don't think I would revisit Buoy's Best. I'm not saying the food served here is bad - it just didn't work for me personally. I suppose if you're bored with the usual fish & chips and want something a bit different, Buoy's Best is worth a try. Bathrooms: One unisex room read more

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We had the halibut fish and chips. It was pretty good. They used the meaty pieces of fish (unlike some places which use the cheaper ends). It was fried to perfection, in this case slightly rare (just slightly) so the halibut was tender. We also had the clam chowder, which was a good complement to the meal. read more

Excellent fresh crab cakes. Sampled their smoked fish and will have to go back for more. Todd was so personable.

We got here at 30 minutes early seeing the reviews for the shop next-door which people were reviewing the restaurant stuff for. Bell Buoy of Seaside is separate from Buoy's Best which is the restaurant by the way. After waiting we were able to order our food but couldn't get the whole crab dinner which is only available after 2-3P-ish, which we didn't know and were kind of disappointed because we came for lunch. We got the oyster shooter, crab cocktail, crab melt, 3 piece halibut, and large clam chowder. After getting back to our hotel, we realized they forgot our chowder which means we had to drive back to get it. They were nice about it and gave us 2 larges as a consolation. The verdict: Oyster shooter: delicious. Nice plump oysters with a nice helping of cocktail sauce. The lemon slice was very thin so it was difficult to juice but after juicing it was very good. Crab melt: had a good amount of crab but overall pretty small for the price. It was about 3" x 2" x 1" for reference. Crab cocktail: we got the small and it was a pretty hardy helping for the price and the crab that a sweet flavor which was unlike the crab meat we had at Finn's the day before. Clam chowder: it was average. Alittle gritty for my liking; I was hoping for a more creamy texture with pronounced pieces of clam but it was mostly potatoes. Halibut Fish and Chip: The halibut wasn't that crispy but that was also maybe because we had to go back to get our clam chowder before being able to eat. We may try this place again someday for that whole crab dinner but other than that nothing really blew our minds. read more

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TLDR: not worth the money. Or satisfaction. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the foods "Clam Chowder" and "Crab Melt"? To me, I envision a hearty sandwich stuffed with shredded crab and a bowl of delectable and heart-warming chowder. You do not get that at Buoy's Best. You get sheer disappointment. My wife and I ordered: The Combo Melt (mix of shrimp and crab) The Crab Melt Large Clam Chowder I'm not going to beat around the bush: the melts were sad. The melts consisted on a piece of toasted cheesy bread with crab/shrimp on top. Not a sandwich at all. It was measly in portions and definitely not worth the $15. Albeit the shrimp/crab were good, it's not enough to save the sadness of the melt. The chowder was more of a syrup/gravy consistency. It's so thick and not well seasoned. On top of that, we were given STALE crackers. Most likely expired, which grinder my gears sourly. The cherry on top? We had to wait more than 30 min for our food. The guy prepping the food was not only slow, but: 1. Didn't wear a mask 2. Didn't wear gloves Despite a line growing by the minute, there was no urgency in his preparation, and we waited so long for mediocre food. Verdict: stay away. Or try the fried foods, there's some good reviews in that category. read more

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We were down here from Seattle on a 4 day vacation to Seaside and Cannon beach. Firstly the service from Danny and Nicole was stellar... Really nice people and bring good vibes to the business. The place smelled really good, clean and has cute outdoor seating right on the riverside. Prices are very reasonable, they get the fresh product from the seafood market next door, and prepare it for you when you order it so it's always fresh. We got a bunch of stuff, crab rolls, crab cocktail, fish n chips, oysters etc... and ALL OF IT WAS DELICIOUS. The only thing i could see someone having a problem with is it's at the south end of town kind of away from the main drag in Seaside, But believe me and trust me one time it's worth the little extra drive or walk. Enjoy and awesome guys! Tell them Max sent ya! read more

Buoy's Best - Seafood Near Me - Seaside, Oregon

Very pleased with the food here. Fairly large seafood menu options and a nice clean restaurant. Few tables for inside dining, but several outside tables for good weather days. Service was prompt. Prices were about average. read more

Inexpensive price for really delicious seafood! Nice atmosphere and really clean restroom. I enjoyed the lack of pretension and high quality of the meal. I absolutely loved the fried oysters - they were perfection and the fries were excellent. Nicely crispy with well balanced seasonings. Worth buying on their own! My husband tore through the fish and chips with wild abandon- so that is always a good sign. This place is a humble retreat which revealed the best seafood my husband and I had our entire trip to the coast! read more

We usually stop here for fish and chips when we're on the coast. The baskets come with fries and coleslaw. Fried cod: 5/5 The batter on the fish is nice and light (lattice-like), and the fish is flaky and moist. Fries: 3.5/5 waffle fries. 1 basket was seasoned and under-fried, and the other was unseasoned, but properly fried... Razor clams: 2/5 clams were chewy and batter was soggy Coleslaw: 5/5 yummy--nice small pieces of cabbage with pineapple for extra sweetness! There is limited inside seating, but there are seats outside on the balcony and picnic tables. Unfortunately, there were some aggressive seagulls stalking the tables outside, which made the dining experience a bit frightening. read more

We stopped in here for the clam chowder that we had been told was really good and discovered they were out of chowder for the day. Heartbroken! Since we were only in town for the weekend we didn't get a chance to stop back in to see if we could get any. We settled for fish and chips and crab cakes with chips. Both meals were really good, served hot, and well prepared. The coleslaw was good and the fries were crispy. The server that took our order and prepared the food was super friendly and got our order out to us quickly. We'll be back next time we pass through town to see if we can try the chowder. read more

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I was new in town and wanted to try oysters & found this place on yelp. Clerk made snarky comments when asked basic questions about oysters. Will not return. read more

Food is good here. I like variety of fried items, even razor clams. The only thing is their clam chowder wasn't salty enough, after adding salt it tasted better. I recommend coming early this place gets packed read more

Buoy's Best - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Seaside, Oregon

Try the chowder and everything else that looks interesting on the menu. Fresh crab, fresh shrimp, fresh oysters! Yummm. They have an amazing cocktail sauce that compliments their fresh seafood. read more

Buoy's Best - Try the chowder and everything else that looks interesting on the menu. Fresh crab, fresh shrimp, fresh oysters! Yummm - Seafood Near Me - Seaside, Oregon

Great little seafood spot in Seaside for all your fresh fish needs. They have a great selection of various fish and chips and other batteries seafood for lunch. They also have a store front where you can pick up fresh seafood to bring home to cook! read more

Was really craving fried oysters, so decided to stop here before we left Seaside. I also wanted the razor clams, but they just ran out; the customers in front of me ordered the last of it. I ordered the large order of the fried oysters, and it came with waffle fries and a little side of coleslaw. It came with cocktail sauce, which I don't like so I asked if they had bbq sauce, which they didn't, and I assumed they didn't have tartar sauce since it didn't come with it. The lady gave me packets of catsup, but their cocktail sauce actually wasn't too bad. The oysters were juicy and tasty, but I just didn't care too much for the batter. It was a thin batter, and I prefer the batter that makes the fried oysters crispier. But the food is a better deal here than the other restaurants, and the owners are very friendly. read more

Buoy's Best - Fried Oysters (large order) - Seafood Near Me - Seaside, Oregon

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Attention seafood aficionados! Yummy in my tummy fish and chips so delicious and fresh. Can't ask for more. This is the type of place I would eat at more if it was closer to home. Was on a belated anniversary trip with the hubby due to COVID-19 (bbboooo...) So happy to find this place on yelp. I had the 2 oyster shooters for $4 and fresh fish and chips for $12 wwwhhhhaaattt???? I know right. I devoured and enjoyed it so much. That the ladies next to me couldn't help but notice (who ordered clam chowder that I must get next time) saved it for dinner and ordered fish and chips instead. The halibut and cod are so delish!delightful! And I loved that there is a view of a creek to eat by. read more

Buoy's Best - 2 oyster shooters, halibut and cod fish and chips with cocktail sauce. Mmmmm...Tarter sauce, Cole slaw not in the photo are so good! - Seafood Near Me - Seaside, Oregon

Excellent fish and chips, oysters and service. I picked up two three piece halibut and chips and nine fried oysters. Excellent, friendly quick service. Food was delivered quickly. Food was in good portion. Very tasty. Came with side coleslaw. Delicious! read more

An unassuming place on the 101 in Seaside. Could very easily just pass it by but you may want to stop and check it out. We were looking for a seafood restaurant that wasn't going to be overly expensive but good food. Actually we could not find one in Seaside that we thought could fit our needs. After a few google searches, we decided to give this place a try. Coming from out of town, you don't know what to expect. Not a fancy place by any stretch of the imagination. Walking in do not expect to be seated as you need to order and find your own seat. We ordered simply the prawns and the crab and they were fresh! The prawns were large and snapped when you bit into them. Not rubbery as some places serve them The crab, which came in a small cup was ALL CRAB!! Again, tasted very fresh but the show stopper is the cocktail sauce!! The cocktail sauce was just outstanding!! The perfect amount of horseradish (at least for me) that had a nice kick to it! To the point that it took the remaining sauce and shot it like whiskey! This is not for the faint of heart. We complimented the staff and fist bumped "the creator" of the sauce. Bottle that, son, and make some money! The reason for the 4 stars and not 5 is only because once they move on up and get an improved location, they would have earned another star. Great job! read more

The crab dinner is awesome. I had this for lunch and I'm tempted to return and have it for dinner too!

This is our favorite stops every time we visit Seaside, OR. It's located right off 101 and nest to a seafood store. The workers are are friendly and I've had many great conversations with the staff. There is plenty of parking and located right off the channel. There is outside seating where you can get a great view of the channel/ water. The food is great and the service fast and friendly, the price is what I would expect from a small coastal town. They have good season baskets here including; salmon, cod, clams and oysters. All of the baskets comes with fries and coleslaw. Their clam chowder is also one of the best I've had. I highly recommend this place for great seafood and service if you are ever in Seaside! read more

Buoy's Best - Front entrance. - Seafood Near Me - Seaside, Oregon

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I turned my Mom on to Salmon Jerky (delicious) first stop in Seaside and for 15 yrs this was our norm. I haven't returned since her passing in 2021. The Salmon jerky and friendly staff (RIP Jim) never disappoint. The restaurant hit/miss. Ordered large clam chowder, 3 piece halibut. After paying realized I didn't have cash (@ least 20% cash tip's always to help staff. she said it would be 10 minutes I went to the bank returned my food stapled up. The halibut didn't wasn't cooked all the way & I had ordered it because I asked if completed orders were halibut. Opened to season & clam chowder was 2 inches short for $10.00. Excuse me I've come here for years & never shortened & her response, 'Oh you want more?" NO I'm not asking for more I'm asking for what I paid for! She didn't apologize and I witnessed her mood changed drastically from when u order. I am not going to tip until my order has been completed and I could bet money that was the reason for her TERRIBLE customer service. I didn't say anything to her because it would be me lowering myself to her standards and this was the beginning of a wonderful trip as it so I boosted the tip at FINN. Btw SaltLine hotel & FINN restaurant 5 STARS read more

I've never left a negative yelp review because I think they're stupid and people need to chill, HOWEVER, this place was the worst experience I've ever had. read more

Great food as fresh as it gets. No frills. What you see is what you get. That is a damn great meal at a fantastic price. I have never had an issue here. Friendly service, great food, the best prices, the freshest food, and close to home. Perfect for lunch. Food is quickly prepared and can be take away, taken outside to eat and enjoy the river, or dine in. This is a local favourite. read more

Driving through Seaside, stopped by here for some take out. Ordered a crab melt and seafood cocktail, both were great, very fresh seafood. The portions were okay, a little on the smallish side for seafood cocktail, but the crab and fish quality made it worth it. read more

For a take out experience, the fish and chips are the best I've ever had. The first time I went was with my foodie best friend who always has lunch and then goes to the fish market for oysters when on the north coast. That day I could see the chef cutting the fresh cod meat off of the fish and putting it into the amazing batter. Delicious. With Covid. Everything is ordered outside of the door. You can pick up and sit and one of the four large picnic tables along the river. We had halibut this time. Split a 5 piece halibut with my SO. The reviews are right. The batter is tasty and the right consistency. Not too heavy or too much flour and grease. Just right. The claim chowder and coleslaw wasn't my favorite I'm really picky about chowder. Lots of clams and not too many potatoes with my partner really liked. The coleslaw had pineapple in it. Load up on the fish! read more

BEST SALMON FISH N CHIPS WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI AND PROBABLY EAST OF IT, TOO. Wow I was annoyed w husb bc he wanted to share the salmon instead of halibut. Now I owe him an apology cause it was so frickin good. 10/10. Would drive four hours for their fried salmon read more

The halibut fish and chips was decent, the fries were so-so, and the clam chowder was like paste. It wasn't hot and it was thick and gooey. Giving BB two stars simply because the girl that took our order was friendly and gave us 4 pieces of fish instead of 3 because the cook overlooked our order and had to wait longer than usual. read more

Fried seafood was excellent. I had fried oysters and prawns. Prawns and oysters were huge. and juicy. The batter is very light and not greasy. I had only two complaints about this place: customer service and fries. The guy who I assume owns this place is not very friendly. The fries were not crispy and were undercooked. So far, this is the best seafood that I have had in the Gearhart/Seaside area. They have a limited menu with mostly fried seafood (halibut, cod, razor clams, prawns, or oyster). It depends on what you are craving for. A little difficult to find, if you are looking for the restaurant sign. Look for the blue Bell Buoy Seafood sign with a good size parking lot. The seafood market is connected to the restaurant. It looks like it's the same owner. read more

We just left the resturaunt we went because it had good reviews, maybe living in Miami Beach has spoiled our family, with that sAid The place was filthy, dusty, sticky,dirty!!!! The 2 ladies making the food did NOT wear gloves!!!! They were handling money then using their hands to put crab onto the sand which. My boys had grilled cheese (barely melted) and ckn fingers that were raw and not edible! We are only here for 2 nights visiting before Seattle but I had to post a review because I never post and this place needs to have their place checked out for numerous health code violations. Disgusting On a good note.... I had the crab dinner and I'm hopeful u can't get germs inside of the crab legs read more

When planning the first outing in 7 months for our residents they wanted to go to the beach. The challenge of keeping them in a "social bubble" was going to be a little tricky but not impossible. The team at Bell Buoy in Seaside were more than happy to help me put on a crab feed for 15 people. It was over the moon delicious. I have not heard so much laughter in a very long time. Thank you for making their day! read more

Fantastic!! Don't pass this by... not much to look at from the outside but the seafood is outstanding. The best halibut and chips I have ever had. Really, really good shrimp and amazing coleslaw. Tried to go back for dinner but they were closed. I'll be back tomorrow and every time I'm in Seaside for sure!!! read more

Buoy's Best - Not that cute from the outside but clean and the food is delicious. - Seafood Near Me - Seaside, Oregon

The seafood was indeed fresh as it's right from the dock. But besides that, there's no flavoring in what they add. Plain batter in their fried baskets, and their chowder was very watery. I did enjoy their combo melt, which was crab, shrimp and cheese on a hoagie. Fair price read more

We ordered the clam chowder and chicken strips. Got our food and went to the beach. Chicken was actually raw and the chowder was tasteless gravy. I've never been disappointed with clam chowder before, but here we are. It's also not cheap so that was a big disappointing waste of money. read more

Good food! Got the Captain's platter to try a bit of everything which came with coleslaw (yum) and waffle fries, as well as the shrimp/crab cocktail. All delicious! Nice friendly service. Would definitely revisit when in the area. read more

Wanted an assortment of seafood and this place delivered. It's straight to the point as if you were grabbing seafood from the dock with an added bonus of breading. The Bell Buoy market is right next door and it sells seafood at market price so it was nice to know these weren't just freezer items. My husband and I enjoyed the breading on the fish n chips and prawns. Overall, I would say this is a decently priced meal for what you get. It was all pretty good but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's amazing and the best thing I ever had. It's good for a short stop with a view of the river while you eat. Make sure to get their an hour before closing because they actually take last call orders about a half hour before actual closing time. 15 minutes before their closing time they actually closed the door and ignored us. I'd suggest they keep an updated open-close schedule on their front door/window and actually stay open until the actual time or just say they close earlier to avoid confused customers that went out of their way to stop by their establishment. I saw a handful of disgruntled potential customers get turned away for something minute that could be handled better by re-structure in hours. read more

Buoy's Best - Cool view w/good food - Seafood Near Me - Seaside, Oregon

Yum yum yum yum yum!! This is the restaurant for buoy's best so I have no idea why the reviews aren't as good as next door cause it is delicious! Four of us stuffed our faces full of the best fried fish and fresh crab for $20/pp. Amazing. They know how to fry that halibut and salmon while the crab was sweet and tender. Will be back next time we visit the coast. read more

You'd be hard pressed to find fresher seafood anywhere. It's super casual dining - paper and plastic ware, but the quality of the food is the best. The captain's platter has salmon, halibut, shrimp, cod, oysters and a razor clam that was in the shell an hour ago. Cooked to perfection, absolutely not overcooked. On a nice sunny day, sit outside by the river! read more

Buoy's Best - Captain's Platter - Seafood Near Me - Seaside, Oregon

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After some surfing I stopped by to what this place is like. The crab cakes were nicely sized and delicious, and it came with fries and coleslaw. Plus the place itself was nice and chill. read more

Clam chowder is fresh with a good clam flavor. Crab cakes are FULL of crab with a good blend of seasoning and peppers.

Food is good, very good. Even the cole slaw was special. Only complaint is that the place is not professionally run. It took us 1 hour to get our order and we were the fourth person in line when they opened. Way understaffed. We spent precious vacation time waiting for food. Go elsewhere if you value your time. The only way I would try this place again is if there are no lines and 1 hr after they open. They simply were not ready for business today. I even saw customers stacking the beverage fridge because they had no employees who could do this for them. I wanted, really wanted to give them 2 stars. After tasting the food , 3 stars. Just get your act together!!! PLEASE. read more