New Restaurants Spring Up on Oregon Coast

Published 03/30/2010

O'Downy's and its stunning bay view, Depoe Bay.

(Oregon Coast) – Lots of new eateries are dotting the coastal landscape, many with a decidedly Asian slant. Wheeler, Lincoln City and Depoe Bay especially have acquired some new ways to stuff yourself.

Tsunami Bar & Grill is the new kid on the block in Wheeler – which itself is merely comprised of a few blocks. It’s in the old Guido’s/Nina’s Italian Restaurant building, with Nina’s being the big landmark for decades for many Tillamook County locals.

Instead of Italian, Tsunami goes the seafood and Asian route, with stunning results and an awesome view of Nehalem Bay to top it off.

A large number of burgers and sandwiches are in the $8 range, with the usual suspects. Their fried fish ‘n’ chips baskets are plentiful and yet inexpensive, with a mountain of fries or tots accompanying them.

The eye-catching sign is a takeoff on the tsunami warning signs around the beaches.

But the real stars here are the Asian selections. Entrees (around $8) include massive dishes of Korean short ribs, lemongrass chicken, curry chicken or bento. Especially amazing are the spring rolls, which are vibrant little monsters full of taste, and they come vegetarian or with shrimp and pork. For a seriously ethereal effect, wrap them up in green leaf lettuce, cucumber and mint leaves, then dip them in the Tsunami’s frighteningly delicious sauces. These are waves of pleasure.

The bar area isn’t open very late, but hopefully that will be rectified later, as its loungy, retro décor is one of the coolest in the whole state of Oregon.

On Highway 101, in Wheeler, Oregon. 503-368-3778.

Also notable newbies in the area are Rising Star Café and Harrison’s Café in Wheeler, although both of have been around for almost a year now.

Rising Star sits off the highway a tad in the famed Treasure Café building, and also features many Asian delights. It’s becoming legendary for these as well as its stunning, more Americanized breakfasts. 92 Rorvik Street. Wheeler, Oregon. (503) 368-3990.

Harrison’s features a lot of seriously sumptuous fresh bakery items, along with the shakes and sandwiches – plus it’s selling antiques and such. Highway 101, Wheeler, Oregon. 503-368-3162.

Views of Nehalem Bay are awesome at Tsunami Bar & Grill.

Down on the central coast, Lincoln City recently sprouted a bundle of new eateries. Asian cuisine is at  Lum Yuen (5045 SW Highway 101. Lincoln City, Oregon, 541-994-6888). Burgers and a wide variety of stuff, including barbecue, can be found at Nelscott Café (3237 SW Hwy 101. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-994-6100) and Vivian's Restaurant (1725 SW Hwy 101. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-994-3667). For those looking for a slightly pirate-like adventure on Siletz Bay, there’s The Black Pearl Bar & Grill (6042 SE Hwy 101. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-996-8877).

Depoe Bay has an addiction-inducing new addition: O’Downey’s, their answer to an Irish pub. The bar area has many of the things you’d expect from an Irish-themed joint, and the regulars and barkeeps are friendly and fun. There’s also a nifty view of the bay. They are featuring a fair amount of live music as well, mostly blues and classic rock stuff, but also as much Irish as they can find.

For families, there’s a massive dining room during the day. Their menu is in a state of transition, with more stuff coming up than what’s been featured so far. Most items are in the $8 to $12 range – reasonable, and yummy too.

The bar at O'Downy's.

A “gaelic” spud is a potato dressed up with bacon and veggies. Whiskey wings come with a spicy bbq sauce made with whiskey. Nachos come with a slight Irish slant. A Blarney burger is a large one on a Kaiser bun. The Guinness Irish Stew is slow cooked beef with potatoes , carrots, celery and waffle fries.

But the biggie is the Shepard’s Pie, filled with layers of heart- and tummy-warming mashed potatoes, ground beef and veggies.

For breakfast, there’s lots of eggs, sausage, homemade gravy, oatmeal, ham and such – but lots of these dishes have Irish slants on them. Corned beef hash, soda bread, a British banger, and other yummies inhabit things like “Irish Breakfast,” Alfred’s Irish Skillet and the O’Pub Breakfast, mixed with the usual morning goodies.

272 S Hwy 101. Depoe Bay, Oregon. 541-765-4441.

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