Oregon coast seafood: Astoria, Cannon Beach, Dungeness crab and chowder

The Oregon coast is a long, scenic stretch of beaches, headlands and fishing towns, and seafood is at the center of the eating. Dungeness crab, salmon, albacore tuna, oysters, clams and rockfish all come off boats in coastal ports. The north coast, around Astoria, Seaside and Cannon Beach, is the closest to Portland, roughly an hour and a half to two hours by car, which makes it popular for day trips and weekends.

What is the Oregon Coast Seafood Trail?

Look for seafood described as Oregon-landed, meaning fish and shellfish that came off boats in Oregon ports. Oregon-landed is a useful phrase when you read a menu: it tells you the seafood was caught and brought ashore in the state, rather than shipped in frozen from elsewhere. The coast also has regional food trails that point visitors to farms, cheesemakers, fish markets and restaurants. Tourism offices can point you to local seafood and farms.

What is Dungeness crab season and why does it change?

Dungeness crab is the signature catch of the Oregon coast. The commercial season is often delayed, because of biotoxins in the crab or because the crabs have not yet filled out with meat. In the 2025 season, for example, the commercial season opened on December 16 from Cape Falcon south to the California border, and the north coast opened later. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announces the dates each year, so check before planning a crab trip.

Recreational crabbing is open much of the year in bays and from docks, and you can rent traps and gear in many harbor towns. Cooked crab is sold fresh at docks, fish markets and restaurants. Eating a whole crab is a messy, slow, sociable meal. Ask for a cracker, a pick and plenty of napkins, and expect to spend an hour on it. Many fish markets will clean and crack the crab for you if you ask.

What should you eat in Astoria?

Astoria sits where the Columbia River meets the Pacific, and it is a working port with a historic downtown. One of its most famous stops is a fish and chips stand run out of a converted gillnet boat, where the specialty is battered albacore tuna with steak fries. Lines can be long at lunch and the stand has limited hours, so check before you go. Astoria also has breweries, coffee roasters and restaurants serving local seafood. Across the river in Warrenton, a brewpub pairs craft beer with Oregon-landed seafood from local boats.

What about Cannon Beach?

Cannon Beach is a small town known for its beach and Haystack Rock, a huge sea stack. In summer and on weekends, it is crowded. A well-known fish market and restaurant in town sells smoked salmon jerky and clam chowder, and the owner supplies the restaurant with salmon and seasonal catches he fishes himself. Cannon Beach also has bakeries, taffy and ice cream shops and a handful of dinner restaurants that fill up early, so reserve for weekends if you can.

What else is on the north coast?

Seaside is a classic beach town with arcades, candy shops and casual restaurants. Tillamook, a little to the south, is known for cheese and dairy. The Tillamook Coast also has oyster farms and seafood restaurants around the bay. Further south, towns like Newport and Depoe Bay have working harbors and chowder houses.

When is the best time to visit?

Summer is the busiest and driest season, and restaurants fill up. Spring and fall are quieter, with good weather on many days. Winter brings storm watching, empty beaches and crab season, but also rain and some closures. Many small businesses close on weekdays in the off-season, so call ahead. Fog is common, even in summer, and beaches can be cool and windy when the inland valley is hot, so dress in layers and check conditions before you set out. Winter storms can close roads, and a flexible plan makes a better trip. Weekends in July and August require booking restaurants and hotels well ahead.

How do you buy seafood to take home?

Fish markets at harbors sell fresh and smoked fish, crab and shellfish. Ask when it was caught, and bring a cooler with ice. Oregon State University's Sea Grant program maintains a map of where to buy local seafood, which is a useful resource. If you are staying in a rental with a kitchen, a fresh crab cooked at the dock, with bread and butter, is one of the easiest and best meals on the coast.

What about the check?

Oregon has no sales tax, so restaurant prices are what they say. Tipping at table-service restaurants is typically 18 to 20 percent. Seafood prices at the coast can be higher than in Portland, and market-price items change daily, so ask. On Mosey you can rate the places you eat and the dishes you order, with photos, which is handy when everything on the menu has the word chowder.

Coastal weather shapes every meal. Fog, wind and rain can arrive on a summer day, so bring a jacket, and check road and tide conditions before you drive between towns. Many small seafood places keep short hours outside summer and close on weekdays in winter, so call ahead. If you buy fresh seafood to cook, ask the fish market how to keep it cold on the trip home, and ask how it should be cooked. Sit at the counter when you can; the staff usually know what came in that morning.

More guides to read next:

• Oregon beyond Portland: eating in Bend, Eugene, Salem and Hood River
• Willamette Valley wine country day trip from Portland: eat and taste
• Where to eat in Ashland, Oregon: a guide for theater visitors (2026)

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