The Best Seafood Restaurants Near Me: A Guide to Fresh Seafood

The Best Seafood Restaurants in Washington, Oregon, and California

The Pacific Coast produces some of the finest seafood in the world — Dungeness crab, Chinook salmon, Pacific oysters, rockfish, halibut, and spot shrimp among them. The restaurants in this guide have built reputations over decades by staying close to local sources, maintaining quality, and in several cases defining what Pacific Coast seafood dining means. We cover Washington, Oregon, and California, from waterfront institutions to dockside fish houses.

Note: Restaurant phone numbers, hours, and addresses can change. Verify contact details directly or via the restaurant’s website before visiting.

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Washington

Elliott’s Oyster House — Seattle, WA
1201 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101 • (206) 623-4340
Established 1975. Waterfront location on the Seattle waterfront with direct Pacific Northwest sourcing for oysters, Dungeness crab, and fish. One of Seattle’s most consistent and long-running seafood destinations. Must-try: Dungeness crab cakes.

Taylor Shellfish Farms — Shelton, WA
130 SE Lynch Rd, Shelton, WA 98584 • (360) 432-3300
Operating since the 1890s. Taylor Shellfish is primarily a shellfish aquaculture operation — one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest — with retail oyster bars at their farm and multiple Seattle locations. The Shelton farm location offers direct farm-to-table oyster and shellfish purchasing. A destination for oyster enthusiasts who want to see the operation firsthand. Must-try: fresh oysters on the half shell and Dungeness crab.

Salty’s on Alki Beach — Seattle, WA
1936 Harbor Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98126 • (206) 937-1600
Open since 1985. Panoramic views of Puget Sound and the Seattle skyline. Known for weekend brunch and a broad Pacific Northwest seafood menu. Family-friendly with a consistently solid reputation for freshness. Must-try: Alaskan king crab legs.

Oregon

Jake’s Famous Crawfish — Portland, OR
401 SW 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97205 • (503) 226-1419
Established 1892 — one of the oldest continuously operating seafood restaurants in the United States. Classic dining room atmosphere with seasonal menus built around the freshest available Pacific seafood. Pairs well with Oregon Pinot Noir. Must-try: Dungeness crab cakes.

Mo’s Seafood — Newport, OR
622 SW Bay Blvd, Newport, OR 97365 • (541) 265-7512
Established 1946. The original Newport location on the bay. A casual, no-frills institution famous for its Pacific clam chowder and Dungeness crab preparations. Multiple Newport locations exist; this is the original. Must-try: Dungeness crab-stuffed halibut.

Local Ocean Seafoods — Newport, OR
213 SE Bay Blvd, Newport, OR 97365 • (541) 574-7959
Open since 2005. Dockside restaurant with full traceability — each fish on the menu is labeled with the vessel and captain that caught it. One of the strongest sustainability records on the Oregon coast. Must-try: grilled rockfish with Dungeness crab risotto.

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California

The Crab Cooker — Newport Beach, CA
2200 Newport Blvd, Newport Beach, CA 92663 • (949) 673-0100
Open since 1951. A Newport Beach institution with a deliberately unpretentious format — paper plates, no reservations, cash only for decades (now accepting cards). The casual approach is the point: the quality is in the seafood, not the table settings. Must-try: Dungeness crab cocktail and smoked fish.

Hog Island Oyster Co. — San Francisco, CA
1 Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 94111 • (415) 391-7117
Founded 1983. Hog Island farms their oysters in Tomales Bay (Marin County) and serves them at the Ferry Building bar with minimal embellishment. One of the best oyster sourcing operations in California. Also serves Dungeness crab and clam chowder when in season. Must-try: chilled Hog Island oysters and a crab platter.

Water Grill — Los Angeles, CA
544 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071 • (213) 891-0900
Established 1989. Downtown LA’s most consistently acclaimed fine-dining seafood restaurant. Live tanks ensure freshness; the raw bar is extensive. A more formal setting than the other restaurants on this list but worth it for a special occasion. Must-try: steamed king crab legs with drawn butter.

How to choose and book

For weekends and holidays, reservations are essential at all of these except The Crab Cooker (walk-in only). Use OpenTable, Resy, or the restaurant’s own website. Call directly for large parties — most of these restaurants handle large group bookings by phone. Check for seasonal specials: Dungeness crab season (roughly November–June depending on state), spot shrimp season (spring), and Pacific salmon season (summer) each produce limited-time menu features worth timing your visit around.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if a seafood restaurant is serving fresh (not previously frozen) fish?

Ask directly — any restaurant worth visiting will answer this question without hesitation. Indicators of fresh sourcing: the menu changes seasonally or even daily based on what’s available; the server can name the vessel, fisherman, or farm; the restaurant is located near a commercial fishing port. Transparency about sourcing is the clearest signal of freshness commitment. All nine restaurants listed here practice some form of transparent sourcing.

What is the best time of year to visit Pacific Coast seafood restaurants?

Winter through spring (November–April) is Dungeness crab season for California, Oregon, and Washington — the best time to order crab preparations at any of these restaurants. Summer brings Pacific salmon (king/Chinook, coho) and spot shrimp. Fall brings albacore tuna and the first Dungeness of the new season. There is no bad time — the season just determines what is at peak quality.

Are these restaurants suitable for groups or special occasions?

Yes — most of these have private dining rooms or can accommodate groups with advance notice. Jake’s Famous Crawfish (Portland), Elliott’s Oyster House (Seattle), and Water Grill (LA) are particularly well-suited for larger dinners and special occasions. Salty’s is a strong choice for family groups. Mo’s is casual and good for informal gatherings. The Crab Cooker is walk-in only and may not suit large formal groups.

What wine pairs best with Dungeness crab at these restaurants?

Dungeness crab with drawn butter: Chardonnay (Burgundy-style, lightly oaked) or Brut Champagne. Crab cakes or crab risotto: Sauvignon Blanc (Loire or New Zealand) or Vermentino. Oregon Pinot Noir works particularly well at Jake’s given the regional pairing — Willamette Valley Pinot with Dungeness crab is a classic Pacific Northwest combination. Full pairing recommendations: Seafood Wine Pairings Guide.

Can I recreate these restaurant dishes at home?

Yes. Dungeness crab boiled in seasoned water and served with drawn butter requires no special equipment and rivals any restaurant preparation when the crab is fresh. The primary advantage of these restaurants is proximity to the source — replicating that at home means sourcing from a supplier with equivalent freshness standards. Global Seafoods ships overnight with ice packs. For technique: Global Seafoods YouTube Channel.

What is the difference between a seafood “fish house” and a fine-dining seafood restaurant?

A fish house (Mo’s, The Crab Cooker, Taylor Shellfish) prioritizes the seafood itself — minimal preparation, direct sourcing, casual format, lower prices. The experience is about the ingredient. A fine-dining seafood restaurant (Water Grill, Jake’s, Elliott’s) wraps the same quality seafood in a full-service dining experience: more elaborate preparations, wine program, polished service. Neither is objectively better — they serve different occasions. For a first Dungeness crab experience, a casual fish house is arguably more authentic.