South Beach Fish Market - South Beach, OR

Posted By Michael Stern on August 27, 2008 6:49 AM

At this roadside eat-in-the-rough cafe and seafood market you can buy whole tunas (which the management will fillet for $4 each), bring your own fish to be smoked for $2.50 per pound, or order from an oceancentric menu of fried fare that ranges from clam strips to halibut and chips.

It was the halibut that won my affection. While it is normally not a fish I would think of having battered and fried, its creamy white flesh retained supreme juiciness inside its golden coat; and its subtle flavor actually was enhanced by the batter's quiet luxury. The crab cocktail was swell – just a cylinder of shreds and chunks of meat packed into a plastic cup and crowned with a slice of lemon; but the salmon burger was not good. Ground and formed into a patty that was deep fried to a crisp, the meat had lost its oily succulence. There are pulverized crab burgers and shrimp burgers, too, but next time I visit, I am going for nice, whole hunks of fish in that good batter.

South Beach is a supercasual place with a counter and stools where you can eat your meal from throwaway baskets. Its sells great canned tuna – Oregon albacore, packed in its natural juices (nothing added) and cooked in the can. It is dense, rich, and far superior to anything found on supermarket shelves. The tuna as well as other shippable seafoods all are available via mail order.

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Halibut & Chips

Crab Cocktail

Wild Prawns

Onion Rings

Fish and chips

Captain's Platter

Chowder

Salmon Candy

Tuna Salad Sandwich

Smoked Fish

Dungeness Crab Burger

Salmon Burger

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Posted By Jim Scheppke on February 8, 2008 8:09 PM

In 1994 a reporter for the Oregonian newspaper traveled the entire length of US-101 from Astoria to Brookings looking for the best fish and chips on the Oregon coast. He found it at the South Beach Fish Market, just south of Newport, and I agree.

The secret is the freshness. All the fish is right off the boat and is cooked only after you place your order. The breading is very light and flavorful, but doesn't mask the quality of the fish. The selection varies with the season, but most of the year you can get fresh tuna, salmon, halibut, oysters, and calamari. The best choices, I think, are tuna or salmon.

Another unusual item offered in season is the Dungeness crab burger, which is really a giant crabcake on a bun. I wish they made it a little spicier, but it's worth a try. There's also a great fish market here and you can order by mail from their website. They now have a branch location at the Newport bayfront, so if you are down there with the tourists, you can get the same great food.

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Posted By Jeff Bartlett on January 11, 2008 5:29 PM

I had heard about South Beach Fish Market and wanted to try it when we were in Newport. My wife and I were spending a weekend on the coast last summer, but we weren't expecting to be close to Newport and consequently didn't write down any details about the place. As it happened we ended up taking a drive down the coast and were within 10 miles of Newport one afternoon. I tried to remember the location and we drove around South Newport trying to find it. We gave up (we were hungry!) and stopped at a roadside seafood market for a quick lunch. We soon found out we had stumbled upon the very place we were looking for. Eureka!

The first good sign as we pulled up: fresh Dungeness crab boiling in huge vats outside. The second good sign: commercial fishermen standing in line getting ready to order. These guys know their seafood.

Our lunch was fabulous. I had rock cod and my wife had halibut and chips. It's all about the fish, tremendously fresh, cooked perfectly. The batter is light and crisp, with a delicate flavor that doesn't interfere with the fish. We sat at a roadside picnic table with the traffic roaring by and huge grins on our faces.

This is Roadfood at its best; world class food at reasonable prices at a restaurant with owners who are passionate about their product. The owner of South Beach Fish Market serves the freshest seafood caught on the Oregon Coast. Hope you can make it out to visit them; it's entirely worth the trip!

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