A few weekends ago, I was in Portland to attend my Son's Parent-Teacher Conference and to hang out with him for a couple of days. On a surprisingly warm and sunny Portland Saturday, we decided to drive to Pacific City. The Kid wanted to show me how to climb the big sand dune at Cape Kiwanda State Park. We arrived about mid-morning and had a great time wandering on the beach, hiking the dune (which I approached from the side), and otherwise exploring the seaside real estate.
After we came down around Lunch time, we were both hungry and there was the Pelican Pub & Brewery right in front of us. Besides being beach-side, this place has a stellar view and a cool patio (that is sometimes prone to hang glider landings). We opted to sit inside out of the sun, and both of us found our window seats to be comfortable and relaxing. There's lots of space within, which includes a gift shop in the front and a large private dining room in back for various community functions.
Our server was about my age and when we told him where we were from, he proceeded to tell us about his band preferences - Early Journey and Tower of Power. I was impressed, while my Son didn't have a clue what we were talking about. The resulting table service (especially for our drinks) was prompt and friendly, and I really appreciated how well the Kid was treated.
I'm usually a Burger and Beer guy, but chose the Green Chili Pork Stew instead. Holy Northern New Mexico! This dish was wonderful and with the Navajo fry bread, my mind wandered back to my delicious dining days in Española, Chimayo, etc. My choice of the dark Meg Doryman's ale also added nicely to the dish. My Son devoured his Fish and Chips and at least a couple of full glasses of root beer.
I was recently asked what makes a 5 Star experience. It can be many things, but for a restaurant, it's usually that special combination of where you are, how you got there, who you're with, the personal connection, and a dining experience that executes it's business model well, and helps make the total greater than the sum of its parts. On this special day, that was the Pelican Pub and Brewery.
I've been here quite a few times on my way to some favorite hikes on the coast. One thing is certain, the view and location is fantastic. Stop by just to see Haystack rock and have a beer if nothing else.
The food is decent, I have no complaints. Summertime (or any day the sun decides to shine), this place will be packed, plan accordingly.
The beer is tasty. Not my favorite of all time, but still a solid brewery. It also stocks a full bar.
Prices.. in this category they receive an epic fail. Took some friends from out of town here to show off the coast. We ordered three shots of Herra Dura. $30. I shit you not.. For three shots, of a tequila that costs $30 a freaking bottle. Six dollars a pint, more if you want their special IPA they charge extra, because it comes with extra hops...
They used to be dog friendly as well on the patio. Now if you want to bring your best friend on four legs, you'd better make sure those paws are in the sand, at the edge of the patio. Canines are persona non grata. (OKAY, Canis non grata for the latin nazi reading this)
+4 stars for the location and view. +3 stars for the food and drinks. -5 stars for the craptastic prices.
Heard so many great things about this restaurant so maybe our expectations were too high. Â Ordered rare New York steak and received medium rare bad cut of meat. Â They have me a new one which was better cooked and better cut, but still not a lot of flavor. Â For breakfast ordered eggs Benedict and had to send that back as well. Â Asked for soft poached and received hard poached. Â Then when they brought the new eggs they were barely done. Â I really just wanted the normal
Soft runny poached eggs that you normally get In a standard eggs Benedict. ( I have never even been asked before how I want eggs in eggs Benedict). Thought only one way. Anyway , not great experience for us.
I love everything about this pub/restaurant and if I knew what sound a pelican makes, I'd make it - to establish my sincerity.
We used to rent a beach house down the road, so this was where we chose to eat at least one meal a day. I order anything that comes with the fries...which gives me a lot of options! Their non lo-cal food can be guilt-free, if you opt to climb the sand dunes nearby, after your meal.
Not only is the food good (typical bar fare) but they are located in a primo spot on the beach; perfect for watching the surfers, kite-flyers, kayakers and vacationers playing volleyball.
The rustic decor fits right in with the beach and dunes surrounding it and the outdoor seating is the bomb, if you can get a table on our rare sunny-but-not-too-windy days.
Parking is free and the prices are decent. Those are 2 big pluses.
All-in-all, the restaurant has something for everyone. It's family friendly, has a great view, isn't too hard on the wallet, has a good selection of fresh seafood and non-seafood items and some really good libations. I'll be back...aqain and again.
This was a bad experience, and had confirmed only what I had heard thu the grapevine about what is going on at the Pelican.
It was slow to get seated (25 minute wait at 2:30pm on a Sunday)
Once seated, the table was not wiped; crumbs all over the chairs.
10 minutes of sitting without seeing a waiter, 15 minutes until waters arrived.
The general deportmant of the waiter was nice, but also quite nieve to his surroundings that things were not going well.
The staff was abundant, and at times 4-5 would be standing in a circle in the back banquet room doing absolutely nothing. Â Not refilling a Coke, not pulling an empty plate with a crumpled napkin. Â Just nothing.
The cobb salad had to be sent back, as the lettuce was completely slimed and matted together like it has been sitting in the produce tub for a week in the back of the refrigerator.
The fish & chips, while it tasted good; was a portion that would keep an 8 year old full for 2 hours.
I didn't even bother with a beer, as being involved with the Portland beer scene for many years. Â Surely, the price and enjoyment would put me over the top.
The worst part, was that we couldn't even end the pain of our $36 dollar tab for 10 minutes as the waiter just negleted to stop by.
ONE star for the amazing PC view of the dunes and Haystack Rock. Â ONE star for being open.
You can tell they KNOW they are the only show in town, and based on their pricing; you can tell they are trying to fund their upcoming production brewery in Tillamook. Â
And that was my last time going to the Pelican. Â Next time, I'll support another local guy who understands that the customer is always right.
I go here for the stellar view and the amazing patio. Â I can sit out on that patio all day long and drink beer and watch the action.
I used to go to this beach WAAAAAYYYY before any of the commercial crap was built all around it. Â Loved to watch the dorys come in from fishing, hiking the dune and watching the hang gliders glide off the other side of the dune. Â Then came The Pelican.
The Pelican used to be better. Â It was more quaint, fewer people and some good solid food option. Â Why the heck they got rid of the assiago encrusted vegetarian sandwich is beyond me. Â It was the best thing on the menu!
Now the prices have gone up, it is always too crowded, they don't take reservations for outdoor tables, even for a large party and the staff sometimes has attitude.
$15 for cod fish and chips? Â Jeez. Â For halibut? Â Yes. Â Cod? Â No.
And for a brewery to charge an extra $1.25 more for an IPA because it uses more hops is ridiculous! Â Do the math. Â There are 120 pints in a keg. Â They are basically getting an extra $150 per keg of beer served and I sure as hell am not buying that it takes even an extra $50 of hops to make an IPA. Â That is just a stick in my craw!
Are you reading this, management? Â Ri-DICK-u-lous!
Go there for the view after eating elsewhere and stick to a beer that isn't an IPA.
We came here based on a friend's recommendation. I have low expectations of not only brewpub food but tourist restaurants in general (line way out the door), but Pelican's food was definitely solid. They boast that their calamari is the "best you'll ever have." It maybe wasn't the best, but it certainly was tasty and fresh with some delicious aioli. We did have a "best you'll ever have" moment later when our meals came. My boyfriend literally said out loud, "These fries are the best I've ever had." They were really flaky and golden and hot out of the fryer. The burger wasn't necessarily special, but was decent (cooked perfectly to our request for medium) with a good bun. My fish tacos again weren't over-the-top great, but everything tasted fresh and had big chunks of white fish. The green rice served with it was delicious. We didn't get a beer this visit, but overall found the cost comparable to other coastal restaurants. There was an hour on the waitlist for a late Saturday lunch, but there aren't many other options either. The texting when your table option is nice though, because we could stroll the beach under the sunshine without worry we'd miss our spot. Would definitely go back to actually try the beer and one of the beer-infused desserts.
Review Source:This is a place you MUST GO TO...
Once.
The view is one of the best you will probably ever see at a brewery. (I'd say the epic North Face view of Mt Hood from Solera Brewing in Parkdale,OR is at least just as good though, see my review)
The beer is pretty solid, they seem to always have a handful of interesting seasonals and one-off's (the type of stuff I'm usually into). Â The beer isn't just good because you're on a scenic section of the coast, although that helps. The beer is brewed clean and crisp, and they have something for everyone from monstrous, seasonal barely wines to poundable blonde ales.
So.
Good beer, amazing views, what's not to like?
Well, this place is hideously expensive. Â Even for the coast. Â We're talking SIX BUCKS for a PINT. Â Dang.
The food, is also recockulously expensive and...unlike the beer, not very good. Â It's just generic SYSCO-government-style food...at high-end prices. Â I don't mind throwing down some money on food if it blows me away...but you can get better food at your average Portland foodcart...for about 1/3rd the cost. Â Yeah, I know, stuff is more expensive because it's the coast, but even factoring in the "coast-tax", it remains very expensive and very average.
Conclusion: come here for a view and a brew...then go somewhere else to eat. This is the type of place that I will always take visiting friends/family if they want to see the coast, but which I will probably never go to on my own.
We stay in Pacific City once a year and always come here. Food is average and the beer is also. I believe the beer used to be better years a go when it was a little brewpub. Not a lot of restaurants in Pacific City. EDIT* We just returned and had breakfast. The breakfast is terrible. I had the chicken fried steak which was tough. Do not get the homemade bisquet / hockey puck. That was the hardest chunk of flour I ever tasted. My wife had the fruit bowl that was sitting in some juice that had a fermented flavor. I'm taking a star away.
Review Source:Hubby and I ate here on February 2nd...during Super Bowl. The place definitely wasn't packed and many tables in the dining room were open because the majority of patrons were seated in the large banquet room where a TV was setup with the game on. The people in that room were quite noisy. We asked for a booth across from the bar, but were seated right next to the kitchen door and right across the walkway from the noisy banquet room. That was apparently the most convenient option for our waitress. We should have spoken up, but what is the sense when we've already asked for a certain table and been denied?
Our server, Stacey S. according to our receipt, was quite a ding dong. She asked if we wanted to hear the dinner specials and we said no, thank you, and she proceeded to carry on anyway.
We poured over the dinner menu and I finally looked at my husband and said that nothing on it looked appealing. $17 pasta or seafood was not really what we wanted. Hubby opted for the $15 burger and fries which was the only beef OR burger option on the dinner menu. He enjoyed it a lot. I asked to see a lunch menu for chicken options and Stacey S. did give me that option so I ordered the Tuscan Chicken burger. It was delicious. I also had the Creme Brulee afterward which was very tasty but cold. Hubby enjoyed a seasonal beer with dinner.
The food was excellent with the exception of my dessert being served cold. Happy campers. However, the service wasn't great. When I ask to be seated away from the noise of other patrons and there are more than 10 tables open that would accomodate my request, then the server should oblige. For this, I am docking two points. If we had been able to eat in peace and quiet away from the noisy football-fan patrons and kitchen, I would have given 5 stars and a better tip than I left which was $2 for a $50 bill.
6.75 for a pint of beer. Â Expensive food. Â One vegan option, which is a spent grains veggie burger without any sauce. Â Dry and lots of wheat, and pretty expensive. Â We wanted a side of jalapenos so they sliced up 1 raw jalapeno (didn't even grill it) and charged us $1.50 extra!!! Â If I were to sum it up : overpriced sub par food and overpriced decent beer. Â The ONLY thing they have going for them is location (right on the beach). Â Will skip this place next time we are in Pacific City.
Review Source:Beer is great! Good variety, well-executed styles.
However, the food was overpriced. It wasn't bad, but it definitely did not warrant the high prices. Fish and chips were small portion for around $15. If they had been truly excellent, I wouldn't have complained, but they were standard.
A good place to go if you're ready to spend and in Pacific City anyway. If you just want a couple of beers, then it's well worth your while.
Been to the Pelican pub and brewery bunches of times though the years. Every time I go back there i'm a little bit more dissapointed in it. Â The pub has arguably the best view of any pub in the Pacific NW its right on the beach, thats the best thing about it. Â The food is expensive and not that great, we shared an order of fish and chips, 2 chowders and a couple beers each and it was $60. Â The other thing that bugs me about this place is the inside feels like an Applebees or Chilis, just very corporate feel to it. Â Also the beer isn't that great, it used to be great....used to be some of the best beer you could get in Oregon but that has really gone downhill as well.
Review Source:We were pleasantly surprised with a fantastic meal. Â My partner ordered the crab bisque and it was to die for. Â It was loaded with fresh dungeness crab and made to order. I had the clam chowder - recommend!! - Â and a fresh salad with crispy oysters. Â We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Â The service was on the slow side, but not too slow. Â The head chef, or owner, not sure who it was, checked on our meal, which I sensed he really cared about.
All in all, it was a very pleasant experience in a quaint location.
Just okay. Â There aren't many places to eat in PC, but this one is really popular because it is ON the beach. Â They have a great fireplace outside, and let's be honest, they are a brewery, so their beer is really good. Â In fact, they have one of the best IPAs I've ever had. Â The food was really not worth the price, though. Â As far as dinner goes, it's not bad. Â I had mussels and clams in a garlic sauce. Â Thank goodness I wasn't on a date because that was way too much garlic for one plate. Â I'm not sure I would go back, unless I felt like paying $26 for cioppino...
Review Source:Very cool place to stop on the Pacific Coast Highway! I tried their Amber Ale which was delicious and ordered some nachos that weren't on the menu but the waitress said they can still come up with something (which was nice). They have the perfect location right on the beach and even inside the place is very cozy and pleasant.
Review Source:Absolutely loved this spot coming late one evening on vacation. This is got to be the best view of any brewery in the country--and if you know of a better one, I want to go!
The food here was very tasty, from the rich clam chowder to the lightly-spiced oyster Po' Boy that I had. But what really stood out on our visit was the exceptionally high quality of service. The servers were so kind and attentive, that the overall experience was taken up another notch.
Huge kudos to The Pelican. I only wish it were in a more convenient location so it would be easier to frequent. But the location is what makes it special!
My husband and I absolutely loved this restaurant! The beer pancakes and India Pelican Ale were such a perfect breakfast. :) I usually order something savory like an omelette but so glad I decided to try the beer pancakes (made with their Scottish Ale), served with beer blackberry syrup and hazelnut butter. I highly recommend trying it.
The potatoes in his corned beef hash actually was undercooked, and we had to ask the server to re-cook the dish. The server girl was extremely nice about it, and kept offering more coffee etc. That made our experience even better.
We are itching to go back to Pelican brewery!
We were driving down the road and saw there was a brew pub, so we pulled in. So glad we did! We didn't have to wait, just walked right in and sat at the bar. We had a really friendly bartender who told us all about their beers. My boyfriend got the beer sampler, and the bartender included an extra 3 tasters on the tray for free! After deciding which beers we liked best, we each got a pint.
Its a really cool spot right on the beach with great views. I didn't eat here but the beer is great!
Pros: Beer, food, and service are very good.
Cons: Expect to wait. There is always a line to get seated and usually you can expect  it to be about 20 minutes as it has become a tourist destination. Everything is priced a bit high.
Try: Onion rings and fish and chips. Some of the best I've had.
Good beer and food was fine. Â Anyone that whines about the prices, you must not get out very much. Â Since this was my first time to the Pelican, I thought the beer was very good and the food was above average for a brew pub, but not having been here before my view is skewed.
So why the 3 stars...well basically we at breakfast there which again was good, I had 4 pints and my girl 1 pint. Â The bill comes, i pay it (as well as my usual 40% tip), as we are walking out the server comes running up to us and informs us that she didn't charge us for a beer and that we need to cover that bill also. Â Here lies my issue, I just tipped you really well, and judging by some of the other comments on prices (read, cheap people) probably the best tip she will get all day, she should have just 'comped" the beer and said thanks have a great day. Instead we have to pay for another beer (which wasn't an issue) it is just the pricipal. Â I grew up with the motto, " in the service industry if someone takes care of you, you take care of them". Â Now it might not have been the servers choice, she might have some anal, micro-manager hovering over all the employees, if that is the case that person needs to work some tables and see what the real service industry is about...
Would I go back to the pub, more then likely, even thought up the road at Basket Case wines the beer is better. Â Great views of the beach and good beer, not a bad combonation. Â Would I tip as good as I normally do no freaking way...
Expensive place for lunch. Food was pretty much pub grub and nothing special. Service was terrible. The lady that served our water spilled a glass of water all over my niece's baby walker and didn't bother to come back and clean it up. Then the waitress didn't really improve the situation by being rude and ignoring us most of the time.
Seems like a good place to have a few beers with friends. This place is great only because of the location. I doubt if I'll go back there except to use the bathroom.
Unique Place in Pacific City know for Very Smooth Beer and Tasty food in part of the Oregon Cost that was once know for bland/vanilla cuisine. Location has a great view of the Ocean and access to beach. Service is Very Good with lots of staff making sure you needs are met. I feel their Brews are Smooth and I like beer with bit more flavor kick not just OH content. I bought a hat during my visit we really does make me a fan, and I have received lots of reactions from people when i worn the hat at other Brews Pups including a Server at Pup in Vancouver saying she want to get married* there.
*PS to Staff at the Pelican Bay Pup you must of had a great staff party in March base on the numbers of servers that are currently with child, glad to see your business has grown over the years because you are going to have to more mouths to feed.
I'm a fan solely for the fact that this place is located at an amazing location with a great view of the ocean.
Otherwise, the wait is terribly long and the food is overpriced.
The beer is all award winning, and so we just ended up sitting at the bar, sipping some beers and eating calamari appetizer. Â Bill
On a rainy Sunday night, we came to Cannon Beach to drive on the beach and run our dogs. My sweetheart suprised me with a stop in at the Pelican for a bite to eat, my first experience here. Â We are casually dressed for the rainy beach and sat at the bar to not have to spend time waiting for the crowded restaurant. The staff was busy and delightful. I loved the numbered glass mugs available for rent yearly. I ordered Fish & Chips and he ordered a Burger. The food was excellent. I love their panko breading on the fish. I wanted to order calamari so badly, but I wasn't that hungry so I will have to next time.
Review Source:In the five or so years since we've been coming to Pacific City, we've seen the prices at our beloved Pelican Pub go up, while the quality and selection of the food have gone down. We typically come to PC three or four times a year (two of those visits are our annual weeklong vacations, one in February and one in July, so we've visited on- and off-season), and Pelican Pub was always mandatory for at least one meal.
We started noticing the decline a couple of years ago. Fish & chips were soggy and greasy, salads were more and more skimpy. Drinks (other than the fantastic brews) were watery. Favorites disappeared from the menu, replaced with pretentious items to match rising prices. Fresh grilled fish without sauces or breading - good luck; last I checked, pan-seared cod was the only non-sauce, non-breaded fish on the menu, and there's no indicator of freshness.
I will say that their clam chowder is quite good. We had a battle of the chowder with family this weekend, pitting Doryland pizza chowder against Pelican Pub chowder (and previous recollections of Mo's clam paste - um, I mean chowder), and PP won - but not by much. I made my own chowder the next evening and family agreed that my recipe was better than PP's. I was using canned clams and red potatoes, so I'm wondering about PP ingredients.
Everyone raves about the view and it is, indeed, fantastic. And yes, we Oregonians are spoiled by this amazing beach. Let me give you a little hint: you don't have to drop a fifty at the restaurant to enjoy the view. What we usually do is go in before the lunch or dinner crowd, ask for a patio table, and order our favorite brews (Kiwanda Cream Ale is unbeatable!) and an appetizer or salads. We enjoy the view, the brew, and a lighter bill. Afterward, we may go over to BJs (catty-corner on the main road) for fish & chips, or just order some more appetizers that are not only lighter on the wallet, but yummier than the standard fare. We like the hummus plate, seafood quesadilla and the steamed clams & mussels - but keep in mind that Pelican appetizer prices are closer to most restaurants' entree prices.
A few other things - be prepared for a wait, especially at peak times. Service can be spotty, especially with new staff. If you just want some good brew, they sell it cold from the fridge in the lobby/gift shop, with a discount (and free bag) if you buy 6 or more. Pelican brews used to only be available at the pub, but many are now in some PDX stores (Albertsons, New Seasons, etc.) if you can't get to the beach.
I'm in love with their fish & chips, chowder and Doryman's Dark Ale. Â Our server was awesome. Â She tried very hard to keep us happy-and she did. Â The prices are reasonable for any seafood restaurant directly on the beach. Â We hit this place every time we take vacation in the PNW! We've eaten at many many places while on vacation and this one is at the top of our list!
Review Source:Bang on stellar views and excellent, award winning microbrew. Â
I'm floored by the low ratings by other Yelpers, but maybe you Oregonians are used to these jaw dropping views of your glorious coast, and the pristine sand dunes nearby.
As your neighbors to the North, we are simply in awe of Pacific City's staggering view of Haystack Rock from Pelican Pub (on what turned out to be an uncharacteristically sunny day in April, lucky us!) Â and what we consider to be some of the better microbrewed beer we've had on the Oregon Coast during our visit.
Standouts include Saison Du Pelican and India Pelican Ale, the Pelican's IPA.
Food is as reported, just so-so, but this place is all about the view (and the beer) so after seeing the other reviews, we were pleasantly surprised. Â We played it safe (considering ourselves forewarned by all the 1 and 2 star Yelp Reviews) and ordered a solid Caesar Salad with Bay Shrimp, which turned out to be a respectable Caesar, with a lighter dressing rather than the overly creamy stuff we typically can't stand. Â The shrimp were small, sweet and fresh.
We split an individual sized meat pizza, which was small but fine for our appetites. Nothing fantastic about the pizza, though. Â We enjoyed our meal, and the beer was excellent, particularly the Saison Du Pelican, a dry delicious Belgian. Â
The service experience was helpful and friendly, with suggestions being offered up for other brewpubs once we mentioned how much we appreciated the Saison.
A hall full of trophies and medals dedicated to their beer is proof that beer-wise, they make a darned good product.
The view at sunset with surfers riding the shoreline, was phenomenal. Â The only way this could be better, in my opinion, is if the food here were exceptional. Â But honestly, then it might be perfect, and that just may be asking too much.
We stopped here for lunch before hitting the sand and had a great experience. All of us enjoyed our food, which ranged from fish tacos to turkey burgers and beyond.
They also have a healthy selection of beer and wine. I actually had to snap a picture of the lists so I would remember to try some after our visit.
Great portion sizes, beautiful view. Can't be beat at that location!
I will still have to come here with the hubby to drink beer but I'm totally over this place for food. Â The service and location is great but the food sucks and is way overpriced.
I tried their soy lime grilled chicken salad last weekend. Â It was a cup of undercooked yakisoba noodles, 1/8 cup of sheared lettuce, 1 snow pea sliced into 5pcs, and a small, dry, chicken breast...for $13.99. Â The dressing was literally soy sauce with a squeeze of lime that was a large puddle under my so-called salad. Â The small amount of greens and noodles soaked up all of that saltiness. Â GROSS.
Again I have to write another 5 star. Â
We recently had our wedding here and the Pelican Pub really pulled off an amazing evening for us. Â The food and service were excellent, the beer is excellent, I like the Dorymans and the Scottish Ale the best, the atmosphere and view are perfect. Â I do think that it is moderately priced for a brew pub, but it is about good beer, food, location location location location and originality, you get you moneys worth for sure! Â
The events coordinator, Courtney Fields did an excellent job making sure that our event was well planned and prepared and the event staff and manager were prompt, hard working and friendly, all of our guests had compliments for location, service and wonderful food and beverages. Â
Ana, the in-house pastry chef did an amazing job with our wedding cake, purple velvet with green fondant which were our colors. Â She was creative and insightful of what we were looking for and I was shocked how awesome the cake looked! Thank you so much! I cannot wait to eat the anniversary cake! Â
Chef Ged did a great job with his menu selections for the evening, when we went down earlier in September for a tasting, everything was well seasoned and tasty. Â I have never had anything less than above average for a meal here. Â The execution of food to the tables was swift and all meals were enjoyed by all.
If you are planning an event I would highly recommend Pelican Pub, they worked within our budget, were responsive and prompt with ideas and communication. Â Our wedding went smooth and everyone had a really good time, who could ask for more!
When I first walked inside the Pelican Pub & Brewery, I was immediately confronted with a lobby full of t-shirts and Pelican beer-related swag. It seemed very tourist trappy to me--kind of like a Stuckey's, but with beer instead of pecan logs.
We waited a short time for a table on benches that were uncomfortably close to racks of t-shirts. That was weird. Our table was nicely situated with a great view of the ocean.
The service was friendly and prompt. The beer was tasty. We ordered fish and chips. The food was just okay. Smallish pieces of cod. The batter was "meh". We asked for the fries "extra crispy" but they didn't seem very extra to me. I had a piece of "The King" cake for dessert. It was basically banana cake with peanut butter for frosting. Not bad but the outer edges had some old fridge taste.
Not a terrible place. The prices were a bit on the high side, but what I'd expect from any restaurant right on the beach. Would I go back? Yeah, if I was in the area with a powerful hunger and thirst. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit again, however.
Way overpriced for a brew pub, and overall just an odd experience. However if I can pass along one thing before you say "too long/didn't read" it is this: blue cheese vinigarette. Get a house salad, which is greens, dried cranberries, and almond slivers, and be sure to get this insanely good dressing. Don't bother with anything else.
Okay, now that that's out of the way: the wait for a table for 2 at 1:30 on a Sunday afternoon was 30 minutes. Okay, no problem, the weather is gorgeous so it's a busy place. Once seated (after much confusion -- what name is your party under? How many people again?), we saw about 30 open chairs in the large room we finally sat in. I'm not sure why the wait, unless that room had just been opened up....but that wouldn't explain the table that sat unbussed next to us through our whole meal, or the absolutely filthy floor.
The food was pretty good though. BF's cheeseburger was good, he said, though he called the fries "different" and I know to his rather picky tastes that is not a good thing. The baked potato and salad lunch was good, though the potato was clearly reheated and not warm enough. The salad was SO good though! Go back and re-read that first paragraph. I am rather not a salad person but it was delish.
Didn't even try the beer. I'm not a big beer drinker and the BF is a man of.... ahem, simpler tastes (read: Anheuser Busch).
The service was a little odd too. Our server was friendly and chatty in that talking-at-us way, taking several passes by the table (water........ then drinks........ then finally taking our order...... ) The weird part was that when our food was served he came by once, never slowing his pace or even looking at us --- muttered quietly "everything good here? okay...." and kept going like he was crossing it off of his mental checklist, nothing more.
Okay, if you have read this far, your reward is this tip: the salad dressing is made by the Riverhouse restaurant in Pacific City (so you may want to go there instead though I can't vouch for it), and is available in the refrigerated produce section at local grocery stores on the coast and in the Portland area such as New Seasons, where I bought a bottle today. The Riverhouse's website says Safeway, Albertsons, and Fred Meyer too. Get yourself some craisins, slivered almonds, and baby greens and save the hassle and confusion of Pelican.
I have an "it's complicated" type of relationship with the Pelican. Â I've been coming here for years, as I watched Pacific City go from a sleepy little fishing burg (and the Oregon Coast's best kept secret) to a miniature version of Lincoln City. Â My outrigger canoe club drank here every Sunday after paddling sessions, until we broke apart a couple years ago. Â This is where my "bachelor party" began. Â So me 'n The Pelican, we got a lotta history...most of it good, some of it not so good.
I'll start with the good. Â First of all, the beer. Â It wins a lot of awards. Â There's a reason for that, which is called It's Awesome. Â Second, the location. Â If you want to combine eating/drinking with an ocean view, some beach walking, and maybe some paddling/surfing/swimming/boarding, this is an excellent place for that. Â Third, the pizza. Â The Pelican knows how to throw a good pie.
Now the not so good. Â The touristy-ness of the joint...don't get me wrong, the Oregon Coast needs these types of places and in a way it's part of the charm...but sometimes the crowds of Californians and Midwesterners are more than I can stand. Â Also, the rugrat factor...I understand it's at the beach and there are going to be kids...but why does everyone, I mean EVERYONE with kids choose to eat at the one place in town called a "Pub and Brewery"??!! Â There's the service...the typical server here is a local kid just trying to make a few bucks so she/he can move to Portland or go on one of those multi-month adventures kids go on, so their mind isn't exactly on the task at hand. Â Needless to say, the service isn't great.
The prices, more than anything, keep me from coming here more often. Â I understand it's a tourist joint, and if Californians are willing to pay more then why not charge them? Â The problem is that the locals who come here suffer for it...but there are alternatives on the coast, so it's not that much of a problem. Â I do enjoy their beer though.
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