They gave us a free tshirt for bringing in a cute baby :)
We stopped here after reading an article in Sunset magazine talking about how amazing the Tomales Bay oysters were. Â Crusing down the coast, this was the only place that didn't have a line out the door. Â We stopped in for lunch and got some BBQ oysters and fish and chips. Â Delicious!! We sat in the back room next to the grill, which I wouldn't recommend because it got really hot, but it had a beautiful view of the bay. Â It was a lot more pricey than some of the other restaurants in the area, but the food was worth the price. Â It had a classier vibe than the other little oyster shacks, so if you're in Tomales with your significant other, this is a nice place for a date.
10$ for 6 bbq oysters... so delicious! Plus the staff were beyond friendly and helpful. Â The owner(?) was super nice - hence the free t-shirt. Â Loved this place. Worth the drive!
I've been coming to Tony's for many years, and love this place. Â Yes, it probably gets its fair share of tourists and yes, the locals probably visit some of the other numerous BBQ'd oyster restaurants in the area that may be a bit less conspicuous, but Tony's has inhabited this site in Marshall since 1948 and it's like taking a step back in time.
Our meal there was simple - I had 12 BBQ'd oysters and my wife had a stone crab Louie salad. Â The oysters don't disappoint, although Tony's sells so many of them that they truck them fresh from Oregon because the local oyster farms can't commit to a large enough or steady enough supply. Â The oysters can vary in size - come in the winter for the really huge ones - but the tangy sauce with fresh garlic is perfect. Â My wife's salad came piled high with fresh stone crab caught the day before in Tomales Bay, and there was a lot of it. Â She loves the salads at Tony's because the Louie dressing is like stepping back to the 1950's - just the way it should be.
Oh - yeah the view is good too - overlooking Tomales Bay and Pt. Reyes across the bay.
I'd love to try some of the other local places - but it's hard to just not come to Tony's when we're in that neck of the woods.
I admit that I was reluctant to throw out 5 stars... thinking there had to be something that kept me from being overly generous, but I can't think of anything that would make me give less of a stellar rating to this wonderful restaurant experience.
I managed to be there on Father's day, so the place was jammed with people and similar to the nearby waves on Tomales Bay, the people were coming in waves. The restaurant filled in and then there were openings, then it filled again. It looked as though there were no diners leaving without a smile and enthusiastic conversations about the food and the setting.
As I understand it, Tony's is a birthplace to barbecued oysters, so that was the opening gambit. Our table had Clam Chowder, both the classic white and a modified Manhattan. It is not typical to share soup, but there were spare spoons at work, just to get a taste. All agreed the chowder was great.
Lunch varied from fish and chips to prawn tacos, to fried oysters. Add a light spring wine and friendly service to make the mid day a treat worth the short drive from Santa Rosa, Ca.
A fun and casual place to get lunch. My husband and I stumbled upon it on our day trip to the Sonoma coast. It was cold and windy outside that day and their bowl of chowder was heavenly, so creamy good!
We had two dozens of oysters and I liked the raw ones best, the grilled ones were fine if you can't stomach raw oysters. We had heaps of boiled shrimps in shells, if you like that kind of thing along with cocktail sauce and horseradish, I loved it!
My husband ordered the combo fish plate, it was too much fried food for me but if you have a crowd, it's a good choice to share. The view is good, as you're looking out to the bay at Marshall. We got served quickly and the server was very personable and attentive. She was a local and was not disdained to tourists --she was an excellent server and our experience was great.
Yes, they only accept cash and did have an ATM machine if you don't mind the charge for use.
Not sure if this is the same restaurant as all the 3 and 4 star ratings.
Our food was definitely just so so.  The Boston clam chowder had no flavor and  tasted like it came out of a can.  We ordered fish and chips (or thought we did but no chips came just green lettuce which was, I guess, a salad?).  The fish was dry - tasted almost like from a box in the freezer dept at Safeway.  Very disappointed in the whole meal.  I guess it has a reputation as a neat 'dive' but to me it just felt like a very old (it opened in 1948) and tired restaurant that has seen better days.  I can not recommend Tony's.
First time having BBQ Oysters, loved them! Â Big, meaty and good BBQ sauce. Â
The Sauteed shrimp and Calamari was great and fresh, not enough for a meal and for the price I expected more. Â The mussels were also good. Â They charge you for bread and it's cash only which is a problem (or could be). Â The three of us spent close to $100.00 and I don't always carry that much cash around. Â
Good good, pricey for what you get but also very fresh.
{{groan}}
I went to Tony's during a recent trip to Point Reyes with an old friend who'd gone there many years ago with family, and loved it -- or rather, loved the memory.  Anyway, I would have gotten the barbecued oysters or just regular oysters on the half shell, but my friend didn't want any.  [Only one person in my entire circle of friends likes oysters...what is up with that?]  We were starved after hiking around, and the plates of fried oysters, calamari and fish (with French fries) going around looked great.  So what the heck.  We ordered, and they all tasted like they'd been breaded in plain, heavy flour with no salt, pepper or seasoning of any kind.  My friend couldn't finish the clam chowder she ordered because it was  mostly cream with a little flour tossed in.
This was Memorial Day weekend, and the restaurant was not crowded. Â We passed the Tomales Bay Oyster Company, and there were cars parked a half a mile down the road. Â There's your clue. Â We had actually been on our way to the Marshall Store, but then my friend spotted Tony's, and remembered it from happier times...so we went. Â Who knows, it could have been great...Tony's has been there for many years, and maybe it was a hidden relic of past times. Â But as it turned out, it was not a place I'd return to, ever. Â
We did get reasonably decent service, but did notice a tendency on the part of the servers to pick and choose who they were going to wait on quickly and cheerfully. Â And there was a loud, florid-faced guy giving away samples of crab...he ignored my friend as me and if we didn't exist, and effusively pushed samples of crab on a young couple who had just walked in. Â He practically trampled us in his hurry to load them down with free samples.
We've been coming here for the past 7 years and love it every time. Great BBQ oysters, servers that keep it real + good pricing makes for a fantastic time. And for the people on here complaining about service - you all seriously need to talk about the context of this place. Tony's has been known, for years, for having a slightly sarcastic, real bunch of waiters. Also - it's a seafood place on the coast. Try appreciate the difference.
Review Source:TERRIBLE SERVICE AND SNOTTY DISINTERESTED SERVERS!
I have gone to Tony's on and off over the past 7 or 8 years on special occasions. Â I went recently on my birthday. Â After that I came to the sad conclusion that I'll never go back there in the future. Â Why? Â Well,the main reason is I do NOT want to deal with the horrible servers there ever again. I couldn't have been more disappointed with the huge decline in the quality of the servers. Â First off, when I came in and got seated, my server breezed past me a few times with a look on her face like she was irritated that I had the gall to actually come in to the place. Â When she finally came over to take my order she NEVER smiled, wasn't personable or even friendly, her tone and demeanor made it seem like she was in some huge rush to be somewhere else and I was in the way of her being able to do that. Â After taking my order she gave me a very pretentious "thank you" as she ran off. Â In the middle of my meal, Â I waited patiently for a refill of my soda while my "server" stood in the back of the place chit-chatting with another server about who-knows-what. Â After about 10 minutes she finally came over, I asked for a refill, and she took my glass to refill it, all the while carrying with her an attitude of annoyance impatience and overall "snottiness". Â This is NOT what I was used to in years past -- in prior years the servers at Tony's were some of the most friendly, bubbly, personable and truly nice servers I had the pleasure to know. Â I guess they all left and the restaurant has had to make due with whatever dregs the could find. Â
I'm very sad to see the management of Tony's allow these obviously unqualified servers with such poor attitudes to run their place into the ground like this. Â This is NOT a cheap place to dine by any means -- all the more reason the servers should be much more mindful of their attitudes than they are.
On the positive side the food here is still great, and though it's pricey it's not really out of line for what you'd expect to pay for it. Â But these horrid servers have ruined it for me, so I won't be returning.
NOTE: THIS IS A CASH ONLY PLACE, THEY DO NOT TAKE ANY PLASTIC AT ALL!
(They do have an ATM which charges ridiculous fees in case you forget to bring your cash with you)
PS: Â to the reviewer who calls herself B.H., you're wrong -- "slightly sarcastic" is NOT what I experienced at all, my server at Tony's was rude, inattentive, and just outright snotty. Â Try to understand the difference (if that's possible in your case). With so many people on Yelp complaining about the servers here it should be obvious even to you that "context" has nothing to do with it, it is unacceptable bad behavior and rudeness like that from restaurant servers should not be tolerated in ANY restaurant ANYWHERE -- PERIOD!
We were very hungry so we stopped here out of desparation since all the other places were packed (Marshall Store, Hog Island).
This place wasn't crowded at all--that should have been our first clue...Bad service and bad food. Our waitress ignored us for ten minutes while she chatted up the other table. She forgot our drinks until we asked for them again. Oh, and I got a lecture on how to order my food. Obnoxious.
The food was blah. The fish tacos were just ok. The oysters were not good. NOT FRESH. My husband got FOOD POISONING and was VOMITING all night after we stopped here.
Tourist trap. Don't waste your money or sacrifice your stomach and your health. Go to Hog Island instead.
I really wish we didn't stop here but people were getting hungry. Â
The Service: Â It was terrible. Â The waitresses spent most of their time hanging out and talking with their friends to service the customers. Â The little service we got was very curt as they were always in a hurry to get back to talking with their friends. Â The waitress leans over my empty glasses of water and iced tea (which were intentionally left out in open plain view to make it more obvious) while delivering the appetizers and doesn't even notice I need refils, she was in too much of a hurry to go talk to her friends. Â I had to drag her away from her friends anytime we needed service. Â There is something wrong when you have to get out of your seat to get the waitress's attention that has been two tables away for the last 10 minutes. Â
The Food: Â Uninspired, basic and bland. Â The food was not worth the price. Â Boil some noodles, throw in a few chopped veggies and some clams. Â I was making food at this level after school when I was 10 years old. Â
Atmosphere: Â The locals in the restaurant were very loud and inconsiderate. Â Yelling and talking very loud. Â The group of 3 young men that were seated behind were so annoyed and in such a hurry to get away, they left with most of their food still on their plates.
Felt a little out of place at first but everyone seemed nice and didn't stare to hard.
Fisherman's platter was the bomb..fried oysters, scallops, shrimp, squid and fish. Fresh and crispy. Fritto Misto extreme.
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/HsdvLF_9afocsrPD3xcmkA?select=Aaqu8oN3Bgx9-Re6Bxh8KA#Aaqu8oN3Bgx9-Re6Bxh8KA">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
Get that and splash some tabasco in your tartar sauce and the bbq oysters and an icy beer and you is good!
Waste of $42. Knew the food would be lackluster, only went bc my husband was too hungry to wait for The Marshall Store. We had BBQ oysters, which were served with a sweet goopy sauce on top, raw oysters which were ok and red/white clam chowder. The red was inedible (and I love to eat) and the white was more cream than anything.
Ok, expected, lackluster food at a scenic touristy resto on the water, but this all would have been redeemed with better service. Our waitress was unenthusiastic, didn't bring us water and generally not that friendly. I regret not shrewing my husband into driving 3 more miles! What a disappointing end to a beautiful day.
This place was really disappointing. Â I made the mistake of thinking that all the places on Tomales bay had decent food options, since they get the oysters from the same water anyways. Â I was sooo wrong. Â
I have tried other joints along HWY 1 near here and have always had a great experience, so I decided to give this place a shot. Â
The food here is terrible; its kinda like an old 1940's style Ital-American mobster joint. Â The food is overly simplified, relying on tasteless american distribution tactics made famous decades ago. Â I am talking about dishes that always come with fries and iceburg lettuce. Â The fish dishes were really crummy, flavorless and came with a heaping pile of tartar sauce to fill the void.
If you ask for plates, they give you crummiest paper plates possible. Â You get better service at food trucks these days.
The oysters were only acceptable. Â They were served with horseradish and cocktail sauce, also served in crummy paper cups.
This is kinda like a tourist trap, and I got suckered into eating at this place because everyone in the car got too hangry. Â The worst part is I am not even a tourist.
Just a couple blocks down the road is The Marshall Store, go there instead.
The location of this restaurant is nice and very charming BUT..... the service was poor (never got the drinks ordered nor any water).  The BBQ oysters were also way oversized (not  good thing when eating oysters) and covered in a mass of goopy ketchup. Not tasty. They were nice enough to not charge when I left a full plate on the  table.  Would not go there again though.
Review Source:The food was pretty good. I had the shrimp over linguini. Tasty, and fresh. there weren't many options. It seemed like there were six or seven seafoods done the same way. There was a board with some specials, but nothing stood out as exceptionally interesting. My friends had the calamari steak; they said it was really bland. Â
Then there was the staff. I have to mention that they weren't very friendly. Our waitress appeared annoyed with us, or just being there. I felt like I was at a place that is just tired of catering to people.
The ambiance was shack-like. Acceptable for casual tourists seeking that "local" feel. Overall though, like the staff, the restaurant appeared a bit tired too.
I'd eat here again, but I wouldn't go out of my way.
Oh...final thought... who doesn't accept credit cards? Â Even with those little credit card devices that attach to your iPhone, there's no excuse to not accept them. Â This place is cash only. Â Don't forget to bring your cash.
Big disappointment! Â Seat yourself. Â Icky sticky table and a bus lady shooting looks of "don't you dare" . Â Attitudinal waitress with snail paced un-urgency about taking care of customers. Â While "serving" us, she was on the cell phone discussing personal life. Â
The barbeque oysters were 4 good sized and 1 midget. Â Cheap, sweet corn-fructosy catsup with some chopped garlic on top; that ain't no sauce. No lemon juice added just syrupy sweet tomato catsup. Â Scrape that crap off! Â 2 of the 5 oysters had sharp evil shell chips. Â As my pierced the back of my throat, I had to decide if choking on a spoon was better than swallowing a large sharp shard. It hurt.
I had clam chowder because the fresh entries were more cash than we had in wallet (give them more profit from using atm?). It was basic, well provided with ingredients, very little grit and good bland flavor. Â The chunks of undissolved thickener? Â I just pretended it was drownded oyster crackers dissolving. Â Chewy gooey not so good.
 My friend ordered the $19.75 chalkboard daily special of Seven Seas Sopa.  It was a pile of cooked stuff on top of the weakest broth.  Not a pleasurable bowl especially at the bottom full of grit.  Oh grit!!!
 Waitress attitude was not appetizing.  Slow and superficial with snarky attitude.
Note to myself: Â when the outside is piled high with junk (not touristy nautical gear), there may be junk inside as well!
Their BBQ oysters with garlic and butter (without BBQ sauce) were delicious and truly great! Â This dish is excellent for oyster lovers! I would give them 5 stars. I ended up ordering 15 of them.
The linguni with clams was kind of plain; it was average.
The waitress was friendly but she couldn't  give us enough attention because the place was very busy. I think Tony's is a great restaurant and we plan to go back again :-)
Amazing barbeque and raw oysters.
The BBQ oysters are freshly grilled. Â The sauce, still bubbling when it came out to me, tasted like a lighter sweet barbecue sauce mixed with cocktail sauce, and came heavy with bits of garlic - yum! Â
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The raw oysters were also delicious - meaty and huge, and a little sweet.
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Service was quick.
The interior is awesomely kitsch - old fashioned wood paneling; random netting, plastic fish, and plants hanging everywhere. Â The view is great, since it is right on the water.
Bring lots of cash! Â (Or use the ATM inside the restaurant.)
Total of ~$100 (including tax and tip) for 30 BBQ oysters and 12 raw oysters. Â Well worth it.
Was driving around after spending time at the State Park and wanted to grab a bite to eat. Service was so-so and the food is pretty expensive for a small portion.
I ordered the sauteed combo of "prawns and scallops." For about $17...Drenched and submerged in their buttery wine sauce the seafood was ok...scallops were medium shaped scallops that were sliced thin and the prawns looked more like baby shrimp. French fries were crinkle cut and tasted good.
Our waitress seemed nice but was too busy talking to everyone else and her co-workers to serve us.
Tiramisu was good but for $5 was really tiny, however, the apple pie with ice cream seems like a better value. My BFs sauteed oysters were okay as well.
Overall, average seafood ...there are plenty of restaurants on PCH and would probably just try others next time I'm there.
BTW they are cash-only. Had I had seen that before I seated myself I would have probably passed on the place.
Stopped in Tony's after a long hike on a beautiful day for a beer and a bite to eat. Â Not wanting to spend an arm and a leg without knowing what the quality of the food would be (figured it would be hit-and-miss around there), we opted to just get an shrimp cocktail.
Wow, am I glad we didn't order anything else because it was hands-down the worst shrimp cocktail I've ever had. Â The shrimp were about the size of a fingernail and obviously not fresh. Â They honestly barely even tasted like shrimp. Â But the thing that confused me the most was that they served them in a bed of ketchup. Â I mean, literally put ketchup in the bottom of a cocktail glass, then buried the shrimp in it. Â Â
A complete waste of $9.
We stopped here because we wanted to try the Marshall Store, but I have a 6 year old and a 3 month old, and the 3 month old needed to nurse and we were foiled by parking. Â We turned back, to Tony's, where there WAS parking.
We know why.
Service is definitely not the best. Â Sure, the food is going to be fried, it SAYS it's fried, or sauteed, so I can't complain about that. Â But we paid 18 bucks for a 6 dollar fried meal with a crummy side salad, served up with a relatively crummy attitude, and no refills on beverages, and no check ins, and we got our own extra napkins. Â Also??? Â You need cash. Â Get some at the Marshall Store, and then stay there.
The guy cooking the oysters, who we were seated next to, was so nice and busy. Â Our waitress? Â Irritated we wanted to sit by a window; another seemed irritated I had a kid who was standing waiting for a table to be cleaned, and another waitress screaming over our heads waving at her boyfriend while talking on her cell phone (he was on a crummy little boat fishing within sight of the restaurant.)
The food was eh. Â My 6 year old and my husband have a weird and unquenchable appetite for oysters. Â We ordered her two platters of the bbq oysters, and they come with sweet sickly sauce. Â WTF? Â Just cook them up and serve them with some lemon, garlic butter, or hot sauce, but don't douse them. Â The third platter was special ordered, and she ate them all up. Â She was well behaved and stuffing her face, and my baby I nursed outside dockside, so everyone in our party was calm and kind and not annoying (and we can be, trust me.) Â
Oysters are just fine, you can special order them without crummy bbq sauce and they come out looking really good. Â Scallops were good, and the clam chowder was smooth and flavorful, needing only a bit of pepper.
The platters of food with crummy french fries, crummy green salad, and fried bits of seafood worth about $6 and sold for 3X that?? Â Skip!! Â I did, however, really like the fried scallops, and if I was stuck in a ditch within walking distance of only this restaurant, I'd get those.
$67 bucks for 2 subpar meals, 2 sodas, an iced tea, 1 cup of clam chowder, 18 oysters (of which only 6 were decent because they didn't have sickly sweet bbq sauce) and a irritated to be there server. Â
Luckily, it's Tomales Bay. Â There are plenty of fish in the sea.
I only ate the bbq oysters and drank the champagne. I left very happy. Almost as good as The Marshall Store and such friendly small-town service. What the interior lacks in modern ambiance (everything doesn't have to look like 25 Lusk to be outstanding), it makes up for in the crazy delicious oysters and equally friendly locals who seem to convene here. The two sisters who work here are the sisters of the cutest bartender over at Nick's Cove. Good trivial knowledge to possess.
I don't know what the prices are like, but trust me: whatever the cost, it's worth it.
I have been coming to this place for years (granted, it's like 63 years old and my tenure is only a fraction of that) and there is no other seafood joint I will stop at in the whole Bodega/Tomales/Pt. Reyes region.
I always get four plates of the BBQ'd oysters (at minimum) and usually a cold beer. Â I prefer to sit in the back area by the grill.
I just hope they stay open for another 63 years.
Amazing unpretentious oyster shack in the middle of nowhere. Â Make sure to stop by on the way to Bodega Bay. Â Very inexpensive fresh oysters, BBQ oysters the place is famous for, flavorful claim chowder, and variety of "catch of the day" options. Â The only minus is their rather limited wine selection, but, again, who is expecting good wine from the side-of-the-road type of place? Â
Chatting with the owners, we were surprised to find that most of the oysters they serve are not even local! Â Which would probably explain the consistency of the quality.
I only like oysters two ways.. RAW or at Tony's!
You can't beat the price or the freshness of Tony's BBQ Oysters. They always fill my tummy up with some warm yummy goodness. I love the tangy bbq sauce with the little garlic bits. Occasionally you'll get some oyster shell bits stuck from the high heat that they bbq them at but its sooo good. My mouth is watering just thinking about it
We stopped here on our way to Hog Island Oyster Co. I have no idea why Tony's don't buy theirs just down PCH instead of from WA especially since they are so isolated.
The diner is perched on the bay and looks something like a railroad car with wood floors. The waits talk to each other a lot but our oysters, hamburger and krinkle fries were fine. I haven't seen those in 30 years.
Cash only - so bring plenty this isn't cheap!
UPDATE: The oysters gave me food poisoning for 10 days! Dehydration never felt so good! Thanks, Tony's!
Have you ever wanted to replicate your high school cafeteria experience? Mediocre food served by people who don't bother to mask their loathing for you? An undercurrent of something not-quite-right? Check out Tony's. For the cost of what would have been a nice dinner in a Point Reyes Station restaurant, you can be served slop by bitter, rude people... and not affected Zeitgeist hipster rude, either... this is the real deal!
During my mercifully-short stay at this establishment, I sat at the bar and listened to the creepy bartender dude loudly alternate between annoyed sighing, barking petty orders to the waitress (why yes, the ketchup at that table IS low!), and referring to female waitresses in, um, rather physical terms!
I had raw oysters, with just a hint of norovirus- which forever established the difference between "diarrhea" and "REAL diarrhea" in my life, a bowl of white clam chowder (no clams, apparently a specialty chowder!) and a glass of what they claimed was white Italian wine, but tasted like- and probably could double as- brake fluid. Oh sure, it might cost a little more than eating at a "proper" establishment, but it's worth it!
Whew. All this sarcasm is making me thirsty. Seriously, this place sucks. As others have pointed out, it probably stays in business from clueless tourists that don't know food, don't know wine, and are too tired to protest the horrible service. Don't be a clueless tourist.
Final BBQ oysters count:
Hubby: Â 31
Me: Â 17
Total: Â 48
Large, fresh oysters, slathered in tomatoey BBQ sauce and sprinkled with garlic. Slithery, hot flavor bombs in your mouth (this is a good thing). Â 5 for $8.95. Â They gave us an extra oyster per plate after the first three plates. Â During our oyster gorge fest, we saw the staff repeatedly walk back to the kitchen with freshly chopped crab legs (sorry, this is turning into a macabre review). Â Oh, and the New England clam chowder wasn't bad either.
I'm not certain why this place gets such good reviews. It's kind of a dump (without the charm of some dumps). The food was, at best, mediocre and the service was barely adequate.
I will admit the BBQ oysters were good (large, tender, flavorful but with what tasted like bottled BBQ sauce) but the clam chowder most Yelp reviewers rave about was bland and thickened with corn starch. And call me overly demanding but clam chowder should have more than a couple of clams. We also had the bowl of clam steamers in broth... OK but nothing to come back for.
If you want really excellent clam chowder keep going north on #1 and stop at Spud Point Crab Company in Bodega Bay. Now that's the real deal.
On a recent trip to the Bay area, we decided to take a detour over to Point Reyes Lighthouse. Â As we explored the coastal region and stomachs began growling, we thought we'd stop for a nice oyster lunch and happened upon Tony's. Situated on the sparkling waters of Tomales Bay, the ramshackle building housing Tony's has an authentic weatherbeaten look and is still standing more out of spite than any other reason. In fact, I feel the same way about our experience there.
First of all, it's not a very welcoming restaurant. The wait staff is unfriendly and unattentive (perhaps locals are treated better) and the rickety structure has numerous holes in it. Â How would we know this? Well, it happened to be a somewhat blustery day when we visited, and the wind and rain howled through those holes, many around the windows right along the waterside tables. There weren't any better tables available so we stayed where we were.
Sometimes the kitchen can make up for bad service, but sadly, it wasn't to be. We started with clam chowder, but it was only lukewarm when it finally arrived much later. Tony's version is New England-style and was somewhat bland and a bit skimpy, with more potatoes than seafood. Whether the plates were cold or simply sitting on the counter too long, I don't know.
We also had oysters on the half shell. Â I love to savor the oyster and the enclosed liquor with a bit of Tabasco and fresh grated horseradish. They were extremely fresh and tender (yes!) but they were not shucked properly and featured shell bits along with the oyster (no!).
Mediocrity reigned during the balance of our forgettable lunch. Fried items seemed unable to make the twenty-foot trek from the kitchen to our table without becoming cold and greasy. Again, the service may be suspect as to why items kept coming out less than piping hot.
The pièce de résistance for me was the outhouse experience of Tony's. Yes, the filthy bathroom is located in an adjoining outbuilding (albeit with running water). Fortunately, the weather had brightened by the time I had to do my business so I was saved an uncovered walk in the rain. I did have to wait though as a line had formed due to a tour bus group at the restaurant.
Then it hit me. I wondered if perhaps bus drivers on the take, ferrying unsuspecting patrons to their gastric demise, are the only obstacle keeping this dump from shuttering its doors for good. Â Or maybe people who spend their weekends driving around the countryside in Volvos, buying $3 peaches at slickster fruit stands, enjoy consuming overpriced, underwhelming food. It doesn't really matter. Some things just need to be avoided, like the Plague. And Tony's.
Good marinara-style bbq oysters. Â They have a sweet bbq/marinara sauce. Â We also got bowls of chowder - B. got the New England clam chowder and I got the house specialty veggie chowder. Â Both were fine, but weren't exceptional. Â They actually seemed a little low on the clams.
It's a cute little place though, with seats right on the water, and it's a nice place to enjoy a seafood dinner. Â Be sure to get the oysters.
For Sandie S: How to get to Marshall, CA...(ahem)
Take Hwy 101 to the Stinson Beach Exit which is otherwise known as Highway 1. Take this all the way up last Stinson Beach and past Pt. Reyes and there you have Tomales Bay and the favorite local treat: Tomales Bay oysters.
I dig authentic local places like Tony's. We found it by accident because the family did not want to go to Tomales Bay Oyster Co. and wanted a place to instead sit down and grab a comfortable meal indoors. I don't think we were at all disappointed and I have to say that we're huge seafood fans so our standards are higher than most.
It's so windy in Marshall that it's a joy to finally be able to run into their oyster shack and grab a seat by the window as the sign above their service window directs. The servers are friendly, quite knowledgeable and are comfortable enough to sit down and have a chat with you with is endearing in my opinion.
Their oysters on the half shell are excellent (6 for $9.95). The horseradish itself could open my nostrils, clear up my sinuses and smack me around fairly roughly. So yes of course I dabbled much of it on with the fresh lemons, cocktail and two, yes TWO kinds of hot sauce they carry.
I think my favorite have got to be the BBQ Oysters though. (5 for 9.95) These are some meaty and hot oysters. They slap them on the grills, dabble on their homemade BBQ sauce and the 5 will fill up a Dixie plate. These suckers are good enough on their own with just the BBQ sauce. Having an order would most likely be enough but save room for their entrees if oysters are not your bag.
I had the Seafood Linguine, the bf had the grilled Red Snapper and the sister had the Cioppino. The salads that were brought out were amazingly plain but fresh. I didn't spy a single iceberg lettuce and a nice addition of cherry tomatoes. How could anyone not love a cherry tomato here and there and their dressing automatically on the side?
The cioppino and linguine looked exactly the same with the exception of adding pasta to one. Both are cooked in a tomato broth and had a nice combination of scallops, mussels, clams and fish. The fish tasted a little metallic but it was scarce so it was hardly an issue. The Red Snapper was breaded and fried but flaky and moist on the inside.
Overall the meal was terrific, the server was polite and on point and we all walked away happy and full. I'd try to come back again if I could but some of us had carsickness on the way here.
Just remember two things:
1. Bring cash and lots of it.
2. Fill up with gas before you get up here.
Been coming here for years and the food tastes even better after a nice drive up the coast along Hwy 1. Â The obvious draw here is the oysters, both BBQ'd and raw, but since I don't eat oysters, I always order one of the fish dishes. Â I'm always happy with their fish and chips and when you walk in, see if they're unloading or cleaning fish out front. Â
This not a high end, yuppie upscale place, it's the real deal...an old school seafood restaurant on Hwy 1 overlooking the water.
The best halibut I've ever had in my life was here. Â I was walking in when I saw them unloading fish and I saw them cutting and cleaning the most beautiful freshly caught halibut out front in the cleaning area. Â It had just been caught that morning! Â Naturally, I ordered it and wow, it was celestial.
The food is consistently good, although not always to that level, but as I mentioned earlier, definitely keep an eye out as you walk in for clues on what's incoming.
Nice little bar upfront too. Â Tony is a good guy and I'm always happy to see my favorite waitress...Hope.
While you're in the area, it's just a short drive to the town of Bodega where the Hitchcock film, "The Birds" was filmed. Â The tourist and travel center can give you a free map to help you find the actual school house and the original "The Tides" restaurant (now remodeled/rebuilt) from the film. Â Â
A great way to spend the day...pretty cool!
If you are cruising up Highway 1 from Point Reyes, you must hit up this seafood dive. I felt like I was back east and not in Northern California. The BBQ oysters are amazing you can watch em get bbqed on the grill in the back, people where eaten them by the plate full, so I knew I needed to hit them up.
They were perfectly cooked with great homemade bbq sauce and a little cheese melted on top. I also had some raw and fried oysters which were also great bu the bbq ones were def my fav.
Awesome fish tacos, seafood salads, and fish and chips as well. This place has been around for over 40 years and there is a reason why. It reminded me of the old school seafood shacks I used to go to as a kid in the summer on the coast of Maine and New England, cheap, greasy, fresh fish cooked to perfection.
Some day I will actually order seafood here, but for now I just can't get past how wonderful the grilled cheese sandwiches are. Â Yummy, gooey, cheese melting between thick slices of fresh bread....mmmmm.... Â
As per usual, I have to knock a star off for the cash-only, but I will definitely be back.
Even though Tony's is a good hour north of the city, it's worth a mention. Â No, it deserves a BIG mention.
Tony's is a tiny, local seafood shack on the water about 1 mile south of Marshall on Highway 1. Â It reminds me of some of the places from my childhood along the South Carolina coastline.
Excellent BBQ oysters. Â The oysters are grilled over an open fire pit and baked with BBQ sauce and tons of garlic. Â (Next time I go, I'll order a couple dozen and wash them down with a few Anchor Steams.) Â The cracked crab is chilled and sweet - it doesn't need any sauce at all. Â The fried seafood, while good, Â is definitely not the main attraction. Â For anyone making the trek, stick with the shellfish.
Also, beware...cash only.
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