Fresh and delicious. Great service as well. We enjoyed the steamers and fish sandwich as well as chicken strips for the kids. All was excellent. read more

On our way south from Cannon Beach we stopped here for lunch, where our family of four (including two kiddos) had a great experience, including exceptional fish and chips, and chicken strips my extremely picky 7 year old son called the best chicken strips he's ever had. After picking myself up off the floor (from my son's revelation), I had a teriyaki chicken sandwich that was delicious. Friendly attentive service, and a nicely decorated and clean environment. Then, for dinner tonight, we attempted to order take-out from three Cannon Beach restaurants, all of whom refused to take our take-out orders (Bill's Tavern, Lumberyard Rotisserie and Cannon Beach Hardware and Public House)..resulting in my happy, hungry mood turning frustrated and borderline grumpy. "Why don't we call the Big Wave Cafe again," my wife suggested. I agreed, and the owner happily took our order of Crab Louie and the Tsumani burger. I drove the 15 minutes south picked it up (it was ready when they said it would be), and the owner said she couldn't believe any place not accepting take-out orders. My eyes were the size of dinner plates when I opened my take-out box. The Tsunami burger "swept me away" with how huge it was, and the flavor was equally large. Included was a side order of their delicious fries. The burger, however, wasn't even the best part. My wife's crab louie was, in her words "worth every cent of the $18 we paid," due to the heaping helping of crab piled atop some fresh greens. The crab was, to quote Guy Fieri "Legit." Anyway, she loved it...and as a result, Big Wave Cafe has now become one of our favorite restaurants along this part of the Oregon coast (we normally stay in the Lincoln City area.) Stop wasting your time waiting among the crowds for mediocre food in Cannon Beach, and drive 20 minutes south to the Big Wave. I know we will. read more

We liked this Cafe, service needs some help but Ill go back. great smoked salmon Caesar salad read more

Love Big Wave. I'm sad I don't live in Manzanita so I could eat there more than a few times a year... Their halibut fish-n-chips is fabulous and the clam chowder is the best I've ever had. Average cost is about $14 for dinner, less if you get a burger or sandwich. We've also had the french dip (awesome, oozing cheesy goodness), the Captain's Platter with halibut, shrimp, oysters, scallops, salad, coleslaw and fries (sooooo much food and abt $18) and a whole Dungeness Crab dinner ($22). They have a selection of homemade cakes and pies---pass on the extremely sweet coconut cake (usually my downfall) and save those calories for the amazing (you deserve it!) Bananas Foster for dessert. It is worth every stinkin' calorie, I promise!! Big Wave is not a fancy place, but it's clean and the service can be great (depends on the night). Good for groups and kids, It's always packed---locals love it as much as the tourists. What are you waiting for?! read more

On our annual vacation on the Coast and this year, we're trying new places. We've driven by Big Wave Cafe on our way to Tillamook and Pacific City for years. It was time to stop and try them out for dinner. First impressions: - Seated quickly. Had just enough time to check out their chalkboard where they list where they've sourced their seafood for the day. All local. - Greeted by friendly server with sense of humor. Nice! Service: - Everyone helps out here. There's a nice team vibe here. - Orders were taken accurately and food was served in a timely manner, not rushed with perfect pacing. We even lingered after finishing our meal and didn't feel rushed. The food: - House salad was simply dressed and delicious. The addition of arugula added a little zest to what would have been a plain old salad. - I ordered the Captain's Platter, which has two pieces each of fish, oysters, prawns and scallops with a side of fries or baked potato. The seafood was perfectly cooked and not overly breaded so you could taste the freshness of the sea. The baked potato was lukewarm and a little undercooked. No matter-- the seafood was the star! - Shared a cup of the clam chowder with the hubs. Tasty, but a tad salty. Lots of tender clams. - MIL had the crab cakes. Two very huge and crab filled cakes. One came home for the next day's meal. - FIL raved about his perfectly grilled rib eye. - Hubs had their halibut and chips, which he deemed "good," which is very good! We plan to return for their desserts, which are made from scratch. An update will come soon as we're planning on trying their infamous apple crisp! read more

Had dinner here in November 2021. Our waitress was super friendly and attentive at first, however she had tables all across the restaurant and was hustling to keep up. We had the Clams for an appetizer and they were good. Loved the large salads that come with the entrees! I had fish and chips and the fish was cooked well. My husband had the Samplers Platter, and didn't realize everything would be fried. The batter on them was good, it was just a lot of fried food. We would visit again, but it wouldn't be our first stop. It was good but not incredible. read more

Good fries. Very clean place and nice staff. No view like in the photos, which was disappointing. But would recommend.

We went yesterday for dinner. This restaurant has a deceiving look. It's looks like any road side cafe. Well, maybe a little nicer than the average. We were greated and seated swiftly which to me is so so nice. The waitress was attentive, prompt and as good as it gets. The food.........this is NOT a typical road side cafe. We are razor clam fans. I asked the waitress how they were cooked. She explained the process of letting them marinate in butter milk over night. A light pounding for added tenderness then an egg bath, coated and pan fried. Were they good? OMG YES! The best razor clams we've ever had. Sweet crunchy buttery goodness. If you find yourself craving good fresh simply cooked food by a family who cares go here. They are doing it right! This family will be back! Don't miss this gem on hwy101. read more

On Friday night its Prime Rib Night and it was Damn good. A nice big slab of red meat with a baked potato and a nice size salad. The wife had Razor clams which were fresh and not dripping in grease. She said they were the best ones she has had in years, not that it matters to me because I like my big old hunk of Prime Rib. They also make their own cakes and I can say I walked out fat and happy. The owner is very nice and comes by and checks on you to make sure you had a good experience. For being in Manzanita this was great. read more

Mixed emotions about this spot. My hef beer was good, fries were good and garlic bread was good. Not spectacular, but good and probably a tad above average. The tomato inside my side salad was probably the most memorable ingredient - perfectly ripe and full of good summer tomato flavor. The pan fried mussels were gross. Really not good. I love oysters fresh or grilled. It's possible that it's not the restaurant and just the fact that I found out I dont like pan fried oysters. In any case, I took one bite and ate no more of them. eww. There's a chance that the rest of thier menu is tasty. Somehow Im thinking I just ordered the wrong items. Our waiter was nice and located in a tiny countryside town. This place was pretty dissapointing. I should have starved for an hour and drove back to Portland for lunch. read more

Very impressed with this place. Best food I've found in Manzanita by far. Excellent!

The mercury reached 86 that day in Manzanita, and when we were able to pop popcorn on the stove without turning on the stove, we decided it was the wrong day to cook at home and started thinking of places we hadn't been to that didn't mean driving to Cannon Beach or Seaside. Then we thought of the Big Wave. Located right on 101 at one of the main entrances to Manzanita, the Big Wave is known for its tasty traditional breakfasts and "Prime Rib Fridays," where you can order a half a cow for a song. Thinking traditional American diner with the standard menu, we found a parking space right near the entrance. The servers doubled as hosts and led us to a shady table with nice cross-ventilation, so we did not miss the AC at all. The biggest surprise was the menu. Traditional, smanitional, it was packed with dishes featuring locally sourced shellfish and seafood. I ordered the special, Salmon Fajitas, which was a delectable stir-fly of broiled salmon bits and fresh veggies in a tasty sauce, all served in a hard taco shell bowl. My faithful companion had the razor clams, which is more like a razor-clam frittata, lightly breaded and simply delicious. Given the Mojave Desert weather, I stuck with the beer. They have a nice selection of local brews in the bottle. Companion had the house Cab, which was A-OK. Salads and dressings were fine. They offered locally-baked pie for dessert, but we hit the road before my cardiologist got wind of things. By the time our plates were licked and our teeth were picked, the place was full, the conversations between locals and staff made for an energized yet homey atmosphere. Price tag is moderate as restaurants go on the Oregon Coast that close to Portland. A perfect choice for an unseasonably hot day! Check it out! read more

I ate here on a busy Sunday morning. I ordered the Wave O' rancheros and it was totally yummy. Well done. I think the garlic tortilla added a nice touch. The servers looked a little frustrated being so busy but they did not sacrifice service because of it. Thank you Big Wave. Be advised it is cash only. There is an ATM machine if you forget to bring some loot. read more

Vary clean and cozy place. The fresh local food is wonderful with quick service to top it off. Healthy portions having u satisfied after a day at the west cost. Conveniently located off of highway 101. Colorful salad, Crisp fries and Entrées to crave. Definitely a little more then just a Cafè. read more

My husband, Ralph, and I were staying the night in Manzanita, OR. We chose Big Wave Cafe for dinner. Great place! The atmosphere is fresh & we thought it was a new building, but it's a nicely updated older building. They offered a crab topped deviled egg sitting on a bed of tasty seaweed that was just amazing. They let us share a meal for no charge. We had the filet mignon and it was cooked to perfection. Or, as Ralph says, "it was to live for." Our server, Denise, was friendly & attentive & told us a little history of the restaurant. We certainly recommend this restaurant! read more

as much as i wish i didn't have to use this cliche the big wave cafe is a hidden gem. the exterior of the building and the sign made me think the big wave cafe was a less alcohol focused version of the sand dune pub. what a pleasant surprise i found inside. the decor is definitely diner-cafe with bare wooden chairs and stools, booths and a good-sized counter for those who prefer counter dining. atmosphere is definitely manzanita casual. guests are mostly local with a smattering of tourists. as you enter the "foyer" of this converted house, you are greeted by a chalkboard listing the fresh fishes for the day and another board listing today's decadent desserts. service was friendly, attentive but not intrusive. the spring salmon (from astoria) dinner was a generous serving. the fish was cooked perfectly: just this side of opaque and nicely seasoned. the pilaf on the plate seemed to be more of a risotto and delicious. the 10 oz rib eye steak seemed to be much larger than 10 oz. both steak dinners were well cooked to rare and medium and served with the delicious "pilaf". high end dining in a casual and comfortable atmosphere. be prepared for a $$ menu. this is not a denny's menu pricing. a definite destination stop whenever i visit my friends in manzanita in the future. although the 10 oz rib eye steak was off the main menu, i recommend you ignore the menu and order off the fresh board! read more

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We stopped here on the way to Manzanita Beach, and thought it looked good. They had really good New England clam chowder, probably the best I've tasted along the coast there. Yum!! Gave you crackers and a slice of garlic toast with it. Atmosphere was nice in there. Well lit, clean, and spacious. We all were glad to have stopped there. The service was good too!! I'd highly recommend it! read more

My significant other and i have stopped here twice now on coastal day trips. It has been nearly deserted both times we've stopped by here and i kind of think they deserve more business. Big Wave isn't really fancy. The interior is semi tackily decorated, yet spacious and clean. Though prices are somewhat moderate they are really fairly cheap for good fresh seafood on the coast. This visit we shared an order of crab cakes, a bowl of chowder and two coffees and made it out just under $25, both of us feeling satisfied and full. The crab cakes were super tasty and not overly processed...you could actually see whole chunks of crab meat which was impressive. There were two crab cakes on a big plate with a rammekin of tasty chipotle dressing and a whole slew of fruit to the side. The fruit was good too but not in season and not really the main attraction anyway, seemed to be put there just as a plate filler, which really wasn't necessary as the crab cakes were satisfying in of themselves. Yeah, they were kind of small, but not unreasonably so, and the flavors were well thought out and balanced to the point where they didn't cover up the natural crab tastiness. The chowder...i have to say, it is some of the BEST i have had on the coast. One bowl was quite filling. And the coffee was quite good too! read more

Excellent atmosphere and even more was the food. The waitress was very courteous and attentive. Also, the cook came out and personally greeted every table. Loved our experience! read more

My family and I ate here on a Sunday evening and had an mediocre experience because of the following: 1. The 'fresh' shrimp for the salad my husband ordered had a very pungent smell to where he couldn't even eat it yet we still had to pay for it. 2. I had to ask our waiter for water several times. 3. It took about 20-25 minutes for us to get salads and then another 30-40 minutes to get our main dishes. 4. They only serve bottled beer. On the positive side: 1. The fish n' chips were good. I likely will not be returning. read more

This place was recommended by my husband's boss who frequents Manzanita, and we really liked it. I ordered the clam chowder and the halibut with lime-cilantro butter, and my husband ordered the captain's platter. We always split whatever we order 50-50, and both dishes were good. As far as Captain's Platters go, it was one of the better experiences I've had, but I really loved the halibut. So fresh, so good. The bread is amazing, too. Most of our party is eating gluten-free right now, but we couldn't resist. Aside from delicious food, the chef came out and went table to table asking how we liked the food, where we were from, etc. The rest of the staff was super friendly, too. We'll be back for sure. read more

Excellent Food!! Nothing like the touristy restaurants that serve mediocre food at a high cost. Homemade and excellent . Will be back!

Good food. A kid-friendly establishment, with a small but worthwhile kid's menu. I had the fish and chips, which was solid. My wife had the half dungeoness crab, which was certain good. The steamer clams, a favorite of my daughter, were good as well. Overall, this not an inexpensive place to eat - dinner for four ran $80 - but given the quality of the ingredients - all locally-sourced and clearly labeled - it was probably appropriate. It was not what we were going for - something more pub fare and a little less expensive - but taken by itself, the food was good and the service was good. There is no atmosphere - this is just another restaurant, which is a shame given that Manzanita is so interesting. If you don't care about such things and are looking for a respectable if unmemorable place to eat, this is a good destination. read more

Loved the food here... had Fish & Chips (fries)... their Salad & rasberry vinagrette dressing! Very friendly service from the wait staff!

The venue was spacious, clean and inviting. My order was a traditional breakfast off eggs, ham , roasted potatoes orange juice and a side of French toast. The service was professional and sincere. I never had to look around for wait staff to refill my water or coffee. Stop in for breakfast when in the area and you will be back. read more

Big Wave Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Manzanita, Oregon

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Just OK. Not many options in Manzanita, and this place was as expected. I bit overpriced ($7.50 for a short stack of pancakes). Everything was pretty much typical diner-ish breakfast. Wife had spinach scramble, I had the 2-2-2 with pancakes. The patty sausage was super greasy and under cooked. Pancakes were pretty good, but I think the eggs were cooked in margarine. Why do restaurants do this?.Coffee was really good, but did not get offered a refill while we were eating. Otherwise staff was friendly and service was prompt. I feel like this is a place I would "settle for" when really hungry. Next time, I'll try the deli down the street or drive into Cannon Beach. Parking is weird given the intersection, and backing out took about 6 minutes of frustration and cursing:) read more

We had a lovely weekend in Manzanita. Searched for a seafood restaurant and found Big Wave which was a nice walk from our rental house. Service was lovely and food was delicious. Loved the Crab Cakes! Halibut fish and chips were prepared just right - moist and flavorful. Only thing needed was an oceanfront view:( Will definitely be back. read more

The Food was great .. The service was even better and the Pie was out of this world !!! read more

Big Wave Cafe - My salad - Seafood Near Me - Manzanita, Oregon

We visited this cafe while staying on the beautiful Oregon Coast. We had read many great reviews and decided to give it a try. When we drove up, the parking lot was full (always a good sign)...the staff was very down to earth and friendly. The pricing was reasonable considering the amount of food you get. I ordered the Big Wave (or something like that) benedict...amazing...an english muffin split with sliced tomato, spinach, poached egg and chipotle hollandaise sauce....along with their country potatoes...YUM! Oldest daughter had their two-two-two dish...and got bacon, french toast and scrambled eggs. Youngest daughter got biscuits and gravy. Hubby ate off all of our dishes (C: We all LOVED the food!!! read more

This place is so good I wish I'd taken a pic, but I see here others have had the fish sandwich. Top notch. The crunchy panko crust, teeeennnnnder fish, and AMQZING homemade dilly, lemony tarter sauce was so amazing. Also, the French fries were battered and amazing dipped in the tater sauce. Highly recommend. Wish I could go back, but I'm only visiting :( read more

Had breakfast here on my way back from Manzanita at the recommendation of the inn-keeper at Spindrift Inn. I'm glad I listened. The place was packed but the host and hostess did a great job at turning tables and getting people seated quickly. The food was delicious, and I wish I had tried the Dugeness Crab Eggs Benedict that they had on special. Sounded so good, I opted for Denver omelet. The omelet was delicious, as were the home fries. My friend had the Wave'o's Rancheros, and they were excellent. Lots of good salsa, and sauce, and plenty of avocado. Yum. Would go back for dinner in a heartbeat. read more

Wonderful baked goods. Good sized quiches with wonderful salad with the most amazing homemade dressing. We very much enjoyed our brunch, scone and coffee. Very tasty. Looking forward to going back again in the future. read more

Friendly service and good food. I had the tsunami burger and my wife had the Halibut sandwich. Burger was prepared mid rare with ham, bacon and fried egg! Taste was great, only complaint was the bun was just soaked...maybe rest the burger on a plate and not on the bun next time. Halibut had good flavor but was a bit dry. All in all, not a bad place to eat. Thanks! read more

Big Wave Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Manzanita, Oregon

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In Manzanita on New Year's Day and the only open restaurant. Pleasantly surprised by the local, fresh seafood options listed on the blackboard with their sources. Stick with simple preparations, especially fried dishes like halibut fish and chips with excellent fries. Dungess crab cocktail was a generous portion of shelled, sweet crab piled on a plate with a nice smear of horseradishy cocktail sauce and lemon. Nothing else to get in the way. Delicious. Fresh oysters from Nethart's Bay were delicious. Our waitress was warm and terrific. Only drawback was more care needed in shelling the crab since a few sharp bits were missed and shucking oysters since fine gritty bits of broken shell were in each one. read more

You must stop and eat here at least once. I am a local and my hubby and I eat here at least once a week. Chicken Cesar salad. Clam chowder, there is always a special or two of the day! Whatever it is, try it! They put together amazing combinations of fresh caught seafood. Local fresh vegetables, amazing French fries. And a dessert menu by an amazing pastry chef! I especially recommend the Carrot Cake! To Die For! But if they are out, Key Lime Pie or anything she bakes tastes like any pastry you have eaten since I was in Paris! Fresh! read more

Four of us had dinner here last night. The oysters and scallops were fresh, well prepared and delicious. The ahi tuna was cooked to perfection. We had a lovely, efficient waitress who answered all of our questions and served us quickly. This restaurant is our favorite eatery in Manzanita, and their fresh, local ingredients make the drive over from Portland very worthwhile. read more

Pretty good and pretty cheap. Had the salmon fish and chips which was pretty tasty. The service is not great but they are friendly enough so you still have a good time. read more

We eat here nearly every time we visit Manzanita, and we have never been disappointed. The food is delicious and the service is friendly and attentive. Highly recommended! read more

Of all the times we've driven by Big Wave Cafe and we never even went in to look at the menu. Thanks to Yelp and reading though so many positive reviews, we decided to finally give this place a try. We are at the family beach house in Manzanita about 4 times a year, so it was really about time. We went in for breakfast on a busy Sunday morning, but didn't have to wait long for a seat. They had a make your own waffle bar that we jumped right on since we were so hungry. We also got their delicious stuffed French toast and washed it all down with mimosas. Everything was fresh, tasty and came out quickly. It may have been out first time trying Big Wave Cafe, but it certainly won't be our last. Next time we will have to try them out for lunch or dinner. Maybe even, both. read more

These Razor clams are AWESOME!!! Sam, our waiter is very kewl too. He reminds me of Mark Walhberg. They are marinated overnight in buttermilk and lightly breaded. Great food, EXCELLENT service. Highly recommended. read more

Big Wave Cafe - Highly recommended!!! - Seafood Near Me - Manzanita, Oregon