The setting is ten stars. Halibut cove. Sitting on a pier tucked next To a rock outcropping. I've been to many places and this one is special in terms of scenery and ambiance. The tourists are here so are the locals. The food is four stars. We had the halibut, smoke salmon dip and salmon. Some were a little over done but the presentation was solid. Drinks are good. Don't come here thinking the service is going to be off the chart. They get waves of groups in and things slow down. Discount the reviews that expect perfection. Enjoy the setting, have a cocktail and talk to the servers who are from the area and appreciate having a local restaurant that is accessible to all. Things slow down when you are here and that is the point!! read more

Saltry Restaurant - The rock face keeps things warm! - Seafood Near Me - Homer, Alaska

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This place is a fabulous experience when visiting Halibut Cove. We went on a beautiful sunny day and enjoyed sitting out on the deck. There was a fire going under the portico which would be nice to be near on a rainy day. The prices are actually quite reasonable for being across the bay! I ordered the shrimp and grits for $28. The portion in my opinion was small, but out of the few shrimps I had they had a great flavor and good creamy grits! Be aware eating here will take up a good chunk of your time in Halibut Cove if you came on the Danny J. We were sat at 1:10 and finished at 2:25 and we were one of the first tables done. I would recommend this place for locals to take tourists out for day across the bay any day! read more

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The food was not cooked properly, the flavors were bad, the fish was fishy, and everything was overpriced. Our evening was spent with bad stomachs They did remove the cost of one meal we couldn't eat. I would not recommend this place. read more

The trip over and the atmosphere were great. Disappointed in the meal. The waitress was good at upselling. I had the king salmon which was overcooked and the sauces did not compliment the fish. I expected to taste a great fresh salmon and did not. The vegetables were also overcooked and not flavorful. My husband went for the upsell on the halibut with halibut cheeks and was also disappointed, it too was overcooked. The meal did not equal the price! Apparently they are getting a new chef, hope he or she does a better job! read more

If it were one year ago, I would've given this restaurant 5 stars. It totally deserves 1 star as of today. Not worth the hassle or cost. As a former server of many years, I usually try to give the entire restaurant staff grace when things don't go exactly to plan. When the Danny J ferry arrives, I understand that they get a bunch of tables all at once. Last year service was a little slow but totally reasonable because of this. This year, our drinks took a ridiculously long time and came out 5-10 minutes apart. We had a table of 7 which included 5 adults and 2 kids. The clam chowder was a total joke. They served a clear broth, luke warm, with a minuscule amount of smoked cod. The mussels and bread were delicious and I would totally order again if I were so inclined to go back, which I'm not. We had been going here for the past three years and this is the last time we'll be going. We ordered 4 coffees with cream while we still had entrees in the hopes that it would arrive after we were done eating. It arrived early which was unexpected because everything else took so long but didn't come with cream. It was definitely instant coffee which they charged $5/cup. How hard is it to brew a pot of regular coffee? After 5 minutes of waiting for our cream for the coffee, we finally got up to request it from the staff which took another 4-5 minutes to get. Our instant coffee made with coffee crystals was cold by that time. Our server was totally unapologetic because she knew they could add a 25% gratuity without having to deliver decent service. Our table of 7 racked up a $600 bill for a completely mediocre meal. There are many better options in Homer that are more convenient and better tasting. Halibut Cove is such a cute/magical island that we loved coming to for the past three years but will no longer be frequenting. Very sad. read more

Excellent food! We started off with clam chowder and just beets. The beets was perfect. Clam chowder had a clear soup base lighter than the traditional New England cream style base. Still very good. For our entrees my friends had the halibut entree and salmon entree. I had the octopus. My friend said the halibut was the best he ever had. I had the octopus entree. It was excellent! Seared on the outside and tender on the inside. The restaurant is at Halibut Cove. The only way to get there is by boat. The 45 min boat ride is included with the price of the meal. Excellent service and ambiance. The owners Marian and Dave were very friendly, excellent hosts read more

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What a fantastic hidden gem! I had the opportunity to visit the Saltry this summer on recommendation of someone I met on my commuter flights. The food is all freshly prepared and freshly caught! To add to the adventure, you must take a boat to get there from Homer! The wait staff and the boat staff were very attentive and even provided us blankets because it was a cooler summer. The ambiance is to die for being right on the water. read more

Saltry Restaurant - a plate of food on a table - Seafood Near Me - Homer, Alaska

This gem of a restaurant is tucked into beautiful and pristine Halibut Cove, Alaska. Right across from Homer on the other side of Katchamak Bay you can only access this remote restaurant by boat or float plane. This is a very artsy restaurant and they serve things like bloody Mary's with a skewer of smoked salmon in it. Their pickled salmon is perfection and done in a very traditional way. It's one of my favorite dishes ever. The local history here in Halibut Cove is so interesting and this family owned restaurant is truly a treasure. Very nice experience with a wonderful staff. read more

Saltry Restaurant - Pickled salmon - Seafood Near Me - Homer, Alaska

The entire experience was wonderful - starting with the boat ride back and forth - beautiful scenery and boat staff Once we arrrived @ the Saltry we were greeted by David who seated us and took care of us throughout the evening. The food - oysters, scallops, halibut, soup all exceptional. The service was amazing David and the rest of the staff ensured you were all were well taken care of There is also a lovey boardwalk where you can explore around the island a bit - truly exceptional experience - look forward to going back read more

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Absolutely incredible! I will remember this meal and experience for the rest of my life. The views, food and especially the service were all outstanding and breathtaking. Ash was the most incredible, friendly and good spirited host to us and provided us with impeccable service! I wish nothing but the best for Ash and the rest of the crew! And congratulations on the engagement! This restaurant is such a treasure and I would travel all the way from Atlanta, GA to Homer, AK just to eat here again! I wish I could rate it a million stars because they deserve it! read more

Saltry Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Homer, Alaska

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Food: 3.5 Service: 3.0 Ambiance: 5.0 The boat ride on Danny J was excellent. We had a beautiful, clear, sunny perfect temperature day. Sitting outside overlooking Halibut Cove was spectacular. The food overall was good but not great. The homemade bread was excellent. We had the appetizer sampler which was a nice way to taste a few things. We then had the chowder which was very good. Then we had salmon tacos and scallop tacos. The salmon was lacking seasoning. The scallops were plentiful and hearty but really needed some acid, ie lemon juice to balance them from the cabbage slaw on top. read more

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This was our second visit and we were so disappointed in the food. My rockfish portion was incredibly small and one of the two small pieces was overcooked and crunchy. Our table had 4 guests and everyone felt the same. We received one small roll for 4 people other tables received one roll for 2 people. We were supposed to have curry with our fish and received a spoon of curry smeared on the plate. The vegetables were hidden by the two small pieces of fish being placed on top of them. Two in our party ordered the Wedge salad and we still left hungry and spent over $100 with drinking only water. If you choose to split your ticket you are charged $5 for each person at the table. One person in our party made a change to his vegetables. The server told him it would be a couple of dollars to make the change but when the receipt came he was charged $9 for the change. Won't be back. read more

The saltzy restaurant is one of the best restaurants experiences we had in Alaska. We took the Danny J from Homer and we couldn't recommend this whole experience enough. The food was incredible and David was one of the best servers we ever had. We wish we could spend the whole summer there in Halibut Cove. read more

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Amazing, unique location in Halibut Cove! The staff was friendly but the food service was painfully slow. Delicious and artfully prepared food, but a bit overpriced and the portions were small (fish tacos). We were looking forward to the mussels but the server said they were out. But a table came in right after us, ordered them and were served the mussels so that was super disappointing. read more

Most ferry rides to restaurants are just ok food and more about the experience. Not this deal. First the ride on a lovingly restored pre-WWII boat is slow and beautiful. The food at the Saltry was wonderful and the island is so charming like a movie set. It draws you in as if you could move there and write a book. Perfectly cooked food, loved the unexpectedly delicious roasted fennel which I'm going to try to recreate. Don't sleep on that warm bread pudding with a hot drink to finish the meal on the chilly summer evening. Pro tip: sit by the outdoor fire! It's the perfect amount of warmth of your not sensitive to the smoke. read more

Saltry Restaurant - Fire by the outdoor tables - Seafood Near Me - Homer, Alaska

This was our second time this year to the Saltry and everything was amazing both times. The food was delicious, flavor combinations wonderful. We had David and KJ (I think that was her name) last night and the service was amazing, the waitress we had on our first visit was equally terrific. We are local and able to go over on our own boat, but have done the Danny J in the past and found it a memorable experience, one not to miss. Great way to start the summer, hope to visit many more times this summer. read more

A wonderful experience. The tour of Gull Island on the ferry over is really cool - we saw puffins, sea otters, and a harbor seal. The Saltry is an amazing spot with the freshest seafood available. The oysters are divine - Saltry style is the way to go! We took advantage of the available octopus and sockeye, adding both to our beet salad. The halibut and salmon tacos were a hit, as were the shrimp and grits. Everything was perfectly cooked and we appreciated the friendly and attentive staff. The setting cannot be beat- you sit high atop the dock and watch eagles dive for salmon in the water below. This is not a cheap trip, but completely worth the money for such a great experience with fantastic food. read more

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If you're prone to hangry-ness, definitely have a snack before you come here, because it will be a while. The food is pricey, small portion sizes, but good. You're paying more for the experience of taking the historical ferry, enjoying the gorgeous views, and exploring Halibut Cove. Our journey for this food experience started at 5pm and we received our food around 7pm. That included taking the ferry over, ordering, and waiting for it to come out, so just be aware of that. The ride on the WWII wooden ferry boat was slow and smooth. I also love that they are dog friendly. We enjoyed the gorgeous views and watching the otters out in the water from the deck of the restaurant. They also have a fire going and offer blankets. I ordered the scallop plate and while it wasn't a lot of food and the kachemak bay scallops are small, they cooked them perfectly. They were nice and juicy, even though they were small. The flavors on the plate all complimented and worked well together. My husband ordered the halibut plate, which was also pretty good. It was slightly over cooked and a little chewy, but had good flavor. I found this to be a little ironic since this is "the halibut fishing capital of the world" but their halibut was over cooked. For dessert we had their chocolate cheese cake and it was delicious. Best chocolate cheesecake I've ever had. Not too sweet, and just right. read more

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Fantastic experience! Not a single complaint here. To begin with, our server was very friendly and attentive. He made sure that all of our food came out quickly, despite the fact that every party at the restaurant necessarily arrives at the same time and thus orders simultaneously. The drinks we ordered were very good, especially "Black as my Heart." The wine recommendation from our server was also very good and paired well with our food. For our appetizers, we ordered the salmon pate, pickled salmon, and Saltry chowder. The pate had a good texture and a nice creamy, salty, and oniony salmon flavor without being too overpowering. The pickled salmon had a great flavor and the perfect texture, and the chowder was also very good and went well with the bread. We all ordered the halibut, which was immaculate. The pea purée complemented the perfectly cooked halibut, while they fennel added a wonderful peppery contrast to the inherent salt of the fish. The carrots worked beautifully with the pea purée to brighten up the dish even further. The Saltry chef clearly knew what they were doing and the dish really felt coherent. And OMG... the desserts. I would go back to the Saltry just for the desserts. We ordered all three - the rhubarb crumble, chocolate cheesecake, and bread pudding - to share among our party of five, and at least one person picked each dessert as their favorite. Could not think of a better way to cap off this delicious and well-thought out menu.Saltry read more

Saltry Restaurant - Halibut - Seafood Near Me - Homer, Alaska

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Halibut Cove is beautiful and our dining experience was memorable, compliments to the chef! Everything is delicious! Yes, it is expensive, but it was worth it. The owner was so kind and our waiter was friendly. One tip: Look at your receipt closely! Our waiter way overcharged us...by $50! He said the computer is touchy...it was touchy 4 times! 4 of us were dining and we were overcharged by 4 cocktails! He remembered exactly how many we ordered when I pointed it out and corrected the mistake, but he went on and on about the computer and making an excuse about it. Whenever there is a mistake at other places I've been, they usually apologize. If I hadn't thought to look...we are all just glad I did. This is why I docked a star. Just check your receipt closely and otherwise, have a great time! read more

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Halibut Cove is a beautiful place, but the service at the Saltry was very disappointing and there definitely seems to be a preference of the locals over the visitors. It took two hours for us to receive our entrees, which impacted our time to be able to explore the area. Additionally, our waiter forgot to bring our appetizer. As others have noted, you should have a small meal or snack before leaving Homer if you are taking the Danny J boat. The portions are small and the food is okay. Halibut Cove is worth visiting, but if you decide to eat at the Saltry be prepared for not the friendliest staff and to wait. I would not plan to get a full meal here, and just get drinks and dessert or an appetizer. read more

First one in, last one served! BEWARE! Hard to believe, but they really seem overwhelmed when the dinner boat arrives at their dock. Haven't they been doing this for quite awhile now. Waiters chatting it up with the locals, but seem annoyed that tourists are spending their money at their private little gem.... read more

I am somewhat confused by some of the poor reviews this restaurant has received. We dined here on our first night of our August trip to Alaska. The wonderful experience set the tone for an amazing Alaskan adventure. This was a one of a kind dining experience. And one to the top meals during our visit in Alaska. The boat ride over on the Danny J was a lovely way to get our first views of Kachemak Bay, and the Homer spit. It was a lovely sunny evening, which certainly helped! But, the boat ride to the Saltry was just a nice add on to a wonderful dining experience. It was so cool to get to see Halibut Cove, which is only accessible by boat. After about a 45 minute boat ride that left promptly at 5pm, we had 3 hours to spend in Halibut Cove. Once we docked at the Saltry we were promptly seated for our reservation. I was quite curious to see how the restaurant managed such a flood of people at one time. They had two different seating times, and assign your reservation time for you. So it was pretty well organized. You check in, and then get to pick where you would like to sit. All the seating is outside, though some is covered by an overhang. And you dine rain or shine so keep that in mind! There was a lovely fireplace you could sit by in the covered part. We opted to sit against the railing for excellent views of the cove. We were promptly greeted by our server with menus and waters. Obviously with all groups being seated pretty much at one time it is a lot for a server to handle. Our server Mary was excellent. Extremely prompt, friendly, and was very knowledgeable about the menu. We started with a full order of the combination seafood platter to get a little taste of everything. The 1/2 order definitely seemed too small to be able to savor the flavors. It was very good. The halibut ceviche really showcased the fish, but it was a little bland in terms of ceviche flavor. My favorites were the shrimp poke and salmon pate. My husband really enjoyed the pickled salmon and the salmon pate. It was a great start to our meal! For entrees I ordered the octopus and my husband the salmon. According to my husband the salmon entree was some of the best he has ever had, and certainly the best of the trip. The chef seared the skin, and it tasted absolutely delicious. The sprouted quinoa salad was an excellent accompaniment. My octopus was grilled to perfection. Had a lot of good smokey flavor, and not overcooked at all. The smoked tomato sauce added a nice layer of complexity paired against the taste of the octopus. It was an excellent meal with generous portions. We truly enjoyed our excellent dinner with a picturesque view. We were too stuffed for dessert, but all the selections looked delicious. I did order a hot rum cider(Pico's Pleasure) to warm me up, which came out lukewarm so that was slightly disappointing. Wasn't really worth the $12 in my opinion. The berry picker was a delicious drink! Overall we had an excellent meal at the Saltry, and enjoyed our time on Halibut Cove. For the food I thought the meal was fairly priced. We live near Chicago though were you typically pay a premium for fine dining. This is an experience that is not to be missed on a trip to Homer. The experience of taking the ferry over onto of a top notch meal is quintessential Homer, AK. Our first dinner of our trip was extremely memorable, and set the bar for the remainder of our vacation. I will be back to dine at the Saltry! read more

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Great little spot! Clemonade tastes great with the touch of cinnamon a great touch, the oysters and mussels were great apps with whatever reason base the mussels soaking in can be sippable in itself. But the octopus was a different beast, cooked and seasoned very well, would def come order every time. Service was excellent as well! Great job staff! read more

It is hard to believe a restaurant of this quality is in the middle of Tiny Village, AK. The food was excellent, presentation perfect, and the flavors definitely unique and complimentary. Would recommend the halibut, salmon pate, halibut ceviche, and potato peak soup. read more

The Saltry was fantastic! The whole experience was amazing, from the boat ride to water side dining to island exploring. The food was delicious and the service was friendly! Overall we enjoyed the food and drinks. Yes, the food pricey but totally worth it. We are in Alaska eating local food at a remote location. We'd do it again in a second! Also will note we had our 5 year old with us, they were kind and accommodating to his requests. Although he did eat a dozen oysters for dinner. read more

Saltry Restaurant - a view of a dock with boats - Seafood Near Me - Homer, Alaska

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First time in July 2017 was an experience well worth having. We went a year later and what a difference, and not for the better. This is now a tourist trap, with cold food, slow service, and the owner just sitting there watching this unfold before her eyes. The trip over was fun and the area is pretty but the servers acted stoned, disorganized, and painstakingly slow. One table for their food so late the waiter suggested they take it to go. At $50 PP not including drinks, so many better places in Homer without the aggravation. Been there, done that. read more

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Super rough experience. The $16 kale Caesar was a handful of kale right out of the bag. The halibut tacos had maybe 1 ounce of halibut in each taco and the tortillas were waaaay over cooked. The ramen was atrocious, watery over cooked bleh! Top Ramen from the bag is better. Save your money and don't eat here read more

Halibut Cove is beautiful and so is the restaurant settings. Food was okay, we had a Ramen ( good) and Salmon sandwich ( ok). Salad was small and overpriced. Service was slow, we were waiting over an hour for our main dishes, unacceptable! Boat ride from Homer and back was excellent. read more

I got to come here while I was on a trip for a wedding. We were staying in Homer, and to get to this restaurant you have to take a 45 minute ferry ride. It was a bit chilly outside, but they have a huge fire pit. I had the barley risotto. We had a large group who got to try most of the menu. It was awesome that the workers could tell us when everything was caught and by who! read more

Saltry Restaurant - Barley Risotto - Seafood Near Me - Homer, Alaska

I booked this dinner experience back in April, and no one mentioned at the time that Tuesday was "community day" at the Saltry. Community Day is where everyone that lives in Halibut Cove gets together and commandeer's the restaurant and especially the bar so that no one else can eat there until 7pm. The boat leaves Homer at 5pm and it took about 45-50 minutes to make its way over to Halibut cove. When we arrived, we were stranded and told to walk around the board walk to visit shops to kill 75 minutes before we could be seated. The problem is all the residents were at Community Day so we basically had to sit there and do nothing. By 7pm we simply took our own seats since no one was there to seat us or give us menus. The menus didn't reach us until 7:25 by the way. The restaurant only had 2 waiters for the 35 people seated so our order wasn't taken until 7:40pm and we didn't get our beer or appetizer until almost 8pm. We ordered the soup because after enjoying the warm rays of the sun all day, it finally disappeared and we were freezing from the wind and clouds. When the soup finally made it to our table, it was cold. Our dinners didn't reach our table until 8:20pm. They were over $30 a plate and my Halibut tasted like someone took it out of the refrigerator, it was that cold. My wife's scallop risotto was equally as cold. They gave my wife a free dessert to "compensate" but we really could have gone without it. A side note - the food looked well prepared and tasted really good, aside from the fact that it was cold. I have never in my life waited so long for service or food and I have eaten in some of the greatest establishments all around the world. I would have walked out if I could but we were basically hostages at this point. Its not like we could have gone somewhere else or home. We barely finished dinner as it was almost 9pm so we paid our bill and got right on the boat and left. We didn't get back to our accommodations until almost 11pm here in Homer. I never thought this dinner experience would take 7 hours to complete or I never would have booked it. I also would never have booked it for this day if I was told it was "community day" in Halibut Cove and we'd be hung out to dry like we were when we got there. Why wasn't that ever mentioned? Also, why were there only 2 wait staff for the 35 or so people there? Why was food served cold? Why? Why? Avoid the aggravation and the slow service at this place. The concept is a great one, but the execution is extremely poor. There are plenty of excellent restaurants in Homer. Skip this one and stay on the main land. read more

Excellent restaurant in Halibut Cove. Once in a life time experience on a beautiful day. Recommend to anyone who has the chance to visit this little piece of heaven. Octopus was absolutely amazing !! Oysters were also delicious, harvested at 10 am that morning. Executive Chef Adam will take great care of you. Pros: Views are like a Disney movie Service is top notch - Octopus was amazing - Scallops were tiny bundles of flavor - Every entry is fresh and superb. Cons: Be careful of ferry dinner parties. They become the priority upon arrival Please don't feed the birds. No one wants to see crows begging for scraps. read more

Food was great however the service was horrible - if you get a waiter named Jeremy it's best to leave. No refill of drinks, gave attitude, no explanation of deserts, and didn't even check if the meal was okay. He appeared to be drinking from what looked like a beer growler from behind the bar. I'm giving it 3-Stars only because of the good food -- However, I'm from Alaska and will not going back or recommend to friends due to the extremely poor service ! Now the Followup visit to the Salty Dawg was fabulous read more

I lived in Homer for six years and never made it here. I still keep my boat in the harbor and visit frequently. Well, I had some friends in from out of town, and we headed over to Halibut Cove for dinner. It's a five mile trip across Kachemak Bay, and you can take the Danny J over or your own boat. There's a dock right in front of the place to tie up. The setting is just over the top, and the atmosphere is divine. We had a mix of apps...all awesome. I had the lamb shank which was perfectly cooked. The service was a little slow to start, but kicked into gear once our server hit her stride. read more

2 years later we will talk about The Saltry fondly! Here is the original review I wrote on Trip Advisor: The Saltry is absolutely a must do when spending time in Homer. The ferry over is great - a fairly short ride, but we saw lots of wildlife, including a mama sea otter with a baby, on our ride. It was a cold and overcast day (in June - welcome to Alaska), but when we got to the Saltry, they had the outdoor firepit roaring and hot buttered rum waiting for us. Amazing! The food was fantastic - the chef was our waiter and told us that all of the ingredients in our dinner salad had come from his garden that morning. The view is breathtaking and we loved getting to walk around Halibut Cove and check out the properties/art gallery, etc. The Saltry isn't cheap, but it is definitely worth the price. Don't miss this experience if traveling to Homer!! read more

Enjoy the boat ride to Halibut Cove and be prepared for a GREAT dinner! The Buffaloaf was out of this world! Food, service and atmosphere are all terrific! read more

A friend and I went to The Saltry Restaurant, via the Danny J, on the last warm sunny weekend of August; before they close for the season after the Labor Day Weekend. My 4 Stars are for the sum total of the slow boat ride across Kachemak Bay from Homer to Halibut Cove; and, for the total experience of having lunch at The Saltry Restaurant and walking along the trails before catching the 4:00pm ride back to Homer for everyone in "lunch bunch." It was very pleasant to have lunch on the outdoor patio close to the water view. We enjoyed the Full Combo appetizer, Fish Tacos and Finger Potatoes, and Ling Cod with Pea Custard. The ling cod was a special request addition to the usual pea custard salad, the fish was excellent. The fish tacos were good, but overly dressed with red cabbage. The food plating and quality of food was the same as for a like restaurant around Homer, Soldotna, or Kenai. The pricing was in line; especially since everything on the menu is brought over to Halibut Cove from Homer by boat or small plane. The wine selection is limited, but we enjoyed the available reds. The after-meal walk around the property and visiting a few art galleries was enjoyable. read more

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I don't review often (or ever really), but had the rudest experience of my life at this restaurant. Frankly, I am still trying to figure out what happened. Bottom line is that the food is good, most people are nice, and the area is pretty; but it takes an incredibly long time (drinks, food, any service). If you are lucky, you will have the owner (Marian) come up to your table drunk and start speaking gibberish at the end of the night. We had a large table at this restaurant and spent over $1000, only to have her be belligerent with our table (fortunately after the kids left), which was embarrassing for her and our friend from Homer who brought us there. I am hoping this review will save you some time, as there were many other great restaurants and gracious hosts elsewhere in the Homer area. read more

Terrible overpriced food and poor to non existent service! The Salmon sandwich was mostly bread. The soup was a Chowder that was supposed to be fish and bacon. There was no fish, the broth was watery and the soup wasn't even served body temperature warm. The waitress only made it back to our table to bring us our bill and commented that we must have loved it because we ate all of it. Frankly we were hungry when we arrived and still hungry when we left as the portions were so small. They charged us extra for the Chowder and didn't tell us beforehand. I had to ask for more water. This company doesn't care about you because most people go once and they don't need repeat business. No restaurant that you can actually drive to could survive serving this kind of food and service! read more

Wonderful dinner and evening. Water taxi over was nice - not too much rain. Danny J's had ponchos for all. We got here around 6 and walked around - very nice and we visited two art galleries. Dinner was very good plus they worked with my gluten free diet requirements. read more

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