Don't be misled by the name; The Oyster Bar is technically not a bar (they don't serve hard liquor, so no cocktails). And the atmosphere is not what you'd expect from a place that calls itself "Oyster Bar". This is a white linen establishment, even during lunchtime. We parked on the road and hiked up to Oyster Dome (8 miles roundtrip), so we thought it would be great to pop in and have a drink and a few oysters. We quickly realized this was a fancy place, but there weren't many people, there, and it was just at the end of their lunch service, so we decided to give it a try. We go the perfect table facing the water, and the sun was just starting to go down. They have a selection of oysters on the half-shell, although at any given time it seems like they will be out of some of the varieties. We ordered a half dozen, staying mostly local with the Shigoku and Kumamoto types. We also ordered a chanterelle and heirloom tomato appetizer and two glasses of house chardonnay. The food was delicious, but the sunset was even more incredible (see photos). Even the kitchen and wait staff were pausing to take pictures of the sunset, saying it was one of the most incredible ones they had seen. We finished off our afternoon snack with a cup of the salmon chowder and soup. Quite delicious. All together we spent about $70. That's quite a bit, considering we didn't really eat or drink that much. However, considering the way our day timed out with the sunset, and the quality of the service, I'd say it was worth it. I probably wouldn't go back there after a hike, but I'd consider it for a nice dinner out sometime if I was in the area again. read more

The Oyster Bar - The sun starts to go down on Nov. 22, 2015 - Seafood Near Me - Bow, Washington

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Fine dining with a million dollar view! Very romantic! Great oysters with lots of local choices. Incredibly fresh. Also recommend the crab cakes. This is a very quiet restaurant and some of the clientele are 60+. Romantic atmosphere...not boisterous. read more

The food, service, and ambience were all fantastic. The services provided by the professional management and staff are the main reasons that we keep coming back. The old world elegance is a rare thing, and we value their focus to make sure that everything about the dining experience is excellent. I highly recomend this restaurant. read more

This was an amazing place. The food was incredible with flavors that were complex and well-suited to the dishes. The service was great. Mark, our waiter, was very attentive but not overly so. He had a real passion for describing the dishes and his descriptions were right on. This is definitely our new romantic dinner spot. read more

We happened upon this place on a detour route from I5. The oysters were superb, buttery and large. My fiancé ordered the swordfish special and I had the halibut and chips. The dining room is unique and small. We were fortunate to sit out on the patio for the best view! The food was very good, although I've had similar quality with higher quantity at the same price and or cheaper. We were too full for dessert but it may call us back in the way home. read more

Well wow. The ride there. The view when you get out of your car. The view when you walk into the restaurant. It's so neatly perched on the edge, that it just takes your breath away. Even the view from the bathroom window is delicious. I tired every kind of oyster they had. The Elkhorn were my favorite. They had a vegetarian gnocchi, which I enjoyed, but longed for a little more flavor. The staff was completely professional and attentive. Overall, I loved the experience dining here. read more

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It's excellent. Anyone that tells you otherwise needs a complete check-up. We came here for our wedding anniversary and as far as I can tell, this is one of the few classy, romantic and delicious restaurants in the area. We have had plenty of delicious seafood in SoCal and this place is better than most in OC & LAC. Look forward to dining here again later at night in the Summer!! read more

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The beautiful view and amazing food became the highlight of my trip to Washington. Best dish I had was the Wild alaskan halibut soup. Not a fan of raw oysters but theirs were delicious. read more

Overpriced for the quality of food. Our halibut came out dry. The best thing here is the view, and the attentive service.

Just got back from a great little hideaway dinner spot. We had the Seafood Bouillabaisse and it has to be the best I've ever had. I look forward to coming back and having it again. We also had a great selection of oysters on the half shell and the service isn't bad either, lol. Take the beautiful drive up Chickanut drive and go past Chuckanut Manor to The Oyster Bar, you won't be disappointed! read more

Wow. It's a bit pricey, but this one is worth it. Great, but not overbearing service. The view, well, there are few nicer ones in the world. Food was superb. Even standards like seafood salad, mussels, and cioppino were a little off the standard path for these items. Little creative tweaks made it much better and interesting. In particular the cioppino was not the usual Manhattan-clam-chowder with a few things floating in it. Great ingredients... great results. You've gotta try it. read more

We stumbled upon the Oyster Bar while on a scenic drive and we had to pull over. Sunset, ocean view balcony, oysters on the half shell - AWESOME. Surprisingly high end dining, we did rack up quite the bill. read more

The Oyster Bar - The deck is open - Seafood Near Me - Bow, Washington

My husband & I ordered a dozen Oysters, it was really good. We also had some Salmon special apetizers which was also good. I had the Seafood Stew, which was awesome, but next time, I'll order rice with it. My husband oredered the Sole special which he really likes. This place was worth the trip. Can't wait to come back here for dinner & try their dinner menu. read more

Wow! Wow! Wow! What an awesome location and world class view! All that while having arguably the best food in the entire area. The seafood was all prepared perfectly. The two soups were world class. What an amazing meal. Well worth the few bucks more per plate than the other high end restaurants in town! read more

My in-laws used to live in Ferndale (about 30 minutes away). Each time we visited from Southern California, my wife & I planned a date night to The Oyster Bar. Make no mistake, this is a small, intimate, wonderful restaurant. Do yourself a favor & leave the young kids at home. This is the perfect spot to enjoy a beverage, dine, & watch the sun set. We really enjoyed every appetizer, entree, & dessert we had. Unfortunately, my in-laws sold their home in Ferndale so we have not been in a few years. Having said that, I would plan a getaway to Washington just so we could go back to one of our most favorite restaurants. read more

Came for the view (breathtaking), but stayed for the excellent service & food (6 various oysters- all amazing, cup of soup and fresh salad). If I'm ever passing back through that way, I'd be hard pressed to NOT come back and hang out for even longer. read more

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Had the panko crusted oysters . . the freshest, most tastiest ever. read more

SUCH a refreshing change of drink options! Jim is the only bar tender and his menu consists of his own carefully created masterpieces and old-school classics which he treats with utmost respect. Never have I had so much originality, flavor and love put into a drink (this is the only place I'll have cocktails- as he manages to achieve amazing flavors naturally without sugar and syrupy crap!) Worth the wait for your drink to ensure its quality as he is more of meticulous scientist than a rapid paced bar-tender just trying to move people along. And the prices are right. (He uses flavors like lavender, chai, ginger, basil, rosemary . . . it's a beautiful thing.) Note: it's a tiny joint so avoid going on a weekend evening as it gets crowded, hot and uncomfortable with little seating. read more

So my mom and I came here for lunch and made great memories. View ( yes come on you pay) was awesome. We had a glass of wine each and a dozen oysters and had to continue and had fried oysters with sweet potato fries. Pricy but worth the memory! read more

Our family went to the Oyster Bar to celebrate 3 birthdays on March 1, 2019. I sent a letter to the owner of the restaurant after our visit. My letter is included in phots. I called to talk to the owner before I mailed him a letter and was informed he was wintering in Mexico and would not be back until early April. The owner's letter reply is in a photo also. The owner was not present the night of our visit. He talks in the letter as if he was. The owner never contacted our daughter to address the problem as he states in his letter. His description of the entree in question is verbatim of the description our server gave that evening. The fish was not folded over, there was no crab. The fish was a solid, dense piece of fish with a brown mushroom sauce. When the server was removing the entree from the table, our son-in-law had to stop her to see if my wife could order something else. After that, service was nil. No checking on how our meals were, no topping off of our wine, nothing. When the server returned with dessert menus she just flopped them down on the table. At this point I told her she was not handling the situation well. To this point, I had had no input on the evening's events. The rest is in my included letter. The owner's response was totally arrogant. I guess it's OK with him for a patron to spend thousands of dollars at his establishment over the years. Not OK to criticize. I don't know what his comment is about the woman who couldn't get a window table. Had nothing to do with us. And again, the owner was not present the night we were there. I did try to contact him via social media but received no response. You can see in my letter we were long time patrons. We will never go back, nor our kids. Eat there if you want. Just know that the owner doesn't care if you have a good experience there or not. He is BEYOND REPROACH! ......and honest with you too....NO read more

The Oyster Bar - Seafood Near Me - Bow, Washington

I would love to give a negative star if that was possible. We came in for lunch on Monday afternoon, found that the restaurant was empty, yet we were denied service because we had our child with us. Disrespectful service and bad business practice. I want an apology from the restaurant manager. read more

Without a doubt, one of the best restaurants in Western Washington. Unparalleled views to match the unparalleled service. Appetizer escargot in pastry SO good. Intermediate, complimentary drink-snacky of pineapple sorbet in champagne with a touch of cilantro was particularly brilliant. Cedar-planked wild salmon entree was excellent. Tequila-soaked Alaskan King Crab was a bit unnecessarily ambitious, but delicious, nonetheless. Chinook Chard an excellent choice (if I do say so myself), and finally, the wild mint infused, dark chocolate pot de creme was perfectly-portioned and sinfully rich. Oh Oyster Bar, I do love you! read more

The Oyster Bar - Seafood Near Me - Bow, Washington

The Oyster Bar came highly recommended from some coworkers. I can say with confidence that this is one of the best seafood places I have ever eaten at. The drive to the restaurant on Chuckanut alone sets the stage for this place. Also as you walk in, the view of the bay makes all your worries go away and allow you to really relax. The food really kept the feeling going here. We started with the Morrels and they were outstanding. We also got an order of Oysters, we pretty much had to!, and they were great. I have never had Oysters this fresh and I don't know that I will even try. They won't beat the Oysters House's. I had some verrrrry fresh scallops for dinner and I mean wow. All of the flavors were paired extremely well and all were used to really present the Scallops. The wine list here is quite large and the servers will let you know what the perfect pairings are. The service here is also quite attentive as they will not intrude on your dinner experiance but understand when you will need something before you ask. Just perfect! If you are in the area and want to spend the money for a great meal, make a reservation at the Oyster Bar. You wont be dissapointed. read more

A star for most fresh oysters. A star for the view. A star for the service, but your experience may vary. Two stars not realized for the food was so exquisitely uneventful and dull it really puts the place into question. How long can an Oyster Bar survive on just a view and fresh oysters? Oh how I wanted deeply to have the experience of a 5 star. You had me at hello and lost me at the salad. Please please please improve the food!!!! Sincere food fan... read more

Excellent service, quality food, and amazing view! A breath of fresh air near Bellingham, WA. read more

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Stopped in for a quick bite before hitting the road again. The views are amazing and the baked oysters are even better ! Menu is a bit pricey but the oyster bar does provide a unique intimate cabin feel. Very cool. read more

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Everything about this experience was absolutely incredible! The service, the environment, the appetizers, the salad and location all were fantastic. I would highly recommend Oyster Bar! read more

It's a very pricey place. The food was very delicious but small portions. Does have a great view of the water too. I ran across this place because I wanted to eat a bunch of raw oysters and thought this was the perfect place, hence the name. They definitely have a huge selection of different oyster species but be prepared to pay $3 to $5 per half shell.. read more

My boyfriend and I where coming back from Semiahmoo for a weekend away and decided to stop by for lunch. We were lucky to be there at the right time, a gorgeous day and beautiful views. We had a great lunch and a great experience. When I mentioned it was my birthday, our waitress volunteered to take our picture and print it up for us right then and there. Amazing! They have a great wine list and with wonderful recommendations. The whole experience will be one I remember for a very long time! read more

I was visiting my son and his wife and we were driving along Chuckanut Drive on a rainy Friday a week or so ago and decided to stop in for lunch. It was one of the best decisions I have made. The place was heaven. It was cozy, had a spectacular view, great unobtrusive service and wonderful food. I live about 3,000 miles away but if it was a little more convenient I would go there weekly. read more

The oyster bar is along the Chuckanut Hwy and well worth a stop. Although they have no happy hour, their appetizers and wine list make up for it. We stopped by a 3pm and had great outdoor sitting. Great selection of wines and their oysters on the half shell are perfect. I recommend this place to anyone that loves seafood or chops and a scenic view. read more

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When we received a gift certificate from this, our most favorite restaurant, we decided to brave the social distancing and celebrate our birthdays. What a treat it was! We went for a late lunch. It was a good time to go as there were only three tables (including ours) occupied. The staff was masked up 100% of the time and the patrons were also wearing masks while seated. The tables were spaced more than 6 ft apart. Now for the food...oh, my! Had oysters, of course! Freshest, tastiest oysters ever!! Hubby had fresh halibut and I had crab cakes (to die for!!). We finished our special meal with espresso and flourless dark chocolate cake!!! Sigh! We are still giddy from this awesome afternoon at this incredible restaurant. Please support local business and keep this restaurant going. It is a gem! read more

The location really makes this restaurant. It is on the side of a steep hill over looking the ocean, railroad tracks and the San Juan Islands. It is absolutely beautiful. The food is very good seafood. Not outstanding but good. We go to this restaurant whenever we are in the area. read more

We have visited the Oyster Bar for over 20 years and have spent countless celebrations and spent a lot of money here. Recently, we were visiting our daughter and son-in-law in Bellingham. As we had 3 birthdays in our group of 4, we decided to celebrate at our favorite restaurant, The Oyster Bar. They had listed a special on their board for Petrale sole for dinner. I was born and raised in Seattle and came from 3 generations of fisherman. Our family weekly enjoyed both Petrale and Dover sole as it was a favorite fish in our household and my grandmother taught me how to select and prepare both types of sole. I understand CLEARLY the look, flavor and difference between the two. When our waitress, "Lois" came to our table, she informed us that one 1 Petrale sole special remained and the other special was Sturgeon. I asked for the last order of sole. I want to be CRYSTAL CLEAR here that I KNOW my fish. There are only two kinds of fish I dislike; Sturgeon and Catfish and I know the texture and flavor anywhere and cannot be tricked into eating either fish. We should have known that things were going to go sideways right away when the rolls were brought out. Normally, they would be hot and a variety of white, sourdough, wheat, etc. They were barely warm, only wheat and stale, like they'd been pulled from another table. We ordered our food. As soon as I took a bite of my "Petrale sole" I knew a mistake on the part of the restaurant had occurred. As our daughter was buying our dinner and not wanting to upset her, I tried to eat the Sturgeon they had served me. I couldn't do it and felt myself becoming ill. It was a thick, heavy piece of fish, slightly oily and had a barely lukewarm mushroom sauce on it. My husband noticed I wasn't eating and asked me what was wrong. I informed him they'd brought me Sturgeon instead of the Petrale Sole. He called the waitress Lois over and we asked about the fish. She insisted it was sole and I insisted it was not. She then took it back to the kitchen and came back and informed us that she'd removed it from our bill. No explanation, no apology, no visit to our table by the chef (a visit to the table by the chef over a food dispute is a norm in upscale restaurants) and she never asked me if she could bring me something else as she proceeded to stalk off. Our son-in-law had to flag her down and ask if they would at least bring me another of the complimentary soufflés. Then, to add fuel to the fire, Lois informed me that I was mistaken about the fish and it was Petrale sole. She said they'd "folded it over" and that's why it looked so thick. It absolutely was NOT folded over Petrale sole. It also had no crab in it which has been listed as part of the special. I told her it was a thick, solid, piece of fish, didn't taste at all like sole and as I absolutely detest Sturgeon, that I knew they'd mistakenly or otherwise served me the Sturgeon. She then slapped the dessert menus on the table at which time my husband was insulted. He informed her that she was not handling this in an honorable way. She then proceeded to argue with him and became quite unprofessional. People from other tables began noticing and we just wanted to get out of there. No one came back to top off our waters, we left before finishing our wine and it took almost 45 mins to get our bill which Lois didn't deliver. (Another waitress dropped off our bill). To make matters worse and what we didn't mention before was my husband's dinner of "pan fried" oysters were not pan fired. They'd been deep fried and were hard as rocks with a funky flavor. He was sick to his stomach the next day. Our daughter and son-in-law ordered steaks and their food was served to them lukewarm/cold. We were truly in shock at this experience and not only had we never had an experience at the Oyster Bar like this in all the years we'd gone there, we've never, ever had such an awful experience in ANY restaurant. This was the first time ever in our dining experience that we suggested to our daughter to not leave a gratuity which she agreed as she was in tears over our birthday dinners being ruined. My husband was so upset that he wrote a letter to the owners, Guy & Linda Colbert. We had been informed that they were wintering in Mexico so we timed the sending of the letter for their return. Posted below is the letter my husband wrote. Posted on Trip Advisor is the response from the owner, Guy Colbert. His response was nothing short of arrogant, unapologetic and ignorant. We've dined in extraordinary restaurants around the world and know of many in WA state. For this owner to blame a customer, call us liars and tell us that he, his restaurant and staff are "above reproach" is beyond outrageous. Beyond belief as no one is above reproach and mistakes are made. There was a decent way to handle this situation and it was recoverable but I guess if you are in the minority of being above reproach then customer focused service must not be a priority. read more

The Oyster Bar - Letter to owners - Seafood Near Me - Bow, Washington

My boyfriend and I visit Seattle every September and last year we were told to take a drive on Chuckanut to check out the NW coastline and low and behold we found this Oyster Bar! I wanted to keep this place our little secret but I guess the secret's out! My boyfriend and I still crave their fresh Kumamoto oysters... We compare every place we find that serves fresh oysters and there's no place like the Oyster Bar! Can't wait til we head up again this year! P.S. Grab a seat on the patio for the best view of the NW Pacific! Its absolutely breathtaking! read more

The special - champagne poached oyster (top right) is very rich in favor. Yummy. The mussel (lower right) are fresh and juice. seafood bouillabaisse in saffron broth (lower left)is light and refreshing. squash and chanterelle soup (top left) is a festive choice. They slight pan fry the onion and chanterelle in the soup to enhance the favor. The most romantic place to be during sunset read more

The Oyster Bar - Yummy - Seafood Near Me - Bow, Washington

Always have a great experience here and this last trip we sat out on the deck overlooking the bay, perfect evening. If you want a great dining experience, you've got to give it a try. Definitely one of my favorite places! read more

The place has great views of the water, our waitress wasn't as friendly as other waitress from what I noticed. The food is great for the prices, but well worth it read more

Went for lunch. Hostess made issue about where we wanted to sit (I hate that) -- makes bad impression when restaurant is empty! We stayed and ended up being an ok meal. The stars of the meal were the appetizers--baked oysters which were outstanding and calamari. Also the asparagus soup was very good and fresh. Trout stuff with scallops and mushrooms was very dry and not any flavor. Also ordered was bouillabaisse, which was ok but would except exceptional for being a seafood restaurant and also the cost. $130 for lunch with no alcohol and no dessert. Server was nice and very friendly which made us move past the off putting hostess. View is breathtaking! read more

Out for a drive with the hubs to look for our new forever home. Drove by Chuckanut and we had always wanted to try it but never have. Today we did. We didn't have a Rez it was Wednesday @5. Server was able to seat us. She seemed harried and not happy about it. We ordered a half dozen Kumo and a couple of beers to start. Server kept asking if we were ready to order dinner. We said we would like to ease into it. She seemed put off. Not friendly. No, "how was your day, have you dined with us before kind"of banter. Just "are you ready to order?"We had another app, Mushroom Gnocci. Quite good. Had another round of beers. Got the hurriedly asked "are you having anything else." I wanted to try the crab cake. Hubs was full. So I get the crab cake. Cut down the middle of the quarter sized cake to check it's done and hot. Nope, luke warm. I go for it anyway. First bite huge crab shell. Yuk! I hate crab shell in a crab cake especially ones so dang small. Gave the hubs the second bite. Crab shell! Ugh! 3rd bite was clean. I told her the carb cake was good but had a bunch of shells in it. She said "sorry about that" want dessert? Me, um, No thank you. Checked dropped. We were the table she didn't want. Because we only had appetizers. And maybe the beer wasn't ok. We felt like we were not welcome at all. And I'm sorry when your tiny crab cake has shells, take it off the check! She was all about the tip and it was horribly obvious. Had to stop at the bathroom and listen to cussing in kitchen on the way. The bathroom stunk so bad I was grateful for my mask!Smelled of dead rat rotting in the walls. Just awful, and after spending almost $100 on ok food and terrible customer service we won't be returning anytime soon. People should be greeted with a smile , not "DO YOU HAVE A RESERVATION"? We were having such a wonderful day too... read more