Big Wave Cafe

We loved this place! We went 2 days in a row, it was so good. The hostess Pj and our server treated us so well, the fresh salmon was excellent.
The baked potato was cooked perfectly, and the broccoli was a great addition.
After having a disappointing experience from a restaurant in Cannon Beach we drove to Manzanita and are we glad we did!
The halibut fish and chips were wonderful. The french fries were crisp, fresh and wonderful!
Not greasy!!!
The halibut was fresh and the batter they used was just perfect.
It also impressed us that the owners were very involved in serving, cooking, even tending to their plants outside.
I gave this a five star because in every way they exceeded our expectations.

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.

Thank god for Unilocal because there we were wanting breakfast and there it was just asking to be had. Sure glad we stopped in and had the chipoltle bennidict and surfers scramble. Will stop again because service was great and there’s more things I’ve a mind to try from the menu. Thanks for hitting the spot at the right time on a beautiful blue sky Sunday Cannon Beach to Depot Bay drive. See you again next time we’re passing though. ..

Food was good. A little on the pricey side, but that’s to be expected in a touristy area… The staff was friendly and helpful, had the crab cakes which were more crab than cake, which was a nice surprise!

For a town as small as Manzanita, I don’t think we were quite expecting such a modern restaurant! We came in for lunch, neither of us is a huge fan of seafood but there are several non-​seafood options on the menu. I went for some sort of burger, girlfriend had a prime rib dip. My burger was great, and while she was a bit skeptical at first, once she tried her sandwich she was hooked! Even though it’s right on the highway, there’s plenty of parking as well.

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

Quite possibly the best fish and chips I’ve ever had. The clam chowder was great too. Nice atmosphere and good service.

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:)

Consistently the best food and best service in Manzanita. Not inexpensive but you get what you pay for. The pan-​fried oysters and the halibut fish and chips are my favorites.
Brought a friend visiting from Alabama. Placed a large to go order. Returned for one item left behind. Can’t say enough how good the service was. Great people.

My mom already reviewed this place… VVVVV hi mom! BUT I had to make sure I gave them due credit as well. We had the most amazing/​incredible mother’s day breakfast here.
Great coffee, Orange Juice, Chinook Salmon Omelette, Seafood Scramble and Strawberry Pancakes. All 4 of us were in love with our meals (2 of them being specials)
Considering it being Mother’s Day, it wasn’t that much of a wait and our server was very friendly, efficient and didn’t bother us nor ignore us.
Would come back again during a trip to the coast.

After a night of camping we all wanted a hot breakfast… even on Mother’s Day morning we were able to be seated quickly at this busy spot. The orange juice was fresh, the coffee pretty good, and the food excellent. Our service was friendly and efficient and delivered all my special requests expertly. I had the seafood omelette made as a scramble and I loved it! The seafood was fresh and cooked just right. When you walk into the front door, they have the listings of what fisheries each type of seafood they carry came from. Don’t miss out on this spot!!!

Top notch food and service here! There is not a full bar, only beer and wine, but since it has the best clam chowder I’ve ever eaten I’ll let that slide. That being said, the beer and wine selection is good. The portions are big enough for next day’s lunch. The «side salad» is damn near a full meal. If you’re hungry in Manzanita this place will not disappoint. I’ll be back :)

My boyfriend and I come to Manzanita for the food and Big Wave is a huge part of it. Everything we’ve eaten here has been spectacular and the service is good that you feel right at home. The bread is homemade, the sauces are incredible and seafood is so fresh. We love this place!

An update to my review in 2010 is in order. Initially, I gave it one star– deservedly so for the most typical of beach cuisine– lazy food with frozen ingredients. After reading that it was under new ownership, we figured it was time for another visit.
The new change is fantastic. The dinner menu focuses on fresh, local ingredients. Daily specials highlight fresh seafood. The service is brisk, attentive and warm.
Highlights included the daily special– a salmon filet done simply in butter, salt and pepper to highlight the freshness of the fish. While the size of the cut was on the small side for the price ($ 27), the fish was cooked and seasoned perfectly. I substituted out the standard side starch (rice or potatoes) for broccoli. Expecting to get re-​heated frozen florets, I was thrilled to receive fresh rabe sautéed in garlic butter.
The surprise of the night, however, was my wife’s halibut sandwich. A HUGE filet of fresh halibut, (obviously fresh, by the way, given the tenderness of the just-​right cooked fish) very lightly breaded and sever on a delicate potato roll. One of the best fish sandwiches I have ever tasted.
The chef clearly takes pride in his work. He deserves a ton of respect for how he turned this restaurant around so dramatically.

17 dollars for 4 tiny pieces of fish and chips with a small handful of fries. Service also terrible. You are way better off driving down the road to West Coast Burrito and getting a monstrous burrito made with organic ingredients for reasonable prices.

Loved the crab cakes! Packed with fresh crab. Clam chowder was great and halibut sandwich was excellent too. The picture does the food no justice.

Why doesn’t this place doesn’t have a five star rating? What’s up Unilocalers? This is a family owned restaurant that has service compared to a michelin restaurant, great moder and some of the most fresh seafood we have had in Oregon… period. We have a four and six year old that enjoyed their meal and coloring on their placemats as well.
They serve a specialty coffee from Cannon Beach that was amazing too. To think we almost passed this place up because it wasn’t a four and a half or five star. So glad we didn’t.

Sooo glad I found this place! I came here for breakfast around 9:30 and there was already quite a few groups there. Shortly after I sat, more and more people started to come and the place got so busy that there was a big line by the front door. And I can see why. The food is very, very good and the owners are incredibly friendly.
I ordered the special, which was a Chinook Salmon Omelette with a hollandaise sauce on top, and a side salad. You could definitely tell the salmon was fresh, thus making my breakfast beyond good. It was a good size portion, too. When I asked to have a side salad instead of the potatoes and toast, the server let me know that they usually don’t serve salad so early until lunch or dinner service, but would ask the kitchen if they’d make an exception, which he explained they most likely would. He also let me know of the housemade vinaigrettes and asked me which I preferred with my salad. I was impressed by his willingness to accommodate my order and that something small like the vinaigrette was housemade.
I learned who the owners were because as they were working the place, they’d chat with the people who appeared to be locals about everything such as their kids, family, sports, etc… which is what you would only find in a small community. I loved that. Both of the owners, a married couple, were so incredibly nice. They kept checking up on me, asking me how the special was, and kept refilling my drip without needed to ask them. I can’t say enough great things about these owners, and it was refreshing to see people who work in the hospitality industry enjoy what they do. I recommend for anyone in Manzanita to stop in this wonderful restaurant.

You know how restaurants at a beach tourist destination tend to be. It’s location, location, location. People are there in hoards. They need to eat. They’ll stop in and support your restaurant even if the food is incredibly mediocre. Even if your restaurant wouldn’t last a month in a town where survival depends on the quality of the food.
Big Wave Café is such a place. Bland, gummy clam chowder. Uninspired salad. Dry Ruben.
If you need to fuel your body it’s better than nothing I guess. But if you have the time drive up to Astoria (a working port city, not a tourist town), where there are restaurants with really good food.

Best fish and chips and crab cakes that we have had in a long time. This place is located a distance from the ocean and the main view is the parking lot. The inside of the restaurant is simple and basic.
But we were seated immediately. Service was fantastic. We ordered a crabcake sandwich with fries and halibut fish and chips. Fish and chips were amazing. Probably some of the best I’ve had. Very light and tender. The crabcakes were served as a sandwich. And my wife ditched the bread right away. But the crabcakes were really good.
The two of us with tip cost about $ 37 with no alcohol. So it’s a little bit more expensive than our typical lunch out. But I think it was worth it. And the next time we get out here, we will come back.