Elk Head Tap Room

Cool place, when you can find it and they are open. Being a tourist town I expected them to be open on a holiday weekend (4^th of July), went to purchase a few growlers for a party and they were closed, for the entire weekend… I realize everyone needs a break but when you are a local business in a tourist town you would thing they would want to be open to get the additional revenue… When we were able to go, it was a great experience.

A fun spot to enjoy a great brew. Friendly service, purchases are on the honor system and great beer tops off the experience. It adds up to a must visit spot in Ocean Shores.

One of my favorite places to go and enjoy a well deserved beer. Quality beer and great service, what more can you ask for? Rotating beer selection keeps it interesting. Check it out, you won’t regret it.

Great local pub. Choice of 7 taps. All good. Locals place. Would have rated 5 stars were it not for the heavy metal music.

I went in to inquire about the IPA’s, I asked the gentleman behind the counter what the IBU’s were and that’s when he held up two middle fingers and said my boss says two. Very rude, I left without trying any brew.

Hidden little gem. Great beer with a relaxed coffee-​shop atmosphere. Friendly staff and did I mention Great Beer?

Fun place! Great beer and great nuts!

This is a good place for great micro-​brewed beers. Located in a slightly hidden spot just off of the main street, you’re more likely to sit with locals than tourists. The food selection is limited to a variety of nuts, pretzels, and such. Prior to closing their kitchen they used to serve great burgers. I wish they would reopen their kitchen and offer more substantial eats because it would make it much easier to hangout longer and drink more beer… which is exactly what you’ll want to do…
PROS:
— great beers
— local spot
— cool stump bar stools
CONS:
— no kitchen /​food to keep you as long as you’d like to stay
— open limited days & hours; Thur 3 – 7, Fri & Sat 12 – 7, Sun 12 – 4
Enjoy!

Best place in town to get a beer. Only complaint is that it’s only open four days a week. They make hands-​down the best IPA I’ve ever had. It’s called «liberty cap». And make another beer that is spicy called «blast zone». Or you can buy half-​and-​half mixture of the two and get a blast cap. Underestimate the heat on this at your own peril. Should you choose this option, go easy. It’s a tasty concoction, but more than two of them and your stomach may react in unexpected ways.

We stumbled upon this gem on a bike ride. We have a home in Ocean Shores and love to stop in for a beer and snack. The onion rings are great! The atmosphere is always busy, service is good. Tucked ways off the main road. They also do beer tastings.

This place is rad. Great beer and fun staff. Great nuts. Gotta have great nuts. A diamond in the rough out here.

Such a great find in ocean shores! Great beer… awesome guys running the place. Relaxed hang out as long as you want atmosphere. They let you taste for free. Lots of different styles on tap. Hard to find, but worth making a point to get there!

This is a tap room, not a brewpub. You don’t go here to eat. You go for the beer. The food sub-​business that was operating within this business is no longer here, but they do have nuts and meat sticks for snacks. If you come on a Saturday there is a good chance you’ll meet the owner and brewer unless it’s a holiday weekend. Very nice guy. The place is a small and a rustic. Growler fills are cheap and the beer is good. As of now they only have 6 taps, but it turns out they are going to be adding a 7^th that will be used for very small batch beer that will now be brewed onsite. I frequent this place every time I’m in town and my non beer loving wife even enjoys their stout, which is rare.
On another note: Don’t rate an establishment on Unilocal based on your lack of enjoyment of a patron. No one cares that you didn’t like the guy sitting next to you.

Great beer, better employes. Best spot in ocean shores to get some hoppy beverages. Growler refills for only 10 bucks! Try the coconut beer it tastes like a damn mounds bar. Sun is shining beer is great

Ocean shores gem.
I am absolutely alcohol intolerant, but despite that, I thoroughly enjoy the taste of beer. Elk Head is a definite find in Ocean Shores. Located in a somewhat shabby plaza, across the street from the putting golf area of the family fun center, it is definitely tucked away in a corner. Stop in for some fresh brew and free snacks. 10oz glass swings you somewhere around $ 3.50ish. And the guys serving are super friendly and down for a chat. Great people stopping in too, not to mention they brew exclusively in Buckley and serve in specific areas. NO SHIPPING! So if you want to enjoy a quart once you get back home, you better buy one before you leave! They also have seasonal beers coming in and out of the place, so stop by to see what they have especially for that time of the year.

Found this place last year while camping — now it is a favorite and definate stop everytime we go. As others have states, it has the locals in there, but they have made my wife and I feel welcome every time. We aren’t the party age and are big Duck fans, so we get the friendly back and forth from the Washington schools, but never rude and never uncomfortable.
I’m new at making homebrew and Kevin is always willing to discuss and give me his thoughts — ask him about his thesis if you want a to hear a cool story and you love beer!.Take a growler or buy one while you are there, you won’t be disappointed — beers are all good… my wife loves their porters.
The food is incredible and cooked fresh by «Nellie», Kevins Mom. I haven’t had a bad meal yet. Whether you are camping or just strolling through the city, it is a must stop. It is off the beat and path, but easy to find — across from the mini-​golf. Find this place now — you won’t regret it.

Great place to come in for a beer and centrally located between all if the «family fun» things to do in Ocean Shores. That being said it’s not a kid friendly kind of place but it’s not intended to be. I saw a lot of people come in have a beer and head out on their way. I’m an IPA fan and loved their version which had a nice hint of citrus to go with that hoppy bite. The menu was fairly simple, just burgers and a few sandwiches if you want something to eat with your beers. I had the pulled pork sandwich which was very tasty.
Bar staff was awesome and very cheerful. If you’re down in Ocean Shores and looking for a spot to have a few or just a quick breakaway from the kids this is the spot to go. And bring cash because they don’t do plastic here.

Hands down my FAVORITE place in Ocean Shores (aside from the beach, of course)… Where everybody knows your name — especially if you’re friendly and willing to relax with the regulars — AND you’re greeted with free tastes of beer the second you walk in!
Why I make it the first stop every time I’m in town:
**The beer (credit cards accepted):
As a gal who doesn’t drink a lot of beer and is pretty picky about what I do imbibe, I can honestly say I love every single beer I’ve ever tried at Elk Head. It is the smoothest, most delicious beer I’ve come across for mere dollars a pint. I especially love the stout, barleywine and amber offerings but I know many a fan of the spicy chili beer; either by the glass or as a topper.
**The food (cash only):
The food is also worth writing home about. Hands down the best burgers, sandwiches, fries and other tasty treats in town; «Nellie» even has a solid vegetarian option or two every menu (rotates weekly) and a dessert should you have a sweet tooth. Everything is homemade and it makes a huge difference. I also love the oyster shooters, with oysters from local purveyor Lytle Seafoods… Doesn’t get fresher than that!
**The people:
Bartender Kevin is one of the nicest guys ever and knows a ton about beer. I love sitting at the counter and chatting with him. The other guys behind the counter and «Nellie» are just as great, and also willing to chat about whatever topic comes up.
All this plus playing cards, little puzzles and a TV with the game make for a super wonderful hangout spot. Every single dollar here is well spent!

I really enjoyed this place. It’s on the small side, with bar seating only (no sit-​down tables) with a sort of rustic vibe that fits the place well (taps on driftwood, galvanized metal bar, lacquered stumps as bar stools). They offer all sorts of warm pub snacks (pretzels, nuts, etc.) and a menu that changes weekly (They post an updated one each week on Facebook). They claim to source their ingredients locally and seasonally, which is commendable.
We were able to sample several brews for free before deciding on a pint. I HAD to try the hot chile-​flavored Blast Zone, which was interesting and surprisingly good, albeit HOT! And the IPA was excellent… I may just have to come back for a growler. For food, we had the garlic cheese fries, which were yummy as well… a big pile of crispy thick-​cut potatoes topped with a mountain of fresh garlic and cheddar… yum! It’s a meal in itself! I wasn’t hungry enough to order a full meal, but there were several vegetarian options, and I look forward to coming back to try their entrees.
The only downside to this place is that it stated on their menu that they don’t accept credit cards, and that they’re only open Thursday-​Sunday (which I completely understand… with Ocean Shores being a tourist town and all… but kinda sucks for us locals.) But, overall, it’s a fun, cool place, and I look forward to trying out more of their tasty brews on my next visit.

It took some effort to find this taproom. The building’s address is on Pt. Brown Ave, but Elk Head is on the backside, facing the convention center and «family fun center» to the west (all face Minard Ave).
The beer gets a 5-​star rating, and I’d probably taste more of them if an opportunity presented itself. The day I visited, there was an entrée or two available from 5PM until closing, at 7PM. It looks like they have more food items on weekends.
The space itself doesn’t have a taproom feel to it. It’s mostly white and lit with fluorescent lighting. The five taps are mounted in a beautiful piece of wood (driftwood?), but its surroundings do not do it justice.
The thing that was most off-​putting was the guy manning the taps that day. He wasn’t specifically rude, but from the way he treated his friends who came in, it was clear that locals are preferred over tourists. One other thing: I like the F-​word, and I use it often, but NEVER at work in front of customers or the public. It was unprofessional, and unnecessary.