THE BOWPICKER
A
A half-order (three piec-
es) is $8, and a whole
order (fi ve pieces) is $10.
As a value proposition
it’s a no-brainer; get the
whole order.
With tuna just off the coast, now’s the best
time of year for Bowpicker’s fi sh and chips
As it was awarded “Best Fish and Chips”
in Coast Weekend’s 2014 Readers’ Choice
Awards, you’re likely well aware of the Bow-
picker. But here’s something you might not
know:
There’s no better time of year to eat there
than right now.
According to the jovial staff, the albacore
tuna that the Bowpicker fries up is caught
nearest to Astoria at the end of June and into
early July. In that short span, tuna can be
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times of the year that distance stretches into
the hundreds.)
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cant difference in taste remains to be seen.
And, just to be clear: All of Bowpicker’s
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to market. The staff noted that nearly all
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the next few weeks, the sourcing will be hy-
per-local.
Now, if Bowpicker is new to you — as it
was to me — a little background:
Located on Duane Street, overlooking the
river and the Maritime Museum, the Bow-
picker is essentially a food cart. Well, a food
boat — one that, according to the paperwork
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vessel. But let’s not get it twisted: This bow-
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the bow — remains largely land-locked. Re-
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to cook rather than catch.
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chips. That’s it. Bowpicker does one thing
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As a value proposition it’s a no-brainer; get
the whole order.
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thick. The beer battered crust was crunchy,
substantial and excellent. It wasn’t oily, it
didn’t fall off and it didn’t get soggy. The
tuna inside was perfectly cooked, though
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the few nearby picnic tables.
The sauces, however — ketchup and tar-
tar — left much to be desired. Both came
12 | June 25, 2015 | coastweekend.com
from a bottle, and not necessarily a fancy
one. Really, they were about as generic as it
gets, with more preservatives than season-
ing.
The Bowpicker also offered an array
of hot sauces, malt vinegar and so on, but
again: nothing special or extraordinary. It’s
too bad, because the exquisitely cooked tuna um. Same goes for Bowpicker: Some home-
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The fries, which seemed to come from
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There’s just nothing special about them, nor
were there enough. Indeed, it’s not hard to
imagine a starving worker left wanting after
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But working class lunches don’t seem to
butter Bowpicker’s bread. Really, it’s hard
to see how they could, as the almost ev-
er-present line can snake on in upwards of
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visit took in the neighborhood of 15 min-
utes.) Also, be forewarned: The Bowpicker
If you’ve got a Ferrari, you want
to fi ll it with premium. Same
goes for Bowpicker: Some
homemade, thoughtful or
exotic dipping sauces
would go a long way.
mouth
OF THE COLUMBIA
COAST WEEKEND’S LOCAL RESTAURANT REVIEW
Story and photos by THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA • mouth@coastweekend.com
Bowpicker
Rating:
1634 Duane St., Astoria
503-791-2942
www.bowpicker.com
Hours: “11ish” to 6 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday, weather
permitting or until they run out of fi sh. See website for closures.
PRICE: $ - $10 for a full order, $8 for a half-order.
SERVICE: Friendly, but lines and wait can be excessive.
VEGETARIAN OPTIONS: French fries.
DRINKS: Soda, bottled water.
The Bowpicker is named
for a vintage fi shing ves-
sel where the gillnetted
fi sh were lifted in over
the bow.
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card a worthless hunk of plastic.)
Indeed, the waits are a real thing. Riding
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Bowpicker has become a sought-after des-
tination for food tourists. In a way it makes
sense: The boat is quaint and cute, and while
overlooking the water and working ships it
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ing culture. That said, if I had to wait much
longer than I did I would’ve left confused,
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good, but it didn’t knock my boots off.
To that end, I’m hoping to do a round-
up of the best fish and chips on the North
Coast later this summer. And while I’m not
quite ready to join Coast Weekend readers
and anoint Bowpicker as the pinnacle, it
certainly deserves to be in the conversa-
tion.
In the meantime, if you’ve yet to try
Bowpicker’s beer-battered tuna — or even
if you’re a loving regular — there’s no bet-
ter time than now; the tuna are swimming
just off the coast.
KEY TO RATINGS
poor
below average
good & worth returning
excellent
outstanding, the best in the
Columbia-Pacific region
