Tom’s Fish & Chips
Cannon Beach eatery is
calibrated for tourists, but
serves locals fast too
W
Whilst frolicking in Cannon Beach one
could be forgiven for entertaining the idea that
the corporations have lost. Within city limits
there are no Subways, no Starbucks and nary
a Motel 6. By and large, it is a resplendent ref-
uge, though frustrating at times, when reason-
ably priced gas or an amply stocked grocery
store can only be found the next town over.
Which brings us to the odd case of Tom’s
Fish & Chips, Cannon Beach’s burgeoning
bastion of fast food. Save for a slice of pizza
or a pre-made, Saran-wrapped deli sandwich,
Tom’s is about is quick as it comes. Flavor —
and for that matter, value — suffers accord-
ingly.
Tom’s opened in the fall of 2014. The inte-
rior is sleek, airy and brightly branded — even
though ,’m entering for the ¿ rst time, it feels
vaguely familiar. It is bold, yet largely blank.
Despite a seafaring decor, it is one of the least-
quaint eateries in the city. And though the
slogan reads “classic,” Tom’s looks forward,
not back — at least as far as Cannon Beach is
concerned.
Another outlier, Tom’s has no table service.
The menu above the counter is as simple as
the sign outside announces: “Fish & Chips /
Classic Burgers.” You order, pay, get a num-
ber, then take a seat or a to go bag. And after a
few short minutes, voila!
The À agship of Tom’s fried ¿ sh is Alaskan
cod ($9.95). The catch — including salmon
and halibut — comes from our neighbors from
the far north, and it wasn’t caught this morn-
ing. Those seeking local bounty should
look elsewhere.
The cod was delivered atop a basket of
fries, in three neat rectangles. While pre-
pared upon order, it landed just hot enough
as to be eaten immediately. I prefer fish
and chips to come out sizzling, the oil just
crusted, where you have to crack them open
and blow the steam away before even nib-
bling at the corners. Had this particular day
been colder, fried fish served at anything
less than scalding would’ve been a bigger
disappointment.
Rather than beer battered, the cod was
breaded, and the crust was thin. It lacked
a crispy crunch, offering scant contrast to
the light, tender fish inside. While the cod
meat was adequate in freshness and not at
all fishy, the combination was rather bland,
as the breaded exterior was not seasoned in
14 | July 23, 2015 | coastweekend.com
any meaningful way. The addition of a few
more distinct house-made sauces — like a
spicy Cajun or a mango salsa — would go
a long way.
Cole-slaw cost extra ($1.95), but it
shouldn’t have. It was tasteless and lacking
pep that extra salt and pepper couldn’t pro-
vide. It was little more than cabbage shreds
soaking in a milky-white, slightly-sweet-
ened soup that puddled up at the bottom of
the cup.
The double cheeseburger ($5.95), on the
other hand, was highly evocative, though
mightily inauspicious. Upon biting into
the pint-sized portion, I blurted across the
booth to my companion: “It tastes just like
McDonald’s!”
I’m not exaggerating. My companion
concurred: The inspiration was unmis-
takable. Tom’s burger — even the dou-
ble-cheese — is roughly the same size as
McDonald’s standard issue, which is to
say: small. Tom’s version boasted a slight-
ly finer caliber of ingredients, including
real cheddar cheese, but the beef was fro-
zen, pre-shaped, and insubstantial — even
with two patties. Like McDonald’s, Tom’s
cheeseburger sports a soft, airy bun, diced
onions, diced pickles, ketchup, mustard
Though Tom’s Fish and
Chips serves food quickly,
fl avor and value suff er.
The Mouth found the
fi sh adequate but rather
bland, the coleslaw taste-
less, and the burger small
and similar to McDonald’s.
Tom’s Fish and Chips is
an outlier in Cannon
Beach by providing no
table service: You order
at the counter, pay, get
a number and food is de-
livered — fast and easy
for take out.
and that’s it — no tomato, no lettuce, no
surprises. The resemblance to McDonald’s
is truly uncanny, as if the secret ingredient
had been unearthed.
What’s less on-the-nose, however, is
the price. After adding fries ($1.95) Tom’s
essentially goes toe-to-toe with the numer-
ous, family-friendly pubs within walking
distance that offer much more substantial,
third-pound beef patties complete with real
roughage. To put it another way: After a
day spent corralling kids on the beach, a
hungry dad may well find himself wanting
after Tom’s double-cheese burger and fries.
That family of tourists is precisely who
Tom’s is calibrated for: folks who don’t
mouth
OF THE COLUMBIA
COAST WEEKEND’S LOCAL RESTAURANT REVIEW
Story and photos by THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA • mouth@coastweekend.com
Tom’s Fish & Chip
Rating
240 N. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach
503-436-4301
tomscannonbeach.com
have the time or desire to be waited on,
who want simple flavors the kids are fa-
miliar with, and will eat without protest
— French fries, burgers and fish sticks
drenched in ketchup.
While saving on things like tip, dinner
and drinks for a family of four could easily
top $50. It’s fast food, but it’s not cheap.
(Tom’s Wednesday special, however, a
burger, endless fries and a domestic beer
for $6 is tough to beat.)
And yet, for all that calculation, Tom’s
offers an almost singular service to resi-
dents: a drive-thru type service, only mi-
nus the drive-thru. One weekday evening I
noticed several locals come in, order, and
take their bags to-go. It’s a rarity in Cannon
Beach, where some restaurants are known
to fuss about making take-out. Some
charge extra for the privilege, and none do
it as quickly as Tom’s. So perhaps there’s a
place for this outlier after all.
As my dinner companion put to me after
trying the double-cheese burger: “Well, at
least now when I’m craving McDonald’s I
won’t have to drive to Seaside.”
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Sunday.
KEY TO RATINGS
Price: $ – Fish and chips around $10.
Service: Order at the counter, dine-in or take-out.
Vegetarian/Vegan options: Slim – french fries,
cole slaw and Caesar salad.
Drinks: Soda, wine and microbrews.
poor
below average
good & worth returning
excellent
outstanding, the best in the
Columbia-Pacific region
