Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner in Yachats
By Drew Myron
Published: 09/04/2014  Updated: 08/09/2019
Crab and Pacific Pink Shrimp stuffed sole at Ona Restaurant in Yachats Oregon
Crab and Pacific Pink Shrimp stuffed sole at Ona Restaurant in Yachats Oregon  Photo by Gary Hayes

Can't miss spots for a day of dining out in Yachats.

BREAKFAST:
Green Salmon Coffee Shoppe
220 HWY 101 N.
(541) 547-3077

Never underestimate the popularity or quality, of a casual, counter-service meal. Here, the consistently long line features equal measures of bleary-eyed tourists seeking strong espresso and hungry locals filling up on fresh, natural breakfasts and lunches. This comfy coffeehouse offers a no-frills hippie vibe; worn and mismatched tables and chairs and a smattering of potted plants. Owner Deb Gisetto is at the helm and in the kitchen, where she prepares an impressive selection of earthy salads, sandwiches, soups and wraps. Go for Deb's Famous Oats, a feel-good blend of homemade granola topped with steamed milk, nuts and seeds. Or try the filling egg and sausage panini-style sandwich. Sure, initially you come for the homemade Danish and organic, house-roasted coffee or the extensive drink choices filling the chalkboard menu on the wall, but it's the people and stories that will keep you coming back.

LUNCH:
Luna Sea Fish House
153 HWY 101 N.
(541) 547-4794

You've heard of farm-to-table, and Luna Sea is stepping up the fresh food movement with sea-to-table fare. Owner and fisherman Robert Anthony likes a fresh catch and nearly every day he boards his 45-foot boat, dubbed the Liberty II, and voyages into the Pacific to catch your meal. Small, cozy and tucked along Highway 101 in the center of downtown Yachats, Luna Sea is what every coastal village needs: a salty shack with fresh, good eats. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the menu is seafood-centric. The Luna Sea Omelet ($15) is filled with a bounty of just-caught halibut, scallops and shrimp. Even traditional fish and chips are pumped up; Luna Sea Combo & Chips ($16) is a bountiful mix of halibut, albacore and wild king salmon paired with thick chips. While the prices aren't roadside-cheap, the experience is fresh and local. Dine in, take out or sidle up to the glass counter to purchase fresh and canned fish,. And if the place is packed, which it often is, head outside for tent seating.

DINNER:
Ona Restaurant & Lounge
131 HWY 101 N.
(541) 547-6627

Located in the heart of downtown Yachats and overlooking the beautiful Yachats River Bay, Ona's calibrated blend of fine dining and relaxed atmosphere has drawn a flurry of fans. And no wonder, owner-chef Michelle Korgan hails from an impressive lineage of restaurateurs. Her parents helped pioneer the Northwest food movement at the Korgan Strudel House, a Portland institution and then went on to become the first innkeepers at the now renown Heceta Head Bed & Breakfast. At Ona, Korgan continues the emphasis on locally sourced ingredients and has teamed with Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef Anthony Velarde. Together the duo have fine-tuned a combo of complexity and comfort to offer a menu that ranges from elegant fish entrees, such as The Sole, a slab of tender white fish wrapped over crab and pink shrimp with a pinot gris cream reduction, to hearty selections like the Three Meatloaf, a combo of grass-fed and locally sourced beef, lamb and pork. While the food and wine menu changes seasonally, some items are so good, you can usually count on finding them, such as the Oregon Dungeness Crab Cake, comprised of mostly crab and little "cake." The ever-evolving beer and wine list is Oregon-focused. For lighter meals, take in Happy Hour, when the menu is long, the plates small and the prices are low. At any hour – lunch, dinner, drinks or dessert – Ona is easily the nicest place in town, with carefully prepared meals and a relaxed sophistication.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner in Yachats