Click to enlarge the photos.When we first moved to Bodega Bay, we were told "Tourists go to The Tides restaurant, locals go to Lucas Wharf Restaurant & Bar." Well the first part was true, I'd been coming to Bodega Bay as a tourist all my life and loved going to The Tides. I liked how it had evolved over the years to its current incarnation which includes a large restaurant, a snack bar with picnic tables out by the water, a cool gift shop, and a fresh fish market.
But Lucas Wharf is popular with locals and tourists alike. This seafood restaurant, perched over the harbor, has more of a rustic, seaside atmosphere, with lots of dark woods, a long, full bar, fireplace, and views of the dock, fishing boats, and adjacent fish company, The Seafood Guys.
Beyond, they also have gorgeous views of the Bodega Bay harbor and Bodega Head. From their many window tables, you can usually see harbor seals or sea lions swimming around and barking under the pier or in the harbor. This summer we often saw an adorable baby sea lion sitting up on the dock, apparently waiting while its mother fished below.
On windy days, wind surfers and kite boarders provide free entertainment as they sail along, performing amazing flips and spins above the choppy waves in the harbor.
Lucas Wharf's menu features freshly caught fish and other seafood entrees as well as a variety of steak, chicken and pasta dishes. Their website is pretty limited and the Menu button doesn't work, so I scanned it here for you instead.
We’ve had some nice meals there recently. I love their cheeseburgers, Caesar salad, and the shrimp louie salad. Our daughter loves the sauteed calamari and the clam linguini in garlic cream sauce, and my husband always orders the fresh fish of the day. Last time he had a deliciously prepared grilled salmon.
The Lucas family originally purchased this waterfront property in 1976 and opened a fish market and deli, where they sold their fresh catch of the day. Walter Lucas and his two sons had earlier leased the spot, the site of an old fish processing plant, to dock their commercial fishing trawler "Silver Seas." They caught and sold snapper, rock cod, ling cod, petrale, rex sole and other bottom fish. Their wives ran the businesses while the Lucas brothers did the fishing.
The family expanded and opened the restaurant and bar in 1984, and James and his wife, Peggy Lucas, became the sole owners in 1993.
They also have this somewhat dilapidated pier that people can walk out on. The views out there are lovely but the wood has rotted through in some areas. I'm surprised it's legal, watch your step.Today, the complex includes Lucas Wharf Restaurant & Bar, The Seafood Guys fresh fish wholesale and retail market, and the Island Style Deli. Yes, island as in Hawaii, here in Bodega Bay, don't get me started...
Lucas Wharf Restaurant & Bar
595 Hwy. 1
Bodega Bay, CA 94923
(707) 875-3522
Open everyday for lunch and dinner
11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays
Hey Kathlene, thanks for scanning the menu!! If I had a dime for everytime I've tried to find that darn thing online...
ReplyDeleteAnd LOL about the pier and Hawaiian deli. Funny as always. :-)
What is wrong with the island style deli? have you tried it??
ReplyDeleteHey, I know a guitarist that can play Hawaiian tunes at that deli :)
ReplyDeleteOkay, maybe I'll go if he's there. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with Hawaiian food per se, I just think it's weird to have it here in a location that couldn't be more different from Hawaii. This is a cool, coastal village that's perfect for clam chowder, thick sweaters, warm fires, and the like. It's sooo not tropical Hawaii. What's next? A Cajun restaurant serving Louisiana-style crawfish? Philly cheesesteaks? It's so incongruous with Bodega Bay. But hey, I hear the owner is a nice guy and the place is always packed, so what do I know? :-)
As a local, I regularly get food-to-go from Island Style Deli. It is a delicious and filling meal for the price. Especially on those cool fogged-in days that BB is famous for! Try it - I bet you'll be surprised :o)
ReplyDelete