Fish and chips is the ultimate comfort food, a Washingtonian's go-to that promises ocean-fresh flavors coupled with the satisfying crunch of decadently deep-fried fries. And where better to enjoy it than Whatcom County? Perched in the Pacific Northwest, we have the ocean lapping at our beaches. You couldn’t find seafood fresher than ours if you tried!
Whether you’re looking for tide-tumbled oysters, crispy tacos bursting with flavor, crab, rockfish, salmon, cod, or the delicate, white flesh of halibut, the county’s large selection of seafood restaurants is another guaranteed way to meet your craving – whether you prefer to dine in or take it to go.
Anthony’s at Squalicum Harbor has been a longtime institution in Bellingham and a trusted source for seafood for many years. Their menu reflects the most diverse seafood offering anywhere, with crab, prawns, clams, oysters, shrimp, salmon, halibut, and calamari.
Anthony’s offers indoor and outdoor dining with views of the marina, and also has curbside pickup options.
📞 (360) 647-5588
🏠 22 Bellwether Way, Bellingham, Washington
B-Town Kitchen & Raw Bar, located in the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, offers Alaskan cod and chips as well as salmon burgers.
Their outdoor patio is the perfect place for outdoor dining, especially during the winter months thanks to their heat lamps and outdoor fire pits.
📞 (360) 392-6520
🏠 714 Lakeway Dr., Bellingham, Washington
The Black Cat in Fairhaven features beer-battered cod or prawn tacos, a Dungeness crab mac and cheese, cod fish and chips, wild sockeye salmon, and a crab cake entrée. Plus, enjoy views onto Downtown Fairhaven and Bellingham Bay.
Travel tip: Book a walking tour with The Good Time Girls to learn about the building's storied history!
📞 (360) 733-6136
🏠 1200 Harris Ave. #310, Bellingham, Washington
Watch ships come and go from the Bellingham Cruise Terminal as you feast on a basket of freshly fried fish and chips. Choose from cod or halibut or sample a little bit of everything in the Captain's Platter. The restaurant also offers lighter fare, like a salmon Caesar salad. All meals come with house-made tartar sauce and coleslaw.
📞 (360) 922-3443
🏠 Inside the Bellingham Cruise Terminal - 355 Harris Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225
Nicki's Bella Marina's award-winning fish is always cooked-to-order and is hand cut up to four times a day. Each piece is fried in a delicious tempura-style batter that's been winning over crowds for more than 25 years. The pieces are also BIG (and served with bottomless steak fries) so you'll always leave satisfied. Enjoy your meal on the restaurant's outdoor patio with views of the marina and Squalicum Harbor.
📞 (360) 332-2505
🏠 2615 S. Harbor Loop Dr., Bellingham, Washington
For tables with an exceptional view, try Packers Kitchen + Bar at Semiahmoo Resort & Spa in Blaine. Their seafood chowder is packed with clams, salmon, and cod. The rest of the menu includes a variety of seafood, like fish tacos, cioppino, steamer clams or mussels, beer-battered seafood, fish and chips, halibut, and salmon.
📞 (360) 318-2090
🏠 9565 Semiahmoo Pkwy, Blaine, Washington
This fine-dining seafood restaurant located off of Chuckanut Drive offers spectacular views and serves up gravlax, baked oysters, steamed mussels, halibut chowder, crab cakes, halibut tacos, Alaskan halibut, and bouillabaisse. The Oyster Bar has been open since the 1940s and is a peaceful eatery that has an outstanding reputation for its seafood selection, presentation, and ambiance.
📞 (360) 766-6185
🏠 2578 Chuckanut Dr., Bow, Washington
If you’re in Blaine, don’t leave without a stop at Drayton Harbor Oyster Company for raw, fried, or grilled pacific oysters, oyster stew, a po’boy oyster style, or a taco with oysters, cod, or shrimp. Located on Peace Portal Drive, this small eatery features farm-to-table flavors and outdoor seating overlooking Drayton Harbor.
📞 (360) 656-5958
🏠 685 Peace Portal Dr., Blaine, Washington
Another oyster favorite is Taylor Shellfish Farms, just off Chuckanut Drive, where sunshine brings seafood lovers to the Samish oyster bar and shellfish market. The shellfish market offers takeout oysters and the farm has outdoor seating a few steps from the water. It's an idyllic place to enjoy the view, the birds, and the flavors of the sea.
📞 (360) 766-6002
🏠 2182 Chuckanut Dr., Bow, Washington
For a fresh-catch experience, make sure to stop by the Bellingham Dockside Market, where you can buy fish directly from local fishermen. Sales happen either dockside off their fishing boats or from land-based stalls near the docks in Squalicum Harbor.
While some fishermen already sell from their boats, the Bellingham Dockside Market is a coordinated effort to "connect our community with local fishermen, create relationships to help our community understand this dynamic vital industry, and learn how to handle and cook delicious, nutritious seafood," said the Working Waterfront.
The world of commercial fishing is unlike anything else and Bellingham Dockside Market will reflect the circumstances that our fishermen navigate. For the most up to date information on the Bellingham Dockside Market, including the seafood that will be available at the market, visit the Dockside's Facebook page.
