Bait Shop And Grill

The best fried Cod I ever had...amaizing place. !!

I’m a fish and chips lover and have to try it wherever I go. This place hit the spot for me and I enjoyed my meal. We got the halibut, cod, clam chowder, and chicken. It was all golden crispy goodness. The chicken strips seemed fresh and my son loved them. I prefer fresh cut fries, but these were still good. I’d definitely recommend this place! 🤗 fyi, I took my pictures towards the end of our meal.

Fast, casual, delicious. Great chowder, not too thick with big tender chunks of clam and veggies. Great fries well seasoned, stand up to malt vinegar. Generous portion. The fish was fantastic. Great batter, tender, meaty halibut. I'm a big guy and the 2piece was perfect for me.

There is a lot of hurry up and wait on a trip back from the San Juan Islands. I have heard horror stories about people getting stuck in Friday harbor because the ferries are having problems. Even with a reservation, you might not get a spot headed to the mainland. We decided that getting there early was good insurance against possible difficulties. We got our place in line with a couple of hours to kill until we might get on a boat. It was lunch time, so we thought a trip to The Bait Shop was in order. My son and I discovered this place last year during the Friday Harbor Film festival. It is an easy to miss spot on Spring Street next to the movie theater. There is a big space inside that is mostly empty. In the summer the space is filled with a line of eager fish and chips fans. Since this was November, we had the place to ourselves. We claimed almost all of the stools at a counter by the window while My cousin and I put in our orders. The menu is pretty straight forward - there are a few fried seafood choices served with fries and coleslaw. I was intrigued by something called crab tots, but at $18 I was not going to take a chance. I got the two piece cod. For bigger appetites, there is a three piece option and if you don’t like cod, you can get halibut. There is a cooler of canned and bottled drinks to choose from, but I prefer fountain drinks with fish and chips. I would not have been surprised if our group of 7 had overwhelmed the tiny kitchen. I should have had more faith. In the summer these guys manage to feed a line that fills the shop and overflows out into the street. 7 orders is nothing to these pros. Our food came out in a couple of minutes. We barely had time to gather ketchup, salt, mayo, other condiments and fill our cups. Everything was fried to perfection. The fish was crispy and cooked though, but not dry. The fries were crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. All the cooked items were good and hot. It was served with plenty of tartar sauce. I like to start with the coleslaw. This version was fresh and crunchy. There was just the right amount of dressing on it to give it flavor without making it soggy. There was an unusual herb in there that I did not like, but that is a matter of taste and not a lack of skill on the part of whoever made it. Except for the coleslaw, we ate with our hands and made full use of the paper towel napkins that were provided. I was good and full by the time I was down to scooping the french fry salt from the bottom of the cardboard boat that everything was served in. There was plenty of time left and even though it was November, our thoughts turned to ice cream. The Bait Shop offers soft serve chocolate, vanilla or swirled. It is probably fine, but we skipped it in favor of the place at Cannery Landing.

The best fish and chips in the region in my opinion. Amazingly fresh, tender, flaky cod, light breading, yummy fries. Reasonably priced for Friday Harbor and less than you would pay in a restaurant for lower quality. I miss the oregano in the slaw though!

Friendly service at reasonable prices for the area. Portion size and food quality are above average. It’s pretty much a takeout only place as far as I could tell but you can find plenty of picnic tables a couple blocks away closer to the marina with water views. I would recommend & return when in the area again.