The Bait Shop

Name: The Bait Shop
Address: 175 Spring St, Friday Harbor, Washington, USA
Telephone: +13603797444
Price range: $$
Rating: 4.1

#2 of 43 restaurants in Friday Harbor

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This restaurant and The Whale Museum can be both really attractive for tourists. You are to find good halibut, cod fish and chips and fish tacos. Try nicely cooked fruitcake. The Bait Shop offers great lemonade among its drinks.

The great location of this place makes it easy to reach even in rush hours. The staff is said to be cheerful here. Service at this spot is something one can call professional. Prices here are reported to be low. This restaurant is characterized by the quiet atmosphere. The Bait Shop is rated on Google 4.2 by its guests.

Frequently mentioned in reviews

anacortes

ordered the Halibut fish

san Juan Island

slaw and tartar sauce

benches outside

light batter

bowl of clam chowder

with malt vinegar

splurged

stools

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Ratings of The Bait Shop

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Trip

(4/5)

Facebook

(4.6/5)

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Seasonal Sweeties (BY DARCEY MARTINEZ) 4 months ago on Google

Tried and tried to like this overpriced fake fish stick stuff. 3rd time trying to like it and my 15 yr old won't even eat it...he eats everything. Trying to like it love your customer service, employees and atmosphere. You're close Service: Take out Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $20–30 Food: 1 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

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Gary Syck 5 months ago on Google

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. Food: 5 Service: 4 Atmosphere: 4