Boat House - Seafood, Bodega Bay

1445 Highway 1

Bodega Bay CA 94923

(707) 875-3495

Parking: small parking lot with limited spaces

Last Visited: May 22, 2010

Food: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars

Service: 3 stars

Price: $$ to $$$

Alice raved about how great the oysters at Boat House are, so with my mom loving deep fried seafood with a passion, we had to make a special trip.

Upon arriving, we looked at the green 7-up board above the kitchen area and checked out our options. While you can get sandwiches and burgers, we were pretty focused on fried seafood. It's also interesting to see burritos mixed into the menu selection.

The photos of kids on the cork board behind the counter and the wood fish decorations give the place that small town, family-owned shop feeling. Step up to the counter to order your food and select from a variety of drinks in the refrigerator behind the counter.

- Fried Oysters - Four fried oysters come in a basket over a serving of fries. The red and white checkered paper add to that feeling that you're about to dive into some good fried stuff. While the batter is crispy and brown, it's somewhat thicker than I like. Tartar sauce and cocktail sauce come with the oysters along with a wedge of lemon. The price is reasonable, but after having great fried oysters in Vancouver, this just didn't compare. I still give it three stars because it was fresh and the fries were good. $9.99

- Fried Calamari - A good amount of calamari is served over fries. I thought the batter on this one was just okay. Although it had good flavor, I prefer crispier batter. Tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, and a wedge of lemon also come with the calamari. $9.99

The staff is efficient and on this evening, it seemed that the owner had a number of her friends visiting. While there are a limited number of tables immediately inside, there are more in the covered area outside. You can also watch them barbecue your fresh oysters if you sit by the window. Overall, I had an okay experience, but probably would try some of the sandwiches if I came back.