Bowpicker Fish and Chips — Restaurant in Astoria

Long lines at all hours of the day, particularly for hole-in-the-wall dining establishments, is usually a good sign. In Bowpicker's case, it's what first drew our attention to the tiny ship-shaped food "cart", which otherwise could easily be mistaken for quirky décor of a small fishing town. Well, that, and the delicious aroma of fried fish and chips!

After several visits to Astoria, always on the wrong day(s) or hours, as Bowpicker is only open Wednesday through Saturday, my wife and I finally found our chance, thirty minutes before closing on a Wednesday afternoon. Miraculously, there was no line at all! Worried that we had somehow missed the boat (get it?!), we scampered up to the counter, ordered a Whole Order, +1, and waited anxiously for our breaded basket bounty!

Unlike most other fried fish filets, Bowpicker's iteration is more like fish nuggets. It's not immediately apparently why, until you take that first savory bite. Yeah, buoy! Turns out another difference, and likely the reason that this compact chippy is so famous, is that the fish used is albacore tuna, instead of cod, halibut or (ugh!) salmon. It's meaty, it's buttery, and it's dense...like tiny tuna steaks!

(Note to self: "Tiny Tuna steaks" makes me think of the theme song for Tiny Toon Adventures. Stick around for my homage at the end of the review!)

Between the two of us, we split our basket of 5, plus one, plus a couple of extras the owner threw in for no charge, which was a wonderful gesture. Because of how filling the albacore is, it ended up being more than enough for both of us. My wife declared them the best fish and chips she'd ever had anywhere; similarly, other than one other magical fish & chips experience I had in the UK*, that I would rank slightly higher, I completely agree with her: in our humble opinion(s) Bowpicker's is the best fish and chips you'll find in the PNW, and possibly the United States! That's no exaggeration.

Believe the hype, and if you find yourself in downtown Astoria between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM, Wednesday thru Saturday, and there isn't much of a line...well, even if there is...you owe it to yourself to embark on a ♪ Tiny Tuna Adventure ♪ to Bowpicker's Fish and Chips, one that you are not likely to ever forget...just like the awful song I wrote below!

♪ They're crispy ♪ ♪ They're chewy ♪ ♪ They're deliciously gooey ♪ ♪ It's Tiny Tuna Adventures ♪ ♪ Come and join the fun! ♪ ♪ And now this review is done! ♪

(For the curious, the best fish & chips I've ever had was Knight's Fish & Chips in...

We've been around the Astoria for years now. We never tried the Bowpicker. But today we were in town and decided to try it. It's every bit as good as we heard it is. We both got the 5 piece fish-n-chips with a soda. I asked for extra tartar sauce and she gave us each the larger PC cup full of it. The fries were crunchy outside and soft inside. Now to be fair it's clear they're not making these fries here. They're ok, just not great. But the real star of the show is the fish. The fish was coated with a batter and fried perfectly crunchy. The moist and soft fish was fresh tasting. I'm not sure what fish they use. While I was waiting for my order I noticed as I was looking back in the prep and cooking area that there were several cans of natural ice beer open sitting on the counter back there. This leads me to believe that they are making a beer batter for the fish. I also think that they are making the batter in smaller batches more often so the fish is always fried in a batter that's freshly made. I asked for extra tartar sauce and they gave me a larger PC cup of it. I felt like it needed more lemon juice in the tartar sauce. I can't tell if they're making it or buying the tartar sauce in. I could've used more ketchup, they give you a small PC cup halfway full of ketchup. The soda is in cans and they do not have cups or ice. There aren't any tables here so you have to eat in your car or find somewhere else to sit. This is a full on boat they're operating out of. It still sits on the trailer as you can tell in the pic. We'll be back. There's usually a line of people waiting to order so be...

A wonderful woman on the beach promenade in Seaside recommended Bow Pickers telling me that If I could hold out for the 20 minute drive it will be "so worth your while" and wow was she right!Bow Pickers is a long-time Astoria waterfront tradition. Just 2 things on the menu - Fish and Chips, period. The fish is dense chunks of fresh albacore tuna in an amazingly crunchy, thin batter. I've never experienced a batter like this. It's perfect. Everybody in line was happy to be there in anticipation of their meal. And they were thrilled we were experiencing it for the first time! Last thing: there's a picnic table under a tree next to the brand new mural (pictured), 4 picnic tables with a harbor view 100 feet away and in our case, we walked down to the Maritime Museum where there are comfortable benches, the trolley and great people watching. Last thing, there's a public bathroom between Bowpickers and the water... and , 🤫 Mo's restrooms are accessible before you get to their giftshop or the restaurant reception greeter. OK. Last last thing. Actually ordering your meal is not wheelchair accessible, however, any nice customer would gladly place your order and hand it over the gunhalls and then the picnic tables area is accessible for you to enjoy your delicious...