Castaways Global Cuisine — Restaurant in Cannon Beach

Update.....Just went to Castaways again....and still amazing. Friendly fast service. The Ahi Tuna was spectacular. I like simple syrup in my Ice tea...they didn't have any, yet they created the most amazing sweet Ice tea I have ever had...Shaken with powdered sugar...I think. WHatever it was...they were accommodating...and awesome. We will be back next time. . I have eaten at nearly every place in Cannon Beach and Seaside...and this is one of the best. We called, and they had a cancellation and got us right in...MAKE SURE YOU GET RESERVATIONS...or be standing at the door when they open. As you get each plate, you can tell that the Chef has pride in every item that came out. The Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce...AMAZING. The Texas Rolls deep fried and filled with Cream Cheese AMAZING.... The Pork Chop...Jerk Chicken... The Steak...All Amazing. The first night it was my wife and I....it was so good I took one of my employees and his wife there for his birthday....Service....Outstanding.....They are very busy and seemed a little understaffed, but I was surprised everything went smooth with how busy it is. Then we had dessert...WOW...a Banana Flambe and a triple chocolate Brownie both with coconut ice cream....WOW. Great Job.. You don't normally find a place like this on the coast... If I had to get picky....#1 When I enjoy a steak dinner or a pork chop dinner with mashed potatoes...I like to have bread...they said "We don't do a bread service". I thought that odd. Secondly...Everything is salted and spiced so well.... The Clam Chowder was the only thing they held back on with seasoning. The texture and contents were amazing....but it was bland... It needed salt. After I used two big pinches of sea salt that is in a bowl at the table...and mixed it in...PERFECT. Again....This is the best restaurant of this caliber on the coast....WOW. ...

I want to start off by saying that the food here, as always, is exceptional. The menu is delicious and there is not a thing that we don’t enjoy.

This is a one star because the service here is absolutely terrible. We came here to celebrate a job promotion for a family member. We were absolutely invisible. We ordered two glasses of wine and a water; it took 20 minutes to receive our drinks while we watched everyone around us receive their cocktails and other drinks. When we asked about our drinks, Megan dismissed us and made us feel foolish.

Next, we waited for over 30 minutes for our food. By the time it reached our table, it was cold. We watched as three other tables who arrived after us ate and left before we ever received our food. When we asked for water (because we never received it/were offered it before) we did not receive it.

When we left, we made sure to pass on our feedback. When our feedback was received, the owner gave us excuses as to why it’s been a hard day, how tourists don’t understand the social distancing rules, etc. We are locals and are very happy to comply with social distancing rules. We have lived in Cannon Beach for generations. The owner then told us “I’m sorry you feel that way.”

I really want to love this restaurant, but we won’t be returning. It is over priced and the service is a joke. “I’m sorry you feel that way?” I’m sorry you can’t take ownership for your lousy service. I understand that the conditions are different and we are all navigating this season together. Don’t waste your time or money here. You can get much better service and a better price somewhere else. Sad to see a restaurant like this treat...

Castaways is, in our experience, sadly no longer the same restaurant we've previously enjoyed so much. Perhaps it was a change with the executive chef or another key player. It's just not at the same level of quality in almost all areas -- food, service and menu are now all subpar. The atmosphere is the same as it has been for a number of years (since they moved into the new building).

Menu -- the flair and eclectic mix of the previous menu is gone. Had the menu been posted online, we may not have even dined at Castaways.

Food -- generic and bland is, unfortunately, also an apt description of the food as well. The sole? So encrusted that the flavor of the fish was completely masked. Making the dish even worse was that the lemon sauce had nearly no flavor with barely a hint of lemon. The lemon sauce was so faint that it made the flavor of the breading on the sole all the more pronounced making the dish completely unbalanced. The stroganoff was not any better. The desserts were even worse. For example, the fresh peach cobbler was basically a small 2" by 3" by about 1/2" thick bit of what tasted like a cake biscuit over an incredibly thin layer (1/4") of peaches. The entire dish was buried in heaping mounds of whip cream, which seemed like a failed attempt to make up for the lack of any substance in the dish. The saddest attempt at dessert I've ever experienced in any restaurant anywhere.

Service --...