Buck Bay Shellfish Farm — Restaurant in Orcas Island

I visited ( boated to Olga ) on June 7th, 2023 with my wife. Beautiful surroundings in Buck Bay for sure. Tents over picnic tables, self serve beverages in a cooler, ordering food from a laminated menu standing in line... asking for an up front 15 / 20 / 25% or more tip on an IPad? The tip culture is out of control in my opinion.

I ordered the $24 Island Role that was delivered to the picnic table ( sorry for no tip at the time of ordering for this effort, he was a very nice guy )

Seafood and seasonings was in there somewhere, but hidden by the over abundance of mayonnaise, on half (4.5" ) a cheap and bland hot dog bun and looked nothing like the pictures they post of a robust seafood stuffed role. Other reviews show a role twice the size of what I received. If you are running out of food due to location and supply issues as you state, in other reviews, then reduce the cost.. WTH

The shoestring fries were cold, hard an inedible the moment they were delivered. Catchup in foil packages and salt provided if you went to the front counter and asked an employee to provide???

Just an absolute waste of my time and money, and I will not go back. There are so many better places to spend your time and money on Orcas. I have over the years visited many of them, but Buck Bay Shellfish Farm is not recommended by me. Yes, that means they are the worst after 40 years of boating the San Juan Islands, just a terrible excuse for a business leveraging their own oyster beds.

After reading other reviews, and the owners reply to those and her reply to mine, I have downgraded my review to zero.... She is narcissistic and belittles those who expect more. Says they just can't afford her as a reply to those that have issues with the quality or service. Even if you are challenged with ... location, labor, quality, timeliness of supplies, you made the choice to attempt to attract those that provide you prosperity... stop expecting the most reward from the...

We’ve been enjoying Buck Bay for five seasons now, and it’s been a rollercoaster! When we first discovered their fish-n-chips, they were the best we ever had, truly life-changing. However, the following summer, with a change in chefs, the quality plummeted. Thankfully the original deliciousness returned the next year and lasted for two more years.

This season, we were excited to revisit, expecting those amazing fish and chips again, but unfortunately they were a disappointment. For $32, the version served was just not up to par. The fish filets were long and narrow, the color was off, and the breading lacked the crispy texture we once loved. It seemed overcooked, the fish was tough, and perhaps the oil was old? We remember how silky, flaky, and fresh it used to be with that light, crispy tempura batter. Take us back!

To make matters worse, we hyped them up as the best fish and chips ever to our out-of-town guests and were embarrassed when the meal turned out to be mediocre at best. We mentioned it to the staff but they basically shrugged it off and moved on. Would have been nice to offer something to try to improve our experience when we spent $200 on lunch. But nope. They claimed recipe is the same. (No way, just look at the photos!)

Consistency seems to be lacking here season to season, and we really hope they bring back the quality we cherished in the past because Buck Bay is a really cool spot with great food, if you happen to catch them when they’re...

First visit in late July on a Friday around dinner time. A little hard to find if you are new and not used to slim winding island roads, tall trees obstructing views, poor Google maps directions, and road signage that is a bit dated and Alice in Wonderland-like. (Note to locals: love it! Don't change the signs!) Buck Bay is very busy, but the staff were very pleasant! The lady taking our food order was so positive and friendly. The young staff delivering orders worked around and within the crowd with ease and unruffled feathers. The man taking our fresh oyster order to-go was extremely kind, helpful and welcoming. You could tell all of the staff took pride in their business and had their operation running smoothly. Everyone else in our group enjoyed their meal of crab mac and cheese and fish tacos. I am a bit picky on my fish and chips; halibut isn't my preferred choice and was a bit dry, but I hear that it is difficult to get just right. (Later I had the leftover halibut with cabbage salsa we made, which perked the dry fish right up. So, don't pass on taking home leftovers!) We grow potatoes at home, so have high expectations for chips. Regardless, we definitely wanted to come back for a second and third eat during our short 4-day trip, but the only thing stopping us was trip fatigue catching up with our group. Make sure to eat here on your visit to Orcas, as you won't be disappointed once...