Side Door Cafe & Eden Hall — Restaurant in Oregon

Stopped by after a long day of driving, and learned that this is a busy restaurant where reservations would have been smart. We managed to snag a seat at the end of the counter seating anyway, and were able to enjoy the fun ambiance. The building is set up with a stage that seems like it could host jazz shows, a concept reflected in most of the decorations and all of the lighting.

We started with crab cakes, which were well balanced and fairly well seasoned. My partner, who claimed to not like crab cakes, took one bite and promptly moved one of the two crab cakes over to their plate to finish off. The sauce served with them was forgettable, and the shrimp slaw was also on the plate: not bad, but unnecessary.

We each ordered a cocktail off their cocktail menu, a tradition of ours (and, given the prevalence of cocktail menus, one we presumably share with others). The menu was nice, and the drinks sounded good, but either the alcohol was so cheap the other ingredients couldn't cover it or the drink was poorly mixed. We couldn't finish our drinks, which might be the first time that's ever happened.

Not being able to finish was a "problem" we ran into with our entrees, as well. We had a seafood fettuccine and one of many halibut offerings, a panko parmesan specimen over a cheesy crab and vegetable risotto. The fettuccine was in a creamy sauce with a bit of pesto, and was not lacking in seafood. Tons of tasty large scallops, shrimp, and shellfish: clams, I presume, but I wasn't paying much attention besides the bites I was offered. I was distracted by my own plate.

The risotto was a creamy, flavorful slop pile, as many can be. I've had better and much worse, but few as decadent and well seasoned. The halibut was an enormous portion, crusted in tasty things and barely braced by the asparagus resting between it and the risotto. Despite my doctor's requests to "eat healthier", I ate quite a bit more than I should have (it was very tasty), and still had nearly a reasonable portion left over.

We couldn't quite stomach the thought of more after all that food (the fettuccine plate was even bigger than the halibut, and still had entire scallops left over by the time we had reached our limit!), despite the tempting sound of the seemingly endless dessert menu being recited to us.

Normally, I expect an inverse relationship between price and quantity. If I'm paying $40 a plate for seafood, I expect small plates of extremely good food. Here, I got a huge plate of very good food. Not disappointing, but definitely confusing! They could drop the prices by 20% and portions by 50% and my review would probably be better, not worse! The menu was also a little over saturated. Two pages of options where a more focused restaurant would have one, and a list of specials that felt as long as the menu itself. The size of the menu was, thankfully, reflected in the time it took to receive the food, not in the quality of the food. Slow but good service wins over mediocre quick food any day. Still, the restaurant felt to me like it could use a slightly pared down menu to really elevate the experience.

All in all, I highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area, but be warned to come hungry or plan on taking home leftovers, consider skipping the cocktails, and be prepared for the bill: they don't skimp on portions or quality, but you...

My wife and I have known each other since 1969 so we have celebrated many special occasions. Her birthday at the Side Door Cafe was one of the most memorable! The building was warm and inviting as we drove up and her name written on the sidewalk provided an extra touch of class. Dakota was our server and he was a true professional. He took our drink orders after greeting us and providing our menus. My wife had a Margarita; she said it was very tasty and I ordered coffee since I was the driver for the evening. The coffee was served in a large mug instead of a small cup you get elsewhere. The coffee was freshly made, strong and flavorful--- just right for a cold Winter Night on the Coast. I ordered the Seafood Bouillabaisse and my wife had the Seafood Fettuccine. Our meals were brought to our table within six minutes, hot from the kitchen. The presentation was exceptional only to be surpassed by the flavor! Being from the Coast, we know fresh seafood and this was indeed FRESH! Dakota checked on us several times during our meal to make sure everything was fine. I commented to him that I didn't know whether it was a reflection on me or the restaurant but my wife said her meal was better than sex! Unlike other restaurants, the servers didn't seem glued to their tables; twice our plates were picked up by other waitresses who noticed our table needed cleaning. One waitress brought us a small chalkboard with the dessert menu on it which we thought was a nice touch rather than having the waitress have to list all the items we could choose from then make a snap decision. After several minutes Dakota returned to take our dessert order and refill our coffees. We shared a slice of Key Lime Pie..... the sliced strawberries on the side was a pleasant surprise. The whipped cream was freshly made by hand and not a squirt out of an aerosol can. What a treat! I was impressed with the online reservation system and the messages from the restaurant regarding what special event this was and them wanted to know my wife's name so they could write it on the sidewalk before we arrived. One note: we wished our meals came with a slice or two of bread; the sauces were just too good to leave behind. We ordered a half a baguette with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and Dakota delivered it less than two minutes after we asked. All in all this was a very pleasant and memorable dining experience and we are looking over our calendar and planning our next trip to the...

My fiancé and I recently traveled down the Oregon coast to celebrate my birthday. We decided to stay in Depoe Bay in hopes of checking out some whales. While there we asked someone for the best restaurant in the area and without hesitation were told "Side Door." We went there for dinner and are sure happy that we did!

The day we were there was cold and rainy, however, Side Door was warm and cozy. We were seated at a lovely table directly in front of a beautifully lit fireplace. We ordered a shrimp salad as an appetizer and were very pleased. It was large enough for us both to share, extremely fresh and delicious. I ordered the rack of lamb which was cooked well, was juicy, and full of flavor. However, the highlight of the experience was my fiancé's meal. He ordered the fresh salmon over dungeness crab risotto. I watched as he took his first bite and a look came over his face that I had never seen before. He LITERALLY got tears in his eyes as he slowly chewed and processed the moment he was having. (sidenote in the five years we have been together this is the first time I have seen him shed a tear) Just looking at his meal I could see it was something special. The salmon was moist and glistening. It was drizzled with a balsamic glaze and beautifully placed on creamy risotto loaded with large pieces of dungeness crab. The meal was perfectly balanced and melted on the tongue. My fiancé said it was hands down the best meal he has ever had.

Given that the meal was so incredible we decided to go back the following night and have the same thing. We were concerned that because the meal had been so incredible the first night it might not live up to expectations the second night. Much to our pleasure, it was just as good the first night as it was the second. This meal was one of the highlights of our Oregon experience and will not be forgotten. It was so good that we will make a point to travel to that area again just to eat...