Moby Duck Chowder & Seafood — Restaurant in Port Angeles

I’m a chef and own a business in the Hamptons in NY.. pretty well versed in food cost in 2025. Was so excited about the dungeness crab roll because lobster by me are a dime a dozen. Menu listed $28, what I received was maybe 2-3oz (if I’m lucky) of crab salad on a brioche hot dog roll. I was actually flabbergasted. To the point I pulled out my phone to google previous posted rolls because no way was this an appropriate serving size for the price. When the bartender turned waitress came to the table asked how everything was, I explained I wasn’t pleased with the serving vs price and that I’d like to send it back. She said “well the price is actually $18 now and not $28, but no problem I’ll take it back.” Snatched it up, very short and quick. This exchange maybe lasted 4secs. No “I’m sorry”, no “how can I make this better”. Just a short “well even though it’s not actually listed as $18 you should’ve known it’s not $28 attitude” lol. And by bartender turned waitress to make sure I don’t misrepresent myself… I mean she was the only staff member on the floor tending to 2 bar goers and 4 tables simultaneously. There wasn’t another staff member present except for the 2 kitchen staff. (Which you can see through the serving kitchen window. which is exposed.)

Was curious and loved the mural and documentary playing on the tvs so I dug into a little bit of history on this place. Which is at a location and should be packed to the brim. (It wasn’t and it’s a weekend.) So my review really is to the owner. (Your foh and boh staff are killing your business.) If you don’t want to be married to the store (god knows I don’t), get a good GM or Chef to manage and oversee. Train your staff, revise/reprint your actual menus and monitor what’s going out of the kitchen. My dish should’ve never made it to my table, the menus should’ve been reprinted or at the very least drawn over in sharpie. You look like a good guy who came up with enough revenue after blood, sweat and tears to open his dream. I’m writing this because my staff would tank mine too if I wasn’t on top of them. At the end of the day, they don’t care. And as a fellow business owner in the industry I’d want to hear this from someone else who’s an owner and been there.

For anyone still reading who isn’t the owner.. after everything, I tipped the server. Pretty well in my opinion. My husband got 2 small/medium crab cakes (for $28) and a Diet Pepsi. So after sending my dish back.. the bartender/server brought the check back within minutes handing it to my husband saying “whenever you’re ready”. Almost kicking us out and dismissive. To which I took and paid. So $43 later, that’s what I spent of a Coke and crab cakes.

Posting what I serve in NY of Maine lobster vs what I...

I've been coming to Port Angeles for the last 20 years, this year, I saw Moby Duck and my husband and I decided to try it on one afternoon. We came at almost 3 PM. The restaurant was pleasant, not loud (no annoying angry music), not crowded, the servers were amazing (polite and not pushy, while knowledgeable), the food was great. We ordered: Geoduck Fritters (3 round, ping pong balls size, full of clam, taste and texture was perfect, and not over fried). It came with some kind of lemon aioli, which if refreshing. PNW Clam Chowder (a bowl of clam chowder which was last, have the perfect balance of clam, potato, veg and seasoning, then, on top was big lump of Dungeness crab and smoked salmon). I love clam chowder and I seldom found a restaurant sell one that's satisfying. Two thumbs up for Moby Duck's recipe and the Chef! The Bucket. Boiled Dungeness crabs, clams, prawns, sausages, corn that's very tasty, hot (temperature) and we could tell the ingredients were fresh! Fresh Lemonade (perfect, I distaste the fake lemonade flavor and corn syrup flavor). Imperial Blackberry Cider (came from the can, but never the less, good bar item to sell.

In the end of the meal (which we couldn't finished and took home), while chatting with the server, my husband found out that he knew this twins who own Moby Duck and, they came over after the server mentioned to them. The last time my husband saw them, they were toddlers! My husband knew their father while they were in the service. Jason and Jeremy, you had made my husband day, he was so proud of how you both had become, and stay in Port Angeles and combine what you love to do and be adventurous to open the restaurant. The two gentlemen also have a Youtube channel, which I subscribed now: The Moby Duck.

My husband is from Port Angeles, he is accustom, to eat fresh seafood that he used to be able to fish/harvest himself. He was very satisfied with the food at Moby Duck. Myself, I was a trained chef through American Culinary Federation, I competed and traveled through ACF, I had the opportunities to work and cook for some famous people, but most, I love food and I was giving up on the food in Port Angeles before I came...

We dined at this venue tonight Tuesday, 5/14/2024 at 6:30. It was not a good experience. We ordered two cups of chowder, crab cakes, crab roll, ice tea and ginger beer. There was one waitress for entire restaurant and one runner. While the waitress was nice, she was totally overwhelmed. I feel for her and all the other diners too.

Soup took over 30 minutes to bring to the table, and we had to ask for it. When it finally arrived it was tasty, but only luke warm. Dinner arrived about 1 minute later, but in stages. I got my crab cakes then about two minutes later my husband got his crab roll.

Crab cakes were not tasty. Almost no crab flavor and were covered with an aioli which completely overwhelmed any hope of crab flavor. The balsamic glaze on the plate was also overpowering the crab cakes and potatoes. The crab cakes were overcooked. I only ate half of one crab cake in a two crab cake serving. I love crab, just not tonight. Our crab roll sandwich was small and had again had little to no to crab flavor. It’s a crime.

This concern is not the fault of the restaurant, yet an opportunity for improvement. Two tables had very young children dining. The kids repeatedly (almost constantly) yelled really loudly disrupting anyone on that side of the room. They also frequently banged a metal octopus salt and pepper holder and silverware on the table. In many restaurants the kids would be given a coloring book to help them manage the situation and the octopus would be taken away from the table.

When the bill came, the credit card machine already had the 25% tip box checked. I moved it to twenty percent. Perhaps 25% is a default setting or the server didn’t do it on purpose. Either way, it’s not hospitable and inappropriate. This dining experience on many points; serving lukewarm soup over 30 minutes after being seated, uneven entree delivery, unruly kids to poor food quality - was a...