Sea J's Cafe — Restaurant in Port Townsend

I normally NEVER review unless I am compelled to do so for either Outstanding service or REALLY HORRIBLE SERVICE....This happens to be the latter unfortunately.

Zero Stars if I could. I do not know what Port Townsend considers good eating establishments...but this is the WORST PLACE TO GO if hungry and expecting even a hint of normal service.

Walked in with my wife and my 3 toddlers, and greeted by a room full of flies circling around one of the open "dirty tables". After having to ask if any of the other tables were being used (due to not being cleaned yet) I finally sat myself and family. After asking to get the table cleaned, the waitress ignored my request until noticing me clean my own table which still have old coffee cups on it. After noticing me clean the table for her, she proceeded to encourage me to finish the job I already started. After placing our order (2- two piece fish and chip, brought Mcdonalds for our kids thank God) the same as the couple who ordered right before us, my wife and I proceeded to wait for over 25 minutes while other orders were taken care of and brought out. That is understandable, good food should be worth the wait...but then after watching the couple who ordered the same thing right before us get their order and FINISH IT while we still waited...Another family of four came in and sat down. After this family had their order taken, my wife asked when our food would be ready, the waitress responded within "Maybe" 10-15 minutes. At this point I started to pack my kids up and leave, then miraculously our food was coming out with the food for the family that ordered 15 minutes after we had already ordered.

Not EVEN ONE TIME did we get "hey, we are a little backed up", "Thank you for waiting", "We will be right with you". I know for a FACT that is NOT how the REAL REPUTABLE eating establishments work in Port Townsend. I know this Because I personally work at reputable restaurant in PT.

After My family and I gathered our things (after cleaning up our table), I continue to hear the workers talk about my family and apologize to the other patrons as if we did something to upset the flow of business. I never once said anything out of line or raised my voice, or anything that would be considered disruptive. I politely packed my family up and left the table we sat at in better condition then we received it.

I was really looking forward to eating here, but I WOULD RATHER GO HUNGRY then give my hard earned money to the owners of this establishment. I am sure that I Myself could make better Fish n Chips anyway. Thank you for the HORRIBLE Service you saved me $30+.

This was also on Father's Day...

Sea J’s Café ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sea J’s Café in Port Townsend has been consistently ranked best fish and chips in Jefferson County for over 10 years. I decided to check it out. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t tried it before until I discovered where it was located. It’s a little hole in the wall that’s off the beaten path. You wouldn’t know where it was unless you searched for it. It’s been owned by two different families over the years. The second family has owned it since the early 1990s. It’s a small space but they also have a small outdoor dining area.

The two women working there were very accommodating. I was trying to decide between the cod and halibut. They graciously said that I could get half-and-half. A piece of cod and a piece of halibut. They offered the same with their french fries. They have regular fries, as well as one that has some seasoning on them. I don’t normally eat fish and chips when I’m in Port Townsend, so I have no real basis for comparison but I’m going to assume that these truly are the best in the area. I liked them. My three star rating, which means “ I liked it”, is a solid rating, based on all the fish and chips I’ve had throughout the course of my life, and I’ve had plenty. I like that the meal came with a nice piece of garlic bread. The fish was fresh and simply prepared.

Personally, I prefer a little bit of a lighter batter and I prefer tartar sauce that is a bit less mayonnaise like. This one had OK flavor but it would benefit from a few more chunks of pickle, maybe a little Worcestershire sauce and a squirt of lemon. The fries also would’ve benefited from being cooked a little longer.

I really liked the homey, welcoming environment. as well as and how friendly and warm the employees and other diners were. I like the exterior and interior of the restaurant, which has a wonderful wall full of bumper stickers. I also liked the Popeye and Olive Oyle themed bathrooms.

Some of the diners were eating hamburgers, which looked great. I’ve also heard that this restaurant is known for its milkshakes. I’ll definitely be back. If you are in Port Townsend and want to check out a business that is much loved by locals and tourists alike, be sure to check out...

I have mixed feelings about this place... I'll start with the good first. In fairness, there was a sign on the front requesting patience and that they were having trouble finding staff.

The staff (2 girls) were super friendly and patient. When one of us mentioned the halibut fish and chips she was quick to mention the halibut was frozen and pre-breaded, followed up with how the cod was fresh and hand-cut (👍👍).

The cod fish and chips was absolutely amazing! The crab cake was good, but sweet; like it had a LOT of rosemary in it (way too much) and it overpowered the crab. The halibut tasted just like she said, frozen and pre-breaded (good because she was honest about it). The fries were really good, albeit a little on the cold side. The cheeseburger was really really good! Very mom and pop diner style with melted cheese and a charred patty.

The joint itself is very quaint. Small, intimate, with some really cool wall art. It kinda has this friendly feeling like you walked into a buddy's crab shack.

The not so good...

The tartar sauce was SUPER rich; way too much mayonnaise. It did have a nice dill-like flavor but man it was heavy. The coleslaw also suffered from way too much mayonnaise making it thick and overpowering the cabbage. There weren't very many carrots present either. I'd tell the cook that less is more and taste, taste, taste.

The fish tacos were more like a quesadilla than a taco. Big flour tortilla with a piece of cod, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomato. Not very impressive and the fish had no taste. Maybe use a couple of small corn tortillas, chop up the fish, mix it with some Pico de Gallo, and a fresh tomatillo salsa? More like a Mexican style fish street taco.

Let me just restate the girl that served us was super nice and really made the visit what it was. The food wasn't the best. I'd really like to go back some day after they've fixed a few things. The place is in a great location and has a ton of potential. There's no reason they can't serve local fresh fish with a flare and...