The Bait Shop

Jamie Jefferson

2024-05

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Mason Hwu (Real Estate Advisor)

2023-09

I’m a fish and chips lover and have to try it wherever I go. This place hit the spot for me and I enjoyed my meal. We got the halibut, cod, clam chowder, and chicken. It was all golden crispy goodness. The chicken strips seemed fresh and my son loved them. I prefer fresh cut fries, but these were still good. I’d definitely recommend this place! 🤗 fyi, I took my pictures towards the end of our meal.

Matthew Gravelyn

2023-10

Great place downtown for a quick and easy meal. The halibut was flaky and tender. The fries were salty and crisp. Everything was hot and fresh. We are at the counter which the kids really enjoyed. Not a ton of space for strollers or large groups, but we sat our family of four pretty comfortably in the corner of the outward facing bar. Highly recommend for a delicious taste of seafood.

Linda Bentley (The Packed Bag)

2023-09

FABULOUS FRIES!Looking all over Friday Harbor for somewhere open to eat on a Wednesday evening and found this place. I ordered a cup of PNW chowder and a basket of fries to take back to my room. The service was quick and friendly. The chowder was good, the fries were excellent!

Rob Wingard

2023-10

Fast, casual, delicious.Great chowder, not too thick with big tender chunks of clam and veggies.Great fries well seasoned, stand up to malt vinegar. Generous portion.The fish was fantastic. Great batter, tender, meaty halibut. I'm a big guy and the 2piece was perfect for me.

Benjamin Manne

2023-07

Friendliest service in town. Just downright delightful people who run the place. That’s nothing to say for the 5-star food. The clam strips are stand-out. Something that should be an easy dish that so many places mess up. The Bait Shop does ‘em right. The French fries also are notably good. The window seats offer prime people-watching. Thoroughly satisfied. We will return the next time we visit Friday Harbor.

Thomas Zhang

2023-07

Ordered cod and chips, bowl of clam chowder, shrimp and chips, and clam strips and chips. Not sure if I should give this 3 or 4 stars. Texture is great for the fish and shrimp, but the clam strips are way too gummy and hard. The other thing is salt: the chowder and sauce were really salty. Also the fries were pretty average; my wife thought they were really good but after eating an entire basket I think she's crazy

Gary Syck

2023-12

There is a lot of hurry up and wait on a trip back from the San Juan Islands. I have heard horror stories about people getting stuck in Friday harbor because the ferries are having problems. Even with a reservation, you might not get a spot headed to the mainland. We decided that getting there early was good insurance against possible difficulties. We got our place in line with a couple of hours to kill until we might get on a boat. It was lunch time, so we thought a trip to The Bait Shop was in order.My son and I discovered this place last year during the Friday Harbor Film festival. It is an easy to miss spot on Spring Street next to the movie theater. There is a big space inside that is mostly empty. In the summer the space is filled with a line of eager fish and chips fans. Since this was November, we had the place to ourselves. We claimed almost all of the stools at a counter by the window while My cousin and I put in our orders. The menu is pretty straight forward - there are a few fried seafood choices served with fries and coleslaw. I was intrigued by something called crab tots, but at $18 I was not going to take a chance. I got the two piece cod. For bigger appetites, there is a three piece option and if you don’t like cod, you can get halibut. There is a cooler of canned and bottled drinks to choose from, but I prefer fountain drinks with fish and chips.I would not have been surprised if our group of 7 had overwhelmed the tiny kitchen. I should have had more faith. In the summer these guys manage to feed a line that fills the shop and overflows out into the street. 7 orders is nothing to these pros. Our food came out in a couple of minutes. We barely had time to gather ketchup, salt, mayo, other condiments and fill our cups. Everything was fried to perfection. The fish was crispy and cooked though, but not dry. The fries were crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. All the cooked items were good and hot. It was served with plenty of tartar sauce.I like to start with the coleslaw. This version was fresh and crunchy. There was just the right amount of dressing on it to give it flavor without making it soggy. There was an unusual herb in there that I did not like, but that is a matter of taste and not a lack of skill on the part of whoever made it.Except for the coleslaw, we ate with our hands and made full use of the paper towel napkins that were provided. I was good and full by the time I was down to scooping the french fry salt from the bottom of the cardboard boat that everything was served in. There was plenty of time left and even though it was November, our thoughts turned to ice cream. The Bait Shop offers soft serve chocolate, vanilla or swirled. It is probably fine, but we skipped it in favor of the place at Cannery Landing.

Jacob Ranz

2024-04

Went here for lunch and it was VERY expensive! Over 25$ for fish and chips and about the same for clam strips. The staff wasn’t very engaged or engaging, staring at their electronic devices, specifically watching golf and texting. Also when leaving and asking for a togo bag was nonverbally communicated as a hassle. Oh and if you want any extra tarter after paying +50$, expect to pay more. Unless you want to support a small business don’t bother and go to many of the other options close by.

Shuotian Cheng

2023-06

This spot serves as your typical fish'n'chips shop, targeting mostly tourists, which is perhaps reflected in the slightly overpriced menu. For $20, you get three small pieces of fish, and the fries, while adequate, are just 'okay'. What gives this place a charm, however, is the option to sit at a window table, providing a delightful opportunity to people-watch while you eat. While the food may not be extraordinary, the lively street views may make up for it.

Susan Ding

2022-05

Fresh, tasty seafood. It’s a small restaurant with limited indoor seating. We ordered our food and stayed outside benches enjoying this small town’s street view and live violinist performance.

Debbie T

2023-09

Every time we go to Friday Harbor we stop here. I love the location and how the windows open and you can eat looking outside. My favorite part. For the price... and the size of the fish - it's way overpriced. I guess that comes with a tourist spot like this. However, the fish was good. We got Halibut. The fries were good also. We got the clam chowder and I wouldn't waste my money on that again. Not very tasty. There is no "service" because you never hear from them again once you take your food. They weren't very nice but that's ok.... it just kills me to tip and not even get a thank you. BUT! We still love this place and the location! AND the ferry ride over.

Jennie McCulloch

2023-09

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Jane Mcc

2023-05

Taste is nothing special, and the price is crazy. 19$ for this “fish and chips” The portion size is so small! It’s like a finger food, look compared to my keychain… tourist thieves.. they call it the bait shop for a reason !

Christine OMalley

2022-05

We loved the cod fish and chips so much last night , we had it again for lunch, and it was even better. If you like a lot of breading, look elsewhere. If you want to sit on a bench on the street and have the best fish and chips ever, look no further.

Seasonal Sweeties (BY DARCEY MARTINEZ)

2024-02

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Ryan Brinton

2022-05

Loved the tacos and cod fish and chips. I will say the cod was a little under cooked and lost the batter a little too easily but I would go again for sure.

Kristen DeJager

2023-07

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Matt Manganello

2022-05

Visiting Friday Harbor and it was suggested to visit here. We got the cod and halibut fish and chips. Both were pretty darn good. I’d recommend this place to others.

laura visnaw

2023-06

Small, and quaint, wonderful atmosphere, amazingly quick service. Now let's talk about the seafood. For the price we paid, the code was tender flakey, and moist. The scallops were delectable little morsels that are juicy, not over cooked and very tender!

Tina E

2021-05

Amazing cod tacos! Fish very fresh and superb seasoning. Cod fish and chips also tasty and not too greasy.

Tom T.

2023-08

Friendly service at reasonable prices for the area. Portion size and food quality are above average.It’s pretty much a takeout only place as far as I could tell but you can find plenty of picnic tables a couple blocks away closer to the marina with water views.I would recommend & return when in the area again.

Tank Girl

2023-05

stopped at this place for dinner recently and was pleasantly surprised. For all of the reviews on here complaining about the portions or the service, we were happy with both :)A very nice young man was running the shop alone on the Sunday evening we stopped in. He was pleasant, answered our questions, and had good rapport with one of the regulars.Our food came out quickly, was wrapped expertly for our travel and while it wasn’t massive portion as you might see at some cheap sit down places, the quality was good, and it was enough to share for light supper along with some chowder.Would definitely go back.

Mel anie

2022-05

We came to Friday Harbor in late June and MANY restaurants are still closed. This place was open but it was way too expensive for what we got. I ordered the fish and chips and it was $19 for two TEENY TINY pieces of fish. A side of fries was $5. I was really disappointed after spending that much money. Bring your own picnic lunch or pay that much for table service instead.

Gabe Nickell

2023-08

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Timothy Martin

2023-06

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Bill Walty

2023-05

We arrived in Friday Harbor on a cold fall day and wanted to eat clam chowder this place had good Google reviews, upon walking in the young man working seemed so put out that he had to get up from a stool and quit watching his movie on his phone to help us not only was he put out he also wouldn't look up at us or answer any questions about the menu. I tried to lighten his mood by saying Friday Harbor is very quiet when it's the offseason must be really boring sometimes. That still did not get him to loosen up, after he prepared our food it looked okay and to be honest if it didn't I was just going to get up and leave and probably just throw the food on the floor so it would give him something to do besides sit behind the counter with a bad attitude and totally perplexed that he has to deal with a customer who is paying him money to work. I might try this location again if there was someone else working that was happy and could explain what they were serving like is the fish fresh or ???. But I would not recommend this place if the tall young man is working behind the counter.

Harrison Camp

2023-11

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Muki Kean

2022-05

Visited Friday for school these last two weeks and having checked out most of the places to eat around here, I can say with confidence that the Bait Shop is hands down the best. I got the Cod Fish and Chips; the coleslaw was fantastic, the cod was breaded very well and perfectly fried, and the fries tasted beyond fresh. I would certainly recommend this establishment to friends and will certainly be visiting the next time I'm in Friday Harbor.

Taylor Shell

2022-05

We happened upon The Bait Shop after another place accommodate us before they closed for the night. Our first assumption was that it was an average little place for a decent dinner.We were wrong… in the best way possible. Fiancé and I ordered the halibut and chips as well as clam chowder. Despite us ordering 10 minutes before close (and harboring slight guilt for being THOSE CUSTOMERS) our fish tasted super fresh. Tartar sauce - out of this world. Fries tasted as they were made to order. Chowder was consumed too fast to form a well-worded opinion.Keep doing what you’re doing, Bait Shop. Look forward to eating here again next time we’re on the island!