Depot Restaurant

I lived on the Oregon coast for 30+ years. People recommended this place to me when I moved here. This fish was bland and the tartar sauce tasteless. Very disappointing. If you want great seafood, go to the coast but not this place.

Not the old depot restaurant scallops were the size of a dime three little shrimp side salad had 5 cocktail shrimp 23.50 won’t happen again you have lost
a long time customer. O ya and they forgot the tarter sauce. Its been going down hill for the last 5 or so years thought maybe you would pill your head out but I was wrong.

My traveling companion and I found the Depot by accident. We were driving through, hungry, and the building looked interesting. We avoid fast food so this seemed to be our kind of place. It was late lunch hour and few people were in the small restaurant, which began life as the Trailways Bus station. Hanging from the ceiling was a collection of large model airplanes, and I think model ships adorned a counter. Both restrooms were totally wall-​papered with magazine covers and picture pages. The restaurant was clean and the menu contained nothing complicated, but a variety of fish and seafood, plus chowder. My companion said his chowder was good, and I enjoyed my sampler plate that contained one of everything plus (at my request) an extra oyster. It was better than average seafood and made a very acceptable lunch. As we were finishing, the dinner crowd began to arrive — at 4 PM. I’m sure the tables would be filled by 5. I would visit this place again.

Tons of food and good quality fish, but the batter for the fry was bland and the restaurant only has sweet tartar sauce. I probably won’t return.

I’m very disappointed tonight. I have always enjoyed the food and was looking forward to date night with my husband. We had an appointment in Albany and called ahead to verify the hours of operation. We were told that they were open until 8pm only to get there at 7pm and find out they closed because it was slow.

New to town and needed to find a place to get seafood since this was the first lenten Friday (which means NO MEAT).
There was a small parking lot in the back where I parked but there is also street parking. Arrived around 8 at night and it was surprisingly packed! Which is definitely a good sign. Overheard one of the customers saying to the waitress that he needed a tow truck to pull him out of the restaurant since he was so stuffed!
I ordered the fish and fry ($ 9.50) which is basically fish and chips. French fries were made fresh and were very good. The meal came with two medium sized fish and two big containers of tartar sauce and lemon. Overall, the meal was good!
I will definitely come back to try other stuff on the menu.

I go to Albany about every two weeks and I’ve given these folks a LOT of trade. This is going to be a difficult review to articulate clearly. I would give five stars for a particular atmosphere here of middle-​class patrons of a certain Old PNW type coming in regularly for their special outing. I am a senior and my expectations were formed in the Oregon of the 1950s.
Five stars for staff too. Bad manners are the curse of waitstaff in rural Oregon but the Depot waitresses are far above average and only once have I detected a little hillbilly insolence.
Wines are good, portions generous. With the menu — and I haven’t tried everything — I at least have to be very careful. The seafood I would bet is prebreaded frozen and only the shrimp are palatable to me. The scallops and oysters are tasteless at best and when cut into ooze a slimy water. I tried the clam chowder and to me it was just a thickened white liquid. I am not so naïve as to expect a lot of clams in restaurant clam chowder but there weren’t even any chopped potatoes or onions.
I agree with the other reviewers who consider the value for money poor here. For older natives who have perfected which menu items agree with them and who don’t mind prices if the atmosphere pleases them and they are reliably well treated, it will remain an Albany standard.

This used to be one of our favorite places to go for fish and chips. Yes, it is quite a bit inland and no, you don’t usually acquaint this timber town with seafood, but for years people have flocked to this little hole in the wall for fish and chips. Like some other reviewers, we had not been in many years and recently have had cause to be in the area quite often so we decided to stop in for dinner one night. As Snoopy would say, «It was a dark and stormy night,» and the place was not very busy. When we pulled up the cook (s) were in the back by the dumpsters smoking (which is also where we found them when we left). We were seated and waited on immediately (as a matter of fact, since there were so few tables occupied it was kind of like we were being stalked as we ate… take one sip and the cup is refilled and so on). The salad was very good and I really could have made that my meal. The fish was meh, tasted just one step above a frozen fish stick and the chips were a little mealy. Not the place I remembered at all.

This restaurant has been a fish and chips spot since 1982.
You can get fried calamari, scallops, clam strips, oysters and Alaskan Cod. Hand cut French fries. Buffalo wings as well. Chowder Too. Friendly staff and quick service. Beer and wine. This fried food was not greasey by any means. Done to perfection.

What a bummer!!! Completely average seafood… fish was decent but the scallops & oysters were awful very comparable to Sizzler/​Long John Silver fast food style seafood platters yuck! … I’ve had better seafood at Red Lobster!!!

Good quick served food. My husband ordered the fish and chips. They were so hot he had to wait to eat them. They make their own French fries which I always consider a good sign. They were both great he said. I ordered the pesto salad. It was creamy with lots of pesto and with shrimp on top. Generous portion and yummy. Friendly service and cute place.

We use to go to The Depot fairly often, but have been away for a bit. The Wife and I went in and the usual fish and chips, the fish wasn’t as good as I remembered and a little smaller size. But it was still good, the price was up, but was isn’t. Will be back

Love the food and service here. Used to go here a lot, but now days you don’t get anything for your money. You get better deals at McGrath’s, worth the drive to get what you pay for.

This place used to be great. At this point the only thing I can recommend is their shrimp salad. Pretty much just over priced and you would be better off going to Corvallis for McGraths… I hate to say it but don’t even bother anymore.

I’ve only been once but my clam chowder was amazing! My husband got an assortment of fried fish and clams and it was a bit greasy for me when I tasted it. I only get clam chowder when I crave seafood so I’d definitely go back for theirs!

My wife and I came here for a lunch date one day. And the décor of the place was very fun! The Service was great! Quick, friendly and helpful.
The food was fresh and served Hot!
It really was all around good service and we plan on coming back. And would recommend to all my friends and family. :)

Food was to be expected. A lot of deep fried everything. Service was excellent, but pricing is through the roof for what it was. I felt like I was at the coast at a tourist trap. 3 stars for price 4 for service and maybe 3 for food quality.

This is my go to place when I need to have a casual meeting for sure!
I love the food, and there is something for everyone!
The wine is wonderful compliment.
The decorations are intriguing ;)
Staff is so loyal!
Can’t wait to go back!!!

Overall, The Depot was pretty darn sub-​par. The batter on the fish was not a classic beer-​batter that makes for a good fish and chips. The clam chowder had decent-​sized clams in it, but was fairly flavorless. I’m still trying to understand the shrimp salad that comes with the meals – it looks like they dump a can of baby shrimp on top of a mishmash of bagged lettuce. Honestly, it’s a bit overpriced for what I imagine is frozen, farmed fish that lacks real flavor. And the cocktail sauce? I’ve never seen cocktail sauce that looks like ketchup with relish mixed in. Where is the horseradish?!
The one good thing – very interesting décor.

HHMMMMMM… Something has changed here. I took an account here for lunch yesterday and things seemed a little different. The beverage glasses were the first tip off as they have shrunk. The half bowl of chowder has shrunk but the cheese and crackers are the same. The fish appears, as I recall, gone from three to two pieces. The bay shrimp on the salad has become less. They don’t offer a lot of the same dishes at lunch like they used to but offer a different one. The service is still first rate, which is good to see. I still like the Depot and their food is good, but they did drop a star. I hope they don’t change much more.