Cap’n Yoby’s Drive-Ins

I heard about this place through word of mouth. We got the fish and chips… Yummmmm. Great portions and delicious flavor. Don’t let the exterior, or even interior fool you. It’s worth a stop if you’re craving some yum yum in your tum tum fish and chips.

Down right disappointment. All the recent reviews are correct. Instant regret after ordering over priced fish and chips which where the batter does not cool all the way.
This place probably used to be good 10 years ago but you can tell there has been a dip in the quality and service.

I really enjoyed my stop here. The fish was delicious and although deep fried was flaky and not greasy — a hard thing to find with an order of fish and chips. The fries were good and plentiful. YUMMY tartar sauce.
Clam chowder was a little thin for my taste but the flavor was very good.
Prices are on the high side but the food seemed to be of a decent quality.
Limited, tight seating, but we found a spot that worked.
Super friendly guys working there.
Clean bathrooms and easy parking.

Price is high, but it’s worth it! Would probably opt for the cole slaw instead of chowder, though. Halibut was great and well breaded. The tartar sauce was delicious. Enjoy!

I feel like I should give this a four star because I know in the past this place has been hit and miss, but my visit last Saturday was a definite hit. As others have described, the halibut fish and chips are fantastically breaded and the tartar sauce is something that could only have been extracted from something divine. Yes, the fries are crinkle cut like at an old school drive in and not everybody likes them, but to me, something (perhaps it’s just the nostalgia) pairs perfectly with everything else on the menu. Yes, the prices are high for the quantity and they take a bit to ready your order, but when you consider this is a local business, the quality of the food, and that they don’t start cooking it until you place your order, it’s all very well worth it. They do have burgers but I don’t believe I’ve ever had anything other than the McDinky, a small burger (about the same size as a basic hamburger from the chains) with a smear of thousand island-​ish sauce — so simple yet so tasty. My favorite order: a small (I think two piece is the smallest) fish and chips with 2 – 3 McDinkys.

Gonna go ahead and bump this up to the top tier.
In reading my previous review, I realized there were things about CY’s that I took for granted.
A lot of the food they serve is created on site. They make their own chowder (not available in summer), cole slaw, tartar sauce and I wouldn’t be surprised if they made the batter for the fish. The batter they use (make?) is the tiniest bit sweet but it doesn’t seem to dominate or detract from anything.
Although they also make burgers, I haven’t had one in decades. Not that there’s anything wrong with them but I’m Here For The Fish And Chips, thank you.
Both their halibut and cod seems of a high quality, always firm, never mushy.
The fries are the large crinkle-​cut kind that are always crisp outside and moist inside. The onion rings are dipped in batter and I consider them iconic in the manner of Roake’s or whatever place you conjure when you dream of onion rings.
Some people seem to think the prices are high. Maybe so but quality doesn’t come cheap. It costs about eleven dollars after tax for two pieces of halibut, a small pile of fries and tartar sauce.
I would cheerfully pass by every seafood chain you can think of to come here.

The food is good… but the prices make this review a 3 star. Not worth the $$ for what you get

Love Capt Yoby’s halibut fish & chips and tarter. Ask them to cook it extra crispy and order extra tarter. Expensive but worth it. Order by phone and pick up to avoid what can be a long wait.

There is no fish-​and-​chips in the world to compare to Cap’n Yobys. When I was a kid, there were two of them, at either end of the” cruising” route, in Longview. They both closed, and one was opened at 30^th and Ocean Beach, and another on Allen Street in Kelso. Now the Allen Street one is the only one left, which is unfortunate, because it was always the worst of the lot. Tiny, dingy, terrible access and parking. But they could sell that fish out of a pick-​up at the dump, and people would still flock to it.
They only use halibut, and it is batter-​dipped and deep fat fried. The result is an almost gooey lump of heaven. It seems overpriced, but halibut has gone through the roof, so I don’t entirely blame them for charging so much. But if they charged less and had more and better locations, they could sell a hell of a lot more. Their hamburgers are decent, but it’s the fish you go there for.
I wish they would improve the quality of the fries, which are standard-​issue crinkle cuts. Fish that wonderful deserves a fry just as special. They should take a leaf out of Five Guys book in that regard; though I would like it even more if they would make them from unpeeled potatoes. The peeling is where all the flavor and crispness is, people!
Their tartar sauce is to die for… or from. It’s so rich and creamy, I’m sure it must be loaded with saturated fat. But who goes for fish-​and-​chips when thinking about health?
One down side; they are extremely slow. But trust me, it is worth the wait.
Why some corporation hasn’t bought them out and taken this product national is beyond me. Maybe it is just too hard to get fresh halibut on a large scale. Oh well; we in the northwest will just have to keep this treasure to ourselves.

I have had fish and chips at many, many places all over the United States. Cap’n Yoby’s is by far the best of all. They have the best tasting fish and the best tasting tartar sauce. If you go anywhere else you will just be disappointed. Their french fries are just as great – the crinkle kind. And yes, it costs more than the other guys, (not by much) but it also tastes a heck of a lot better!

Omgosh… Had to get back in my youth, here visiting… Nothing has changed here at Cap’n Yoby’s but the location.
Still the best fish and chips and of course the awesome tarter sauce!!!
I would say Best in the West!!!

Best halibut and tartar in the world!!!
Always take friends to try it. Haven’t had one that doesn’t love it.

I like to get take out from here, but it is hit and miss. I like my fish don’t and the breading done. Some times its great, sometimes not so great. I always liked the crinkle fries with the fish. But they recently changed it. As far as the restaurant, it could use a good cleaning. With a little more attention to the seating area.

I was hungry for a late lunch and decided to give this local drive-​in a try. I wasn’t as great as I had hoped. The place seemed to be very busy without being busy. what I mean is that the wait staff seemed to be overly stressed out for the lack of customers. Service seemed to be very slow.
The food was only okay. I have eaten quite a bit of fish in chips in my life. In fact, fish and chips are my go to food when I go out. I was disappointed with Cap’n Yoby’s fish and chips. The halibut was very tiny and the batter was gooey — not crispy. This was a very expensive meal for something subpar. I think I will stick to other fish and chip places in the future. Perhaps Freddys?

I drive the west coast and I-​5 a lot, and Cap’n Yoby’s is a place I stop at when I can. Plenty of cheaper fast food places around here but I enjoy the burgers very much. Really is a small town joint. Service can be slow and prices are a little high, but it’s worth at least one visit.
Great tarter sauce, terrible drinking straws. No joke, you’ve got to be straight on or the straws break. But if drinking straws are the only real shortcoming, that’s pretty dang good.
Thanks Cap’n for the burgers!

Really disappointed after hearing raves for years from relatives who live in Longview. Finally stopped by.
Fish was very heavily breaded, small pieces of halibut in much dough. Fries were from frozen. No lemons, only gross lemon juice from a single bottle everyone shared… same for the malt vinegar. Place was really on-​the– cheap, except for prices, which were way too high for doughy fish and frozen fries.
Folks, you have to stop raving about Cap’n Yoby’s. It is a 2 or 3 start at MOST. There are several places in the Vanc-​Ptld area that are better! If you live locally and never venture far, maybe you think these fish and chips are the best. But seriously, not even close. Of you like the doughy fish, go. Just please don’t drag us in with phony high ratings.

The inside off building was full of spider webs and dirty, the burgers were big and filling but nothing special on taste, prob a good choice to eat in kelso but wouldn’t make a special trip

I grew up eating here. Love it

A recent trip to Longview, Washington, reminded me again that Cap’n Yoby’s has absolutely the best halibut fish and chips I’ve ever eaten. Yes, it’s pricey — but look at the price of fresh halibut in the market and you will understand why. The only thing I can fault them on is their decision to serve pepsi instead of COKE — which is really odd considering their pole sign is one of the old ones furnished by Coca Cola.
In addition to fantastic fish, the milk shakes are amazing — lots of flavors incorporating the local fruit choices — I alternate between raspberry and blackberry.
There are hamburgers if you have a buddy along who won’t eat fish.
Cap’n Yoby’s is my first stop on every visit to Longview — I moved away from Longview 40 years ago, and this is one the few things I miss. Don’t let the décor fool you!

Really disappointing.
I went here many years ago with my husband and his family. The fish was really good (albeit on the pricey side), and the fries were fried to perfection. I was really happy with this place.
I went again in June with my in-​laws to visit family, and we met here for lunch. Unfortunately, it’s gone down-​hill. Greasy food, lack of general energy from the teenager at the front, and really overpriced for the small portion of fish that I got in return. I realize that I might be back due to my husband’s family love of this place, but in all honesty, I imagine that you can find better food elsewhere in this area.