River View Dining

The smoked oysters. Truly extraordinary. The care he takes in preparing them is something special … and worth the wait.
If you anticipate a large order, call the day before to make sure he will have the number of oysters to cover you the day you plan on dining.
We also enjoyed the raw oysters: So clean, fresh, smooth yet meaty…
Patience is a virtue here: Nothing is pre-​made. It is all prepared to order, so don’t be in a hurry. Sit back, enjoy the view and the smoky grill smell and appreciate the love going into preparation. :-)

LGBT friendly. The owner went out of his way to make us feel welcome. Great food, charming place, and friendly staff.

This place is great for oysters. Seriously though, JUST the oysters. Don’t order any other food item.
I made the mistake of getting a steak sandwich. It was truly the worst meal I had had in years. The meat was overcooked, old and leathery smothered with some odd looking onions all smashed into a hotdog bun with kraft cheese. I do not recommend it.

My wife had the grilled oysters, which she graciously shared. I ordered a «kitchen sink» type of sandwich, which was OK, but wished I’d ordered the oysters instead. Perfection can’t be rushed, so don’t come if you’re in a hurry. Come because you are hungry and have the capacity to enjoy grilled oysters elevated to an art form. Seriously. I’ve tried to approximate his grilled oyster recipe on my Big Green Egg, but as tasty as they’ve been, they don’t begin to come close to this man’s remarkable, unforgettable masterpiece.

I had the sword fish sandwich and my wife had the halibut with fries. We each had a small cup of clam chowder. The chowder was great and the fish was ok however not many fries for the price. Expect to spend about $ 20 per person. Definitely fits the dive category. Service was a bit slow but the waiter, maybe owner, was very pleasant and accommodating after we initiated conversation. Otherwise he might come of indifferent about you as a customer… I think its more a personality quirk than a behavioral problem.

If you want fresh oysters this is the place to come. Just a small café but the food id awesome. We had the freshest oysters on the half shell I have ever had. Manuel the self proclaimed «oyster nazi» was awesome and owner|waiter. I had the pan fried oyster appetizer and oyster sandwich which was very tasty. My husband had the halibut fish and chips. They cook everything to order so it comes out hot and fresh. Will come back next time we come through.

The grilled oysters with all the stuff are absolutely outstanding. We will be back for those for sure. The rest of the menu is odd. It offers so much and such a range of dishes. The quality and presentation vary wildly. I mean, crinkle cut fries frozen out of a bag on one hand, and the best grilled oysters I’ve ever had in my life on the other. Does not accept cards like many businesses in this town, and only one ATM that we could find.. .

The rudest service we have ever ever had, really, wouldn’t you be happy to have business?
Salmon was done perfect!
Still can’t believe we just didn’t leave because of such rude service!
We did like how they cook the fish to order on an open fire, yumm! But come on! Be nice!
A few extra fries would be nice!

Ambience and service one could best describe as «experiential» or «rustic» but the food is outstanding! Don’t leave without trying the grilled oysters, with everything on. Everything being a secretive «herbs and spices» combination the cook/​proprietor seemed unwilling to discuss.
The alder smoked salmon was also wonderful.
Prepare to spend some time absorbing your surroundings. Nothing here is pre cooked. We watched the salmon being hot-​smoked on the barbecue outside for half an hour, our mouths watering the whole time.

Stopped by because we were doing a trip up the Washington Coast and I was keeping my eyes open for a place that did fresh Oysters on the spot. Saw the grill and pulled right off. Had the clam chowder that was tasty and had chunks of clam. I was really just wanting an oyster, so I ordered it, and it is made to order, so you have to wait for a bit while the dude grills them. The sauce they used on the oyster was a little rich, but not bad, just a little different than the butter and garlic that I was expecting.
Not sure about the rest of the meals, the place seems kinda like a spot that is mainly for a oyster treat.
Also, it says it on the door and the register… NO CARDS! So don’t act surprised.

Amazing. My boyfriend ordered the raw oysters, his eyes were rolling back he was so happy. They were super fresh. He also got the Mahi Mahi sandwich, and he said it was the best meal he’s had on our vacation. The salmon chowder was homemade. I ordered the pulled chicken sandwich, but they were out. He offered to grill a piece for me. I watched him grill it right outside the door. Everything was delicious. Service was friendly and felt very homey. I would make a point to go back.

We drove by and saw the man grilling oysters so we made a U-​turn and went right in and ordered a dozen grilled oysters, a bowl of clam chowder and a grilled salmon sandwich.
The people working here are unfriendly. But they are busy grilling and with only one waitress, she worked her booty off.
The food is prepared after you order so it takes a long time.
The salmon burger and chowder were good.
The big problem was the grilled oysters. The one thing we wanted and why we stopped here. The sauce is fabulous. It’s the oysters themselves that are GROST. They are mushy, for lack of better word to describe them. The texture was just nasty.
And we’ve been stopping for grilled oysters all along (and we know good oysters) and they are firm. We think this place served spawning oysters!!! Ugh!!!
A good restaurant should NEVER serve spawning oysters.
We drove down from Forks after stopping to hike Sams Loop and a hike down to a Washington coast beach,

We had a half dozen raw oysters on the half shell and although I LOVE oysters, these oysters were nothing to rave about. I don’t know whether they were not as fresh as they should have been or whether the local oysters just aren’t so tasty. But I was relieved that I only had 3 oysters to eat when I would normally eat a dozen.
We also had the homemade clam chowder and it was just okay.
Better than a gas station. Service was poor. Oysters were inexpensive 6 for $ 9.99.

We stopped here on way to Cape Disappointment and we’re not disappointed the salmon sandwich was so amazing. We tried to order ribs but they said you have to call ahead. My mouth was very happy. You walk into the place and it kinda seems like it’s not going to be good like an old diner but then you taste the fish or the oysters and know you made the right choice coming on in and staying. It’s fun to watch the owner on the big grill cooking the oysters and fish spraying them with whatever makes them
so good.

Hands down the most incredible oysters I’ve ever had. The grilled oysters will haunt me until I can come back and have them again. Out of this world.

Outstanding! The oysters both raw and cooked. Cooked with all the stuff and on the grill for an incredibly long time-​trust me-​were amazing.. The raw were amazingly fresh with the horseradish sauce proving a spicy kick.
The owner is an interesting character. We were the only people there for dinner. My husband and I enjoyed chatting by the smoker while he was grilling oysters and salmon for us. We love his heathy respect for butter!!!
Inside there are things to look at everywhere with a couple display cases of thing– a diorama of a life and stuff collected here and there. I love looking at people’s collections.
The collector in me was delighted and the food lover satiated. For this I bestow 5 stars. Hope u fare just as well.
Ps it is $$ –support the local economy!

We visited River View dining in May 2014, almost a year ago. I was looking at pictures from the trip recently, and I still remember how good the oysters were!
My husband and I were visiting friends at the gorgeous Pacific Northwest, and were driving from Portland and stopped for a oyster snack on the way to Seattle. The wood fire oven was not lighted, so we were told we needed to order at least a dozen to have them fire it up. Which we gladly did. And we should have ordered more! The owner has a ‘secret recipe’ which involves many elaborate steps and three different sauces. It took 30 minutes after the oven was lit, but my husband and I chatted with him while he made the oysters, so it didn’t feel too long. Also, we each had a side of the clam chowder while we waited, which was quite good.
It is a small place, and there isn’t a lot of staff, so don’t go for the service, go for the food. The oysters, for sure. they are the best I’ve had yet. They do procure them locally at the Willapa Bay, so that must be part of the reason for the taste. River View gets my full recommendation!

South Bend /​Raymond residents recommended River View Dining — and I would also recommend it. River View Dining offers an excellent selection of entrees, with choices of preparation (sautéed, Alderwood smoked, deep fried, etc.) The meals were well balanced (choice of baked potato, salad or veggies) and a generous serving.
I am looking forward to having dinner at River View Dining again — and enjoying the beautiful view of the Willapa River.

Surprised beyond belief. We walked in the door and we all thought, oh dear… We might need to turn around. The floors were cement, the tables from 1940, and the décor lacking. BUT, the food was amazing, delicious and so tasty… I mean soooo tasty. It is well worth going back again and again. We all had different food, the salmon burger by far was the best, but the fish tacos were superb, as well as the salmon chowder. Dang, unbelievable!!! Being a vegan, I had avocado tacos and I’ve never had anything like them in my life.
If we drive through there again you bet we will be stopping, guaranteed!

Just outstanding food.
Our host, chef and owner. Was outstanding.
The oysters that my wife had. Were perfect.
The pizza that I ordered. Perfect.
If you can change the laws of physics, then you can cook something faster than anyone else.
Take your time and enjoy the show of your meal being prepared. You will enjoy the experience.