Oystercatcher

What a lovely little spot in Coupeville! We grabbed a last minute reservation during the week in the middle of winter and the place was pleasantly quiet. Service was excellent, quite friendly and attentive. We split a number of small dishes and really enjoyed all of them, especially the grilled oysters, beet salad (sooo good!), and grilled octopus. The scallops were also really delicious. We liked the risotto as well, but unfortunately it had too much truffle oil- it would have been far better without it overpowering the actual mushroom flavor.The bread was excellent, as well, and we felt that everything was reasonably priced for all the fresh ingredients and portion size.We'll definitely return next time we're in town!

We booked this place on Valentines Day 2024 not only to celebrate Valentines but also our ten-year anniversary. It was an incredibly disappointing yet expensive dinner. My partner researched local restaurants extensively prior to our 2-night stay in Coupeville and chose Oystercatcher based on 1) the location (walking distance from our hotel and historic Front Street) and 2) the menu published on their website. He shared the link with me prior to making the reservation to make sure there were items on the menu that appealed to me. Our hearts sank when we got to our table on our big night and saw that their normal menu was not being offered. Instead it was a set menu of mostly raw dishes for $105 per person. A set menu on Valentines Day is not unusual, and I understand why restaurants do it, but the menu and the price should've both been disclosed to us when the reservation was made. I'm also baffled by the choice to create a set menu that was almost all raw food, because I'm sure those of us who can't stomach such "delicacies" are not a small minority. Why wouldn't you curate a set menu that has broad appeal on a night when it's the only thing your customers can have? There were six courses total in this dinner, and I could only eat three of them. My partner ate my portions of the other three courses because he didn't want any of it to go to waste, but I honestly wish he had allowed mine to go uneaten and be returned to the kitchen so they could've gotten the message.It started with 4 oysters on the half shell. My partner ate all 4 oysters because I don't like them. He said they were just ok, not the best he's had. Next was carpaccio: thinly sliced raw beef. Not "rare". Completely raw. I only ate the roasted peppers they put on it as a garnish. He ate the beef. He didn't love it, but since he was paying so much, he managed to get it down. I could barely stand to look at it. Just watching him eat it made me gag.After that was potato leak soup with pork belly crouton. That wasn't a typo. Not crouton plural. Singular. These croutons were literally the same size as a standard bread crouton, so for the price of the dinner, it should've been more. At least the pork belly was cooked.Next was linguini on a bed of wilted greens and topped with caviar. I'm the only one of us willing to eat caviar, so I tried to scrape as much of it off for him as possible. This dish came in a communal bowl we had to share. The portion would've been perfect for one person, but it was too small for two. We paid $15 extra each to have "butter poached Dungeness crab" added to this dish, which turned out to only be barely one tablespoon of crab. Not each. We had to share the tablespoon of crab meat. This is the second of the three out of six courses I could eat, and for me it was the main course, so I really wished there had been more of it.Next was more raw beef and raw scallops. Both were pan seared but only enough to brown a paper-thin layer of it on the outside. I tried half a scallop--which I normally love--and let him eat the rest. Dessert was a flour-free chocolate tort. I did like this, but he didn't.He paid, but when I add up the price of the dinner per person, plus the extra $15 each to split a tablespoon of crab, his two beers, one shot of tequila, one $16 cocktail for me, tax, plus tip, he probably spent close to $350. I felt terrible that he paid so much for such a disappointing meal, and he felt terrible that I wasn't able to enjoy it. As for ambience, if it wasn't for the dim lighting, candles, and cloth napkins, this place would have none. There is no cohesion at all to the selection of decor on the walls. Some of it is very contemporary, some looks like something my 85-year-grandmother would've picked out from a thrift store, and some of it is Native American style. It's a tiny place, so most tables are so close together that you're elbow to elbow with the party seated next to you. There is a wood burning stove in the corner, which would've been nice if we hadn't been seated only two feet from it, We were roasting throughout our dinner, so the two of us were one of the few things in this restaurant that was actually cooked.In summation, I would recommend that the people who own and/or manage this restaurant be more transparent next Valentine's Day and other nights when they aren't going to offer their diners a choice. A set menu, particularly one with that high of a price, should be disclosed both on their website and at the time at the reservation is made.

What a GEM of a restaurant! We happened across this cozy restaurant with an outdoor patio after a hike and did not feel underdressed. We started out on the patio but quickly became cold and our waitress was very accommodating to move us inside. We ordered the half dozen oysters and the Chefs Menu for the evening and were so happy we did! Each dish was beautifully presented, held delicious flavors and textures together and each better than the last. I only remembered to take a photo of the protein dish (scallops), the rest were so amazing. Exquisite gnocchi, octopus and scallops dishes were dinner highlights while the house-made carrot cake was divine. What a wonderful experience

We were grateful to have stopped in the Oystercatcher for lunch. They were running a limited menu with most of their vegetarian friendly options on it. I wasn't sure we would be able to eat here during our Whidbey trip but this was perfect. We were seated on the deck with a good view, and received good service, even getting our food from the chef himself. The risotto and gnocchi options were standouts. Gourmet vibes without the fussiness.

Spectacular. Lucky enough to have gotten there exactly at 5 because we were the last walk-in they could take. Service, food, and wine were spectacular. They went the extra mile to make us feel welcome. What a gem.

In shortAn age-old favorite changes hands, keeps the same vibe, and somehow gets even better than ever.In longYou might not even notice that the place is different, necessarily. We didn't. Same location, same name, same focus on creative seafood cookery in a friendly, informal setting. We didn't know there were new owners until we bumped into some locals after lunch. They mentioned that there's a new fire table up front that serves as a waiting area when it's packed. We thought it was just a good choice to expand seating, but it's kinda the signal announcing new ownership.A few years ago, we started feeling like we'd eaten the whole menu here, and when we visited the island on weekends we'd hit other places. We still talked about old favorite dishes, though, and last week we checked their website to see if the menu had turned over enough for another visit. Turns out they had new dishes, and had added a weekend happy hour lunch. We walked in without reservations, and the nice early-spring weather had lured everyone else to something other than a local restaurant. They had only a dozen or so tables occupied, as opposed to what is usually a madhouse for HH. Our server gave us the whole rundown as we chatted during table visits. She clearly enjoys working there...she mentioned that she and her husband would soon be spending their anniversary having dinner on the deck. Who else do you know who celebrates a personal special occasion at their place of employment? So cool. The HH menu changes all the time, which is rad. They REALLY take care to explain everywhere on their website that they change their menu a lot. For some of us, this is something worth bragging about, but it sounds like they have to smooth some ruffled feathers now and then. Hopefully everyone clicks with the new approach soon.OystersWe've been almost-successfully planning an outing for oysters lately, and seeing these on the menu yanked us across the water and in for lunch this weekend. All Kumamotos, served with a red wine mignonette. We had 30. Could barely get enough. Hubbard squash risottoGreat sauce with a bit of tang, nice crunchy veg, very toothsome and appetizing grains. Wonderful small dish, like the whole HH menu.Crab and shrimp saladFantastic house-made tortilla chips, wonderful warm savory sauce underneath, a bit of greens and seafood. Not a huge portion but so delicious and you keep using the chips to scrape every other plate, too.Parisian gnocchiI dunno what "Parisian" means here, and it doesn't matter. Rich pesto sauce on the cauliflower, and gnocchi pillows you could probably chew with your tongue. They absolutely melt in your mouth. Kohlrabi croquetteDelicious warm savory sauce under, a smattering of greens and such, and then two really flavorful croquettes. Awesome fillings to them, cooked through. The crust was super dark and tipping very slightly toward a hint of bitterness, so I might call them a bit over, but we sopped up every crumb, and every other table that ordered them got them the same color and they all ate every bite, too. The cocktails are all out of this world, too. Humorous names, very creative mixes, all served attractively. We tried 6 and loved them all. The Springtide had more lilac on the nose than on the palate, and was mildly-flavored overall. But that was hardly a disappointment. We wish we could come here every weekend, but it sounds like we were lottery-level lucky to walk in and get a table this time. Can't wait to come back.

We had a wonderful meal last night, both ordered appetizers and then split a halibut dinner, wine and martini.All was excellent, husband had a ceviche trio "excellent" and if had know the size would have ordered only one appetizer. I had a salad and then the halibut! Finished off with beignets with a berry sauce! The next time we are there will make sure to return for dinner. Server Cheyenne was great, happened to be a sunny day so was able to say outside on deck and look at the beautiful view. Spendy but felt like since we don't splurge too often it was worth it! Headed back in August!

This place is amazing. We had the tasting menu and all courses were delicious with generous portions. We loved the food so much we went back the next night and created our own tasting menu from the small dishes and entrees. Service was special. Our servers both nights were both professional and warm. Just the right amount of friendly conversation. Do yourself a favor and try Oystercatcher.

Cute Spot recommends reservations, tiny as well. I had the oysters, scallops, and the octopus it was all delicious.

We ordered the tasting menu ($79) with wine pairing ($35). 5 courses, every one was outstanding. Great wine pairing. Same result a month ago when we also had the tasting menu. Pinch me, I must be dreaming to have this caliber of restaurant in our hometown of Coupeville. The portions and pours were very generous too.