Restaurants in Southern Oregon Coast

Gold Beach Area

The best meals in Gold Beach are served in the dining room at Tu Tu Tun Lodge. For delicious, filling breakfasts, head up the Rogue River a mile or so to Indian Creek Café, 94682 Jerry's Flat Rd. (tel. 541/247-0680). If you're in the area at lunch, consider having sushi at Café Kitanishi, 29692 Ellensburg Ave. (tel. 541/247-0400; www.cafekitanishi.com), which is affiliated with a Brookings restaurant and is located in the Gold Rush Center, a converted old school building. If you want to take home some local seafood, head to the Port of Gold Beach and Fishermen Direct Seafood, 29975 Harbor Way (tel. 888/523-9494 or 541/247-9494; www.fishermendirect.com), which is in the Cannery Building. They sell canned and smoked salmon and albacore tuna.

Coffee alert: The best coffee in Gold Beach is at Rachel’s Coffee House in the Gold Beach Bookstore at 29707 Ellensburg Ave. (tel. 541/247-7733).

The Brookings Area

If it's pizza you're craving, Wild River Pizza Company, 16279 U.S. 101 S., just south of Brookings (tel. 541/469-7454; www.wildriverbrewing.com), turns out a crispy one, accompanied by their own microbrews. Locals swear by the Hungry Clam, at the Port of Brookings-Harbor (tel. 541/469-2526), for fish and chips; I, however, have not been impressed. For smoked salmon, head south of town to the Great American Smokehouse, 15657 U.S. 101 S. (tel. 800/828-3474 or 541/469-6903; www.smokehouse-salmon.com), which sells a wide variety of smoked and canned seafood.