CHUCKANUT, Wash. — Taylor Shellfish Samish Bay is the winner of Best Seafood Stop in 2024's Best Northwest Escapes viewer's poll.
A hairpin turn along Chuckanut Drive Spans Oyster Creek, which flows down to Samish Bay - and a place raising shellfish from tide to table for more than a century.
"We are at Taylor's Shellfish Samish Bay, right off of Chuckanut Drive,” said Charles Walpole, assistant manager. "We grow oysters, clams and geoduck and we also serve them. So, it's kind of a unique experience for people to come here and dine on oysters and also see where they're grown and the process of harvesting them."
This seafood stop is a working farm, planting and growing shellfish in these pristine waters, while also growing a worldwide fan base.
"This place is fantastic, we're actually from Canada but we live in Shanghai so we don't get to each this much,” said a customer named Landry who was enjoying oysters and shrimp with his family.
Another customer, Francine, marveled at eating Washington oysters grown right on the beach. “It's as fresh as it gets,” she said.
One of the reasons for that freshness - the oysters, clams and geoduck they grow here don't leave the sea after they're harvested! Instead they go into a special container where seawater circulates through.
"This is water that's being pumped in from Samish Bay, so all the oysters are kept live and as fresh as possible for serving," explained Walpole.
The most popular order here is the "Shucker's Dozen" - a variety of raw oysters served with cocktail sauce, mignonette and hot sauce. On weekends, the line gets long and the shucking crew works hard.
"We'll do over 1,000 people on a busy Saturday. So, weekends will be up to 3,000 people. Shucking about 2,000 to 3,000 Oysters a day," Walpole said.
Charles has a counterintuitive tip for beating the crowds:
"Definitely come here later in the day," he said. "For some strange reason. When we're at our most beautiful during the sunset, we're not as busy."
A retail seafood market means you can take some of this bounty home, and there's a selection of wine and brews picked to pair with seafood.
Even if you're not an oyster lover, a visit to Taylor Shellfish Samish Bay will fill you up on scenery.
And if a Shucker's Dozen with a side of shrimp is your idea of a perfect meal, this is the place to live that phrase "When the tide's out - the table's set."
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