In Sonoma County, with our proximity to the Pacific, we can enjoy fresh, straight-from-the-depths seafood at restaurants across the area. Bodega Bay is the hot spot for seafood, of course, with crab shacks and fish markets that also serve food. But don’t overlook places farther north, if you take a day trip to Jenner or Gualala, or spots inland in Santa Rosa, Sonoma and Petaluma.
Fishetarian Fish Market
This casual seafood shack on the Bodega Harbor boasts fresh-caught fish daily, healthy twists on traditional seafood favorites and picnic table seating right on the shore. You can’t go wrong with the classics here, including Boston-style clam chowder (plus bread bowls from Franco-American Bakery and Mariposa Baking Co.), and fish tacos, raw oysters and crab cakes. 599 Highway 1, Bodega Bay, 707-875-9092, fishetarianfishmarket.com
Terrapin Creek Cafe & Restaurant
This Bodega Bay restaurant serves a sophisticated seafood menu that features dishes like pan-roasted Hokkaido scallops and fresh crudo of Hamachi with bright notes of lemon and basil. Or try the Mediterranean fish stew, with big chunks of salmon, sole, calamari, clams and potatoes in a tomato and fennel broth. 1580 Eastshore Road, Bodega Bay, 707-875-2700, terrapincreekcafe.com
Gourmet Au Bay
Add a wood-fired oven and a fully stocked wine bar to a waterfront seafood venue and you get the warm and inviting Gourmet Au Bay. Crab cakes are a best bet, along with clam chowder, baked oysters with garlic butter and the generously topped smoked clam flatbread pizza with bacon, garlic and Parmesan. 412 Bay Flat Road, Bodega Bay, 707-875-9875, gourmetaubay.com
Drakes Sonoma Coast
The Lodge at Bodega Bay has a full-service restaurant with a charming dining room featuring a large stone fireplace and a fireside lounge overlooking the Pacific. Try steamed Tomales Bay mussels or Dungeness crab roll for brunch. 103 Coast Highway 1, Bodega Bay, 707-875-3525, drakesbodegabay.com
Fisherman’s Cove
When a seafood shack doubles as a bait shop, you know the restaurant means business. Fisherman’s Cove specializes in fresh oysters from Tomales Bay — the grilled oysters with garlic butter and wasabi cocktail sauce are stars. The crab sandwich, with loads of fresh Dungeness crab on toasted ciabatta bread with a choice of cocktail sauce or dill aioli, is also highly recommended. 1850 Bay Flat Road, Bodega Bay, 707-377-4238, fishermanscovebodegabay.com
Spud Point Crab Company
You can tell Spud Point takes crabbing seriously from the to-the-second timer on its website counting down to the start of crab season. The stacked crab sandwich with housemade sauce consistently gets rave reviews and the New England-style clam chowder rivals those found on the East Coast. You’ll also want to order the crab cakes with roasted red pepper sauce before they sell out (only available on weekends). 1910 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, 707-875-9472, spudpointcrabco.com
The Birds Cafe
Named for the movie that made Bodega Bay famous, The Birds Cafe boasts sweeping bay views and a simple menu of classic seafood favorites. The fish tacos are loaded with fresh, crispy, beer-battered cod, the clam chowder has flavorful pieces of clam in every bite, and the chunky lobster roll on a buttered brioche bun would warm an East Coaster’s heart. 1407 Highway 1 Bodega Bay, 707-875-2900, thebirdscafe.com
Anello Family Crab & Seafood
This family-run crab and seafood shack is only open on weekends, making its famous Dungeness crab sandwiches a special treat. The Anello family brings fresh, quality seafood from their boats to their customers, with offerings of crab, grilled prawns in garlic butter, Lagunitas IPA-battered fish and chips and Grandma Mimi’s clam chowder. 1820 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, 707-232-8002, anellofamilyseafood.com
Coast Kitchen
The dreamy seaside Timber Cove Resort has a full-service restaurant with cozy seating options — you can take in the ocean view from the outdoor patio or pick a warm spot by the stone fireplace inside. Coast Kitchen offers seasonal fare, a long wine list and carefully presented dishes. Try the creamy smoked trout chowder, grilled salmon wings and corvina in a refreshing coconut citrus broth. 21780 Highway 1, Jenner, 707-847-3231, coastkitchensonoma.com
River’s End Restaurant
Probably the most romantic seafood eatery on our list, River’s End is both a cozy inn and a fine-dining restaurant, graced by gorgeous sunset views over the ocean. While the menu changes with the seasons, it often includes oyster and wine pairings and the restaurant’s signature clam chowder. 11048 Highway 1, Jenner, 707-865-2484, ilovesunsets.com
Rocker’s Roadhouse
Situated in the historic Valley Ford Hotel, Rocker’s Roadhouse (formerly Rocker Oysterfeller’s) serves Southern comfort cuisine with ingredients sourced from nearby farms and fisheries. This translates to next-level Cajun-seasoned Dungeness crab cakes with a remoulade sauce, beer-battered rock cod fish tacos and barbecued Tomales Bay oysters (get the Louisiana hot oysters for a taste of Southern heat). 14415 Highway 1, Valley Ford, 707-876-1983, rockeroysterfellers.com
Rocker Oysterfeller’s at the Wharf
Opened last year in the former Lucas Wharf Restaurant location, Rocker Oysterfeller’s second outpost delivers on excellent, locally sourced seafood with a few Southern twists. The Creole Fisherman’s Stew is a glorious display of fresh, local seafood, and the Captain’s Platter is a surefire bet for delightfully fried rock cod, calamari, beer-battered shrimp, Dungeness crab cakes and French fries. The Cajun Blackened Pasta with wild gulf shrimp is a personal favorite. 595 Highway 1, Bodega Bay, 707-772-5670, rockeroysterfellers.com
Handline
This Sebastopol eatery pairs sustainably sourced seafood with locally grown produce (much of it from its own backyard). The fish tacos are a draw here, made with beer-battered rockfish, fresh shaved cabbage, chipotle aioli, avocado and lime. Other fan favorites include the Monterey trout salad with a heavenly green goddess dressing, and La Sirena tostada with poached calamari, fresh veggies, citronette and pickled chile aioli. 935 Gravenstein Highway S., Sebastopol, 707-827-3744, handline.com
Oyster
Sustainable seafood is the focus of this Parisian-style oyster and bubble bar from Kosho restaurant’s Jake Rand. The charming indoor-outdoor location at Sebastopol’s Barlow makes for great people watching while snacking on Spanish octopus a la plancha, crispy skin tai snapper, rock shrimp ceviche or seared scallops in brown butter. Worth a special trip. 6770 McKinley St., Sebastopol, 707-503-6003, oystersebastopol.com
Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar
The Starks’ seafood restaurant in Healdsburg features a tapas-style menu of eclectic twists on classics. Standouts — beyond the ever-popular Maine lobster roll — are the pan-roasted shrimp with chiles, charred octopus tacos with aji amarillo and pickled hearts of palm, and the caramelized butterfish with miso vinaigrette and exotic mushrooms. The buffalo-style crispy fried oysters served on the half shell are a fabulous spicy, crunchy starter for the table. 403 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-9191, willisseafood.net
Bag o’ Crab
Bag O’ Crab is exactly that: a steaming pile of seafood dumped onto a communal plate that’s a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing. Wearing a large plastic bib and eating with your fingers is also self-selecting. If you’re up for both, or just find pulling off shrimp heads weirdly satisfying, Bag O’ Crab is your new favorite restaurant. Combos are the best bet, offering mix-and-match choices of Dungeness crab, king crab legs, clams, crawfish, shrimp and lobster. 1901 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-843-7267, bagocrabusa.com
Santa Rosa Seafood
This seafood market on Santa Rosa Avenue has been selling fresh local and exotic fish to North Bay customers for more than 40 years. Fresh-caught crab is offered daily until it sells out, and those in the know wouldn’t leave without a pound of smoked salmon. You can find any other seafood you desire here, from bay scallops and calamari steaks to yellowtail and whole black cod. 946 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-579-2085, santarosaseafood.com
Pezcow
This upscale marisco spot rarely gets the attention it deserves for impeccable seafood dishes, molcajete with shrimp, mussels, scallops, octopus and crab legs, aguachiles and show-stopping piña rellena, a half-pineapple filled with seafood topped with melted cheese (surprisingly awesome). 8465 Old Redwood Highway, Suite 510, Windsor, 707-236-7342, pezcow.com
Simmer Claw Bar
Vietnamese-Cajun fusion is the kind of cuisine most of us didn’t know we needed. The crispy coconut shrimp are a winning treat every time, and the tender fried frog legs are a fun surprise. The true Simmer Claw Bar experience would be incomplete without a seafood boil: a pound of your choice of seafood (try the crawfish for a taste of Louisiana) with your choice of flavoring (Cajun, lemon pepper, garlic butter or the secret Simmer Sauce) and desired spice level. 595 Rohnert Park Expressway, Rohnert Park, 707-806-2080, simmerfamily.com
Anna’s Seafood
Skip the freezer aisle at the grocery store and head to Anna’s Seafood next time you want fresh seafood to bring home. You can’t go wrong with the selections here, such as the rich sashimi-grade Pacific king salmon or meaty ahi tuna steaks. If you’re looking for ready-to-eat meals, try the assorted pokes, crab cioppino and smoked salmon. 901 Lakeville St., Petaluma, 707-318-5286, shopannasseafood.com
The Shuckery
The Shuckery’s Lalicker sisters, known as the Oyster Girls, know their way around shellfish, much to the benefit of locals and visitors. Check out their daily selection of raw oysters or order the baked oysters (Rockefeller, poblano, miso or bingo). The mussels and clams are tender, delicate and savory, accompanied with grilled Della Fattoria bread to sop up the flavorful wine sauce. 100 Washington St., Petaluma, 707-981-7891, theshuckeryca.com
La Salette Restaurant
Fresh seafood is at the heart of Portuguese cuisine, which La Salette does exceptionally well. You could get lost in the starters alone, such as the Atlantic salt cod cakes, chouriço-crusted day boat scallops and wood oven-roasted whole sardines. But the entrees that can’t be missed are the bacalhau no forno, a traditional Portuguese dish of salt cod in a baked casserole, and the caldeirada (or Portuguese fisherman’s stew) with sea bass, scallops, clams, mussels, shrimp, linguiça and fingerling potatoes. 452 First St. E., Suite H, Sonoma, 707-938-1927, lasaletterestaurant.com
Valley Swim Club
Owners of buzzy Sonoma restaurant Valley Bar + Bottle have opened a casual seafood spot offering coastal staples like chowder and griddled, split-topped rolls with juicy fried oysters, shrimp or crab, along with seasonal aguachiles (shrimp with cucumbers, lime and cilantro is a favorite). Pescadillas — a cross between a fish taco and a seafood empanada — are perfect handheld snacks, while bigger entrees include trout a la plancha and a spicy tuna bowl. 18709 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 707-243-3032, valleyswim.club
Worth a Trip to Marin
Hog Island Oyster Co.
There’s nothing better than slurping oysters just feet from where they’re harvested on Tomales Bay. Oysters are pretty much the entire menu (you can also get a few salads, cheese and charcuterie), but whether they’re raw or barbecue, you’re here to shuck. Reservations only. Bonus: Last year, Hog Island opened its newest location in the form of a pickup window in Petaluma (419 First St., Suite B). 20215 Shoreline Highway, Marshall, 415-663-9218, hogislandoysters.com
The Marshall Store
Though it was named among The New York Times’ “Top 50 Restaurants in America” in 2021, The Marshall Store remains an unpretentious oyster bar frequented by locals. Residents and visitors alike come for the fresh oysters, like the sought-after grilled Kilpatricks topped with garlic butter, Worcestershire sauce, bacon and parsley. But don’t miss the hearty, New England-style clam chowder or vibrant fish tacos with grilled mahi mahi. 19225 Highway 1, Marshall, 415-246-9306, themarshallstore.com
Tony’s Seafood Restaurant
Tony’s was established in 1948 by Croatian fisherman Anton ‘Tony’ Konatich. The seafood shack, now owned by Hog Island Oyster Co., is popular for its daily fish specials and locally caught shellfish, particularly the HIOC Clam Chowder, served in the style of a cioppino, with whole Manila clams and hunks of vegetables, potatoes and bacon in a cream-based broth. For something more on the crispy, carby side, go for the fried oyster po’boy with HIOC’s signature Hogwash slaw and housemade tartar sauce on a Route 1 hoagie roll. 18863 Highway 1, Marshall, 415-663-1107, hogislandoysters.com/restaurants/tonysseafood
Worth a Trip to Mendocino
Gualala Seafood Shack
A small, no-frills shack by the ocean with a modest, straight-to-the-point menu of classic dishes is how to win over a seafood lover’s heart. After a day of whale watching or hiking coastal bluffs, settle in for a meal of crisp local rockfish and chips with a side of housemade tartar sauce. For a bite of something fresh and zesty, go for the stuffed fish tacos with purple cabbage, pico de gallo and chipotle cream. 38820 S. Highway 1, Unit 104, Gualala, 707-884-9511, gualalaseafoodshack.com