Harry’s Beach House - Beach Eating in Style
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Seattle is a water town. Almost wherever you go around the city there is shoreline where one can wade, swim, kayak or paddleboard. But for a true “Seattle Beach” experience you really have to go to Alki. From the moment you get off the water taxi at Seacrest Park—along the entire length of Alki, around the point where the lighthouse stands, and all the way down to Lincoln Park—you are “at the beach.” But the part of the waterfront that draws the biggest crowd is Alki Beach, a quarter mile strip of sand, rocks, and driftwood along the shimmering Elliot Bay. It is here where the beach volleyball tournaments take place, along with picnics, beach bonfires and an endless flow of people, dogs, bikes and scooters. And, yes, food.
Across the main drag at Alki Beach are bars, restaurants, sidewalk cafes, ice cream parlors, taco trucks, and everything else one might expect to see in a bustling beach town. You can find most of what you want to eat here, from your typical beach burger joint to fish & chips and mexican. But don’t expect fancy and for God’s sake don’t dress — it’s Seattle after all, where the name of the game is comfort and personal preference. Sometimes, however, you want your beach eats to be, well, better than the usual paper-plated fare. And when the mood strikes to go a little higher on the food scale without sacrificing Alki’s relaxed beach experience, you want to go to Harry’s Beach House.
Harry’s looks like most of the other super-chill joints along the sandy strip of Alki. But a closer look and you notice the wooden fence defining this little culinary gem’s beachy grey and white courtyard from everything else. Outside there are weathered tables with matching chairs and a few umbrellas, but on them you might find delicate wine glasses and porcelain rather than paper plates. Inside the cozy dining room, Harry’s takes on a more refined—yet still beach-chilled—vibe, with rough hewn tables and solid grey chairs amidst a simple, Persian carpeted room lined with nautical paintings, a welcoming fireplace and a great bar. And in it’s casual simplicity you quickly sense that this place is special; different from the many bars and quick-cook eateries lining the sidewalks in both directions. It’s fine dining meets the beach—the perfect combo for beachgoers looking for something higher brow than a hot dog and plastic cup of beer.
Still it is the casual beach, so the menu at Harry’s is appropriately simple and straightforward. This means honest food prepared well and served politely and without fanfare. An ice-covered plate of Hama Hama oysters with ginger-chili mignonette shucked to order just moments before make a great starter. From there you can freestyle it and build a tapas-style meal like we did with other small plates of things one rarely sees on Alki Beach. Like Burrata with marinated figs, jamon serrano and grilled bread. Or Goose Point fried oysters—perhaps the best I’ve ever had—with its tensile panko crust and that plump, just-cooked delicate bivalve within. There's even a classic summery wedge salad, festooned with bacon, avocado, cherry tomatoes, radishes, luscious chunks of Pt. Reyes Bleu and topped with crispy shallots and a gracious drizzle of tarragon/buttermilk dressing. For a more traditional sit-down meal there are mains like Squid Ink Tonnarelli, wagyu steak frites and a careful selection of other items. End it sweetly with buttermilk panna cotta or cherry galette. Sandwiches and even a lovely weekend brunch menu are also available.
So why is there such clamor for the good food of Harry’s Beach House amidst all the options of Alki Beach? Because within that world of options the availability of food above the fray and facing the beach is limited. Without casting aspersions on the more barefoot beachy eats, Harry’s simply offers a strong finer dining option without having to take off your flip-flops. Instead of a hot dog and something in a solo cup, they bring half shells and cocktails in glass. And sometimes that is the best way to eat at the beach.
Harry’s Beach House, 2676 Alki Ave SW, Seattle
(aerial photos courtesy of Getty Images)
