Bridgewater Fish House and Zebra Bar

Nice lunch. Prices what I expected. Attentive wait staff. Varied menu. Had mussels and clams. I was happy.

We had a lovely overnighter visiting Florence which is a charming town. We were recommended the Bridgewater at our hotel and while walking the boardwalk we stopped to look at the menu and scope it out. It looked great, menu looked great, and the staff were very accommodating. We arranged to come back that evening. Being on the coast we were really hoping for some great seafood for dinner. Starting with drinks, I asked for a negroni and the waiter had never heard of it. No problem. It has happened before. But the bar doesn’t have any Campari to make this drink. Hmmm. Back to my standard martini and this was fine. We ordered a dozen oysters on the half shell from Coos Bay and they came out fresh in their nectar. They tasted fine but my wife commented just before I did that they were definitely room temp. Almost warm. Not sitting on ice at the table and I don’t know how long they had been off ice or refrigeration in the kitchen. We then each had a cup of seafood chowder which was quite good. For dinner my wife had the seared Ahi tuna. More like grilled Aji. It had the grill marks on it but it was pretty well overdone for seared raw tuna and dry. It was pink in the middle, should have been red and raw. I had the seared scallops and was also disappointed. Dry on the outside, bland, no real caramelized sear from a hot griddle/​gill. The fish all seemed good quality as it did not have that «fishy» smell and after taste of old fish. I think it more points to poor preparation. Vegetables for both of us were green beans & carrots. After the disappointment of the meat, we found no comfort in the vegetables and less in the black rice. After reading other reviews, I would like to give this place another shot but there were some other decent looking spots to check out in town. We’ll see.

The place was packed but we were able to grab a 4-​top in the bar area without waiting. The BBQ oysters lived up to the hype — the oysters were super fresh, plump, and had a briny sweetness that came right through the sauce. Perfectly cooked. We ordered the Salmon San — grilled salmon filet with avocado, red onion, and a yummy aioli with a kick, all on grilled sourdough. Fish and chips were 4 star — huge fillets, excellent crunch. Linguini with white clam sauce very good, though the pasta was a bit over-​cooked. We’re wine drinkers a d were hoping for a bigger selection of local bottles, but that’s our thing. Service was fantastic.

We ventured to the coast on a warm afternoon and stumbled on this restaurant! We enjoyed — a pulled pork sandwich, fish & chips, and fettuccine with prawns. All delicious dishes! The service was phenomenal. Very impressed with how attentive they were to us and how cheerful they were! We WILL be back!

Great coconut shrimp prawns and teriyaki chicken sticks! Yum
Really got it right at the Zebra Bar.
Service was fast and friendly. Bartender was fast and served us spicy nuts.

1^st time here but it won’t be the last time. The lobster melt with cole slaw was definitely a winner. When in Florence, one must enjoy the local catch at this spot.

Look no further, this restaurant is for you!
First off, the atmosphere of this restaurant is astounding. The various animal print chairs and décor give the entire restaurant a very casual feel. And the music — where do I even start? They play artists like Tycho, Gramatik, and Yppah and it WORKS. The various chill artists set a vibe that’s very easy to get lost in. Impeccable.
And now the food. We had the barbecued oysters for starters and they were phenomenal. For the main entrée, the halibut and sweet potato fries were to die for. The halibut filets weren’t anything to laugh at — they were large and delectable, while the sweet potato fries were sweet and perfected. On top of that, the food was (relatively) cheap!
The service was great as well. The drinks were always topped off, the food came quick, and the servers were personable.
I can’t give this place a high enough score. I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommended this place. You’re missing out if you overlook this place. Don’t make that mistake. Go to Bridgewater!

We tried this restaurant based on reviews, and were greatly disappointed. Go elsewhere. Like the restobar!

Oh-​my-​god. What a meal.
First, the appetizer — a sizzling plate of 6 barbecued oysters on the half-​shell with two sauces.
Next, the entrees — one of us had the special of the day, black bean and ham soup. Sublime. Another had the best grilled chicken sandwich he’s ever had in his life (an impressive 69 years too!). An amazing barbecued pulled pork sandwich was had by another, and I had the trio fish & chips (halibut, cod, and salmon). Perfect.
We will never think twice about coming here when in town, and you shouldn’t either!

Deep-​fried dishes should be avoided, but everything else was solid. Stellar, attentive service.
We split the Captain’s Platter, which was a lot of food like the server said, but at least half of it by volume was breading, which averaged more than ¼″ thick around the onion rings, the prawns and the fish. Calamari and fries were normal, and the breading around the scallops was about right. Even so, don’t be fooled by how good the fried stuff looks – you’ll be picking most of it off to find the food.
Service was as good as I’ve had anywhere and others had plates that looked healthy and delicious. We chose poorly in terms of the menu, but would gladly be back to try something else.

Seriously good food! Service was a bit iffy when we first walked in. The restaurant didn’t look very busy but the waiter who seated us told us all the good tables were reserved and we were at in a really small table in the middle of the restaurant. But the food more than made up for the weird-​ness. Cioppino was amazing! They really don’t skimp out on the crab! So good. Really loved that the crab cakes were more crab than filler! Altogether a great experience. Definitely will come back to eat here if ever in Florence again!

The Best Bbq’d oysters on the planet ! Also lovin the private snack jar of fun ! This place rocks in food & service !

Sweet Jeebus. We wish we had just one «nice» place like this in Coos Bay or North Bend where you could take guests.
Charming atmosphere. Fair prices for very tasty grub. First-​class service.
This part of Florence is a bit Disney/​Touristy. But if that’s the price you have to pay for this kind of place, then ring me up.

Picture this: New Year’s Eve, on a 101 road trip, rolled into Florence about an hour past sundown, weather at mid to low 30’s, hungry, tired, and still had to find a nice place for our anniversary dinner.
Having never been to Florence before, I was completely clueless as to what to expect. Thankfully, the concierge at the hotel recommended Bridgewater. We didn’t have reservations, so we just decided to roll in and take our chances. We were able to get a couple of seats at the bar and order from the full menu. Love it!
The cocktails (Xango) I had did the trick and the wine selection had something for everyone. The stuffed mushrooms and shrimp cocktails filled us up. The real stars, besides the festive lighting, were the mixture of spreads and butter that came with the drool-​worthy bread. I was in gluten heaven. They had live music, too!

Unilocalers were right! This place is awesome. So awesome that my husband and I actually doubled back on our road trip just to enjoy the scrumptious menu again!
You must try the BBQ oysters, and the chowder is the best we have had on the west coast. The cioppano was delicious and chock full of sweet, juicy seafood.
And we loved the fish and chips! The batter was super crisp but light and the fish was fresh. I substituted onion rings for the fries and was not disappointed.
Great, sophisticated so sphere and friendly service made this a five star experience! Highly recommend

Stopped here for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. The décor is… interesting. A zebra-​jumgle themed restaurant/​bar in a coastal town? Sure, why not, right?
The service was decent from our waitress, as well as by the manager, who came by a couple of times to check on us. They were attentive enough without being pushy. The crab cakes were very tasty as an appetizer. I had the veggie burger, which was cooked well… I think they may have used some quinoa to add some body to the patty. It definitely wasn’t soggy or old like some are. My boyfriend and his mom each had the squid and fries… nice and crispy, no complaints there either. His dad had the ocean chowder, which was full of seafood, rather than filler of potato, which was a nice surprise in his opinion as well.
Stop by for a bite to eat. You’ll walk away with a happy experience and unoffended.

Date of service: May 24, 2015
Meal: Dinner, dine in
All Ratings out of 10:
Quality of food: 10
Food to Spend Value: 9
Quality of Service: 10
Overall Rating: 10
I love good seafood, and theoretically one would think that the best seafood restaurants are always close to the coast. It amazes me how often this is not true, though there are definitely many near the coast that are fantastic and serve fresh fish. Bridgewater had great reviews and a fantastic looking menu, so while vacationing in Florence I took the family there for dinner.
We arrived a bit late but just before the cut off for ordering food from the kitchen (the restaurant stays open longer serving alcohol), but the manager assured us we were fine and would be able to enjoy our meal. We were pretty hungry so started with a few appetizers. The first was the BBQ’d Oysters, which consisted of half a dozen oysters charbroiled in their shells and served on the half shell drizzled with garlic butter and citrus BBQ sauce. The oysters were amazing, with a juicy, delicious flavor, and the butter /​BBQ sauce topping really finished them off nicely. We also ordered the Steamed Mussels and Clams. The order was one pound of the mollusks, steamed in a white wine and garlic broth with garlic bread on the side. They were cooked exquisitely, and the broth was delicious not only for the shellfish but for dipping the garlic bread. I will also point out that both the oysters and the clams and mussels were very fresh tasting.
As if that wasn’t enough to start off a meal, my curiosity was piqued by the Ocean Food Chowder, so I had to get a cup of it. It had a rich, creamy broth loaded with bacon, clams, fish, and shrimp. Think of the best clam chowder you have had, and then make it richer and creamier, and then add other fish to the mix, and you will arrive at the Ocean Food Chowder. It was a stunning soup, and I literally licked the bowl when I was done. It was also served with sourdough bread that was quite yummy.
For my main course I ordered Seafood Thermadore. You could almost describe it as a fancy seafood casserole, though that doesn’t do it justice whatsoever. It reminds me of what many restaurants refer to as a «Fisherman’s Platter» or «Captain’s Platter», except this was way better than any I have had in the past. The Thermadore consists of shrimp, scallops, cod, salmon, and lobster all sauteed with a rich cream sauce. Then it is assembled into a crock and baked, to quote the menu, «with a unique presentation». The presentation is definitely unique, as is the flavor. But it is to die for! The cream sauce was super robust, and the seafood was perfectly cooked and tender. It didn’t look that big at first, but it was very filling, and they did not skimp on any of the seafood. The dish came served with veggies and your choice of starch, and I chose broccoli and roasted redskins, both of which were also fabulous.
Another entrée that was ordered that is worth mentioning is the salmon. It was a very large filet, and it fell apart as you cut into it, with a mesmerizing flavor. The sides chosen were the same as already mentioned, but they were also delicious.
I mentioned at the beginning that we got to the restaurant late and just before kitchen cutoff, and yet we were never rushed or made to feel as if we were inconveniencing anyone. The service was spot on and very attentive and helpful, and it really added to what was already a great meal. For the quality of the food, the prices were very reasonable, and the portions were quite large, so I felt like the value was sky high. This was definitely one of the better dining experiences I have had, and there is no question I will return for dinner the next time I am in Florence. If you love seafood, good service, and super high value, you have to check out Bridgewater. You won’t be disappointed.

Definitely a gem in Florence! My friends and I had a great lunch here on the way up the Oregon coast. While I definitely treasure the entire coast, Florence is a very special place with some of the best food. Bridgewater does not disappoint and is on par with other Florence restaurants.
I opted for a salmon and pesto pasta. The salmon, honey smoked, really hit the spot for me. Although I did not know what to expect from the pairing of the salmon and the pesto, this combination worked really well for me. The gentle sweetness of the salmon perfectly offset the slight tanginess of the pesto on the pasta. Really, it hit the spot that day.
If you’re into beer, they have a great beer selection. There are always some local brews on tap and I highly recommend trying them out.

Fresh oysters and great crab!
We stopped here for lunch and sat at the bar area. Service was very attentive from the start which was very welcoming.
I ordered the soup of the day which was split pea with bacon and also the BBQ oysters appetizer. The oysters were very meaty and tasted very fresh. They were caught at Coos Bay which was just a bit down south from Florence. The BBQ sauce was slightly spicy and the oyster had a bit of smokiness to them. Soooo good.
Anthony had the fresh crab with pepper jack cheese melt. I highly recommend this. Lots of fresh crab, with melted cheese in between browned buttery bread.
For dessert we had the sundae which was sinful but worth it.
A definite visit!

First off, the service was wonderful at this restaurant. Very busy place in the Old Town of Florence, Or. Be sure to make reservations on the weekends.
They could season the food a little more for a richer taste.
Prawns were very mild, I want more butter and garlic. Steak needs more flavor.
Live music was wonderful!