Photos by Cheryl Landes

During a weekend trip to Rockaway Beach, Oregon, we ate meals at two restaurants in town: the Sand Dollar Restaurant & Lounge and Grumpy’s. Both restaurants are popular with locals and tourists and provide fast, friendly service.

Sand Dollar Restaurant & Lounge

We came here for dinner. Sand Dollar Restaurant & Lounge specializes in homestyle cooking. It overlooks the beach and has indoor and outdoor seating—all with views of the ocean. It was a cloudy day when we were here, but the late afternoon-evening views of the beach and ocean were still beautiful.

My dinner started with a hearty salad, followed by fresh grilled salmon with a cream sauce. The food was delicious. The salmon was cooked through, my preference, and flavorful.

The Sand Dollar Restaurant & Lounge is located at 210 South First Street in Rockaway Beach. Their phone number is (503) 355-2200.

Grumpy’s Cafe

Despite the name, we didn’t find anyone grumpy here. Grumpy’s Cafe is popular for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They don’t take reservations. When we came for breakfast on Sunday morning in September, the host said our wait would be about 45 minutes, but they had a table ready for us in about 20 minutes. That gave me enough time to walk a few steps away on the same block to peek into the International Police Museum.

Grumpy’s Cafe serves huge portions, so arrive hungry. They specialize in comfort food.

I ordered a homemade waffle and bacon and was stuffed by the time I finished.

My dining companion ordered an omelet and said it was delicious. Her omelet was served with homemade hashbrowns.

Grumpy’s Cafe is located at 201 North Highway 101 in Rockaway Beach. Their phone number is (503) 355-0585.