Buoy Beer

Great service, delicious beer, perfect view. When there is a wait we like to gawk at the sea lions thorough the glass window in the floor. This Columbia River front dining establishment is our favorite spot in our hometown, Astoria.

We dropped in here for lunch on a Friday afternoon off a recommendation. The sea lions outside are great and REALLY close. When we walked in we were greeted and seated right away. That didn’t matter since my toddler daughter spent most of the time with her nose pressed against the picture window in the floor looking at the sea lions. That’s a really cool feature I have to say. Thank goodness there were 3 adults in our group so we could take turns taking the kiddo to the glass to look below while the other two could eat.
The food was fine but a bit overpriced for the quality. We started with the Buoy Oysters and they were tasty then I had the pan-​fried petrale sole for my lunch. Had to look them up on the online menu to remember the names so they weren’t memorable but they filled me up. In my recollection the beer was better than the food. I had an IPA and as expected in the Pacific NW it was a good one. Very hoppy just as I like them.
Our service was mediocre. I don’t think our server ever proactively stopped by to check on us so I would have to flag her down. Feels rude to flag down a server but when you need something and they seem to have forgotten about you its necessary.
I would go back for the view of the water, the beer, and the sea lions that entertained my child but I’ll lower my expectations for the food and service.

Food was over priced bar food. Was told the clam chowder was the best in the city from the locals clearly they haven’t had good clam chowder Campbell’s is better

Went here based off a recommendation from a local shop owner and was not disappointed at all. The atmosphere is fun, the food is AMAZING, (I recommend the chowder), and the service is quick. If you’re staying in Astoria or just driving through, like me, you should stop by. Plus you get to walk on the boardwalk and see the sea lions under the docks!
Just a heads up, they are renovating their kitchen so the food selection is a little limited at the moment, but good all the same!

Best things about this restaurant are the glass floor and the waterfront view. Otherwise, my husband and I have had somewhat negative experiences here. The majority of the waitstaff have been unfriendly. The burgers are bland and subpar. Menu is limited.

Good food at reasonable prices. Good service as well.
We’re repeat customers.

I hated giving this place even 1 star. Really disappointing. The staff are incredibly incompetent once this place is more than half full. The food was mediocre, but at least it took forever… It also had a «McDonalds Playhouse» feel, since parents elect to get drunk in the taproom and let their kids run, jump, scream, harass the other patrons, etc. Unless crap food at Romper Room is your thing, AVOID.

Their Pilsner and IPA were good choices. Loved the spinach dip w/​shrimp. The service was good but the sea lions and great view stole the show.

My wife and I are in Astoria about three times a year, so we try to check out any new place that sounds good. We had been remiss in visiting Buoy, and we’re huge fans of beer, so we decided to stop in for lunch when we were in town about a month ago.
It was about 1:30 PM when we arrived, and the place was packed. I took the popularity as a good sign. There was a wait for a table, but a couple who had been on the wait list and waiting at the bar had just gotten a table, so we took their spot and planned to eat our lunch there.
In the area where the bar was, there were two bartenders, who both appeared to be very busy. We sat there for 10 minutes at the bar while both walked past us time and time again. I understand that they were busy, but they didn’t offer any sort of acknowledgement of us whatsoever. Finally, one of them asked if we wanted anything to drink, and we each ordered a beer. Maybe it was because she was stressed out, but she was pretty unfriendly.
After receiving our beer, we sat there for 20 more minutes, with our menus on the bar in front of us. Neither bartender came back to take our orders or ask if we needed anything. At this point we had been there 30 minutes and had yet to place an order for lunch. Frustrated, we left our money at the bar and walked over to the Wet Dog Café to eat (and we did receive very attentive service there).
I can’t speak to the food, since we couldn’t order any, but the service was the worst I’ve had in recent memory. The one staff member we interacted with was not friendly, and the place seemed to be understaffed (otherwise, I have no explanation for why someone could not take our food order). I was also disappointed with the beer we had ordered. I had the IPA, my wife had the oatmeal stout, and both were rather bland and underwhelming. It was just a frustrating experience.

Yummy food, friendly service, and great beer! Right on the river and not a bad seat in the house. Tugs and container ships floating by and sea lions playing in the water out front. I had oysters, which were lightly breaded and cooked perfectly, not overdone. Fish and chips were also tasty and cooked just right. We had a taster tray of 6 stouts… oatmeal, milk stout, German chocolate, chocolate/​cherry, imperial, and bourbon barrel aged… all very good. Cut-​out with a window in the floor so you can watch the sea lions napping under the building. KIds love this feature!

I had a good experience here.
Good Pilsner, Oat Stout and Whiskey infused Stout.
Also, deviled eggs were a hit, so was the toast pistachios.
Pulled Pork Sandy had good flavor.
Service was sharp, those bud buds did well.
I’d go visit again and try to sit at the front bar for the sweet view.

We were there during the playoffs, and got to sit at the bar, watching the Broncos WIN…
The bartender was a fan, but even if he wasn’t he did an awesome job of making us comfortable. Had some oysters… delicious. My husband enjoyed his beer, and I liked the cider they served.
We’ll be back as Astoria is one of our favorite places to get away to.

We start looking where to eat and we found this place that has a great view, great beer and great food. You have to try the beers they have we had the fish and chip and the oysters.

Terrible beer, even worse service :(really disappointed. Beer tastes dirty.
We came from
Out of town looking for some yummy beer. Waitress asked us multiple times if we wanted to get food– even though we told her we already ate. Obviously the food is the best seller here.

Solid place. Beer was hit or miss, we each got a flight (6 4oz beers each) so we were able to try several. The best ones were the blood orange saison and the cream ale. Others I could have done without (I’m talkin to you wheat). I will say, $ 8 for a beer flight is an awesome deal. I would highly recommend taking advantage of that from a value standpoint.
The food was pretty good, too. Oysters were huge! And fresh. A little annoyed that they were out of the nachos special already at 3:30 in the afternoon. Is the fact that you made enough to serve 4 people what makes it ‘special’?
Overall, 3 stars because we came for the beer, which, like I said, was hit or miss.

I love this space! It is very open with a welcoming feel to it. They have plenty of windows to view the brewery and windows for the amazing view. The sea lions provided plenty of entertainment. I also enjoyed the artwork chronicling their start and transformation of their building.
The tasting room was not open; however, Hubby was able to try their Red Ale and liked it a lot.
I had the blackened salmon salad and hubby had fish and chips. Both were excellent dishes — flavorful, fresh and good portions. We would certainly stop here again when we return to the area.

DANG.
Helllllo, Astoria!
I sat at the bar (the dining area + bar were full [on a Tuesday??]) but I was reading so I wasn’t too bummed out about the view.
I had a gose (The Ledo?), some deviled eggs and some chowder. It was pretty tasty! The deviled eggs were habanero (?) and oyster but didn’t taste too spicy. The clam chowder was really yummy and I LOVED my beer.
They have wifi and a cool, relaxed ambiance. I wouldn’t recommend this joint if I were in a hurry. Staff was reasonably friendly.
It was a little pricey so I’m not sure I’d go back anytime soon but I enjoyed the few hours I spent here.

We flew from Boston to Portland and drove up to Astoria with the sole purpose of going to Buoy brewing after having met the owner and getting a sneak peak of the space before it was finished. I cannot wait to come back.
Buoy is a beautiful space with a ton of character, in a great location. You can’t beat the waterfront location, and during 90% of the year you can take in a view of the resident sea lions. The space even includes an indoor viewing platform!
The food was excellent. We were there with a large group and we got oyster shooters (amazing), deviled eggs, and fish and chips (incredibly fresh). Everything that came out was fresh and delicious.
The beers do not disappoint. I got a sampler so that I could try a bunch. I’m not generally a pilsner drinker, but I honestly think that might have been my favorite and I ended up getting a full pour of it in our next round. There was a small wait when we got there, but we were seated pretty quickly. The service was great, we were well taken care of the whole time. This is a great place for a date night or a night out with friends and family.

I had a really nice first time here. I was passing through town on my way home, Labor Day. They were very busy, but the staff was hustling with good attitudes.
I cuddled into a corner with my beer, later I earned a seat at the bar.
I ordered an appetizer of Oyster/​Habanero Deviled Eggs. They were good. Not too hot, could’ve had more zest, but definitely good flavor, consistency, portion size.
I only saw the front seating area and bar, but it looks like they have water-​side dining. Vast but warm facility.
The beer was solid. A Crystal Single Hop IPA was fresh and hoppy. The NW Red was robust, malty, and juicy.
They have a pay it forward board — that is a large chalkboard where people decide who (i guess to buy a drink or give $ towards your bill) ie. «Anyone from Voldosta, GA $ 5, or Anyone with the last name Vickery $ 5 and then of course there were specific names and dollar amounts. Pretty cool and mesmerizing to read.
Lots of good schwag to buy.

I have been to some pretty nice places and this is not one of them. The coolest thing is the see through floor where you can view the sea lions. The food is subpar at best and the wait for our order was rediculous. Worst of all was the costumer service, the staff was rude and disrespectful. They didnt come to see about refills on beverages. I would not recommend this to anyone who is hungry or wants quality service.
Three stars is a stretch for this too. disappointed in Astoria