The Saltry Restaurant - Halibut Cove, Alaska

Michelle Mitton

We liked our evening here, it was certainly one to remember, in such a beautiful setting! To get to the restaurant on Ismailof Island you book a round trip ticket on the Danny J ferry (see the link on the restaurant's website) for either lunch or dinner. Either way from the time you leave the dock in Homer until you return, plan on about 4 1/2 hours. It's chilly on the water so stress warmly in layers. Once there much of their seating is outside so, again, plan to dress warmly. The crew was nice enough to take a little time at Gull Island because passengers had arrived as instructed 15 min early so we left well on time.

The staff at the Saltry was friendly and good and the meal was fun as we looked out over Halibut Cove.

The menu is mostly seafood, as you'd expect, and it was good, I had the scallops and he had the rockfish. I also had the broccolini Caesar salad which I liked, and large enough to share. The bread they serve is very good and fresh, and the bread pudding we had for dessert was quite good, though I'd serve it a little warmer. It's a huge portion, enough to easily share.

We finished a little before 8pm, which is when the gallery closes so keep track of time if you'd like to see it. There are fun trails around the island to explore.

Pooja Chaudhary

TLDR; go for the seafood, don’t expect much if you’re vegetarian.

We came in for lunch on the Danny J on a pretty rainy afternoon. We took a table outside that was close to the fire which is quite a nice touch. The restaurant definitely has a lovely atmosphere with views of the bay from their outdoor seating area.

We ordered the half sandwich (vegetarian) with the tomato bisque soup and the salmon tacos. The sandwich wasn’t the worst but definitely feels like you’re eating a compromised meal as a vegetarian. The soup was quite lovely though.
My partner who has the fish tacos enjoyed them very much.

They also bring their house made fresh bread which is truly the star of the show - that was definitely my favorite part of the meal.

Service is great here too!

K Y

We dinned on 6/15. Ash was our waitress and she was 10/10! Very kind. we took the Danny ferry with a group so everyone one is busy serving lots of people at the same time. We went on a perfect sunny day so weather was amazing. You do get a chance to walk around the boardwalk after you eat before departure time, so try to be seated first in line. Do bring your own water bottle because you will be there for a few hours and there is no shop open that late for concession purchases and the restaurant doesn’t serve a lot of water to your table. Cocktail list was alright but the food was lovely!

Heather Parson

Absolutely unforgettable!!!! The food was fantastic. The setting is so unique and picturesque. This is a bucket list place. Just being in the island and taking in all the beauty was amazing! The dining experience was icing on the cake- absolutely delicious meal.
We had the small appetizer plate, salmon salad sandwich, chowder and fish tacos.

Debi Edmondson

Boat ride from the Homer to Halibut Inlet- boat ramp directly to The Saltry. Very fun, eclectic place built on side of mountain. Food excellent, limited menu but delicious, staff very accommodating & friendly. Worth the visit.

Kristen Butler

I just had one of the best dining experiences of my life here! I didn’t see the other reviews before I came, but they seem upset with the owner, and perhaps just one loud disgruntled group? Our experience was so incredibly different that I’m shocked its the same place- though one server did tell us that most of the staff was new.

From beginning to end, everything was easy. Booking was easy, communication was clear, finding the ticket office and boat was simple. The crew on the boat over was wonderful- I was so impressed with our captain professionally handling an entitled SF tech bro who tried to smuggle his own booze and thought the solution was to get aggressive and start yelling.

The dinner was WONDERFUL. We were say quickly. The restaurant wasn’t full, but was more than adequately staffed. The reviews below saying they couldn’t get water— they’ve definitely fixed this issue. We were greeted with water and they left a full bottle on our table. I never got the chance to fill my own glass because it was quietly taken care of for me consistently. (David, you ROCK!)

Our food was fantastic. Courses came out quickly. We got a half order of half-and-half (half Saltry style, half regular oyster) and they were so good! I do wish we had gotten them all Saltry style, but my husband doesn’t really care for oysters, so i was glad to be able to have options for his! He happily ate 3.

We also got the broccolini- imagine a Caesar salad with almonds and broccolini. I will unsuccessfully attempt to copy this dish when I get home.

For entrees, we got the scallops and the pork. We felt silly getting pork in the Halibut Capital of the world but WOW am i glad we did! It fell apart onto our forks. The scallops were a PERFECT sear and the sauce was delicious. We also got a special of halibut cheeks. I didn’t even know hallibuts had cheeks! Turns out, they’re tender and delicious.

We were invited to take a walk along the boardwalk, then come back for a final cocktail and dessert, which was delightful. DEFINITELY go for a walk! You can walk along lovely houses and even through a barn. (Barn owners, in case you read this- your barn smells like my grandparents’ barn, and I almost cried. Thank you so much for that!)

The trip back was incredible too. Our crew was so personable, and she was so willing to talk about growing up in Halibut Cove and her extensive nature knowledge. It added so much to the experience! I felt safe and cared for the entire time.

We’re here on a belated honeymoon, and this was our one “fancy” night out. This exceeded my hopes by far. Thank y’all SO MUCH!!

Daniel Grimes

Celebrated a very special lady yesterday, taking her to Halibut Cove for dinner and drinks. What a fantastic experience, from start to finish!
The ride over on the Danny J was spectacular, the food was good overall, and the service was very attentive and informative. We will most definitely visit again!

The entrees included the octopus, the , the chowder and a butternut squash bisque. The octopus was almost too chewy to eat, but the flavor was exceptional. One of our party had a shellfish allergy, and experienced a reaction during the dinner service. This was after we let the staff know that the allergy existed. While a minor inconvenience, better kitchen sanitation practices and food prep guidelines would be in order here.
The Rockfish was perfectly cooked, the polenta was buttery, creamy deliciousness, and both the soups were dynamite!

Jordan Carter

Oh my gosh, I can't recommend this place enough. Especially towards the end of the season like now. Ash was our server, and the experience we had was so wonderful. Excellent service! Sitting by the fire on their deck watching seals and otters play was like magic. The food was stunning, the best oysters and mussels we had ever eaten. We went for lunch, which included the ride around gull Island, an absolute must if you are given the chance